Standing at the edge of the coconut grove, Zhuang Rui held a wooden pole about 1.5 meters long in his hand. He had used a sharp stone to smash it down from a tree covered in thorns with great effort.
As a result, Zhuang Rui's hands were covered in thorns, as if they had grown hair. It took him a whole day to clean them up, and then another half day to scrape off all the thorns from the branches with a knife.
The wooden pole, or more accurately, the javelin, was tied tightly to one end with Zhuang Rui's shoelaces, holding a small knife from Peng Fei. This was Zhuang Rui's only weapon.
Zhuang Rui held the javelin in his right hand, about halfway down, and threw it forcefully at a coconut tree.
With a muffled "snap," the small knife at the tip of the javelin was completely embedded in the hard coconut tree. The more than one-meter-long javelin was firmly stuck in the tree, swinging back and forth like a spring, making a "buzzing" sound.
"Good, let's see if we can catch a fish later..."
Zhuang Rui pulled the javelin from the tree and twirled it in his hand. He was very satisfied with the weapon he had made.
A few days ago, Zhuang Rui successfully used a knife and a stone to ignite the dried leaves and start a fire on the beach.
Although the fire went out again on the second day because Zhuang Rui didn't know how to keep a fire, practice makes perfect. After a period of trial and error, Zhuang Rui could skillfully start a fire in about ten minutes as long as there were dry leaves and firewood.
However, without the right tools, the oysters were difficult to grill, which made Zhuang Rui itch to eat them while watching the fish swimming in the sea.
However, after several trips to the sea to fish, Zhuang Rui was repeatedly outmaneuvered by the fish, and he fully understood the true meaning of the idiom "like a fish in water".
However, Zhuang Rui did find a good place to fish. It was a canyon about seven or eight miles away from where he landed. Calling it a canyon was a bit inappropriate, because there was only a small pool of water about fifty or sixty square meters in size in the canyon.
The pool isn't deep, only five or six meters at its deepest point. Climbing onto the smooth rocks on either side, which have been sculpted by the sea, you can clearly see the entire pool, which is as beautiful and clear as a blue gemstone.
It was probably caused by a volcanic eruption. The pool is surrounded by cliffs on both sides, with a depression in the middle. Over the years, the sea has eroded the pool and the sea, creating a gap that is only two or three meters wide and a little over one meter deep.
Due to its unique environment, some ferocious marine predators cannot enter, making this pool a paradise for fish.
Standing by the pool, you can clearly see all kinds of sea fish swimming in it, some as long as a foot or two, and some as small as a finger.
Ever since Zhuang Rui accidentally discovered this place, the pool has lost its tranquility. Every day, Zhuang Rui would come to practice his swimming skills and try to catch a fish to improve his life. However, after struggling in the water for several days, he tragically failed to catch a single fish.
"Brother's here!" Catching fish was Zhuang Rui's happiest time of day, so when he saw that the javelin was successfully made, he couldn't hold back any longer. He immediately put aside his island exploration and excitedly ran towards the pool with the javelin.
Having a weapon really makes a difference. After failing a few times at first, Zhuang Rui, whether by sheer luck or something else, managed to pierce a large fish more than a foot long with silver scales all over its body with a javelin.
"Haha, hahaha," Zhuang Rui's laughter echoed above the pool. He hadn't seen any animals at the beach for the past few days, which had made him much bolder; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the idea of exploring the island.
With a "plop," Zhuang Rui jumped into the pool, grabbed the javelin, and lifted the big fish up. After scrambling ashore, he started looking for dry leaves and firewood nearby.
"Click...click click..."
As the knife struck the volcanic rock, a few sparks landed on the sun-baked, withered leaves, instantly blackening them with the smoke. Zhuang Rui quickly brought his mouth close and gently blew on them.
There's a technique to blowing air out. If you blow too much, the sparks will be extinguished, but if you blow too little, it won't be enough to ignite the dry leaves. Zhuang Rui spent several days figuring it out before he mastered the technique.
Unfortunately, Zhuang Rui's coin-sized archaeological magnifying glass, which he always carried with him, was nowhere to be found. Otherwise, starting a fire would have been quite easy; he could have simply focused the sunlight through the magnifying glass.
After lighting the fire, Zhuang Rui hurriedly gutted the fish, which weighed seven or eight pounds, and threw away its internal organs. He then found a sturdy tree branch, threaded it onto the branch, and hung it over the fire.
"It smells...it smells fucking good..."
Smelling the aroma of grilled fish, Zhuang Rui's mouth watered. He had been on the island for almost a week and hadn't eaten any cooked food. Now, smelling the fish, he almost shed tears of joy.
"Shhhhhhhhhhhh..."
