Chapter 686

In just one second, Ning Chen had reached the riverbank, scooped Chu Muyu up from the riverbed, and in another second, tossed Chu Muyu from the bottom of the river into the bushes.

This required great arm strength, but fortunately Ning Chen had the ability, and he managed to throw Chu Muyu, an adult man, over there.

Chu Muyu only felt a dizzying spin; when he opened his eyes again, he was already in the bushes. His whole body ached. He barely lifted his head to look at himself and found his entire body covered densely with tiny wounds.

They were not too troublesome, but hearing the gunshots ringing in his ears, he almost fell to his knees. Ensuring his own safety, he looked out.

But as soon as he rose from his kneeling position on the ground, he was suddenly tackled by two things. Chu Muyu hadn't even had time to look before he heard a cry of pain in his ear.

It was the voice of the girl among the five who loved studying guns and the curly-haired one.

Chu Muyu's brain went blank for a rare moment. He opened his eyes and, somewhat bewildered, looked at the two people falling from the sky above him. At that moment, he could not react in time.

Chu Muyu felt a gust of wind by his ear. Sensing something, he turned his head and locked eyes with Ning Chen, who was squatting beside him.

Chu Muyu was startled.

574 A Glimmer of Hope, Ning Chen Turns the Tide

"Bang bang bang bang bang bang—!"

A burst of gunfire rang out, and the water in the river turned red.

Ning Chen's eyes looked out through the branches. A flash of grief instantly crossed his eyes. Everyone left in the river channel had been shot dead by gunfire from both front and rear; there were no survivors.

The curly-haired one and that girl did not sit up, so they could not see everything that happened in the river channel. Chu Muyu, however, was the first to react. Sitting beside Ning Chen, both kneeling on the ground, they naturally saw that scene.

Ning Chen took a deep breath, his eyes almost stung by that red color.

Chu Muyu's breathing quickened in an instant. His eyes were fixed, his expression somewhat blank. This was the first time he had seen people die before his eyes, and they were two people with whom he had a fairly deep connection.

This was a huge blow to him. Chu Muyu breathed lightly and, turning his head to look at Ning Chen, said: "What do you mean by this?"

Ning Chen said nothing. He looked up and saw those planes still circling above. The pursuers behind were arriving soon. Without further hesitation, he turned his head to look behind him. Behind was a lush forest where they could hide for a while. So Ning Chen said: "There's no time for you to grieve anymore. If you want to live, follow me." Chu Muyu gritted his teeth. He was the calmest among these people. The curly-haired one and that girl were still struggling to recover. Ning Chen did not hesitate. He grabbed the curly-haired one's hand and had Chu Muyu grab the girl's hand. The two of them pulled them up respectively.

Chu Muyu lagged one step behind Ning Chen. He had to follow Ning Chen's movements. Ning Chen, holding the curly-haired one, walked quickly into the forest ahead.

Jia Yi watched that scene on the screen and for an instant felt something strange, but it passed in a flash. He could not discern what exactly gave him that feeling. Blood mist sprayed out from the people below. Jia Yi frowned. He could confirm that a few shots had indeed killed people, but he could not determine exactly how many had been killed, so he must send subordinates to check.

Jia Yi turned to look at his assistant and ordered: "Don't let those planes return. I still have other uses for them. The pursuers behind are moving forward; have them verify whether the number of people killed matches up."

After Jia Yi finished speaking, the assistant immediately nodded. The two had cooperated for so long, and their coordination was tacit. The assistant quickly said something into the walkie-talkie to the other end. Afterwards, the pursuers behind sped up and moved forward.

Ning Chen led the people toward the forest. His purpose was to confuse their line of sight. Of course, he knew Jia Yi had other ideas and would definitely send people to verify the dead. Soon, pursuers would catch up, or the planes overhead would start moving, with snipers shooting at them. In short, none of these were good outcomes.

Chu Muyu, pulling the girl with one hand, watched Ning Chen's back. His eyes were thoughtful, but during the escape, he could not speak other words. Ning Chen's speed was fast, and he was carrying others, so he had to move at the fastest speed to catch up with him.

Ning Chen also seemed to realize that the people behind were gradually falling behind, so he could slow down to ensure Chu Muyu could keep up with him.

After this, the group walked deeper into the forest. Everyone knew that at this moment they were racing against the Grim Reaper. If they could not escape deep into the forest before the pursuers arrived, then they would not survive.

During the escape, the curly-haired one and the girl also seemed to recover. The curly-haired one had better stamina than the girl. While being pulled by Ning Chen to run, he still had a chance to speak: "Did you just save me?"

