"Dad!" Without waiting for the Beetle to come to a stop, the girl leaped down from it and dashed forward.
"Xiao Pei," the elderly man surrounded by the crowd hurried over, embracing the beautiful girl tightly as he arrived.
At this moment, Xiao Guang descended from the Beetle as well, leaning against Dou Dou, smiling as he watched, giving the father-daughter duo some time together.
The people gathered in a circle were evidently extremely excited. Among them, a man with a military officer's demeanor, his expression filled with excitement, walked towards Xiao Guang.
Seeing someone approaching, Xiao Guang straightened up from his leaning stance and took a step forward.
"Hello!" The soldier saluted with a snap and introduced himself, "Li Ji, Colonel of the Army."
"Hello!" Xiao Dou slightly bowed, showing respectful and gracious manners. "Guang Yunqi, arrived here a year ago. The surviving personnel have established a base, and I've been sent to search for missing comrades. Many have already rejoined our ranks, and this time, we've finally found you."
"Well, good, good. You've worked hard, Comrade Xiao Guang." Li Ji seemed unable to contain his excitement, walking over and firmly shaking Xiao Guang's hand. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he didn't say a word.
"I understand, I understand. Don't worry, we've found you," Xiao Guang reassured.
He truly understood.
"Commander, could you give us an overview of the situation here?" Xiao Guang addressed the officer directly as "commander."
"You can call me Li Ji, or Ji of the North Fields."
"Alright."
"Currently, we have a total of 756 people here, down from the original count of 932," Li Ji paused for a moment.
"I am in charge of the military here, and Old Su is the highest administrative official. The girl Su Pei, whom you rescued today, is Old Su's daughter. She's the only girl here."
Xiao Guang looked at Li Ji, who explained, "During the disaster a year ago, women and children were supposed to stay in the rear. Old Su came out to command and got swept away in the chaos. He couldn't swim at the time, and Su Pei rushed out, desperately saving her father. They drifted together to Giant Stone Island!"
"Today, once again, it's her. She found you, the legendary savior! This tale of overcoming death's grasp is truly a legend."
Xiao Guang smiled and nodded. Old Jin had taught him that when he's not good at polite words, he should smile more.
Old Su, holding his daughter, walked towards them. His face was filled with excited happiness, yet also tinged with nervousness.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Guang quickly took two steps forward, just like his old teacher had taught him. Even though he might not be part of that circle, he did recognize a few influential figures in the scientific community.
"Old Su!"
"Xiao Guang!"
Old Su extended his hands and shook Xiao Guang's hand.
"Xiao Guang, Xiao Pei briefly explained the situation of meeting you after her disappearance. Thank you. Thank you for your year-long search. We've all been aware of your existence, but right now, I can't express my gratitude," Old Su looked at Xiao Guang, his speech hastening. "Because today might be our last day."
"Today is the beginning of the month. At this time, the crabs here are most active," Old Su pointed to the sky. The beginning of the month lacked moonlight.
"We must leave today, right?" Xiao Guang grasped the key point.
"Yes," Old Su replied. "Last month, a few seagulls helped guard us, but today, unless you have a better plan?" Old Su looked hopefully at Xiao Guang. He understood that there must be some kind of medication on the arrows from before.
"A compound similar to chlorpyrifos, specially prepared by Old Jin for me. Because we couldn't find enough materials for proper formulation, it's similar and can only repel, not easily kill," Xiao Guang replied. "But it's almost used up."
"Oh," Old Su nodded. "So, what's the plan?"
"We have one!"
As Xiao Guang's words echoed, a group of beetles appeared in the sky, buzzing loudly, their bodies gleaming with golden light in the sunlight.
"Wow!" "Wow!" "Wow!"
The crowd cheered. There was no need for Xiao Guang to explain anything. Those weathered individuals, who had teetered on the edge of life and death for hundreds of days, were immediately convinced by Xiao Guang's perfect descent from the sky just now. And now, the appearance of a group in the sky, aside from friendly forces, who else could it be? Could it be our flying troops? In any case, it was definitely good news!
