Chapter 79: Schemes Foiled

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Schemes Foiled

Wendy Aldridge gritted her teeth and spoke: "Ms. Chapman, you’d better think carefully. That night when you lured people over and robbed everyone of their food, you were part of it too, weren’t you?"

Zara Chapman looked at Wendy, her face calm, showing no panic. Nobody had actual evidence about what happened that night.

Wendy gave a small smile: "If I go out and confess everything to the instructor, do you think you could withstand their interrogation?"

Zara wasn’t afraid of the instructor’s grilling, but if Wendy really aired all this out and dragged her name into it, she’d be covered in scandals, her image ruined—all her endorsements would be affected.

Zara considered it several times before finally saying: "After the show, at most I’ll get you a resource, don’t expect anything more from me."

Wendy still wanted to say something.

Zara: "If you don’t want it, that’s fine. I’m not afraid of the instructor anyway."

She wasn’t scared of Wendy’s threats—just annoyed by the hassle.

Wendy could hear the condescending tone. She knew that Zara was offering all she could, and felt resentful, but also realized if this dragged on, they’d both lose. Better to quit while she’s ahead.

The people tasked with escorting Wendy and Zara out quickly appeared. As they got closer, the tiger below seemed not to notice them at all, or maybe it did and simply recognized them, so it didn’t attack.

Zara climbed down from the tree first, followed by Wendy.

Wendy still couldn’t let it go. As she passed Renee Morgan by the roots, she violently kicked Renee’s calf.

Renee was holding onto a branch above her head, standing on another one, and almost simultaneously lifted her leg—Wendy’s kick missed, and Renee hooked Wendy’s heel, flipping her over so she fell face first.

The spot where Renee stood was hidden by leaves—which was why Wendy felt free to attack before.

Renee’s counter-move wasn’t caught by the camera, only that the leaves she stood on rustled wildly. When Wendy lost her balance and fell, Renee even reached out to grab her, catching only the corner of her shirt.

Livestream viewers all commented at once—Renee truly had a big heart. Even though Wendy had cut the lifeline before, in a crisis, Renee’s instinct was still to save her.

That’s what real heroism probably looks like.

"..."

"Ah!" Wendy screamed and crashed to the ground, as people rushed over to help her up.

Half of Wendy’s face was swollen like a pig’s head, her body was numb, and she couldn’t even stand or speak, practically carried away with both arms held up by others.

Zara pondered, taking a deep look at Renee before turning and leaving.

Renee withdrew her gaze, stomped her foot again, and looked up to meet Taylor’s bright, direct stare.

He saw it all.

Taylor gave Renee a secret thumbs-up.

Renee didn’t look guilty at all. If Wendy hadn’t kicked her, she wouldn’t have fought back.

They all looked at the tiger beneath, languidly rolling about, not showing any sign of leaving, trading bewildered, speechless glances.

Is it going to just wait them out?

If it never leaves, they’re really screwed. After all, people have needs, and they’re all hungry—no way they can hang out on the tree forever.

As everyone fretted, Taylor, standing at the highest point, suddenly shouted: "They’re coming, they’re coming—here we go again!"

What’s coming...?

Following Taylor’s line of sight, Renee saw more tigers strolling over from not far away—three in total?

Counting the one below, that made four altogether?

For a moment, everyone’s expressions were just terror and despair.

Fucking hell, how are we supposed to play this game?

Might as well blow the whistle and get out.

Taylor and Sean weren’t ready to give up—they entered the base forest aiming for the base pass, and weren’t letting go till the last minute.

The two of them took out knives, whittled two sticks into spear-like weapons—just in case the tigers climbed the trees, they’d be ready to drive them off.

With four tigers gathered, they surrounded the tree stump and started banging their heads against the trunk.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The people on the tree listened to the sounds, their scalps tingling in fear.

Taylor, holding his makeshift spear, took aim. As soon as a tiger hit the tree again, he stabbed forcefully.

He was, after all, The Boxing King—he put the strength of his whole arm into it and actually stabbed the tiger in the eye. The beast howled, rolling on the ground.

They thought this would intimidate the others, but instead, the remaining three tigers went berserk, slamming into the tree simultaneously.

Renee could hear the cracking and creaking noises from below. It wouldn’t be long before the tree fell.

Lynn Miller had already taken out her whistle and blown it.

"Morgan, you want to blow yours, or should I help you?" Lynn asked, surprisingly calm after blowing her own whistle.

Renee: "..."

Renee took out the whistle hanging from her neck, hesitated for a few seconds, then stuffed it back.

Lynn stared at her in shock: "Morgan, those are four tigers—there’s no way we can escape by luck!"

Renee pursed her lips and looked at Lynn: "I know. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine."

Lynn looked like she wanted to say more, but in the end said, "Morgan, I believe in you, but you have to make it out safely. I’ll be waiting for you outside."

Renee reached out and hugged her. She watched Lynn, with help from the base forest staff, climb down from the tree, just as the four tigers caught their breath and started another round of headbanging.

Renee climbed to the top, patted Taylor and Sean silently—communicating only with her eyes.

Sean and Taylor didn’t get her plan at first, until the whole tree swayed and looked ready to collapse. Renee crawled to the far end of a branch, jumped from the branch to a neighboring tree.

Sean and Taylor’s eyes lit up. They’d thought of this earlier, but worried the distance was too far and didn’t dare try.

Now that Renee managed it, maybe they could too.

In the end, Taylor and Sean both jumped onto Renee’s tree before the original tree fell.

"Bang! Crash!" The tree fell.

The four tigers, seemingly tireless, saw them jump to another tree and strode over with a mix of wildness and restraint.

This tree was broader and taller—much harder for them to knock down.

But the tigers were determined; all four actually tried climbing up the tree.

Sean and Taylor both had their stick-spears ready. Renee quickly dug her army knife out of her backpack.

One tiger started climbing, leaping onto a branch. Taylor jabbed his stick-spear toward its eye, but the tiger seemed cautious—it dodged him, then leapt forward with its mouth wide, aiming for his neck.

Taylor screamed, swearing in English, Damn it, he didn’t want to die!!!