Chapter 180: The End of the Poultry

"Because I don't want to die." Seeing Qin Huairu catching up, Xu Damao stopped and said in a low voice.

"Isn't it quite good where you all are? Not only is there strength in numbers, but food is also sufficient, there is a division of labor, and order has even been established," Qin Huairu asked, puzzled.

"Hmph," Xu Damao couldn't help but sneer, "Because of injustice, and even more so because there is no suppression by absolute force."

At this moment, Xu Damao was as calm as a wise man; this also had to do with Xu Damao's years of going to the countryside to show movies. In the countryside of the Third Front, the environment there was even more brutal, and Xu Damao had witnessed many more tragic and cruel things there than in the countryside of Sijiucheng.

Xu Damao himself had a bit of petty cleverness and was a true villain, which gave Xu Damao a clear understanding of the world.

The environment on the deserted island was, in some respects, somewhat similar to the environment in the impoverished, treacherous mountains.

The cruel environment made Xu Damao see the flaws in his temporary group at a glance, so Xu Damao made the calmest judgment: survival is the primary goal above all else.

"Don't even talk about this island without the constraints of law; even in the Siheyuan, Yi Zhonghai and the others never achieved fairness."

"In the past, why was Yi Zhonghai able to control the Siheyuan? First, because of the appointment from the Street Office; second, because Yi Zhonghai was a Level 8 Worker at the factory; third, because Yi Zhonghai had Shazhu as a powerful enforcer."

"The appointment from the Street Office meant the constraints of law and absolute force. Added to Yi Zhonghai's status and Shazhu as an enforcer, only then could Yi Zhonghai dominate the Siheyuan."

"But, if there were no appointment from the Street Office, and Yi Zhonghai were not a Level 8 Worker, and even lacked Shazhu as an enforcer, Yi Zhonghai would just be a childless old man. Never mind dominating the Siheyuan, it would be a feat if he didn't get bullied to death."

"Look at now; don't look at how Wang Jianmin, Zhang Limin, and Li Aijun have established a 'Third Uncle' system similar to the Courtyard House—it definitely won't last long."

"Human desire is infinite, while survival resources are limited. In the Siheyuan, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui often had conflicts for the sake of survival, let alone the three of them."

"The key is that none of the three of them has the overwhelming force to suppress the others. If one doesn't submit, they could completely take advantage of the middle of the night to beat or injure the other. In short, this model will absolutely not last long."

"Just watch, before long, they will have intense conflicts over food, housing, women, and the like, leading to infighting," Xu Damao analyzed calmly.

Xu Damao's words made Qin Huairu's eyes light up, and it also made Qin Huairu look at him with new respect.

"Then how can one survive for a long time?" Qin Huairu asked.

Qin Huairu also knew that the people here each had their own selfish motives; wanting to make them unite as one was harder than ascending to heaven. These people were good at nothing else, but at dragging others down and causing sabotage, they were each stronger than the last.

Just as Xu Damao said, to really unite these people, unless one had inhuman force like Shazhu, in a place like this, reasoning was useless; fists were the most useful.

"There is only one situation that can allow everyone to live for a long time," Xu Damao said.

"What situation?" Qin Huairu immediately asked.

"That is to leave only one man; only when the other men are all dead will it work," Xu Damao said.

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu couldn't help but be stunned. After thinking for a long time, she realized that what Xu Damao said was actually right.

Women of this era still had relatively traditional thinking and would instinctively rely on men. If only one man remained, women would instinctively rely on this man...

Qin Huairu also wanted to rely on a man. Before, there was no opportunity, but now that she had Xu Damao, she naturally had to lean on him.

Xu Damao also wanted a companion; whether out of physiological or survival needs, he needed a companion with whom he could let down most of his guard. The two walked toward the center of the island with a tacit understanding, so as to stay away from those people.

Qin Huairu grew up in the countryside since she was a child, so her survival experience was beyond question. Although Xu Damao grew up in the city, after going to the Third Front, he went to the impoverished, treacherous mountain gullies every day to show movies, so he had also undergone a certain amount of tempering and had a certain level of survival ability.

There were no large animals on the island; what threatened them were mosquitoes, leeches, snakes, and the like. Fortunately, Xu Damao and Qin Huairu were quite tough from their time in the Third Front. On the way away from Wang Jianmin and the others, the two found a freshwater lake, and after discussing it, they decided to temporarily set up camp there.

The two not only found the freshwater lake, but there were also fish in the lake, which temporarily solved their food crisis. The key was that Xu Damao also found a stone cave that could shelter them from the wind and rain.

Xu Damao had lived in cave dwellings and was very satisfied with this stone cave that resembled one. Xu Damao immediately took off his belt. As someone who had been through it all, Qin Huairu didn't take this kind of thing to heart; instead, she said "you devil" with a sense of eagerness.

"Qin Huairu, is your head stuffed with dung? I'm about to starve to death; who has the heart to do that with you at a time like this?" Xu Damao looked at Qin Huairu with contempt and said disdainfully.

