"There are ghosts! There are ghosts in this forest!"
Yu Fenghua was so frightened that she jumped up from the ground, her voice shrill as she hopped around.
I was startled by her outburst.
Yu Fenghua's words made the already uneasy women look around nervously, filled with suspicion.
Damn it!
At that moment, I couldn't bother with the radio signals anymore. I lunged forward, grabbed Yu Fenghua by the collar, and shoved her to the ground. I said coldly, "What are you shouting about? Sit aside and shut up, or I'll beat you!"
She was just causing trouble and demoralizing everyone.
If such a person were in an ancient army, they would have been executed as a sacrifice long ago!
Yu Fenghua was intimidated by my fierce gaze and cowered, nodding frantically at me. Only then did I release her, letting her stay on the ground.
I ignored Yu Fenghua and began to calm the others.
Yu Fenghua, thinking I wouldn't notice, glared at me with venomous eyes. When she saw my gaze sweep over her, she quickly lowered her head.
I saw Yu Fenghua's expression clearly and sneered inwardly. I could vaguely guess why Yu Fenghua resented me.
So, during the subsequent journey, I deliberately assigned Yu Fenghua the most arduous tasks.
Even though she pleaded with me, nothing could change my mind.
My intention was to temper her personality. If she could change her previous attitude, then accepting her into our team upon our return would not be impossible.
However, if she continued to act like a petty person and cause trouble, then I couldn't be blamed!
I watched as Gulinina silently put away the equipment, her expression heavy. I merely assumed she was disappointed at not being able to contact the outside world and didn't think much of it, organizing the group to continue our journey.
The group's morale was still low, but it was a temporary setback. After all, the information received from the radio was too bizarre, and only time would help alleviate their emotions.
We continued our journey in silence, just like usual. Zhuo Ya and I walked on either side of the women, protecting everyone's safety.
However, since the day we received the radio transmission, Gulinina and Zhuo Ya had become increasingly unusual.
Although their relationship had always been good, recently they had become inseparable. When we were traveling, I would often see them walking very close, discussing something.
At first, I thought Gulinina was simply depressed about not being able to contact the outside world, and Zhuo Ya was comforting her. But as time passed, I gradually realized that it seemed to be Gulinina who was telling Zhuo Ya something.
During a break, when I asked them about it, they both denied it, saying they were just having a casual chat.
Zhuo Ya had been my loyal companion since I first landed on the island, and I trusted her implicitly. She would never betray me.
As for Gulinina, I couldn't quite figure her out. Especially considering that a university professor could keep up with the speed of me and Zhuo Ya, it seemed quite suspicious.
The journey was difficult, and I temporarily put aside my doubts, planning to question Zhuo Ya thoroughly once we returned to our settlement.
Due to frequent rain, the mountain paths were not easy to navigate.
Furthermore, with several more women and supplies than before, our progress back home had become exceptionally slow.
For the past few days, I had a persistent twitch in my right eyelid, as if something bad was about to happen.
I pondered it endlessly but found no explanation, so I tried to comfort myself, telling myself it was all superstition.
But on this very night, something happened!
That evening, after we had finished dinner and were preparing to rest, Zhuo Ya suddenly called me outside.
Unsure of what was happening, I followed Zhuo Ya into the woods.
Zhuo Ya bit her lip, her eyes already red before she could even speak.
"Zhuo Ya, what's wrong? Who bullied you, tell me!"
Knowing that Zhuo Ya was not very astute in social matters, I assumed someone had taken advantage of me being away to bully her.
Hearing my words, Zhuo Ya wiped away a tear, deeply touched, and threw herself into my arms, hugging me tightly.
"No one bullied me, Brother Xiao Ye. It's just... I might have to leave for a while."
I was stunned by Zhuo Ya's words.
"Zhuo Ya, you're leaving? Where are you going?"
Since I had known Zhuo Ya, we had faced countless life-and-death trials together. Unbeknownst to me, this simple-minded girl had carved out a significant place in my heart.
Hearing that she was leaving now felt like my heart was being fiercely squeezed by a pair of strong hands.
Zhuo Ya lifted her head from my embrace, took a deep breath, composed herself, and slowly said, "Brother Xiao Ye, I understood what was said on the radio before. That woman... is my mother!"