Those Classmates who Suddenly Disappeared

"Plan, plan!" Gu Fan thought again. This concerned their comrades’ safe escape, so the plan had to be carefully thought out to anticipate potential issues and areas of weakness.

First, they needed to understand the changing of the guard times on the mountain, which they already knew. Second, they needed to understand where the pirate ships were docked as well as the security situation. Third, they needed to learn from the pirates about the patterns in which the strange fog appeared in the Triangle Sea Area.

However, gaining this understanding would take time. If the pirates did not receive the ransom, they would become agitated. Therefore, Gu Fan needed to buy time.

The pirates sent a negotiator, surprisingly from the same country as them, named Xiaohu. He communicated with Gu Fan using their shared language, demanding that they prepare the ransom to ensure their safety, or they would face grim consequences.

Gu Fan agreed immediately, promising that the ransom would be provided but would need some time. He asked for patience and informed them that the ship was owned by the Yongchang Group and suggested that the pirates contact them.

With experience, the pirates understood that preparing the ransom would take time. They gave Gu Fan a three-day limit, after which any delay would be considered a breach of agreement, carrying steep consequences.

Three days. Gu Fan knew that these three days were crucial. If they couldn’t figure out the patterns of the fog in the Triangle Sea Area or where the pirate ship was docked, they would have no choice but to fight.

Using force against the pirates to compel them to reveal the patterns of the fog or to have them escort everyone away might seem brutally simple. But the problem was the sheer number of pirates and firearms. In a head-on confrontation, bullets didn’t care where they landed. Even the tough Lin Xi might falter. Losing a comrade was the last thing they wanted.

Intelligence, intelligence. Time passed with no notable progress. First, the language barrier with the pirates, and second, the pirates were nonresponsive to them.