After Xu Damao finished speaking, he removed the buckle from his belt and found a stone, preparing to turn the buckle into a fishhook.

"What are you still standing there for? Go find some grass to twist into a grass rope, and dig up some earthworms. Let's catch some fish to eat while it's still light out," Xu Damao said.

Qin Huairu only then realized, but Qin Huairu's skin was extremely thick, especially in a place like this; she didn't feel a shred of embarrassment in her heart.

Seeing Xu Damao being so capable, Qin Huairu's hanging heart relaxed a little instead.

Qin Huairu had also made a great determination to leave with Xu Damao. Now, Xu Damao's performance had already exceeded Qin Huairu's expectations; how could Qin Huairu not be happy?

However, Qin Huairu was happy too soon. Grass rope couldn't just be twisted together casually; Qin Huairu twisted for a long time without making a single rope, and even if she did, it was very brittle and would break with a light tug.

Helpless, Qin Huairu had to dig up some earthworms first and then pull off Xu Damao's pants, preparing to use the pants to make a rope. Xu Damao was also quite helpless; the conditions didn't allow for anything else, so he could only do this. If the pants were ruined, so be it; survive first, then talk.

Fortunately, Xu Damao still had a keychain for his keys, and there was a small pair of scissors on the keychain. With these small scissors, Qin Huairu cut Xu Damao's pants into strips and made a fish line.

Xu Damao's pants thus became a pair of large shorts.

After Xu Damao made the fishhook, he found a stick to use as a fishing rod, found a small piece of a tree branch to use as a float, then tied the fishhook to the end of the line and hooked on an earthworm; a simple fishing rod was made.

The fish in the lake obviously had no experience or lessons in being fished; seeing the earthworm arrive, they swarmed over. Thus, after a brief period of exploration, Xu Damao became a fishing master, and fish were caught one after another.

Afterward, Xu Damao dug a pit at their dwelling, filled it with water, and put the fish into the water so they could eat them the next day.

Qin Huairu was responsible for grilling the fish; in this situation, they could only grill fish.

Without salt, without oil, and without any seasoning, one could imagine the grilled fish. Even though Qin Huairu had already scraped off the scales and processed the fish's internal organs, it still tasted fishy when grilled.

There was no other way; no matter how bad it tasted, they had to eat their fill first. Only by eating their fill could they survive.

"Tomorrow, find a way to get some salt," Xu Damao said.

"Alright, I'll go get salt tomorrow," Qin Huairu said. "Where are you going to get salt? Don't go stealing it there. If you get caught, you'll definitely be 'that' first and then beaten up. By then, I'll still have to go save you," Xu Damao said sternly.

"I won't go stealing. When I was looking for grass to twist into rope, I saw a patch of saline-alkali land. I've at least received training in preparing for war and famine; I know how to extract salt from soil. Besides, can one be short of salt while staying by the seaside?" Qin Huairu said.

This time it was Xu Damao's turn to be stunned. Xu Damao had also participated in training for preparing for war and famine, but as someone in the propaganda department, he was viewed as an administrative type, and the training direction was different.

Xu Damao admitted that he had underestimated Qin Huairu, and precisely because of this, Xu Damao suddenly discovered that if one wanted to survive, it wasn't too difficult, or rather, it wasn't as difficult as he had imagined.

Once happy, Xu Damao pulled Qin Huairu into the stone cave to study the Kun-character Technique with her. Anyway, Xu Damao couldn't father children, and Qin Huairu was wearing an IUD; neither of them could conceive, so there was no need to worry about pregnancy.

After being satisfied, Xu Damao stroked his old waist and said, "Sigh, I'm old. If only there were a cigarette right now. Qin Huairu, why do you think that bastard Shazhu threw us onto this island?"

"Who knows what that bastard Shazhu is thinking? Maybe he just wants to watch us starve to death in an unfamiliar environment? However, one thing is certain: that bastard Shazhu is definitely taking revenge on us," Qin Huairu said.

"Right! That bastard Shazhu is definitely taking revenge on us! That grandson Shazhu is so petty; sending us to the Third Front wasn't enough, he had to throw us onto a deserted island."

"However, I don't think Shazhu wants to starve us to death. How difficult were the hard times, and we didn't starve to death; can we starve to death here?" Xu Damao, looking like a thinker, frowned and said.

Qin Huairu suddenly realized. During the hard times, the reason so many people died was because of severe natural disasters and many people with few resources. But here, there were few people and many resources. Admittedly, there was no electricity or various tools here, but with Qin Huairu and Xu Damao's survival abilities, they could completely survive.

The physical fitness and wilderness survival skills of this group of people, including Qin Huairu and Xu Damao, were not something those in later generations could compare to.

"Then what do you think Shazhu wants to do?" Qin Huairu asked.

"Shazhu wants us to kill each other," Xu Damao said very firmly.

"Why do you say that?" Qin Huairu asked.

