Chapter 83: Man Not as Good as a Cat
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In reality, Owen didn’t think he needed anyone’s help at all. His breath-holding technique could last up to three to four minutes. Given a bit more time, he could have freed himself. However, those Z-country people came pretending to be heroes, not only cutting his Achilles tendon but also expecting him to be grateful? D*mn it!
Owen held a deep disdain for the Z-country people and had no intention of acknowledging their kindness.
“Alright, let’s settle this later. Mitchell hasn’t been found yet. I’ll have someone take you back to the camp first.” Joey lifted Owen from the ground and handed him over to a companion.
“Hold on!” Zhong Rui stopped them, “This matter needs clarification. We can’t be falsely accused without defending ourselves.”
Joey narrowed his eyes, “What do you want?”
Zhong Rui was about to speak but was restrained by Jian Ningxuan. He took something out of his goggles and handed it to Zhong Rui.
Curiously, Zhong Rui took it and exclaimed, “A miniature camera?”
Then, like magic, Jian Ningxuan took out his phone from a waterproof bag, swiped a few times, and turned the screen toward Joey and the others.
A video was playing on the screen, capturing the entire process from Owen acting recklessly to the rescue by An Bu, from the beginning of the separation to reaching the shore. No need for further explanation – the truth was laid bare.
“Haha, actions speak louder than words. Let’s see what else you have to say.” Zhong Rui looked at Owen with disdain.
Joey gave Owen a fierce glare, and Owen’s expression changed from pale to green. In the end, he still argued, “This doesn’t prove that she didn’t intentionally cut my Achilles tendon, and I don’t need your help at all.”
“Shut up!” Joey shouted angrily, “Are you trying to stir up more trouble? Apologize to our Z-country friends.”
Owen turned his head coldly, pushing his companion who was supporting him, and urged impatiently, “Stop standing there like idiots. Help me back.”
“Owen…”
Joey wanted to say something more, but An Bu interrupted, “No need. Your missing companion hasn’t been found yet. Don’t waste time here.”
Strictly speaking, An Bu saved not Owen but Zhong Rui. Owen had no reason to thank her because she indirectly brought trouble to him by saving Zhong Rui. However, if he had been a bit more honest, An Bu would have willingly sacrificed herself to save him. Yet, she first saw his indifference to a life-or-death situation and then distorted the truth. An Bu didn’t want to waste energy on such a person.
Nevertheless, this would increase her death energy, and Owen’s destiny would reverse due to her actions. Therefore, she had to bear the consequences. Fortunately, saving Zhong Rui earned her 89 points of vitality, and Owen’s death aura shouldn’t exceed this value.
After parting ways with Joey and the others, An Bu and her group had no intention of continuing the search. After exchanging greetings with Zhao Kaihe, they returned to the camp.
An Bu knew that the missing foreigner was not in mortal danger. Finding him was only a matter of time.
“Mr. Jian, I didn’t expect you to capture it on film.” An Bu praised, “Impressive.”
“Yes,” Zhong Rui also admired, “If Mr. Jian hadn’t been prepared, we would probably have to explain ourselves endlessly.”
Jian Ningxuan’s face remained calm. In fact, he secretly filmed many videos, and the one just now was just one of many.
“Confess, were you secretly filming me?” An Bu, with her keen eyes, easily saw through the facade of the cat master’s aloofness.
Jian Ningxuan, without changing his expression, averted his gaze, “No, just a coincidence.”
“Then show me your phone.” An Bu extended her hand.
Jian Ningxuan lifted her hand, gently kissed her palm, and his eyes shimmered.
An Bu: “…” Do you know this is against the rules!
Zhong Rui: Caught off guard by a display of affection, drowning in their sweet moments!
Jian Ningxuan led An Bu to find Dr. Hu, who was resting in the camp, and asked him to help check An Bu’s hand.
The toxin of the Submersible Spider wasn’t severe. After applying medicine, she would be fine in a few hours.
On the other side, Owen also received treatment at the camp. His Achilles tendon was only cut, not completely severed. An Bu had only intended to teach him a lesson, and her actions were precise. However, some people are determined to court disaster, and even gods can’t save them.
In the afternoon, around three o’clock, people gradually returned to the campsite, and the missing foreigner had also been found. It was said that he got caught in a strong current while diving, hit his head on a reef, and passed out. Fortunately, he was close to the riverbank and was only carried a few kilometers by the river before being entangled by vines. His sensor was also damaged during the collision. When he regained consciousness, he coincidentally encountered the rescue team.
An Bu glanced at the man and suddenly sensed a faint aura of death on his hands. This was a unique breath of necromancy. During his disappearance, he must have come into contact with an object carrying this death energy. However, there should be no ancient tomb nearby; otherwise, An Bu would have sensed it. It was likely that he happened to pick up some ancient item. His disappearance probably wasn’t due to hitting his head but rather because he went to hide a treasure.
If her speculation was correct, she absolutely couldn’t let a foreigner take an artifact belonging to Z country out of the country.
In the evening, the exhausted group of people went to sleep early.
Today was the last day of the activity. Zhao Kaihe took everyone to experience thrilling cliff diving, followed by fishing, crab catching, bird egg collecting, and honey harvesting. The activities brought joy and excitement to everyone, helping them forget the unpleasantness of the past two days. It could be considered a worthwhile trip.
