Chapter 3: Escape

In fact, the threat posed by ferocious beasts is not the greatest; what is more terrifying than these beasts are the swarms of mosquitoes and other flying insects that come in droves. They not only leave one covered in welts but also spread malaria and a series of other infectious diseases

Gao Yang crawled a considerable distance when a series of short gunshots suddenly rang out behind him. Gao Yang felt that the enemy must have opened fire after discovering his life jacket

After a few seconds, another person emerged from a patch of grass about ten meters away, quickly ran a few meters forward, and then concealed themselves in the grass.

Looking at the height of the moon, Gaoyang felt that it should be around two or three o'clock in the middle of the night. Unable to hold on any longer, Gaoyang finally decided not to leave.

What Gao Yang needs most right now is physical strength. In these extraordinary times, it is not a moment for saving. In desperation, Gao Yang could only take out the remaining piece of chocolate, slowly unwrap the packaging, and swallow the chocolate in a few bites.

What troubled Gao Yang was that after climbing so far, he had not encountered a single stone, and there was nothing nearby that could be utilized. After a moment of contemplation, Gao Yang gently removed the magazine and then forcefully threw it into the river.

Time passed second by second, and the sky gradually darkened. Gao Yang's chances of escape grew larger, while the remaining two enemies remained completely still. At this moment, Gao Yang had already begun to contemplate which direction to flee.

Gao Yang waited for a short while when he saw a head slowly emerge from the grass. After glancing around, the person bent down and quickly ran a few steps forward. Just two or three seconds later, he immediately hid back into the grass.

More than one hundred meters to the east of Gaoyang is the river, while the remaining two enemies are located to the northwest. Gaoyang has two options for escape: to head south, or to first move south and, after leaving the battlefield, enter the water and proceed downstream along the river

When the sky had completely darkened and things were gradually becoming indistinguishable, Gao Yang decided it was time to take action. However, just as he was about to proceed, he realized he had made a significant mistake.

Gao Yang held his breath, aiming his gun at the first place he saw someone hiding. Soon, the first person he had spotted popped their head up again. Although they were about three to four meters away from where they had been hiding and were running quickly, Gao Yang still instinctively adjusted the gun's muzzle and pulled the trigger.

Only one bullet remains in the magazine, and counting the one in the chamber, Gao Yang has only two bullets. However, the enemy still has three, and it is evident that the enemy will definitely not run out of ammunition

Something happened. After relieving himself, Gao Yang felt much more comfortable, and the energy provided by a large piece of chocolate allowed him to persist for a while longer. After resting for a short time, he felt some strength returning to his body and was able to move again. Gao Yang then looked back and found that it was pitch black and nothing was visible. Without hesitation, he immediately stood up and began to head south.

The only good news is that it is getting dark. Gao Yang estimates that in about an hour, the sun will completely set. As long as he can hold out until nightfall, he will have a chance to escape

Gao Yang covered the magazine with his hand, making an effort to avoid any noise while detaching it. Once the magazine was removed, Gao Yang could not help but let out a sigh of lamentation in his heart

Knowing that the enemy had not given up on pursuing him, Gao Yang slightly quickened his crawling speed. However, a sudden thought crossed his mind; he felt that perhaps he should find a way to divert the pursuers behind him

The gunfight scared away all the animals in the vicinity, and at this moment, there was no sound on the grassland. The sound of an empty magazine falling into the water was particularly loud, creating a crisp splash on the surface.

Hitting moving targets is what Gao Yang excels at

Gao Yang found himself in a rather amusing yet exasperating situation. He quickly removed the life jacket and then attempted to see if he could detach the two fluorescent strips. However, he helplessly discovered that if he forcibly removed the fluorescent strips, the life jacket would inevitably lose its air.

At this time, the moon had already risen, but fortunately it was not a full moon, providing only a faint light. Even if there were pursuers behind, it would not expose Gao Yang's whereabouts.

Gao Yang knew he had to find a way to escape. Even if he could take one down with a single bullet, the remaining person could still kill him. Gao Yang could not dare to hope that he could deal with another one using a knife, not to mention he was unaware if the other side had reinforcements.

At that moment, Gao Yang heard what seemed to be a rustling sound. He knew he could not delay any longer, so he reluctantly set the life jacket aside and began to crawl slowly southward.

