Chapter 300: Five for One—A Fair Trade!

Time passed painfully slowly. Even someone as composed as Werner was starting to sigh and fidget, his patience wearing thin.

Meanwhile, Wang Yun was sprawled on the ground, arms tucked behind his head, one leg casually crossed over the other. His eyes were half-closed, a picture of relaxation. His steady, even breathing made it obvious that he’d fallen asleep.

Across from him, the five captains sat rigid, their eyes wide with tension. Even Hardy, the boldest among them, didn’t dare to move recklessly.

No one would risk running away, not even with Wang Yun asleep.

As the sun rose, the poisonous mist around them gradually thinned. The visibility, once barely a meter, stretched to five meters, then ten.

By the time the surroundings became clear, the captains’ anxious hearts finally began to settle. But their eyes stayed locked on the distance—the direction they’d come from.

By their calculations, the rescue team should be arriving soon.

“Ahhh~ Nothing beats a nice nap. Huh? You’re all still awake?”

Wang Yun stretched lazily and let out a yawn as he got to his feet. He glanced at the five captains sitting stiffly under the tree, looking completely unbothered.

The five glared at him silently.

How could anyone sleep at a time like this? Only someone as shameless as him could pull it off.

“You should really take my advice and rest for a bit,” Wang Yun said with a grin. “You’ll need your strength later. Your team should be here soon to trade for you. Wouldn’t want you collapsing on your way out of the mountains, right?”

Ignoring their hostile stares, Wang Yun kept teasing, his tone full of amusement.

“Stop talking nonsense. Sure, you might be immune to the poison mist, but the dangers in these mountains aren’t something you can predict. We didn’t catch you this time, but that doesn’t mean we’ll let you off the hook next time,” Marley shouted, his voice hoarse after the long night. His cracked lips and weary expression made it clear his stamina was running low.

Wang Yun nodded casually. “Fair enough. But let me return the favor, those words apply to you too. If I could take you hostage once, I can do it a second time. A third, even.”

“You—!”

Hardy’s face turned red with anger as he glared daggers at Wang Yun. If looks could kill, Wang Yun would have been riddled with holes by now.

Not wanting to waste more energy arguing, Hardy turned his head to the side. That was when they all noticed faint, scattered figures in the distance.

“Captain Wu, it’s Fustan! Fustan’s here!”

Alfa’s voice carried a hint of excitement.

Originally, Fustan had come into the mountains with Wu Yaoming to search for Hardy and the others. But since he had joined the team later, Wang Yun didn’t recognize him.

To make things worse, Fustan had been wearing a tightly sealed protective suit the whole time, so Wang Yun had assumed Wu Yaoming was the only one leading the team. He’d mistaken Fustan for just another elite program inspector.

Because of that, Fustan had managed to leave earlier to call for reinforcements.

An athlete by training and already familiar with the terrain thanks to his previous trip, Fustan now led Wu Mingyu and a new team back into the mountain.

“Almost there, just up ahead.”

Fustan glanced at Wu Mingyu walking beside him.

Despite his injured back, Wu Mingyu was keeping pace without falling behind, even moving at an impressively fast speed.

“Captain Wu, are you sure you’re okay to keep going?” Fustan asked, his concern evident as he looked at Wu Mingyu’s sweat-drenched, pale face.

Wu Mingyu gritted his teeth, braced his lower back, and gave a firm nod.

“I’m fine. Old Zhao hasn’t rested in two days. I can’t let him come out here again. A little back pain is nothing. It’s not slowing me down, I can still walk. We’re almost there.”

After speaking, Wu Mingyu shot a quick glance at Xiao Gang, who was walking beside them.

At that moment, Xiao Gang’s hands and feet were bound in cuffs.

When Fustan had run back at dawn, it had thrown everyone into chaos. The entire base, which had been resting, immediately sprang to life, lights blazing in the darkness. Every captain and program inspector was jolted awake, and over forty people gathered in an instant. When they learned about what had happened to Wu Yaoming inside the mountains, it was like a bolt from the blue.

Zhao Youcheng had immediately grabbed his gear, ready to charge into the mountains himself, but Wu Mingyu stopped him.

Meanwhile, over on Ying Yuezi’s side, she had been interrogating Xiao Gang non-stop, ignoring the pain in her injured wrist.

But no matter what they tried, Xiao Gang’s lips remained tightly sealed.

In the end, all they managed to uncover was that Wang Yun was somewhere in the mountains. And that Wang Yun wasn’t alone, he had Hu Sanqing with him.

It was as simple as that.

For the safety of Wu Yaoming and the five captains, the team of dozens had no choice but to re-enter the mountain.

Without a captain to lead them, Wu Mingyu had to step up this time. He was worried that Fustan wouldn’t be able to communicate effectively with Wang Yun. After all, Wang Yun was from China.

Wu Mingyu hoped that, out of respect for him, Wang Yun would show mercy to the five captains.

Losing all five captains would be a devastating blow to their organization.

“They’re here.”

The reason Wang Yun had woken up was because he heard the commotion. Just as he shook off the last traces of sleep, he spotted the group approaching in the distance.

“Captain Wu!”

Wu Yaoming also saw Wu Mingyu. Noticing Wu Mingyu’s injuries, he instinctively tried to stand and move toward him.

A gunshot rang out, and a bullet hit the ground right in front of Wu Yaoming’s feet.

“Did I say you could move? Don’t forget your current position.”

Wang Yun’s face darkened as he stared at Wu Yaoming, who froze in place but kept his eyes on Wu Mingyu as he approached.

“Are you all okay?”

Wu Mingyu ignored Wang Yun and directed his question to the five captains. Thankfully, aside from looking mentally drained, they seemed to be fine.

“Boss!” Xiao Gang shouted excitedly from the side.

Wang Yun glanced over at him, taking a moment to size him up. Seeing that Xiao Gang wasn’t hurt, the lingering worry in his heart finally eased.