Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Tong Wei slung an arm around Professor Chen’s shoulder and handed him a cigarette. Professor Chen asked in surprise, “You two know each other?”

I nodded, walked over, and punched Tong Wei hard in the stomach.

“Hahaha, Brother Wei! You’re here too!”

“You motherfuck- *cough, cough*-Qiao Moyu, heh, what a coincidence.”

“Yeah, what a coincidence.”

As I spoke, I reached directly into Tong Wei’s pants pocket. In a few quick moves, I fished out the Thunderstruck Wood Talisman.

“Oh, look at you. You didn’t have to bring a gift, but since you did, I won’t be polite.”

I tucked the token into my shirt. Tong Wei grew livid and lunged at me to grab it back.

“Give it back!”

Jiang Haoyan immediately rushed forward to block him, and the two of them began scuffling.

The members of the Program Team realized something was wrong and gathered around.

“What’s going on? Who is this guy?”

The Program Team included cameramen, several professors, local guides, and outdoor exploration experts. They were all young and fit. Tong Wei shot them a wary look. Realizing the situation, he gritted his teeth and patted Jiang Haoyan on the back.

“We’re all friends, haha. Just young people messing around. We greet each other like this every time we meet.”

“Right, Xiao Jiang?”

Tong Wei put every ounce of his strength into those pats, nearly making Jiang Haoyan spit blood. Jiang Haoyan forced a smirk, turned around, and drove a fist into Tong Wei’s lower abdomen.

“Right, right, right!”

“Ah-”

Tong Wei let out a miserable cry, his face turning ashen. Professor Chen shook his head at the sight.

“Young people these days are so crude.”

With that, the group went back to setting up camp, ignoring us. Jiang Haoyan and I locked eyes and immediately lunged at Tong Wei, raining down a flurry of punches and kicks.

Tong Wei spun around and bolted behind a hill. Jiang Haoyan and I chased him for a few steps before running headlong into his main group.

I slammed on the brakes and immediately turned to run back.

Tong Wei screamed, “Motherfucker, catch those two!”

Jiang Haoyan was on the School Basketball Team and was in peak physical condition. He pumped his arms and ran like the wind, and I wasn’t far behind him.

Tong Wei’s lackeys chased us boisterously into the camp. A young man named Ah Kuan lunged forward to tackle us, but Tong Wei immediately slapped him across the face.

“Calm the fuck down! Is seeing Xiao Jiang really worth getting this excited?”

Ah Kuan was dazed by the slap. He stood there stupidly, clutching his face. The others only realized what was happening when they saw Tong Wei’s frantic signaling.

“Qiao Moyu, who are these people? What exactly is going on?”

Zhu Tanjian walked over with a frown, his expression solemn.

He was a very old-fashioned man. Tong Wei’s crew-men and women alike-were covered in tattoos and piercings and wore flamboyant clothing. One look was enough to make Zhu Tanjian wary.

“Um, Teacher Zhu, that one’s called Xiaoya. She’s a streamer. They came into the camp to look for the Man-eating Snake too.”

I stammered through an explanation. Seeing this, Tong Wei had his men bring their gear over and start setting up camp right next to ours.

Both sides were now wary of each other. I was afraid he would suddenly hurt someone, and he was afraid I would blow his cover. If it came to a fight and something happened to the Program Team, it would definitely attract a massive police presence, and they wouldn’t necessarily be able to escape.

Professor Chen walked over enthusiastically to chat with Tong Wei.

“Young man, you’re here to find the Man-eating Snake too? How could you believe such nonsense? Did you go to university?”

Tong Wei flushed and gave a perfunctory response. Professor Chen then moved on to interview the others, repeatedly asking if they had graduated from university, effectively insulting half the team.

Satisfied, Professor Chen came back to pull me into the filming. Annoyed by his persistence, I nodded along.

“Right, right. The recent rumors about the Man-eating Snake are all fake. We’ve searched half of Devil City and haven’t found any so-called Man-eating Snake.”

Professor Chen was very pleased with my performance.

“Young people should seek truth from facts. You shouldn’t make things up just to get attention. You’re a university student-how could you believe in things like sacrifices and curses?”

Just as he finished speaking, something slithered by my feet. I looked down to see a triangular snake head with a fleshy growth coiled around my calf.

I reached down, pinched the snake’s head, and lifted it up. I began talking nonsense to the camera.

“This snake here is just a common Sand Snake. Look at its mouth-these two rows of teeth are just for show. It doesn’t even have the ability to chew.”

Professor Chen stood by, dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open as if he were the one being squeezed by the neck.

“That’s impossible… What is that? Impossible… This is impossible.”