207: Chapter 207 One must have a conscience.

Su Qingxue stood beside the curtain and didn't move.

She hadn't slept for long last night, but those few hours could be considered the most complete sleep she had in the past two months. After waking up, the messy things in her mind had been suppressed quite a bit.

Wang Lan's corpse was still in her mind.

That empty chest cavity and bloody limbs.

Her urgency to activate the PLB yesterday wasn't entirely due to reason.

It was more out of fear.

Afraid that if she continued to stay here, one day she would also end up lying in the grass like that, with no one able to recognize her.

Afraid of snakes, afraid of bugs, afraid of the movements in the dark places of the forest.

Afraid that all the glamorous things of civilized society would ultimately rot on this island.

Therefore, she stubbornly clung to the word "rescue".

But after waking up and putting Xu Zhixia's words back into her mind one by one, she had to admit.

Xu Zhixia wasn't wrong.

Five billion couldn't find this place.

So why should a single PLB be able to alter fate?

More importantly, if the Yang Family could really find this island through the device, the Su Family would follow closely behind.

That was only a matter of time.

She had no need to go down now and hand herself over to Yang Ningcong and a murderous mercenary.

Yang Ningcong was still looking at her.

The bandage on his neck was slightly crooked, and the spot on his stomach where he had been beaten prevented him from straightening his back, but this didn't stop him from putting on that "I'm here to save you" posture.

"Qingxue, let's go."

Yang Ningcong said, "What are you still standing there dazed for? The opportunity is here now."

Su Qingxue didn't speak.

Yang Ningcong grew anxious.

He moved forward half a step and said in a low voice, "That kid has already relented, don't be foolish at a time like this."

Knowing that Lin Fan was going to use him to trade for things below, Yang Ningcong's confidence grew considerably.

Still no one answered him inside the cave.

Liu Feifei stood to the side, her eyes darting around rapidly.

She had originally prepared herself to go down.

Yang Ningcong was stupid, foul-mouthed, and caved in faster than anyone else after getting beaten.

But he had the device.

The device equaled rescue.

Rescue equaled going back.

After going back, all these scandalous deeds on the Deserted Island could be washed clean.

She could say that she was trapped on the Deserted Island, stubbornly fighting to survive and suffering all sorts of torments.

The injuries on her face could also be turned into a tragic-yet-strong beauty filter.

Fans would cry, marketing accounts would spam "her returning alive is a miracle", and even if brand sponsors found it inauspicious, they would still have to give her a dignified comeback.

This was the prettiest script Liu Feifei could think of.

But now, Zhou Kai wasn't going down, Song Ya wasn't going down, and Xu Zhixia stayed behind as well.

Judging by Su Qingxue's appearance, she clearly didn't want to go down.

This wind direction wasn't right.

What Liu Feifei feared most wasn't starvation, nor was it being dirty; it was standing on the wrong side.

Having mixed in the entertainment industry for so many years, she understood one thing best.

Status could collapse, faces could be fixed, and if you stood on the wrong side before, you'd just lose your resource spots, but if you stood on the wrong side now, you'd probably lose your life.

She looked at Lin Fan, then at the bright light outside the slope.

In the end, she pulled her foot back.

"You guys... none of you are going down?"

No one paid attention to her.

Liu Feifei bit her lip, raised her hand to tuck the scattered hair beside her face behind her ear, and switched to a different expression.

"Then I won't go down either."

She looked at the crowd, her tone carefully and thoroughly managed.

"Everyone has lived here together for so long, and we've weathered all the storms together; we can't just run off by ourselves the moment an opportunity arises."

Song Ya raised her head and glanced at her.

Zhou Kai also glanced at her.

Both of their expressions were very quiet, as if they couldn't believe Liu Feifei would make such a choice.

Having one's bluff called like this was very uncomfortable.

Liu Feifei forced herself to continue, "If we go down, we all go down together. If we stay, we should all stay together."

"Lin Fan has taken care of us during this period, finding water and food, keeping watch, and even taking risks going into the forest. It's because of him that we managed to survive."

When she said this, she even pressed her hand against her chest.

