From Robinson Crusoe

July 29, at dawn.

Most of the lights on the second floor of the factory were off, except for Chen Zhou's office, which was still lit.

The uniform gray color scheme makes the entire room appear exceptionally solemn; there is neither warmth nor luxury to be found here.

A steaming cup of coffee sits on the long, reddish-brown table.

That was a reward delivered on April 16th: canned instant coffee, 1.2kg per can, and a total of 30 cans were delivered.

Chen Zhou usually adds a lot of brown sugar to his drinks, but he didn't add any tonight.

When the bitter coffee enters your mouth, a burnt bitterness first climbs onto your taste buds and fills your mouth. As the coffee flows down your esophagus, the aftertaste is slightly acidic, and only at the very end can you catch a hint of its rich aroma.

Excessive caffeine made Chen Zhou extremely excited.

He sat at the table, taking sips of coffee now and then, and then standing up from the ergonomic chair, picking up his binoculars, and gazing out the window into the distance.

……

A sliver of dawn appeared on the distant horizon, casting a soft, pale purple hue on the few wispy clouds that had fallen over the sea.

As the sun rises, the light of the morning star gradually fades.

The morning glow burst forth from the sea, spreading a fiery red hue across the sky and water, causing Chen Zhou to squint slightly.

He showed no signs of fatigue and raised his hand to check his watch.

If all goes well, this should be Sunday, the time for them to complete their objective and set off with the prisoners.

But can these natives, who are using sailboats for the first time, carrying out infiltration missions for the first time, and even using modern weapons for the first time, really complete their missions successfully?
Chen Zhou was somewhat worried.

But his anxiety was not outwardly apparent.

Looking out to sea from the second floor of the factory, even with the help of binoculars, not a single small boat could be spotted on the vast ocean.

Frequent observation was merely a way to comfort himself—Chen Zhou was well aware of this.

He took one last look, returned to the table, put the monocular telescope back on the table, picked up his cup, and drank the last sip of coffee.

Just then, someone knocked on the office door.

After receiving Chen Zhou's permission, he crawled in on Saturday.

……

Since making "teacher" his main job, this round-faced native has gradually become more plump.

Less physical activity, coupled with prolonged sitting, and a variety of delicious foods, especially sweets and milk tea, quickly filled his body.

On Saturday, he looked somewhat fierce, with the primitive savagery characteristic of cannibals.

After nearly two years of study and life, he now looks somewhat like other Chinese people, only with a darker complexion.

……

Chen Zhou forced himself to stay awake all night with the help of coffee.

There was no coffee on Saturday, but he hadn't slept all night. When you walked into the office, you could see the obvious dark circles under his eyes and his slightly listless expression.

"You're still awake? Should I go make some food?"

Seeing Chen Zhou standing next to the chair, Saturday was slightly surprised, as if he hadn't expected that "God" had also stayed up all night, and asked in a low voice.

"I don't want to eat right now, but you can prepare some food for them for Sunday."

If all goes well, they should be back in three or four hours.

Eating a full meal makes one sleepy, and Chen Zhou wanted to know the outcome of the plan as soon as possible, so he didn't dare to eat anything even though he was a little hungry.

He yawned as he spoke.

This yawn triggered another yawn on Saturday, and the whole office was instantly filled with drowsiness.

……

Unlike the languid atmosphere of the Big Island, the beaches of the archipelago are now imposing.

The tide gently pushed against the body of the indigenous man whose throat had been slit, each receding wave leaving a trail of pale red.

Not far from this corpse was the body of a female native, with arrow holes in her chest, throat, and eye sockets, and a pool of blood beneath her.

Closer to the coastal woodland, two slightly stronger natives lay dead.

They knelt on the ground, their necks empty, their heads chopped off on Sunday.

These two "early birds" were the first among the captured natives to rebel.

But they were no match for Sunday. In the blink of an eye, they were killed by long knives, and their bodies were left there to intimidate the other natives.

Having learned from the previous example, the other natives dared not disobey these three demons who seemed to come from hell. They had no choice but to obey. First, their hands were tied and they were thrown into the cabin. After entering the cabin, their feet were tied to prevent them from struggling and jumping into the sea.

