354: A short rest on a deserted island

They say that looking at a distant mountain makes a horse run until it dies, but sailing at sea is actually even more deceptive.

Even though he could clearly see the small island, Yang Qi drove the "setting sail" for over an hour before he could finally see the deserted island clearly.

Yang Qi circled the island and found it to be long and narrow, running east to west, about one kilometer long and half a kilometer wide. There were large beaches on both the north and south shores.

Above the waterline, the island was covered in lush greenery, and its surroundings were filled with colorful coral reefs. The water depth in the reef zone was between 6 and 10 meters. It was truly an excellent spot for diving and recreation.

"This is the place. Let's rest here today. Get ready, we're going to camp on the island! Diving, beachcombing, and grilled seafood!"

Yang Qi notified the others over the broadcast, and cheers from the three women immediately followed. When they came back out, they had all changed into swimsuits with sun protection shirts over them, carrying fins, snorkels, and masks.

Yang Qi had also already changed into swim trunks with beach shorts over them. He was untying the Rubber Dinghy and installing the outboard motor.

He went back to get the grill, charcoal, seasoning, plastic plates, and so on, loading everything onto the Rubber Dinghy.

Bai Xue and the others also began loading some outdoor gear, such as beach chairs and small tables.

"Everyone sit tight, let's go!"

With a "chug-chug-chug," the Rubber Dinghy left the "setting sail" and headed toward the island.

The distance of one nautical mile passed in a flash. The Rubber Dinghy crossed the reef zone and landed accurately on the pristine white beach.

The three women were the first to get off and unload the gear. Then they found a spot and started setting up a Canopy.

Yang Qi secured the Rubber Dinghy and moved the grill under the Canopy to assemble it.

The three of them took off their sun protection shirts on the beach chairs beside the Canopy and began applying sunscreen to each other.

"Hubby, come here! I'll put sunscreen on you!"

"Okay."

Yang Qi didn't make a fuss; he knew very well that without sunscreen, his skin would be sunburned in no time.

"See, I told you my husband has abs. Giggles..."

Bai Xue said boastfully as she applied sunscreen to Yang Qi, like a child showing off a toy.

"Mhm."

The other two women took a few glances but felt embarrassed to keep staring.

Yang Qi felt incredibly awkward and shot Bai Xue a look.

"Hubby, we're going to play in the water now!"

"Go ahead!"

Yang Qi looked up and saw three beauties in bikinis, with masks on their heads, fins in their hands, and diving knives strapped to their thighs. He took a few looks before looking away.

Once he finished tidying up, he also strapped on a Diving Knife, put on his mask with a flourish, took a few Mesh Bags, and prepared to enter the sea.

He had already surveyed this area; the resources were outrageously abundant. Fish, shrimp, and shellfish could be seen everywhere.

He decided to gather some ingredients for the grill first. As soon as he entered the water, he saw several Scallops larger than his palm. He reached out and stuffed the large Scallops into his Mesh Bag.

"Whoa, a Spiny Lobster! Where do you think you're going?"

Yang Qi spotted another Spiny Lobster weighing about two pounds, which hurriedly retreated into a crevice in the rocks upon seeing him.

When he swam over and looked closely, there was actually a whole nest of Lobsters inside, about seven or eight of them.

So he reached in, and immediately felt the force of a Lobster struggling. The water in front of him instantly became murky as several Lobsters darted out of the crevice like a gust of wind.

But when he pulled his hand back, he only had two lively Lobsters, though there were seven or eight antennae.

The other Lobsters had broken off their antennae and escaped while struggling.

Nothing for it, two it is then!

Yang Qi stuffed the two Lobsters into his Mesh Bag and continued swimming forward.

On the way, he saw Bai Xue and the other two from a distance, taking underwater photos. He didn't go over to disturb them.

Under the sunlight, shrimp and fish darted in and out of the colorful coral crevices, a bustling scene like a new biological kingdom.

By the time he circled around and returned to the island, he was carrying two full Mesh Bags.

He began preparing the ingredients for the grill: two Grouper weighing four or five pounds were killed and marinated, while the Scallops and Oysters were cleaned and shucked. He'd deal with the Lobsters and other things later.

Once all the preparation was done, the charcoal fire was ready. Without another word, he started grilling!

When Bai Xue and the other two came ashore, swaying with every step and laughing as they approached, Yang Qi saw that they also had Mesh Bags filled with Scallops, Oysters, and large Lobsters.

"Wow! It smells so good!"

"Hubby, you've already started grilling! We caught quite a lot too."

They lifted their Mesh Bags like showing off treasures for Yang Qi to see.

"Alright, we'll grill those later. There are already grilled shrimp and Scallops here! You guys eat first."

As Yang Qi spoke, he added seasoned minced garlic to the Oysters.

"Mhm, thanks hubby! I'll help out in a bit."

After saying that, she happily set down her Mesh Bag, took the grilled seafood, and walked toward the small table.

While they were eating, Yang Qi brought over a Grouper weighing about five pounds and some Oysters.

"Come, come, try the grilled Grouper."

"Yang Qi, eat with us!"

Wang Yan pulled out a chair for him, and Yao Shanshan immediately opened a can of beer for him.

"Okay, the grill can wait a bit. I'll eat something first!"

Yang Qi took the beer, sat down, and started eating the barbecue. The taste was quite good, with a unique flavor!

The four of them continued eating barbecue, drinking beer and soda, and chatting. If it weren't for the heat, it would have been truly enjoyable.

Fortunately, the Canopy blocked the scorching sun, and the gentle sea breeze dissipated much of the heat. It was actually quite pleasant.

Once Yao Shanshan and Wang Yan were full, they took over the grilling for Yang Qi and Bai Xue.

To tell the truth, sitting still and being fed by others was a very enjoyable process, even though their grilling skills were rather average.

In the end, Yang Qi and Bai Xue ate most of the seafood, so much so that Yao Shanshan and Wang Yan's seafood grilling skills actually kept improving.

Bai Xue even joked that during the peak tourist season, if they teamed up to run a barbecue stall, business would definitely be good.

After eating and drinking their fill, the three women lay on their beach chairs for a nap and a chat. Yang Qi sat on his chair and lit a cigarette.

A cigarette after a meal is better than being an immortal!

After cleaning up the trash, Yang Qi said his goodbyes, put on his shoes, and began wandering around the island.

He crossed the white beach and headed west.

At the end of the white beach was a rocky area where quite a bit of human trash had accumulated in the corners—plastic bottles, broken slippers, foam balls, torn fishing nets, and the like.

However, the most common items were dry wood and bamboo poles, likely discarded into the sea and blown to the island by tides and sea breezes, only to get stuck on the rocks and remain there.