Chapter 945: Chapter 4 Hidden Danger Chapter 945: Chapter 4 Hidden Danger The trees on both banks receded into the distance as the sky, exceptionally clear during the rainy season, was pierced by orange sunbeams filtering through the dense gray clouds, casting a twinkling light upon the river’s surface.

Bi Fang leaned against the rail, breathing in the thick moisture from the air, leisurely stretching his back, appearing to be there just for tourism in front of a group of busy people.

In fact, once the preparations were completed, unless an emergency arose, a small ship like the Bloody Mary only needed an occasional adjustment to the helm.

The captain wouldn’t entrust such an important task to a new crew member. The one doing this job was the first mate, Ah-Quan.

“Have you ever been a soldier?” Captain Bill brought over two glasses of liquor and handed one over.

“Yes,” Liang Qu glanced at the glass and raised an eyebrow, “Rice wine? Sorry, I don’t drink.”

Bi Fang didn’t touch alcohol or cigarettes, at most he’d have a soft drink, especially when outside, it was even less likely he would touch it.

Bill shrugged and drank his glass in one gulp, “Where did you serve? Huaxia? Can you tell me your unit number?”

“It was Huaxia, but the unit number, sorry.”

“Understood.”

“You too?” Bi Fang knew the answer but he asked anyway.

“Yes,” Bill shrugged, also leaning against the rail, a reminiscing look in his eyes, “That was a long time ago…”

Bi Fang smiled, “Sounds like it’s filled with the tears and bitterness of war.”

“A very apt summary.” Bill scratched his head and laughed heartily, then swiftly changed the subject, “I saw you brought a long bag on board just now? Can you tell me what’s inside…”

“Weapons.”

“Weapons?” Bill looked as if he had expected this; the style of the bag clearly indicated it was meant for carrying weapons.

For Bill, there was a certain wariness towards Bi Fang, the newly arrived crew member, therefore he wanted to go forward and inquire clearly. Fortunately, Bi Fang showed no sign of evasion, which put him at ease.

“You can think of it as my hunting tools, the traditional kind preferred by old-school hunters.”

“Well, it looks like everyone has their own quirks.”

Bill shrugged, seeing Bi Fang’s openness, he no longer dwelled on this and returned to the captain’s quarters.

Bi Fang gazed at the rain-free, clear scenery from the bow, then turned and left the deck, heading back to his room where he brought out the bag Bill had mentioned before.

Unzipping the bag, he revealed several knives sheathed in their scabbards.

The harpoon and other familiar friends were there, of course, as well as some new short daggers, but also included were two longer, much longer blades.

One was a broad-bladed chopper, the other a curved Burmese knife, with the handle included, was about a meter in total length.

He pulled out the blades to reveal meticulously crafted water-like patterns, radiating a chilling brilliance clearly indicating quality craftsmanship.

They were all products of the System.

Before every mission, Bi Fang habitually checked the System shop for updates to see if there were any good items.

He didn’t care too much at first, but this time, the shop was filled with a dazzling array of knives, almost overflowing with an intense aura of combat.

In the past, the shop had been a mix of protective gear, shoes, pants with the occasional dagger thrown in; the offensive capability was never as high as it was now.

This gave Bi Fang a rough idea of the main direction of the upcoming adventure, but he was not afraid, on the contrary, he was somewhat eager to try.

In reality, the pythons in the movies weren’t as powerful as imagined and at least could be killed with cold weapons–a few scenes in the movies proved this point.

One was in the Savages Tribe, where a python was found dead with cold weapons embedded all over its head.

The other incident was when a python followed a tech-savvy kid through a cave, only to have its head chopped off at the opportune moment by a dark-skinned beauty waiting outside.

The latter seemed somewhat incredible, considering it was a woman, and it was a beheading with a single stroke–even if she was lucky enough not to hit any bones and the blade happened to slice through a gap, it still seemed a bit far-fetched.

Of course, it’s possible it was just incredibly good luck, just like how under certain circumstances one can be cut by the edge of a piece of paper.