Ning Chen pressed his lips together. At this moment, he really had no energy to answer the person behind. After all, he had to pay attention to the movements above, while also monitoring the distance of the pursuers catching up behind, and at the same time had to ensure his speed wouldn't make Chu Muyu unable to keep up.

This could be called using one's mind for three things at once, truly time-consuming and energy-draining. The curly-haired one, seeing Ning Chen did not respond to him, said no more. His heart was filled with gratitude. He knew that for Ning Chen to save him was already a difficult feat. The scene just now could truly be called a hail of bullets, and Ning Chen had pulled him out from that hail of bullets.

The curly-haired one stopped thinking about anything else. He just followed behind Ning Chen. Wherever Ning Chen went, he went. Chasing Ning Chen's footsteps forward, his mind went blank for a moment, thinking of nothing.

After this, Ning Chen led them to hide behind a tree. This tree was very thick and could shield all of them.

After this, Ning Chen's expression was somewhat worried. He kept looking up to observe the situation, but he also knew that at this moment, trying to escape again was impossible. They had already been intercepted here, and the planes were right overhead.

Unless Ning Chen could throw people forward again, just like he had thrown the curly-haired one just now.

But doing so was still not safe enough. The reason Ning Chen could save that girl and the curly-haired one just now was because there was a bush beside the river channel. Now, beside them, there were only trees to use like that. Yet, the planes overhead and the pursuers behind had realized that some people had escaped, meaning they could not hide using the previous method. Ning Chen gritted his teeth, pressed his back tightly against the tree, thought for a moment, and decided to let those three run past first.

The further forward they went, the greater their chance of escaping unharmed. Although the snipers' line of sight overhead was blocked by branches, if they wanted to spot them escaping in the forest, it was not difficult. So Ning Chen lowered his voice and said: "I'll count three, two, one, and you will charge straight forward, rushing to the back of that tree." Ning Chen extended his hand and pointed to the tree in front. "Do you see it?" Chu Muyu nodded, realizing that what was about to happen was a race against life and death. His heart began to beat wildly uncontrollably. He turned his head to look at the curly-haired one and that girl.

They all knew Ning Chen was giving up the best escape opportunity for him. Although Ning Chen had the strength to safely pass this hurdle, because he had to protect them, he had to deprive himself of the chance to escape. Chu Muyu slowly pressed his brow, then turned his head to look at Ning Chen.

Ning Chen said.

"Three."

Everyone assumed a ready-to-run posture.

"Two."

Heartbeats grew faster and faster.

"One."

Ning Chen stared at the place ahead and shouted with force.

"Run!"

The next second, the three people sprinted forward. They almost used all their strength. Their speed at that moment reached a peak they had almost never achieved before. At this moment, the desire for life began to explode. When their hands and feet swung, they seemed filled with power. Only one thought remained in their minds.

Live.

575 Tacit Understanding and Coordination, Gestures Across the Air

No one wanted to die. Ning Chen observed the surroundings for them, confirming that for the time being, no one was shooting in this area.

But Jia Yi had been in a high position for so many years. His eyesight was excellent. Although the screen was not very clear, he could still see the situation below through the somewhat unclear screen. Naturally, he also clearly saw Ning Chen and the other three people trying to escape in this area. In that instant, Jia Yi felt all his blood rush back into his brain. He never expected that under such pursuit, Ning Chen could still escape. Moreover, it wasn't just him escaping alone; three people had escaped the hail of bullets together. A trace of ruthlessness flashed in Jia Yi's eyes. Although he knew Ning Chen was strong, he never thought he possessed such strength. In the end, Jia Yi didn't even have time to give an order. He only knew that at this moment, the three people were running forward. Although they could not escape their control, this sight still gave Jia Yi a headache.

So Jia Yi quickly said: "Can't you see? Those people have escaped. A total of four people have escaped from under your hands. If you cannot eliminate them all today, then bring your own heads to see me."

Jia Yi was always ruthless. Countless people had served under him. When he was in a bad mood, he would casually kill a few people. Once this order was given, everyone's spirits were instantly lifted. They had all seen the blood mist spreading along the riverbank just now. Although they knew there might be survivors, they never expected that four people would be able to escape.

According to logic, under a pincer attack from front and rear, no one could escape from the dense bullets. They found it both incredible and tricky. They exchanged glances, seeing a bit of disbelief in each other's eyes. But they had to obey their superior's order. So, after recovering their senses, they raised their guns again and aimed their high-powered scopes at the dense trees and grass below.

