From Robinson Crusoe

Under the watchful eyes of Chen Zhou and Paul, Tiger Three's slightly sunken back, which had been fixed in splints, quickly recovered. Its weak hind legs twitched violently, but due to the splints, it could not move at a large angle.

Paul hurriedly removed the splints.

Almost the instant he removed the splint, Tiger Three stood up. It was still a little thin, but it looked like it was just malnourished. Its eyes and posture were full of vitality.

……

"Don't you regret it?"

Chen Zhou pointed to the remaining syringe in the box.

"It was used up just like that."

Paul laughed freely: "Will Paul Korchagin regret it when he's on the battlefield in Kachadin?"

Gazing at Paul's sharply defined young face, Chen Zhou felt for the first time that he was no longer a child, but a mature soldier.

"Then if you get injured in the future, you'd better not mention any of that bullshit 'give up' or 'sacrifice'."

"Suicide is the most cowardly and easiest way out."

Paul put down the injection, hugged Tiger Three, and patted its back affectionately.

"Welcome back, my friend."

……

Seeing this, Chen Zhou finally felt that his hard work had not been in vain.

Although this is not the best outcome, it is still quite ideal. At least Tiger Three has stood up again, at least Paul is still alive, and at least their journey continues.

There was only one injection left in the box, and with a final burst of curiosity, Chen Zhou took it out.

Unlike the other two injections, this one had a string of blue text printed on its silver-white syringe, which, when converted to a recognizable font, turned out to be a string of English letters.

“STITCHRI”

Chen Zhou might not be familiar with other English words, but he was really impressed by this string of letters.

Upon returning to the modern world, due to the significant difference in his physical condition compared to ordinary people, he underwent hundreds of examinations and tests.

According to the doctors who served him, he most likely underwent gene editing, replacing his entire genome through the RNA system.

Although this technology is still a pipe dream in the 21st century, everything Chen Zhou has shown confirms this conjecture.

STITCHR refers to the technology of replacing genes with RNA.

The "Ι" following this string of letters could be the injection number.

"Could this thing be understood as Captain America's super serum?"

As he watched the transparent liquid inside the syringe flow as he adjusted the angle of the syringe, Chen Zhou thought to himself.

He hadn't expected the Time and Space Administration to be so generous, actually distributing such a powerful drug. Even if the person who received the injection only had half the physical enhancement of him, they would still be able to overcome this challenge.

Doesn't this mean that securing the first supply drop already guarantees victory?
Based on his extensive experience dealing with the Time and Space Administration, Chen Zhou judged that this injection was likely "not what he expected," and its effects would probably be far from what he imagined.

After he took out the instruction manual, carefully read through it, and confirmed the effects of the injection, he was speechless.

The Time and Space Administration's stinginess far exceeded his expectations.

Despite its seemingly "high-end" appearance, this injection has absolutely nothing to do with any form of enhancement.

It is called "Type I Gene Modification Injection", but it is actually just a basic drug whose efficacy lies in compatibility technology to avoid severe rejection reactions.

Simply put, it is the "base" of all other gene-editing injections. The only effect it produces after injection is to help the recipient adapt to the changes brought about by other injections; the actual strengthening effect is approximately zero.

Of course, this injection also has no side effects.

However, according to the instructions, using this injection before injecting the "cold-resistant gene-modified injection" may reduce side effects and shorten the modification process, which may be the only benefit.

Handing the instruction manual to Paul, Chen Zhou reminded him not to forget to get the injection first, then took out the last item in the box, the one he had the least hope for: the long, narrow wooden box.

……

The wooden box is made of what appears to be ebony, emitting a faint fragrance. Its surface is polished and waxed, making it stand out from the other items inside, like an old antique from the Republic of China era that has accidentally wandered into a futuristic technology exhibition.

Having endured the torment of various "mysterious rewards," Chen Zhou had never been interested in this wooden box from the beginning.

He opened the box with a nonchalant expression, but was taken aback when he saw the contents.

From left to right, the wooden box contains six small and exquisite yellow wood carvings.

He was extremely familiar with the color of these wood carvings; they were made of pineapple wood from the island. And the subjects they depicted were things Chen Zhou would never forget in his life—

Running Laifu, Sunday with the ox, Saturday lying under the tree on his deathbed, the island's first watermill, steam-powered ships, and him in armor holding a lance.

