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Chapter 37: This is the Law of Nature
Wang Ping’s confusion didn’t last long. The two of them made quick work of the return journey. Gu Lang moved as though he were rushing to catch a train, almost jogging the entire way back to their base. Along the way, he tripped over fallen branches and tangled roots more than once, nearly injuring himself badly in the process.
But as soon as they stepped into the clearing between the two houses, Gu Lang instinctively came to a halt.
Crunch… crunch…
The sound of chewing echoed from the front of the car. A pungent, nauseating stench filled the air, sharp enough to turn stomachs.
In the open space in front of the northern house, a young buffalo calf lay on the ground, its lifeless eyes staring blankly at the sky, tears still glistening at the corners. Its abdomen had been torn open, and Rosette was hunched over it, greedily devouring its insides.
Sensing movement behind her, Rosette growled low and turned her head, glaring at Gu Lang with a warning snarl. She instinctively shifted her body to shield her prey before resuming her feast.
The sight was clearly too much for Gu Lang. The harsh reality of the scene hit him like a punch to the gut, leaving him momentarily stunned. His face twisted in disgust, and he let out a soft, disdainful grunt.
Wang Ping, who had just caught up, happened to witness this look of revulsion cross Gu Lang’s face.
“Heh… Can’t handle it already? Looks like someone wants to rewrite the script…” Wang Ping watched the scene with an amused expression, but his mind wandered back to when he had first joined Team Three.
It had also been in Africa, though not in Tanzania, but deep within the Congo rainforest.
At the time, Team Three’s mission had been to locate a species of forest antelope called the bongo. Their task was to map out their habitat range, establish patrol routes, and then hand over the operation to the local forestry rangers.
The bongo was easy to identify: its coat was a rich yellow-brown with golden tiger-like stripes, and it bore a pair of blade-like horns atop its head.
Extinction for some wildlife came as a result of environmental changes, nature’s way of culling the unfit. For others, it was humanity’s greed that drove them to the brink. But the bongo’s plight was poetic, tied to music of all things. Their skin was a prized material for crafting African drums—drums that shared the same name as the antelope. Bongo the animal, bongo the drum.
Wang Ping remembered it vividly. They had just driven off a group of local poachers when the bongo herd they’d discovered was ambushed by a pack of jackals. A mother and her calf, unable to escape, were killed on the spot.
At that moment, Wang Ping hadn’t just worn the same disgusted expression as Gu Lang—he had even drawn his gun, ready to pull the trigger.
The bongo was a protected species, but jackals weren’t!
If Jacob hadn’t intervened in time, Wang Ping would have likely been kicked out of Team Three right then and there.
Now, as he reflected on those memories, he could almost hear Jacob’s scolding voice echoing in his ears: “To interfere with nature’s choices because something isn’t a protected species—that’s no different from being a poacher yourself! Do you think your actions are noble? I see no reverence for life in you, not even the most basic respect!”
Indeed, some lessons could only be truly understood through experience.
Wang Ping had no intention of correcting Gu Lang’s mindset. After all, Gu Lang wasn’t like him. He wouldn’t be staying in the wild forever. Besides, what did a little disgust matter? Did Gu Lang really dare to bare his teeth at Rosette?
Wang Ping watched as Gu Lang took a wide detour around Rosette, avoiding her entirely as he approached the rear of the vehicle. Opening the trunk, he retrieved two metal cases that had been stored there.
“Oh, right! Didn’t this guy say that his live stream audience numbers were in the tens of thousands?”
Wang Ping wasn’t some relic from the last century. Though he didn’t know much about the booming online streaming industry, he was familiar with it. He’d even tipped a few popular streamers with virtual currency before. Hmm…
But weren’t most streamers young women in skimpy outfits, singing and dancing in front of the camera? Was this guy really a streamer too? Were those viewers even real, or were they paid actors?
Only now, as he thought back to Gu Lang’s strange behavior earlier, did everything start to make sense.
Why there had been that odd “router” in the car, why there had been a camera pointed at him, why Gu Lang’s demeanor had suddenly shifted near Lake Ambussel.
So all this time, the “rescue team” that had kept him on edge didn’t even exist?
Wang Ping watched as Gu Lang pulled the “router” out of one of the cases, disassembled it with practiced ease, and replaced the batteries. Then he attached what looked like an external antenna to one of the ports. From his backpack, he produced a canvas strap, fastened it to the sides of the “router,” and slung it diagonally across his chest.
Next, he opened the second case, retrieved a tablet Wang Ping had seen before, powered it on, checked something, and slipped it into a cloth pouch, which he then tucked into the side pocket of his pants.
The whole process left Wang Ping blinking in disbelief. To an outsider, it might have looked like a soldier preparing for a mission, checking his gear.
But in reality, it was just a livestreamer getting ready to go live?
“Let’s go! We’re going to expose the crimes of those poachers!” Gu Lang called out to Wang Ping, his face brimming with determination and confidence. If he’d been wearing a red cape and there had been some dramatic background music playing, it would have been the perfect superhero entrance.
For a fleeting moment, Wang Ping felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Every time they set out on a mission, his teammates would look at him the same way.
Almost instinctively, Wang Ping nodded and turned to lead the way, his thoughts muddled. “I feel like we’re forgetting something…”
It wasn’t until they passed the small lake along the path and were nearing the edge of the northwest woodland that Wang Ping suddenly froze in his tracks.
Finally, it clicked.
Damn it! If this guy was a livestreamer, then all those things he’d done when they first met—hadn’t they been broadcasted live for everyone to see?
The thought of how he had lured Gu Lang toward Rosette with a bag of beef jerky, treating him like a dog in training, made Wang Ping want to bury his face in his hands.
This was… tragic.
“What’s wrong?” Gu Lang, walking behind Wang Ping, saw him stop abruptly and assumed they had encountered some dangerous beast. He quickly crouched down, his hand instinctively reaching into his pocket to grip the military knife inside.
What's wrong? You tell me what's wrong! How dare you even ask? Wang Ping glared at him fiercely, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions.
At that moment, the sound of breaking grass stems suddenly came from behind them, accompanied by the faint smell of blood drawing closer.
Gu Lang’s heart tightened, and instinctively, he moved closer to Wang Ping.
Wang Ping tilted his head to glance at the approaching noise behind them. After a brief moment of thought, he ignored Gu Lang’s tense expression and jumped straight into the bushes.
Moments later, the grass parted, revealing Rosette’s blood-streaked face.
Whew…
Perched on Rosette’s neck, ready to hitch a ride, Wang Ping could hear Gu Lang exhale deeply in relief.
“Should we bring her along?” Gu Lang seemed hesitant, clearly worried that Rosette might pose a threat to the elephant herd.
Wang Ping scratched Rosette’s neck with his claws, causing her to squint her eyes in bliss, her expression smug and content. He couldn’t explain Gu Lang’s concerns to her, so he chose to ignore them instead.
In truth, Gu Lang was overthinking things.
So what if she was at the top of the food chain? That only mattered in biology textbooks. At this moment, any living creature could sense the rage emanating from the elephant herd and wouldn’t dare approach. Even under normal circumstances, unless she was starving, Rosette wouldn’t consider an elephant part of her diet.
Did Gu Lang think those 5-6 ton bodies grew for nothing? One stomp, and her intestines would spill out.
Patting Rosette’s forehead, Wang Ping’s mood finally improved somewhat.
Come on, Rosette! I will take you to see the show!
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