His words were very intense, and the crowd, not wanting to offend him, immediately quieted down. The guide continued forward, turning off the highway and passing a pile of rubble that blocked the road. They continued north and eventually reached a broken bridge.
"Listen carefully, I'll say it again, you must follow closely on the road behind, don't go to the edge, and don't walk side by side!" The guide sighed by the broken bridge, then made up his mind to remind everyone again.
Jiang Ling saw an iron plate on the river bank on the right, with some blood splattered on it. When she got closer with the team, she could see clearly that it was the words "Beware of Landmines" written in blood.
They advanced slowly along the riverbank, which was covered with snow, obscuring all traces of their predecessors. The guide, now following his memory, ignored the young men in the group.
These young people, all members of a social group called "Quanwei Trading Company," were led by a man named Lao Wei on their first business trip. Their youth was their only advantage, meaning they possessed sufficient stamina to carry a large load of goods across the Yellow Zone to the Green Zone. However, their youth was also their greatest disadvantage, as it meant they lacked a fear of the unknown and were prone to impulsive behavior, leading to unreasonable actions.
"Why are you slowing down? You just said we don't have much time left on the ground!"
"I only brought two canisters! How can I get there on time if I walk so slowly?"
"I'm carrying a lot of stuff, why are you guys so close to me?"
"Damn it, stop pushing! If you want to go faster, just pass by!"
Jiang Ling, hiding at the back of the group, watched helplessly as the unruly young man emerged from the group and quickly overtook the front. Carrying a large backpack, he even scraped against the guide as he reached the front, startling him. He taunted the guide, "Don't you know the way? Thinking of slowing us down and forcing us to give up? Don't even think about it! You're still a guide? Everyone else can boast they're guides!"
This person ignored the people who stopped and jumped left and right along the river bank, shouting as he jumped: "Are you looking at me for something? Are you looking at me for something? Why are you walking so carefully?"
When the guide saw the man was getting farther away, he immediately turned around and shouted to everyone, "Get down quickly! Don't roll away! Hold your head and open your mouth wide!"
Before the guide finished speaking, the guy walking in front missed a step and slipped to the open space far away from the river bank. He wanted to get up, but when he put his hands on the ground, he felt like he was grabbing something.
"boom!"
Suddenly, an explosion erupted in the open field, sending a scattering of steel balls, shrapnel, and gravel soaring into the air in a conical fan, tearing the young man who had slipped on it into pieces. The two young men in the group were instantly terrified, their reaction prompting them to desperately run away from the blast. They quickly broke away from the group, tumbling onto the slope of the riverbank, their bodies trembling.
All this took only two seconds. The guide at the front waited for the explosion to end, then immediately checked his protective suit. Finding that it was intact, he immediately shouted to the people squatting behind him, "Hurry, follow us! We need to get away from here immediately!"
"What should we do with them?" shouted Old Wei, who was with three young men.
"We can't help them. Either they'll find their way back to the trail and follow our tracks, or they'll step on a mine on the riverbank and be killed," the guide explained quickly. He just hoped the two young men wouldn't get up; they were too close. The man was still hesitating, and the guide shouted again, "Go! Your life is more important. I've reminded you several times!"
Seeing that the man was blocking the road, Jiang Ling didn't say much and took the risk to rush past him. Fortunately, this path that had been tested by predecessors at the cost of their lives was still quite spacious. The two big men following behind her also quickly surpassed this man by following her footsteps.
The team, which was missing four people, quickly walked to the place where the young man fell before resuming their original speed. Old Wei, who fell behind, had not made up his mind yet. He didn't know whether he could not give up the two strong laborers or the two backpacks full of goods.
"If I had known I wouldn't have taken them!" the guide sighed as he walked ahead. "If only we hadn't encountered them, it would have been great. The ground is full of dangers, man-made dangers like this. It's always better to follow the old ways. What a pity."
"How much did they spend on you?" Dong Xie asked from behind.
"It's just a few cents. All merchants are like this. They just don't seem trustworthy. I don't even bother saving them." The guide didn't specify the amount, but simply shook his head and said it wasn't worth it. Clearly, this guy was too bothered by the trouble. He would have saved them if he had paid enough.
"Then how much did you give?" Jiang Ling asked Xidu in front curiously.
"Forty percent. We give him whatever we earn. We've worked together several times," he replied.
"How much did you give?" she turned on the radio again and asked.
"Two thousand points, paid in one lump sum." The flying squirrel replied.
Jiang Ling felt that this was the real market situation. It was true that the poor can become rich on the road. Moreover, the previous tour guide was really weak. She was now prepared to bleed heavily.
The minefields formed a dangerous area of more than ten kilometers in total, but they only had to walk a small section of it. When the team finally reached a crossroads road, the lagging old Wei finally caught up, but no one saw the two young men.
Old Wei was carrying three backpacks, but the others didn't question him. On the surface, no one would hold him accountable for doing such ruthless things for personal gain. The two big men seemed to condone his actions, but they didn't put this dangerous individual back in the center of the group, letting him continue to follow at the back.
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