Faced with those icy arrows, Bai Yang knew that the best choice was to leave immediately and go home. But he still forced down his fear and stayed.
These were the first people from this world he had encountered. If he suddenly disappeared, who knew what would happen next? What if they waited here for him to show up again? Or brought more people to search for him? He couldn't avoid coming back forever.
Leaving would keep him safe, sure, but the consequences were unknown. Besides, he could leave at any time. If they tried to harm him, he could go then. Unless they were faster than his thoughts.
Bai Yang looked downright bizarre. He wore camouflage, black fingerless gloves, and a helmet. He held an electric rod in one hand and a military entrenching tool in the other. Under his helmet was a cap that revealed only his eyes. He looked like a terrorist.
"Who are you? Why are you skulking around, spying on us while we hunt?" the burly man asked coldly, pointing a great bow at Bai Yang.
But this was what Bai Yang heard: "#￥%...&*#%*(--)(@￥%..."
He couldn't understand a word. The sounds were strange and awkward to his ears.
They couldn't communicate without a common language. Judging by the other man's build, he could crush Bai Yang's fighting ability ten times over. To prove he meant no harm, Bai Yang moved as slowly as he could and made a "universal gesture"...
I hope this gesture doesn't mean something unfriendly around here.
Suppressing a bitter smile, Bai Yang slowly raised his hands in surrender and kept his eyes fixed on the other man. If he so much as sensed something was off, he'd run at once and wait ten days or so back on Earth. Surely these people wouldn't still be here then.
As he surrendered, Bai Yang said, "I just got lost in the jungle. I don't mean any harm."
He knew they probably couldn't understand him, but felt that if he said nothing, things could only get worse.
Likewise, this was what Bai Yang's words sounded like to the other man: "%￥()*%&*&*(&(*0-..."
The man couldn't understand what Bai Yang was saying, but he could tell that the gesture of surrender posed no threat. His stern gaze softened a little.
Footsteps sounded, and two more men came over. Facing three hulks who looked like monsters, Bai Yang felt the pressure mounting.
The shortest of these three brawny men stood at least 1.8 meters tall, while the tallest was probably over two meters. Their explosive muscles looked like slabs of steel and made them incredibly intimidating.
Bai Yang himself stood 1.82 meters tall, but his build made him look several sizes smaller beside them, like a wimp.
"Brother Zhao, what's going on?"
"We were hunting just now when this guy started skulking around and watching us!"
"Huh? Why's he hiding his face? Is he afraid to show it?"
"What do we do, Brother Zhao? Kill him?"
Bai Yang stared blankly as the three men chattered away. He had no idea they were holding a not-at-all-heated debate over whether to kill him, as casually as if they were deciding whether to butcher a chicken.
"Don't kill him yet. I've never seen anyone dressed like this. And look at his clothes—they're finely made in every detail. The material isn't something ordinary people could afford. What if he's an important figure from somewhere? If we kill him rashly, we could bring disaster down on our village."
"Then what do we do?"
With no presence whatsoever, Bai Yang could only keep his hands raised and watch. Still, he'd figured out that the burly man with the long staff and the one with empty hands, despite their size, looked young. They clearly took their lead from the middle-aged man with the great bow.
These guys are built like mountains. If I took them along as bodyguards, I'd be able to throw my weight around anywhere...
While Bai Yang's mind wandered, the man with the bow slowly lowered it to show he wouldn't hurt him. Then he slowly reached out and placed a hand on Bai Yang's head...
Is he going to twist my neck off or crush my skull?
Just as Bai Yang was wondering whether to leave immediately, he realized he'd been lifted right off the ground...
"Ow, ow, ow! What do you want? What are you doing?"
Bai Yang shouted, but the other man couldn't understand him.
Then everything went dark. A pair of huge hands reached over and roughly ripped the strap beneath his chin. His helmet dropped to the ground with a clatter. Only then did he realize the man was trying to take it off.
