The guards at the base opened the gates, and those people stood still for a few seconds before rushing out in a hurry.
"Let anyone who wants to leave go."
In just five days, half of the base's population had left. Those who remained were the ones who had lived here for generations and were unwilling to leave.
Ignatius paid no attention to them. The supermarket in the base operated as usual, doing what needed to be done.
During these days, he had drafted a plan for developing the base with several senior managers. Since the resources in the sea were depleted, they would develop the land, utilizing all available land to grow crops such as grains, fruits, and vegetables.
The base recruited a large number of workers, and the point system was changed to monthly payment, yet many people still participated.
"The better the base develops, the better our lives will be. I am willing to contribute, whether I receive points or not."
"My family has lived in this city for generations. As long as there is food to eat, I will not leave."
"Even the Base Commander hasn't retreated. What do I have to fear?"
For a while, people working on the land, planting, and watering could be seen everywhere in the base, bustling with activity.
Atticus and Blanche found it too boring at home, so they also found jobs. As intellectuals, they were mainly responsible for supervision and management.
Alice sold a piece of land to the base. It wasn't large, intended for growing corn and potatoes.She hired someone to plow the field and sow the seeds, letting nature take its course.
One evening, the alarm sounded once again.
The pirates were back.
But this time, they didn't forcefully enter. They brought two boats of supplies and came to negotiate for peace.
Upon hearing this news, Alice also went to the beach to join the commotion.
Ignatius was one step ahead of her, negotiating with the pirate leader.The pirates altogether numbered more than fifty, and the decks of the two ships were stacked with supplies.
"Take your things and leave. We don't accept negotiations," Ignatius angrily rebuked, "The ocean is polluted, are you happy now? I warn you, don't even think about attacking or occupying the base's attention. Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite."
Onlookers couldn't help but murmur at his words: "Why let them leave? They killed so many people in the base. Their supplies should be confiscated."
"These pirates are stubborn, each one acting like a desperado. If the base seizes their supplies, believe me, they'll gather a team to attack us. Then both sides will suffer."
"It's all excuses. Clearly, Ignatius is just a coward who's afraid to seek revenge. It sounds nice to say it's for the greater good, but in reality, he's just a spineless person."
"Yeah, let's just fight and plunder both ships' supplies. Consider it compensation for the losses they've caused us before."
Among them, Alice heard these words and raised an eyebrow slightly. If it were up to her, she would definitely have seized the supplies from both ships. Unfortunately, Ignatius had to consider the others in the base, too many concerns making him seem hesitant and timid.
As this thought crossed her mind, Alice's eyes flashed with determination. She quietly slipped away from the crowd.
Ignatius was still haggling with them.
Alice arrived at a deserted part of the beach, changed into a diving suit, and entered the water. She followed the coastline to where the two ships were anchored, emerging from the water on the opposite side.Earlier onshore, she had noticed that there was no one guarding the ships; everyone was gathered around their leader.She pried open a window and climbed inside.
Sure enough, the ship was filled with supplies. Two-thirds of the space was occupied by rice, while the rest was filled with flour, noodles, and various types of alcohol, piled up tightly.Alice's eyes lit up, just as she was about to gather the supplies, she heard the sound of someone prying outside the window. She immediately moved aside, unsure if it was friend or foe.
As Alice hid, the window was opened, and a tall figure jumped in, landing surprisingly lightly.
Hurley noticed something was amiss as soon as he entered the cabin; there were wet footprints on the floor... His ears twitched, and in the next moment, he swiftly dodged the sound of rushing air.
Alice's fist missed its target, and just as she was about to throw another punch, a familiar voice sounded in her ear, "It's me."
Her movements halted in mid-air, and with the light streaming in from outside, she could finally see that blurry face—it was Hurley.
"Why are you here?" Alice raised an eyebrow, quite surprised.
Hurley's dark eyes met hers, a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips. "Looks like we had the same idea."
Both of them had their eyes on the supplies from the two ships.
"What are we waiting for? Let's hurry and gather them!" Excitement tinged Alice's soft voice.
"Alright." Hurley had emptied the space before coming, so now it was clear.
They didn't care what the other had taken, as long as all the supplies were collected into the space.
Ten minutes later, the once-packed ship was now completely empty. It was unbelievable unless seen with one's own eyes.
"Time is of the essence. Let's move to the next ship."
Quietly, they jumped back into the water from the ship and swam towards the next one.
The supplies on this ship were even more abundant. While the previous one was filled with grains, this one was almost entirely meat.Moreover, it was freshly butchered meat.Twenty pigs hung from racks, along with ten sheep, two cows, and dozens of bags of chicken and duck meat...
Their movements were swift, and it didn't take long before they emptied this ship too.Hurley's space was already packed to the brim, unable to hold anything more.
"Let's go."
With an equal share, each of them essentially gained the supplies from one ship.
A smirk played at the corner of Alice's lips, her mood uplifted. Hurley felt the same.
Once again, they submerged into the water, resurfaced from another part of the shore, and casually left as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, Ignatius was still settling accounts with the pirate leader. "Count how many times you've initiated attacks. Don't you plan to compensate us?"
"The supplies from those two ships can be yours," the pirate leader pointed to the ships not far away.
"Pah, you think you can absolve your crimes with those measly supplies? No way," Ignatius spat, and coincidentally, the sea breeze carried his saliva onto the pirate leader's face.
The pirate leader wiped his face, his eyes glinting with menace. "So, you're not willing?"
Ignatius met his gaze without fear, sneering, "If you brought all the resources from your entire island as compensation, then maybe I'd consider it. But what you've brought here is nothing but scraps."
"In that case, there's nothing more to say," the pirate leader sneered back. "You'll regret your choice today."
Ignatius snorted, "Our land will never allow you to set foot on it. Get that through your head."
With a dark expression, the pirate leader turned and walked away. As they reached the ship, it was as if they had been frozen in place the next moment.
"Where are the supplies on the ship?" the pirate leader roared.
Others were also bewildered. They had all disembarked just now, thinking the two ships were right behind them, and nothing unexpected would happen.
But who knew...
Everyone looked at each other, silence hanging heavy in the air.