Luo Jun understood what Jones meant.
Those mercenaries didn't know that the mission they were executing was a one-way trip. If they sailed the ship back, they would definitely be quarantined, or even face inhumane destruction.
So, it was absolutely impossible to go back with them. They had to board the ship and then find a way to redirect it elsewhere.
It was only then that Luo Jun flicked away the cigarette butt in his hand and said, "They definitely won't let too many of us on board, and once we're on the ship, our weapons will certainly be confiscated, or we might even be detained separately. It would be very difficult to take action against them, even on the ship."
Luo Jun naturally knew that this plan wasn't perfect, so he intentionally said it that way to prompt Jones to reveal his entire plan.
He felt that Jones wouldn't be that simple. A man like him was unlikely to have stumbled in here unintentionally. It's possible that he meant to do this from the very beginning.
Only that things didn't go as smoothly as he had imagined, which led to the current situation.
After all, he and the ship's captain were old friends. The captain was clearly an experienced veteran who wouldn't stay idle as the ship crashed straight towards this island.
There must be other reasons behind this.
It's possible that the captain and Jones came here to find some treasure on the island.
And the civilians who appeared here with him were likely a cover-up.
Otherwise, if they didn't have those civilians as a disguise, their ship would have been spotted when they set sail, and they would never have been able to approach this island.
Whether their ship ran aground or was sunk by torpedoes was also unknown.
So, although Luo Jun was willing to cooperate with him, he couldn't fully trust Jones.
After all, Luo Jun was disabled, and it would be perfectly normal for Jones to use a skilled killer like him to eliminate his rivals.
When Jones heard Luo Jun's doubts, he took out two more cigarettes and offered one to Luo Jun.
Among men, cigarettes sometimes serve as the best means of communication, especially in such a dire environment.
Luo Jun took it and sniffed its aroma. He preferred spicy and sweet cigars, but these regular cigarettes were extremely rare now, so he didn't mind.
"Plans can't keep up with changes. There's no point in having too detailed a plan now. But they'll soon send people back into the island again, and this will be the last time. Whatever gains we'll have, we'll only see it this time."
Jones lit his cigarette, took a drag, and continued, "Those mercenaries only need to find the location of the metals. They don't need to worry about transporting them."
Upon hearing this, Luo Jun inhaled sharply. He had previously thought that the mercenaries needed to move those metals. Otherwise, why would they send so many people at once?
It seemed that they had dispatched so many people not for moving things, but solely for gathering intelligence about this mysterious island.
"Which direction will they go?"
Luo Jun lit his cigarette as well and asked. Jones looked thoughtfully at the rain curtain ahead.
"They found some route records on the three mercenaries who came back insane from the first batch."
Jones said, picking up a piece of rubble from the ground and starting to draw on it.
The route was simple, especially the location of the large mountain, which was particularly prominent. They had bypassed the northern side of the mountain and entered a wild forest.
"The first batch of people reached this point, and then only those three mercenaries came back alive. After that, the second batch went in, with five mercenaries leading the three survivors. The survivors guided the way, and the mercenaries followed behind. They came to where the first batch had reached, rested there for a night, and the next day when they woke up, all five mercenaries had disappeared. The three survivors fled back."
Jones said, snorting and taking a light drag on his cigarette.
He continued, "After the three survivors returned, the mercenary leader didn't believe them, so he shot one dead, and then drove the remaining two back into the forest to scout. Only one came back after that, and you know what happened next. They thought you were some mysterious person on this island, so they sent two snipers to track and ambush you."
Jones exhaled smoke as he spoke.
Luo Jun then understood what had happened to the survivor killed by his trap.
At the same time, Luo Jun vaguely guessed that Jack's death was caused by that monster, as were the corpses on the transport plane.
The reason why Luo Jun, Lorna, and the others didn't encounter that monster was because the monster and they were in opposite directions, separated by a large mountain, just like the route showed. If Luo Jun and his group had settled in the northwest of the mountain, they would have been very likely to meet the monster.
Luo Jun secretly rejoiced in his heart. This was truly a blessing in disguise. If they had been unlucky, the four of them would have perished a long time ago.
Thinking of this, Luo Jun couldn't help but shudder.
"Will they take the same route when they send people in next time?"
Luo Jun asked Jones, who merely nodded slightly. "If they open a new route, it will take more time. This route has already been traveled twice, so it's easy to follow. They won't be foolish enough to abandon it. The only difference is that this time, they might send around fifteen mercenaries, as well as all the male survivors except me!"
"How many people do they have left in total?"
Luo Jun hurriedly asked.
"They only have twenty-eight people left now. Even so, it's impossible for just you and me to take down the ones guarding the ship. It's not about fearing ten thousand, but rather fearing that one time in ten thousand when something goes wrong."
Jones said, his gaze filled with sorrow as he looked at his smooth, severed finger.
Luo Jun knew that he was lamenting. If he were still his former self and cooperated with Luo Jun, it would have been no trouble at all to deal with the remaining dozen or so mercenaries on the ship.
"The key is, your people, including the captain, have all been taken into the forest. Even if we hijack the ship, we won't be able to take everyone and leave."
Luo Jun added.
Jones smiled and looked at Luo Jun. "Do you think I care about their lives or deaths? It's just a pity that there's no way to do it, that's all."
Jones said this, and Luo Jun couldn't help but smile as well.
"You don't care about their lives or deaths, so why did you lead them and keep them alive during the two months you've been ashore? What's the point of deceiving yourself and others?"
Luo Jun knew that Jones just didn't want to show his human side, since he used to be a top-notch assassin.
Jones didn't respond, only snorting in derision several times.
This was clearly an acknowledgment of Luo Jun's words.
Luo Jun didn't think there was anything embarrassing about it. It was only natural for a retired assassin to regain his humanity, wasn't it?
Moreover, the captain and the others truly respected and revered him, and this kind of friendship would give one a sense of happiness and make one willing to spare no cost to preserve it.
This was the kind of friendship that could pierce both sides.
When Jones was treasure-hunting on Furious Sea Island, he had already lost his beloved wife and had no family left. Friendship like this would become as precious as a life-saving straw!
"Alright, I've decided to wait for them at the final destination they'll reach before they arrive!"
Luo Jun saw that the rain had lessened and prepared to leave as he threw away his cigarette.
"Good, I look forward to your good news!"
Jones extended his hand, and Luo Jun shook it. Luo Jun nodded, deciding to return to the reef beach to retrieve the Barrett, or maybe only that cannon could deal with that monster!