101: Chapter 101 Dancers in the Rainforest

Deep in the rainforest, light was even stingier.

President Chen Ran and a ten-man Heavy Hammer squad were trudging along an ancient beast path almost completely obscured by ferns and vines.

The livestream camera hovered in front of President Chen Ran's side, automatically tracking and filming, clearly showing the fine beads of sweat on his face and the dark environment around him.

The bullet screen was sparser than before, but more focused; people were drawn in by this primitive, oppressive environment.

"Everyone, watch your step. The leaf litter is very thick in places like this; there might be pits underneath, or something else... hidden."

President Chen Ran whispered his commentary while using a Machete to push aside the thorny vines hanging in front of him.

His voice sounded exceptionally clear in the silent forest.

Suddenly, a Hammer Team Member on the outermost flank came to a sudden halt and raised a fist—the standard hand signal to stop and stay alert.

Everyone froze instantly, their breathing becoming light.

President Chen Ran also stopped, his sharp gaze sweeping toward an exceptionally dense banyan grove ahead, tangled with countless aerial roots.

"Something's up," he said to the audience in his mind, but didn't speak aloud, only gesturing for the camera to slowly turn toward that area.

At first, nothing could be seen but layers upon layers of green.

But gradually, some viewers noticed something unusual. Deep within the "curtain" formed by those aerial roots, there seemed to be an exceptionally thick "trunk" covered in dark brown reticulated patterns, which was moving extremely slowly... wriggling?

"Oh my god... that's..."

"A snake! What a huge snake!"

"It's an Green Anaconda! An Amazon Green Anaconda!"

"Is it sleeping? Or lying in ambush?"

"It's so close! Brother Ran, retreat quickly!"

The bullet screen was instantly filled with exclamations.

President Chen Ran's heart also skipped a beat.

The information provided by the system was completely different from the impact of the real thing before his eyes.

The dark shadow coiled among the aerial roots was nearly as thick as a bucket at its widest point. Although most of its body was hidden behind the vegetation, the exposed portion was already over five meters long. The dark brown patterns looked like totems of death in the dim light.

This was one of the Amazon's top predators—an adult Green Anaconda. Its constricting force was enough to kill caimans and wild boars.

"Stay calm, don't move, don't make a sound."

President Chen Ran spoke into the microphone in a barely audible whisper, while also reminding the team members, "Green Anacondas have poor eyesight; they mainly rely on heat sensing and vibration perception.

We'll back away slowly..."

Before he could finish, the giant python, which had seemed to be resting, slowly turned its triangular head toward them, its forked tongue flicking silently.

It had clearly "sensed" the heat and movement of these uninvited guests.

"It's noticed us!" President Chen Ran's heart sank. He knew that retreating might be too late and could instead trigger the predator's pursuit instinct.

He gripped his Machete tightly, but knew that against a python of this size, melee weapons had limited effect unless they hit a vital spot.

Furthermore, he couldn't show an overly bloody slaughter on the livestream, especially with a high-profile species like the Green Anaconda.

The giant python's body began to uncoil from its resting state, muscles rolling beneath its scales, producing a faint, grating friction sound.

It clearly viewed these two-legged creatures as potential prey.

"Prepare for non-lethal deterrent," President Chen Ran ordered in a low voice. He didn't look back, but he knew the Heavy Hammer members behind him would understand.

In the blink of an eye, the python moved! It didn't strike immediately; instead, it slithered forward at an astonishing speed, its massive body crushing the rotting leaves on the ground and bringing a fishy wind. Its target was President Chen Ran in the middle of the group! Its maw, capable of swallowing a whole deer, opened wide to reveal curved, hooked teeth—absolutely terrifying!

"Get out of the way!" President Chen Ran shouted, his body flashing toward the side and rear.

Two Heavy Hammer members lunged from the side simultaneously, trying to block with their bodies, but the python's strength was beyond imagination. Its thick tail whipped out like a steel lash toward one of them.

The member reacted extremely quickly, tanking the hit with his tactical vest and grunting as he was sent stumbling back.

Missing its strike, the python nimbly turned its head, actually abandoning President Chen Ran to coil around another member closest to it!

This was the Green Anaconda's typical hunting method: constriction and strangulation!

The member's waist and legs were quickly enveloped by the front half of the python. A terrifying constrictive force hit him instantly, his bones creaking under the unbearable pressure. His face flushed red as he tried to stab with a dagger, but the angle was restricted and the scales were slippery and tough.

"Save him!" President Chen Ran roared.

They absolutely couldn't let it complete the constriction!

At that critical moment, a cold light flashed silently from the rear flank of the group! A throwing knife made of special alloy struck with extreme precision, hitting a relatively thin scale gap behind the python's neck near the spine at a tricky angle! Most of the knife sank in, and blood immediately gushed out.

"Hiss!!!"

The giant python let out a pained and furious hiss, its coiling motion suddenly freezing. The intense pain from the wound caused it to temporarily lose focus on its prey.

The trapped member seized the opportunity, let out a roar, and exploded with all his strength. With the help of his teammates pulling from the outside, he broke free from the restraint, staggering back and coughing violently.

