"Uncle He, here's your gun back."
Finding a free moment, Lin Qianyi returned the handgun to He Yanghui.
He originally intended to keep such a powerful weapon for himself, but after fiddling with it for quite some time, he still couldn't figure out how to use it which left him feeling quite frustrated.
So on the surface, he was returning the gun, but in reality, he was taking the opportunity to ask He Yanghui how to use it. Once he understood it, considering He Yanghui's current condition, it shouldn't be a problem to borrow it again under the pretense of hunting.
"You can keep it. Actually, it doesn't even work," He Yanghui said with a smile. "It's just a model. No bullets, and the chamber is broken. I kept it as a souvenir from my service days. I'll give it to you now."
Lin Qianyi finally understood no wonder it didn't work. He'd thought maybe this world's tech was different in subtle ways.
But it turned out... it was just a fake gun!
He couldn't help but feel amused and a bit speechless.
So Zhou Hong had been fighting over a fake gun?
Then why did you make such a fuss about it, old man? Made me freak out for nothing!
---
Turns out He Yanghui's job wasn't as easy as it looked.
Climbing trees to collect coconuts or picking barnacles off cliff walls was doable, but gathering other types of food? Not so much fun.
Like turning over rocks to find crabs, or digging for turtle eggs under the sand those required real experience.
He Yanghui was also busy exploring the island to understand the environment and find new food sources.
Now, Lin Qianyi had taken over most of that work.
That night, he borrowed a wooden plank from He Yanghui and started sketching on it with charcoal from memory.
His body control was decent. Though his drawing skills weren't amazing, creating a basic map wasn't difficult.
"So this part is a dead end an 8-meter-wide gap in the middle. Below is a natural gorge and lake formed by seawater erosion, hard to cross. We'll have to go around. Over there, you can see a bamboo forest. I spotted signs of mammals nothing too big. The vegetation is thickest at the highest point, and it gets denser toward the center. Looks like a rich ecosystem. Once the raft is done, we can try to explore over there..."
With Lin Qianyi's map and notes, He Yanghui marked a few key points.
"Uncle He, there are still around ten coconuts left, and not many mangoes on the mango trees either. The other food we've gathered is limited. But I saw a lot of fish in the nearby waters. Once the raft is ready, I want to try diving for fish," Lin Qianyi said.
"You're a strong swimmer?" He Yanghui asked.
"I can swim," Lin Qianyi replied.
He hadn't had any professional training, but given his current physical attributes, he figured it wouldn't take long to pick up the techniques.
"Diving to fish is exhausting. Even professional sailors rarely do it especially without proper gear. If you're going to dive, you'll need at least a mask, preferably flippers too. You also need to know how to identify fish not all sea fish are edible, and you might encounter predators. Plus, diving requires a partner. If something goes wrong, someone needs to pull you up. It's very risky…"
He Yanghui listed several dangers, then said, "Even if you're physically capable of catching fish in shallow waters this way, I still wouldn't recommend it. You'd be better off using fishing rods."
Lin Qianyi understood the risks.
Even with the body of a top-tier athlete, relying solely on physical strength to conquer the ocean was unrealistic.
At this stage, he needed to rely more on his super-intelligence than brute force.
That said, his enhanced physique wasn't useless his tree-chopping efficiency had definitely improved.
---
Day 10.
The simple wooden raft was finished.
He Yanghui checked its sturdiness while Lin Qianyi, shirtless, stretched nearby. His old T-shirt had long been abandoned at the camp it was too damaged to wear. His current outfit was made from salvaged lifeboat materials.
Rena was incredibly crafty.
Within the team: He Yanghui brought survival skills, Rena was a medic capable of stitching wounds and crafting essentials. Zhou Hong was dependable, strong, and cooperative a great laborer.
The only exception was Su Mandong, who seemed like a pretty face inserted into the team for unclear reasons. Everyone else had a clear role.
Lin Qianyi felt like the main task assigned by the system had its solution spelled out: Just don't let anyone die, and he'd survive the three months.
Su Mandong and Rena occasionally cast glances at Lin Qianyi's well-proportioned body, whispering to each other as they worked. Rena's cheeks turned red.
Lin Qianyi noticed but paid no mind.
He was used to it.
His aloof demeanor caused by not fitting in with the younger crowd after his rebirth made him stand out. Many girls liked that.
