46: Chapter 46 If I'm dead, do I need that little bit of money to buy a coffin?

Sister Liu looked in the direction of his finger, and that ball of firelight possessed a fatal attraction in the dark night.

She clenched her teeth and stood up as well, saying, "I'm going with you."

The actions of the two drew the attention of the people around them.

Wang Qiang instantly widened his eyes, pointing at them and cursing profanely, "Are you two crazy? Didn't you see President Su still sitting right here? Running off to throw in your lot with that scumbag, have you lost all shame?"

Su Qingxue raised her head, her gaze falling upon Old Zhao and Sister Liu.

"I've said before, once you leave this team, don't ever think about coming back. Rescue will arrive at any moment, and if you go up now, don't even think about returning to Jiangcheng."

"The company will report you as victims of a shipwreck, and your families won't get a single cent."

Old Zhao stopped in his tracks, turning back to give Su Qingxue a glance.

This female CEO, usually so high and mighty, was currently trying her utmost to maintain her dignity, but in Old Zhao's eyes, she appeared incomparably ridiculous.

"President Su." Old Zhao forced out a smile that was uglier than crying, "If I'm dead, do I need that bit of money to buy a coffin?"

Sister Liu also chimed in, "President Su, you have thirty million to buy fire for warmth, and you're in the core position, but we don't have that much money."

With that, the two of them ignored the scolding behind them, supporting each other as they plunged headfirst into the raging storm outside.

"Rebellion! Total rebellion!" Wang Qiang stomped his feet in exasperation, "President Su, look at these two ungrateful wretches! Usually they take your salary at the company, but at a critical moment they run over to the opposite side! This is completely slapping you in the face!"

Su Qingxue did not speak, only biting her lip hard as she stared at the departing backs of the two.

Her fingers clenched so tightly inside her sleeves that they turned white.

She would definitely make them regret it; when the rescue team arrived, she would make them beg her to let them onto the helicopter.

Once they returned to Jiangcheng, they would beg her not to fire them.

Just as Old Zhao and Sister Liu walked out of the rock fissure, they were staggered by the wind outside.

The wind was simply too strong.

Gales above force eight were enough to blow an adult off their feet.

Coupled with the freezing rain and hail, it hurt like knife cuts when it hit the face.

The road leading to the Karst Cave was less than a hundred meters long.

But this was a steep slope paved with loose gravel and mud.

Old Zhao walked in front, using both hands and feet, while Sister Liu followed behind, tugging at the corner of Old Zhao's clothes.

"Slower… Old Zhao, I can't see the path clearly…" Sister Liu wiped the rainwater from her face and cried out.

"Grit your teeth and hold on! We're almost there!" Old Zhao roared loudly, cheering Sister Liu on, and also pumping himself up.

As long as they climbed up, they could survive.

Since they were all fellow workers, Lin Fan wouldn't just stand by and watch them die.

Right at this moment, an extremely violent gust of wind swept past with a howl.

Blocked by the mountain body, the wind direction formed a bizarre shear current that slammed straight into the two of them.

A stone that Old Zhao was stepping on had already been loosened by the rainwater, and right now, unable to bear his weight, it snapped with a "click" sound.

Old Zhao's body abruptly lost balance, and his entire person fell backward.

"Ah!"

He instinctively waved his hands, wanting to grab onto something, but only grasped a handful of loose gravel.

Sister Liu, following closely behind, was hit square in the chest by him.

The two didn't even have time to let out a miserable scream before they directly turned into rolling gourds, tumbling all the way down the steep slope.

The gravel cut through their clothes and skin, and fresh blood mixed with rainwater flowed down, being washed completely clean.

The people in the rock fissure watched this scene with their own eyes.

Old Zhao and Sister Liu's bodies bounced a few times on the slope before smashing heavily onto the reef at the bottom.

Immediately following that, a huge wave crashed over.

After the tide receded, the reef was completely empty.