Nonetheless, Bi Fang primarily viewed the first example as the most realistic case for reference, to avoid mishaps later on. Therefore, after careful selection, he chose several daggers, a chopping knife, and a Burmese knife.

The store did have other knives that were larger and longer, but considering the complexity and narrowness of the rainforest environment, these two medium-sized knives were sufficient; a larger size would have been inconvenient and could have affected agility.

Each region’s unique knives have been shaped by long-term practical use.

The Burmese knife, with its Southeast Asian characteristics, is undoubtedly more suitable for combat in the rainforest. On the other hand, the broad swings of Tang Swords from Huaxia are somewhat restricted in the jungle.

The Burmese knife, though a meter in length, has a long handle that is suitable for two-handed grip to enhance damage. Its curved blade is also more suitable for chopping.

As for the machete, it goes without saying how useful it is against terrain overrun with shrubbery.

After swinging the Burmese knife and machete around the room, along with several other daggers, Bi Fang sheathed them but didn’t put them back in his bag. Instead, he began to methodically equip them on his body.

A dagger on each side of the calves, then on each thigh, and a Harpoon tucked into the lower back – a total of five daggers, all ready to be drawn at any moment.

The machete and Burmese knife were set aside for the moment. They were still traversing the river’s surface and had not yet ventured into the jungle. There was no need for them, and having them visibly on him would draw too much attention.

An attention-grabbing individual often finds themselves isolated and under suspicion, which was not what Bi Fang wanted to see.

If possible, he still hoped everyone could get along harmoniously.

Night fell.

The group gathered at the bow of the boat, basking in the stillness before the storm, with the yellow light above them flickering in the breeze.

The ship’s doctor, Ben Douglas, was sharing a hand-prepared dinner with everyone, earning him endless praise.

At that moment, a small hand quietly reached for the fruit platter…

“Hey! You’ve already had dinner.”

Captain Bill scolded Gang Zi, who had tried to sneak some fruit. The others smiled at the sight, but Bi Fang tensed.

Yes, it was during this time window that the python would first appear.

Disappointed at not being able to steal some fruit, Gang Zi headed to the top of the boat to pick some from the branches overhanging the shore. However, after picking the fruit, he found the boat had moved on. While chasing after it, he was discovered by the python.

Nonetheless, Bi Fang had no intention of joining Gang Zi ashore to meet the python.

In the original film, somehow Gang Zi managed to find his way back to the boat on his own, but Bi Fang wasn’t sure he could do the same and find the Bloody Mary again.

Unnoticed by everyone, Bi Fang followed the disgruntled Gang Zi to the top of the boat.

Just as the little primate was about to leap onto the branch to pick the fruit, Bi Fang pulled it down by the tail, while his other hand picked two pieces of fruit and stuffed them in its little arms.

“Now’s not a good time to go ashore.”

Gang Zi, suddenly grabbed, wanted to scream, but upon seeing the fruit in its hands, it forgot its troubles and began nibbling.

“True to being a primate, you’re quite clever.”

Bi Fang stroked Gang Zi’s head and brought it back to the boat.

With his intervention, it wasn’t certain that Gang Zi could survive a close call like in the original film, so it was best to avoid potential danger.

Having returned Gang Zi to the deck, the others didn’t realize what had happened and continued chatting and laughing.

Even Bill was curious when Gang Zi had become willing to get close to Bi Fang, but didn’t think much of it.

Bi Fang set Gang Zi down, making sure it was within his sight, and then leaned against the railing, staring into the darkness.

Suddenly, the darkness was broken by rustling trees and the piercing cries of an animal, startling everyone in the middle of their conversations.

Boris, the short technician with a hip-hop vibe, cursed, “Damn, what was that?”

Bill leaned against the table, scanning the darkness, “Something’s been eaten.”

The financial officer, Gordon, asked, “What kind of thing?”

“This is the jungle; everything is preyed upon.”

Bi Fang frowned.

He hadn’t seen anything.