"Hey, hey."
A gruff voice came through the Communicator. "Baldy, what's going on over there? Answer me. I said answer me, now!"
Everyone held their breath, tense with alarm. They hadn't expected the gangsters to have accomplices.
"What's wrong? Baldy, why aren't you answering? Did something happen? Do you need backup?" The voice paused, sounding puzzled, then asked again.
Bang!
Xia Ping rushed over and crushed the Communicator underfoot. It shattered into pieces, and the stranger's voice fell silent.
"Damn it, those gangsters have accomplices. Now that their men have been killed, they'll definitely come back for revenge." Jiang Yaru's expression turned grave as she immediately realized the consequences.
A student from Zhengde Middle School cried out in panic, "We have to report this to our teacher! Right now! This isn't a trial anymore—it's murder! If this keeps up, we'll all be killed!"
"Don't be ridiculous. How are we supposed to report it? Didn't you try just now? The Communicator on our watches can't get a signal through. The teachers on the ship have no idea what's happening to us."
"Not necessarily. Their signal jammer must have a limited range. If we get out of range, we can contact the teachers."
"Who knows how far the range extends? Don't forget, those gangsters are already after us. Their men could catch up at any moment. You might be killed before you even get out of range."
"Exactly. Those gangsters aren't ordinary criminals. They're fully armed, with grenades, and probably snipers too. They could wipe us out from several kilometers away."
"If we don't run, what are we supposed to do? Stay here and wait to die?"
The students were terrified and utterly at a loss. They were only students, after all. They'd never faced a life-or-death crisis like this, much less