"They're still accelerating!" Li Ji leaned over the bow of the ship, quickly observing the crocodiles on either side of the boat. He took another look at the seemingly close-by land, his determined face glaring fiercely at the crocodiles as he muttered something under his breath. Then, he turned his head and gave a swift command.
"Everyone, take your positions!" "Load the crossbows!" "Hoist the sails!" "Full speed ahead!"
The eager individuals, who had been unable to contain their anticipation, immediately rushed to their respective posts. Crossbowmen, oarsmen, sail handlers, and many people holding spears, all took their places, awaiting their commanders' orders. As soon as the command was given, all of them would spring into action. The hope of returning after a year of waiting was right before their eyes, and any difficulty, any adversary, was worth a fight to the death.
"Su Pei, you're up next!" Xiao Guang handed Su Pei a bow, arrows, ropes, and various tools, while also putting all the remaining pouches of powder used against fish and marine creatures into her bag.
Su Pei accepted these items with a puzzled expression, feeling that something wasn't quite right. Why was all the powder taken, and all these tools and ropes given to her?
Xiao Guang said to Su Pei, "Don't just stand there, get ready to take off."
Thinking that Xiao Guang must have a plan, and considering his experience, Su Pei decided to follow his lead. She quickly mounted Dou Dou, not noticing Xiao Guang giving a nod towards Su Lao, who quietly slipped a manual into Dou Dou's side pouch. Inside were records of everything that Su Lao and the people on Stone Island had done over the past year – scientific research, major events, names, and more.
Su Pei didn't pay attention to these details; Xiao Guang was rapidly tightening the reins. Su Lao signaled to a few soldiers who brought over several small boxes. Inside were various specimens, all silently tied to Dou Dou's body.
Su Pei didn't notice any of this, her gaze fixed on the distant waves, a sense of fear creeping in, causing her body to tremble. After all, she was a girl, inherently sensitive, which made her more fearful of creatures like crocodiles. In this moment, she was too overwhelmed to notice Xiao Guang and the others' actions.
Crocodiles were enough to send shivers down the spines of even people of normal stature. And now, the small boat manned by hundreds of people was no match for them, be it in terms of speed or strength. This was an overwhelmingly one-sided battle, even against these two-foot-long juvenile crocodiles. The largest crossbow on the boat couldn't pierce their armored skin, and a single lunge from a crocodile could capsize the vessel.
Certainly, the crocodiles wouldn't prey on them due to their size, but they were still far from the coast, and how many could escape the predatory fish lurking beneath the surface and swim to the other side?
Su Lao looked at the crocodiles in the distance, then at the busy scene on the boat. His face carried a mixture of sadness and heroism. If the struggle for survival on Crab Island that year was driven by the hope of resistance against the crabs, then these crocodiles were an unforeseen disaster, leaving the people seemingly without a chance.
Li Ji was currently shouting loudly, leading the chants, and the commanders were also sweating profusely, their resounding shouts echoing with unwavering determination. However, upon closer inspection, Li Ji's eyes were moist, his unwillingness and frustration palpable. He wasn't just feeling this for himself; he carried the dissatisfaction of all. With the land so close, why should their efforts be in vain? Why should their entire force be wiped out? Why were they powerless to fight back? Li Ji was a true soldier, and in this moment, his pent-up anger had nowhere to go, so he stared intently at the crocodiles.
"The sails are about to be fully raised!" Li Ji shouted, clearly addressing Xiao Guang.
Su Lao's mouth was filled with bitterness, chilling him to the core. He looked at Xiao Guang, then at his daughter, with a mournful expression. If the efforts to survive that year on Crab Island were fueled by the hope of resistance and survival against the crabs, these crocodiles now represented a sudden catastrophe, leaving the people seemingly devoid of hope.
Xiao Guang turned back to Li Ji and Su Lao, nodding, then suddenly grasped Su Pei's arm, breaking her from her daze as she stared at the approaching crocodiles.
"Listen carefully, I'll teach you the final move to control Dou Dou." "Use this, stab Dou Dou here," Xiao Guang said, looking at Su Pei's puzzled expression, "while letting it smell or taste this fruit juice."