The giant python twisted its injured neck, its vertical pupils staring fixedly in the direction the throwing knife had come from. A Hammer Team Member was slowly retracting his throwing motion, his eyes cold.

The python seemed to weigh the danger of this group of "hedgehogs," especially the throwing knife that had caused it such pain.

Its massive body began to slowly retreat, vanishing into the curtain of aerial roots behind it, leaving only a mess of tracks, spots of blood, and a faint metallic scent in the air.

From the python's sudden attack to its retreat, it had been barely a dozen seconds. The livestream room was deathly silent, and then the bullet screen went completely wild.

"I almost stopped breathing, damn it!"

"That was a real Green Anaconda! Not a prop!"

"The throwing knife! I saw the throwing knife! Incredible!"

"A team member was caught! Oh my god!"

"Scared to death! Is Brother Ran okay?"

"They didn't kill it? Just wounded it?"

"Of course they can't kill it; it's a protected animal, and they're livestreaming!"

"I'm impressed with how they handled it! Brave and resourceful!"

"Brother Ran's soldiers are so badass!"

President Chen Ran took a breath and first checked on the constricted member. After confirming he only had muscle contusions and temporary breathing difficulty without any fractures, he faced the camera. His face was still a bit pale, but he forced a smile: "As you all saw, this is an Amazon local—and not a very friendly one.

Thanks to my brother's quick reactions just now.

Green Anacondas are a protected species; we were just acting in self-defense, focusing on driving it away.

When entering the rainforest, everyone must maintain the highest vigilance against these top predators. It's best to... give them a wide berth."

The group took a short break, treated the injured member with medicine, and continued forward.

But the rainforest's trials were far from over.

After walking for about another two hours and passing through the edge of a humid, sweltering swamp, the member leading the way issued another warning.

This time, it came from the trees.

On a horizontal branch about seven or eight meters above the ground, an adult Jaguar lay lazily. Its golden fur was covered in rose-shaped black markings, appearing and disappearing in the shadows of the leaves.

It seemed to have just finished a full meal, with blood still on the corners of its mouth, but those amber eyes looked down coldly at the uninvited guests below.

The Jaguar—the "ghost cat" of the Amazon—possesses both strength and agility. It can climb trees, is a good swimmer, and has an incredible bite force.

"It's a Jaguar! Don't move, don't make eye contact, and back away slowly," President Chen Ran ordered immediately in a low voice.

Unlike the Green Anaconda, Jaguars are smarter and potentially more aggressive, especially when they feel their territory is being invaded.

The group slowly retreated.

But the Jaguar seemed to have taken an interest in them, perhaps due to the faint scent of insect repellent on President Chen Ran, or maybe the weak electronic signal from the livestream equipment.

It stood up, walked a few light steps along the branch, and let out a low, threatening growl from its throat.

"Is it coming down?" The bullet screen became tense again.

The Jaguar didn't pounce immediately; instead, it jumped from that tree to another one closer by, maintaining its high-ground advantage as its gaze followed the group's movement.

"This won't do; it's locked onto us." President Chen Ran frowned. Being shadowed by a top predator like this was too dangerous.

"Boss, use a Concussion Grenade to scare it off?" a team member suggested.

"No, that might provoke it. Use this."

President Chen Ran pulled a small launcher from a side pocket of his backpack, loaded with a special Animal Deterrent Shell that produced a bright flash and a loud bang but was non-lethal.

"Whew—Bang!!!"

A blindingly bright light exploded next to the trunk where the Jaguar was, accompanied by a deafening roar.

The Jaguar was clearly startled by the sudden light and sound. It let out a short roar, arched its body, and leaped from the tree. However, it didn't pounce toward the group; the moment it landed, it veered sharply and bolted into the dense forest at high speed, vanishing and leaving only swaying branches and leaves behind.

"Alright, it's gone." President Chen Ran breathed a sigh of relief.

However, as if to prove that the rainforest's "hospitality" was endless...

As it grew late and the group was preparing to camp on a relatively dry upland, the member on guard duty issued a third warning, this time coming from the bushes on the side of the camp.

A massive beast with a humped back and coarse black fur was rooting through the soil with its nose, seemingly searching for roots or tubers.

It was South America's unique Spectacled Bear, also known as the Andean Bear. Although omnivorous and usually not prone to attacking humans, an adult male Spectacled Bear had a foul temper and immense strength, with fangs and claws that were extremely destructive.

At this moment, the bear had clearly discovered them. It raised its head and looked over warily with its small eyes.

"What kind of day is it? Is there an animal convention?" President Chen Ran gave a helpless, wry smile and spread his hands toward the camera. "It seems we've chosen a busy spot to set up camp.

This is a Spectacled Bear. Don't mess with it; let's move."

But the bear seemed to have taken an interest in the scent of their backpacks and some of their equipment. Instead of leaving, it actually took a few more steps toward the edge of the camp, letting out a low growl.

"We can't let it get close to the camp; we have food and gear," President Chen Ran decided on the spot. "Use a Tear Gas Grenade—a mild one—to smoke it out."

A team member took out a specialized small launcher and aimed at the open ground a few meters in front of the bear.

"Thwip!"