With his attractive face and well-maintained body, he'd always drawn attention in school.
"All right. Everything seems good. Be careful out there stay close to the island and avoid being dragged off by waves. If it gets dangerous, abandon the raft and head back immediately," He Yanghui warned.
Lin Qianyi listened carefully.
They chose a time of day when the waves were calm, carried the raft to the water, and launched it. He and Zhou Hong got on.
Both were tied to the raft with ropes.
They didn't bring much just some food, a folding sword, a dagger, fishing rods, and some bags.
Technically, Lin Qianyi could reveal some of his inventory space function it would save effort.
But that kind of supernatural power, while useful for morale, could complicate things.
More importantly, it wasn't as overpowered as it seemed.
Also, from his previous conversations with the system, Lin Qianyi vaguely sensed something: The end of this trial didn't necessarily mean the end of this world.
He might return someday in this same body.
---
As Lin Qianyi and Zhou Hong paddled, the raft steadily moved forward. He observed the island from this new external vantage point.
The island was U-shaped, like a horseshoe, with a lake cutting through the center.
Their current location was the front-right of the U. Crossing directly wasn't possible. Going around was difficult steep cliffs and jagged rocks made it dangerous.
So the raft was the best option.
Soon, they reached the opening of the U-shape.
The seawater had carved a deep, blue lake into the heart of the island.
Looking down, they saw large schools of fish an absurdly rich ecosystem.
This was exactly why they came.
"So many fish! I bet you could spear a couple just by jabbing randomly," Zhou Hong said in awe.
"Let's land over there. I see coconut trees," Lin Qianyi replied.
On the far shore stood rows upon rows of coconut trees ten times as many as at their original landing site.
They docked the raft, dragged it ashore, and Lin Qianyi immediately climbed a tree. He drew his dagger and easily began harvesting coconuts.
Thanks to his current physical prowess, the task was effortless.
The system's survival trial wasn't strict in terms of food supply.
Even if the original landing point lacked resources, starvation was unlikely.
Once they started exploring, especially here, food was no longer a problem.
The real challenge was resolving team conflicts and completing exploration.
Failing to resolve conflicts could lead to deaths, cutting off the third optional mission by far the hardest.
Exploring two-thirds of the island alone would be tough, too.
Just building the raft and searching for food had been hard enough.
Fortunately, Lin Qianyi felt in control now. The team dynamics had stabilized. Food was secured. Exploration was next.
He cracked open two coconuts, and he and Zhou Hong drank them on the spot.
This beach alone had dozens of trees, with old coconuts scattered everywhere. No need to be stingy they could drink as much as they wanted.
"Ah! So refreshing! Thank you, nature!" Lin Qianyi said with satisfaction.
Zhou Hong agreed: "I grew up by the sea, but I never thought coconut water could taste so good."
"I'll grab a few more coconuts. Zhou, set up the fishing rods and traps let's see if we can catch something to bring back," Lin Qianyi instructed.
"Got it," Zhou Hong nodded.
Lin Qianyi then harvested 20 coconuts in one go all with husks. He also picked up some old ones to use as containers bowls or makeshift tools.
Meanwhile, Zhou Hong had already caught a fish.
The fish here weren't exactly bright.
They didn't seem to bite because they were hungry they just got curious when a hook landed near them.
Plus, the fish were big. One to two pounds was standard. Some were four to five pounds. One line even snapped from a strong pull.
Lin Qianyi had never found fishing this easy.
"I knew it it wasn't my lack of skill. It was the fish's fault," he laughed. "Zhou, wanna compete?"
"Bring it on!" Zhou Hong grinned.
Soon, they filled a bag with fish at least 40 to 50 pounds. The biggest one was nearly eight pounds.
Though they could catch more, they'd hit their carrying limit, so they headed back.
They'd left with empty bags and a bare raft.
They returned with coconuts tied down and bags stuffed with fish.
With this kind of harvest, Lin Qianyi felt confident that surviving three months was no big deal.
As the raft neared the lake entrance again, he glanced back toward the island's inner area.
The fish schools there still seemed strange almost unnaturally abundant.
It was as if something deep in the lake was attracting them.
But this wasn't the time to investigate. Once they were better prepared, Lin Qianyi thought they could explore that area and complete another mission too.