"Tiger!!"
Everyone was startled by the name. Although the Wolf Pack was scary, many people perceived them as similar to wild dogs.
That's right, if an adult man had a club, it wouldn't be a big problem to fight a single wolf. He might get injured, but he would basically win.
But a Tiger is the true king of the mountains. A man weighing one or two hundred pounds could be picked up and carried away while the Tiger's speed remained almost unaffected.
This was the home ground of the Northeast Tiger, and Wu Yuan knew clearly that they were likely in great peril.
Unless the Tiger was full!
"Captain Wu, hurry and save him!" Zhou Xuemei also lost her composure, shouting with a look of terror.
"It's too late. Tigers strike very fast. After picking up Wang Qi, it will bite through his throat."
"There's no way to save him! Besides, with the Type 56 rifles we have, unless you hit a vital spot, the Tiger won't be affected at all. And a Tiger is faster than a wolf. If you can't get off a second shot, you're finished!"
"Hurry and go! We can only hope the Tiger will be full after eating one!"
The few of them fled frantically through the mountain forest, but the accumulated snow under their feet became the biggest obstacle, as if every step required all their strength.
The educated youths' physical strength was already nearing its limit, relying entirely on their youth and willpower to sustain themselves. They were already starving, and after confronting the Wolf Pack for half a day, they now had to run for their lives.
Originally, the few of them just wanted to catch some pheasants and rabbits, but they unexpectedly encountered things that were life-threatening.
If they had known the mountain was so dangerous, they wouldn't have come in even if they were beaten to death!
Now Wu Yuan and Chen Zhiguo had guns, and the only flashlight was in Wu Yuan's hand, a beam of light swaying wildly through the forest with Wu Yuan's steps.
He was a bit annoyed, annoyed that these unthinking educated youths had recklessly entered the mountain forest. There was a good chance they might die here today.
But he couldn't say he regretted it. After all, he was the Production Team Captain and had a responsibility to enter the mountain for rescue.
Thinking of this, he seemed to have made a certain decision, and his steps became steadier.
The cold wind howled, sweeping up snowflakes that continuously hit everyone's faces. This was the so-called 'big smoke cannon'.
If they didn't find a sheltered place soon, it would be easy for people to freeze to death.
But they couldn't worry about that now. Running made them not feel cold, and everyone ran until they were sweating, their breathing heavy.
It felt like there was a fire burning in their lungs, as if they were about to explode.
In the dark forest around them, it felt like a hungry Tiger could leap out at any moment. A bone-chilling fear gripped everyone, a fear that could make one lose reason.
"Captain... Captain Wu, let's rest, we can't go on, we really can't!" Wang Fang and Zhou Xuemei supported each other, leaning against a pine tree.
The men ahead stopped, all gasping for breath, though slightly better than the two women.
Chen Zhiguo's eyes flickered as he looked at Zhou Xuemei and said,
"Let's rest. We won't get far running like this. We'll die of exhaustion before we get eaten!"
"Alright, rest for five minutes! Catch your breath!" Wu Yuan said.
"Tear off some strips of cloth from your clothes and make a torch. The Tiger will be a bit wary!"
Upon hearing this, everyone tore open their clothes. The cold wind poured in through the gaps, but they couldn't care about the cold anymore.
Especially the educated youths, they probably felt that whoever had a torch would be safe, so each of them tore off a strip, found a branch to wrap it around, and waited for Wu Yuan to light them.
"No... you don't need to tear off so much," Wu Yuan said, panting with difficulty,
"Everyone, stick closer together when we run later. One torch in the front and one in the back is enough. If the Tiger is afraid, it won't come. If it's not afraid, no matter how many torches you have, it won't help!"
Finally, Wu Yuan walked at the back, and another villager who often entered the mountain led the way in front.
They all held the torches they had made, so that if one burned out, they could light another.
"Captain Wu, we've run this far, the Tiger won't come back, right?"
Chen Zhiguo asked, looking back as he ran.
Just as he turned his head, he saw a pair of glowing green eyes following them less than ten meters behind!
!!!
Chen Zhiguo was scared out of his wits, but he held back from shouting, only speeding up his steps and running forward like mad.
"It probably won't come back, but we can't relax. We can't even say we're safe until we're in the village!"
Wu Yuan didn't know that the King of Hell was already beckoning him at this moment.
He looked up and saw that Chen Zhiguo, who had just been talking, had already run to the very front!
A sense of unease suddenly rose in his heart...
Immediately after, he felt someone grab his collar and pull him backward. The force was so strong he couldn't resist at all, and he was sent flying backward uncontrollably!
"Ow!" Wu Yuan shouted. Without waiting to land, he shouldered the Type 56 rifle in his hand, pointed the muzzle backward, and fired a shot.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out above the Tiger's head, startling it and causing it to instinctively release its claws and jump to the side.
That sound brought back painful memories; its torn ear still hurt!
Wu Yuan's back hit the ground heavily. Without time to see clearly, he lay on the ground, holding the torch and swinging it in a circle.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The circle of fire forced the Tiger back a few steps. The Tiger had a natural caution; the human in front of it had something that could hurt it, which made it full of apprehension.
This was also thanks to Zhou Cang's previous shot that hit its ear, making it somewhat afraid of guns.
It had already gained something today, and the Tiger decided to eat its fill first. So, it turned around and disappeared into the jungle again.
Only then did Wu Yuan manage to get up, and the villagers who were ahead also quickly ran back.
"What happened, Captain?"
"It was the Tiger, it just grabbed me!"
Both of their legs were trembling. They raised their guns and looked around, but there was no sign of the Tiger.
After waiting for a few minutes and seeing no sign of the Tiger, the two of them finally let out a long breath.
"Chen Zhiguo, you motherfucker!" Wu Yuan rushed up to Chen Zhiguo and cursed loudly,
"Didn't you see the Tiger just now?"
This son of a bitch saw the Tiger and didn't say anything, and even ran away first!
Wasn't this betraying him?
Making him be their scapegoat!
"I didn't see it either!" Chen Zhiguo said with a bewildered look.
"Then why did you run to the front right after talking to me?"
"Do you think I'm a fool?"
"Captain Wu, what are you talking about? I really didn't see it. They all know my eyesight isn't good."
As he spoke, he pointed to the other educated youths, who also nodded in agreement.
"Captain Wu, you must be overthinking things. Chen Zhiguo isn't that kind of person!" Zhou Xuemei advised.
"Okay, very good!" Wu Yuan said through gritted teeth.
"Let's go!" Wu Yuan's heart had turned completely cold. These guys were pure ingrates!
He had gone through so much trouble to enter the mountain to save them, and almost got eaten by a Tiger!
He no longer cared about formation, nor whether the educated youths could keep up. Wu Yuan led the villagers quickly down the mountain.
The few educated youths looked at each other. Without time to think further, they quickly followed behind. Who knew if the Tiger would come again!
Moreover, without Wu Yuan and the others leading the way, they didn't know when they would be able to get out of the mountain path in the dark night!