Ye Zhou thought being chased by a lion on his first day in South Africa was unlucky enough, but who could have guessed that the same scenario would be replayed on the morning he was about to leave.
The only difference was that the pursuers chasing them this time were far more ferocious than the previously rampaging lion.
Poaching, as the name implies, refers to the illegal killing of wild animals. Poachers often hunt down their targets and slaughter wild animals in cruel ways, taking away their valuable parts to sell on the black market, such as rhino horns, deer antlers, ivory, animal skins, and more. There is a constant high demand for these items on the black market, and merchants process and resell them to the market after processing, reaping huge profits.
Poaching is a serious crime in any country, and the sentence varies depending on the level of protected animals killed.
Essentially, poachers are desperate outlaws. Most of them are local vagrants hired for money. These poachers generally have a low level of education, and it is precisely because of their ignorance that they are fearless.
Encountering them often results in death or injury. Every year, apart from various protected animals, park rangers, volunteers from organizations, and a few unlucky tourists caught in the crosshairs lose their lives at the hands of poachers.
Ye Zhou should belong to the latter category, an unlucky soul caught in the crosshairs.
Realizing that the vehicle he was in was being targeted by poachers, Ye Zhou’s heart remained surprisingly calm. He even turned his head to take a look.
But it was this glance that made Ye Zhou’s head spin and his eyes water.
On the open ground where the King’s lion pride often rested, three or four lionesses were surrounding the cubs, while several lions had already fallen, their fur stained with blood.
The vehicle jolted slightly from the bumpy road. Ye Zhou’s grip on the armrest tightened slightly as he took a deep breath and shouted to the guide, “Do you have a gun?”
The guide’s dark face remained solemn as he nodded and showed Ye Zhou three fingers.
“What do you think are the chances they’ll let us go?” Ye Zhou asked again.
The guide hesitated for a moment but ultimately could not make a judgment. Whether they could safely withdraw depended on the modus operandi of this group of poachers. Before the other party made their intentions clear, even an experienced guide could not draw a conclusion.
As mentioned before, poaching is an extremely risky endeavor. Poachers not only have to evade attacks from ferocious beasts but also constantly guard against exposing their tracks. Once their tracks are exposed and park rangers are alerted, the risk they face is no less than being attacked by wild beasts.
To protect endangered animals and severely punish poachers, many nature reserves have granted park rangers the authority to shoot on sight. If poachers are discovered, they can be killed immediately, using deadly force to stop the killing.
Furthermore, if poachers are caught, they may face several years or even decades in prison.
This leads poachers to become increasingly unscrupulous and desperate. Some timid poachers may flee if discovered, but those experienced and ruthless veteran poachers will go to extremes and leave no survivors.
Nature reserves are vast and sparsely populated, with diverse flora and fauna and an intricate food chain. A few human deaths here might go unnoticed before the bodies are completely devoured, leaving no trace. The risk of finding them is far lower than letting them go.
Before the guide could say anything else, a gunshot rang out, and a bullet grazed the side of the vehicle, leaving a deep groove.
The other party’s intent was now clear – they meant to silence any witnesses.
The situation had become utterly complicated. That gunshot seemed like a signal, and nearly all the guns originally aimed at the lion pride were now trained on the off-road vehicle carrying Ye Zhou and his group.
Through the rear window, Ye Zhou saw the poachers had even started their vehicles in pursuit, determined not to let them leave.
The poaching gang was not small. Ye Zhou could already see three of them, not counting those hidden in the forest with their guns aimed at them.
With only four of them, engaging in a head-on confrontation with these desperate outlaws would be suicidal. Ye Zhou wasn’t foolish; in such a situation, he naturally chose the option with the highest chance of survival.
“It’s at least twenty or thirty kilometers from here to the ranger outpost. By the time we find help, they might have already killed us,” Ye Zhou quickly recalled the nearby terrain and reported the location of the closest outpost, analyzing the feasibility.
The guide, who was extremely familiar with the area, immediately understood Ye Zhou’s reasoning was correct. Seeking help at the outpost was impossible; they wouldn’t make it that far.
Amid the gunfire, the two guides quickly communicated. One went to instruct the driver on the plan, while the other shouted to Ye Zhou, “There’s an elephant herd about two kilometers to the left. We might be able to lose them by taking cover behind the elephants!”
Hearing this, Ye Zhou froze, the bloody scene from earlier flashing before his eyes. He shook his head and gestured, “No, we can’t lead them near the elephant herd!”
