Stranded on a Deserted Island—They All Started Plotting Against Me - Chapter 2 - Chapter 2

Even though he was mentally prepared to save the girl, when Zhang Liu actually pressed down and touched it, he couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement in his heart.

The sensation was truly indescribable.

The firm, elastic feeling coming from his palm made him think to himself, “This is the real deal.”

After approximately thirty rounds of chest compressions, it was time for artificial respiration.

Zhang Liu remembered his teacher mentioning this during training, but…

Did he really have to perform mouth-to-mouth?

Thinking about the soft tongue he’d seen while checking for obstructions earlier, his heartbeat quickened, and his compressions inadvertently grew more forceful.

At that moment, the girl he’d been performing CPR on suddenly started coughing violently.

“Cough… cough, cough…”

Her eyes opened, bloodshot, and after glancing at the man in front of her, she immediately turned over, coughing and retching up salty seawater.

“Ah… you’re awake,”

The girl didn’t respond to him. Instead, she lay on the beach, gasping for air.

Zhang Liu awkwardly retracted his hands, which still carried a faint residual sensation. Unsure of what to do, he stuffed them into his pants pockets and stood there dazed.

After catching her breath, the girl licked her lips and hoarsely asked, “Do you have water?”

“Ah… water?”

Her question suddenly reminded Zhang Liu of his own thirst. But where on earth could he find water here?

His gaze darted around until he noticed a few brown coconuts beneath some palm trees in the distance.

Without hesitation, he ran over and picked one up. The coconut had a strong smell of rotting wood, but when he shook it, there was a clear sloshing sound from inside.

While not as pristine as the coconuts sold in supermarkets or from roadside vendors, it might still contain drinkable coconut water.

With a hint of hope, Zhang Liu carried the coconut back toward the girl, only to stop short.

This thing had a thick, fibrous shell. Back in civilization, machines opened them effortlessly. Out here, there were no tools.

The girl seemed to realize this as well, falling silent as she stared at the coconut in his hand.

“I’ll find a rock to crack it open,” Zhang Liu said, looking around. His eyes quickly landed on a nearby rocky outcrop, and spurred by his thirst, he dashed over.

He grabbed a moderately sized rock, raised it, and slammed it against the coconut’s outer shell.

The thick fibrous husk absorbed the impact like a cushion, leaving only faint marks. Zhang Liu knew coconuts had an additional hard shell inside, which made him feel a bit defeated. How long would it take to break through?

But giving up meant not drinking, and he understood that much.

The coconut’s surface was not only tough but slippery. After a few more strikes, the rock began slipping off the husk.

Then, the girl’s hoarse voice came from behind him: “Why not try smashing it against a sharp rock?”

Taking her suggestion, Zhang Liu immediately changed tactics.

He lifted the coconut and slammed it against a sharp piece of coral.

The results were immediate. A deep crack appeared with a single blow, the effort surpassing all his previous attempts combined.

A faint aroma of broken coconut fibers began to permeate the air.

After five or six strikes, the coconut finally gave way with a crisp “crack.”

A cloudy white liquid spilled out from the fissure, trickling down his fingers and wrist before dripping onto the sand.

Judging by the scent and appearance, it was no different from bottled coconut water.

“It’s open!” Zhang Liu exclaimed in excitement, holding the coconut aloft.

He quickly handed it to the girl nearby.

“You drink first…”

As a man, Zhang Liu naturally prioritized the lady now that they weren’t in a life-or-death scenario. Besides, the island seemed to have plenty of coconuts.

“Thank you.” The girl glanced at him, her voice still hoarse, and took the coconut with both hands. Before drinking, she offered a soft word of thanks.

“Don’t mention it; we’re classmates,” Zhang Liu replied casually before running back to the palm trees. He grabbed two more coconuts and brought them back.

Having learned from his first experience, his coconut-opening speed improved significantly.

However, the subsequent coconuts didn’t yield the cloudy-white liquid. Instead, they produced clear or slightly yellowish juice, which left him a little depressed.

After several trips back and forth, Zhang Liu and the girl, who had managed to recover some strength by drinking coconut water, found a shady spot to sit. Nearby, they had piled up a small collection of unopened coconuts and a sharp piece of flint that was perfect for cracking them open and scraping out the coconut meat.

“Um… what’s your name?”

As time passed, the sun grew increasingly intense, and the surrounding temperature rose sharply. Even in the shade of the rocks, Zhang Liu felt sweat trickling down his forehead. His previously dried clothes were becoming damp again.

Looking at the girl beside him, who had remained silent, he couldn’t help but ask her name.

“Qin Ruoshuang.” She turned to glance at him and said, “I know you. Your name is Zhang Liu, right? After all, you’re the only guy in the entire school.”

“Cough, cough… Well, it’s because my family is poor. I came to your prestigious girls’ school to help boost the graduation rate and snag the free direct admission slot,” Zhang Liu explained awkwardly. Then, his expression darkened.

Most of the day had passed, and there was still no sign of rescue.

He had no idea what to do next.

Would he really have to start living like those wilderness survival videos?

But those videos only show the successful moments, not the countless failures. If he really had to experiment for survival here, how many chances would he get to fail?

And what should he even do right now?

As these thoughts took over, Zhang Liu’s initial optimism began to fade.

Qin Ruoshuang noticed the somber look on his face and thought of her sister, Qin Ruoyan, who had also been on the plane.

She had been lucky enough to survive.

But her sister…

Would she be as fortunate?

Thinking of this, Qin Ruoshuang’s heart grew chaotic, and she couldn’t find any solutions. She could only curl her legs up, rest her hands on her knees, and clench them to suppress her emotions.