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Chapter 14: "Boss! Where Are We Going?"
Gu Lang’s confusion was something Wang Ping couldn’t address or explain. However, the idea gave Wang Ping an excellent excuse for his actions.
As long as he used this as a cover, any extraordinary behavior he exhibited could be attributed to the remarkable training he had received rather than being dismissed as something supernatural or bizarre.
"This guy isn’t completely useless," Wang Ping thought to himself. "At least he can make rational guesses. He’s got a bit of a brain!"
In truth, this justification was more for Gu Lang’s subconscious comfort than an excuse for Wang Ping.
After all, if Wang Ping weren’t a product of human training, how could one explain his human-like actions? It was one thing to mimic human behavior, but knowing to disinfect the knife before using it? That was too much!
Rosette didn’t trust Gu Lang—or any living creature, for that matter, be it human or animal. However, at this moment, she trusted Wang Ping.
Wang Ping wasn’t sure how to measure a leopard’s age, but Rosette seemed young. Perhaps it was her youthful fur or the fact that Wang Ping had freed her from a cage. Regardless, Rosette had developed a mysterious dependence on him.
Even as Gu Lang used a knife to cut away the shredded skin and flesh on her leg left by the hyena’s bite, Rosette only growled softly when the pain was too much. She made no other significant moves, helping Gu Lang’s frayed nerves settle.
As long as nobody got hurt, they could still be friends.
"I’ve heard trained animals can recognize simple characters, and some can even use tools," Gu Lang said as his movements became steadier and his speech more casual. "You seem pretty smart. I’m guessing the person who trained you must be Chinese, right?"
Wang Ping rested against Rosette’s head, eyes half-closed, remaining unresponsive. Occasionally, when Rosette twitched, he would soothe her.
Gu Lang had no idea how to bandage an animal. His first-aid kit was meant for humans, so he followed the survival skills he had learned at a club: disinfecting the wound with alcohol, applying the medicinal gel, and giving a tetanus shot.
"Uh..." Gu Lang hesitated, pulling a disposable syringe from a small tin box in the kit. "Should I do an allergy test before giving the shot?" he asked, looking at Wang Ping.
An allergy test? Seriously?
Wang Ping turned his head away, refusing to dignify the question with a response. Gu Lang scratched his head, realizing how stupid he sounded. He worried Rosette might have an allergic reaction to the tetanus shot, but what were the chances this honey badger would even understand what an "allergy test" was?
The campfire had some distance from the SUV, and it was dark out. The livestream viewers couldn’t clearly see what Gu Lang was doing. All they could tell was that he was treating the leopard. This dramatically improved his image with the audience, who had earlier berated him as a coward during the leopard-hyena battle.
See? See? These "three" clearly knew each other!
Still, everyone understood the situation wasn’t about bravery. Charging in with a torch back then would have been idiotic, not heroic. Even so, Gu Lang’s reputation as a coward remained intact.
If the livestream viewers had overheard Gu Lang debating whether to perform an allergy test on a leopard, his new nickname would undoubtedly have included "stupid" alongside "coward."
Cowardly Third Brother Gu braced himself and administered the tetanus shot to Rosette. He then began bandaging her wounds. Thankfully, the injuries were only external, with no bone damage. Once her leg was treated, the other wounds were easier to manage—just disinfect and apply medicinal gel.
After all this, Gu Lang was drenched in sweat, which had dried and left him sticky. He desperately wanted a shower.
On top of that, Rosette’s earlier slap had left his chest stinging, the sweat mixing with the pain for an especially unpleasant sensation.
Glancing resentfully at Wang Ping, Gu Lang grumbled internally. If Wang Ping hadn’t insisted on changing routes, he could be soaking in a hot bath at a Buyiko hotel instead of enduring all this.
Wang Ping, meanwhile, was staring into the distance with concern.
The night seemed calm, but the smell of blood had likely spread far. Who knew what predators might be lurking in the grass?
They had to change camps—and immediately.