Looking at it this way, it really allowed some snipers still on the planes to see. Below, there were three figures running past at high speed. The speed was fast; with careful tracking, they could be seen.

The time difference was just one second. Although the people on top had already seen the three figures running through the woods, they hadn't had time to pull the trigger. Ning Chen's timing was very precise. Just a moment before they raised their guns, the three people had already reached their destination. Behind that tall and large tree, even their figures were completely obscured. Since they couldn't see the people, shooting them was even more absurd. After running to the destination Ning Chen had set, Chu Muyu leaned against the tree trunk, panting heavily. Looking at the others, their reactions were the same as his. They had used almost all their strength when running over. At this moment, it was a contest of speed, so everyone had left no stamina. When the wind whistled past their ears, their hearts held only one thought: to live. So they thought of nothing, and their eyes held only this one destination.

And Ning Chen also stood behind the tree, observing the movements of the three people. Seeing that they had safely reached the tree trunk, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. But before that sigh was fully released, it was raised again.

Through several layers of thick branches, Ning Chen saw more than a dozen guns above the gaps, aimed at them.

Ning Chen's heart suddenly skipped a beat. He knew the opposite side must have discovered their position. But Ning Chen would rather let them pursue him than have their gun barrels aimed at the other three people who had no means of self-defense. The three were too far from him. Even if Ning Chen wanted to remind them, he was powerless. Those three leaned against the trees behind them, panting heavily. At this moment, whatever he said, the other side probably wouldn't hear.

Thinking of this, Ning Chen sighed. When he looked up again, he suddenly had an idea. The reason he originally chose to walk into this forest was naturally due to his own considerations. Precisely because this forest was lush with trees and had many branches, the planes' field of vision was not very good.

Looking down from overhead, almost nothing could be seen. But even so, the opposite side could still discover their position, which proved there must be someone else observing the situation in this forest. Ning Chen thought of the plane he had shot down with a single bullet. Sitting on that plane was the leader of those hunting them—Jia Yi.

Ning Chen finally could no longer hold back the headache that began to plague him. To deal with so many people while also diverting his mind to think about the next command from Jia Yi across the way—knowing his thoughts in advance would allow him to avoid them as much as possible, but it was far too mentally taxing. So Ning Chen chose the simplest and most brutal method, even though this method had only a small probability of allowing him to escape. Thinking of this, Ning Chen glanced around at those beside him.

The trees around were growing very densely; the denser they were, the less those above could see the situation below. So Ning Chen planned to use himself as bait to help the other three escape as quickly as possible. But this move required coordination with the three people opposite. If the considerations of those three were even slightly inconsistent with Ning Chen's, then this would not be an escape; it would be sending Ning Chen to his death.

Yet now there was only one way. Ning Chen did not hesitate any longer. He curled his hand and knocked forcefully on the tree trunk, then whistled deliberately to let the people opposite hear. The girl turned her head first. Her gaze looked straight back, meeting Ning Chen's eyes directly. Then the girl reached out and patted the other two, signaling them to turn around. At this moment, the gazes of all three were focused entirely on Ning Chen. Now the most critical thing was how to make the three people opposite understand his meaning. Ning Chen thought for a moment and made a hand gesture. He pointed his index finger at the position behind himself, then raised his hand and pointed upward, making a throat-slitting motion. Afterwards, Ning Chen tightened three fingers, using only his thumb and index finger spread apart. This was an upside-down "eight" gesture. His hand first moved forward, then retreated backward, finally arriving at his own chest. This upside-down "eight" gesture then transformed into a gun, pressed directly against Ning Chen's own temple.

Finally, Ning Chen tightened his fingers into a fist and placed it directly in front of his eyes.

This series of gestures was not performed quickly; the purpose was to let those three understand what he wanted to express. Yet seeing the confusion in the eyes of those three, Ning Chen still sighed.

Judging by their appearance, they had not understood the meaning he wanted to convey. But this made things difficult. If they could not understand, Ning Chen would have no way to coordinate with them, and wanting to escape would become even harder. But Ning Chen did not give them much time to think, after all, time was already running out.

576 uses skill, Control Density.

"Wait," Chu Muyu looked in Ning Chen's direction. "He must be trying to convey some message to us."

"I think so too," the curly-haired man touched his chin. "He doesn't want us to retreat first, does he?"

