All right, I've finished the task of calming the girls down for you. Guan Heng had just come out of the girls' room when he ran into Tony, who was patrolling the deck.
But remember, when we get back, just buy each of them a villa, Guan Heng said with a broad smile.
You even made promises to them in my name again. Tony sighed and shook his head.
Haha, you're the rich one. I'm not, buddy, Guan Heng said with a laugh. If I had money, I'd be even more generous than you and buy each of them two villas!
Just then, Jarvis announced over the deck's loudspeakers, "Gentlemen, our yacht has reached the waters around the designated island. However, our radar scan has detected a large number of reefs nearby."
Tony thought for a moment, then asked, "Jarvis, is there anywhere we can avoid them?"
"Please wait a moment." After a brief silence, Jarvis replied, "There's a narrow channel in the northeast. The water is deeper there than elsewhere, and it leads to the shore. Based on my calculations, it remains navigable every day, so there's no need to worry about being unable to return."
"Good. Take us in that way. Come in carefully. Guan Heng, go tell the girls we're going ashore," Tony instructed before ducking back into the cockpit. A short while later, they had passed through the reefs. The yacht switched to manual control and slowly approached the shore.
Several minutes later, the yacht finally reached land.
From the cockpit, Tony said, "Thanks for your hard work, Jarvis. You can rest now."
"I'm always at your service. I hope you and Mr. Guan enjoy your vacation. If you need anything, just come back and ask me. Goodbye, Mr. Tony." After that final remark, Jarvis automatically severed the connection. After all, he had a presence anywhere there was a digital terminal.
"Careful, Ai Wei. Give me your hand." Guan Heng reached out from the shore and pulled the girl across onto land. Lily followed right after her.
Tony was last. He leaped off the deck and landed on the beach. And so the two men and two women found themselves on the shore. A short distance away stood a dense forest, and unfamiliar birds occasionally flew out to circle overhead. The salty tang of the sea hung in the air, making them feel pleasantly languid.
"Catch me if you can! Whee, the seashells here are so pretty!"
The two girls ran and played on the beach. Carrying a tent and a camping hammer, Guan Heng found a high patch of ground and began setting up camp.
Tony carried over a large food container filled with all sorts of raw and cooked food. "I was planning to spend two days and one night here, but now that I think about it, we'd better stay just one night and head back tomorrow. Something feels off about this place."
Guan Heng nodded. "I think so too. The atmosphere here is strange, and the plants are frighteningly huge. Look at those coconut palms—even the smallest is as thick as several people standing arm in arm. And those wildflowers would be about the size of a coin elsewhere, but these are taller than a trash can."
It was already approaching dusk. Guan Heng quickly finished setting up the tent while Tony lit a campfire and cooked the food. The girls had also gathered quite a few edible shellfish, sea urchins, and crabs. They placed them on the hot stones around the fire, and soon a mouthwatering aroma filled the air.
"We're almost out of firewood. I'll go gather some," Guan Heng said as he got up. He added, "Ladies and gentlemen, I've counted out the food, so no sneaking any while I'm gone!"
"Get out of here! If you don't come back, we'll eat it all!" Lily said, shaking her little fist.
"Lily's right. Hurry back. Food waits for no one, you know. If you're late, all you'll get is shells and crab legs! Hahaha!" Tony joined in.
"You people are unbelievable. Wait for me to get back!" Guan Heng said, then took off running toward the forest.
The woods near the shore curved around three sides of the beach. A steep mountain blocked the southern side. It rose several dozen meters, its summit covered in weeds. A large tree stretched out its crooked branches, like an old man peering out to watch something.
Guan Heng had gone less than a hundred meters into the woods when he began gathering firewood. Before long, he had a large bundle in his hands. He took out a piece of rope and tied it up. Just as he turned to head back, he suddenly heard the sound of rushing water nearby. Curious, he hurried forward a few steps, parted the grass, and looked closely.
What met Guan Heng's eyes was a small marshy hollow to the west, overgrown with water-loving plants like bulrushes and cattails. His eyes immediately lit up. He knew these plants could only grow near rivers inland, and some even grew right in the water.
Sure enough, after walking another seven or eight steps, Guan Heng found a lake in the low-lying area. It was broad, and a waterfall poured down from a ravine on the western mountainside, flowing straight into the lake with a roar. Cool, fresh moisture washed over him.
"Ah, this feels great." Guan Heng narrowed his eyes, intending to admire the scenery. But then a rapid buzzing suddenly sounded beside his ears, like the beating of insect wings. How could it possibly be so loud?
Guan Heng looked up. A dark swarm of flying creatures filled the sky. His expression changed instantly, and the firewood on his shoulder clattered to the ground. He turned and sprinted like an arrow loosed from a bow, racing toward the camp by the shore.
Guan Heng moved with incredible speed, and the distance wasn't far. In a matter of seconds, he had reached the campsite.
"Damn it! Stay back!" Tony's furious roar came from ahead. Guan Heng's heart sank, and he rushed toward them even faster.
Amid the beating of enormous wings, a dark blue dragonfly landed in front of the two women and Tony. It was unbelievably huge, measuring over four meters long. Its chewing mouthparts looked like two sharp blades, and it charged straight at Tony.
"Get lost!" Tony swung a wooden stick at it. The stick cracked against the dragonfly's head and snapped, but the insect was completely unharmed.
At that critical moment, Guan Heng arrived.
"Get away from them!" Guan Heng grabbed the tail of the dark blue dragonfly and flung it into the air with all his strength. The dragonfly spread its wings with a whoosh and managed to steady itself in midair.
"Hmph! Die!" Guan Heng kicked off the ground and shot upward like a cannonball, landing a vicious punch on the dragonfly's abdomen. Boom! The insect's belly burst open, and it exploded into a mess of flesh in midair.
The dead insect's bloody remains rained down, and Guan Heng landed right after.
"Tony, Ai Wei, Lily—is everyone all right? Are you hurt?" Guan Heng hurried over and checked on them.
Tony shook his aching arm. "We're fine. If you'd been one step later, though, who knows what might have happened."
"Damn, where did these insects come from? I ran into them by the lake just now and saw a lot of them circling overhead. I figured you might run into trouble here, so I hurried back." Guan Heng let out a long breath. At least everyone was all right.
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