At dusk, everyone gathered for a hearty picnic organized by An Bu. She improvised various unconventional dark dishes, such as roasted insects, snake stew, wild vegetable flatbreads, stone-grilled shrimp, honey-glazed mountain rat, and more. They even live-streamed the event, causing the viewers to react with disgust, criticizing the host for inhumane cooking.
The next morning, the group packed their bags, preparing for the journey back. As they exited the woods, they noticed that the group of foreigners had already boarded the bus, whistling and waving goodbye.
Despite some friction between the two groups, the overall atmosphere was harmonious. Zhao Kaihe and his companions responded with friendly smiles. They boarded their own bus and departed ahead of the others.
At the moment the bus started moving, An Bu, through the window, saw Owen sitting in the last row of another bus. Her vision swayed, gradually revealing a scene from blurry to clear.
Owen secretly took out a small, old-fashioned jewelry box from Mitchell’s (the previously missing person) pocket. Using the cover of his clothes, he opened the box with his fingers, took something out, and then put the jewelry box back, acting as if nothing had happened.
He inserted his hand into his pocket, tightly gripping the object. After tens of seconds, a bluish-purple shade appeared on his face. His eyes gradually lost focus, and then his body went limp, lying on the seat as if asleep, but, in reality, lifeless.
The scene disappeared, and An Bu withdrew her gaze, looking at the moving trees outside the bus. Her gaze was profound. After the bus traveled five or six kilometers, she received 32 points of death energy.
An Bu didn’t know what was in that jewelry box, but it certainly contained a deadly poison.
When Owen’s companions finally realized his death, it was already two hours later. In his hand, they found a ring. After studying it, they discovered that the ring concealed a mechanism. By turning the ring’s surface, a poisonous needle would be revealed, and piercing the skin would be fatal. Owen unintentionally triggered the mechanism while tightly holding the ring, resulting in his demise…
In the end, the ring was confiscated by Z-country authorities. Owen’s death alarmed the police, and during the investigation, the ring, being an instrument of crime, naturally couldn’t escape their scrutiny.
After bidding farewell to everyone, An Bu returned home, feeling relaxed. She took a carefree bath with Jian Ningxuan and absorbed some vitality. Then, while the cat master was sound asleep, she quietly got up, recorded the experiences of the past few days in her diary with vivid illustrations and even used her unique secret language.
Jian Ningxuan woke up in a daze, seeing An Bu writing fervently under the lamp. He hoarsely uttered, “Bu Bu…”
An Bu locked the diary in the cabinet, returned to the bed, and gently stroked the cat master’s fur. “It’s okay, go back to sleep.”
Jian Ningxuan closed his eyes again, peacefully falling asleep.
An Bu kissed his forehead and, after lying by his side for a while, felt a bit stiff. Carefully, she moved her limbs and rolled off the bed, holding her notebook, she silently left the bedroom.
In the morning, when Jian Ningxuan walked out of the bedroom, he immediately saw An Bu hanging upside down on the living room sofa.
“Mr. Jian…” She made a weak sound, “I can’t make it, come quickly and give me CPR.”
Jian Ningxuan walked over, picked her up, and sat on the sofa, placing her on his lap.
“What’s wrong?” Jian Ningxuan helped her tidy up her messy hair.
An Bu hooked her arms around his neck, buried her face in his neck, and took deep breaths, feeling the rise in vitality points. Finally, she came back to life.
Without sleep for a night, excessive mental and physical exertion, and no fresh fruits and vegetables in reserve, An Bu urgently needed to replenish nutrients.
“Mr. Jian, I don’t want to go out today.” She lazily clung to him.
“Then don’t go out.”
“There’s no food at home.”
“I’ll have someone deliver.”
“That’s too much trouble for them. Why don’t you go buy it?” An Bu patted his chest, having high expectations for him.
Jian Ningxuan remained silent for two seconds, nodded, and accepted the task, placing her aside and preparing to leave.
“Make sure to buy fresh things!” An Bu reminded with a smile.
Jian Ningxuan expressed his understanding with a look, grabbed his wallet, and walked out of the house. He had accompanied An Bu to the supermarket and market for groceries a few times, so he had gained some experience.
Half an hour later, Jian Ningxuan returned home with a few eco-friendly bags.
An Bu immediately sat up, saying, “Let me see what you bought!”
Opening each eco-friendly bag one by one, Jian Ningxuan revealed, “Sea bass, abalone, squid, lobster, scallops… Why is it all seafood!”
“No.” Jian Ningxuan pushed another bag towards her.
An Bu took a look, “Spinach, tomatoes, carrots, purple sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, strawberries…” Huh? Full of colors, quite in line with her teachings.
“How much did you spend?” An Bu asked casually.
“This bag cost fifty-four kuai,” Jian Ningxuan pointed to the bag of vegetables and fruits. Then he pointed to the bag of seafood, “This bag cost five hundred and forty-five.”
The vegetables and fruits were for the cat master’s poop scooper, and the seafood was for the cat master.
An Bu: “…”
Could the gap be any larger?! I never thought you were such a cat master!!!
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