Return to the City: The Strongest King
Chapter 960 - 961: Temporarily Avoiding

Chapter 960: Chapter 961: Temporarily Avoiding

"Xiao Cao, you can’t have this kind of attitude. We’re all on the same island now, we need to work together." Li Fangding took a couple of bites, his mood settling slightly, and quickly stopped Cao Heyang.

Setting foot on land meant there was no immediate life-threatening danger, which gave Li Fangding the space to consider more things, especially issues concerning his image and identity.

At the moment, Cao Heyang obeyed Li Fangding’s words without question, grunted in acknowledgment, and buried his head in the roasted food.

Li Fangding’s eyes moved slightly, and he said, "Everyone, we were just too hungry. What we did earlier was impulsive, so I hope you don’t take it to heart. Let us take a breather, and then we’ll help you find some food."

Seeing Li Fangding’s attitude improve, Wu Xiaoya chimed in, "Mayor Li, but these things... we just finished roasting them. We haven’t even had a bite yet. We’re just as hungry."

Li Fangding immediately looked surprised and said, "You haven’t eaten yet...? Look at this mess. We assumed you’d arrived on the island earlier and had already eaten your fill. This... but now that we’ve already eaten, the mistake is made, and we’ll have to take responsibility. We’ll head out now to find food and bring it back for you."

While Li Fangding was talking, those guys had already wolfed down everything in sight.

"Get up quickly, let’s go find food for everyone." Seeing the group still motionless, Li Fangding shouted loudly. Only then did they lazily get up.

Soon, someone explained to Li Fangding how to search for food. He took a few of them down to the beach to start digging.

"This Mayor Li doesn’t seem too bad now."

"Yeah, if it weren’t for him, who knows what those guys might have done to us just now."

People are always afraid of comparisons. Cao Heyang and the others had been so aggressive earlier that Li Fangding’s intervention inevitably raised his status in everyone’s eyes.

At this moment, Wu Xiaoya gathered with Song Xiaodong and the others, glanced at Li Fangding’s group, and lowered her voice to say, "Being here with these people... why do I feel so uneasy?"

Song Xiaodong said, "It depends on how long we’ll be stuck here. The longer we stay, the safer we’ll be. If it’s only a short time, then there’s nothing to worry about."

Miao Xuanxuan asked, "Honey, do you mean... if we’re stuck here for a long time, those people might... lose their humanity?"

Song Xiaodong nodded and said, "Definitely. I just took a look around. This is a small island. Although I didn’t see everything, it’s clear that it’s not very big. But there are at least some trees. If there’s an opportunity, we should avoid them."

Miao Qingqing nodded and said, "Okay, but... what if we don’t get rescued for a while? I’m worried that when it’s time to leave the island, Deputy Mayor Li might do something truly heinous."

Wu Xiaoya’s face changed, and she said, "You mean... he might... No, no, no. He’s a mayor after all. How could he do something that terrible?"

Miao Qingqing said earnestly, "I hope I’m overthinking it. But consider this: If you were in his shoes, having already done something so despicable, what would happen if someone exposed those details after we returned? And in this plane crash, with so many people already dead, if more lives are lost, it’s unlikely anyone will think twice about it."

Wu Xiaoya’s face grew even darker, and she stammered, "Does that mean... we’ll all be in grave danger?"

Miao Qingqing looked at Wu Xiaoya and said calmly, "If we stick to the same vine as him, then probably there won’t be much danger. In fact, he might even favor us in the future."

Wu Xiaoya clenched her fists and said, "Stay on the same vine as them? You mean become their playthings? Absolutely not."

Miao Qingqing said, "If you don’t want that, then it’s best to stay with us."

"Alright!" Wu Xiaoya agreed decisively. Over the course of the day and night, she had witnessed Song Xiaodong’s actions. After Li Fangding’s group had gone, Song Xiaodong had proven he could lead everyone out of difficulties, earning her trust.

Song Xiaodong said, "Go and see what the others think. If they want to follow Li Fangding’s group, then so be it. If they don’t want to stay with them, I’ll take them with us."

Miao Qingqing, Miao Xuanxuan, and Wu Xiaoya all agreed and went off to talk to the others. But soon, all three came back empty-handed.

Miao Xuanxuan frowned and said, "All those people chose to follow Li Fangding’s group. Don’t they realize just how shameless that guy is?"

Wu Xiaoya sighed and said, "There’s nothing we can do. After all, he’s a deputy mayor. It’s easier for people to trust someone like him, especially in such an uncertain situation. Of course, they’d prefer to stick together."

Song Xiaodong nodded and said, "Then so be it. Let’s leave."

The four of them chose their moment carefully and slipped away into the forest along the coastline.

The forest was dense, and the four of them couldn’t determine their direction. They simply pressed forward, walking for about an hour until they reached what appeared to be the island’s peak.

Looking around, the entire island was only about a kilometer long and five or six hundred meters wide—roughly the size of six or seven sports fields.

From atop the peak, they could even see Li Fangding’s group in the distance.

Although the area wasn’t particularly large, it was still feasible for them to hide without much trouble.

They circled around to the other side of the island. Not far down, they came across a patch of trees filled with clusters of red fruit.

Song Xiaodong casually plucked one and took a bite. Wu Xiaoya was alarmed. "We don’t even know if those are safe to eat. How can you just start eating them?"

Song Xiaodong gave a faint smile and said, "Relax, plenty of birds are eating them. Trust me, they’re fine. And they’re pretty tasty, sweet and juicy."

Miao Qingqing and Miao Xuanxuan were already extremely hungry. They hurriedly picked some and began to eat. The fruit turned out to be both filling and thirst-quenching, leaving them thoroughly satisfied.

Wu Xiaoya tried one as well. It indeed tasted good, and in her heart, she once again admired Song Xiaodong. His keen observation and calm confidence were truly remarkable.

After satisfying their hunger and thirst, the three of them soon discovered a small cave. The sky was getting dark, so they quickly gathered some dry grass to line the cave, preparing to rest well for the night.

They were utterly exhausted after today, having walked over twenty thousand steps on mountain paths. Their legs felt like they were about to give out. Song Xiaodong decided to write a Chapter first, before continuing to write further. Whether or not he could churn out more, he wasn’t sure—it was just too overwhelming right now.