Departure

(I gave the protagonist several English names, all of them Evan. I was too lazy to change the earlier ones.)

The Bloody Mary had a nice name, but the boat itself was rather shabby, no different from a small fishing vessel. If Jack had not found that it was still fairly sturdy, he definitely would have regretted renting Bill's boat.

After they had inspected Bill's boat, Bill looked at Jack and asked, "When do you want to leave?"

Jack thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow morning. We need to move our things onto the boat today."

Seeing that Jack had settled on a departure date, Meng Zu said to Bill, "We need some guns for protection. Can you get them?"

When he heard Meng Zu ask for guns, Bill's brows furrowed slightly. If they had guns, it would be dangerous if they threatened him on the way. But then he remembered that they still needed him as their guide, and besides, he had guns himself. After thinking it through, Bill said, "We're leaving tomorrow, so the only thing I can get on such short notice is double-barreled shotguns. What do you think?"

Meng Zu considered it. Double-barreled shotguns were more than enough to deal with wild beasts, and they could inflict considerable damage even on those giant pythons. They were also simple to use, making them suitable for Jack and the others.

"That works."

"How many do you need?"

"Six will do. Prepare plenty of ammunition."

Bill said with a grin, "And the money for the guns?"

"We'll pay you together when we leave tomorrow."

After they finished discussing the matter, Meng Zu and the other three went back to prepare their things, as did Bill. On the way back, Jack asked in confusion, "Evan, there are seven of us. Why do we only need six shotguns?"

Meng Zu explained, "Those six shotguns are for you. They're simple and easy to operate, so they're more suitable for you. But I'm not used to using that kind of gun."

"Then what will you do?"

"I have a way to get a gun that suits me. Go back and pack your things first. I'll go get my weapons." With that, Meng Zu parted ways with Jack and the other two.

Watching Meng Zu walk away, Gordon said quietly, "Jack, if Evan has a way to get guns, why is he still asking Bill?"

Jack did not quite understand why Meng Zu was doing this either, but Evan had only been hired to protect them. Since Meng Zu wanted to get his own gun, Jack would not have to pay for it. "Gordon, Evan is a mercenary. Of course he has ways to get weapons. It's just that those weapons might not be suitable for us. All right, let's go back and sort our things out first."

In truth, Meng Zu had no way to get guns in this small town. However, he had guns in his storage space. Judging from their reactions when they had discussed Bill's payment, along with the fact that this entire job only paid one hundred thousand dollars, they definitely were not wealthy. None of his guns were cheap, and he had no intention of subsidizing them out of pocket.

Meng Zu went to eat first, then found a shop selling bags and bought a long duffel bag. After that, he rented a room at an inn and packed the weapons he planned to use from his storage space into the bag. Once he was done, he lay on the bed and played on his phone. Nearly four hours later, Meng Zu finally carried the bag back to where Jack and the others were staying.

Early the next morning, Meng Zu's group arrived at the dock and boarded Bill's somewhat worn-out Bloody Mary. There was now an Asian man aboard named Achuan. After asking around, they learned that he was Bill's assistant and the ship's first mate. He was responsible for operating the boat, while Bill directed their route.

The weather was good that day, with no rain. The group gathered on the deck as Bill took out a map of the Borneo Rainforest and asked, "Where's the destination?"

Jack answered, "Satan Basin."

Bill dared to venture upstream during the rainy season, so he naturally had some ability. Otherwise, he would have died long ago. He immediately mapped out a safe route and said, "The river channels are dangerous and complicated during the rainy season. Submerged trees and vines hidden beneath the water can easily sink a boat. The upstream area is even more dangerous. If we want to reach Satan Basin, we can't take the original water route. We can only set out from here."

Looking at the route Bill had traced on the map, which was much farther than the previous one, Jack could not help asking, "How long will it take to get there?"

Bill was already familiar with the route. Based on his past experience, he said, "If nothing goes wrong, we can get there in five days. But conditions are complicated during the rainy season. If problems arise, it could take one or even two weeks."

"Can't we go faster?" Jack felt that was too long. He wanted to find the Blood Orchid as soon as possible.

Bill shook his head. "No. For safety's sake, this is already the fastest route."

Hearing that, Jack frowned and walked over to Kerr, who was working on a computer. "Are you done?"

Kerr's fingers flew across the keyboard as he answered without looking up, "Wait a moment. It'll be ready soon."

Bill put away the map. He and Jack's group did not speak, simply waiting quietly for Kerr. Meng Zu did not involve himself. He stood at the bow and observed the surroundings. After all, he was only responsible for Jack and the others' safety. They could decide the route themselves.

Kerr tapped the Enter key and said, "Done!"

Jack, Bill, and the others gathered beside Kerr. Looking at the computer, they saw a blue route marked across the map. Kerr said proudly, "I just connected to a satellite and calculated the best route based on the river conditions in Borneo over the past few years. This is our fastest and safest route."

This route generally headed in the same direction as the one Bill had traced on the map earlier, though some sections differed. It was indeed shorter than the previous route.

Jack looked at the route on the screen and asked Kerr, "How many days will this route take?"

Kerr said, "If nothing unexpected happens, we can get there in just under four days."

That made Jack smile, but they could not simply set off based on a computer-generated route. They still needed to ask Bill, the captain with experience traveling upstream. "Bill, what do you think?"

Bill studied the blue route carefully, thought for a moment, and said, "No problem. We'll follow this route."

"Then let's go."

The boat slowly pulled away from the dock. Meng Zu and Bill sat at the bow, drinking beer and chatting. "Evan, are you a mercenary?"

"Yes. Jack and the others told you?"

"No, I could tell. You're clearly not the same kind of person as Jack and the others, and you carry the air of gunfire about you. I've dealt with quite a few mercenaries before."

Hearing that, Meng Zu grew curious about Bill's identity. "Oh? Bill, what did you do before?"

"I used to serve in the special forces in the United States."

"Then why did you come here from the United States?"

Bill drank his beer and said calmly, "I just wanted to start a new life. Only by getting far away could I make a better start."

"You're right." Meng Zu clinked his beer against Bill's.

Bill glanced at Jack and the others, who were gathered together discussing something, and asked, "By the way, Evan, what are they looking for that they have to go upstream during the rainy season?"

"They're looking for a plant called the Blood Orchid."

"Blood Orchid? What does that plant do?" It was Bill's first time hearing the name Blood Orchid.

"I don't know either. They didn't tell me. Anyway, I'm only responsible for their safety." Meng Zu shrugged.