Gao Yang moved a short distance before stopping again, remaining highly vigilant as he observed the movements of the remaining two opponents. His last shot had clearly had a deterrent effect, causing the other side to hesitate in their advance, hiding in the grass and refusing to show themselves.

Gao Yang is very patient; he does not rush to run away but continues to crawl. He knows that at this moment, his opponent cannot see him, as long as he does not make too much noise.

During the day, although the color of the life jacket is bright, it is not much of a problem thanks to the cover of the grass. However, now that night has fallen, Gao Yang is astonished to discover that the life jacket emits a soft glow, and its brightness is quite high, definitely sufficient for someone to spot him from a distance. If he were in the river, it would be impossible to escape people's notice.

Gao Yang and the other party formed a standoff, neither daring to make the first move. At this moment, it was not just Gao Yang who was filled with fear; although he had only one bullet left, the other party was clearly unaware of this fact. Gao Yang was afraid that both opponents would rush at him together, while the other party was also afraid that any exposure would attract a fatal bullet. To put it in a common saying, it was like a straw hitting a wolf—both sides were fearful.

Gao Yang was always wearing a life jacket, and although the bright orange life jacket was very conspicuous, he had no intention of taking it off. This was because in order to escape from the river, he had to rely on the buoyancy provided by the life jacket. Although he could swim, without the life jacket, given his injuries and extreme hunger, he would only be facing a dead end.

Gao Yang leaned against a large tree and sat down, having distanced himself from the battleground. The howls of wild beasts echoed around him, and some of the sounds seemed very close.

Regardless of whether it had any effect, this time Gao Yang did not stop at all. He turned towards the depths of the grassland and continued to crawl forward. Only when he felt that he had gone far enough and could no longer move did he finally lie down on the ground to rest for a while

Gao Yang felt extremely uncomfortable due to hunger, as he had no strength left in his body. He estimated that he had at least crawled a distance of three to four hundred meters.

The gunshot rang out and a person fell dead. Gao Yang used the fifth bullet to kill the fourth person. Although this immediately provoked a frenzied barrage of gunfire, the opposing side did not dare to show their heads. Such blind shooting posed little threat to Gao Yang.

Although he could not distinguish the exact sound of the beast, Gao Yang knew that the three great predators of Africa—lions, leopards, and hyenas—were all active at night, with hyenas being primarily nocturnal. Gao Yang felt that he was truly fortunate not to have encountered any predators along the way, though it was also possible that he had already encountered them without realizing it

Gao Yang plans to head south first, and then turn to go downriver. The main reason for choosing to go downriver is that his right knee has been hurting for a long time, making movement very difficult, and entering the water will make it much easier.

After spraying some mosquito repellent, Gao Yang was no longer concerned about anything else. He held the gun, which had only one bullet left, in his arms, and soon fell into a deep sleep

The other party began to advance alternately while providing cover, and at that moment, Gao Yang saw two individuals who were at most forty to fifty meters away from him. This distance was too dangerous, and Gao Yang felt that he could not allow the other party to approach so easily

At the last moment, the bullet is already in the chamber, and the empty magazine is of no further use

After Gao Yang reloaded the magazine, he stood up to observe again and did not see any trace of the enemy. However, this time Gao Yang did not crawl back to the ground; instead, he knelt on one knee, trying to conceal himself as much as possible while keeping a vigilant watch over his surroundings

Fortunately, before coming to Africa, Gao Yang certainly had to make some preparations for the African environment. Given the limited space in the medical kit, other medications could be omitted, but mosquito repellent was definitely a must.

Although my right knee still hurts a lot, I am fortunate to be able to keep moving. However, my speed inevitably slows down significantly, and I dare not stop for even a moment. I can only persist and keep walking forward.

Gao Yang did not know exactly how long he had been walking; he only knew that it had been a very long time. His rest periods were becoming increasingly prolonged, almost every five minutes of walking required a rest of fifteen minutes or even longer. He was both thirsty and hungry, utterly exhausted. If it were not for the unwavering belief that he must return home alive, Gao Yang would have already collapsed on the ground.

When they were about twenty meters away from the shore, Gao Yang stopped climbing, as there was no longer any cover from the bushes ahead. Gao Yang did not want to take the risk of crawling out of the bushes; he only wanted to create some commotion in the river.

After hesitating for a moment, Gao Yang began to crawl towards the riverbank, stopping periodically to listen for any sounds behind him.