Chapter 19: Landing on a Deserted Island

Chapter 19: Landing on a Deserted Island

An unnamed island.

The boat docked, and this trip had a hundred and fifty students.

The landing point was this wilderness—an endless stretch of withered yellow grass.

"Alright, let me go over the rules, everyone."

The teacher in charge was Mr. Li from the school's sports department, pretty young, around twenty-five.

Mr. Li stood on a large rock and cleared his throat.

"To make sure this activity goes smoothly."

He sounded like he was reading from a script. "Each of you has been given supplies—one backpack per person, plus one tent and one sleeping bag. You'll have to set up the tents yourselves."

He pointed to a neat row of army-green backpacks lined up on the beach.

"These supplies will only last three days if you use them normally."

People started murmuring.

"Three days? We're supposed to be here for seven days!"

"What are we supposed to do for the other four days?"

Mr. Li raised a hand, gesturing for silence.

"For the remaining four days, you figure it out on your own—that's what wilderness survival is all about."

He hopped off the rock, dusted the sand off his hands, and his tone relaxed a little.

"There's a freshwater stream on the island, so you're covered on water. For food, you can fish in the sea, and there are wild fruits in the woods—but be careful, don't eat anything you can't identify."

He scanned the crowd.

"I'll set up a rescue station at this landing point. If anyone can't hack it, come here and we'll get you out."

"Also, each of you will get a rescue beacon—press it if there's an emergency."

"One last thing: the danger is under control, but under control doesn't mean no danger. The snakes are venomous, the bugs bite like hell, and if a branch scratches your face, you'll be crying about it way too late. Got it?"

"Got it." A scattered, half-hearted response.

Mr. Li frowned and raised his voice: "Got it?!"

"Got it!" This time the response was a lot more together.

"Good," Mr. Li stepped back two paces, making room, "grab your supplies, head into the island. Whoever makes it to the end gets a grad school recommendation."

The group scattered.

Wen Yu walked over and grabbed a random backpack from the row—not heavy, but the straps dug into his shoulders—you could feel the weight.

The tent and sleeping bag were packed separately—a big roll strapped underneath the backpack.

He tried it on—not bad.

Lou Xuemeng had somehow appeared next to him, already holding her own backpack, with an extra canvas bag slung over her shoulder.

"You brought your own stuff?" Wen Yu asked.

Lou Xuemeng glanced down at the cloth bag, her expression as innocent as a cat that just got caught stealing fish.

"The rules didn't say I couldn't."

Wen Yu thought about it—fair point, they hadn't.

"What did you bring?"

Lou Xuemeng smiled but didn't answer.

Wen Yu watched her go, then hoisted his backpack and followed.

"Have you ever been somewhere like this before?" Wen Yu asked again.

Lou Xuemeng walked ahead without turning around.

"No."

"Then why do you seem so used to this?"

Lou Xuemeng's footsteps faltered for a second.

"Because someone else came here before."

Wen Yu didn't get it, but he didn't ask.

He noticed that Lou Xuemeng's direction was deliberate—she hadn't just picked a random route—it was like she'd already studied the map before they even set out.

"Did you pick this route at random, or...?" Wen Yu probed.

Lou Xuemeng turned back and glanced at him.

Sunlight hit her face, her expression calm, but there was something in her eyes Wen Yu couldn't read.

"Wen Yu."

"Yeah."

"Have you ever wondered why the school picked this island for the trip?"

Wen Yu thought for a moment. "Because the danger's under control?"

Lou Xuemeng gave a small laugh.

"There aren't that many 'because's in this world," Lou Xuemeng turned and kept walking, her voice drifting back from up ahead, getting a little muffled. "There are only 'therefore's."

The light in the woods was way dimmer than on the beach, like someone had draped a veil over the sky.

Wen Yu was crouched on the ground fiddling with his backpack straps while Lou Xuemeng went to set up the tent.

The sound of dry twigs snapping came from behind—the brown-haired guy's footsteps were the heaviest, his boots grinding into the dirt with an impatient, nasty energy.

"Well, well."

The voice of the roommate who'd bullied Wen Yu before—the brown-haired guy—came from above. "Well, well, if it isn't the little milk boy?"

Wen Yu did not look up.

He tightened the strap another notch, tied a knot, his fingers steady.

"Look," the brown-haired man circled around to face him, crouched down to eye level with Wen Yu, a half-smile playing on his face, "we didn't even do anything to you, was switching dorms really necessary?"

Wen Yu had already switched dorms, but he hadn't expected to run into the three of them again—they'd been bullying people since the semester started.

So what do they want now?

Wen Yu stood up, shouldered his backpack, and prepared to leave.

The brown-haired man reached out and blocked his way.

"No need to rush off," the guy said in that same lazy, condescending tone, "we need you to do us a favor."

"None of us three know how to set up a tent. You're pretty handy, aren't you? When you switched dorms, you moved everything by yourself—we saw it."

Wen Yu looked at him. "I don't know how."

He thought of his room—the drinks they'd "accidentally" spilled on his sheets, the clothes that had mysteriously disappeared from his closet.

And the venomous roommate who threatened to kick him out the moment he fought back, the thing that made his chest feel tight every time he returned to the dorm.

"Just help us set it up, it'll be quick," the brown-haired man said, his smile unchanged, but the light in his eyes turned colder. "We're all classmates, no need to be so standoffish, right?"

Wen Yu refused again. "I said I don't know how."

"You've got hands and feet. Do it yourselves."

The brown-haired man's smile froze for a split second. "Say that to me one more time?"

Behind the brown-haired man stood two others—his little sidekicks.

Three on one.

Wen Yu couldn't even take one of them in a fight, let alone three.

In the distance, the faint sound of waves could be heard.

"Hey."

Lou Xuemeng leaned against a tree, hands tucked into her jacket pockets, a cloth bag slung across her body, her expression relaxed.

"My tent's already up,"

Lou Xuemeng said, tilting her chin toward the green tent that had just been set up behind Wen Yu.

"Yours hasn't even been touched. Keep dawdling, and it'll be dark—you three fumbling around in the dark to set up your tents, that'd be pretty funny to watch."

The brown-haired man looked at her for a couple of seconds, as if weighing his options.

"Fine," he said. "Since the student council president is asking, I'll give you that respect."

The brown-haired man turned and walked toward his two sidekicks, took two steps, then stopped without looking back, his voice drifting back over his shoulder.

"Wen Yu, we've got seven days. No rush."

The three of them left.

The sound of twigs snapping underfoot faded into the distance, and the woods fell quiet again.

Lou Xuemeng walked over from the tree, stood beside Wen Yu, looked down at his already-pitched tent, reached out and tugged one of the guy lines, testing the knot.

"Nice job," she said.

Wen Yu crouched down, zipped the tent closed, and stuffed his backpack inside. "You're the student council president?"

Lou Xuemeng crouched down beside him, lowering her voice. "Yeah, and I've got a lot of power."

"By the way, those three—what are you gonna do about them?"

Wen Yu shoved the backpack in, zipped the tent shut, stood up, and brushed the dirt off his knees. "Nothing."

"Alright," Lou Xuemeng turned and walked toward her own tent, took a few steps, then stopped and glanced back. "It's fine. I've got your back."

"I'm heading in to rest now. Keep a knife under your pillow tonight—just in case they try anything in the dark."

Wen Yu thought for a moment, then nodded.