"Shiller indeed couldn't manage a Beijing Duck, the soil here isn't ideal for constructing an oven, but he managed a simple version using a duck, cleaned and marinated in a seafood broth.
The belly was cut open, stuffed with apple and lemon, and then the whole duck was placed inside a larger coconut shell. After sealing the shell, he put it in burning hot sand to stew.
Hal wanted to recreate Beef Wellington, but due to a lack of ready starch, he couldn't make the puff pastry, and also lacked good ingredients for the mushroom sauce, so he also made a simplified version.
Toasted bread was de-crusted, each slice was buttered, and then four slices were layered and pressed together, then fried until golden. The steak was sprinkled with pepper, and fried until medium-rare. After slathering it with seafood sauce, it was wrapped in the toasted bread to make it crispy.
Seeing that the other's skills matched their own, the two people, who never really felt hungry, showed no signs of stopping their culinary display, until another figure appeared at the cave entrance.
It's usually difficult to see real confusion on Batman's face, but at this moment, Shiller was certain that he saw a touch of confusion and bewilderment on Bruce's face.
The life or death status of the two lying bodies wasn't clear, but the appearance and aroma of the food wouldn't lie. Even Bruce, who had flown all the way to the crash site, was getting a bit hungry. After he pushed open the door and stepped into the sealed cave, his hunger grew.
Most of these recipes had been adjusted and incorporated original elements to adapt to the environment, but the main structures were tried and tested food preparation methods. Therefore, both from the aroma and the appearance, they were all very enticing.
The first out of the pot was Chicken Stew with Mushrooms, with the richness of the chicken leg meat giving the whole dish a golden sheen. Similarly lustrous was seafood pasta made with shrimp fat, served in a hollowed-out coconut shell, its aroma hinting at the unique freshness of seafood and the distinct fragrance of coconut.
Similarly thought-provoking was the prepared duck meat, stewed to tender perfection and paired with Shiller's specially made seafood sauce. The Survivalist's version of Beef Wellington had a unique taste, a generous amount of carbohydrates and a thick steak slice, enough to drive any omnivore wild.
When the last pot of Shiller's seafood soup was ready, Arthur sat up as if resurrected from the dead. Completely ignoring the uninvited guest, Bruce, he rushed to the stone slab with a speed akin to sprinting, ready to eat.
Shiller helped Oliver up and brought him to the stone slab. After the group had gathered around, there was no room left, making Bruce feel a bit awkward on his recent arrival.
Although he recognized the fridge laid out next to him, the same model that Alfred had prepared on his plane, he was modest. If he were to prepare these ingredients himself, not getting food poisoning was already good luck. To enjoy such delicacies on a deserted island, he feared he would need another three months of training with Alfred.
Shiller looked up as if he had just noticed Bruce, saying: 'Isn't this Mr. Wayne? Have you come here for a vacation as well?'
Bruce's gaze fell on his fridge, and Shiller also looked back at the fridge, saying: 'Oh, that was a gift from nature. In that case, I suppose nature wouldn't reject any guest. Would you like to have some?'
'Shouldn't you explain what's happening here first?' Bruce spoke in his usual deep tone.
Half a minute later, Bruce chewed mechanically on a piece of chicken. Shiller watched him with a displeased expression, saying: 'You think my cooking is not good? Why did you seem happier when you were eating his pasta?'
Arthur quickly moved aside, not wishing to be close to Shiller. Bruce took a sip and said: 'No, I was just thinking… how would nature just so happen to gift you a fridge identical to the one on my plane...'
'Do you believe in God?' Shiller asked.
The expression on Bruce's face was a silent 'Do you really need to ask?'
Bruce Wayne is a devout Christian and had previously sponsored all the repair costs for Gotham Cathedral, but Batman? He doesn't believe in any god.
'If you don't believe in God, I can't explain it to you.' Shiller made a cross on his chest and spoke.
'And if I do?' Bruce asked.
'Then why don't you ask God?' Shiller replied.
After he spoke, Shiller threw the last piece of chicken bone out of the cave, and during Bruce's perplexity, the food on the stone slab was close to finished.
Arthur and Oliver's dining manners can't be called reserved and polite. It was more like starving ghosts given a new life. This just goes to show that no matter how strong and rational a person is, they still get hungry. Nothing can stop the human desire for food.
After the meal, everyone regained their energy. Oliver's condition improved greatly. Shiller started using medical supplies to treat his injuries, some of which were quite tricky due to his previous mishandling.
During this time, Arthur and Hal planned to finish making their cast net. The previously boiled fiber had been drying and was now close to ready, so they could start weaving.
'First, we need to slice each of the long leaves open with a metal piece, the thinner the better. Make sure to leave a part of the leaf by the stem intact. After doing that, soak these strips in water. After soaking, weave the fibers together in this way...'"
