Chapter 811: The Refugees
Su Nuanxi was so terrified she nearly collapsed, her eyes rolling back as she fainted on the spot with a thud. Those who followed behind witnessed the scene, and some couldn't help vomiting immediately.
The foreigner White Mo clutched his head and screamed, "O-M-G! My God, this is literally hell! Is Satan here?" They had seen dead bodies before and thought their mental fortitude was strong enough. But human nature made such scenes unbearable for them.
Zhang Yi curiously looked at them and asked Li Zongyu, "What? Haven't you eaten any?" Li Zongyu's face turned ghastly pale, clearly severely tested by what he saw. But he retorted angrily, "We're humans, not animals! How could we do such things!"
His girlfriend Zhang Weiwei stepped forward indignantly, meeting Zhang Yi's gaze without fear. "Mr. Zhang, don't insult our dignity! We'd rather starve than eat that!" Zhang Yi chuckled, "Then how did you solve your food problem?"
Zhang Weiwei explained, "Since this is a tourist island, there were large food reserves. We stayed at the island's hotel initially, and the warehouse supplies lasted us months." "Later, Zongyu and others went hunting. The waters around Rockflow Island are rich in seafood, which sustained us."
Zhang Yi countered, "This is the tropics at minus twenty degrees! Coastal fish must have disappeared." Zhang Weiwei blinked, "There's a giant sea turtle species unique to Rockflow Island. Extremely resilient." "That became our main food source."
Zhang Yi lowered his eyelids, then suddenly looked up at Li Zongyu. "How's the turtle soup taste?" Li Zongyu averted his eyes, "We were just grateful to have food. Taste didn't matter." He pulled Zhang Weiwei aside, having her lead the students out - the bloody scene was too much for them.
Zhang Yi had brought them here specifically to teach Su Nuanxi a lesson, to shut her up and stop bothering him. It also served as a warning to others. Zhu Yunque had long since run outside vomiting violently, probably cursing Zhang Yi internally for making her see this.
Zhang Yi glanced at the unconscious Su Nuanxi, feeling somewhat disappointed. All bark and no bite. He'd originally planned to treat her to some authentic nine-turn intestines. But she got lucky by fainting first.
By Zhang Yi's nature, he'd happily leave this woman on the island to fend for herself. But firstly, Zhu Zheng had ordered all Rockflow Group members must be retrieved to prevent information leaks. Secondly, with Li Zongyu and others present, Zhang Yi couldn't go too far. So he called two male Rockflow Group members to carry Su Nuanxi, then left this hellhole for the port.
Soon they reached the port area. While deserted with corpses strewn about earlier, it now bustled with crowds noisy as a marketplace. Zhang Yi noticed all the corpses had disappeared. He understood immediately but remained indifferent - such things were commonplace.
The Golden Edge remained docked, with Old Tian ordering every crew member to stand guard with submachine guns, strictly preventing any refugees from boarding. But refugees and locals packed the entire port - thousands visible at a glance! More kept arriving from across the island. Some sneaky ones even braved the subzero temperatures, attempting to climb aboard through the icy waters.
Old Tian had no choice but to fire warning shots and use rubber bullets for crowd control. "Back off! Our captain isn't here! No one approaches or I'll shoot!" Not that Old Tian was soft-hearted, but unsure if these were Zhang Yi's targets, he dared not use live ammunition. This restraint only emboldened the crowd.
Some offered Rolex watches as bribes. "I've got billions in savings - half yours if you take me! This gold watch is deposit!" Others played the sympathy card with children. "Please take us! We'll die here eventually!" "Shouldn't women and children go first? Hey, make way for us!"
Some flaunted connections - uncles in Huaxu Kingdom ministries, fathers as Jiangnan Region officials. Some knelt begging pathetically just for passage. Thousands clamored with individual reasons but one unified plea: take them from this hellhole. The crowding even pushed some into the freezing sea, their screams piercing.
Zhu Yunque stared dumbfounded. "How are there so many people left?" Zhang Yi sneered, "Tropical islands attract the wealthy. You think they'd starve?" "Besides, when food runs out, there's always... reserves."
Zhu Yunque looked puzzled. "Reserves? You mean seafood?" Zhang Yi said flatly, "During a famine when many starved, Emperor Hui of Jin asked, 'Why not eat meat porridge?'" "People mocked his stupidity." "But consider it differently." "That phrase is actually terrifying."
Realization dawned on Zhu Yunque, combining with the earlier horrific scenes to send chills down her spine. "Let's go. No time to waste here. The world's full of misery - I can't save everyone." Zhang Yi fired his gun skyward, immediately drawing attention. Their combat suits marked them clearly as ship personnel.
The cleverest rushed forward begging. "Please take me! I'm Huaxu Kingdom - listen to my perfect accent!" "Me Huaxu people too, save me!" "Me, Huaxu person work!" Foreigners showcased their broken Chinese desperately, their poor attempts at communication instantly recognizable.