Right now, our best bet is to head to the Fourth Special District, Xiao Mengla, where we can hide and safely return home.
The park and various forces are definitely hunting us down everywhere. If they catch us, we're as good as dead.
Abu said that sometimes locals come into this jungle to hunt, and the Karen border guards will likely search the mountains. We have to navigate through this uncharted dense forest to evade capture.
As Wrench used his AK-47 to clear away the underbrush, he said, "This uprising might have been started by the Ming family. The Tiger Hill Villa actually has Chinese investors."
I thought for a moment and said, "Are you suggesting that the woman hiding in the Red Building could be one of the villa owner's mistresses?"
"The head of the Ming family is the governor and a member of the parliament in Kokang. His eldest son is the police battalion commander and has a private armed force. Rescuing someone from here shouldn't be too difficult for them."
"No kidding, the Ming family arrived just in time. If they had come a day later, I would have been taken by Ace."
Chen Weiqiang panted and said, "Boss Ning wouldn't let you be taken by him. If you were really killed by that guy, it would be a significant loss for Boss Ning. His private armed forces here are too small and often oppressed by local warlords. He desperately needs someone like you, so there's no way he'd let Ace take you!"
He made a good point. I was originally just a laborer in Victory Park, forcibly taken by Ace to be a tool. Boss Ning wouldn't let it slide. He might even orchestrate an accident for me on the way.
Given Boss Ning's unscrupulous nature, if he can't have something, he'd rather destroy it!
Screwdriver supported Bayi and said cautiously, "Liu Shiyi must be furious, and Ace as well. They'll probably mobilize the Karen border guards to conduct a thorough search. We must speed up and leave Myawaddy."
We can't go back to town. Even if we tried to find Yan Mo, there's no guarantee we'd make it out safely. Our only option is to hide in Xiao Mengla and then seek help from the embassy.
The forest in Myawaddy is challenging to navigate. All we see are dense trees and the ground is covered with weeds and vines, making it impossible to find a clear path.
We can only forge our way through.
One misstep, and we'd be tripped by vines and tumble into unknown pits.
Thus, we moved very slowly and cautiously.
After a whole night of rain and a night of non-stop walking, everyone's energy was depleting, and our pace slowed down.
Even so, we dared not relax for a moment. Only the strong desire to go home kept our bodies moving forward.
Without a compass, no sun in the sky, and no phones to guide us, we relied entirely on Abu to lead us in the direction of the Fourth Special District.
"It's past three in the afternoon. Let's rest," I said, glancing at the Rolex watch Boss Ning had given me, feeling utterly famished.
Wrench found a moss-covered rock and sat down heavily, saying, "Ten-minute rest."
"Oh my god, I'm exhausted. From now on, I'll never trust anyone except you guys."
Bayi, supported by Li Jianguo, sat on the rock wearily and feebly massaged his muddy legs.
"Don't talk like that. We'll be home soon," Screwdriver said excitedly, seemingly tireless throughout the journey.
Li Jianguo, however, remained silent. If not for the impassable forest, I'd suspect he wanted to go solo to seek revenge on Yang Lianting.
Wrench and Abu stayed alert, moving in sync with each other.
Once we reach the Fourth Special District, Abu might leave us in Xiao Mengla to find his family in Kokang.
I put down my wet bag, took out a packet of compressed biscuits, and distributed them to everyone.
These were the provisions Swallow had brought to the park last time, and I took some for this escape.
Perhaps it was the betrayal in Kokang that made me always keep the bag close, never letting it out of my sight.
Though I trusted my companions, I still preferred to keep the medicine and food.
If we rationed carefully, these biscuits and beef jerky would sustain us for three or four days in the forest. Abu assured us it would be enough to reach the Fourth Special District.
As for water, Wrench and Screwdriver, both with military backgrounds, knew how to find water in the wild.
They could even catch a groundhog or a cobra for an extra meal.
So, we had no worries about food or water.
Meeting and escaping with them was my greatest fortune.
I thought, all my luck must have been used up here in Myanmar.
Looking at the impenetrable forest, surviving alone for even a day would be impossible.
I rubbed my sore legs and asked, "Brother Bu, is your family really settled in Kokang?"
Abu said, "Yes, they moved over a month ago, near Laojie. My mother found a job there, and my sister is attending school. I couldn't leave Myawaddy, so I don't know much about their work."
"Are there many wealthy people near Laojie? I have two female classmates who were tricked by Lulu into Kokang and sold to local rich men."
"I'm not sure. We'll see when we get there. When you guys return to China, leave me a contact number. I'll call if there's any news."
"Weiqiang, can you crack the passwords on those two phones?"
I still wanted to unlock the Huawei phone Yang Lianting gave me and the Apple phone from the dead general.
Chen Weiqiang confidently replied, "Yes, it just takes time. We'll find a safe place in Xiao Mengla to turn them on."
Physically, he was the weakest among us. Without Screwdriver carrying him, he would have collapsed long ago.
His years in Myanmar had taken a toll on his health.
But he still looked relatively young, thanks to his appearance.
After a brief rest, we prepared to move again.
Seeing the endless forest ahead, my heart sank.
By around seven in the evening, we finally left that forest and entered another wooded area.
This place had some paths trodden by people. To reach Xiao Mengla, we had to cross these paths and climb the mountain on the other side to completely escape Myawaddy.
We hid behind a large tree, waiting for it to get darker before crossing.
Suddenly, a loud horn blared in the distance.
"Someone's coming!"
We quickly ran back, trying to get as far from the main road as possible.
Then, just a few meters away, a gunshot rang out.
Damn it, we had come so far, yet they were still chasing us relentlessly.