Before the fish was fully cooked, Zhuang Rui, disregarding the heat, tore off a piece of fish and stuffed it into his mouth. The heat made him spit out his breath repeatedly, and he couldn't even taste the fish.
Knowing that haste makes waste, Zhuang Rui finally calmed down and grilled the fish until it was golden brown all over. He then set it aside to cool for a while before starting to taste it.
"Delicious, really delicious..."
Having eaten fish for over twenty years, Zhuang Rui felt for the first time that fish was so delicious, a hundred times more delicious than any other good food he had ever eaten before.
Moreover, the fish meat was delicate, with no bones except for a large fish bone. The fish meat alone weighed two or three pounds, and it was now all in Zhuang Rui's stomach.
Zhuang Rui kept the fish bones after eating, as they would come in handy later. He was penniless and had to make the most of every resource.
"We need to get some salt..."
After finishing the meal, Zhuang Rui felt like something was missing. He had been eating raw seafood and coconut for the past few days, but with cooked food, salt had to become an essential seasoning.
However, making salt by the sea is the simplest thing. Just dig a shallow pit with a large surface area near the coconut grove, draw salt water through it, and then use the heat from the sun to dry it for a period of time, and salt will be extracted.
Although this is not iodized salt, there is absolutely no problem with eating it. After finishing the grilled fish, Zhuang Rui was full of energy and immediately started to work.
More than three hours later, Zhuang Rui cleared out a space of about ten square meters next to the coconut grove, and dug up the soft sand of the beach to bring in some seawater.
However, it would probably take another three to five days to extract the salt. Seeing that it was getting late, Zhuang Rui sat down under a tall coconut tree.
Zhuang Rui spent the last two nights in the woods because he was terrified by the high tide that occurred during the night; it was like a murder without bloodshed.
Because the javelin was made, which took up a day, Zhuang Rui began preparing the second piece of equipment he would need for exploring the deserted island the next day after having a full meal.
To set foot on this deserted island, Zhuang Rui would need a pair of shoes.
If he went barefoot, let alone entering the island, Zhuang Rui's feet would have been cut several times even after leaving the beach and walking into the woods. Without shoes, Zhuang Rui could only wander around on the beach.
"Crack..."
Zhuang Rui used a knife to cut open his jeans, severing the entire leg below the knee, and then pulled out a few thin threads from the tear.
That's when the fish bone came in handy. Zhuang Rui found a thick and hard fish bone, broke it in half, and carefully pierced a hole at the larger end with the tip of a knife, making it a simple sewing needle.
"Damn it, art really does come from life..."
Looking at the needle and thread in his hands, Zhuang Rui sighed with emotion. You see, he learned all this knowledge from movies.
Chapter 829 Survival on a Deserted Island (4)
"Let's retreat..."
Ouyang Lei waved to Commander Xie, looking at the vast sea before him with some resentment. He didn't know how to explain things to his grandfather, or how to face his aunt and Zhuang Rui's wife.
The search has been ongoing for seven days, covering an area of over a thousand nautical miles. More than three thousand aircraft sorties have been deployed. Not to mention anything else, the money spent on this search alone is incalculable.
Zhuang Rui seemed to have vanished from this sea area, and no clues could be found. Even the parachute that should have been floating on the sea surface was nowhere to be seen.
The military wasn't solely Ouyang Lei's responsibility. Although he wanted to continue the search, pressure from higher-ups forced him to decide to end the operation.
"Commander, I request to stay..."
Upon hearing Ouyang Lei's words, Peng Fei became anxious. He firmly believed that Zhuang Rui was not dead and that as long as they continued searching, they would definitely find Zhuang Rui.
The crew members had already been sent back to Beijing, but Peng Fei refused to go back and continued to participate in the search activities.
"Why stay here? To swim?"
Ouyang Lei glared at Peng Fei with annoyance. He was already under a lot of pressure, so he spoke very rudely.
"Commander, please leave me a boat. I will definitely find Brother Zhuang." Peng Fei looked at Ouyang Lei almost pleadingly. If he couldn't find Zhuang Rui, Peng Fei would have no face to return to Beijing, no face to face his mother Zhuang and Qin Xuanbing, who were like family to him.
"Nonsense, let's go back and talk first..."
Ouyang Lei wanted to scold Peng Fei, but he didn't say it and waved his hand wearily.
Under Ouyang Lei's orders, the two fleets slowly turned around and began their return voyage, while rescue teams from various countries also returned one after another, and the once bustling sea area suddenly became deserted.
Two days later, the fleet stopped in Hong Kong for a rest. Peng Fei, who was originally on the ship, suddenly disappeared. Ouyang Lei couldn't care less about Peng Fei at this point. He was thinking about how to explain Zhuang Rui's disappearance to his family after returning to Beijing.
