"I said, 'Don't flatter me. To be frank with you, we just kissed, but I must state clearly, I was forced. Look, there are still bite marks on me from you right here.'"

Hua Qingqing kept her head down. "Stop talking nonsense. I remember everything that just happened. It’s my own fault. I won’t mention this to Xiao Rou. Alas, consider it a free benefit you took—my first kiss is gone just like that."

Hua Qingqing seemed quite downcast. Before even seeing a drop of blood, or entering the rainforest, she had already lost her first kiss. This was certainly frustrating, yet she felt helpless.

I tried to comfort her. "Aren't you suspicious of what just happened? There’s something strange about this. Things were fine, so why did it suddenly turn like that?"

Hua Qingqing started thinking too. Suddenly, she cried out, "It must have been those white flowers! I smelled the fragrance, and then my body started acting strangely! Oh, and those two American women! They were acting just as abnormally! And their position was right under the flower bushes."

I countered, "Perhaps it’s normal for people with strong desires to need release. If the flower scent is the problem, why didn't it affect me? Does it only work on women?"

Hua Qingqing gave a wry smile. "You? How can we compare ourselves to your constitution? Right, we must quickly send someone to rescue Meiliya and Jennimafei. That floral scent must contain a substance that stimulates the nervous system. If we don’t rescue them, they might go mad and die."

I held Hua Qingqing down. "You rest for a bit. I'll go handle this."

Hua Qingqing told me, "I forbid you from going back. Send Mikiko from Japan to take people over there."

I nodded in agreement, but when I went out, I couldn't find Mikiko anywhere. However, I ran into Zhuda and Cai Bao’er. After explaining the situation to them, they didn't say another word, grabbing two blankets and running off.

More than ten minutes later, they both came running back to the inn, each carrying a large bag. At that moment, Mikiko also returned, and Hua Qingqing went into the room to check on the situation. Zhuda and Cai Bao’er quietly pulled me outside.

"Good brothers!" they said, clasping my hands. "Next time something like this happens, make sure you remember the two of us."

I probed cautiously, "Did you two... take advantage of them just now?"

Zhuda spat at me, "Commander Zhao, you’re embarrassing me and Cai Baozi. If we had slept with them, it would have taken at least an hour. How could we be back in ten minutes? We just casually felt them up a bit to satisfy our eyesight."

Cai Bao’er said to me, "The breasts of American women don't feel as good as those of our country's women. Although they are firm and bouncy, they lack the delicate softness of our girls."

At this point, the team members from all three countries were converging toward the small inn. I told the two of them, "Stop discussing this. And from now on, all actions must follow unified command. The dangers in this rainforest are unpredictable; they could cost lives."

Zhuda secretly showed me a plastic bag inside his backpack, which was filled entirely with those white flowers. "Commander Zhao, do you really think this flower has an aphrodisiac effect? Don’t let me have gone through all that for nothing."

As I walked, I replied, "We’ll know when we get back and try it out on a local prostitute."

The guides, Kissinger and Winston, were gathering everyone for a meeting.

"Friends who have traveled far, the two American team members were unfortunately inhaling the fragrance of the Drunken Passion Flower by the small river. Fortunately, it was discovered in time, and the issue is minor. This Drunken Passion Flower only blooms under suitable conditions, and its pollen contains a substance that stimulates the human nervous system. Even inhaling a small amount can cause uncontrollable desire. If the inhalation is excessive and indulgence too great, there is a real risk of death!"

The American leader, Jack, admitted, "This is my mistake. They insisted on finding a place to wash, so I let the surrounding team members clear the area by the river. Who knew those flowers would have such power?"

Winston stated, "Let's not discuss whose fault it is right now. But from this minute forward, I require everyone to absolutely not move outside a 50-meter radius of the camp. If there are special needs, you must move in groups of five or more. The rainforest is far more dangerous than you imagine. Anyone who disobeys the laws of nature will pay a bloody price."

Hua Qingqing emerged from the room and said to Professor Smode, "Professor, your student has been injected with a sedative, and her emotions are stable. She should be fine tomorrow."

Smode nodded and addressed everyone, "Regardless of who it is, you must obey the guides' orders, or please voluntarily withdraw from the expedition."

The farce that occurred in the evening did not spoil anyone's appetite. Although there were significant language barriers between the three nations, alcohol was a common bond. Zhuda and Cai Bao'er, in particular, got along very well with the five bodyguards brought by Qiu Sihai, chatting while sipping wine and eating dinner.

Qiu Sihai did not know what happened to Hua Qingqing in the evening; he must have been tending to his own needs at the time, otherwise, he wouldn't have been away from her side.

Not long after dinner, everyone fell asleep. Since this was somewhat of a village settlement, only three shifts of guards were posted, and extensive precautions were not taken.

In the middle of the night, Taozi whispered next to me, "A snake has entered."

I asked, "Can you communicate with them?"

Taozi replied, "It’s difficult. Foreign snakes don't understand our country's language either. Besides, I don't like communicating with them, but they mean no harm. Just go to sleep."

Xia Huren, lying nearby, was very alert. He must have also sensed snakes sneaking into the room. His hand moved to touch the machete beside him, but I pressed him down and whispered, "Let them be; they mean no harm."

Xia Huren nodded, closed his eyes, and continued to sleep. In the early hours of the morning, everyone was startled awake by a scream that sounded like the agony of the damned. Immediately, the lights in the small inn flickered wildly, and people started shouting in three different languages.

The most exaggerated and earliest shouter turned out to be Qiu Sihai. He waved his arms and ran out of the room, yelling, "Snake! Snake! There's a snake!"

The commotion was quickly brought under control. Under the light, there was a cluster of small, green snakes, emitting a pungent, acrid smell. The guide, Kissinger, shouted to everyone, "Don't panic! These snakes are non-venomous; they are the best species the villagers use to drive away poisonous flies. It's my fault for not explaining this to everyone in advance. It’s alright now; everyone calm down."

I asked Hua Qingqing beside me, "Were you scared by the snakes?"

Hua Qingqing shook her head. "I found it quite amusing. If anything had happened, I knew you would come to save me."

I said, "Actually, we noticed them entering the room early on, but since we realized they meant no harm, we didn't warn everyone."

Hua Qingqing glanced at Qiu Sihai in the distance, who was still having his bodyguards check him all over, and said to me, "If the snakes had been hostile, I doubt he'd be standing here now. Consider this a small warning for him."

Following this small interlude, daylight arrived. The team quickly prepared and set off. After last night's incident with the Drunken Passion Flower and the fly-repelling snakes, everyone felt a mix of curiosity and apprehension about what lay ahead. However, since neither incident resulted in injury, the morale remained relatively high.

When the two American ladies woke up that morning, they were invigorated, seeming even more energetic than the day before. They even made a point of thanking Zhuda and Cai Bao'er, which made the two men blush deeply, considering they had secretly taken liberties with them the previous evening.

After being terrified by the snakes in the early morning, Qiu Sihai started to freeze whenever he saw anything long and slender from dawn onward—it seemed his return home was not far off.