Chapter 334 - 216: After-effects of the Outburst (Part 2)

Chapter 334: Chapter 216: After-effects of the Outburst (Part 2)

Since he lacked the strength, he couldn’t use brute force.

He immediately abandoned the idea of splitting it by force. He pulled out his combat knife, inserted the tip down into the groove, and used a bamboo knife as a hammer to strike the handle repeatedly.

The sharp metal tip easily pierced the fibrous layer and soon came up against something hard.

He stood up, braced the coconut against the wall with one foot, then raised his other foot and stomped down hard on the handle of the combat knife.

CRACK.

With a soft crack, the combat knife plunged deeper, as if it had broken through a layer of resistance.

He stomped a second time, and the entire blade sank into the coconut shell.

’Phew... I’m exhausted.’

Just those few simple movements left him dizzy, the world spinning around him. He quickly slumped to the ground, leaning against the wall and cradling the coconut between his legs.

The combat knife, now buried in the coconut shell, wasn’t easy to pull out. To conserve energy, he could only wiggle it back and forth, slowly working it free bit by bit.

A task that should have taken a second took him a full two minutes. When he finally pulled the knife out, it revealed a small, shallow hole in the coconut shell.

GULP, GULP...

The sweet, clear coconut water streamed from the small hole, moistening his parched throat.

His throat had felt as if it were being scraped by a small knife, but after being soothed by the coconut water, the agonizing pain that made it almost impossible to swallow finally subsided.

He sat on the ground and rested for a while longer, not intending to move. If he could, he’d even try to get some more sleep.

’The most important things for a fever are hydration and rest,’ he thought. ’Eating can wait.’

...

Andre, bored while roasting a skewer of fish, tapped open his watch as usual, preparing to gather some intel from the viewers.

The moment the screen lit up, he saw countless people spamming the chat, saying Lin Chen had a high fever and might have to withdraw from the competition.

Upon seeing the news, he shot to his feet, his first instinct to head toward the Mangrove Forest.

He had just lifted his foot when he seemed to think of something and silently put it back down.

’No, I can’t go.’

’Lin has his own dignity and pride. Even though he’s sick, he can still manage some light activity. I’m sure he can take care of himself.’

’If I go to him now with food, it might make him think he would have had to withdraw without my help. No, that wouldn’t be fair to him.’

His expression was conflicted. He paced around the charcoal fire a few times, roasted fish still in hand, before finally suppressing the impulse and sitting back down.

’That’s right, Erica is over there. It’s more fitting for a woman to take care of a sick person than it is for me. I just need to focus on what I’m supposed to be doing.’

’Wait, what I’m supposed to be doing?’

He froze, staring blankly at the roasted fish in his hand.

’Of course... I can do it like this...’

...

"Yaaawn~~ Good morning, everyone~"

A little after eight in the morning, Erica sat up in the darkness and let out a huge yawn.

"It really is a lot colder without a man around," she mused. "Lin’s body is so warm, much more effective than a charcoal fire."

She rubbed her cold little hands together and blew on them for warmth. She wasn’t in a hurry to go outside; she had gotten into the habit of interacting with her viewers for a bit each morning when she woke up.

The contestants were too far apart, so the only way to get intel was through the viewers’ chat.

Just as she did every other day, she tapped her watch. Her eyes fell on the scrolling comments, and her expression instantly froze.

"What?!"

"Lin has a high fever???"

She couldn’t believe her eyes. Thinking she must have misread, she quickly rubbed them and took another look.

The scrolling chat was still abuzz with talk of Lin Chen potentially withdrawing, the messages flying by even faster than a moment ago.

She couldn’t stay seated for another second. She shot to her feet, only to slam her head directly into the cave ceiling.

"Ow!!"

Clutching her stinging head, she quickly bent over, removed the door panel, and carefully crawled out of the cave.

’What do you do for a fever again... Oh, right, drink lots of water. I should bring some coconuts; the two he brought yesterday definitely won’t be enough.’

