Stranded on a Deserted Island—They All Started Plotting Against Me - Chapter 9 - Chapter 9

After voicing her greatest internal doubt, Qin Ruoshuang looked at him seriously.

She needed an answer.

This was important for how she would interact with Anya in the future.

“Yeah, Anya probably looks down on me!” Zhang Liu nodded, confirming Qin Ruoshuang’s thoughts. Then he spoke, “At school, she often paid me to run errands for her and would mock me for being obsessed with money.”

Qin Ruoshuang didn’t speak, but gently bit her lip, maintaining her silence.

However, in her mind, ordering classmates from an equal status with money to do things for her already seemed like a form of bullying.

“But Anya gives me high tips, over 50,000 in total these past two years.” Zhang Liu continued, a smile appeared on his face. “My two sisters’ tuition fees for these years were covered by this money.”

“You’re paying your sisters’ tuition fees? What about your parents?” When Qin Ruoshuang heard Zhang Liu mention the money with a smile, she felt a bit annoyed.

But when she heard that the money was used for his sisters’ tuition, her intuition told her that there was more to the story.

“My parents passed away when I was in my first year of high school, due to cancer. All the family money was spent, and we even owed a lot of debt. It’s just my two sisters and me left. The school stepped in to help, and that’s how I could keep studying,” Zhang Liu hesitated for a moment, then briefly explained his situation to Qin Ruoshuang.

“Favor is something you remember for a lifetime. At first, Anya didn’t pay me, but after she knew about my family…” Zhang Liu was about to continue speaking for Anya, but was interrupted by her calling.

“I’m full! Zhang Liu, what are you two whispering about?”

Patting her stomach, smiling, Anya stood up from the foam board and quickly walked toward them.

Seeing this, though Qin Ruoshuang wanted to comfort Zhang Liu, she could only silently purse her lips as she watched him walk with a smile toward Anya.

The person who gave Zhang Liu money to help him was Anya, not herself.

For the petite Anya, who was only 153 cm tall, no matter how much she tried to fill her stomach, she couldn’t possibly eat much.

When Zhang Liu and Qin Ruoshuang sat down to continue their lunch, the coconut meat was barely eaten, just a little bit.

Soon, Qin Ruoshuang couldn’t eat any more. Under her and Anya’s watch, Zhang Liu alone finished off the coconut meat by force.

After finishing the simple meal, Zhang Liu began discussing his plans for the future, which he had thought about all morning.

“When I went out this morning to search for a cave, I thought about many things.”

“Based on the videos and survival novels I’ve seen, the things we need most right now are shelter, water, fire, food, and an escape plan.”

“Regarding shelter and water, we’ve already made initial progress. I found a cave earlier that seems perfect for us to stay in.”

“There’s a fist-sized water hole nearby. I’ve already drained it, and we’ll see how fast it fills up when we go back.”

“It’s freshwater, but a bit bitter, probably from the minerals in the rocks. I’ll only drink this water tonight to check if it’s suitable for short-term consumption.”

“Fire is more troublesome; I don’t know how to start a fire with wood, I just know the principles.”

“As for food… since we’re near the sea, and there are coconuts, the priority for carbs is coconut meat. For protein and fat, I’ll tentatively go with fish from the sea, and we’ll see if there are other useful resources in the forest.”

“In the short term, I don’t plan to enter the forest. At least within the next ten days, the chances of rescue are still high.”

“If after ten days, there’s still no rescue, we’ll need to think about the long-term situation and start developing the forest’s resources.”

“The first step is to climb to the highest peak over there to confirm if this is even an island.”

“If it’s vast and clearly not an island, then it might be an undeveloped primeval forest. If we cross the forest, we could find tourist spots.”

“But what if it really is an island?”

“Then the goal will be to build a large ship that can go to sea as a last ditch effort.”

After speaking out all of his plans for the future, Zhang Liu looked at Qin Ruoshuang and Anya, who had fallen into silence.

“Zhang Liu, how do you know so much?” Anya was the first to break the silence, asking curiously.

Qin Ruoshuang also had a puzzled look in her eyes.

To be honest, she thought she had already been calm enough and had made preliminary plans for the future during these two days of rest.

However, Qin Ruoshuang’s plan still mostly revolved around getting by.

In contrast, Zhang Liu’s plan was laid out systematically with solutions for various problems.

The difference between the two was like night and day.

“I’ve been improving my English skills by translating my favorite survival novels from English into Chinese.” Zhang Liu smiled bitterly. “It was originally to prepare for an exam, but I didn’t expect it would be useful here.”

Upon hearing this, neither Anya nor Qin Ruoshuang spoke.

Both of their families hired private English tutors for one-on-one education, and they understood that learning English boiled down to self-discipline.

Zhang Liu’s self-taught and self-disciplined character made them feel deeply shocked.

Compared to Qin Ruoshuang’s admiration, there was a hint of regret in the depths of Anya’s eyes.

“Then, shall we go over there now?” Qin Ruoshuang turned her head and looked at the sun, which had already climbed to the center of the sky, the scorching light causing a hot sensation on her head.

This was something that Zhang Liu and Anya also felt.

So, all three nodded.

Zhang Liu took a coconut in each hand and led the way.

Anya and Qin Ruoshuang each held a coconut, and the three of them slowly walked toward the small cave they had found earlier.

Once they entered the shady area under the mountain, they all couldn’t help but let out a slight sigh of relief.

The air they were breathing was no longer scorching but had a refreshing coolness to it.

“The water hole I mentioned is right here…” When they reached the small water hole, Zhang Liu couldn’t help but smile slightly.

He was pleasantly surprised to find that in the short time they had been away, the water hole had already filled up and was continuing to overflow, moistening the surface of the mountain.

Although it was small, the steady supply of water was impressive.

When Qin Ruoshuang saw the clear water, she couldn’t help but lick her lips slightly.

Unlike Anya, who had already drunk two bottles of mineral water, Qin Ruoshuang had only had coconut juice the past two days. Although sweet and delicious, it left a slightly sticky feeling in her mouth.

Now, Qin Ruoshuang could almost smell the distinct scent of fresh water in the air.

“Can I rinse my mouth first?” Just then, Anya walked over to the water hole and turned to ask Zhang Liu, someone she would never have asked for advice before.