Live Strong in the Wilderness-Chapter 97: Still Too Early

"Territory task?" Lu Yao squinted her eyes slightly and then nodded.

"Yes, that’s what the task is called. You should have your own territory tasks too."

"It’s getting late, I should head back. Otherwise, I won’t reach the camp before dark." With that, Xu Yi moved towards his backpack, ready to leave.

"Xu Yi, will you come here again anytime soon?" Wang Jin quickly asked, as she had finally met others and didn’t expect Xu Yi to leave after just a few words.

"Probably not. Our salt should last for a long time now. If fate allows, we’ll meet again. It was nice meeting you here, and I wish you good luck." With that, Xu Yi shouldered his backpack and nodded at the two of them.

"I wish you and your companions all the best too," Wang Jin said, realizing that since they just met, she couldn’t possibly ask Xu Yi to stay.

So, she could only watch as Xu Yi left.

"Sis, why do you think Xu Yi left so suddenly?" Wang Jin glanced at Xu Yi’s silhouette, not fully disappearing yet, and asked Lu Yao, who was packing salt into her backpack.

"Their camp must be far from here, so he’s anxious to leave. After all, his backpack is already packed with salt, indicating he was ready to go when you found him," Lu Yao analyzed.

"Xu Yi’s backpack is woven really well. I wonder what material he used. I feel like when we get home, there won’t be much salt left in ours," Wang Jin withdrew her envious gaze and looked at Lu Yao’s woven backpack.

People really do have their differences.

"These sea salt granules are quite large. Even if we lose half on the way home, it’ll still be enough for a few months," Lu Yao said, continuing to pack the salt.

Soon, she had loaded Xu Yi’s salt pile into the backpack.

Then, she began to stack a new pile.

"Sis, when I mentioned collaboration, why did he seem to dodge the topic? Cooperation should be beneficial, right?" Wang Jin thought that after surviving for so many days, she and Lu Yao had built a reputation for their capabilities.

"If we can’t make it to a hundred days, how useful is any agreement he makes with us?" Lu Yao looked at Wang Jin and posed a question.

Wang Jin opened her mouth, but couldn’t utter a word.

"Even if we make it to a hundred days, he might not collaborate with us. You met him once today, and you already want to collaborate? Aren’t you oversimplifying the idea of partnership?" Lu Yao glanced at Wang Jin, thinking she was being naive.

"We’re not lacking in any way. Why wouldn’t he collaborate with us? Our camp is close by, which is a huge advantage," Wang Jin retorted, indignant.

"So, how will we choose partners for collaboration then?" Wang Jin looked at Lu Yao, still a bit unconvinced.

"It’s too soon to talk about that. Let’s wait till we hit a hundred days before we discuss it. Let’s go back now, or we won’t reach camp before dark," Lu Yao said, as she departed the salt flats with her backpack.

"I think Xu Yi seems pleasant enough, not like a bad person. His gaze didn’t unsettle us. People like him make good partners," Wang Jin thought that teaming up with those who are easy to get along with was a good idea.

"Oh my, could Wanzi be smitten with Mr. Nice Guy from Group 77?"

"Are you kidding? Just like that? If so, the world wouldn’t have so many single people."

"I think Group 77 is quite strong and collaborating with them would be good."

"President Lu’s right though, they might not last the hundred days. It’s a bit premature to talk about collaboration now."

"Surviving a hundred days isn’t easy. If we do, it shows we have the strength. By then, any group would be a suitable partner."

"I also think Wanzi is right. If you don’t get along, how can you collaborate?"

"Wanzi is always right, no arguments!"

"Totally sycophantic."

"Why the need for collaboration? Being independent is good too."

......

On the beach, Lu Ke was still busy catching crabs.

Today was a rewarding day; Lu Ke caught over ten pounds of crabs. The largest one weighed more than half a pound.

Initially, Lu Ke was a bit clumsy and hesitant to catch them.

But she couldn’t bear to let these delicious foods escape back into the sea, so she buckled down and caught them.

She couldn’t rely on Xu Yi for everything, needed to step up on her own.

So, she fashioned a small wooden fork, pinned the crabs into the sand, then caught their backs, rendering their claws harmless.

Finding ropes difficult, she simply broke off the clawed leg, turning the crabs into her playthings.

"Why hasn’t Xu Yi returned yet? Did something happen?" Lu Ke glanced at the time, it was already two-thirty. If they returned too late, they could reach camp after dark.

As she spoke, she saw a figure in the distance, and she immediately broke into a bright smile.

A few minutes later, Xu Yi jogged up to Lu Ke.

"How’s the harvest?" Xu Yi asked, considering he hadn’t seen any crabs on the beach.

"I grabbed over ten pounds. We can feast tonight. Over there—I dug a hole and placed them all inside," Lu Ke said cheerfully, leading Xu Yi to get the crabs.

Xu Yi glanced over and saw the substantial haul, with many sizable crabs.

"Lu Ke, while I was getting salt, I encountered another group," Xu Yi said as he packed crabs into his backpack.

"Really? You met other group members? They didn’t seem hostile, right?" Lu Ke said, surprised and somewhat worried, as she looked at Xu Yi.

"No, there were two girls. One named Lu Yao and one named Wang Jin. They weren’t hostile and even hoped to partner with us after a hundred days. But I didn’t agree," Xu Yi explained.

"Why not?" Lu Ke looked up at Xu Yi, continuing to pack crabs into the backpack.

"They might not last a hundred days; agreeing makes no sense. Moreover, we might clash with them soon," Xu Yi paused, gazing towards the forest.

"Why would we clash?" Lu Ke was even more puzzled.

"Food crisis. This forest might not sustain two groups for a hundred days. Conflicts over prey and resources might arise," Xu Yi said worriedly, knowing three months required a lot of sustenance.

"But isn’t there a rule that you can’t help or attack each other within a hundred days?" Lu Ke paused, glancing at Xu Yi.