Chapter 121 Expedition Team 2: Finding the Rules
The scimitar is heavier and sharper than you imagine, and the vines are far more resilient than you think.
With a swift motion, you felt a slight pain in your hand, but thankfully the vine was cut off.
"Very good. You can all see this young lady's movements. She's using her back and arms, and keeping her waist straight, so she doesn't lose strength and can maximize her leverage." Ramon is very satisfied with your result and has gathered everyone to watch your movements.
You felt a little embarrassed to be the center of attention, but following Ramon's instructions, you still made two more cuts.
After everyone had a turn, you formed a semi-circle and used the machetes you were given to cut down the second batch of bark and vines.
Tony suddenly yelled, and everyone looked at her. She shook her hand and complained, "Is this tree poisonous? My hand is numb."
“The bark isn’t poisonous, it’s the sap that’s spicy.” The professor checked her fingers. “It’s alright, it’ll be fine in a bit.” He then pointed to the trunk: “You peeled too deep, into the pith. You should have learned about this.”
"Therefore, we must wear protective gear when conducting collection activities. The vegetation in the rainforest is complex, so protecting yourself is the top priority."
"knew."
The group worked together and quickly collected enough materials.
“Alright, listen to me.” Ramon picked up a thick vine from the ground, weighed it in his hand, cut several split ends with a knife, and then said, “Let’s learn how to make a stretcher.”
“A stretcher may look like just two sticks and a net, but don’t forget that the person lying on it is injured. Comfort and protection are both very important. Even if we have vines now, they can only be woven into lines. There needs to be a ‘skeleton’ to ensure safety.”
He demonstrated as he spoke.
"Find thicker branches, preferably the trunk of a palm tree. This type of tree is hard and flexible, and won't break when stepped on. Cut down the saplings and make two main frames. Tie three horizontal bars across the middle, corresponding to the head, waist, and legs respectively."
As he spoke, he raised his arms to demonstrate, emphasizing again: "Don't think this is an easy job. The person is heavy, and the ground is slippery. If the stretcher is unstable and rolls directly down the slope, the injured person will be in serious trouble."
No one spoke.
Dora quickly cut down a suitable tree trunk. Ramon gave a thumbs up and taught them how to use vines to reinforce the frame. Then he took out a waterproof cloth from his bag and wrapped it around the joints: "Here, we need to protect against blood, punctures, and the poles below from bouncing up and hitting our spines when people move."
"You're here to learn, but that doesn't mean you have to rely entirely on local resources. Using modern technology is essential," Ramon joked, noticing your confusion.
“I’ve got it,” Professor Shia finally spoke. “What Ramon is saying now is something we must remember for our upcoming expedition. I hope Carlos’s accident is the last one, but we still have fourteen days in the rainforest, and new unexpected events could happen every day.”
Fourteen days? You secretly calculated, feeling somewhat relieved that the time wasn't too long.
While the students were engrossed in making the stretcher, the professor looked around at everyone's movements and then said, "Listen carefully, if your companion is injured, the procedure is as follows—"
"First, immobilize the injury. If there is an external injury, stop the bleeding. If it is a sprain or fracture, immobilize the joint, tie it firmly on both sides, and pad it with soft material in the middle."
"Second, do not rush to move; notify me immediately. From today onward, everyone must carry a first-aid kit and safety equipment with them at all times, so that they can be prepared in case of any life-threatening situation."
"Finally, please note that our project is a non-profit, extracurricular summer camp. You will not need to do anything dangerous, and there will generally be no need to split into groups. Just stay close to the main group, observe the terrain, and keep up with the pace. Do you understand?"
The guide, Ramon, chimed in: "Fourth, in everything you do, don't think about showing off by yourself, but rather cooperate."
You quietly process and digest the process, feeling a little relieved. You realize that even though you're in the wild, the people leading the team are quite professional. The dangers from the environment itself may not be as great as you imagined. Instead, you need to be more mindful of yourself and avoid being dragged down by incompetent teammates.
Before they officially set off, Dora again picked a few large banana leaves from somewhere, wiped off the layer of water mist on them with a handkerchief, and placed them on the stretcher: "This way it will be softer and cooler."
