Chapter 432 Being Grouped
Catherine issued the latest training plan -group combat. Each group of three would compete in jungle battles against each other, and winning was the only goal.
Because of the number of people, Branden, who joined in the middle, was isolated. Everyone wanted him in their group instead of in anyone elseâs.
But before they could discuss the results, Catherine announced the answer-Branden was grouped with her.
Catherine was an instructor and strong, but Branden was injured. Coupled with the fact that there were only two of them in the group, they seemed to be at a disadvantage.
Therefore, no one had any objections to Catherineâs arrangement.
Branden came to Catherineâs side with smiling eyes, his gaze following her closely, and he seemed to be in a good mood.
âThanks, sir!â
Catherine glanced at him with a cold face and said indifferently, âWait for elimination if you are at the bottom later!â
Branden did not care much about the harsh words and still looked in a good mood. He followed Catherineâs lead and went to prepare the materials.
Paxton stood in front of the monitor screen and looked at Brandenâs fawning appearance. He could not help but shake his head.
âWell, Mr. Duncan has completely fallen!â said Paxton inwardly.
The training began with a helicopter dropping them off in the middle of the virgin forest.
This time, they were in a war between six teams.
The training would last 48 hours, and the team with the most killings would win.
Those who performed poorly, as determined by Catherine, would be immediately eliminated, while winners would have a day off and the rest continued training.
There were no rules and no assistance. There was only one option for them- either they beat other teams or lose to the other teams and be eliminated.
The helicopter hatch opened. As the instructor and also one of the members of this training group, Catherine chose to let the others rope down first.
After the other teams finished landing, she gestured to Branden behind her. â Your turn!â
Over the past so many years, it was the first time a girl had protected Branden. But it was his girlfriend, so he didnât need to be polite. He reached for the rope handed by Catherine and fastened the locking buckle around his waist.
Then he agilely and handsomely rolled out of the helicopter, his slender legs folded, holding the rope between his legs, and slid down quickly.
Catherine waited three seconds and followed, moving with the same handsomeness and ease. Branden landed first. He was fast, and his movements were textbook perfect.
But as his feet touched the ground, he still staggered, and Catherine saw it. He had injured his thigh, and despite the special medicine, it still affected the stability of his landing.
Catherine knew that his injury was much more serious than she realized.
Branden didnât realize Catherine was staring at him, and once he was steady on his feet, he turned around and scooped up Catherine, who was speeding down through the air, in a hug.
He couldnât bear to let her land on her own and held her secure in his arms. No matter how skilled one was, the moment they fell from a high altitude, the impact would still cause some damage to the knees.
It didnât matter if it hurt once or twice, but the knees would be damaged over time. He didnât want to see Catherine suffer anything. Catherine landed in his arms, and when he stabilized himself, Catherine spoke coldly, âPut me down!â
Without hesitation, the man let her down from his arms as he was told.
Catherine took out a map from her bag at the first opportunity after she stood steadily, judging her location based on the terrain.
After ascertaining the location, Catherine glanced towards the man on the side.
âWhat are you gonna do?â
Branden had a relaxed look on his face. He looked less like he was in combat and more like he was on vacation.
âThereâs still plenty of time. Letâs have lunch first!â He took Catherineâs hand and headed forward.
He wasnât in a hurry and wasnât worried about being eliminated, and Catherine had no problem with that.
Branden held Catherineâs hand along the way and found a shady cave. He pulled Catherine inside, unscrewed the lid of his water bottle, and handed it to Catherine.
âGet some water first!â
The combat would last for a full 48 hours, and without external assistance, their supplies were a little tight, so they couldnât afford to waste anything.
Catherine took a sip and handed the water back to Branden.
Branden took it in his hand, pressed his lips to where Catherine had been drinking, and took a small sip. Then he placed the water bottle back down next to Catherineâs side.
âYou stay here. Iâll see if thereâs any food we can use as supplies!â
Their food was limited, and it was not the time to eat their supplies, so it would be best to search for suitable food first.
Catherine understood what Branden meant and agreed with him. She glanced at the manâs legs and then stood up. âIâll join you!â
Branden revealed a faint smile. âAre you caring about me?â
Catherine rolled her eyes at him and didnât say anything. Originally, Branden wanted Catherine to rest, but since she was willing to follow, so be it.
To Catherineâs surprise, Branden was not only strong in physical ability and combat strength, but he was also great at outdoor survival.
He was able to judge the flow of the water through the growth of the plants, thus finding the water source within the shortest time.
A look of surprise escaped the manâs face as he looked at the clear stream. He made two tough fishing nets out of branches aside and put them into the water.
âThere, just wait for the fish!â
Catherine didnât respond, leaning aside to rest in boredom.
Branden leaned over as well, and the two of them looked somewhat cozy in this look.
In front of the monitor screen, Jon looked at the scene and couldnât help but complain to Paxton.
âIs your boss here on vacation?â
Although Paxton wanted to retort when he heard Jonâs sarcastic remark about Branden, he felt that Branden and Catherine seemed to be on vacation compared to the other teams fighting fiercely.
The other teams had already fought a few battle rounds, but Branden and Catherine were still fishing and leisurely barbecuing. Werenât they afraid of attracting their opponents to them?
Paxton didnât know whether it was because of their negligence or because they were overconfident.
But this was just fine. With Brandenâs current physical condition, he couldnât withstand the torture. If he really fought with the other teams, Paxton was not sure that Branden would be able to take it.
âCanât you just take it as him coming on vacation?â Paxton responded to Jon with a provocative look on his face.
Jon was slightly offended and about to retort when Paxton threatened, âDonât forget, Mr. Duncan hasnât approved the funding for next year yet!â
Hearing this, Jonâs attitude immediately changed from questioning to praising.
âMr. Duncan is handsome and awesome! Even his combat strategy is so unique!â
The one with money was the boss!
After all, the Duncans were one of the biggest financial supporters behind Scorpion Island. Offending them was the last thing Jon could do in his life.