"Possible," the girl nodded. "He hasn't done such things before... but where does he want us to retreat to? I didn't understand his gestures." Because the situation was urgent at this moment, their speaking speed had also increased greatly. Ning Chen over there did not give them much chance to catch their breath either; he raised his hand and made gestures toward them.

Chu Muyu saw Ning Chen make several gestures to him from a distance. He frowned and said, "What is Ning Chen thinking? But we must coordinate with him; otherwise, we won't be able to survive and get out."

Having said this, he carefully recalled the gestures Ning Chen had made to them back then. Ning Chen had deliberately slowed his speed so they could see clearly. Chu Muyu had actually memorized them. He had not been with Ning Chen for long; he didn't understand some of Ning Chen's habits and movements, but thinking carefully, he could grasp some clues.

Seeing Chu Muyu in a deep-thinking mood, the curly-haired man let out a dry laugh. "You didn't realize something from those few gestures of his, did you?"

Chu Muyu nodded and then shook his head. His expression was somewhat hesitant, but finally, he still said, "... Perhaps I understood something for a moment. You follow me in a while. The time to test our tacit understanding has arrived."

The girl let out an "Ah," staring at Chu Muyu with some suspicion. "You aren't going to take us to our deaths, are you?"

Chu Muyu said calmly, "This depends on whether you choose to trust me and fight for a sliver of a chance at life, or just wait here to die."

Once these words were spoken, the remaining two said nothing. They had no choice at this moment; they could only follow Chu Muyu's train of thought.

"At the very beginning, he pointed his finger at the direction above his head. He must have wanted us to pay attention to the direction and situation of those planes." Chu Muyu said while thinking. "After that, he made a running-away gesture. If I'm not mistaken, he must have wanted us to use the method of retreating to advance."

"Retreating to advance?" the curly-haired man repeated. "I don't understand. Explain it carefully." Chu Muyu said, "If his meaning was for us to run away at full speed, he would not have made a retreat gesture afterwards. He must have wanted us to reach the next place where we can hide, and then return from that place." Chu Muyu could not guess Ning Chen's meaning, but he could only try his best to guess. He knew Ning Chen wanted to coordinate with them. The other two hadn't even remembered what gestures Ning Chen had made, so he could only rely on Chu Muyu alone to guess.

Gunshots had already sounded two or three times from above. Chu Muyu heard this sound and knew he could no longer hesitate. So he immediately said, "Forget it. You follow me and escape together. If I'm not mistaken, this must be what Ning Chen means."

The curly-haired man and the girl both nodded in agreement. For a moment, Chu Muyu felt responsible for two lives. He was somewhat nervous, but when he looked back at Ning Chen, this nervousness was alleviated somewhat. Ning Chen could not determine whether those three had truly understood his meaning, but he guessed they must have guessed at least something.

Ning Chen planned to use his skill directly to do his best to create time for those three to escape. His skills were not many, but every single one was thoroughly memorized in his mind. This time, Ning Chen planned to use the "Density Control" skill, directly changing the density above his head, thereby achieving the effect of destroying the planes.

Ning Chen did not want to harm those three while using his skill, so he let the three people first leave the position where he was standing. He would wait until he had completely dealt with the planes before they returned, at which time they would escape together.

Chu Muyu's two hands tightly gripped the hands of the girl and the curly-haired man. They were behind a tree, so the snipers above could not observe the situation below. Thus, Chu Muyu found a time gap, ready at any moment to take the two people running to the next cover point.

Chu Muyu took a deep breath, tightened his grip on the two people's hands, and the next second, the three people began to sprint. Everyone used all the strength within their bodies. The destination Chu Muyu wanted to take them to was some distance from their current standing position, but fortunately, branches above provided cover, so they would not be discovered during the run. By the time the three people arrived at the destination, they were almost completely exhausted. They had escaped from the company all the way, having used up nearly all their strength. If it were not for the need to escape, no one could endure such a physical limit.

And Ning Chen stood behind the tree, watching the backs of those three people sprint away. He also understood that those three must have understood his meaning. He let out a sigh of relief, then raised his head, looking at the plane above as he prepared to engage them in a direct confrontation. Jia Yi looked at Ning Chen's eyes on the screen and felt an unease for some reason in his heart. This kind of gaze made him feel that Ning Chen was about to do something big soon, but coincidentally, there were no helpers or reinforcements around Ning Chen. He didn't even have a gun in his hand; how could he fight them?

Jia Yi felt he was overthinking it, while the snipers on the plane had long been ready. In an instant, bullets fell from the sky like dense, fine rain, attacking Ning Chen's position.

564. Life and Death on a Thin Line (7)