CHAPTER 104: CHAPTER 104: LIFE AND DEATH UNKNOWN

"Yeah, if I’d known better, I wouldn’t have come. Can people really stay here?"

"Nathan, how are you doing? Can you hold up?" Nia asked worriedly.

"Don’t worry, I think I’m doing alright."

Nathan nudged Serena’s shoulder, "You think your guy will mind when you get back?"

"He won’t." Serena laughed, "Your man really is your shadow wherever you go!"

"Shut up, or people will think you’re mute." Nathan blushed and chased after Serena, who dodged playfully.

Brandon watched as the two playfully chased each other, feeling quite pleased.

After a night of rest.

The next morning, everyone finished breakfast and, guided by Mr. Wallace, entered the mining area for a tour.

Serena was curious about every process there, observing carefully as various ores were mined, separated, screened, and purified.

She found it amazing how a simple rock could be refined to such a high purity.

It wasn’t until Mr. Wallace came to organize the return to the dormitory that afternoon that Serena was still eager for more.

Everyone returned to the dormitory by evening. They were planning to rest properly to be energetic for the mineral processing area visit the next day.

However, someone started complaining relentlessly, "Mr. Wallace, it’s really uninhabitable here. I’d rather stay in the car."

Mr. Wallace checked the time and thought, since the mining tour was over, there was a trip back to the village soon.

Let’s head directly to the processing area from the village tomorrow.

"Alright, everyone pack up quickly. There’s a ride directly back to the village shortly."

Upon hearing this, everyone couldn’t be happier, not even feeling tired.

At eight in the evening, everyone boarded the SUV they came in. There were no streetlights in the mountains, only the car headlights illuminating the road, cautiously moving forward.

It was summer, the weather unpredictable, despite the clear sky earlier, it now poured rain.

Suddenly.

Rocks tumbled down from the cliff. The leading car floored the gas pedal, speeding past, but the second car was hit on the rear and forced to stop.

Serena, Nathan, Nia, and Brandon were in this car.

When the rocks fell, Brandon immediately shielded Nathan.

The sudden halt startled everyone inside. Brandon urgently shouted, "Quick, get out of the car!"

No one inside hesitated, quickly disembarking, only to find the road ahead was blocked by mud and rocks.

They were right below the cliff, with mud and rocks continuously falling.

Brandon surveyed the surroundings, protecting Nathan, leading them to dodge the rocks and run backward.

They had barely run a few steps when there was a loud crash,

Looking back, they saw the car behind them crushed by a giant falling rock, followed by more mud and rocks, burying the vehicle completely.

In the leading car, the driver gripped the steering wheel tightly, extremely tense.

Afraid to blink, he kept a death grip on the road situation, also occasionally watching the cliff for falling rocks.

The passengers continued to scream, swayed by the bumps on the road, the women scared to tears.

The men also looked around panicked, the scene in chaos.

After battling for more than ten minutes, the car finally burst out of the cliff’s mud-rock road section, onto the main road, and steadied.

But the rain poured ever heavier, having narrowly escaped, everyone felt a rush of relief and survival.

Mr. Wallace glanced behind the car, seeing no vehicle following, he shouted hurriedly, "Stop, quickly stop."

Everyone was confused, why was Mr. Wallace so upset when they were already safe?

The driver stopped the car, and Mr. Wallace immediately got off, standing in the rain looking around.

Waiting for a long time, still no cars appeared.

A young man got off the vehicle, only realizing then that the car behind hadn’t caught up.

Mr. Wallace, anxiously rushed back a few steps, eagerly waiting.

The young man approached, "Mr. Wallace, get back in the car and wait, the rain is too heavy."

"Quickly check who is in the car, confirm who’s in the car behind." Mr. Wallace’s voice trembled.

"Okay, I’ll go now." The young man returned to the car, asking each person and checked the list in a phone group chat before departure.

Someone started complaining, "Why are we stopping, let’s hurry back, this is dangerous."

"Are you human? Haven’t you noticed the car behind didn’t catch up? Shut up, I’m checking the list now." The young man roared back.

If it hadn’t been for their insistence on returning to the village overnight, this wouldn’t have happened.

The scolded woman felt wronged, "I...I didn’t notice..."

"Shut up, I’m verifying the list of who was in the car behind." The young man said impatiently.

Mr. Wallace waited in the rain, but no car arrived, his anxiety grew.

Soon, the young man returned, "Mr. Wallace, there were five people in the back car, driver Sunny, Brandon Grayson, Nathan Sawyer, Nia Irving, and Serena Keaton."

"What? They were all in the car behind?" Mr. Wallace collapsed to the ground instantly, face pale, "Do not let anything happen!"

Then, trembling, he took out his phone, dialing, murmuring, "Pick up, pick up."

But the phone rang until it automatically hung up, nobody answered.

The young man helped Mr. Wallace up, "Mr. Wallace, let’s get in the car and talk further."

Mr. Wallace steadied himself and entered the car.

A moment later, Mr. Wallace’s icy voice was heard, "Driver, turn back, we must find that car."

Everyone in the car was startled, having just narrowly escaped, why return to danger?

"It’s too risky." The driver was reluctant.

Mr. Wallace was anxious, "Anyone unwilling can get out."

Saying this, he got out and headed for the driver’s seat, asking the driver to stop, then taking the wheel himself.

Others gradually disembarked, with only the young man hesitating before remaining seated, unmoved.

In such a situation, he couldn’t just ignore it.

Mr. Wallace glanced at him, fastened his seat belt, tightly gripped the steering wheel to make the turn, his gaze firm, fixed on the road ahead.

Luckily, the rain gradually eased, the young man saw Mr. Wallace’s worried expression and realized the car behind carried important people, the situation was serious.

Mr. Wallace wished he could floor the gas.

A few minutes later, they returned to where the rocks had fallen earlier.

Upon getting out, they saw the road ahead was impassable, Mr. Wallace, like a maniac, rushed toward the rock pile, climbing up.

He needed to see the situation on the other side, fully hoping the car was intact there.

The young man grabbed Mr. Wallace, "Mr. Wallace, it’s too dangerous, you can’t go."

"I must know where they are now."

"No, I understand they are missing, you’re anxious, and so am I, but don’t risk your life."

The young man held him back firmly.

"Let go."

Just as they were at odds, the police arrived with rescuers, having detected potential mudslides here.

With the police’s persuasion, Mr. Wallace was pulled back into the car.

Mr. Wallace picked up his phone, continued dialing, but still nobody answered. The longer it took, the more anxious he became.

Thinking it over, he decided to call Sean Scott.

It connected quickly on the other end.

"Hawk."

"Scott, I’m sorry to Master Lancaster, young mistress is in trouble, Young Master Grayson is in there, President Keaton’s fiancée is also in there..."