26: Chapter 26 Go Get Our Things Back

Zhou Dahai did not return directly to the beach camp.

Carrying four packs of Type 900 military compressed biscuits, he detoured to a pile of rocks at the edge of the Mangrove Forest.

Looking around to make sure no one was following him,

he squatted down, pushed aside a moss-covered stone, and dug out a shallow pit in the sediment underneath.

Whether the helicopter would come today or not, he had no idea at all in his heart.

Su Qingxue's empty promises could fool those freshly graduated interns and brainless idiots, but they couldn't fool a veteran slicker like him who had worked in the Legal Department for over a decade.

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The cruise ship lost contact, and the magnetic field was disturbed.

In case no one came for half a month or ten days, this Deserted Island would be a man-eating hell.

He neatly placed three packs of compressed biscuits into the pit, covered them with dry sand, weighed them down with gravel, and finally moved the moss-covered stone back on top just as it was.

Brushing the mud off his hands, he kept only the last pack in his hand.

One pack of 500 grams was enough for him to exchange for a core position in front of Su Qingxue, and it would also allow him to establish his authority in front of that group of starved colleagues.

Returning to the company, he would still be a major contributor who provided timely help.

Zhou Dahai rubbed his cheeks, intentionally messing up his hair even more, and brushed his trouser legs twice against the muddy ground, putting on an exhausted appearance.

Holding that pack of biscuits, he strode toward the beach.

On the beach, the cleanup work of the camp was progressing extremely slowly.

The female employees were dizzy with hunger, and Su Qingxue stood to the side with furrowed brows.

She tried to maintain her majesty as the president, but her chapped, peeling lips and weak steps had long betrayed her.

Just then, Liu Feifei, wrapped in that dark jacket, quietly edged closer to Su Qingxue.

She glanced around, made sure no one was paying attention, and cautiously pulled out half a bottle of mineral water from her bosom.

"President Su, moisten your throat."

Su Qingxue's gaze locked onto that half bottle of water.

Her throat hurt as if she had swallowed razor blades, and her desire for fresh water was almost about to break through her rationality.

But she did not take it immediately.

Her line of sight moved up from the plastic bottle and landed on Liu Feifei's neck.

There were a few red marks there that simply could not be hidden.

In Su Qingxue's mind, the image of Liu Feifei crawling naked toward Lin Fan in the Karst Cave last night flashed instantly.

Where this water came from went without saying.

This was the water of that bottom-tier wage slave Lin Fan, the dirty water that Liu Feifei had traded her body for by laying down all her dignity.

"President Su?" Seeing that she did not take it, Liu Feifei pushed it forward a bit more. "You are the backbone. If you collapse, everyone will be completely finished."

These words were spoken nicely.

Su Qingxue stared fixedly at that half bottle of water, her chest heaving violently.

At Shengtang Group, she drank air-shipped Evian; she wouldn't even deign to glance at water of unknown origin that even bore traces of humiliation.

But now, she was dying of thirst.

Su Qingxue closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the struggle in the depths of her eyes had been replaced by the desire to survive.

She reached out, took the plastic bottle, and unscrewed the cap.

Tilted her head back, and poured that half bottle of water carrying the label of humiliation straight down her throat.

As the water slid across her parched esophagus, Su Qingxue felt like she had come back to life.

She wiped the corner of her mouth, threw the empty bottle onto the sand, and her gaze turned aloof and cold once again.

"I will remember this favor. After returning to Jiangcheng, Shengtang's full-line endorsement next year will be yours."

Liu Feifei's eyes lit up, and she quickly lowered her head. "Thank you, President Su!"

Having drunk this half bottle of water, Su Qingxue could ensure that she wouldn't talk about what happened last night.

Just then, Zhou Dahai's voice came from afar.

"President Su! I found it!"

Everyone on the beach stopped what they were doing and turned their heads in unison.

Pairs of bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at the silver aluminum foil bag that Zhou Dahai was holding up in his hand.

"Food! That's food!"

Little Zhou from the Administrative Department screamed out and scrambled forward to meet him.

Wang Qiang reacted extremely quickly, pushing Little Zhou away, rushing in front of Zhou Dahai, and reaching out to grab that pack of biscuits.

Zhou Dahai flicked his wrist, dodged Wang Qiang's hand, walked straight up to Su Qingxue, and handed it over with both hands.

"President Su, I rummaged through the eastern reef zone for half a day and finally dug out this pack of compressed biscuits from a broken box."

