On the Eighty-Seventh Day, They Came (Part One)

"Bro...ther Ro...bo!"

I was still fast asleep, having a wonderful dream, when I was suddenly jolted awake by a round of shouting. Collecting my thoughts and listening closely, I realized someone outside was indeed calling out for Brother Robo. Judging by the voice, I could tell instantly it was Brother Qian.

It seemed they understood proper etiquette after all, calling out before entering. Judging by the volume of his voice, I could tell they were still outside the courtyard. At first, I had been worried they might just barge right in the moment they arrived.

I jumped out of bed immediately, ran to the door, opened it, and stepped outside. Little Black stepped out right along with me; having heard the commotion long ago, it was following closely by my side with sharp vigilance.

"Brother Qian, you're here? Come on in, make yourselves at home. From now on, this place is your home too. Come in." I greeted them, walking forward. The person Brother Qian had brought along this time was someone I hadn't seen before; perhaps he had been out looking for food that day. I couldn't help wondering why Brother Qian hadn't brought Ye Qingchen along, but a second thought put my mind at ease—Ye Qingchen still had to lead the way for the remaining few people. But why hadn't they all come together?

"Right! Thank you, Brother Robo." Brother Qian was carrying a heavy load of items, his face flushed red from exertion, yet he remained polite. I hurried over to help him unload, but he simply placed the items directly onto the ground. Then, he plopped down on the dirt, panting heavily as he said, "Brother Robo, these are all our tools. That over there is a small hand-mill for grinding powder, and these are stone knives..."

Everything was wrapped neatly inside a plastic tarp, though God knows where they had managed to find it. As for the man Brother Qian had brought, the moment he set his burdens down, he flat-out lay down on the ground without saying a word. He looked like he might be the introverted type.

Brother Qian hadn't earned his position as the leader for nothing. Although I had only glanced at the man briefly without uttering a word, letting my gaze linger for perhaps three seconds at most, Brother Qian still noticed.

He immediately gave the sprawled-out fellow a pat, gesturing for him to get up. Then, with a cheerful smile, he said, "Brother Robo, this is Midakang. He's rather fond of his freedom, and prefers to hunt and do things on his own. As you can probably tell, Brother Mi is usually a bit quiet, but he's a really good guy... Haha!"

"Hello!" I greeted him and flashed a friendly smile. Under normal circumstances, anyone would at least offer a smile in return, but he merely gave a slight nod to show politeness, and then lay right back down on the ground.

I understood very well that they were exhausted. Not only had they needed to stay alert for sudden attacks by saltwater crocodiles along the way, but they had also lugged all these supplies across such a long distance. They must have been worn down to total exhaustion.

"Brother Robo, this spot is actually quite cozy. Do you mind if we sit here and chat for a bit?" Brother Qian was completely wiped out too; if not for the sake of manners, I figured he would have been flat on the ground by now as well.

"Sure, take a rest first. I'll go get you some water." With that, I turned and headed toward the treehouse. To be honest, I was extremely welcoming and thrilled that they had managed to make it here. My only lingering doubt was why the other three hadn't come along. But I could easily ask Brother Qian about that in a moment.

I grabbed three cans of beverages on impulse and walked back out. I didn't have many drinks left, but keeping them hoarded served no purpose anyway. To Brother Qian and that fellow Midakang, who hadn't seen civilization in ages, this probably felt like an astronomical surprise.

When I handed the two cans over, not only Brother Qian, but even Midakang jumped up. Instead of showing a shred of joy, they stared in absolute slack-jawed astonishment, as if they had just seen a ghost!

"Bro... Brother Robo, did you also get these from the ship?" Brother Qian asked, stuttering in sheer disbelief and looking completely thunderstruck.

"Yeah, found them back when we found the rice and flour."

"Thanks!" Midakang, who had maintained a completely icy expression until then, muttered a word of gratitude as he took the drink.

To be frank, my first impression of Midakang wasn't very favorable. How should I put it? He seemed radiating with negative energy—cold, unsocial... as if all the gloomy traits were concentrated in him. I figured the others probably didn't care much for him either.

Of course, these thoughts merely flashed through my mind; I certainly wouldn't show them on my face. Brother Qian's reaction upon receiving his drink, however, left me torn between laughing and crying. He first held the can in his hands, turning it over and over as if afraid he was dreaming. After pulling the tab, he actually licked the ring first, looking precisely like someone seeing a beverage for the very first time in his life. Then, with every single sip he took, he would close his eyes for a few seconds, as if savoring the taste, or perhaps reminiscing...

Midakang, on the other hand, was much more straightforward. He popped the tab and chugged it down in massive gulps. After taking two brief pauses to catch his breath, the entire can was empty. If it hadn't been a carbonated drink, I suspected he wouldn't even have needed to stop. Once he finished, before lying back down, he muttered another thank you to me.

"Brother Qian, where are the others? Why didn't they come with you?" Seeing that Brother Qian had finally taken a cautious sip, I voiced the question that had been on my mind.

"Ah, them? They said since they were coming over anyway, they might as well gather some more food first. The three of them went off to forage for a bit—we couldn't possibly show up on day one and just eat Brother Robo's food, that wouldn't be right at all. Besides, we still have some food reserves left. Once they pick a bit more, it should be enough to last us all for quite a while." Brother Qian exhaled a breath after taking a sip, speaking slowly.

"Sigh, Brother Qian, you guys are overthinking it. Didn't you see yesterday? I still have quite a bit of grain here, and there are several places nearby to source food. This area is far safer than where you were staying. Aren't they just taking unnecessary risks?" I sighed and said.

"It's fine, Brother Robo. Even though we were scared out of our wits before and just wanted to check this place out, people like us have lived through danger for quite a while now. Don't worry, they'll be fine. I arranged for them to set out around noon so that they'd make it here before dark at the latest. Plus, saltwater crocodiles are relatively less active around noon in those parts."

"Alright then! You guys take a rest for a while. I'll go prepare some food so that when the other brothers arrive later, they'll have something to eat."

"No need, Brother Robo. We'll be bringing our own food, it's no trouble. Once Midakang and I catch our breath, we'll go chop down some trees. Then we can learn from you and build a double-decker treehouse ourselves." Brother Qian said with a look of envy.

"I'll go whip up some food first. When you guys head out to chop trees later, feel free to take this axe and knife with you. The knife is inside..." With that, I tossed the axe down right beside their feet.