This was the conclusion Wang Ping had come to.
Rosette, dragging her bandaged leg, was still gnawing at the hyena’s carcass, clearly unsatisfied. Her occasional "growl" disrupted Wang Ping’s thoughts.
Gu Lang lay on the grass near the fire, staring at the night sky as if it were within reach. Who knew what he was thinking—or if he was just zoning out?
"Tch. Zero wilderness survival skills, huh?"
Seeing Gu Lang so relaxed infuriated Wang Ping. He jumped into the SUV, perched upright in the driver’s seat, and slammed his paw onto the horn.
Beep…
The sound pierced the tranquil night, echoing far and wide.
"What the—!" Gu Lang leapt to his feet, running to the car to find Wang Ping still honking.
"What are you doing?!" Gu Lang shouted, flustered. "Do you want to attract more predators?"
Rosette, startled by the noise, stared warily at the SUV.
Ignoring Gu Lang, Wang Ping patted the driver’s seat and pointed northwest before hopping out and running toward Rosette.
"Ugh! What did I do to deserve this?" Gu Lang muttered, grumbling as he reluctantly dismantled the tent. By the time he climbed into the driver’s seat, Rosette was sprawled in the back, with half of the hyena carcass dragged in with her.
Mentally chanting, "Don’t argue with animals," Gu Lang pretended not to see the blood and gore smeared across the SUV and asked begrudgingly, "Boss, where are we going?"
Wang Ping pointed northwest again, clearly intent on sticking to this direction. Sighing, Gu Lang turned on the headlights and started the engine.
A few hundred meters later, a faint roar echoed behind them.
Cold sweat broke out on Gu Lang’s back as he stole a glance at Wang Ping. Was this a coincidence, or had Wang Ping predicted the presence of a predator?
Either way, the experience was unforgettable for Gu Lang—a lesson he would carry for life.
After driving about ten kilometers, Wang Ping signaled for Gu Lang to stop.
In the backseat, Rosette was sound asleep, clutching the hyena carcass. Wang Ping couldn’t help but feel envious. Animals had the ability to switch seamlessly between survival mode and rest, as if they had no emotional baggage.
People say the difference between humans and animals is that humans have emotions while animals don’t. Wang Ping had never agreed with this idea, but now he understood it better. Every creature, except perhaps mosquitoes, had emotions—animals just expressed them more directly.
Saving Rosette had been second nature for Wang Ping—a professional habit. Traveling together afterward was simply due to his limited mobility.
Wang Ping respected nature and its laws, a reverence instilled by his upbringing. He despised poachers and fought them relentlessly. However, if Rosette had posed a real threat to his life, he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill her.
Now, Wang Ping began seriously considering Rosette’s future. He couldn’t stay with her forever. Perhaps Gu Lang’s arrival was a chance for Rosette to return to her rightful place.
Too tired to pitch his tent, Gu Lang leaned back in the driver’s seat and dozed off, indifferent to the predator sleeping in the back. Until Wang Ping patted him on the shoulder, signaling him to get out of the car to gather firewood and start a fire.
At night, especially when camping in the wilderness, the importance of a campfire is no less than that of a gun—it can even be a more effective means of defense.
After hastily lighting a campfire, Gu Lang could no longer fight off his drowsiness. He crawled back into the car and continued his nap. Outside the car, only Wang Ping was left, staring blankly at the fire and occasionally poking a few dry branches into the flames.
Unbeknownst to him, a shadow slithered through the grass behind him, creeping closer to the SUV.
Pop!
A dry branch in the fire cracked, sending a spark flying into the grass behind Wang Ping.
Wang Ping instinctively turned around.
This was a habit from his time in the team—when making a fire in the wild, one had to constantly watch for flying sparks to prevent a wildfire.
Just as Wang Ping turned, he felt a wave of heat rush toward him, and a shadow suddenly darted out from the grass.
It was food... no, it was a puff adder.
Wang Ping's face darkened. Why on earth did the strange thought of food suddenly pop into his mind?
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