158: Chapter 158 Brother Zhang Fan, I Want to Make a Contribution

Lin Fan lowered his eyes to look at the lump of meat by his feet.

Expecting a piece of worthless mud to be plastered onto a wall was simply foolish.

Zhang Tao fleeing in the face of battle didn't surprise Lin Fan in the least.

This person was soft to the bone; without a blade pressed against his neck, he would run away faster than anyone else.

"He didn't trick me." Lin Fan tilted his head, casting his gaze back onto Zhou Kai. "Whether to kill or keep him, you make the call."

Zhou Kai swallowed a mouthful of dirt-tainted saliva; he understood the meaning behind those words.

Lin Fan had handed the right of disposal over to him.

On this Deserted Island where even drinking water required looking at other people's expressions, this was not only an acknowledgment of him risking his life just now, but also a substantive delegation of power.

"Alright, thank you, Brother Fan." Zhou Kai walked over and grabbed Zhang Tao by the collar.

"Zhou Kai! Brother Kai, listen to me..."

"Bang!"

Zhou Kai's right fist smashed directly into Zhang Tao's face.

The muffled sound of bones dislocating echoed clearly through the dense forest.

Zhang Tao couldn't even let out a complete scream before a few bloody molars mixed with saliva flew out, and his whole body heavily smashed back into the muddy water.

Zhou Kai stepped onto his chest, raining down punches recklessly.

The beatings were ruthless and vicious.

They were all aimed at the ribs, abdomen, and face—places that weren't fatal, but hurt like hell.

With every punch that landed, Zhang Tao dry-heaved.

Song Ya stood a few steps away, watching with cold hands and feet.

She didn't dare make a sound. Earlier, Liu Feifei had grabbed onto her desperately to keep her from moving, and now Liu Feifei was cowering behind a tree root, not even daring to stick her head out.

Zhang Tao grabbed wildly with both hands, his vision completely darkened.

He didn't even have the strength to block, and the last bit of bitter fluid in his stomach was hammered out.

If the beating continued, he would really be beaten to death right here.

The desire to survive broke through his fear.

Zhang Tao spat out a large mouthful of blood foam, desperately hugged Zhou Kai's thigh, and howled at the top of his lungs: "Stop hitting! Zhou Kai! I have something to say!"

His eyes, swollen into mere slits, stared desperately toward Lin Fan: "Brother Fan, I want to make a contribution..."

Wang Lan, standing five or six steps away, twitched her wrist nervously.

She knew all too well what kind of nonsense Zhang Tao was about to spew next.

This fellow couldn't take the beating and was prepared to spill the entire plan from last night where the two of them discussed using a borrowed knife to kill Lin Fan and Zhou Kai.

He would trade this secret for his own worthless life.

Once Zhang Tao finished saying everything, even if she could recognize herbs, find water, or even deliver the final blow to the Mutant Wild Boar today, Lin Fan would absolutely not keep her.

A useful person who would stab you in the back was not as safe as a corpse.

Wang Lan forcibly suppressed her rapid breathing and took half a step forward.

"Zhou Kai, stop for a moment."

Zhou Kai ignored her and smashed another punch into Zhang Tao's chin.

Wang Lan grabbed his hand. "This pig must weigh over three hundred catties, and there's blood everywhere. The smell of blood will be carried away by the valley wind. In twenty minutes at the latest, all the carnivores around will smell it and come over. If we drag this out any longer, we're afraid to run into more trouble."

Zhou Kai's fist stopped mid-air.

Wang Lan's gaze crossed over Zhou Kai and looked directly at Lin Fan.

"Zhang Tao is spineless, but he's also over a hundred catties of labor. If you beat him to death now, we can only leave half of this Mutant Wild Boar here. If we have to come back for a second trip and encounter something halfway, everyone will have to risk their lives."

Her speech was fast and clear-headed.

"Keep him, make him carry the water and meat out of the forest, and whether to kill him or keep him can be settled slowly later."

It struck right at the vital point.

Lin Fan looked at Wang Lan, his gaze devoid of any warmth.

Wang Lan looked back at him without dodging.

She was gambling, betting that Lin Fan was a thorough pragmatist.

In Lin Fan's eyes, Zhang Tao's life wasn't even worth a piece of pork on the ground; supplies would always outweigh grudges.

