The group of people shouted as they walked, but by the time they reached the place where the children said they had all split up, there was still no sign of Shusheng.
At this point, though no one wanted to admit it, they had to face the fact that Shusheng had likely gone deep into the mountains.
Mr. Zhao's expression was grave, his cloudy eyes brimming with sorrow.
Black bears were active at this time of year, and with the plunging nighttime temperatures, any further delay meant the boy's chances of survival were slim.
Mr. Zhao immediately split the crowd into several teams to search in different directions.
He was old but vigorous, so he led one team himself. The other two were led by Chen Song, an arrest officer from the government office, and an old hunter from the village.
