Chapter 283: Don

When it comes to endurance, humans can never outlast animals.

Especially apex predators like leopards, whose patience is terrifying.

Leopards can lie in wait for over five hours for a single hunt, even longer. So while Hassan and the others were exhausted, their eyelids fluttering shut, the leopard showed no reaction whatsoever.

This is the gap!

The group relied on willpower alone to maintain prolonged vigilance, and their spirits inevitably reached their limit. This isn't like staying up all night working or partying—it's like walking versus suddenly sprinting at full speed; the former can last for hours, the latter falters in ten seconds.

Suddenly, movement emerged from the darkness at the perimeter, startling them.

In the night, movement across the grassland was inherently hindered, yet Qin Yun reached the flare's launch site in less than four hours.

In night-vision mode, the livestream looked like a scene from a biohazard film, as if terrifying beasts could burst forth from the darkness at any moment.

"Elias, I've arrived."

Qin Yun spoke into the camera, glanced ahead, and saw two SUVs parked just beyond a shallow ford—unmistakably the expedition team Elias had mentioned.

He approached, checked inside the vehicles—no one was there—and tugged at the doors; all were locked.

TikTok comment section.

Elias: Qin, the expedition member Salim was dragged into the shallow by a Nile crocodile. Be careful—Nile crocodiles are distributed here.

Qin Yun nodded; he naturally knew about Nile crocodiles.

Walking to the edge of the shallow, the moonlight tonight was dim, rendering everything invisible. He had no choice but to send the auxiliary drone ahead; in night-vision mode, the valley's landscape slowly emerged in his view.

"The Nile crocodile is one of the largest species in the order Crocodilia. Adults are massive—fully grown males typically reach three to four meters in length and weigh over 400 jin; rare individuals exceed six meters and approach one ton."

"Their heads alone account for one-fifth of their total body weight, giving them an unimaginably powerful bite. Most importantly, Nile crocodiles eat humans."

The livestream audience reacted immediately.

"That Salim guy is done—he's been gone that long."

"Terrifying!"

"So unlucky."

"Attacked by a leopard, dragged off by a Nile crocodile—how bad is this expedition's luck?"

At this moment, the main camera feed switched to the auxiliary drone's view: the valley's water trickled gently, clearly not clear, yet not deep—several crocodiles had their entire backs exposed above the surface, and they were scattered in noticeable numbers.

As the drone scanned, Qin Yun suddenly froze, immediately halted the auxiliary drone, then rapidly advanced.

On screen appeared a human clad in beige tactical gear, lying motionless on the water's surface—clearly unconscious.

Elias: Qin, that's Salim.

Qin Yun studied Salim's position—right at the center of the valley, with several Nile crocodiles resting just nearby in the water.

"Looks like this guy got lucky—he hasn't been eaten yet. But pulling him out of the water will be difficult. I can't just run over there; otherwise, I'd become their next meal."

Saying this, he turned his head toward the glow several hundred meters away—that must be the expedition's camp.

After thinking it over, he decided to drag Salim out first; who knew if these crocodiles might suddenly decide to eat him?

Without hesitation, he quickly moved toward the riverbank, then picked up stones and hurled them into the water.

'Plop'

The nearby Nile crocodiles immediately stirred, drawn by the disturbance, shifting toward the spot where the stones had landed, as if sensing something.

"Nile crocodiles are extremely sensitive to underwater vibrations. Throwing stones into the water will, without fail, lure them over. Once the area around Salim is clear, I can extract him quickly."

Qin Yun explained, then threw more stones into the water.

After a dozen or more stones, more and more crocodiles crawled toward his position.

He had no choice but to retreat, lest they swarm him and tear him apart.

"What's that sound? Sounds like water?"

Hassan, hearing the commotion outside, looked at Mboma.

Mboma shook his head: "It's stones falling into the water."

"Could it be rescue?" Karen whispered timidly.

Everyone fell silent.

How could it possibly be rescue!

"Alright, that's enough."

After confirming with the drone that the water was clear of crocodiles, Qin Yun circled around the area previously surrounded by crocodiles and sprinted unhesitatingly toward Salim's location.

The water really wasn't deep—barely above the ankles.

But as he neared Salim, the water grew deeper, gradually rising past his calves.