Zhou Dahai panted heavily, "I didn't dare delay and brought it right back to you. Everything is up to President Su's allocation."

Su Qingxue took the aluminum foil bag.

It was heavy, the packaging was intact, and water had not gotten in.

She glanced at the calorie table on the back: Type 900 military standard.

These 500 grams of carbohydrates, on the Deserted Island at this very moment, were more precious than the gold bars in Shengtang Group's vault.

The ruling crisis that Chen Jian had punctured just moments ago instantly vanished into thin air due to the appearance of this pack of biscuits.

With the right of allocation, she had absolute control.

"Dahai, you did very well." Su Qingxue raised her voice to ensure everyone could hear, "Upon returning to Jiangcheng, you will be directly promoted to Director of the Group's Legal Department, with your annual salary doubled. In addition, your personal account will be rewarded with one million yuan in cash."

Zhou Dahai immediately bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

"Thank you, President Su! I, Zhou Dahai, am a person of Shengtang in life and a ghost of Shengtang in death! I resolutely obey the command of General Commander Su!"

Su Qingxue turned to look at Wang Qiang.

"Wang Qiang, find a clean stone and cut the biscuits open."

Wang Qiang licked his lips excitedly, found a flat stone slab, and carefully slit open the aluminum foil bag with the small keychain knife he carried with him.

A rich wheat fragrance drifted out.

The sound of swallowing saliva immediately rang out all around.

A dozen or so people formed a circle, their eyes glowing with a green light.

Su Qingxue controlled the rhythm.

"Everyone gets a small piece. Keep it in your mouth and swallow it slowly. Water hasn't been found yet, and eating too much will choke you to death."

Wang Qiang cut off a piece and handed it to Su Qingxue with both hands held up.

Su Qingxue took it and put it in her mouth.

Dry and hard to swallow, but the moment the carbohydrates melted, a surge of warmth went straight down her esophagus to her stomach.

Next came Wang Qiang and Zhou Dahai, and only then was it the turn of the others.

Those who got the biscuits couldn't even bear to chew them; they swallowed them directly and then stared fixedly at the remaining small half on the stone slab.

"Did you see that?" Su Qingxue surveyed the crowd, regaining her usual composure, "As long as everyone pulls together and obeys commands, Shengtang will not abandon a single employee."

Faint cheers burst out from the crowd.

Chen Jian stood on the outer perimeter, pinching the small piece of biscuit he had been allotted, and respectfully handed it to his wife, Wang Lan.

Wang Lan did not stand on ceremony and put both portions straight into her mouth.

...

Eastern reef zone.

Carrying a dilapidated first aid box and two bundles of mineral water, Lin Fan detoured back to the flat-topped reef from the other side.

He stepped onto the flat-topped reef and stopped in his tracks.

Song Ya was lying prone on the ground.

Her left cheek was swollen high, bloodstains hung from the corner of her mouth, and the wound on her knee was still oozing blood.

[Current Time: 09:30]

[Ambient Temperature: 15 °C]

Lin Fan glanced at the golden prompt box, and his line of sight fell on Song Ya.

He walked over, squatted down, without making a fuss or offering warm inquiries.

"Are you dead yet?"

Hearing the voice, Song Ya's shoulders trembled violently.

She raised her head with difficulty, and the moment she saw Lin Fan, her tears burst like a broken dam.

"Lin Fan..." Her voice was hoarse, carrying a thick crying tone.

Supporting herself with both arms, she tried to crawl up, but pulling on the wound on her knee made her crash heavily back onto the reef.

"Zhou Dahai... Zhou Dahai from the Legal Department..." Song Ya cried intermittently, "I found five packs of compressed biscuits... He snatched four packs... He hit me... He also said that when we return to the company, he'll make me go to jail..."

She originally thought Lin Fan would be angry, would sympathize, and would comfort her a few words like a real man.

But Lin Fan didn't say a single word; he just stood up, casually grabbed Song Ya's arm, and pulled her up from the ground.

The movement could not be considered gentle, but it was steady enough.

"Now, wipe away your tears," Lin Fan commanded.

Song Ya raised the back of her hand and haphazardly wiped away the tears and bloodstains on her face.

"Lead the way," Lin Fan dropped those two words and turned to walk toward the beach.

Song Ya was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly limped along to follow.

"Where are we going?"

"To take back our things."

Lin Fan reached behind his back with his other hand, his fingers firmly gripping the hilt of the tactical dagger.

A cold light flickered in the depths of his eyes, "If we don't establish our authority, they will always think we're just interns."