Chapter 141 A Willing Loser
Evelyn led the team in their retreat, and everything went smoothly and orderly along the way.
However, the weather in the deep mountains was unpredictable, and they were only halfway when a heavy rainstorm started.
The pouring rain caught everyone off guard, but Evelyn remained exceptionally calm. She stood on higher ground to observe the terrain and rainfall, then told her teammates, "The rain is too heavy. Our original route has been blocked."
"What do we do?"
The team members asked anxiously, looking at each other, with no idea what to do.
If they took a detour, it would definitely take a lot of time, and Jerry's team was right behind them.
If they made even one small mistake, they could be caught up, and the chip they had worked so hard to get might be taken away.
Evelyn thought calmly for a few seconds, then immediately made a decision, "We'll wade across the river to save as much time as possible and avoid a confrontation with Jerry's squad."
At this moment, Jerry was watching them like a hawk, and she couldn't put her team members in danger.
Everyone nodded in agreement with the plan and followed Evelyn's lead, preparing to wade through the water.
However, just as everyone was getting into the water one by one, a flare suddenly shot past them and landed on the opposite hillside.
The dazzling light instantly caught everyone's attention and immediately exposed their position.
"What happened?"
Evelyn quickly turned around to see Raymond standing there shakily, with the flare obviously having been fired from his hand.
"I accidentally set off the flare, Ms. White, I didn't mean to!"
However, they had no time to worry about that now, because once their position was exposed, it meant Jerry would immediately attack them.
"Quick!"
Evelyn immediately urged sharply, "Watch your surroundings! Speed up after crossing the river, we need to shake them off as soon as possible!"
They quickened their pace, but Jerry's team also caught up and began pursuing them.
"Don't panic! Use the rain and fog as cover and move in reverse!"
Evelyn commanded calmly, leading the team to successfully shake off their pursuers.
Just as everyone was celebrating, a team member suddenly dropped to their knees, clutching their ankle in pain. "Sorry, I think I twisted my ankle while running just now."
An ankle injury at this time could be a fatal blow to the entire team.
It would slow down the team's progress, and if Jerry caught up with them, all their previous efforts would be wasted.
However, Evelyn didn't blame them. Instead, she immediately bent down to check on their condition.
Seeing the bruising on their ankle, she immediately tore off a piece of fabric from her clothing and stabilized the injury.
"There's some bruising and swelling, but I'm not sure if it's fractured. We'll check it properly when we get back."
Evelyn said in a serious tone, "You can't do any intense activity now. Come on, I'll carry you."
The team member looked at her with panic and guilt, shaking their head and trying to persist, "Ms. White, I can't hold everyone back, I can walk on my own!"
"If you want to save your ankle, just listen to me."
However, Evelyn looked at them firmly. "The mission is important, but every team member is part of us. I can't leave you behind, and I can't just watch you get injured without doing anything."
"Evelyn," Arthur volunteered when he saw this, "Let me carry them instead."
The retreat route wasn't easy, and carrying someone would be even more exhausting. He didn't want Evelyn to tire herself out.
Evelyn just smiled and stopped him. "Forget it, you'll be out of breath after two steps, and then we'll need someone to carry you."
With that, she bent down and lifted the injured teammate onto her back, striding forward.
Arthur raised his eyebrows with a smile and silently shouldered the equipment, following behind her.
The group traveled until dawn before finally reaching their destination.
Although everyone was so tired they sat down on the ground, their spirits remained high and their morale undiminished.
An hour later, Jerry finally arrived with his team, out of breath, looking at Evelyn with clear resentment.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Theodore publicly announced the results.
Evelyn's team had the shortest time and completed the mission best, ranking first without question.
Hearing this result, Evelyn's teammates all cheered. Their efforts and hard work had paid off, and they had won this victory under Evelyn's leadership.
Meanwhile, Jerry stood nearby with a dark expression, full of complaints about his team members. "What's wrong with you all? You couldn't even keep up on such a simple route, and they were carrying an injured person. God gave you a chance and you couldn't take it."
His team members, unhappy with such criticism, immediately argued back, "What does it have to do with us! It was clearly your route planning that had problems!"
"Everyone started at the same time, but we arrived later than Ms. White's team. Why don't you look for the reason in yourself!"
Jerry didn't expect to be questioned and flew into a rage. "You're not good enough, and you're blaming me? What kind of attitude is that?"
Just as the group was about to start arguing, Theodore sharply interrupted, "What are you arguing about! When a mission fails, you blame each other. Is that what I taught you?"
"Anyway, the mission is over. If you failed, reflect on it properly instead of blaming others!"
Hearing Theodore say this, Jerry and his team couldn't say anything more. They could only shut their mouths and lower their heads, though they still felt dissatisfied inside.
They all thought Evelyn had just been lucky to beat them, not that she had won through actual ability.
"Mr. Nelson."
Evelyn walked slowly up to him, looked up at him and said, "The competition results are clear. Shouldn't you accept your loss and apologize to me?"
Jerry was unwilling to bow to her, but in front of everyone, he couldn't pretend nothing had happened.
He gritted his teeth hard, clenched his fists tightly, and after a long silence finally said grudgingly, "Ms. White, I'm sorry."
Evelyn nodded with satisfaction, though she knew he wasn't sincere.
"I hope this teaches you a lesson," She looked at Jerry and said unhurriedly, "Don't look down on women anymore, because the women you look down on can beat you easily."
These words hit like a punch, leaving Jerry unable to lift his head.