On the giant Floating Island.
More than thirty survivors, men, women, and children, held various crude homemade weapons and formed a circle.
"This Floating Island is a fragment of the urban-rural fringe of a certain city, and resources of all kinds will be very abundant. We can find all the medicines, food, water, tools, and weapons we need here."
The speaker's voice was firm and strong.
He was around 30 years old, tall and straight, with a rather handsome face.
It was a pity that a long, narrow scar from his jaw to his left cheek marred his appearance; the wound was fresh and hadn't fully scabbed over yet, as if even his jawbone had been injured.
He held a rather intimidating compound bow in his hand.
"I have been following this Island for three days and have observed at least 600 monsters—zombies, living corpses, whatever you want to call them. But we only have 30 people, and I believe I have made this clear to everyone before."
"Big Brother Zhao, can I be in your group? I've trained in track and field; I won't hold you back."
Cen Leyu's tone was sweet and naive, full of hope.
Zhao Suiliang nodded slightly.
"Alright then, Le Yu will be in our group. Old Brother Huang, Sister-in-law, Brother Qin, what do you all think?"
"No problem!"
With a vibrant young lady joining them, Huang Yu and Qin Zheng could not have been more pleased.
Huang Yu's wife was not so petty; she waved her hand, signaling Cen Leyu to stand with her.
Zhao Suiliang's group having no objections did not mean that others approved.
"Ahem, Little Zhao, why don't you let Le Yu join our group!"
The speaker, Zheng Nanqiao, had hair streaked with gray and always wore a smile.
"I'm 63 this year, and Old Zhang and Old Wang are a few years older than me. We only have Little Zhang as a young person, so our efficiency in action will definitely not be as high as yours. But it's about complementary resources, isn't it? We old fellows have more experience than you young people, and you have better stamina."
As Zheng Nanqiao spoke, the small group of 30 people immediately began to discuss heatedly, all asking for a regrouping.
Before, when they were forming connections, they only cared about finding people they liked and had common topics with.
After spontaneously forming groups, there were even situations where entire groups consisted only of fourteen or fifteen-year-olds, or only women and elderly people.
After Zheng Nanqiao's reminder, they finally realized it was inappropriate.
Such a large Island certainly had an overflow of resources, but the biggest problem was the monsters inside—things that could take lives at any moment!
"Why should I be in your group?"
Cen Leyu's face was full of displeasure. Those aunts had been secretly mocking her for wearing a short skirt and having tattoos, and while these old guys kept agreeing, their eyes were very dishonest.
"Complementary resources my foot! Aren't you just trying to make me do your work?"
"How can a young girl talk like that? How can she not understand the traditional virtues of respecting the old and loving the young? Young people nowadays... tsk tsk."
"Is that how your mom and dad taught you?"
Old Zhang and Old Wang shook their heads as they spoke, clucking their tongues, looking as if they were lamenting the decline of public morals.
The young girl Cen Leyu was usually only responsible for being beautiful, so she had never experienced such sarcasm.
Her words immediately became impolite:
"Traditional virtues? No, but how about 'CTMD' for a change? A bunch of shameless old bastards, pah! You even dare to peek at your granny's chest, aren't you afraid your eyeballs will fall out? Only a ghost would want to be in your group!"
The expressions of several young men around them immediately turned very unfriendly towards Zheng Nanqiao and his group. Looks are justice; what did these guys have that made them worth caring for over a girl?
"What nonsense are you talking..."
Zheng Nanqiao and the others hadn't expected such a pretty and pleasant-looking young girl to be so sharp-tongued, but they truly didn't dare to mock her like before. After all, they were in the wrong first, and this wasn't a peaceful era. They could only stand there awkwardly, muttering.
The auntie group, with an average age of 50+, interjected,
"Little Zhao, why don't we just not split into groups? Everyone acts together; there's strength in numbers, isn't there? You see it in movies all the time, right? It's so dangerous; splitting up makes it easy to be picked off one by one."
"Yes, Big Sister Wang makes sense."
"Exactly, why do we have to separate?"
Some agreed, others disagreed, and the scene was very chaotic.
Zhao Suiliang rubbed his forehead.
"Everyone, please don't rush to argue. Can you listen to me for a moment?"
Zheng Nanqiao and Aunt Wang were the first to support Zhao Suiliang.
"Exactly, exactly, no arguing!"
Zhao Suiliang nodded and smiled at the people from both groups.
"Now is not like before; it's an extraordinary time. Only by surviving can we continue to pass on so-called virtues."
Zheng Nanqiao's smile gradually disappeared.
"There are many monsters. If collective action startles them, with the weapons we have, it will almost certainly be a complete wipeout."
"I'll be blunt: we must act in groups. This is to spread the risk. If any group accidentally... well, that means they are buying time for the other groups. Their sacrifice will be very meaningful. I think everyone understands what I mean, right?"
"Of course, if my group provokes the monsters, I promise we will try our best to create the biggest commotion to attract the attention of the monsters on the Island for everyone!"
"Those who are unwilling can leave now."
Aunt Wang was dumbfounded.
"To speak selfishly, I truly cannot explore this huge Floating Island alone. There are many resources on the Island. Everyone lives by their own ability. I am not opening up the coordinates of this Island for free to save the world or lead everyone; it is simply for the simple reason of keeping myself alive, that's all!"
"As for teaming up, everyone had already chosen each other and spontaneously formed small groups for various reasons when they entered the Island. Now, whether it's about regrouping or anything else, I don't want to and have no right to interfere, but at least others must be willing to be in your group."
"That's all I have to say. Old Brother Huang, Sister-in-law, Brother Qin, Le Yu, let's enter the Island."
"Hmph!"
Cen Leyu rolled her eyes proudly, giving Zheng Nanqiao a cold snort.
"Oh, right," Zhao Suiliang waved his hand, and a strange green pattern lit up on his wrist, "Don't forget, before boarding the Island, everyone had already signed an agreement through the praying coin, with a total of 18 clauses... No mutual attacks, no malicious interference with others, otherwise all gains will be evenly distributed to others' Islands."
Zheng Nanqiao's mouth twitched.
"You—"
Before he could say anything, he heard the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground from the edge of the Island, startling him into a shudder, and the words caught in his throat.
Li Cang, thrown up from the bottom of the cliff by Big Corpse Bro, patted the dust off his body and picked up his backpack.
Zhao Suiliang frowned, recalling the list of people he had given the coordinates to in his mind, and was certain that everyone had arrived.
"You are...? From the Island that the Floating Island just collided with?"
This unlucky fellow actually didn't die...
It was only a small Island with a diameter of 20 meters, clearly not a strong person. Zhao Suiliang had no intention of extending an olive branch to Li Cang.
The cost of signing another contract was high, and an extra unregistered participant probably wouldn't affect the overall situation.
"You are very lucky; there are many resources on this Island."
Zhao Suiliang maintained his smile and said no more.
In the end, Zheng Nanqiao and Aunt Wang did not wait for anyone willing to join their group. The 30 people split into 5 groups, entering the depths of the Island from all directions.
Li Cang then waved his hand, allowing Big Corpse Bro, who was clinging to the Island's cliff face, to climb up.
【Moored (Cannot detach voluntarily), automatic detachment time remaining 71 hours 55 minutes 09 seconds】
A faint, thin mist of light vaguely emerged from his arm; this was a prompt from the praying coin.