Chapter 3

Soon, under the protection of helicopters, they reached the frozen land of Antarctica.

Amanda immediately spoke up.

"From now on, everyone must strictly follow what Ernest and I say, or else we might run into trouble, understand?"

The members of the research team all nodded in agreement.

Even Victor nodded.

On the first day, they made it through the outskirts of Antarctica safely.

The second day went smoothly as well.

But on the third day, things started to go wrong.

They had entered the hunting grounds of a wolf pack.

The male members of the research team carried hunting rifles, cautiously keeping an eye on the wolves.

In the center of the group, Victor's face darkened as he confronted Amanda.

"It's only the third day, and we've already got wolves tracking us. Based on their behavior, they'll likely follow us for a while. We won't be able to continue our research like this!

"How did you plan this route?"

Amanda's expression was just as grim. "This might be an accident. We didn't expect the wolves to migrate here."

Ernest shrank behind Amanda, too scared to speak.

"Alright, maybe this wolf pack just ended up here by accident," David spoke up, trying to calm the tension. "If we keep going, maybe they'll move on in a few days."

Victor finally fell silent.

On the fifth day, one of the male team members fell ill.

Immediately, a snow wolf charged toward them.

Bang!

Ernest fired and killed the wolf.

Just as he expected praise from Amanda, the others immediately scolded him.

"Don't you know you can't just shoot in Antarctica? What if you trigger an avalanche?

"Plus, gunshots won't drive the wolves away. They'll only make them more aggressive. You're even worse than a newbie!"

Amanda quickly stepped in, shielding Ernest. "He was just trying to help. He didn't expect things to turn out this way."

I watched the scene unfold and couldn't help but feel a bit bitter.

If the problem had been caused by the route I planned, she'd probably have already yelled at me.

She wouldn't have made excuses for me.

But when it came to Ernest, she was much more forgiving.

Victor's expression darkened further.

"Mr. Hayden, I think we should cancel this mission.

"If we keep going, someone might end up dead. We can sacrifice our lives for research, but we can't afford to lose anyone over something like this!"

David hesitated for a moment.

"This mission has already seen significant investment from above.

"It would be a huge waste to abandon it halfway."

Victor grew more urgent. "But if we don't retreat now, what if things get even more dangerous? Then it will be too late!"

At this point, Amanda spoke coldly.

"Victor, you're just scaremongering!

"Research in Antarctica is already incredibly dangerous. If we retreat just because of a small setback, then I don't think you should have come here in the first place!"

I knew Amanda was worried that turning back now might hurt her reputation.

Victor's face was dark with anger. "A small setback? Do you want us to wait until someone gets mauled by wolves before you'll agree to leave?"

David seemed to soften slightly at those words.

Amanda gritted her teeth and snapped, "You're just trying to force me into following the path of the previous team leader, aren't you?

"Fine, let's go! Mr. Hayden, let's take the route we used before. Now you should be satisfied, right?"

David nodded. "The route we took before should be much safer. Let's continue."

Victor didn't object anymore.

I knew he didn't fully trust Amanda or Ernest, but he trusted me.

After all, when the whole internet was criticizing me for abandoning my wife and running off, he still believed I wasn't that kind of person.

As they followed my route, things became much safer.

The wolf pack withdrew on the fifth day.

The team set up camp and resumed their research.

A month later, they had completed their research goals and continued their journey across Antarctica.

I stood beside Amanda, staring at the distant snow-covered mountains.

My body was buried somewhere out there.

But my body had been covered by thick layers of snow and ice, with no chance of ever being found.

"Is this the place where you guys were caught in the avalanche?" Victor asked, walking over and suddenly speaking up.

Amanda sneered, "Yes, this is where Walter abandoned me. Aren't you curious if he died here?

"You can go look for him now." She continued coldly, "I'd also like to see if that man who left me behind can be found here."

Victor's face darkened at her words.

At that moment, a member of the research team walked over from the distance.

"Mr. Hayden, we found a seal nearby that seems unusual. It's too quiet here... what if..."

David frowned upon hearing this and immediately gave the order. "Everyone, gather up. Hold your guns tight. Let's go check it out together."

The atmosphere quickly became tense. The team members with guns spread out around the area, carefully scanning their surroundings.

Soon, they spotted the unusual seal.

"What's that on the seal? Could there be someone nearby?" Victor asked, puzzled.

"Grab it and take a look, but don't shoot," Amanda said, furrowing her brow.

The team worked together to catch the seal, and to their surprise, they found a sensor stuck to its body.

Victor's eyes widened in shock. "Wait! Isn't this the same one Walter wore a year ago?"