The guide immediately realized what Ye Zhou meant. However, given the current circumstances, the area with the elephant herd had complex terrain, and the herd’s cover provided the highest chance of survival among all available options.
However, luring the poachers towards the elephant herd meant putting the entire herd at risk of destruction, given the preciousness of ivory.
The two guides discussed again, but ultimately decided they had to head toward the elephant herd. Seeing the poachers closing in rapidly, further hesitation could prove fatal.
The guides exchanged apologetic looks with Ye Zhou, but after apologizing, they instructed the driver to proceed with the original plan.
“Into the forest! We can go into the forest. It offers much better concealment than the open plains. Don’t go to the elephant herd; the forest is the best choice!” Ye Zhou shouted at the top of his lungs amid the roar of the engines.
The guide looked conflicted. They knew the forest provided better cover, but once they decided to enter, they would have to abandon the vehicle and proceed on foot. Walking within the reserve was extremely dangerous.
Not to mention the various venomous creatures and unknown terrain and environment of the forest, the reserve they were in covered over 113,000 hectares. Without the vehicle, it would be next to impossible for them to walk out of this reserve on foot.
After careful consideration, the guide rejected Ye Zhou’s suggestion and continued toward the location of the elephant herd.
Ye Zhou’s eyes were red with desperation. He struggled to remain calm and said, “Even if we reach the elephant herd’s vicinity, driving between the elephants is extremely dangerous. While the herd can effectively block their line of sight, it will also obstruct ours.”
“I understand your concern, but we are not unprepared. We carry locators and alarms on us. Once in the forest, we only need to find a safe place to hide, then contact the camp and local authorities. As soon as the camp receives the notice, they will immediately start tracking us using the locator. We will wait for the rescue. Trust me; this is far safer than crossing through the elephant herd!”
Although tinged with personal emotion, Ye Zhou wasn’t talking nonsense. The danger of crossing through the elephant herd might not necessarily be much safer than entering the forest.
This is no longer decades ago. Modern technology is sufficiently advanced, and they had made thorough preparations before entering the reserve. Apart from locators and alarm systems, their emergency kits contained essential medicines, food, water, and supplements to rapidly replenish their strength. If they wanted, these supplies alone could sustain them in the forest for at least three or four days.
Ye Zhou made a fair point. Crossing the elephant herd was highly dangerous and might not even shake off the poachers. If they failed to do so, the consequences would only be worse than the present situation. Driving made them an easy target, and on the open plains without any cover, they would be like sitting ducks.
Finally convinced, the guide instructed the driver, who immediately floored the accelerator. The roar of the vehicle’s engine grew deafening as it rapidly increased the distance from the poachers once more.
After circling around for a while, the group finally found an opportunity to abandon the vehicle and enter the forest. Before doing so, they did not forget to set the car to self-driving mode. Although it would likely be discovered as an empty vehicle soon, in their current situation, every second was precious. The later they were discovered, the higher their chances of survival.
After jumping out of the car and entering the forest, the group did not dare rest. They ran swiftly, searching everywhere for a well-concealed spot unlikely to be noticed.
It was unclear how long they had been running when they finally found a relatively well-hidden place resembling an abandoned animal den. At a cursory glance, it seemed unremarkable, only revealing subtle signs upon closer inspection. The downside was the cramped space, less than a meter high, forcing grown men to crouch or sit to enter.
Perhaps the self-driving vehicle bought them precious time, as they did not hear footsteps and voices again until over an hour later.
Although they could not see their faces, they all knew the armed and aggressive figures in the distance were the same poachers who had pursued them earlier.
As the footsteps grew closer, to the point of ringing in their ears, Ye Zhou and the others instinctively held their breath and remained motionless, fearing the slightest misstep would give them away.
Fortunately, the poachers did not notice anything strange here. After a cursory glance, they left.
Listening to the gradually receding footsteps, Ye Zhou and the others temporarily breathed a sigh of relief. However, their respite was only temporary. As concealed as this spot was, its confined space meant they could not stay for long and would eventually need to find a new shelter.
Thankfully, they had already successfully sent a distress signal to the camp and local authorities. They had done everything they could. All they could do now was recover their strength and leave the rest to fate.
Ironically, even Ye Zhou himself never expected this supposedly relaxing trip to South Africa could turn out to be so brutal.
At the same time, the staff remaining at the camp received Ye Zhou’s group’s distress call. Instead of contacting the authorities first, the person in charge walked toward a tent.
This was a major incident, and from the moment he received the news, his head had been spinning. He entered the tent and relayed every detail to the man standing with his back turned.