Picking up the lifelike Laifu at random, Chen Zhou looked at its flowing fur and its tail, which was raised like a flag, and gazed at the sky above the Black Forest.

He didn't know if the rewards in the wooden box varied from person to person, nor did he know what kind of connection this accidental intrusion into the challenge had created between him and the Time and Space Administration.

At this moment, holding the wooden carving, he had only one feeling—

One day, perhaps he can return to the deserted island, return to the world of Robinson Crusoe, to see the island that held half a lifetime of hardship and hope, to see the grave of Lucky in the manor, and to see where Saturday and Sunday led "Paradise Island" after leaving his leadership...

My homeland, where I've lived for half my life, holds too many memories.

No matter how exhausted he was, seeing the wooden sculptures inside the box still gave Chen Zhou a sense of peace.

Slowly lowering the Lai Fu statue and placing it back into the groove in the wooden box, Chen Zhou sighed and closed the box.

Paul was quite curious about the change in his partner. Just as he was about to ask, he saw Chen Zhou press the wooden box back into the trunk exactly as it was made, and then take out the remaining potent regeneration injection and put it in his pocket.

"This medicine is so important, I feel safer carrying it with me."

Explaining to Paul, Chen Zhou closed the black box, moved to the campfire, and began to focus on eating the cooked meat.

Seeing that Chen Zhou didn't want to talk about the contents of the wooden box, Paul didn't ask any further questions. He knew that Chen Zhou was already very tired, so he stood up with his cane and added a few pieces of coal he had collected to the campfire.

"You should rest. I'll keep watch tonight."

Chen Zhou chewed on the dry, hard roasted venison, too exhausted to speak. He simply nodded, swallowed the meat, and lay down by the campfire, falling asleep within two seconds.

...The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and night soon falls.

At the edge of the Black Forest, a campfire blazes, and the Sawtooth Tiger brothers gather together once again, running and playing.

Tiger Cub 1 and Tiger Cub 2 teased their younger brother, who had stood up again, as the warm firelight illuminated their shadows.

Paul propped up his legs with a wooden brace, leaned comfortably against the tree trunk, sliced ​​raw venison with a knife, and then patiently skewered the meat onto thin branches and set it aside.

When the playful saw-toothed tiger ran up to him, it would often peek out and mischievously snatch a skewer of meat—

These are their special toys, which can be played with and eaten, and always cause a scramble to grab them.

The injection from the Time and Space Administration was exceptionally effective. After receiving the injection, Tiger Three had no so-called "recovery period." From the moment it was freed from the splints, it was full of energy.

Aside from being slightly thin, it is no less than its two older brothers in terms of running speed, strength, and agility. It also has a strong appetite, and it ate the most of the meat that Paul cut tonight.

When the little ones usually make a ruckus like this, Paul would always pretend to be angry and scold them a couple of times.

But tonight was an exception. Tiger Three Boys came back to life, and Chen Zhou returned safely. Although his knee had not yet recovered, Paul did not care much. If there was any regret, it was that he was missing some strong liquor.

Thinking of this, Paul licked his lips and pulled out an alcohol bottle from his pocket—

While waiting for Chen Zhou to return, he couldn't resist his craving for alcohol and took a couple more sips. Now the bottle is completely empty, with not a single drop of liquor left.

To enjoy the aroma of the wine, you can only unscrew the cap, bring your nose close to the bottle opening, take a deep breath, and smell the residual alcohol aroma inside the bottle.

……

In contrast to the tranquil atmosphere around the campfire, dozens of kilometers away on the cliff top, a group of challengers were huddled behind a boulder, enduring the biting wind.

The flint flickered, and one of the men pulled up his clothes to shield the flame, his face already turning pale.

Finally, after countless attempts, they managed to light the campfire.

Even though the flames weren't strong enough, they still brought a lot of warmth, gradually restoring color to their faces.

While warming themselves by the fire, one of them took out a small bottle from his pocket, held it with both hands, and brought it to the fire.

The lizard-like creature, curled up inside the bottle, sensed the rising temperature and, like an animal awakening from hibernation, laboriously began to move its body and become active again.

