240: Chapter 240 Best Friends Tearing Each Other Apart

"Literally speaking." Su Qingxue sneered, crossing her arms in front of her chest, "Back on the beach, you took the initiative to come up on the very first day, using your medical skills in exchange for Lin Fan's protection."

"At that time, everyone knew they could go back. Why did you change sides so quickly?"

"I'm asking you, Xu Zhixia, what are your true intentions?"

"Wasn't it to find an opportunity to approach the person who survived here first, figure out his background, and report back to the people below you to increase your chances of survival?"

Liu Feifei had originally cowered to the side, but upon hearing this, her eyes instantly lit up.

She immediately stood by Su Qingxue's side, crossed her arms, and spoke sarcastically.

"Yikes, I knew it! How could there be such a kind-hearted person in this world? Refusing to follow Young Master Yang and running all the way to our cave to play the good guy."

"So you were waiting right here!"

Song Ya looked at Su Qingxue, then at Xu Zhixia, her little face full of panic.

She wanted to speak up and persuade them, but on one hand, there was Lin Fan's safety, and on the other hand, she might be misjudging a good person, so she didn't know how to speak.

Xu Zhixia's expression changed. "Su Qingxue, have you lost your mind?"

"Me, lost my mind?"

"I think the most delusional person here is you!"

"What did you just talk about with Wang Laoliu downstairs? In less than five minutes, you came up and told us negotiations collapsed and that Lin Fan had to go down personally?"

"Did you collude with Wang Laoliu from the very beginning?!"

"As long as Lin Fan goes down—a special forces soldier with freakish physical fitness, two people in close-quarters combat—what kind of chances does Lin Fan even have?"

"All sorts of monsters and demons are out on the island now. Once Lin Fan dies and Wang Laoliu gets the gun, he can kill that snake and wait for rescue indefinitely."

"Xu Zhixia, am I right?!"

The cave instantly fell silent.

Zhou Kai watched this scene, not knowing how to speak either.

But he trusted Lin Fan's judgment. If Lin Fan asked him to stand up right now and kill the two of them, he would do it without a moment's hesitation.

Xu Zhixia looked at the emotionally agitated Su Qingxue and remained silent for a few seconds.

She suddenly found it somewhat laughable.

In civilized society, Su Qingxue was a high-and-mighty female CEO, strategizing and decisive.

Arriving in this place, her inherent suspicion and insecurity were magnified a hundredfold.

But it seemed the cause of all this was precisely the man standing before her.

"Finished talking?" Xu Zhixia asked.

Su Qingxue's chest heaved with anger at her nonchalant attitude.

"Then use your brain and think about it: if Lin Fan dies, what good does it do me? What kind of scum is Wang Laoliu? Didn't you see him on the beach just now? To buy time, he even slit the throat of his own woman to feed the snake!"

"How stupid do you think I am to stake my life on a madman who even kills his own people? If Lin Fan dies, the next one fed to the snake might be me!"

"If I really were a spy sent by the Yang Family, if I really wanted Lin Fan to die, I could have brought the gun down last night while you were inside. Would I need to wait until now, earnestly trying to persuade Lin Fan?"

Song Ya was stunned, looking between Su Qingxue and Xu Zhixia, completely at a loss as to whom to believe.

Liu Feifei curled her lips and muttered softly, "There are three of us outside, you must have figured you couldn't beat all three of us."

Su Qingxue wasn't swayed, and she coldly counterattacked, "Last night is last night, now is now!"

"Besides, Liu Feifei is right. You just don't want to take any risks."

Xu Zhixia wanted to retort, but the words died on her lips. Now wasn't the time for arguments.

"Qingxue, I know you're scared, and I am too."

"But fear cannot solve problems, and suspicion will only make us die faster."

"I proposed this plan neither for Yang Ningcong nor for Wang Laoliu."

Xu Zhixia took a deep breath and said word by word, "I am doing this to survive, and also to..."

"To ensure that all of us can survive."

The cave fell silent once more.

Su Qingxue clenched her fists, her nails digging deeply into her palms.

Xu Zhixia's explanation was flawless, and every single point stood from a rational perspective.

Yet rationality is sometimes precisely the greatest unreasonableness.

How could a woman, when faced with the threat of a giant python, death, and betrayal, remain calm to such an extent?

Unless she had a trump card in mind.

Unless she knew the outcome all along.

"That sounds so nice."

Su Qingxue suddenly smiled, though the smile didn't reach her eyes.

"To ensure all of us survive?"

She stared straight into Xu Zhixia's eyes.

"Xu Zhixia, I'll say it again."

"You approached us with bad intentions right from the start."

"And now you want to trick Lin Fan into going down simply to kill him with a borrowed knife."

"I won't believe a single word you say!"

Su Qingxue and Xu Zhixia refused to budge an inch.

One was emotionally agitated, writing all her suspicions and anxiety across her face.

The other remained calm as ever, building a defense with impeccable logic.

Liu Feifei fanned the flames from the side, Song Ya was caught in the middle and torn, and Zhou Kai waited only for Lin Fan's command.

Everyone's gaze finally converged on Lin Fan.

He was the sole decision-maker in this dispute.

Xu Zhixia turned her head and met Lin Fan's eyes directly.

"Lin Fan, I've said all I have to say."

"I got on this boat to make money from the Yang Family. But stranded on this wretched island, I just want to stay alive."

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the beach below.

"Wang Laoliu is a mercenary who cares only about profit. Staking my life on them is too high a risk. By comparison, I'd rather stake it on you."

Xu Zhixia took a small step forward, her gaze open and unflinching.

"Trust me, I won't harm you, because if you die, we certainly won't survive either."

She took a deep breath. "I've proposed the plan, and you know the pros and cons. Whether to go down or not is your decision to make."

Lin Fan didn't give Xu Zhixia an immediate reply; instead, he turned and walked to the corner where supplies were piled.

A tarp covered a pile of odds and ends there, and pinned at the very bottom was the sniper rifle confiscated from Wang Laoliu.

Lin Fan pulled out that heavy gun.

He pressed the latch and ejected the magazine.

This single action explained everything.

"Lin Fan!"

Su Qingxue's face turned completely pale.

She rushed forward and grabbed Lin Fan's arm. "Are you crazy?!"

Su Qingxue's voice was trembling, the usual poised and aloof CEO facade completely shattered. "Don't you know what the situation is down there? That snake could come back at any time! Furthermore, Wang Laoliu is a die-hard loyalist of Yang Ningcong. If you go down alone, what if it's a trap?!"

Lin Fan paused his movements and tilted his head to look at her.

Su Qingxue's chest heaved violently, her eyes slightly red.

She stared fixedly at Lin Fan, terrified that if she let go, this man would jump straight into the fiery pit below.

"President Su is right..."

Song Ya also trotted over, standing on Lin Fan's other side, a thin layer of moisture veiling her eyes, her soft voice carrying a crying sob.

"Lin Fan, it's too dangerous down there. Even if that giant snake comes out again, it will eat the people down there first..." Song Ya looked at him timidly, "Can you not go down, please?"