The Mechanic [BL]

[36]

Chapter 36 - Wilderness (4)

"We have to find them! Something must have happened!" Cannon irritably took a few puffs of his cigarette and spat on the ground.

A brown-haired soldier named Josh retorted, "If we go looking we'll disappear just like them. What's the point of dying for nothing?!"

"You mean leave the Captain here?! You ungrateful dog!" yelled another hot-tempered young hunter.

"You piece of shit. If you want to die, then go ahead!"

"You bastard! I'll beat you to death for the Captain today!"

Zhang Xun, who had been silent next to them, suddenly sternly said, "Enough! Why are you fighting with each other at a time like this?!"

The mechanic, who had always been reticent and would pant after walking less than twenty kilometres, seemed to be possessed by Commander Zhang Shuo for a moment. He had a certain awe-inspiring aura, which shocked the unsuspecting twelve people, including Adam. The scene was very quiet for a while, only everyone's heavy breathing could be heard. The group of soldiers stared at Zhang Xun with angry eyes that concealed panic, as if they couldn't believe that a weak mechanic would dare to teach them a lesson.

Zhang Xun saw that they had calmed down, so he bravely stood up and said, "If we all go to rescue him it's very likely that the entire group won't survive. This kind of sacrifice is meaningless. We have to send some people back to report on the situation and alert the Headquarters about these people in Feathered Serpent City. This is extremely important. Anyone who wants to go back with Josh to report, speak now."

Zhang Xun's tone was calm, almost without an ounce of emotion, as if being completely objective and neutral on the matter, but was unexpectedly convincing. Cannon cursed in a low voice and said, "The mechanic is right. Blindly dying isn't the answer. Who wants to go back with Josh?"

Apart from the Captain, Cannon was the oldest, that's why he was left behind when the head of the regiment took people to investigate the coal mine. After he said this the hunters were completely silent, looking at each other and weighing up which camp they should choose.

Even though Zhang Xun emphasised the importance of reporting back, everyone knew that if they chose to go back at this time and the remaining people survived with the captain, they would be destined to break ties with those who chose to stay. After all, mutual trust was the most important thing for hunters. Everyone held the neutraliser button in their hands and only brothers who trusted each other could survive in the dangerous outside world.

But it was their lives that were at stake. For many people, loyalty was meaningless if it didn't preserve life.

There was no right or wrong choice, just two different paths. Zhang Xun didn't believe that moral pressures should be exerted on anyone at such a time. Everyone should pay the corresponding price for their choices.

In the end, four people chose to go back with Josh. They didn't find too much food, so the five people took all the hares they found. Zhang Xun also gave them a mechanical bug and a mini computer of his own and told them to move quickly when they heard the alarm.

The entire preparation and departure process was very quiet. The haughtiness from the previous quarrel was all extinguished. The five silently took the things that were distributed to them and left before dawn.

Zhang Xun didn't force Adam to go back with the five people, which surprised Adam.

The remaining eight stayed up all night trying to mark the possible location of the mine on a tattered old map of British Columbia.