No one answered his question, as everyone present was unclear about the reason.
Professionals began to investigate these traces, attempting to deduce the whereabouts of the missing passengers.
They gradually inferred from the footprints on the ground, the deep pits where tent poles were erected, and the discarded canned drinks, ultimately reaching the conclusion that:
The more than two hundred missing passengers had camped here for one to two days after escaping to the new continent. The footprints on the ground were not chaotic, suggesting that there had been no disorder in the camp.
However, what puzzled these professionals was that there were not just over two hundred pairs of footprints on the ground; upon careful counting, there were actually over three hundred pairs!
Furthermore, and eerily, the extra hundred-plus pairs of footprints were very strange. The soles did not resemble ordinary shoes, but rather looked very much like military boots.
This was terrifying. There were only just over two hundred missing passengers, yet the footprints on the ground indicated that over three hundred people had been at this camp.
Where did this extra hundred-plus people come from?
They couldn't have just appeared out of thin air, could they?
In an instant, the few professionals who reached this conclusion felt a chill run down their spines, as if they had discovered something extraordinary.
They immediately reported this news to the leaders of each country, which immediately caused a stir!
"What!? Over a hundred pairs of footprints appeared out of nowhere, are you sure you're not mistaken!?"
Deng He's eyes widened, and he looked at the people before him with disbelief.
"We are not mistaken! We have confirmed it several times. We can be very sure that over three hundred people were at this camp, and not long ago, just a few days ago," replied the professional wearing glasses, his expression filled with fear.
"How is this possible? The Nix had only just over two hundred passengers. Where did the extra hundred-plus people come from!?"
Salis's face contorted as if he had eaten something foul, and he couldn't help but exclaim loudly.
At the same time, he questioned the professionals' words, suspecting they were lying.
The professionals quickly defended themselves, and then personally led the leaders of several countries to examine the extra footprints, which finally convinced everyone.
Deng He looked at the extremely messy footprints on the ground and gasped, "This is not simple. These hundred-plus people certainly didn't appear out of thin air. Could it be that this new continent is inhabited by humans?"
This was the only conclusion he could think of that would be easily accepted by everyone.
It was not unusual for a new continent to be inhabited by primitive people; this had been considered before they landed on the new continent.
But now, another problem arose. The whereabouts of the missing passengers had been found, on this new continent. But now they were gone again, and the last clue pointed to the extra hundred-plus footprints?
Were these all indigenous people of the new continent?
Had the two hundred-plus passengers from the Nix been captured by the indigenous people?
The leaders of various countries all thought of this, and their hearts sank.
If they were indeed indigenous people, then the missing passengers would be in grave danger. After all, indigenous people were often associated with cannibals, making it difficult to let down one's guard.
Deng He looked at the professionals and asked, "In which direction did these people leave?"
The professionals shook their heads. "We don't know. On the ground, there are only traces of the missing passengers having lived here. We found no signs of migration. However, there were about a dozen footprints heading into the deep forest, but there were also signs of them returning."
They reported the situation, which was the part that made them feel most chilled.
At a campsite, over two hundred people, with no signs of large-scale migration, had all inexplicably vanished into thin air!
This could be compiled into a collection of stories about mysterious phenomena.
After hearing this, everyone was once again shocked, and upon confirming the truth of the words, all of them showed expressions of disbelief.
Vison couldn't help but exclaim, "Heavens, what on earth has happened on this new continent? Not only did over a hundred pairs of footprints appear out of nowhere, but now these people have also vanished into thin air? Are they angels who can fly?"
"Not only are the people gone, but the tents, supplies, and even the four assault boats are gone. These are all very heavy items, not easy to move!"
Deng He's expression was grim, and he felt that everything was somewhat beyond his control.
Everyone present felt the situation was tricky and dared not act rashly. They all ordered their subordinates to strengthen their vigilance!
Even Salis, who had been clamoring to venture deep into the land to explore resources, fell silent and did not dare to act rashly.
Known monsters were one thing; they could be bombed to death with firearms. But this unknown and bizarre phenomenon made them feel uneasy.
Lin Yong, after witnessing all this, felt his heart sink to the bottom, extremely worried about his children and father.
At this moment, the Russian representative stepped forward and said, "There are no clues about the missing passengers. What should we do now? We can't just wander around this new continent, can we?"
"Wandering around is definitely not an option. We must re-plan!"
Vison spoke, his expression extremely serious.
Upon learning that the missing passengers might have been abducted by the 'indigenous people' of this new continent, he felt increasingly uneasy.
He had to find Prince Jack's whereabouts as soon as possible and rescue him!
"Didn't they say there were about a dozen footprints heading towards that forest? We can go and take a look, perhaps we can find some clues," Deng He said, his gaze fixed on the vast forest ahead.
Others also looked in that direction. Every tree in this forest was incredibly tall, reaching into the clouds, incomparable to trees on Earth.
The leaders of various countries pondered for a moment, then all agreed to Deng He's proposal, deciding to first enter the forest to assess the situation.
Salis also agreed. At this point, he no longer mentioned acting alone to explore resources. If he wanted to, he would have to understand the situation with these 'indigenous people' first.
However, he still stepped forward and said, "If there are indeed indigenous people on this new continent, please do not show mercy when you encounter them. Kill them all!"
His tone was extremely cold, as if indigenous people were not human in his eyes.
The crowd was stunned by Salis's words, feeling his cold-blooded ruthlessness. Had he awakened America's bloodline talent for genocide?
Seeing their reaction, Salis quickly added, "These 'indigenous people' have kidnapped citizens from our various countries and threatened their lives. They are beasts who have not received civilization. Should they not be punished?"