"Back in the Siheyuan, everyone would hold a full-courtyard meeting for no reason at all, scheming against each other every day. The key is that everyone treated Shazhu like a fool to be toyed with. Now that Shazhu has made it big, of course he wants to take revenge, and the best way to take revenge is to toy with us."

"Don't we scheme against each other often? Don't we bully this person or that person all day long? I reckon Shazhu just wants to let us fight to our hearts' content and see what we turn into when there are no constraints."

"Shazhu must be hiding in the shadows watching secretly; he might even be snickering while seeing us in such a sorry state," Xu Damao said bitterly.

Xu Damao had always been one to speculate about He Yuzhu with the greatest malice; those who understand you are often your enemies, and it must be said that Xu Damao's guess was not far off.

He Yuzhu just wanted to see how they would fight on this isolated island and how they would turn into beasts. There was one thing Xu Damao got wrong: He Yuzhu was not watching secretly, but openly and aboveboard.

He Yuzhu had installed many cameras on the island; not only did he watch them himself, but he also broadcast them to the outside world.

Many people with nothing better to do loved this sort of thing, especially people in Western countries; they had nothing to do all day and were always looking for excitement, so He Yuzhu broadcast it for them to watch.

It was only limited by current technology; if it had been the technology of later generations, there would definitely have been all kinds of live streams everywhere.

It must be said that Xu Damao was truly clever.

After Wang Jianmin, Zhang Limin, and Li Aijun established a Third Uncle system similar to the Courtyard House, they couldn't wait to scramble for power and profit, snatching food, snatching housing, and snatching women, acting as Grand Uncles themselves and doing nothing, leaving the work of finding food to others.

If the others didn't do it, they would resort to violence.

Although the three of them were strong and good at fighting, they did not possess absolute force and were not invincible. Furthermore, there were conflicts between them, so the others sowed discord to make the three of them fight among themselves.

Xiao Dang and Huai Hua, in particular, were the most active. Although Xiao Dang and Huai Hua were not exceptionally beautiful, they were considered top-tier beauties on this desert island.

Beauties not only represented resources but also represented trouble.

Under constant instigation, conflicts between the three occurred frequently. In the end, the three could not help but fight internally. They would sometimes form alliances and sometimes break them. Others, for the sake of their own interests, also participated, triggering a massive brawl.

Many people were injured as a result. There was no medicine here to treat injuries, so they could only rely on their own immune systems to tough it out. People kept dying, mostly young and middle-aged men, because they were the first targets of attack.

Women and the old, weak, sick, and disabled were not the primary targets. Especially when someone launched a sneak attack in the middle of the night while everyone was fast asleep and finished off Wang Jianmin and the others, this caused everyone to break their bottom lines; in order to survive, they stopped at nothing.

At this time, some people sensed something was wrong and wanted to follow Xu Damao's example and escape, but times had changed; everyone was blinded by blood like wild beasts, and anyone who tried to escape would be attacked.

After a series of brutal internal fights, coupled with the influence of harsh environments like food shortages and injuries, the young and middle-aged men in the Siheyuan were all dead or wounded, leaving only a group of women.

At this moment, people finally calmed down and thought of Xu Damao.

Xu Damao and Qin Huairu had also been observing them from afar from time to time. Only after they had killed each other off did Xu Damao and Qin Huairu emerge from the mountains, bringing them medicinal herbs and a little food.

The people who had calmed down began to wail, but no matter how much they wailed, they had to survive. No one wanted to end their own lives, so the survivors, led by Xu Damao, burned the dead into ashes and continued to strive for survival.

Xu Damao began to re-establish order. Everyone settled down, and under Xu Damao's command and leadership, they carried out various construction projects in an orderly manner, reclaiming farmland and planting wild rice, cassava, and so on. Everything was clearly divided and relatively fair, and no one had any complaints.

The only problem was that Xu Damao could not reproduce, and not being able to reproduce meant that their group would eventually go extinct without outside help. Fortunately, at this time, Xiao Dang, Huai Hua, and other women of childbearing age showed signs of morning sickness, which made Xu Damao's group overjoyed.

Needless to say, Xiao Dang and Huai Hua were definitely pregnant with the children of Wang Jianmin and the others. At a time like this, whose children they were didn't matter as long as it was a good thing; as long as there were boys among them, their group could propagate, and perhaps one day they could even grow into a tribe.

Although they were peaceful on the surface, they still fought internally in private; this seemed to be a gene carved into their bones. He Yuzhu did not pay too much attention to them.

Didn't they like to fight internally? Then let them fight to their hearts' content...

Just like that, Xu Damao and his group lived quietly on this desert island. Xu Damao was like an emperor here, sleeping with whichever woman he pleased; after all, they had these needs too.

He Yuzhu could be considered to have repaid the favor of Xu Damao saving Shazhu from under the bridge in his previous life in this way.

As Xu Damao and the others lived on the desert island for a long time, things about the Siheyuan gradually became blurred...

It was as if the Siheyuan was just a dream, and this place was the reality!

(End of the book)

(End of this chapter)