Xiao Guang handed the fruit juice to Dou Dou, saying, "Dou Dou will fly high with this juice, all the way to the cave base, to Old Wei's place, without any hesitation. It won't stop or listen to commands midway. This is Dou Dou's instinct to return home in a crisis. It will take a few hours to fly from here to there. Once you're seated, don't look back!"
As Xiao Guang spoke, Dou Dou had already tasted the juice, showing signs of excitement. Su Pei, having received flight training, naturally understood what Dou Dou was about to do. In just a few sentences, Xiao Guang's intentions became clear to her.
"What are you doing?" Su Pei reacted and exclaimed loudly.
At that moment, Xiao Guang used a thorn to lightly and swiftly prick Dou Dou. "This is an emergency measure. A gentle prick will make it fly back to the outpost without hesitation. Alright, I've pricked it."
"Are you crazy? What are you doing?" Su Pei shouted, suddenly realizing what was happening, and turned to look at her father, witnessing a heart-wrenching scene.
Su Lao stood at one side of the ship, gazing at her. The sea breeze rustled through his white hair, making him appear older. His eyes were filled with love and reluctance, fixed on her, causing her to feel suffocated. At this moment, her father was pouring all his love onto her.
Beside her father were several crossbowmen. They had pulled the crossbows to their maximum extent, but even so, when the arrows came into contact with the crocodiles, they merely bounced off their thick skin, unable to harm them. Li Ji was busy giving orders, while Ma Lao looked at her, his gaze carrying blessings. She glanced at the others; they were all absorbed in their tasks, either alerted by the commotion or her shouting. They looked at her, their reactions not unexpected, merely offering faint smiles. For the first time, she realized that such genuine smiles could be so heart-wrenching.
"You all knew, you've planned this all along, right? When did you discuss this? Was I the only one left in the dark? I won't go, I won't go! Even in death, we should stay together!" Su Pei suddenly burst into tears and cried out loudly.
The girl's sobbing made everyone grit their teeth, but no one answered. They all worked frantically, avoiding eye contact with Su Pei as she prepared to take off.
Su Pei shouted again, "Dad, Dad!"
Through tear-filled eyes, Su Pei saw Su Lao turn his head away from her, his gaze now fixed on Xiao Guang by her side. The latter kept his eyes on her, hands busy securing the ropes.
"Did you deceive me too? Was it your idea?" Su Pei pointed at herself, who was bound to Dou Dou and about to leave. Tears streamed down her face. She understood now; when she became capable of controlling the Golden Armored Beetle, only Xiao Guang, just Xiao Guang, would know how to safely evacuate with Dou Dou. When the crocodiles appeared earlier, the look in her father's eyes, that moment, had already decided that she should leave first.
"Don't overthink it. This is the mission. When you reach the base, tell Old Wei to bring the rescue team to the coast. Hold on tight and don't look back." At the moment Dou Dou took off, Xiao Guang patted Su Pei's head. However, upon hearing this, Su Pei burst into tears and began to cry loudly while shaking her head uncontrollably.
"You lied to me. You said you were the reinforcements." Su Pei cried, "We were about to land together."
Ignoring Su Pei's crying, Xiao Guang swiftly released the rope in his hand. Dou Dou, whose wings had already spread, made a buzzing sound and shot into the sky. Carrying the hopes of the people, it flew incredibly high and then, with a swish, rapidly headed toward the cave base.
As Su Pei disappeared into the distance, Xiao Guang turned his head slightly and glanced at Su Lao and Ma Lao. Both of them bent over slightly in acknowledgment towards him.
Xiao Guang leaped onto the nearest beetle and with this group of beetles in tow, he pulled the ship forward, giving his all to speed ahead.
"Sorry, Su Pei, I deceived you again. Even if the reinforcements from the base come, it'll take at least ten days. I told you that while you were still confused, to give you some hope so you could keep going. As for us, we have no more concerns behind us now." Xiao Guang said in his heart.