Though it was raining, the environment didn't feel cold. Instead, the air became more humid.
Lin Qianyi, He Yanghui, and Zhou Yun were sheltering under a rock ledge by the beach, holding fishing rods as they fished.
"Uncle He, did you handle a lot of guns during your time in the army?" Lin Qianyi asked.
Boys usually only have two major interests either the naughty kind or toy guns!
The fascination with deadly weapons seems to be encoded in their genes.
"Mostly standard-issue weapons. Ever heard of the 495? That's currently the most commonly used rifle in Xianghao Nation..." He Yanghui replied.
And so, they continued chatting.
From firearms to vehicles, planes, then politics, and eventually technological development and the global situation.
Lin Qianyi couldn't help but think the rain came at just the right time it gave him a chance to connect and converse.
Through He Yanghui's stories, Lin Qianyi's understanding of this world was no longer limited to the sliver of knowledge implanted by the Lord God. He now had more detailed, real information.
"Uncle He, are you married?" Lin Qianyi asked.
"Mhm." This time, He Yanghui didn't avoid the question. He gazed out at the sea and said, "I have a wife and a daughter."
Lin Qianyi couldn't help but mentally comment what a classic character setting!
Still, this explained why He Yanghui remained so composed. He had goals and loved ones to live for his willpower wasn't easily broken.
He really was the backbone of the team.
Even if everyone else lost the will to survive, he would still fight to live.
"What about you, Brother Zhou? Are you married?" Lin Qianyi asked Zhou Yun.
"No."
Zhou Yun's expression subtly changed, giving only a one-word answer.
Lin Qianyi didn't push further he'd already noticed Zhou Yun was sensitive about topics like marriage or women.
"What do you enjoy doing, Brother Zhou?" Lin Qianyi continued.
"Drinking. Barbecue," Zhou Yun replied.
"Drinking and barbecue? What a coincidence. When we get back, I'll treat you. I actually cook pretty well..." Lin Qianyi offered.
"Let's talk when we make it back."
Zhou Yun wasn't optimistic. He didn't think their chances of escaping the island were very high.
Still, He Yanghui's professionalism gave him a bit of hope, so he didn't give up completely.
The three chatted while fishing. Suddenly, Lin Qianyi felt a tug on his rod. He lifted it caught a small fish.
"Hahaha, got one!"
...
Near noon, the three returned to camp with several fish in hand.
Rena was braiding rope, her eyes drifting distractedly. Su Mandong was also working a rare burst of effort. Whether it was recovery or something else, no one could say.
"Rena, Sister Su, we had good luck this morning. Maybe because of the rain we caught a decent amount of fish," Lin Qianyi said cheerfully.
"Really? That's nice," Su Mandong replied.
Something felt off normally she would have just grunted indifferently.
His doubts were quickly confirmed.
He Yanghui added wood to the fire and looked at Su Mandong. "You all ate already?"
"I was hungry, of course I ate. What's wrong with that?" Su Mandong shot back sharply.
"But that was the team's food. Xiao Su, your behavior is selfish," He Yanghui said seriously. "Our situation is bad. Every bit of food must be carefully rationed."
"Carefully rationed means we go hungry?" Su Mandong argued.
"Everyone's hungry," He Yanghui said.
"What do you mean?" Zhou Yun's expression turned grim. "They ate all the bread? I knew women would screw things up!"
"What do you mean by that? You weren't born of a woman?" Su Mandong snapped.
Zhou Yun didn't bother arguing. He walked forward and slapped her across the face, leaving a red handprint.
"You think it's easy for us to go out searching for food? You usually slack off, and now you've eaten the little food we had left. You're no use to us!" Zhou Yun shouted.
"I've had enough! Doing all sorts of crap every day, still going hungry and now I eat a bit of bread and it's the end of the world? I'd rather die than live like this!" Su Mandong screamed in despair.
"Fine. Then go die!"
Zhou Yun reached for his knife without hesitation, he stabbed toward her neck.
That multi-tool knife had been given to Zhou Yun by He Yanghui after Lin Qianyi received the folding sword.
He and He Yanghui were both shocked.
He Yanghui had only meant for Zhou Yun to scare her a little. Who knew he'd try to actually kill her?