Do you have to be so savage? Are you all wild men? Ever heard of using gestures?
The other men couldn't hear his complaints anyway, so Bai Yang pulled off the cap that covered everything but his eyes.
The three brawny men clearly froze when they saw his face. They exchanged glances.
"Brother Zhao, I think we've gotten ourselves into trouble."
"Yeah. Look at him—soft skin, delicate features. He's obviously some pampered young master. We must've offended him. What if he brings disaster down on our village?"
"Zhu Zi's right. Why don't we kill him, bury him here, and run?"
"Shut up, you two. Anyone can see he's the young master of some powerful family. If we kill him, his family will find us, and that'll be the real disaster. Don't forget, the powerful families have all sorts of strange experts," the older man said, cutting off the two youngsters impatiently.
"Then what do we do?"
"This guy can't even speak. Could he be an idiot?"
The two younger men examined Bai Yang and muttered to each other.
Now I see how important it is to know another language. I studied for so many years and worked my tail off to pass the English CET-4, and it's completely useless here. No, I have to do something, or running away will be my only option.
Faced with this situation, Bai Yang racked his brain faster than ever. How could he show them his goodwill as quickly and clearly as possible without a common language? They were people, not beasts. Even if they couldn't speak the same language, they could still communicate...
An idea struck him, and his eyes lit up.
People needed food to survive. In fact, that law of nature applied not only to humans but to all animals. So, when words failed, sharing food was undoubtedly the best way to show goodwill.
Bai Yang slowly lowered one hand and put the entrenching tool on the ground. He felt safer keeping the electric rod in his other hand...
Then he pulled a piece of chocolate from his pocket. He'd brought it to replenish his energy. Slowly, he offered it to them.
The three wild men exchanged glances, completely baffled by what Bai Yang meant.
Seeing that they didn't understand, Bai Yang broke off a piece from the large bar and chewed it with obvious enjoyment. Then he offered them the rest.
"Looks pretty tasty," said the young burly man they called Zhu Zi, sniffing.
"Is he trying to give us something to eat?" the other young man asked, looking at the older one.
The older man frowned. "He doesn't look like he means any harm, but who knows if there's something in that stuff meant to trick us..."
"Wow, this is delicious! It tastes so different—sweet and fragrant..."
Bai Yang stared blankly at his empty hand, then at the burly man who had tossed the palm-sized piece of chocolate into his mouth. The man chewed with a look of pure delight, waving his arms around in excitement. Bai Yang was utterly speechless.
Is chocolate really that good, except when you need a quick energy boost or want to win a girl over? Bai Yang seriously doubted it.
"..." The older man felt that he might as well not have said anything.
Then Bai Yang saw a sincere-looking face lean toward him, its owner wearing an awkward, ingratiating expression.
Could you be any more obvious about wanting some after watching everyone else eat? You're practically drooling. Bai Yang fished another piece out of his pocket and offered it. "Here. This is the last piece, so take your time..."
To make sure they understood he had no more, he even turned his pocket inside out.
They didn't share a language, but Bai Yang had made his meaning clear enough. Unfortunately, the big man was too eager to catch on. Like the other young burly man, he stuffed the whole piece of chocolate into his mouth and chewed, eyes shining as he danced around in rapture.
The two burly young men were so excited by the delicious chocolate that they danced and stomped, making the ground rumble beneath their feet!
Is it really that good? Bai Yang wondered again.
The two younger men were a bit more excitable, but the older one kept his eyes on Bai Yang every moment, looking ready to leap up and attack like a violent thug.
The middle-aged burly man they called Brother Zhao looked at Bai Yang, then at the two younger men bouncing around with delight after eating the chocolate. He pointed at Bai Yang, then at himself and the other two, and finally toward the distance...
Bai Yang thought for a moment before realizing what he meant: he wanted Bai Yang to go with them...
Whew... I'm safe for now. Next I need to earn their trust, and then... We can't even talk. What a headache...
Before you continue