Ultimately, under Qingmu's coercion and enticement, the Boss Coal and Hanran handed over most of the food. Qingmu gave the food to Alice and Anderson, who needed it, especially Anderson, who was still very weak and needed to replenish his nutrition.
Qingmu and Su Huilan ate a few compressed biscuits. After they were full, they prepared to set off to rescue Petru and Mrs. Larry.
Before leaving, Qingmu checked Anderson's injuries, left two pistols and some food, and instructed, "It's relatively safe here, you guys wait here. If we don't come back, don't go out. Wait until fog rolls in on the island, then walk towards the sea from the direction of the mountain behind. We've hidden a raft in the crevice of the reef there. You should be able to see a large ship if you paddle out. Wait for us on the ship. Remember, you must leave when it's foggy, otherwise you won't be able to get out."
Alice nodded. " God bless Mrs. Larry and your friends to be alive, God bless you to bring them all back!"
Qingmu said, "Don't worry, everyone will be fine."
At this moment, the Crow hopped over to the savage on the ground and nudged its face with its claws. The savage suddenly opened its eyes, cawed, and lunged at the crow, startling it.
"Holy crap! He's not dead!"
The savage writhed on the ground a couple of times, seemingly exhausted, then closed his eyes and gasped for breath.
Su Huilan looked at Qingmu: "What should we do with this person?"
Qingmu said, "Let's take care of it."
Just as he was about to go over, he suddenly heard Alice shout, "Let me do it!"
He turned around and saw Alice with her eyes wide open in anger, as if she were about to breathe fire, holding a pistol and pointing it at the savage on the ground.
Qingmu quickly stepped forward to stop her. "Don't shoot! The gunfire will attract other savages!" He drew his dagger and handed it to Alice, "Use this."
Alice slowly lowered the gun, gripped the knife handle with both hands, walked to the savage, and knelt down in front of him. She took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently, and then suddenly stabbed him.
The dagger pierced the savage's chest, but Alice, usually so weak, was too feeble; it only reached his ribs, failing to penetrate his chest. The savage screamed in agony, instinctively arching his back.
Alice was so frightened that she fell back, her hand gripping the dagger trembling uncontrollably, the dagger stained with bright red blood.
Qingmu, fearing the savage's death throes might harm Alice, was about to rush to help when Su Huilan grabbed his arm. Su Huilan gave him a wink, gently shook her head, and whispered, "Let Alice handle it herself!"
Alice trembled all over, holding the knife in mid-air. After taking a few breaths to catch her breath, she let out a scream and pounced.
This time, she didn't choose the heart, which was protected by ribs, but instead chose the stomach. The knife plunged into the savage's abdomen with a thud, and blood gushed out, some of it spraying directly onto Alice's face.
A thick, pungent smell of blood filled the narrow cave.
The savage looked pained and reached out to grab Alice's arm.
Alice drew her knife and, without giving the savage a chance to resist, quickly stabbed him a second time. This time, the knife pierced his stomach, and more blood flowed freely. Then came the third, the fourth...
The savage's eyes shifted from anger to fear. He looked at the crazed woman before him with despair, his body convulsed a few times, and then he stopped moving.
Alice, however, did not stop.
In the crimson glow of blood, she saw again the scene of Mrs. Larry being violated by them, the sailors' charred, oily flesh roasted over the fire...
She was covered in blood, her face contorted in rage, and she screamed hysterically as she frantically stabbed herself with the dagger.
Her stomach was ripped open, her intestines spilling out, and she turned to the savage's head, stabbing it again and again. Her aim wasn't very good; sometimes she hit its eye, sometimes its neck...
Bloodshed, hatred, and hysterical madness filled the entire cave.
No one went up to stop them; everyone, including the birds and cats, held their breath, and the air and time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Alice stopped when her arms were sore and she could no longer lift them. Her body went limp, as if all the energy had been drained away.
Su Huilan quickly went over and hugged her tightly.
Alice leaned on her shoulder and sobbed, "Please... please!... save the lady! You must... save her!"
Su Huilan hugged her tightly, ignoring the blood and gore covering Alice's face and body. She rubbed her face against Alice's and whispered in her ear, "It will! It will! Alice, don't worry, Mrs. Larry will be alright! Everything will be alright!"
"How... I wish this were all a dream! Waaah..." Alice's body convulsed.
While Su Huilan was comforting Alice, Qingmu began to deal with the corpses on the ground. The stench was unbearable, and in this weather, the bodies would decompose quickly. Anderson and Alice didn't know how long they would have to hide here.
Anderson came over to help. Qingmu said, "Your injury hasn't healed yet, let me do it!"
Anderson said, "It's alright."
Together they dragged the body outside the cave and disposed of it in a secluded spot. Back inside the cave, Anderson limped over and began cleaning up the bloodstains.
Alice finally calmed down, and together with Anderson, they escorted Qingmu and Su Huilan out of the cave.
Anderson patted Qingmu on the shoulder and said, " Alice and Mrs. Larry have a very deep bond, so please understand her! Just do your best to save people, don't push yourself. The most important thing is that you don't get into any more trouble! We'll be here waiting for you to come back!"
Qingmu knew Anderson meant well, so he smiled at him and said, "I heard you like fishing?"
Anderson paused for a moment, wondering why Qingmu was asking this, and said, "Yes, I love fishing, all kinds of places, all kinds of weather, I love it all! Do you know what the greatest joy of fishing is?"
"It's freedom!" Anderson seemed to perk up when the topic turned to fishing. "All games in the world have rules, but fishing doesn't. You can sit, you can lie down, you can even pee in the ocean; you can listen to music, you can smoke, you can even dance naked; nobody cares. For me, golf and snooker are more troublesome than a woman applying eyelashes; football and basketball, though rough, are like fighting in shackles, not fun at all! I like simple things. I don't care if I catch a big fish or not, I just like its simplicity and comfort. For a lazy person, it's the best way to relax and exercise."
Qingmu laughed heartily, "You've really hit the nail on the head! Anderson, I think we could buy this island someday and use it exclusively for fishing. I guarantee there are some big fish in this lake that you've never caught before!"
"What! Buy it?" Anderson almost thought he had misheard. It sounded as crazy as a war criminal Auschwitz Concentration Camp saying he wanted to buy Hack Courtyards to use as his garden.
Qingmu and the others had walked away, Alice saw Anderson still standing there in a daze and asked, " Anderson, what's wrong?"
Anderson, regaining his composure, said, "Oh, it's nothing, I just... feel much better, and I'm full of energy again! Don't you think life is full of hope?"
Alice didn't know why Anderson thought that way, but seeing his relaxed and happy appearance, the gloom in her heart gradually dissipated.
The Sun is rising little by little, and the birds in the woods are singing joyful songs again.