Chapter 15: Raft Survival 2
At night, Chu Yun and Xu Dongdong took turns keeping watch. Xu Dongdong watched the first half of the night, and they would switch for the second half.
No one knew what kind of dangers lurked in the sea during the dead of night, so they needed to maintain their vigilance at all times.
Chu Yun casually munched on a few bites of bread to line her stomach. She was exceptionally cautious, putting the plastic wrapper into her storage ring once she finished eating and ensuring not a single breadcrumb fell into the sea. If the scent of the bread attracted some unwanted predatory fish, things would get ugly. Xu Dongdong followed her example exactly.
She handed her compass to Xu Dongdong, then lay down on the wooden boat and closed her eyes to rest. After laboring for an entire day, she was thoroughly exhausted both mentally and physically. Now that she had a dependable teammate like Xu Dongdong by her side, she could rest with a peaceful mind.
During the second half of the night, Xu Dongdong gently patted her awake; it was time to switch.
Chu Yun took the compass from Xu Dongdong’s hand and checked the wooden boat’s heading. It hadn’t drifted, so she safely began patrolling all four directions.
The surface of the sea was deathly quiet in the deep of night, devoid of any sound save for Xu Dongdong’s occasional snores.
Chu Yun gazed out over the sea ahead, lost in thought.
The wind began to blow during the second half of the night. At first, it was quite weak, like a stray summer breeze. Chu Yun didn’t pay it much mind, but gradually, she felt the howling of the wind grow louder and louder.
Suddenly, a jolt of realization struck her. Remembering something, she quickly woke Xu Dongdong. She rapidly used the ropes to bind both of them securely to the mast in the middle of the wooden boat, giving it a final, fierce yank to ensure it was tied tightly.
Then, she and Xu Dongdong each donned a life jacket. Chu Yun inverted an iron pot over her head, while Xu Dongdong wore an inverted bucket that Chu Yun had handed him.
The exact second the two finished their preparations, the torrential rain slammed down with a relentless patter-patter. Had they been even a second late, they would have been drenched to the bone.
Simultaneously, the gale turned violent, its howling mimicking the roars of a monster, sounding utterly terrifying across the boundless sea. The wooden boat was tossed precariously left and right. Several times, Xu Dongdong lost his footing and almost slipped; Chu Yun, sharp-eyed and quick-handed, gave him a sharp pull. If she hadn’t tied him to the mast beforehand, he probably would have slipped straight into the sea by now.
The two clung to the mast. The wooden boat was buffeted by the gale, tilting wildly from side to side like a roller coaster, pitching up and down, rocking left and right.
Panic and dread filled Xu Dongdong’s eyes. Several times, the wooden boat tilted to nearly 90°, leaving him with barely any ground to stand on. Beneath him was the unfathomably deep ocean, and he was constantly terrified that he would plunge into the sea and fall straight into the gaping maw of some unknown creature.
In stark contrast, Chu Yun beside him remained completely steady, her breathing even, without a single shred of panic. Xu Dongdong had no idea what Chu Yun had been through to cultivate such an unshakeable mindset of facing imminent danger without fear, regardless of the environment.
Right now, they could only pin their hopes on this wooden boat being durable enough, praying it could hold out a bit longer without falling apart immediately.
In the face of natural disasters, everyone was a mere ant. You could not combat nature; you could only resign yourself to fate.
But Chu Yun had never been one to resign herself to fate. No matter how harsh the environment, she would always carve a path out of it. Having survived two lifetimes, she was like an indestructible cockroach, possessing an extraordinary obsession with staying alive.
The life jackets on their bodies were useless now; rainwater channeled through their faces, cuffs, collars, and every other opening, pooling inside.
Chu Yun could feel that her inner garments were completely soaked, clinging to her body in a sticky, highly uncomfortable mess. But right now, she had no spare time to deal with such trivialities. They could only expend every ounce of their strength to steady their bodies, quietly waiting for the gale to pass.
Chu Yun glanced sideways at Xu Dongdong. He was in even worse shape than her. While she could still manage to steady her body to some degree, Xu Dongdong was like a die being shaken inside a cup, tossing precariously left and right, completely at the mercy of the elements.
Looking at this wretched weather, Chu Yun couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
What kind of game is this? It’s practically turning into Robinson Crusoe.
Just like that, the two wobbled and swayed on the wooden boat, holding out for a full two hours before the violent storm finally began to taper off. With some time left before dawn, the two huddled together to catch a brief catnap.