Aside from the sound of the wind and rain, there was no longer any movement in the rock fissure.

Dozens of people stared blankly at that empty patch of reef, their breathing even stagnating.

Since being stranded on the Deserted Island, this was already the second time they faced death directly.

"Gulp."

Someone swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Wang Qiang was the first to react. He was stunned for a few seconds before suddenly pointing outside and bursting into extremely piercing laughter.

"Hahahaha! Did you see that? This is the end for betraying President Su!"

"Two idiots! Refusing to stay nicely in the rock fissure, they just had to go lick that poor loser's smelly feet! How do you like it now? Gone to feed the fish in the sea, haven't you!"

Wang Qiang turned his head and shouted loudly at the colleagues in the rock fissure who had been frightened silly: "All of you, look clearly! This is the price for not listening to commands! President Su is a person with great fortune, and only by following President Su can you live! If anyone dares to harbor disloyalty again, Old Zhao and the others will be your example!"

Those who originally had thoughts of going up to try their luck all pulled their heads back.

Fear completely overwhelmed the desire for warmth. Going up meant losing one's life; staying here, at least they were still breathing right now.

The fierce wind howled outside, and the hail pattered loudly as it smashed against the stones.

Chen Jian's windbreak wall was half overturned, and that pile of fire worth tens of millions was tottering under the ravages of the wind and rain.

In order to seize a position close to the campfire, the crowd pushed and shoved each other like crazy.

Relying on his physical advantage, Wang Qiang forcibly squeezed Xiao Sun from the Personnel Department to the outermost windy spot.

"Brother Qiang, don't squeeze, I can't take it anymore…" Xiao Sun was shivering all over from the cold, his voice trembling.

"Stop talking nonsense! I'm cold too!" Wang Qiang kicked Xiao Sun on the leg, tightly cowering next to Su Qingxue himself.

Xiao Sun was kicked to the edge, and the freezing water mist directly dashed against his face.

He wanted to squeeze back in, but Zhang Tao, whom he usually bullied, deliberately stretched out his arm to block him firmly.

"Zhang Tao, what are you doing! When we get back, I'll dock your performance pay!"

Zhang Tao directly sneered aloud, "Talk about it after you manage to keep your life and get back!"

Su Qingxue wrapped herself in that half-dry coat, her teeth chattering loudly.

The capital she was so proud of, that promise of thirty million, couldn't even buy half a night's warmth in the face of this cold wave.

Extreme cold surged upward from the soles of her feet, freezing her blood stiff.

She curled her body up to the limit, her mind filled entirely with the terror of freezing to death.

…

The long night seemed to have no end.

Until the edge of the sky turned pale with dawn, the fierce wind that had raged all night finally died down, and the heavy rain stopped as well.

There were no bird calls, no roaring waves, only heavy and feeble sounds of breathing.

This pile of fire had stubbornly lasted until the wind stopped and the rain ceased, finally exhausting its very last piece of firewood, leaving only a small patch of glowing red embers.

Chen Jian patted the ash off his hands, took two steps back, and sat down leaning against Wang Lan.

"There's no firewood left," he said in a flat tone.

Watching with his own eyes as the very last bit of flame was completely extinguished, Wang Qiang stamped his feet in anxiety.

He reached out to rake through the charcoal ash, but the moment his hand touched it, a blister was scalded onto it, hurting him so much that he shook his hand vigorously.

"Chen Jian! President Su spent thirty million! You took the money, so where's the firewood!"

Chen Jian didn't even lift his eyelids: "The money bought last night's fire, it doesn't cover you for a lifetime. Want to warm up? Go pick some yourself."

Su Qingxue opened her eyes, white frost caked on her eyelashes.

She tried to move her fingers, her joints stiff and aching. She had survived.

She let out a long puff of white vapor, propping herself up against the stone wall to stand.

Turning her head back, the scene before her directly forced the sour water out of her stomach.