When formulating the plan, Chen Zhou hoped that the three-person team could capture at least 10 natives and bring them back to the island.

After successfully reaching the island and interrogating the male and female natives, obtaining accurate information from them, the three men took advantage of the cover of night to move freely through the tribe and quickly captured fifteen people.

After killing two resisting native warriors, the more conservative Kosu advised Sunday that it would be better to give up, as thirteen men would be enough to satisfy the enemy.

The ever-bold Sunday did not heed his advice. After guarding the prisoners on the beach, Luluku and Kosu went to the tribe alone and soon returned with two new prisoners.

……

The corpses on the beach were the three-man team's final gift to the tribal chief, a gesture that seemed like a provocation, but was more of a humiliation.

The natives, like cheap goods, were obediently waded through the sea and thrown onto the boat under the threat of blades.

They huddled side by side on either side of the boat, trying to make room for the three people.

Some were terrified, some were confused, some were at a loss, and some were numb.

As the anchor was pulled up, the sails were hoisted, and the small boat rocked on the waves, someone finally cried out and struggled frantically to jump into the sea.

However, the ship was not large, and besides Kosu, who was holding a compass and determining the direction, raising the sails on a Sunday, there was also a dejected Kulu who was idle.

This usually silent man hadn't spoken a word since he killed his former spouse.

His clothes were still stained with blood, his zombie-like face remained expressionless, and there was no fluctuation of emotion in his eyes.

Seeing someone struggle, Kulu took a step forward and slapped them hard across the face. The loud slap silenced all the prisoners.

Only Kuru stood in the distance, gazing at the ever-shrinking archipelago, looking towards the direction his son had supposedly swum away, with a deep sense of longing.

……

After one practice session, Kosu had completely figured out how to use the compass and was able to combine this small, portable tool with his own experience to help him navigate the boat.

Talking to Sunday, I skillfully adjusted my direction.

After confirming that everything was correct, Kosu stretched and relaxed his muscles after a night of hard work, then walked over to Kulu and patted him on the shoulder.

"It's alright. Since we haven't seen your son's body, it means there's still a chance he's alive."

What did the teacher teach us on Saturday?

"Good people are always blessed!" Kosu said again when he saw that Kulu remained silent.

"We completed this mission very well. With the experience gained, the leader will send us again next time."

And next time, I might bring even more people.

Maybe you'll have a chance to visit another island and perhaps find your son.

Upon hearing this, Kuru's eyes regained some luster, and hope seemed to be rekindled in his heart.

Seeing this, Kosu continued.

“For your son’s sake, you need to pull yourself together and not always look so listless.”

If you keep acting like this, the leader might not want to use you anymore.

I've heard everything about your story with Zebra, and you're no less capable than Zebra.

"Someone like me can be valued, so why are you living such a decadent life? Do you think your son wants to see you like this?"

……

"Alright, don't give him too much useless hope."

Kosu was interrupted by Sunday before he could finish speaking.

The young man, who had been running around all night but was still full of energy and showed no signs of fatigue, carried a bloody aura.

He was neither tall nor strong, yet he stood out remarkably on the boat, exuding the capable air of someone in a superior position.

Before Kulu could recover from Kosu's comforting words, Sunday poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

"Don't cling to any hopeless expectations to live on. Your son is most likely dead. Even if you were sent to another island, you wouldn't find him."

But he's dead, and you're still alive. You have to avenge him, understand?

Two people were killed last night; they were one of the murderers who killed your son, but not all of them.

There is another murderer, right in the center of the tribe—

"That so-called leader—if it weren't for him, how could your son have risked jumping into the sea and drowning?"

Upon hearing Sunday's first few words, Kuru slowly lowered his head, seemingly unable to accept the cruel reality.

After hearing the last few words, his body hunched over. The "leader" who had once trampled him underfoot and deeply imprinted himself into the soil was still an insurmountable mountain to him. Just thinking about fighting against him made Kuru feel powerless.

Sunday despises Kuru's appearance the most.