Jiang Tingyuan had arrived at the camp two nights ago. Since then, he had rarely left the tent, and with the person in charge deliberately helping to conceal his presence, few knew he was there.
His sole reason for coming was to see Ye Zhou. Worried that Ye Zhou might not want to see him, Jiang Tingyuan did not dare appear before him. He wanted to see Ye Zhou but had barely caught a glimpse of him.
However, as long as he knew Ye Zhou was safe and happy, whether they met or not did not matter. Just catching a distant glimpse to confirm his well-being was enough.
Upon learning that Ye Zhou was surrounded by poachers, Jiang Tingyuan’s mind went blank for a rare moment.
He calmly issued instructions for the upcoming rescue operation and plans, appearing no different from usual. However, after the camp manager left and he was alone in the tent, Jiang Tingyuan raised his hand and realized, with a delayed reaction, that it was slightly trembling.
Jiang Tingyuan froze for a moment, flexing his fingers before dialing a number. The call was extremely brief, lasting no more than ten seconds from start to finish.
After hanging up, Jiang Tingyuan got into one of the vehicles prepared for the rescue operation.
“Mr. Jiang, this is too dangerous. You…” The camp manager was stunned, opening and closing his mouth for a while before finding his voice to try to dissuade him.
But Jiang Tingyuan only gave him a cold look and two icy, uncompromising words.
“Drive now.”
The nature reserve was vast, and based on Ye Zhou’s location signal, even by vehicle, it would take at least an hour, especially since they had entered the forest where vehicles could not go, further prolonging the journey.
Through the rearview mirror, the camp manager noticed that two black customized SUVs had joined the tail of their convoy at some point. He swallowed hard, cautiously glancing at Mr. Jiang before quickly averting his gaze, not daring to ask a single question.
The convoy traveled at breakneck speed, arriving near the forest where Ye Zhou’s signal originated nearly twenty minutes ahead of schedule, indicating the high speed they maintained during the journey.
As soon as the vehicles stopped, Jiang Tingyuan got out.
Before the camp manager could say anything, several burly men carrying guns and ammunition descended from the two black SUVs behind them. Their attire was clearly specially treated, exuding a menacing aura.
The lead man saluted Jiang Tingyuan and handed him a prepared bulletproof vest and weapon.
“Mr. Jiang, will we be taking them alive or…” The man tilted his head slightly in inquiry.
Without a word, Jiang Tingyuan calmly loaded his gun.
The man understood Jiang Tingyuan’s intent from his actions and did not ask further, only nodding solemnly and assuring him, “I understand. Please rest assured.”
—
Ye Zhou currently looked disheveled, but he did not dare slow his pace, continuing to weave through the jungle foliage. Behind him, gunshots periodically rang out, accompanied by shouts in a language Ye Zhou could not comprehend.
He was fleeing for his life. Half an hour earlier, the poachers discovered them while they were changing hiding spots. The four of them scattered, attempting to divide the pursuers.
The two poachers chasing Ye Zhou were utterly shameless. Rather than pursuing Ye Zhou, they seemed to be playing a cat-and-mouse game, firing shots merely to frighten him into running faster, deriving perverse amusement from watching his desperate escape attempts.
No matter how many times Ye Zhou tried to shake them, another gunshot would follow, the bullets grazing past him, the searing burn vividly clear.
“Damn it1Raw says nmd = 你妈的 = nǐmāde = (interjection) fuck you!” Ye Zhou cursed under his breath, gritting his teeth. Ignoring the wound on his arm, he tightened his grip on the loaded gun, finger on the trigger.
Suddenly, Ye Zhou stopped, whirled around, and squeezed the trigger, aiming at one of them. Two shots rang out. He watched as the arrogant bastards who had chased him tirelessly for half an hour froze, stunned expressions on their faces as they collapsed.
One still stumbled a few steps toward Ye Zhou out of momentum before crumpling to the ground, blood gushing from the wound in his chest.
As the two fell, Ye Zhou noticed the figure standing behind them, gun still raised from firing.
Their eyes met, and after a few silent seconds of eye contact, Ye Zhou suddenly broke into a smile that quickly turned watery. To avoid breaking down in front of him, Ye Zhou prepared to turn away.
But before he could, the other man made the first move.
Lowering his gun, he extended his hand towards Ye Zhou. His voice was as calm as ever yet tinged with a subtle difference, as if suppressing something.
But this time, he cast aside all pride and left the choice to Ye Zhou.
“I’m standing right here.”
“Will you… come to my side?”
I’m glad you can’t hear my ugly sobbing.
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