The crabs seemed to be highly averse to airborne creatures. They waved their claws towards the sky in a futile display of protest.
Xiao Guang said to Old Su and Li Ji, "Wait for me." He flipped onto a beetle's back and soared into the sky. In the eyes of the people below, he circled with the beetles in the air, guiding them to land on the ground.
Xiao Guang efficiently descended and walked towards Old Su. Saving lives was never a time to waste.
"Please share your plan," Old Su looked at Xiao Guang approaching, glancing at Li Ji. The latter nodded immediately, and the people who had gathered behind them also looked at Xiao Guang.
Xiao Guang wasn't the least bit affected by the attention.
"This is one of the many ideas proposed by Old Jin. I just made some adjustments based on the situation."
"These newly arrived beetles aren't fully domesticated. They were lured here by the powder I spread. So, it's not feasible to use them alone for flying everyone away. They're hard to control and can't carry people on their backs. I noticed that we have many boats, but they're all small. We can piece them together, tie them tightly, and glide down together with the beetles."
Xiao Guang gestured towards the densely packed crab swarm, then pointed to a few loose giant stones behind them. "We can pry them loose, create a path by rolling them down, with the boats following. Once we reach the water's surface, I'll lead the beetles to provide airborne propulsion, propelling us swiftly above the water, avoiding the fish."
Xiao Guang finished speaking and looked at Old Su.
"Fish don't attack in a straight line like wolves. Even if they catch up, they rarely attack immediately. Most of the time, they swim in circles around the boat. Besides, they're easily scared away or distracted by stones," Old Su pondered for a moment, adding to his explanation. His words dispelled the fear of the water's surface in many hearts.
"And those giant stones were already intended for a final struggle. They've been pried loose for a while," Li Ji added.
"So, what are we waiting for?" Su Pei, the most daring one, looked at everyone.
"Huang Zhong, lead a team to tow the boats!" "Li Hao, take the second and third teams to secure the boats. Make sure they're tightly bound!" "Shi Xiao Fang, lead the fourth and fifth teams to loosen all the stones!" "Sixth team, prepare for a defensive line!"
As orders were issued, not a single person remained idle. Upon discovering a glimmer of hope for survival, everyone gave their all, cooperating fully and shouting slogans that resounded throughout the area. Everywhere, small groups of people were busy at work.
Old Su glanced at Xiao Guang, hesitant to speak.
At this moment, Xiao Guang was busy securing ropes on the remaining beetles. He caught sight of Old Su's expression from the corner of his eye. After a brief thought, he smiled at Old Su. "Old Su, do you have any plans?"
"Yes, not exactly plans, but could you do me a favor?" Since Xiao Guang initiated the conversation, Old Su was quite straightforward. Those with scientific backgrounds, like Old Jin and Old Su, tended to be this way—easy to get along with.
"Please, go ahead."
"If it's convenient, could you take Xiao Pei with you during the retreat?"
"Yes, if it's convenient," Li Ji, who was working nearby, immediately added.
"Yes, Xiao Guang, take her with you."
"If you can, bring her along."
People nearby didn't show a trace of jealousy. Instead, they all pleaded with Xiao Guang. Even Su Pei was about to say something but her eyes welled up with tears, and she lowered her head in silence.
Yet, Xiao Guang understood in an instant. He grasped the intentions of this father and the group of men around them. They all tacitly avoided mentioning danger or gloomy prospects, instead reserving what they believed to be the safest choice for this singular sprite.
"Hey, little sister," Xiao Guang's tone eased, "I need to focus on piloting Dou Dou and leading the group of beetles in flight. We need someone to handle bombing, a significant responsibility. You performed well just now, so it's your turn!"
"Okay!" Su Pei didn't show any affectation, her eyes shimmering with teardrops as she promptly agreed. The crowd smiled but remained silent, continuing their work. Old Su looked at Xiao Guang and nodded his gratitude.