The next day, the heavy rain stopped abruptly, and the weather cleared up. Last night’s downpour felt like a cruel prank, delivering a sudden strike right when they should have been resting, catching them completely off guard.
The two wrung the water out of their outerwear and spread the garments across the wooden boat, using the sunlight to dry them.
Xu Dongdong had been woken by Chu Yun not long after he fell asleep last night, and had spent the rest of the night accompanied by the storm; right now, he was yawning continuously. Chu Yun instructed him to take another nap to conserve his stamina. Since it was daytime, she could immediately detect any danger and wake him up.
“Alright, I’ll do as you say, Sister Chu Yun.” Xu Dongdong gave a grin and went back to catch up on his sleep.
Yesterday’s strong winds had caused the wooden boat to drift from its correct course. Matching her heading to the compass, Chu Yun rowed the paddle once more to adjust the vessel’s path.
After undergoing a night of torment from the storm, the surface of the sea was littered with dead small fish and shrimp. The current sea surface was an absolute mess, and under the blazing sun, those dead fish began to omit a foul odor. Sailing through such a patch of sea was truly far from a pleasant experience.
The dead small fish and shrimp inevitably attracted several carnivorous fish that followed the scent, scrambling to gorge themselves on the still-fresh flesh. Fortunately, those drawn over were only small predatory fish. Chu Yun carefully managed the wooden boat, steering toward cleaner patches of water as much as possible without disturbing them.
The predatory fish tore viciously into the small fish and shrimp, causing red blood to float on the deep blue surface, initially in a small radius before slowly spreading outward. Big fish eat small fish, small fish eat shrimp—the survival of the fittest was simply the law of nature.
However, if the fresh blood attracted a far more powerful predator, Chu Yun and Xu Dongdong would be in grave danger. To guarantee her own safety and Xu Dongdong’s, Chu Yun would not cross swords with these small carnivorous fish unless absolutely forced to.
The daytime remained a blazing spectacle of sun, the scorching sunlight baking everything on the sea. The outerwear and inner garments that had been drenched by the storm were dried completely crisp within a short while. Aside from the scent of the sun, the clothes also carried a heavy, fishy odor. If conditions allowed, Chu Yun truly wanted to take a proper bath.
At this moment, Xu Dongdong, who was in the water training his swimming, didn’t care at all. Anyway, even if he took a bath, he would still be kicked right back into the sea.
At 1:10 PM, Chu Yun and the other encountered another pair of players traveling together. The opposite party consisted of two men.
Both were quite tall. They invited Chu Yun’s group to upgrade the wooden boat together. They had initially approached Xu Dongdong; since they saw a man and a woman, they naturally assumed the man was the leading figure, deliberately ignoring Chu Yun.
But Xu Dongdong couldn’t make the calls. He looked toward Chu Yun to consult her opinion.
Chu Yun gave a nod, and only then did Xu Dongdong agree to the two tall men.
The tall men naturally noted the reaction of Chu Yun’s group. They exchanged a glance, completing a silent dialogue through their eyes.
Chu Yun didn’t miss the little schemes in their hearts: As long as they don’t act up, we can cooperate very pleasantly. But if they insist on making trouble, then…
The two groups brought their wooden boats together and clicked the upgrade button. Following a plume of white smoke, the new face of the wooden boat was displayed before their eyes.
The two small wooden boats merged seamlessly together. As expected, things produced by the system saved a lot of worry and effort. The wooden boat currently measured $3.8\text{m} \times 4\text{m}$ in length and width; even with four people aboard, it wouldn’t feel crowded at all. The mast had also thickened, scaling up from its previous arm-like thickness to the thickness of a thigh. The sail on the mast extended to two meters, allowing the boat to move much faster propelled by the sea breeze.
Beside the mast sat a small brazier for charcoal, currently extinguished. Next to the brazier lay several dozen pieces of broken wood that could be used to start a fire. The edges of the boat, which had previously been completely bare and easy to accidentally slip off into the sea, were now thoughtfully outfitted by the game with a half-meter-high railing.
Xu Dongdong curiously circled the new boat to inspect it, while the other two men cast only a few glances at the vessel before sitting down cross-legged. Chu Yun noticed that the two men weren’t interested in the new boat, but their gazes lingered for several extra seconds on the white foam supply box beside her.