"Wrong!"

He immediately stopped.

At this moment, due to his movement in the water, the Nile crocodiles had begun re-entering the water one by one.

"Qin Ye, hurry! The crocodiles are coming!"

"What's wrong? If you don't move fast, you'll be surrounded!"

"I'm freaking out!"

The livestream audience was even more anxious than Qin Yun—anyone seeing crocodiles approaching would feel the same.

But Qin Yun glanced back at the crocodiles, then his gaze fixed on what lay beneath Salim.

"I have a bad feeling—why is Salim floating on the surface? Given the water depth here, Salim should've sunk..."

Before he finished speaking, the water surged—a colossal beast suddenly erupted from beneath Salim, jaws wide, lunging straight at Qin Yun.

"Oh shit! Holy crap, you scared the hell out of me!"

"Damn, there's an ambush!"

"Fuck! Qin Ye is in danger!"

Qin Yun's eyes narrowed slightly, his bad premonition confirmed. Facing the Nile crocodile's attack, he immediately dove to one side.

Movement in water was difficult, so he had no choice but to do so.

Having dodged the Nile crocodile's strike, viewers through the drone's lens finally saw it was a seven-meter giant—its terrifying size sent chills down their spines.

But Qin Yun remained calm; after evading the crocodile, he rose instantly and took three or four strides to stand before Salim.

He reached out, snatched Salim, and clamped him under his armpit, then leaped forward—his whole body thudded onto the crocodile's back.

But the next instant, the crocodile suddenly rolled over, trying to throw him off. Qin Yun, prepared, pushed hard with his foot and leaped forward, landing on the back of another crocodile ahead.

The Nile crocodiles surging from the perimeter became his stepping stones.

Under the camera, Qin Yun's movements were impossibly light—he sprinted across the crocodiles' backs, swiftly leaving the river and reaching the shallows.

"Wǒ nǎi mǎ, so cool?"

"Skill makes courage. The crocodiles look terrifying, but their weaknesses are obvious."

"Qin Ye is insane—what the hell is his courage made of?"

"Insane!"

Qin Yun glanced back at the Nile crocodiles in the river, then quickly left the shallows, stepped outside, and laid Salim on the ground to check him.

"He's still breathing, but…"

Salim's injuries were severe—his sternum was broken, and the bones in his left leg and left arm were all shattered. The sternum fracture may have damaged internal organs; internal bleeding was highly likely.

He thought for a moment, smashed a fist-sized hole in the car window with a stone, opened the door, laid Salim flat on the back seat, then shut the door and strode toward the camp.

Two hundred meters passed in the blink of an eye.

But as he approached, a shadow suddenly emerged from the darkness and lunged at him.

Qin Yun's eyes lit up—he sidestepped.

"It's an adult male leopard."

The leopard, missing its strike, turned and lunged at Qin Yun again.

But this time, it wasn't facing Hassan and the others—it was facing the apex predator of the Serengeti, the one even male lions submitted to. Not even the leopard stood a chance, and not a single viewer in the livestream felt any worry.

No matter how strong you are, can you outmatch seven spotted hyenas? Impossible.

"Aōwū—!"

A terrifying roar erupted, then changed to a whimpering "wūwūwū"—its entire body pinned beneath Qin Yun's foot, utterly immobilized. The immense power of its massive frame had zero effect on Qin Yun.

The apex predator became a kitten.

"Hǒu—!"

Just as Qin Yun prepared to deal with the leopard under his foot, a stench-laden wind rushed from behind—a female leopard seized the moment and lunged.

But Qin Yun had already sensed it.

His right hand shot out like a spring, moving faster than the eye could follow, his palm brushing behind the leopard's ear.

Thud—the leopard collapsed to the ground, motionless.

Then Qin Yun pressed his hand onto the back of the male leopard's skull: "This is the leopard's vagus nerve. Press here, and it will fall unconscious easily."

He applied sudden force—the leopard writhing beneath his foot went limp instantly.

"Holy shit, 666."

"That move was insane—he disabled both leopards so easily."

"Bad luck—they ran into Qin Ye."

Dragging one leopard on each side, Qin Yun walked toward the camp, and the drone flew ahead—his voice rang out in the darkness.

"Don't be afraid—I'm here to rescue you."