"A person must have a conscience."

The cave fell silent for a second.

Yang Ningcong looked at Liu Feifei. Just as Yang Ningcong wanted to curse, the pain in his stomach made him gasp.

He glanced at Lin Fan and forcefully swallowed back the words that followed.

There was no need to waste words with Liu Feifei right now.

She was just a female celebrity.

Whether she went down or not wasn't important.

What was important was Su Qingxue.

Yang Ningcong turned his face toward Su Qingxue.

"Qingxue."

This time his tone softened quite a bit.

"Listen to me."

Su Qingxue looked at him.

Seeing that she finally gave a reaction, Yang Ningcong hurriedly shuffled forward.

"Now this bastard... intern has finally relented. If you miss this, what if he goes back on his word later?"

Lin Fan leaned against the cave entrance without interrupting; those who wanted to leave, he wouldn't make stay.

The more Yang Ningcong spoke, the more anxious he became.

"If you don't leave now, when the rescue really arrives, what if he doesn't let you go?"

Su Qingxue's eyelids twitched.

Thinking he had hit the mark, Yang Ningcong immediately pressed on.

"Qingxue, think about it."

"Right now in this cave, he has the final say. Later when the boat arrives, when the helicopter arrives, if he holds a gun to your head and doesn't let you get on the boat, what will you do?"

"Even if I want to take you away, what can I do?"

"I can't possibly engage in a gunfight with him and snatch you away, right? What if you get hurt?"

It had to be said that this speech by Yang Ningcong was the closest to normal human logic of anything he had said today.

After hearing this, Song Ya even hesitated for a moment and secretly glanced at Su Qingxue.

Su Qingxue finally turned her head and looked straight at Yang Ningcong.

"Yang Ningcong."

"Speak!" Yang Ningcong's eyes lit up.

"You worry about too many things."

Yang Ningcong's expression froze.

Su Qingxue's tone was very calm, "My matters do not need you to arrange them."

"Qingxue..."

"I said, I'm not going down."

Yang Ningcong's mouth remained open, the subsequent words choked in his throat, unable to go up or down.

Su Qingxue had already turned around and walked back into the compartment.

The curtain fell, blocking Yang Ningcong's flushed face outside.

"What Yang Ningcong said is also what I wanted to say." Lin Fan was somewhat surprised that Su Qingxue would make this choice, but no matter what, a choice was a choice; he, Lin Fan, did not want double-dealing people, "Those who don't leave today, next time you want to leave won't be so easy."

No one answered.

This wasn't a discussion; it was an ultimatum before the establishment of a new order on the island.

This slope was the dividing line. Going down meant gambling on that machine and the illusory rescue; staying behind meant remaining just as before.

After waiting half a minute and confirming that no one wanted to go down, Lin Fan turned around and looked at Yang Ningcong.

"It seems only the two of us are going down."

Yang Ningcong was still somewhat unwilling. Sticking his neck out, he looked back and shouted at the ragged cloth curtain at the top of his lungs, "Qingxue! Have you really thought this through? Are you going crazy just because the others have gone crazy? That is a device that can directly connect to the international search and rescue network! Once we send the signal, we go back!"

Inside the curtain, it was deathly quiet.

Yang Ningcong grew anxious, "Su Qingxue, this is me pulling you along one last time, don't fail to appreciate what's good for you. After we go back..."

"Shut up."

Lin Fan grabbed him by the collar and flung him heavily to the side. Yang Ningcong lost his balance, his knees slamming hard against a stone edge, and he let out a muffled groan from the pain.

"You talk too much nonsense." Lin Fan tucked his pistol into his waistband, drew a dagger with the blade pressing directly against Yang Ningcong's thigh, "Say one more word, and you'll be missing a chunk of flesh when you go down."

Being morning, the chill of the blade tip made Yang Ningcong shudder with fright, and he immediately clamped his mouth shut, nodding obediently.

Lin Fan used the blade's edge to flick open the hemp rope around Yang Ningcong's ankles.

Only his feet were untied; his hands were still bound.

The two of them exited the cave mouth and walked down along the slope...