They were clearly divided into two camps. Chu Yun and Xu Dongdong occupied one side of the wooden boat, while the two tall men stayed on the other. Having just met, everyone harbored a heavy sense of wariness.
“Since fate has brought us together, we’ll be teammates for the next few days. Let me introduce myself, I’m Xie Dongliang,” the bearded tall man said in a gruff voice.
“I’m Liu Jun,” the other thinner man with a buzzcut added.
“I’m Xu Dongdong, and this is my sister, Chu Yun.”
Xu Dongdong’s words carried a deep implication. Having different surnames yet calling her his sister in this trash game that relied purely on strength immediately elevated Chu Yun’s position above his own.
Hearing this, Xie Dongliang and Liu Jun didn’t dare look down on Chu Yun either. The glances they directed at Chu Yun carried an air of observation and scrutiny.
Chu Yun grandly went about her own business, completely disregarding those two covert gazes.
“Since we’ve formed a temporary alliance, there are a few rules I need to establish with everyone beforehand,” Chu Yun stated unhurriedly, her voice carrying a striking resonance.
“First, if we encounter danger, everyone will deliberate and face it together.”
“Second, supplies will not be shared; whoever obtains them enjoys them.”
“Third, do not pull any petty tricks behind my back. If someone triggers a stunt behind my back, I will be the first to eliminate you.”
As she uttered the final sentence, Chu Yun’s tone grew deep, her face exuding a murderous aura that carried a powerful threat. Agreeing to cooperate with them was purely for the sake of upgrading the wooden boat. If they dared harbor wicked thoughts, they couldn’t blame her for being ruthless.
Under the pressure of Chu Yun’s gaze, Liu Jun and Xie Dongliang actually experienced a flicker of cowardice. Their high-arched backs slouched back silently, their subconscious minds telling them this person was not to be trifled with.
They had originally seen Xu Dongdong’s slight frame and noted Chu Yun was a woman, planning to first draw near before killing the two to plunder their supplies. They hadn’t expected Chu Yun to see through their intentions right from the start, not only showing zero avoidance but turning around to threaten them instead.
Seeing that their arrogance had been thoroughly suppressed, Chu Yun offered a satisfied smile. They were relatively tactful.
Xu Dongdong stood beside Chu Yun to boost her aura, thoroughly stunned by her entire sequence of maneuvers. As expected of a big shot.
Xu Dongdong resumed his sea fishing as usual, but the fish he caught weren’t immediately stored into her storage ring; instead, they were placed into the foam box on their side of the boat. Chu Yun reached her hand into the foam box, ostensibly counting how many fish there were, but in reality, she had already secretly packed several large fish inside.
On the other side, the two tall men kept a constant eye on the dynamics here. They watched Xu Dongdong pull up a large fish from time to time; within an hour or so, he must have caught seven or eight, right? Although they couldn’t see inside that foam box, they could hear the cheerful splashing of the fish inside.
They possessed a lighter, and there was currently a brazier on this boat, yet they had no food. They stared at those large fish with eyes burning with desire, yet plagued by a lack of tools, they could only sigh at the ocean.
At 4:00 PM, Xu Dongdong grew tired of sea fishing and packed away his rod. He looked toward Chu Yun with an earnest gaze—they could prepare dinner now. Chu Yun picked and chose through the foam box, ultimately selecting a meter-long hairtail for today’s dinner.
Then, using the cover of the foam box, she retrieved her small kitchen knife, oil, salt, and pepper from her storage ring, along with an iron pot. The assortment wasn’t particularly abundant, but everything necessary was there.
With practiced skill, she inserted the sharp blade into the fish’s underbelly starting from the jaw, slicing an opening along the spine toward the tail to extract the fish’s viscera. After removing the entrails, she didn’t casually hurl them into the sea either, instead wrapping them inside a white plastic bag found in the foam box and setting it aside.
Next, she used a tiny amount of drinking water to rinse the fish’s belly, cutting the fish into two half-meter-long sections. She skewered them onto an arrow she had traded for in the last game instance, then carefully applied the oil, salt, and pepper across the fish’s body.
During the marinating process, she also used seawater to wash the small kitchen knife clean, packing her things back into her backpack.
Liu Jun and Xie Dongliang watched Chu Yun’s series of operations, utterly dumbfounded. They stared at the fishing rod set aside and then at the marinating hairtail, their throats involuntarily swallowing several gulps of saliva.
The fishing rod was covertly being coveted.
