Chapter 132: Not enough time!

Xiezi, true to his elite battlefield background, had set up his defensive vigilance perfectly; Liu Xiaotian had to detour over a kilometer of road before finding the stream flowing out of the cave.

One kilometer of rugged mountain road, yet Liu Xiaotian traversed it in only four minutes.

Yet in those four minutes, Lin Yuan was forced to pick up the gun, aim it at his own temple, and pull the trigger once.

He was lucky—the first shot had no bullet.

At the sound of the empty click, Lin Yuan let out a long, deep breath of relief, big beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

Perhaps someone would mock this as cowardice, but the fact is, anyone else would fare no better.

Surface differences might be obvious—some show little expression—but the inner struggle is actually the same for everyone.

This is completely different from charging on the battlefield, where you never know which bullet will find you, so all you need is enough courage.

Of course, that assumes Liu Xiaotian, the outsider, isn't present.

At first glance, it's not the correct version.

If hit by a sniper shot, there would be no warning beforehand; even at the moment of death, before one could comprehend it, life would already be over.

Of course, if one were carrying professional diving gear, that would be another matter.

Air, brother! It's something you can't see or touch.

Another 9.99 percent remain indifferent at this point, but when they step onto the designated spot before setting out, their bodies go limp.

But Liu Xiaotian has now been thoroughly duped by 'Jiaweis'.

Before entering the water, Liu Xiaotian once again confirmed with 'Jiaweis' how long he needed to hold his breath, then switched on his waterproof light, took a deep breath, and dove in. To say he felt no fear or worry would be nonsense.

According to his data, about half of the people, upon hearing this news, immediately collapse into a breakdown, with some losing ten or even dozens of pounds within days.

If one really tried to fill a plastic bag with air, setting aside buoyancy issues, just trying to use it when the body lacks oxygen would have a terrifyingly low success rate.

Especially underwater, the difficulty is even greater.

Xiezi didn't post guards here because the spot is too far from the cave entrance, and also because he doesn't believe anyone could get into the cave through that natural pipeline over two hundred meters long.

Over the past half month, he has learned to swim, and after that incident where a shark 'chased' him, his speed has improved considerably.

Even so, he gritted his teeth and chose to keep moving forward.

As for the suggestion of carrying a plastic bag full of air—obviously something cooked up from watching too many movies—using Taobao customer service's words:

Because the time needed to turn back equals the time needed to press on; if you can't hold out, you just have to wait until the current flushes you out and someone fishes you out.

As for the remaining 0.01 percent, their mental state is basically abnormal; at least while they're alive, they show little reaction.

His forces are limited this time; if Warrior School were to come at full strength, he'd have no chance except to flee immediately.

Another forty percent, for various reasons, showed no obvious difference at first, but on the morning they were to set out, when their names were called, they collapsed helplessly, unable to walk on their own.

Because 'Jiaweis' is an AI, the time it gives is purely theoretical, not accounting for any sudden mishaps along the way. But now he must pass through a sealed space where he cannot replenish air at all.

Yet pointing a gun at one's own head and pulling the trigger is something no one can face calmly.

Especially for Liu Xiaotian, who in his original world was nothing but a landlubber who merely watched others swim at the beach or pool, this is an even greater challenge.

Since his men had already carefully searched the area before the operation, and only one person had escaped from the plane crash site, even if that person carried diving gear, Xiezi wouldn't worry.

Its principle is the same as that of a scuba tank—an oxygen bottle.

Someone once said, death itself isn't scary; what's frightening is the wait for it.

Anyway, he has leverage in his hand—what's there to fear?

A 'unique thinker' once conducted a survey targeting those sentenced to death.

First, carrying air in a container is indeed feasible, but not everyone can do it.

At first, Liu Xiaotian also thought the process wouldn't be as hard or dangerous as he imagined.

Just as Xiezi pressured him for the second time to pick up the gun and aim it at his temple, Liu Xiaotian had already taken some necessary items from his pack, slipped into the water silently, and hurried toward the cave.

So, Lin Yuan's having managed to get this far is already quite good.

So he believes there's no need to scatter his strength.

In the current situation, even if the worst comes to pass, he can still kill Cha Cai at the critical moment, finish his mission, and retreat unscathed!

Dear, I suggest you go test the feasibility…

But carrying scuba gear like water—you'd need a breathing apparatus, wouldn't you?

Second, when using a non‑professional container to hold air, a little carelessness will turn it into a choking hazard.

First he must pass through a narrow zone like 'One Line Sky,' then he can begin traversing the natural pipeline that offers no air replenishment along the way.

When he first entered the water, the depth barely reached his thighs, so he could simply wade forward.

Simply put, if he feels he can't keep going halfway through, he's done for.

For example, if the water is too cold, it impairs movement and causes the lungs to constrict, limiting how long that breath can last.

Otherwise, do you think professional divers carry regulators for nothing? Couldn't they just suck on a hose? Of course, fishermen and pearl divers who need to stay underwater for long have long used fish bladders to store air—but that requires lengthy training, and even if they swapped in a plastic bag, they couldn't exchange gas underwater.

But after nearly two minutes inside the natural pipeline, Liu Xiaotian began to panic.

Because 'Jiaweis' kept displaying the time and remaining distance; after two minutes had passed, Liu Xiaotian had advanced only sixty meters.

At that rate, he would need another six minutes to get through the pipeline.

But he already feels the onset of oxygen deprivation…

(End of chapter)