And now they were too far to stop it.
Fortunately, Lin Qianyi was closer. He lunged, smacking Zhou Yun's wrist. The knife veered off and scraped Su Mandong's cheek, leaving a shallow cut.
"Ah... ahh!!"
Pain surged on her face. Su Mandong froze, terrified. She hadn't expected him to suddenly go for the kill.
Lin Qianyi's heart pounded. Seeing Zhou Yun try again, he stood up and shielded Su Mandong, saying, "Brother Zhou, that's too much! Really it's not worth it. Just have her apologize and punish her with fewer rations."
"Xiao Zhou, don't act on impulse!" He Yanghui added. "She doesn't deserve death. Right now, every person is vital. She's still a useful worker losing her would make survival even harder."
"She only consumes food. What little she does, we can do ourselves. Killing her reduces the drain on our resources," Zhou Yun said coldly.
Su Mandong regained a bit of composure. She looked into Zhou Yun's eyes and knew he was serious. He really could kill.
He was someone who could harden his heart.
She curled up against a tree behind her, looking for some sense of security.
Suddenly, she noticed something at Zhou Yun's ankle...
Some memory returned and her mindset shifted slightly.
"Xiao Su, apologize. Promise to work hard from now on. It's a crisis, and we must all unite if we want to survive," He Yanghui said.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't endure the hunger. I'll work seriously from now on," Su Mandong said, quickly stepping back.
"I ate some too. I'm sorry," Rena added.
No one really blamed Rena.
She always worked hard and had a good attitude. If Su Mandong hadn't eaten first, Rena likely wouldn't have either.
"Let it go, Xiao Zhou. Put the knife away," He Yanghui said.
Zhou Yun took a deep breath and sheathed the knife. "Then you two get no food today and tomorrow."
They'd already eaten bread and likely weren't hungry but a message had to be sent.
For now, the incident ended.
Fish soup was ready. Lin Qianyi, He Yanghui, and Zhou Yun drank quietly. Rena tended to Su Mandong's wound. Thanks to Lin Qianyi's quick reaction, the cut wasn't deep just a surface wound. Cleaned and dressed, it wouldn't scar if kept infection-free.
Su Mandong just didn't want a scar. Otherwise, high-heat cauterization would've been fastest.
Drinking his soup, Lin Qianyi had a realization.
In this kind of environment, humanity fades fast.
Hunger is terrifying. A person starving for two days will agree to many things.
One of the most direct ways to control or brainwash someone is to keep them hungry.
So it wasn't all Su Mandong's fault.
If Lin Qianyi were in her shoes, starving long enough, he might've done the same.
Human nature is fragile.
The real issue now was food.
Even with He Yanghui pulling his weight, there simply wasn't enough for five people. No matter how fairly it was divided, someone would go hungry.
Those who risked their lives for food would eat more. Others would get less.
This wasn't a distribution problem. It was a supply problem.
That afternoon, the trio went to place the fish traps just finished. Lin Qianyi had woven one himself.
"Xiao Yi, your reaction was fast. Have you trained in martial arts?" He Yanghui asked as they worked.
"A little," Lin Qianyi replied.
The Sanbao Ruyi Technique was mainly for conditioning, but it did have real combat potential.
In a barehanded fight, Lin Qianyi felt he had a good chance against Zhou Yun.
"No wonder. When you dashed out like that, it was even better than some pros we had in the squad," He Yanghui said, impressed.
Lin Qianyi had launched forward like a spring and redirected Zhou Yun's wrist with a smooth palm strike.
To outsiders, it just looked like fast reflexes. But He Yanghui knew such control wasn't possible without training.
"You flatter me. I'm just faking it wouldn't last in a real fight," Lin Qianyi said humbly.
But he knew his own progress well.
He had already consumed most of the Marrow-Cleansing Grass. His body was no longer the same. He now believed his physical level was close to a peak-condition soldier of Xianghao Nation.
His interference value had reached 67.
If he finished the remaining herbs, it could reach 70.
In the Federation, only 5% of adults naturally surpassed that without external help.
This level meant a person could easily lift 70–80 kg with one arm, or jump 2.5 meters with both legs.
That was the human limit in practical terms. Anything beyond required genetic mutation or enhancement.