The coconuts were piled by the cave entrance. Their shells protected them from the rain and thieving animals. With any luck, they might even attract a coconut crab.

She packed five coconuts into her bamboo basket. As she straightened up, a faint smoky aroma drifted past her nose.

’A smoky smell?’

’Oh, right! I almost forgot. Lin specifically told me to keep an eye on the meat.’

She removed the bamboo covering from the smoke pit. The smoke inside had long since dissipated, leaving only a faint, smoky scent.

The pieces of meat hanging from branches and bamboo strips had been smoked to a light brown. The bottoms were a darker shade, and they looked completely cooked.

Curiously, she cut off a small slice and popped it into her mouth.

The first thing she tasted was a distinct smokiness that completely masked the unique gaminess of the venison. Mingled with the smoke was a faint citrus aroma.

After smoking all night, the marinade had permeated every fiber of the venison. The texture was reminiscent of Mexican carnitas—incredibly soft and tender, with a potent spice flavor.

With just one bite, her eyes lit up.

’This is amazing! Oh, right—the leftover mango sauce from last night!’

She rummaged inside the cave and found the bamboo tube, which was wrapped in layers of leaves. After opening it, she saw that about a fifth of the mango sauce was still left.

She sliced off a thicker piece of meat and slathered it with mango sauce. The thick jam glistened in the sunlight. For people from North America, this combination was a lethal weapon; almost no one could resist its temptation.

It was like when Da Xia People, hungry and walking down the street at night, happen upon a starch sausage cart or a barbecue stand—most wouldn’t be able to resist buying a little something to try.

The chilled mango sauce had a silky-smooth texture, as rich as honey, and was filled with tiny bits of fruit pulp. It melted instantly with the slightest touch of her tongue.

The thick slice of smoked venison had a different texture from the thin one. It had a bit more chew, but was still incredibly tender, and the faint bitterness from the smoke was completely masked by the mango sauce.

If she had to point out a flaw, it would be the lack of juices. Compared to traditional American-style smoked meat, the venison prepared this way was closer to jerky.

The surface was smoked dry, making the texture of the muscle fibers distinct and chewy, while the inside retained the venison’s natural juices, remaining tender and moist.

She had never eaten meat with a texture quite like this, and she got completely carried away.

By the time she came to her senses, the fist-sized chunk of meat was gone, and the bamboo tube of mango sauce had been scraped so clean it looked like it had been licked.

"*Urp*~"

"That was so satisfying... If I had some onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles, I could make a pulled venison sandwich. That would be heavenly... Huh? Why do I feel like I’ve forgotten something?"

She blinked, staring at the meat hanging in the smoke pit. Suddenly, her expression changed dramatically.

"Oh no, I forgot about Lin!!"

...

When Erica arrived at the bamboo hut, a heavy basket on her back, she found Lin Chen curled up at the bottom of the dim earthen pit. His lips were pale, but his cheeks were abnormally flushed.

He was huddled in the corner, arms wrapped around his knees like a helpless child. His breathing was rapid, and hot puffs of air escaped his mouth.

Seeing him in such a fragile state, Erica found it impossible to reconcile this image with the man who had stood defiant in the storm just yesterday.

A look of heartache flashed in her eyes. She gently set the bamboo basket down, went outside to open two coconuts, then carried them down into the pit.

"Lin?"

She called out tentatively.

There was no response.

She called out again, louder this time.

"Lin! Wake up!"

"...Hmm?"

Lin Chen had been sleeping lightly. Hearing someone call his name, he groggily opened his eyes and was met with the sight of Erica’s delicate, concerned face.

"What are you doing here?"

He struggled to sit up, pushing himself up with his hands. His movements were unusually slow, and his dry lips were cracked and peeling.

He kept his eyes lowered, but his gaze swept over the two open coconuts in her hands. He swallowed instinctively, then quickly averted his eyes.

"I have coconuts. But thank you for the thought."