Zhou Kai bit down on his back molars. He lowered his head to glance at Zhang Tao, who was still coughing up blood, and finally let go of the hand clutching his collar.

Beating Zhang Tao to death felt satisfying.

But Wang Lan was right; those several hundred catties of fat meat won with their lives today couldn't be abandoned.

If they really left most of the meat behind, he wouldn't be reconciled—then what were the injuries they suffered just now for?

"Get lost..." Zhou Kai kicked Zhang Tao right at the base of his thigh.

Zhang Tao scrambled and shrank behind a tree, trembling until he became a puddle of mud.

His words were completely blocked by Wang Lan; now, even if you gave him ten times his courage, he wouldn't dare make another sound.

Zhou Kai walked over to the mud pit and pulled out his combat dagger. Dismantling this Mutant Wild Boar was no small project; the hide was too thick and the fur was too long.

Lin Fan didn't mind them, instead heading towards the banana grove. Pushing open the banana grove, there were a few wild boars inside, which scattered and fled the moment they saw Lin Fan.

Without traps set up, humans alone simply couldn't catch them.

Lin Fan had originally wanted to take them back to raise in captivity, but now it seemed there was no hope.

Twenty minutes passed quickly.

The Mutant Wild Boar on the ground was chopped into pieces.

Four thick hind legs, two large racks of ribs, plus the fattest pork belly.

As for the pig's head and those stinky internal organs, they were all thrown into the pile of rotting leaves; the only things they could take away were these essences.

The team set off again.

Lin Fan also carried the water on his back and walked at the very front, with Song Ya following closely behind.

Zhou Kai and Zhang Tao carried the remaining bulk of the pork to secure the rear.

The muddy road was long and agonizing, with towering tree shadows.

Only the squelching sound of feet stepping into the mud and heavy breathing echoed through the forest.

The heavy load pushed everyone's physical strength close to the red line.

They didn't know how long they had been walking.

The tree crowns ahead began to thin out, and the salty, damp sea breeze blew away the thick, foul stench of rot.

The outline of the beach appeared in their field of vision.

They had arrived.

Zhang Tao's knees went soft, and he dropped to his knees on the ground.

The rattan vines on his shoulders slipped, and that heavy bundle of Mutant Wild Boar meat slammed onto the sandy ground.

His entire body collapsed beside the meat like a dead fish out of water, lacking even the strength to turn over.

...

After a long while, the group finally returned to the Karst Cave. The curtain was lifted, and Su Qingxue walked out.

She was originally about to ask about the results of finding water, but the words got stuck in her throat.

She looked at Lin Fan in front of her.

His clothes could no longer show their original color, thoroughly soaked in black-red blood plasma that had dried and caked into hard lumps.

His chest, shoulders, and the backs of his hands were covered in filth mixed with blood and mud.

He stood there, smelling awful, even carrying the fishy stench of death.

Su Qingxue used to be a clean freak.

Encountering even a speck of dust would make her demand someone clean it up.

Today, she did not step back.

She took two steps forward, her gaze wandering over Lin Fan's body.

"Where are you injured?" Her tone carried a hint of urgency she hadn't even realized, and she didn't even bother with her usual habit of issuing commands.

"It's nothing."

"I'll get you some water to wash up." Su Qingxue turned around to look for a water container.

The lighting inside the partition was very dim.

Su Qingxue walked in carrying a broken plastic basin.

Su Qingxue poured a bottle of mineral water into the basin. She picked up a relatively clean rag.

"Take off your clothes." Su Qingxue lowered her voice significantly.

Lin Fan glanced at her without any coyness.

Su Qingxue moistened the rag and wrung it dry.

She walked behind Lin Fan, pressed the damp cloth around those wounds, and wiped away the black blood and mud bit by bit.

Her movements were very gentle.

The water temperature was very cool, but as it wiped across his skin, it actually relieved the burning pain.

Lin Fan sat without moving.

"This water didn't come easily," Lin Fan said.

"If you don't wash it clean, the wounds will fester and get infected." Su Qingxue didn't stop her movements. "What happened? How did you get hurt this badly?"

"Ran into a wild boar, several times bigger than the usual ones."

Su Qingxue continued wiping the blood off his back. "Next time something like this happens, let Zhou Kai and Zhang Tao charge to the front."