Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The Bikini Party did not last long; leisure was merely temporary, and a multitude of trivial matters awaited their attention.
Cao Zheng and Jin Bo had been busy in the cabin for over an hour. The burnt-out engine could not be repaired, and there were no spare parts on board. This piece of equipment was already considered a consumable, having endured the strong winds and waves for such a long time; it was a small miracle it lasted as long as it did. Following the principle of waste utilization, Cao Zheng disassembled the burnt engine, salvaging the still intact parts for future use, while the rest of the damaged components were dumped into the sea.
At noon, the sunlight on the Sea Surface was blinding. After the storm, temperatures rose, and the slick men and women had mostly recovered their energy. They formed groups under Song Jiu's leadership and began to move according to Cao Zheng's instructions.
The first task was to drain water. The pump placed on the aft deck had fallen into the sea due to lack of protection during the storm. While the lower cabin could be operated through the drainage system, both the Sleeper Cabin and the main hall required manual intervention. This task was not particularly difficult but was time-consuming and labor-intensive. All of Chef Jia's pots and pans were handed over to the crew, who, like starving ghosts, filled large bowls with water and lined up to return it to the sea. The crew members, dressed lightly, rushed back and forth, repeating this action over and over again, creating a rather comical scene. Afterward, they needed to take stock of their dwindling supplies. It goes without saying that this was Chef Jia's responsibility. Since leaving Roundabout, Luci had been on the front lines, leaving logistics and storage duties to Chef Jia. The usually carefree Pockmarked Girl also ended her leisurely days and busied herself alongside Chef Jia, looking quite flustered.
The situation regarding supplies was clear: there was no immediate concern for drinking water since the water-making machine remained unharmed and functional. The problem lay with food supplies.
Before departure, at Song Jiu's suggestion, Chef Jia had allocated extra rations to Leather Jacket Man's group of youths. They had originally planned to reach Jin Bo's island within two days; however, encountering a storm along the way resulted in a significant loss of their rations.
"Comrades, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
Pockmarked Girl bounced onto the deck, her one-piece swimsuit stretched tightly against her body, beads of sweat glistening in her hair as her face bore traces of moisture.
"Is there even worse news?" Luci forced a smile; she had previously visited the storage compartment and had a rough idea of the situation.
"There’s still some left," Pockmarked Girl replied with a helpless expression. As she spoke, she adjusted her swimsuit straps, straightened her waist, causing waves to ripple across her chest as she spread her hands wide and said, "The good news is that we can have a hearty meal this afternoon."
Jiao Ziqian set down the damaged item in his hands, wiped his oily palms together, and chuckled: "The bad news is that there will be no food tomorrow."
"Not exactly," Pockmarked Girl raised her chin proudly but soon realized this wasn’t something to boast about; she deflated slightly and muttered, "The bad news is that this hearty meal is called 'Northwest Wind.'"
The crowd fell silent in shock; nearby busy crew members halted their movements.
"Can't be," Luci exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. "Didn't it just flood the bottom?"
"Yes, but all the anthracite has been soaked too," Pockmarked Girl sniffled, looking distressed. "The restaurant has no equipment for cooking, and the instant rations have gone bad from the hot water. The remaining compressed food can't be eaten without heating."
"Think of a way," Song Jiu said as he approached, noticing the grim expressions on everyone's faces. He tried to reassure them, "Don't worry, we're almost at our destination. Let's finish our business first and give Sister Jia some time."
The crew felt helpless; they weren't afraid of roughing it in the wind and rain, but having nothing to eat was truly tough. They had all been seasick on the night they boarded, and just when they were getting used to the rocking, a storm hit. They were grateful to have survived but now faced the prospect of going hungry.
Pockmarked Girl stealthily moved closer to Song Jiu and whispered, "Do you have any ideas? The compressed biscuits and instant rations are ruined, and everything left says it needs high-temperature heating. Where are we supposed to get that now?"
"How about starting a fire?" Song Jiu blinked and pointed to the bow deck. "The restaurant has no usable equipment."
"That's a bar, not a dining hall," Pockmarked Girl shot him a glare. After thinking for a moment, she added, "I wonder if we can use the dried anthracite."
"Don't panic yet; we still have some work to do. Let's do our best, and if all else fails, we can fish," Song Jiu said as he patted Pockmarked Girl's slightly plump shoulder with a grin. "The water generator should be operational now; you go keep an eye on it."
"Alright," Pockmarked Girl reluctantly nodded, gave a few instructions, and then waded back.
