96: Chapter 96 The Destination Is Right Before Our Eyes 96: Chapter 96 The Destination Is Right Before Our Eyes The wilderness at night is usually accompanied by darkness, solitude, and cold.
Apart from the dangers posed by wild beasts, travelers must also be constantly on guard against venomous insects and snakes.
Every day could be described as a struggle for survival.
However, tonight, they neednât worry too much, as the sail ship served as their best haven from the storm.
With electricity now available, there was even air conditioning, and food was no longer a concern.
If there were trees around, they would have even considered holding a bonfire party on the beach.
Ever since Yang Yangyang had seen the colossal island, heâd been overcome with excitement, and from time to time, he would look over at Zhang Xiaoman with a complex expression, as if he had something he wanted to say but couldnât.
Finally, after dinner, he couldnât help himself any longer and found an opportunity to approach Zhang Xiaoman to voice the question in his heart.
âBrother Man, how did you know there was an island here?
Where did you get your information from?
The relic you mentioned earlier, where exactly is it?â
As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly added, âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry, I just couldnât contain my curiosity.
I know I shouldnât ask about these details, and itâs okay if itâs inconvenient for you to say.
Just pretend I didnât ask.â
Zhang Xiaoman was standing by the side of the ship looking up at the starry sky, which was far more beautiful than the noisy city nights could ever be.
After hearing Yang Yangyangâs words, he thought for a moment and then spoke:
âItâs not that I donât want to tell you, but even if I did, you might not believe me.
Besides, knowing about this matter isnât necessarily a good thingâŠâ
Yang Yangyangâs face showed a trace of disappointment.
He was about to say something when he heard Zhang Xiaoman continue:
âHow about this, tomorrow Iâll go to find the relic.
If youâre willing, you can come with me.
Once we arrive, you can decide for yourself whether you want to understand the real situation.â
Zhang Xiaoman spoke this way for two reasons: firstly, since everyone was companions, it would be difficult to hide their true destination on this journey, so it was better to reveal some information to put their minds at ease.
Secondly, he had examined the map and seen that the island was very large, and the activation site marked by the System was in the middle, roughly more than 500 kilometers away by estimation.
As someone with no wilderness survival experience, Zhang Xiaoman feared he couldnât reach it alone.
Upon hearing this, Yang Yangyang immediately perked up, promising on the spot that he would definitely accompany him to find the place, and that their friends in the expedition team would also keep quiet, never spilling any secrets they might learn!
âNo wonder, Brother Man, you double-checked with us before boarding whether there was an off-road vehicle on the ship.
I was wondering why you were so concerned about the vehicle when we were going on a sea expedition, but it turns out you already knew thereâd be land here!â
Zhang Xiaoman just smiled without speakingâafter all, 500 kilometers by foot would take an interminably long time.
After sending Yang Yangyang away, Zhang Xiaoman returned to his room.
He meticulously organized his belongings again and packed the necessary equipment.
They would set off first thing in the morning.
The next day, as soon as a sliver of the Sun appeared and the temperature had already risen several degrees.
According to the map, most of the island fell within the subtropical zone while a smaller part was in the tropics.
Yang Yangyang must have already informed the others about the plan for exploration, and everyoneâs enthusiasm was very high.
For these young people, adventure was their pursuit.
Although Bell was somewhat apprehensive about venturing deep into the island recklessly, he still needed to follow since the boss had requested it.
After all, this was also the reason he was hired by the group.
The ship turned around by the âdockâ and aimed another door towards the shore.
Then, two impressive off-road bikes rolled out from the hold.
These were two black off-road vehicles without roofs, equipped with four wheels, somewhat resembling beach motorbikes but larger, each able to seat three people.
In Yang Yangyangâs words, these were professionally modified off-road vehicles, not only with a range of over a thousand kilometers but also capable of handling almost any wilderness terrain.
The group packed up their belongings and loaded several barrels of spare fuel onto the vehicle before they were ready to set out.
This time on the expedition, Hu Peng, who had played too hard and eaten something bad last night, reluctantly stayed to watch over the sail ship.
Including Zhang Xiaoman, a total of five people embarked on the journey to the center of the island.
Yang Yangyang, Xun You, and Bell took one vehicle, with the self-appointed Xun You behind the wheel.
Zhang Xiaoman, on the other hand, shared another vehicle with Ji Xiaoqi.
Gazing at the girlâs fluttering black hair in front of him, Zhang Xiaoman somehow thought of Lin Sisi again.
If she hadnât suffered that car accident, if she hadnât lost her family and the light of the world, would she be living a splendid life now?
Most of the terrain here consisted of sandy ground, and although coral reefs often blocked the path, most of the area was relatively flat.
Therefore, the expedition teamâs speed wasnât too slow.
Just by noon, they had already covered about one-third of the distance.
âAt this rate, we should probably arrive by noon tomorrowâŠâ
Zhang Xiaoman took a glance at the map in his backpack, mentally calculating the remaining distance.
Along the way, he occasionally had to correct the slight deviations in the groupâs direction.
âBeep.â
A soft beep sounded as Yang Yangyang placed a small, round device on a rock.
They would stop to place such a device at regular intervals along their route.
They said that with it, there was no need to worry about finding their way back later on.
âLetâs stay here tonight, the terrain is high, and thereâs a rock wall to protect us from the sea breeze.
Once we set up the tents, weâll take turns keeping watch.â
Bell suggested.
Seeing no objections from the rest of the expert, the group promptly agreed and began their respective tasks.
âAre there any wild animals here at night?
Should we collect some coral and make a fire?â
Ji Xiaoqi looked worriedly at the sky that was growing darker.
Bell shook his head and said:
âNo, coral contains calcium carbonate, which only produces a chemical reaction when heated and cannot be burned.
Weâll just use artificial lighting.
As for wild animals, I reckon there arenât any.
Along the way, it seems we are surrounded by deep-sea environments.
Maybe this island really is a crustal shift that rose from the seaâŠâ
Regarding this matter, everyone unleashed their imaginations.
Yang Yang stood with Zhang Xiaoman, insisting, like Lord Bear, that the island had suddenly risen.
Ji Xiaoqi speculated that this place was like Taoyuan, mysterious and hidden, only accessible by chance.
Finally, Xun You was convinced that they had traveled through time and were definitely no longer on Water Blue StarâŠ
However, no matter what, for the team, this was indeed a thorough adventure, satisfying their quest for mystery and excitement to its utmost.