Chapter 22

After working for over an hour, Chuci had roughly enclosed a third of the lake. Seeing the sun high in the sky, he decided to take a break and eat. He wiped the dirt off his hands, sat down on the backside of a tree, and took out a heat pack and a double-layer lunch box. The top layer of the lunch box was filled with rice and braised pork ribs. He placed the heat pack in the bottom layer, then used an enamel cup to scoop some lake water and poured it in. After putting the lunch box together, he placed it on the ground to heat up.

In less than ten seconds, the lunch box started to get hot. Chuci hummed a tune and, within a ten-meter radius, set up two circles of steel wire. He then placed a silent generator and layered EPDM rubber boards to reduce noise, connecting the power to serve as a strong electric fence.

In just a few minutes, Chuci completed the defensive works. He took out a bottle of JDB from the insect space, and the rice in the lunch box was steaming hot, with the braised pork ribs emitting an enticing aroma.

Chuci ate happily, like a picnic, without any signs of tension or haste. To rest, one must thoroughly relax; otherwise, it would affect the subsequent state.

After hesitating for a moment, Chuci also took out a radio and a cassette tape. Such antique items were only desired by people of his generation, the 80s. With the development of technology, more young people were using MP3 players or music phones to listen to music.

"You say you love the lilac flower,

Because your name is it.

What a melancholy flower, what a sensitive person..."

Chuci hummed along with the music, enjoying the camping-like atmosphere. After noon, the lake was cooled by a gentle breeze, which carried away the heat from the forest. Birds occasionally flew by, creating ripples on the water.

After finishing his lunch, Chuci washed the lunch box in the lake. Considering that he had not encountered any strangers for so long, he gritted his teeth and took out a small bottle of premium Erguotou. He leaned against a tree like a retired old man, sipping the liquor and humming a tune. Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes, filled with longing and fear, was secretly watching him from a distance of several dozen meters.

After eating and drinking to his heart's content, Chuci set an alarm and took a half-hour nap. He then immediately got up, checked the traps he had set up earlier using a signal receiver, and cleaned up the traces around him. He dismantled the electric fence and continued to set up defenses along the lake.

"This isolated island has only one freshwater lake. I don't care about the upstream; I'll enclose this area. I don't believe no one will come!" Chuci thought fiercely, also boosting his own morale.

According to his estimation, he could complete the trap area by dusk. He would then rest for the night and return upstream to continue securing the only freshwater supply.

Chuci deduced that even if there were human traces on the island, with an armory and military camp, food supplies would not be abundant. Otherwise, it would not stimulate the competitiveness and killing intent of the participants. It would be better to leave one or two food items in a place, making it easier to induce the participants to split.

"Let them kill each other; I'll only take the most valuable ones." Chuci did not care about the others' battles; he intended to be the sparrow behind the mantis.

As for whether he would be bitten by the mantis, Chuci felt that his gun was not a mere stick. It would not be inferior to the old guns from the armory, which lacked quality assurance. Although Chuci was soon proven wrong, it did not affect his current confidence.

A black shadow leaped down from a tree, swiftly slashing Chuci's arm and kicking him. Chuci felt a burning pain in his forearm, and his M4A1 was kicked away.

Then, Chuci caught a glimpse of a cold glint. Without hesitation, he immediately kneeled forward. A chill ran through his forehead as his bangs were sliced off by the blade.

The attacker was clearly an expert, and the attack was bloody. However, Chuci's reaction was unexpectedly fast, dodging the throat-cutting strike. The short knife reversed and accelerated, aiming for Chuci's shoulder.

"Ha!!" Chuci roared, grabbing the attacker's arm with both hands. He lowered his head, kicked with his legs, and rammed into the attacker's waist. Stepping forward and backward, he performed an over-the-shoulder throw.

The attacker did not fall directly but rolled with the momentum, crouching half a meter in front of Chuci. The short knife was thrust again, this time aiming for Chuci's abdomen.

"Come on!" Chuci roared, looking excited. He reached out, and his tactical knife 'clinked' against the short knife. The attacker swung with force, and Chuci, lacking strength, was pushed back and hit by a chest kick.

"Hmph! I thought you were tough with that gun, but you're just a soft piece of tofu." The attacker only spoke after confirming Chuci's combat ability, and Chuci finally saw the attacker's face.

