The Lonely Island, Night Two
This time, Zhi was still acting alone. What he was doing now was something even his companions couldn't know. To ensure the plan succeeded, he could only rely on himself. It was exhausting. Compared with being honest, deception was much harder. No one would choose this path unless they had no other option.
At the same place as last night, the underground shelter was now nearly complete. Only Zhi's final step remained. Besides a ventilation shaft, he needed one more thing above the shelter: a corpse. Ideally, it would be one of the people who had died on the plane for some reason.
"Wait. If the plane landed on the ground suddenly, then how did those people die? No, that can't be right!" Zhi suddenly realized something. He dropped his tools at once and ran toward the place where the bodies were buried. It was far from the beach, and at this hour, no one should be there. Zhi was terribly tense, sweat pouring from his body as if the moon overhead were the sun.
Zhi raced through the forest like a beast closing in on its prey...
When he arrived, he saw that the ground hadn't been disturbed. The soil was still fresh. He could only act on his suspicions. If any of the bodies were still alive—or only pretending to be dead—then he would have to use the weapon in his hand to make their false death real. He didn't want to disturb souls that had already found peace, but for the sake of survival, he had no choice. If everyone had painful memories, then tonight would become the most painful memory of Zhi's life so far—not just one of many...
At dawn, Zhi changed clothes because his old ones were ruined. They reeked of something and would need a thorough wash before he could wear them again. He still had no desire to sleep, or even to eat. To think that he had inflicted fatal wounds on the chests of every corpse except the baby's—how difficult that would be for any normal person. After confirming that none of the bodies showed signs of life, Zhi dug up an elderly person's corpse and carried it to the shelter as quickly as he could...
He had done it all in the dark of night. No one knew. Even Zhi could hardly believe he had been capable of going that far. That showed just how strong the human will to survive could be. If it meant staying alive, killing everyone on the island wouldn't be all that difficult...
The others were discussing a search for food, but Zhi had no intention of joining them. He could find food without their help, especially on this island. The fewer people there were, the longer he would survive. Since they wanted to brave the forest, Zhi had no reason to stop them. If they found people or a large supply of food, that would be good; he wouldn't lose out. If someone died during the expedition, that would be even better. It would reduce the population and conserve the island's natural resources. Either outcome suited Zhi. Ideally, both would happen...
At a time like this, Zhi stood by the sea and opened his mouth, letting the wind carry air into it. It felt wonderful, even though the air smelled fishy.
About an hour later, an expedition party of eighty-three set out. It included people from all the necessary professions. The group was a little large, but if they found food or water, they would be able to bring back more. At least, that was what its members thought. Only a few people remained on the beach, wandering around. It was almost time to meet Ellis, so Zhi looked around and headed into the forest...
Five minutes later, Ellis was waiting at the agreed-upon location with three people who might become their companions, just as Zhi had asked.
When Ellis saw Zhi approaching, he said to the other three in English, "He's our leader. If you want to survive, all you have to do is listen to him." Zhi couldn't understand what Ellis was saying. He simply continued toward him, while the other three regarded Zhi curiously. It put Zhi in an awkward position, but he managed to bear it.
Standing beside Ellis, Zhi asked, "Did you verify who these three are? You're sure they aren't spies for those people?" In truth, Zhi was only asking for the sake of it. He still didn't trust Ellis. Whether or not Ellis had checked, Zhi intended to do it himself.
Ellis smiled. "Yes, I checked them in my own way. You can check again if you want. They've agreed to it. They also trust you because you're Chinese. China is an ancient, mysterious country, and they consider it an honor to fight alongside you. So, will you let them join us?"
Zhi was surprised by what Ellis had said, and found it difficult to refuse. He nodded and asked, "Do they know how we'll operate? Do you think they have the patience to see through everything I've planned?"
Ellis nodded. "Yes. I've told them the basic plan, and they've said they can stick with it. But they have some questions about your plan and want you to answer them. If they're satisfied, they'll follow it exactly."
Zhi smiled faintly. That was how Westerners were: they did what they said, as long as it suited them...
"Have them introduce themselves, then ask whatever questions they have. That's the only way they can become our companions." That was Zhi's reply to Ellis, and it made the man trust the leader before him completely.
Ellis quickly introduced the three of them in Chinese. "On the left is Parker, a young man from London in the United Kingdom. In the middle is Freya, a university student from Manhattan in the United States. On the right is Lundes, an athlete from California in the United States." Ellis introduced them well in Chinese, giving Zhi time to figure out how to handle things. Zhi smiled at each of them and held out his right hand in greeting. As they shook hands, he said to Ellis, "Let them speak. They can ask anything."
Parker asked the first question. "If the other side really is demons or aliens, will a base be any use? They could just disappear and reappear out of nowhere, then kill us!"
Zhi smiled and replied, "Yes, you're right. But why haven't the demons or aliens shown themselves to us yet? Why bring us to this island? You could think of it this way: what if the aliens or demons are under some kind of restriction that prevents them from attacking us directly? If they could attack us directly, we'd already be dead. But we're still alive, and we're free to choose where to go. So I don't think they'll attack us themselves, even if they are aliens or demons. They'll use something else on this island—humans or other creatures—to deal with us. But don't get too comfortable. There's another possibility: maybe they're just waiting until we're ready before they show up. Wouldn't that suit them even better? Watching humanity struggle helplessly? We're building a base for two reasons. First, to protect ourselves from attacks by ordinary living things. Second, to struggle—to fight for survival and improve our chances of making it."
Ellis translated Zhi's words exactly for Parker. Parker was a little unsettled, but soon recovered. He nodded in agreement.
Lundes asked the second question. "You make a lot of sense, but what if we get rescued one day and nothing else happens?"
Zhi thought the question was foolish, but he still answered sincerely. "Then we can say we played a real-life detective game and lost. Would that work? Whatever happens, the experience will stay with us. Even if we're rescued, it'll still help us in our lives afterward. Not everyone gets to say they've fought against demons and aliens, right?"
Ellis translated Zhi's words once more. Lundes reacted differently from Parker. His expression was excited, and he nodded, saying he was completely fine with it. That left only Freya's question.
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