Seeing Wang Ping's expression, I immediately knew that something terrible must have happened outside. So, ignoring my leg pain, I quickly followed behind Wang Ping and limped down the mountain.

When we got to the yard we had fenced off earlier, we found that there were indeed many messy footprints at the entrance of our wooden door.

It seems they've been lingering in front of our door for a very long time.

Wang Ping's face grew increasingly grim as he looked at the footprints.

“Sihai, we were originally planning to go out into the woods to see if there were any fresh mushrooms, because Xiao Qiang said we might be able to pick a lot of mushrooms to dry. If winter comes, we can keep these dried mushrooms to eat. So we ate something simple this morning and went down the mountain. But as soon as we opened the wooden door, we saw so many footprints. Chen Jian and I discussed it and we know that these footprints must have appeared this morning. But we searched the area and found nothing else besides these footprints.”

I looked at them carefully. They were large and probably belonged to a man, but there was only one type of footprint in this area.

After examining them closely, I realized that the footprints here belonged to more than one person.

Because upon closer inspection, there are some differences.

Chen Jian had already run down the mountain, still holding a pistol, looking wary: "Brother Sihai, could it be that our place has been robbed by someone? Do you think it could be those foreigners? I've always felt that those foreigners are no good. When they parted ways with you, did you leave any loose ends behind?"

Before I could even speak after hearing Chen Jian's words, Yang Rui, who had somehow come down from the mountain, directly refuted Chen Jian's guess.

"I don't think it could be those foreigners, because everyone there was a pair of shoes on their feet, but these footprints clearly show that they were barefoot."

"Secondly, if they were really as bad as you describe, they would have attacked and looted our camp when they found it. But we were all asleep and there was no sound at all. So I think the most likely explanation for this place is that it was inhabited by the local indigenous people."

"Perhaps they have been observing us in secret, but haven't found a suitable opportunity, or perhaps they simply don't know our exact location. Since we left footprints along our long journey, maybe they have followed those footprints and found us here."

I also agree with Yang Rui's statement, because after seeing these footprints, my first reaction was that they must belong to the indigenous people.

But there's always a chance of something going wrong. Who knows if it will turn out as Chen Jian guessed?

Those foreigners felt that their ships had been smashed to pieces and they were homeless. Their only option was to find our camp and then either force their way in or pester us until we took them in.

As long as they integrate into our group, they will never go hungry.

However, from any perspective, these footprints at the door are not a good thing for us.

I immediately looked at Chen Jian, and then at Wang Ping.

"Don't go out today. The food in our camp can last for two days. Now, everyone should retreat to our camp. We'll arrange for a night watch and see how things go in a couple of days."

Upon hearing my words, Chen Jian immediately frowned and retorted, "Brother Sihai, they've already come to our doorstep. Are we just going to close ourselves off and wait for them to bully us? I think we should take the initiative. Since they dare to come, we have guns, so what are we afraid of?"

Seeing Chen Jian's anxious expression, Wang Ping patted him on the shoulder to calm him down.

"Sihai has his reasons for saying this. We don't know who's outside. Even if they are foreigners, don't forget that they have far more guns and ammunition than we do. The reason they couldn't get in before was probably because our outer fence is made of tall trees, which prevented them from getting in. But if you go out now, wouldn't you be walking right into their trap? And if it really is those indigenous people, then opening this gate would be like walking into a trap. For safety's sake, we should stay here and observe the situation."

Yang Rui stood behind him, echoing Wang Ping's words.

At this moment, Chen Jian was obviously very angry, and seeing Yang Rui trying to mediate only fueled his rage.

"Hmph, I think if this isn't some foreigner or a local, then it's probably one of Yang Rui's guys from back in the day, right? They must want to take over our camp now, because you can't get out either, so you want to come and take over our camp without lifting a finger?"

Yang Rui's face immediately turned somewhat embarrassed after being teased by Chen Jian.

However, he was a very good at flattery and immediately greeted Chen Jian with a smile.

"Brother Chen Jian, what are you saying? Let's not even talk about whether Xiao He and the others are still alive or not. Even if they are, how would they know that our camp is here? Besides, if Xiao He and the others really do manage to get here, I'm confident that we won't have any conflict!"

Chen Jian, however, had no intention of paying any attention to Yang Rui. He snorted and closed our large wooden door, then stormed up the mountain in a rage.

Wang Ping helped me to sit down next to the waterfall.

“I think Chen Jian’s guess is not unreasonable. Those foreigners should not have the intention to follow the clues. As for those natives, we have lived here for so long. If they really wanted to cause trouble, they would have already caused chaos. So after thinking about it, Xiao He’s group is the most suspicious.”

"Before this matter is resolved, let's not speculate any further. In short, let's not go out for the next few days. Stay here and guard the camp to ensure everyone's safety. Otherwise, if someone takes the opportunity to break in, we might lose our camp and there could be casualties."

Wang Ping nodded solemnly after hearing my words, then glanced at Yang Rui, who was washing his hands in the distance.

"Sihai, I always feel that this Yang Rui is strange, but I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong with him. We should be more careful, otherwise we'll be in trouble if they work together from the inside."

Looking at Yang Rui's back, I also felt very uncomfortable, but if I couldn't find out the details, I could only deal with it carefully.