"Almost done; throw away what needs to be thrown away and prepare to set off," Cao Zheng called from the remnants of the cockpit. Qianqian and Jin Bo followed him. Jin Bo indeed had reasons to boast; as part of the Ordinary Survivor camp, having food and water was already a feat. Besides The Establishment and RCA, few camps could openly use electricity. Roundabout was undoubtedly a paradise-like place, but Ming Junwei still hadn't solved the electricity issue; they only had a small Diesel Generator for emergencies while most of the time they relied on candlelight for illumination.
"Can we take showers?" Luci asked the question all the girls were most concerned about. They had dried off after basking on deck all morning, but the salt left on their skin was still uncomfortable.
"It must be possible," Jin Bo waved his hand proudly. "Originally, I planned to run pipes house by house, but clearing land on the island isn't easy. We couldn't transport large equipment onto the island, so we ended up concentrating our efforts and built a big bathhouse."
Fortunately, everyone was quite familiar with Jin Bo. They knew that while he often made a fuss, he would never speak carelessly when it came to serious matters. Otherwise, if an outsider were present, they might just slap Jin Bo across the face and say, "Damn it, we can't even manage to get water, and you're trying to fool us into building a bathhouse!"
A few local southern team members looked puzzled, exchanging glances and quietly asking their companions, "What’s a big bathhouse?"
"Yeah, it's a place for bathing," one of them explained with a chuckle. "A communal bathroom."
The southern team members were left speechless, sticking out their tongues in confusion.
"Hey, have you thought about how to arrange things after we land on the island?" Wu Wentao suddenly appeared, holding a makeshift cigarette rolled from scrap paper between his fingers. The smoke was thick and pungent.
Song Jiu sniffed the air and caught a whiff of something burnt. He pointed at the cigarette in Wu Wentao's hand and asked suspiciously, "Does that thing kill you?"
"If you're afraid of dying, then don't smoke it. I didn't give it to you," Wu Wentao replied with a chuckle. After taking a couple of puffs from his homemade cigarette, he flicked his fingers, sending tobacco flying onto the sea surface, distracting Song Jiu.
Wu Wentao cleared his throat twice and said seriously, "I'm asking you about something important. What are your thoughts?"
"What thoughts?"
"About heading to find The Establishment after we land on the island." Wu Wentao rolled his eyes; it was clear that Song Jiu hadn't considered this matter. With everything that had happened recently, they hadn't really discussed it. Now that they were nearing their destination, it was time to think seriously.
Song Jiu paused at the mention and then his expression turned serious as well. He pulled Wu Wentao aside to avoid the crowd and walked to the edge of the ship. Looking around cautiously, he whispered, "I was actually planning to talk to you about this tonight."
Wu Wentao raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh, you have plans?"
Song Jiu licked his dry lips and frowned as he thought for a moment. "Jin Bo has the location of The Establishment marked on the Sea Chart. Theoretically speaking, if we rest for a few days and then set off again using the Sea Chart as our guide, that should work, right?"
"Well, that's how it is," Wu Wentao nodded, waiting for him to continue.
"I had no experience before, but after yesterday's storm, I feel this matter is a bit precarious," Song Jiu said, his gaze sweeping over the devastated yacht. "Jin Bo's island is said to be at least a week away from The Establishment. This isn't a short journey. With us and our equipment, what do you think are the chances of finding The Establishment smoothly?"
Wu Wentao did not answer immediately. He stared thoughtfully at the sea surface for a while before saying in a deep voice, "So?"
"Therefore, I was planning to talk to you tonight," Song Jiu shrugged, indicating that he didn't have any ideal suggestions. He sighed and added, "In short, this matter is not as simple as we thought before. First, we need to solve the issue with the boat. I estimate that it will take some time before we can set sail again."
"We can't stay idle for too long," Wu Wentao said calmly.
"I understand your point, but do you have a better plan?" Song Jiu glanced sideways at the man beside him and said helplessly, "Not to mention the specific matters after finding The Establishment; just getting out to sea alone will keep us busy for quite a while."
"Once we land on the island, we can split up. You focus on your tasks; I'll look around. Didn't Jin Bo say they found a Trade Port? There should be some boats there," Wu Wentao said, feeling a bit of a headache. They were facing hard realities; unlike on land, if they couldn't solve the transportation issue at sea, they would be stuck.
"Fuel is an issue too," Song Jiu added. Seeing Wu Wentao fall silent, he tentatively asked, "Old Wu, do you think it's possible for The Establishment to come looking for us?"
Comment 0 Comment Count