The very next day, news appeared in major Hong Kong newspapers that a super-rich man's luxury yacht, which he had purchased for over 100 million yuan and was capable of ocean sailing, had been stolen the previous night.
According to investigations, the yacht is not currently in Hong Kong waters, meaning that it left Hong Kong waters overnight after being stolen and entered international waters.
"Brother Zhuang, where are you?"
Peng Fei was piloting the luxury speedboat at top speed, speeding across the sea towards the area where they would be parachuting.
Actually, Peng Fei didn't need to resort to throwing speedboats. If he had just found the Qin family, he could have gotten a better boat. However, Peng Fei now harbors some resentment towards Qin Haoran. If Qin Haoran hadn't sent Zhuang Rui on this trip, none of this would have happened.
Peng Fei was unaware that the Qin family in Hong Kong was already in chaos. After learning of Zhuang Rui's disappearance, Old Master Qin's blood pressure spiked and he was hospitalized.
Qin Haoran was also in no mood to manage his business and was filled with regret. He flew directly to Beijing, but he didn't dare tell his daughter about it, and he didn't even dare to go to the courtyard house. He only secretly told his mother-in-law and wife in private.
This actually helped Ouyang Lei a lot, as he was just wondering how to tell his aunt about it.
When Ouyang Wan heard the news, she was struck by lightning and fainted on the spot.
Upon waking, Ouyang Wan found it impossible to face Qin Xuanbing, who was pregnant with her grandson. Seeing Qin Xuanbing reminded her of her son, and she eventually moved to Yuquan Mountain under the pretext of caring for the elderly.
"Mom, when is Zhuang Rui coming back? I'm almost due, and he's such a terrible father..."
Sitting in the courtyard, Qin Xuanbing happily touched her belly. The two little ones were becoming more and more lively, kicking their fists and legs all day long, never stopping for a moment.
"There's been a bit of a problem with the business in South Africa, and it might take a while. How about I have your dad go and bring Zhuang Rui back?"
Although everyone was heartbroken, they dared not show it on their faces. After all, Qin Xuanbing was pregnant and nearing delivery. If anything went wrong, no one could bear the responsibility.
Fang Yi looked at her daughter, tears welling up in her eyes. She quickly lowered her head, trying hard not to let the tears fall.
"Forget it, with Mom here, it's fine if Zhuang Rui isn't around. Dad's getting old, so he shouldn't run away..."
Qin Xuanbing is about to become a mother and understands the difficulties of being a parent. She supports her husband in helping his father with some household chores.
"Child... uh, Mom will go check if the soup is ready yet..."
Fang Yi burst into tears and quickly stood up, hurrying towards the kitchen. She was afraid that if she continued talking, she would reveal that Zhuang Rui had disappeared.
"Gah!"
Jin Yu jumped down from the tree. It could sense that Qin Xuanbing was pregnant with two little lives, so Jin Yu liked to stay close to Qin Xuanbing whenever it was free.
The little golden eagle is now about the same size as its parents, standing over a meter tall. Its dark golden feathers shimmer in the sunlight, giving it an extraordinary appearance.
"Jin Yu, don't you think Zhuang Rui is being incredibly irresponsible as a father? He hasn't even come to see his own child. What do you think we should do to punish him when he gets back?"
Qin Xuanbing has recently taken to talking to herself a lot. Even though she knows that golden eagles can't speak, she often says a few words to them.
"quack……"
Jin Yu tilted its head, seemingly understanding Qin Xuanbing's words. After rubbing its beak against Qin Xuanbing's hand, it suddenly took two steps forward, flapped its wings, and flew up.
"Hey, hey, Zhuang Rui told you not to fly around like that..."
Qin Xuanbing called out from below, but the golden eagle didn't turn around. It flapped its wings a few times and disappeared from Qin Xuanbing's sight. ...
Using fishbone thread, Zhuang Rui sewed one leg of the jeans together. Then he stuffed in a lot of soft, dry leaves. After putting his feet in, he used shoelaces to tightly hold the pant leg together, and a pair of shoes was made.
I stood up and took a few steps. My feet felt soft and yielding. Although it wasn't very aesthetically pleasing, it was still much better than walking barefoot in the woods.
After finishing the shoes, Zhuang Rui hugged the javelin and fell into a deep sleep under a coconut tree.
The next morning, Zhuang Rui cracked open two coconuts to make breakfast. Then he picked up a dry branch and leaves and placed them on the beach. The morning fog was thick, and the leaves were all wet. He left them on the beach to dry for a morning, and they would be ready to use by noon.