He grabbed Kulu's collar and pulled him up, forcing Kulu to look up and meet his eyes.

Are you a piece of trash?
Weren't you very skilled at murder last night?

What, it's not working if you switch to someone else?

Who killed your son? Don't you realize it yet?
Leader, what happened to the leader?
"Can our leader compare to the 'gods'? Can our leader compare to the brown-haired man? The leader still has to obsequiously flatter those who sail in from the sea in large ships, while our 'gods' can hang the brown-haired man."

“Your cowardice is a disgrace to the ‘Gods,’ and all the warriors on the island will be ashamed of your actions.”

On Sunday, he took the gun off his back and showed it to Kuru.

"Get rid of your bad habits, otherwise even if the 'gods' agree next time, I won't take you with me."

You only lost your son, but most of my tribe, my parents, and our tribe's old priest all died at the hands of this chief.

"If it weren't for completing the mission, I would have killed him last night!"

At this point, Sunday's fierce gaze made Kuru unable to look directly at the sharp-looking boy.

His facial expression remained unchanged, but his heart was stirred by Sunday's words.

Although he didn't understand the meaning of some of the words Sunday uttered due to the difference in educational resources, he could grasp the general meaning.

The once high and mighty leader was completely dragged down from his throne by Sunday's words.

When he cast aside his former majesty and illusions and carefully examined the former "leader," he discovered that this man was also a native who had been naked since childhood, no different from himself before he was captured.

As for wisdom, this leader knew nothing of farming, animal husbandry, writing, poetry, chess, forging, or building tall and sturdy houses.

In terms of military strength, the tribal chief was far from being comparable to the "god".

If the tribes had possessed the armor and weapons of the "gods," as well as extraordinary equipment like night vision devices, they would have already unified the archipelago, and their expansion would not have been hindered by other smaller tribes.

Looking at it this way, it becomes very clear who the true God standing in heaven is and who the false God is on earth.

After recognizing the true nature of the tribal chief and recalling his past actions, Kuru felt a surge of anger rising in his chest, almost giving him the urge to immediately leap into the sea and swim back to the island for revenge.

"Just think about it clearly."

Sensing the change in Kuru's thoughts, Sunday let go of his hand, walked to the bow of the boat alone, sat down, leaned against the side of the boat, and looked out at the sea.

……

Sunlight shone from behind the small boat, and the gently undulating waves to the west reflected a golden hue on the horizon.

The bright orange sun has already risen, and the brilliant stars of last night have long since disappeared into the vast sky.

On Sunday, he stroked the hard, cold body of the rifle and glanced back at the archipelago, which had now become a small black dot.

This time, he could only be a hunter in the night, discreetly tearing off a small piece of meat to satisfy his hunger.

When he returns next time, he may transform into a ferocious beast, using gunpowder and bullets to show that "false leader" who the true master of this sea is.

……

The weather during the dry season remained stable as always.

In the early morning, you can still see a few wisps of clouds, but as the sun rises, the sea and sky turn into a completely blue expanse, with only bright sunlight.

Sailing at sea like this, there is nowhere to find any shade.

However, the sails on the ship became natural sunshades, casting shadows that, while only blocking some of the sunlight, also brought a slight coolness to the people.

The captured natives were starving and huddled in the ship's cabin, unable to move, and drowsy from the sun.

Fearing that these guys had made the same mistake as when they were rescued on Saturday, Kulu gave each of the natives some water on Sunday, which helped the skinny monkeys regain some spirit.

……

Although there was no problem with the return journey, the wind did not blow towards the big island.

Despite excellent sail handling on Sunday, the sailboat's speed was still affected.

Originally expected to arrive at the Big Island around 8 or 9 o'clock, it took them more than five hours, until nearly 11:30, before they finally appeared near the shore of the Big Island.

Upon seeing the familiar coastline, the barren nearshore forest, and the stark salt drying pools and wooden and stone walls on the beach, the three-person team perked up.

They all picked up their oars and worked together to row, increasing the slow speed of the boat.

On a nearby island, local lookouts had already spotted the sailboat and ran towards the factory to inform Chen Zhou. (End of Chapter)