Chapter 96


    ine’s words must’ve been a hell of a shocker, ’cause everyone around fell silent.


    Burton felt embarrassed, his face turning red. He quickly approached and pulled ine away.


    ine struggled all the way.


    Eileen stood still for a moment before gently patting Egbert’s arm. He turned to look at her.


    Eileen looked puzzled and asked, “What’s her deal?”


    “She wants to team up with you.” Before Egbert could speak, Eddie chimed in with augh.


    As soon as Eddie finished speaking, he seemed to get a bright idea. He threw his arm around Lucas’


    shoulder and said, “Let’s form an alliance too. We’ve been through hell and back together.”


    Lucas shrugged off Eddie’s arm and walked towards Egbert, saying, “Mr. Reed, I want to take another


    look at the map.”


    Egbert put his pocketknife away. He nced back at Eileen, then he and Lucas went off to the side to


    discuss their route.


    After a while, Burton and ine returned.


    Eileen was lounging in the branches of arge tree! With her legs crossed and a de of grass in her


    mouth, she was sneakily watching the siblings below.


    Seeing her gaze, Burton called out, “Auntie.”


    ine stood behind Burton, and she also seemed a bit shy now, sneakily watching Eileen and


    mumbling along, “Auntie.”


    Eileenughed, ignored them, and beckoned two little white monkeys over.


    A few minutes passe. Egbert folded up the map and said, “There are two paths, one short and one


    long.”


    Eddie was stumped, asking, “What’s the difference?”


    Lucas said, “The longer way around might take three or four days to reach the exit. But the shorter


    route is much closer. If we go fast, we may reach the exit by tonight.”


    Eddie immediately said, “Then we should take the short route.”


    Eileen, cradling a little monkey while lounging in the tree, casually asked, “Is the short route difficult?”


    Egbert looked at her and said, “There’s a river. We need to cross it.”


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    Eileen raised an eyebrow, “Is the river wide?”


    Egbert shook his head, “It’s not marked on the map.”


    Eileen let go of the little white monkey, jumped down from the tree, hands on hips, and said, “Then let’s


    take the short route. No matter how wide the river is, we can always swim across. That’s better than


    walking a few more days.”


    Besides, if they kept walking for a few more days, they’d lose too much time. If other teams got out first,


    they’d lose the prize money.


    In the end, everyone agreed to take the short route.


    The short route was indeed shorter. They had been walking for less than an hour when they saw the


    bridgeless river, which seemed to be more than ten meters wide.


    Eddie sighed in relief, saying, “That’s manageable. We can swim across.”


    Eileen stood on the bank, observing the river, shaking her head and saying, “We can’t swim across.”


    Eddie was puzzled, “Why not?”


    At that moment, Egbert picked up a stone from the other side and threw it into the river.


    Almost instantly, a crocodile with sharp teeth emerged from the water, snapped up the stone in its


    mouth, and slowly sank back to the bottom.


    Eddie was visibly frightened


    Egbert said calmly, “This is also a dangerous river.”


    Eddie’s legs went soft. He was trembling as he leaned on Lucas’ shoulder,menting, “The


    showrunners are really too much. Never mind, let’s y it safe and take the safe route.”


    Neither Eileen nor Egbert said a word.


    Seeing their expressions, Eddie quickly warned, “Don’t act rashly. This river is not the same as the


    previous dangerous one. That one only required us to find items, but this one requires us to cross it.


    We can’t just swing across, and even if we could, how would we do it? There are no trees here for us to


    use as a pivot.”


    Eileen pointed to a big tree across the river and said, “Isn’t that a tree?”


    Eddie eximed in surprise, “But it’s on the other side. How will we tie it?”


    Eileen stared at the river for a while, then suddenly turned to Eddie and said, “Give me ten grand, and


    I’ll help you guys cross the river.”


    Eddie was so surprised that his eyes widened in astonishment.


    Eileen smirked and said, “The prize money for third ce is almost gone. Thest bit of the money will


    just round it off. I won’t ask for more, just put my bank ount info for the prize money. I’ll take care of


    the taxes too. How’s that? Am I generous or what?”


    Eddie waspletely stunned. Just as he was about to speak, Lucas pulled Eddie aside and asked


    Eileen, “How are you going to help us cross the river?”


    Eileen said, “I have my ways.”


    Lucas pondered for a moment, then nodded, “If you can get us across the river, the money’s yours.”


    Eileen smirked, and beckoned ine and Burton over, “Over here.”


    The three of them huddled together, discussing something. Egbert didn’t join them, just sitting off to the


    side.


    Lucas felt a little uneasy. He walked over to Egbert and asked, “Mr. Reed, do you know what she’s


    nning?”


    Egbert nced in Eileen’s direction, and chuckled lightly, “Jump across.”


    Eddie eximed, “It’s over ten meters wide, how can she jump across?”


    But Egbert didn’t say anything more.


    Soon Eileen, ine, and Burton came back after their discussion. Eileen took all the supplies and


    ropes, then took off her jacket, leaving only a camouge tank top. She started to stretch and loosen


    her muscles.


    “Do you think she’ll make it?” Back at the camp, the show’s director asked Major Warner.


    Major Warner looked serious. He was silent for a long time before he said, “Egbert trusts her a lot.”


    The director nodded, “Egbert is an experienced Special Forces soldier. At first, he might have been


    surprised by Eileen’s abilities, but I think he’s assessed her limits by now, so he’s letting her take this


    dangerous challenge. But it’s her first time…”


    Major Warner, “It’s not her first time.”


    The director was taken aback, “Not her first time?”


    Major Warner squinted and said, “I found it strange from the beginning how this girl could shoot so


    urately. Most people wouldn’t have had the opportunity to handle firearms. Besides, even if she did


    prep for military academy exams, the shooting training only kicks in once you’re enrolled. She never


    went to a military academy, how can she be like this?”


    The director furrowed his brow and said, “Now that you mention it, I see it too. If you really look closely,


    thosebat moves she showed on the program, even the special climbing skills, they aren’t


    something a regr Joe can pick up.”


    Major Warner said, “What she learned, that’s all special ops training.”


    The director said, “But she can’t possibly have been a special op.”


    Major Warner said, “That’s right, she couldn’t have been. We can dig up her background, her dad was


    indeed a special op, but he passed away when she was only ten, so there’s only one possibility…”


    The director asked anxiously, “What’s the possibility?”


    Major Warner said, “Someone familiar with the military teaching system, has been secretly training her


    using special ops methods.”