Seeing that the lizard was still alive, the man finally breathed a sigh of relief, then unscrewed the bottle cap and released the lizard.

The other person skillfully took out a small bottle of bright red liquid, squeezed out two drops and put them to the lizard's mouth. After the lizard finished eating, the liquid was put back into the bottle, and the two of them collapsed to the ground with a sigh of relief.

The "sniffing lizard" was a significant reward the two received during their previous challenge, making an outstanding contribution to their survival.

This thing consumes little energy, is easy to carry, and has a wide range of uses, especially for tracking prey. It can also stably produce toxins to help with hunting. It can be said that the two of them have survived to this day thanks in no small part to the lizard's contribution.

No matter how many advantages it has, it will naturally have its flaws.

Scented lizards come from the rainforests of South America and are not adapted to the cold climate of high-latitude regions. When they arrive in the tundra, even if they are placed close to the body to keep warm, they will still often hibernate. They will not only fail to produce toxins, but they will also become distracted when tracking prey.

Of course, hibernation is a minor issue; what the two are most afraid of is that it will freeze to death in the cold weather.

They hastily lit the fire tonight, partly to keep themselves warm, and partly to sniff out the lizards.

The two have limited means of direct confrontation, but they are particularly adept at underhanded tactics, concealing their presence and launching surprise attacks. In this vast tundra with few obstacles, once they lose the scent lizard, their combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced.

Moreover, their tracking ability relies heavily on the sniffer lizard; in their minds, even airdropped supplies are not as important as this unique little lizard.

……

Over the flickering firelight, the two, their body temperatures gradually rising, baked a "pancake" made from a mixture of plant seeds, moss, lichen, and a few withered grass leaves, discussing their less-than-successful tracking trip that day—

After discovering the scoundrel's trail at the supply landing center and having the lizard record his scent, the two set off with great confidence, believing they would be able to get ahead of the other two groups of challengers and be the first to find the thief and reclaim the supplies.

Their confidence was not unfounded.

Among the three groups of challengers, they were in the best condition and had the extraordinary help of the "sniffing lizard".

In addition, the thief fell from a height and was clearly injured.

If they were tracking a strong and capable challenger, they might worry about losing their trail.

Now, all the information indicates that the despicable thief fell from a height of eight meters and suffered at least one external injury. How could such a person possibly maintain his speed and escape their grasp?

However, something unexpected happened.

They chased each other from night until dawn, and then from dawn back to night.

The two set off from the center of the Black Forest, trekked arduously, and made a large detour to reach the bottom of the cliff.

By then, the lizard could no longer pinpoint the source of the scent. The two guessed that the thief was likely to climb the cliff from here, enter the tundra, and escape, so they risked climbing up.

The result was naturally that the clues went cold, and the person seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace of their scent or footprints.

The two then came to a new conclusion—

The thief was injured and probably couldn't climb the cliff at all. Reaching the bottom of the cliff was just to mislead them, and he must have gone in another direction.

With this in mind, the two descended the cliff again and proceeded along the bottom of the cliff, attempting to connect the clues.

Little did they know that the supposedly "injured" thief would actually plunge headlong into the Black Forest with his injuries and run wildly for dozens of kilometers.

At such a great distance, the sniffer lizards are completely ineffective.

It wasn't until the sun was about to set that the two realized they had completely lost their chance to find supplies.

With the harsh winter approaching and no supplies available, the two dared not delay. Before it got completely dark, they climbed back up the cliff and prepared to head south.

With many things going wrong, coupled with the howling cold wind all night, the two of them were in a slump. Even the usually fragrant baked flatbread tasted increasingly unappetizing.

Shrinking back, trying to hide under the shade of the boulder to avoid the cold wind, he took a big bite of the hard, toasted flatbread. Just as he was about to discuss who would keep watch for the first half of the night, his companion suddenly stood up, pointed into the distance, and mumbled something with his mouth full of crumbs.

He stood up and looked in that direction, only to see two elongated flames moving across the tundra in the pitch-black night.

The flames, trailing long tails like two enormous writing brushes, marched straight toward the two of them.

The flickering firelight illuminated the person holding the fire.

They were unusually tall, like two slowly advancing city walls; even a glimpse from afar was enough to send chills down one's spine. (End of Chapter)