Day 85, Meeting (Part 2)

"How do you know that?" Brother Qian rushed over in agitation, his hand even resting on my shoulder. Judging by the expressions of the others nearby, I could tell they were not faking it.

"Dong Fei is my colleague, and you're asking me how I know?" This counter-question caused Brother Qian and the others to cycle through several more facial expressions.

"Brother Robo, this is no joking matter. Tell me, you aren't joking!" Brother Qian stared at me with an utterly serious expression.

"Brother Luo, you couldn't possibly have met Brother Dong Fei, could you?" This came from Ye Qingchen.

"Yeah, brother, if you've seen him, just say so. It's not like we're interrogating you, but if you—" another fellow nearby chimed in.

"Dong Fei, around one meter seventy-five, had a huge appetite for meat, didn't fuss as long as it was meat, loved to joke around, and his catchphrase was: 'Damn it!' Even though he looked a bit rough around the edges, he valued loyalty above all else—"

Before I could even finish, Brother Qian interrupted me! "Enough, Brother Robo. Based on just these words alone, I completely believe you. Even if you had merely crossed paths with him by chance in the past, you certainly wouldn't be able to describe him so vividly. That's right, he truly valued loyalty—" Brother Qian practically roared out the word "loyalty."

At this, the complexions of everyone nearby turned ashen, reflecting a mixture of fear and lingering sorrow. It was easy to deduce that my colleague must have died a rather gruesome death; otherwise, they wouldn't be wearing such expressions. Based on my experience, if, after such a long time, someone could still harbor such profound memories of a person they hadn't even spent all that much time with, and even react with expressions like these, then that person must have left an indelible, unforgettable impression upon them.

"The cruise ship originally set sail from a certain port. I remember it was around ten o'clock in the morning, and when the ship capsized—" I continued. But once again, Brother Qian interrupted me.

"Brother, Brother Luo, say no more. It's our fault; I shouldn't have doubted you. But how on earth has my brother managed to survive these past few months?" Brother Qian asked, staring right at me.

"It's a long story, not something that can be told in a short time. If the hour wasn't so late, I'd gladly chat more with Brother Qian. But I still have some business to attend to and need to head back before dark. So I must apologize, Brother Qian." I wasn't just putting on an act; it was true that I had rushed out early this morning without even feeding Lightning's rations, not to mention Xiao Hei.

Although Xiao Hei was capable of foraging for food on its own, I knew very well that if I didn't return by nightfall, it would wait for me in the courtyard. This was a tacit understanding we had formed over a long time. This place was far more dangerous than where I lived; passing through the coastal woods around dusk and nightfall was extremely perilous. Worst of all, the only way to travel here was along the coastline, because there were several mudflats nearby infested not only with swarms of leeches and the creatures that had killed "Li," but even with a small pack of wild boars.

Therefore, I had to hurry back while it was still daylight. After all, this place was quite a distance from where I lived.

"Brother Luo, going back is fine, but if you're worried about your safety, Little Ye Zi and I can walk you over later. Still, since you're here, you must have a bite to eat. In our hometown, there's a custom: if a guest comes and leaves without eating, it's considered a complete insult to the host."

Pressed like this, I felt rather embarrassed. To refuse any further would be no different from slapping him in the face. However, our acquaintance was far too brief, and what if they had tampered with the food in some way... I truly had some misgivings.

Yet my worries proved unfounded. Their idea of food consisted of fruits—all sorts of fruits, even some I had never seen before... along with those small bananas.

The fruits were nothing special to talk about, piled high on the table as they were, but among them was a yellow fruit the size of an apple. It had an exceptionally thick flesh, a wonderfully crisp bite, and a taste remarkably similar to a yellow peach. It was both sweet and delicious.

Naturally, they were eating them too, but though I wanted more, I was terrified that these might be like those hallucinogenic fruits and cause trouble if I ate too much. So I reined in my greedy impulses.

The way they prepared the small bananas, however, was an eye-opener: they actually roasted them in their skins over a campfire. The crucial part was that once roasted, the bananas lost almost all of their initial astringency, replaced instead by a sweet, soft, and glutinous texture. I hadn't thought of doing it that way before; otherwise, I suppose so many bananas wouldn't have gone to waste. It was truly a pity.

While eating, they also served up a snake meat and wild vegetable soup... which made for quite a rich spread. Still, I chose to steer clear of these dishes just to be safe. After all, I was all by myself.

As we ate, the conversation continued. I asked Brother Qian how they managed to start the fire, and Ye Qingchen promptly brought over the fire-making tools. As it turned out, they were using the bow-drill method. Unfortunately, I had never managed to get it to work.

Just as we were finishing our meal, Brother Qian suddenly asked, "Brother Robo, to be completely honest with you, are you entirely by yourself over there, or do you have other brothers with you? I'm not asking with any ulterior motives; I just feel that if Brother Robo is truly alone, you might as well join us. After all, there is strength in numbers. Besides, we are planning to build a medium-sized wooden boat in the future so that we can leave this place. Of course, with Brother Robo joining us, our chances of success would be even greater."

"Brother Qian, I stated from the beginning that I have no human companions. But I do have a companion—though not human, nor capable of speech, it is as close to me as a brother. If I don't return, it will surely wait until I come back. So, Brother Qian, it's not that I am deliberately refusing you."

"Very well, then your older brother won't force you. But if you were to bring it along and join us, would you consider it then?" Brother Qian asked, fixing his gaze on me.

"I can consider it, but there is one question I hope Brother Qian can answer first: Why must you choose this place as your base?" I asked, perplexed.

"This island is extremely perilous. The very first day we arrived here felt like stepping into the devil's trap. The tragic deaths of one brother after another left us desperately longing to leave this place. We live near this reef because it shields us from wind and rain—after all, the reef is very high, and its fan-shaped formation makes us feel secure—and it also allows us to light signal fires by the sea, making rescue more likely."

"Of course, we want to leave and see the outside world too, but with so many hidden dangers lurking here, how could we dare to relocate? I'm afraid that if we crossed this forest, very few of us would survive..." Brother Qian shook his head with a sigh.