Arthur could be seen weaving a leaf he had processed, in a manner similar to braiding hair, though with many more cuts, and a more complex interweaving technique. After watching Arthur once, Hal blinked, and asked, "What just happened? What did you do? How did this leaf turn into a fine rope?"
Meanwhile, Bruce, who had been observing from the side, thoughtfully picked up a leaf, and also picked up a piece of metal to start cutting the leaf.
Having to use the wreckage of his own Batplane as a tool caused Bruce to sigh inwardly; not due to the waste of materials, but with the realization that the metal used for his next plane should be softer, so he can create tools from it if he ends up needing to survive on a deserted island after an air crash.
After cutting the leaf, he began to weave. His movements started slow, but by the time he reached the middle section, his fingers were moving so fast they left an afterimage, even faster than Arthur.
Soon, a fine rope appeared in Bruce's hands, but he was not satisfied. He pulled on both ends of the rope and examined it at close range, noticing that some of the cut fibers had already broken. Apparently, if he were to pull any harder, the rope would definitely snap.
Bruce shook his head, gave a dissatisfied frown.
He picked up another fiber. This time, he made the cuts larger, thus each fiber was thicker. However, during the weaving process, he encountered problems due to the rigidity of the fiber. It wouldn't smoothly form a rope, and bulges stuck out all over.
Bruce gathered a large collection of different fibers from the door area and began experimenting with them one by one, measuring distances, recording experimental data, comparing batches, testing finished products…
Behind him, Arthur was explaining to Hal how to stably cut fine fibers from metal. Meanwhile, Bruce had already refined his product several times.
Eventually, Bruce found a type of palm leaf that was excellent for making ropes. The fibers of this leaf had good strength when thin and didn't break when woven into a thin rope. When thicker, the fibers maintained a certain rigidity, showing resilience.
Having identified this material, he further refined his weaving methods, hoping to find a simple, fast, effortless, and sturdy weaving technique.
Soon enough, he had made several thin ropes and began testing them one by one. Eventually, he settled on a technique and started to refine it.
After finding the best method for weaving thin ropes, he twisted many thin ropes into a thick rope. At this point, Bruce noticed that a thick rope made from a single type of fiber was not as good quality as a thick rope made from a variety of fibers using different weaving techniques.
He began researching the best combinations, attempting to find the most suitable method among several materials and techniques.
Meanwhile, Hal had finally learned how to make a thin rope, and Arthur began teaching him how to twist the thin ropes into a thick one. Arthur's method was straightforward – just twist the ropes together and tie a knot on each end.
After completing the thick rope, they could start to weave a fishing net. Arthur was making a hand-casting net similar to a modern frisbee, using stiffer plant stems to make hard supports, then putting the net on top.
The weaving method for the net is quite simple, with one vertical line overlapping another, back over front, left over right. In no time at all, Arthur had made a fine hand-casting net. The only difference between his net and those sold in the market was the material used.
Seeing Arthur's actions, Bruce began to think. He recognized what Arthur was making as a casting net. As he also grew up in the coastal Gotham City, Bruce knew from the experience that although hand-casting nets were simple, they were also quite primitive and not greatly successful, especially at sea.
At the beginning, Bruce wanted to make a net trap launcher. He had made similar equipment before to capture criminals, but soon he realized that without gunpowder or rubber, it would be difficult to provide enough force to throw the net far. There'd be no point if the net didn't reach any further than what a hand could throw.
Since he can't make the net reach further, he decided to bring the fish closer. Bruce changed his approach and looked over at some wood.
He picked up the leftover wooden sticks from Arthur's previous work. After playing around with them for a bit, Bruce laid out several shapes. After examining them carefully, he chose one and began to weave a fishing net around it.
By the time Hal had finally managed to weave most of a casting net, Bruce had made a strange-looking fishing device. Clearly, it wasn't a casting net that could be tossed in the water, but a fish trap instead.
Bruce had never been fishing, so this fish trap was based purely on logic and intelligence. As Hal successfully completed the casting net, and he and Arthur were preparing to test it, they turned around and saw the ground littered with Bruce's fish traps.
Arthur's eyes widened. He quickly walked over and exclaimed loudly, "A fish trap? You're a fisherman, too?"
"My goodness, my dad tried to teach me how to make one of these several times, and I never took to it. You must be an experienced old..."
Arthur's gaze met Bruce just as he said that. Although Bruce was around the same age as him, he looked much better maintained. Bruce had minimal signs of exposure to elements like sun and wind due to his frequent nighttime activities. He obviously appeared to be a pampered man used to being driven around everywhere.
Arthur gaped, then said, "You're definitely not a fisherman, so where did you learn this?"
While holding a fish trap, Bruce glanced over to Shiller, who was still treating Oliver's injuries. He then threw the trap to Arthur and said,
"This is a gift from nature."