Chapter 110: A Deadly Turn?

After all, Devil’s Kettle Town was extremely remote, requiring a three- to four-hour drive to reach the nearest city. Throughout the year, very few outsiders ever appeared here. It was precisely because of this that the arrival of the Low Shoulder Band caused such a stir in the town.

The bar was steadily being rebuilt, and everyone’s lives were returning to normal. Apart from attending classes and wandering around town with Jennifer, Gao Ning had nothing else to do. At first, the days felt leisurely for the first two weeks, but as time went on, impatience began to creep in.

Whenever he was alone, his thoughts drifted to his teammates and the opposing group. He often wondered where those people might be and what kind of drama they were experiencing.

During this time, Gao Ning kept busy, using his computer skills to gather information from various sources. He expected to find some clues but was instead met with a slew of strange rumors—disappearances, serial killers, unidentified female corpses, and so on. The familiar atmosphere of a blood-soaked horror film engulfed him.

When he came across a place called Crystal Lake Scenic Area, Gao Ning finally made up his mind.

The convoy rolled along the road, with Gao Ning and Jennifer seated in the spacious rear lounge, poring over the scattered documents on the coffee table.

Jennifer asked, “Are you serious?”

Without looking up, Gao Ning replied, “About what?”

“About hunting the devil! Do you really believe all this information is true?”

Gao Ning chuckled softly. “Why wouldn’t I believe it? You are the proof!”

Jennifer sighed helplessly. “Well, I can’t argue with you. Do it however you want. But I don’t understand—how did you convince my parents?”

“Jennifer, there’s nothing money can’t accomplish in this world!”

Jennifer’s eyes widened. “You bribed my parents?”

“I just paid someone to make an invitation letter for the Ivy League Summer Camp, and marked it as free!” Gao Ning smiled.

Jennifer slumped in defeat. “Alright, you win.”

Gao Ning lowered his head to continue studying the materials and said lightly, “Actually, there’s no need to be so down. I imagine after a year of drinking half a month’s worth of energy drinks, you’re getting a little restless and eager for some excitement. If this trip goes smoothly, you’ll be satisfied.”

Jennifer’s eyes lit up, almost drooling. “Is it real?”

“I said if it goes smoothly!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the car slowed to a halt.

“Boss, there’s been an accident up ahead. The road is blocked!” the driver reported, opening the partition to relay the situation.

Gao Ning suddenly raised his head and gazed into the dense forest. He spotted three blood-red dots on the Red Alert map.

What was going on? Had they encountered wild monsters? That shouldn’t be—why were they so strong?

After a moment’s thought, he deployed a big bear at the center of those lights.

Besides the three red dots, there were six yellow dots ahead—likely neutral parties. If they were unrelated travelers, the dots should have been gray. Could this be the start of some kind of movie plot?

After pondering, Gao Ning said, “Send someone to handle it and clear the road as quickly as possible.”

“Got it, boss!”

As the gangster henchmen spoke, Jennifer, excited, flung open the car door. “I see them! They’re a group of young people! I’ll go ask what happened.”

A few young people had been arguing over the crash but fell silent as if by unspoken agreement when the convoy appeared.

These vehicles and their occupants did not look like good people.

Inside the convoy were men dressed uniformly in trench coats and sunglasses. Five cars formed a line, with a stretched Lincoln in the center, all coated in dark tint, radiating an overwhelming aura.

The five young people were split into two groups.

Two couples’ cars were disabled in the middle of the road, their tires punctured, unable to move. The gray sedan blocking the middle was from another group.

The driver had a bruised head from the collision and was leaning against a tree by the roadside, still visibly shaken.

Two gangster henchmen got out and approached, but before they could speak, Jennifer dashed forward like a whirlwind.

The sight of a tall, beautiful woman made the youngsters’ eyes brighten.

One stepped forward and explained, “Hey, sorry, our car broke down. Could you help us? Oh, I’m Johnson.”

“I’m Jennifer.”

Jennifer eyed Johnson’s neck, swallowing quietly, then naturally smiled with a touch of charm, gently brushing her hair aside as she asked, “Looks like you had a serious crash. Is anyone hurt?”

“No, it’s just that someone put wire across the road. We didn’t notice, and it got tangled in the axle, so the car can’t move. Actually, nothing major happened until Philips got distracted and crashed into us.”

He then introduced his friends, all friendly but with eyes flicking nervously toward the convoy.

Jennifer gave a signal to the gangsters. “Help handle this.”

The two henchmen sized up the situation and then pushed the sedan directly into the ditch.

“Hey! What are you doing? That’s my car!” the young man shouted, rushing forward to grab one of the henchmen’s collars. But just as his hand reached out, a cold gun barrel pressed against his forehead, freezing him in place.

The others gasped in shock.

At that moment, four more gangsters emerged from the convoy.

Two brandished Chicago-type submachine guns to herd the youngsters aside, while the other four coordinated to push the travel van into the ditch as well.

Johnson protested, “You have no right to do that! Those are our cars!”

Jennifer licked her lips and said, “What does it matter? They can’t be driven anyway. Why don’t you take our ride? By the way, where are you headed?”

The young people exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison. “No, we’d better ask the people behind us for help.”

By then, the gangsters had cleared the road and returned to their cars. As the convoy prepared to move, Jennifer boarded with a hint of regret.

Suddenly, several gunshots rang out sharply from the dense forest, followed by a bear’s roar.

The young people jumped in fright.

“Damn, isn’t this supposed to be a deserted area? How can there be gunfire?”

“Are you worried about that? That’s a bear’s roar—a full-grown male. It could easily tear a tiger in two. This place is too dangerous. Let’s just leave.”

“I don’t understand. The legend of Crystal Lake has been around for over twenty years. This time, I’m determined to prove it’s all fake. Jason doesn’t exist!”

“But our car…”

“Uh…”

As the youngsters looked once more to seek help from the convoy, the taillights were already fading into the distance.