A sinister and sharp face, a prominent nose, and eyes filled with killing intent, combined with a lean and agile physique, clearly indicated a military or mercenary background. A piece of cloth was wrapped around his waist, containing bloody organs. Anyone could guess that they were human hearts.

"I'll take your weapons and heart." The attacker laughed, finding this game and place to be his paradise.

Chuci's face was full of panic as he rolled away, throwing his knife at the attacker. The attacker's eyes relaxed, and he easily dodged the flying knife. Just as he turned to continue mocking Chuci, his pupils suddenly contracted.

"Goodbye!" The panic on Chuci's face disappeared, replaced by the coldness of someone looking at a dead person.

"Shh, shh, shh!" The M4A1, equipped with a silencer, fired rhythmically. At this distance of seven to eight meters, the attacker could not avoid the bullets. Three blood splatters erupted from his body, and he fell to the ground in disbelief.

"Idiot!" This was the last thing the attacker heard, a taunt from Chuci. The insect space now contained three more trophies.

Chuci did not stay long, picking up his tactical knife and the M4A1. He abandoned the short knife and changed his route, leaving in a perpendicular direction. Before leaving, he placed a bomb under the attacker's body.

The jungle was difficult to navigate, with the humid air testing Chuci's endurance and patience. To avoid leaving traces, Chuci did not use his knife to clear the way. Instead, he cut two thick branches to push aside the vines and leaves.

By late night, Chuci had not encountered any other participants, and his original plan was hindered, with a quarter of the lake area still unsecured.

"Never mind. From today's situation, there aren't as many people here as I thought. They must have gone to areas with human activity." Chuci overestimated the participants' alertness. They did not consider that places with human activity would attract many people, making it impossible to maintain peace.

Moving from the jungle to the lakeside, Chuci collected dry wood and leaves, lit them with a lighter, and illuminated the narrow strip of land. Although he was worried that the campfire might attract strangers, he preferred to fight in a well-lit area.

This time, Chuci extended the range of the electric fence, setting up three layers of defense. Six diesel-filled generators were enough to support the entire night.

Then, Chuci boldly set up a tent, placing a lamp inside to make it look occupied. However, he did not enter the tent but carefully buried two landmines at the tent's entrance. He then chose a large, old tree, buried more landmines under it, and climbed up to a thick branch, tying a sleeping bag to it and resting inside.

The day's hard work left Chuci almost exhausted, and he soon fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, a sudden scream came from nearby. Chuci felt a buzzing in his ears, scratched his ear, and changed his position to continue sleeping.

At the darkest moment of the early morning, Chuci suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze piercing through the darkness like a firefly.

After manipulating the signal receiver for a while, he turned off the electric mines under the tree and silently slid down the trunk, moving toward the tent.

The prey had arrived!

Chuci crouched on the ground, took out an infrared thermal imaging scope, and looked toward the lake. Three figures appeared, forming an equilateral triangle around the tent. The campfire in front of the tent had burned out, leaving only a few embers, making it hard to see the intruders' faces.

"Go!" Chuci imagined the conversation among the three. He saw them rush toward the tent, with the person facing the tent entrance running faster, allowing the other two to avoid the optimal distance for the mine.

"Boom!" The first person triggered the mine at the tent's entrance. Unfortunately, it was not a broad knife mine, or it would have harvested all of them. Even so, one was killed instantly, and two were severely injured, lying on the ground and moaning in pain.

Chuci was about to get up to finish them off, but the wind carried their screams to his ears, and he immediately crouched down again.

"Boss, save me!"

"Help, boss, save me!"

"Useless!" A voice from less than fifty meters to Chuci's left suddenly shouted in impatience, almost making Chuci break out in a cold sweat.

Crouching lower, Chuci was relieved that his arrival had not alarmed the hidden people. Five more people emerged from the nearby jungle, heading toward the two injured men by the lake.

"Boss, save me, I don't want to die!" One of the injured men saw the leading muscular man and immediately started begging for help.

"Waste of space, can't even handle a small task, and you want me to save you." The muscular man clearly did not come to save anyone. He held a blood-stained sharp knife, not medical supplies.

"There's no hospital or medicine on this island. Your injuries are beyond saving. Let me give you a quick end!" The muscular man raised his arm and chopped down.

Chuci's eyes narrowed. Killing their own? It seems that even if there was a participant alliance, it was not very stable. This made Chuci worry about 007, but the next second, he realized his worry was unnecessary. 007 was not someone who would die in such a small place.