The professor greatly appreciated her thoughtfulness.
You then knelt down to help her tidy the stretcher, and asked her admiringly, "You're so skilled! How did you know to use this leaf?"
Without looking up, she said, "This is how the elders in my family used to carry people down the mountain."
She didn't use "village," "elders," or "friends," she only used "our home."
Could it be some useful, hidden story?
You nodded gently, without asking any further questions.
The stretcher was made by you students, but when it really comes time to use it, Ramon and Freddy will carry it.
The ground was slippery, and the vines were wet like oil. The coach would occasionally extend a knife to "clear the way" and cut off the tangled branches.
After working together for a while, the relationship between you students has become closer.
The atmosphere became less serious, and everyone started chatting with each other.
Tony nudged your shoulder and smiled broadly: "You're amazing! I didn't know you worked out regularly. Which gym do you go to?"
How do you know all this?
However, it's not difficult to deduce from her seemingly random way of asking questions that she and "you" knew each other before.
“I don’t go to the gym regularly. I prefer to go to different places rather than have a long-term membership at one gym.” You go along with her, as if the two of you are very familiar with each other, “Your shoulders are really well-developed, don’t make fun of me.”
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" Tony punched you heartily. "I never knew you had this side to you. I always thought you were a nerd." She pouted and glanced meaningfully at Mina: "I think—no offense, just that it would be better if you tried to bring her along with us more often, so she wouldn't be left out."
"Haha." You gave an awkward laugh and looked at Mina as well.
This Asian girl is a bit of a loner, but she seems very comfortable.
Because of your ethnicity, you are indeed more concerned about Mina's movements.
In your eyes, she is just a little quiet, but in reality, she has not fallen behind in any of her studies and is actively participating in the activities.
"No offense intended—I think she's fine this way, they're just different personalities." You observe Tony's expression, carefully mimicking how she, or even Max before, speaks: remembering to add a double "A" to every sentence.
“Hahaha,” Tony laughed. “You’re hilarious.”
"Hahaha!" you laugh too.
"Hahaha!" She was still laughing.
…
Can you please stop laughing...?
It wasn't until Tony laughed until tears streamed down his face that she found an excuse to step aside and go chat with Max and Becca.
You rubbed your aching cheeks, wanting nothing more than to get back to camp as quickly as possible.
You don't know what the general rules are, but you have a vague feeling that you almost broke them in your conversation with Tony just a minute ago.
The campsite wasn't far away, and your group arrived quickly. As soon as Carlos was settled in, everyone here got busy as if they had pressed the resume button.
Sure enough, Freddie, who was in charge of logistics, efficiently brought out barrels of drinking water, and then cooked a bunch of dried vegetables and porridge that looked very nutritious in them.
Becca sorted the first aid supplies into their designated places, then sat down to organize them into small medicine kits and distributed them to the students.
Professor Shia stood at the entrance of the main tent, exchanging a few words with the guide in hushed tones, gesturing with the map as if he were revising today's route.
You didn't join them.
While most people were gathered around the fire waiting for food, you quickly crawled back into your tent, zipped it up, and finally had some time to yourself.
It's damp and stuffy inside the tent, but what you need most right now is to make sure of one thing:
Who are you.
The hiking backpack you hastily grabbed isn't yours, and your backpack is hidden in a corner under a pile of clothes that are clearly not your size.
These clothes smell as bad as their owner's sleeping bag. You didn't notice it when you first woke up, but now when you come back into the tent, it feels like someone died in your nostrils.
Suppressing your nausea, you found Five Gods Floral Water in your backpack and happily sprayed some on.
Classic! You happily even mentally uttered a sweet phrase, immersed in the refreshing fragrance from the Five Gods.
Soon you'll have to snap out of your reverie and keep searching.
Finally, you found an iFlytek phone—your face can unlock it, it really is your phone.
I was thinking that since it's an Apple phone, and even the serial number says "Made in the USA," maybe it could connect to the internet like the Max?
Unfortunately, I still couldn't access the internet.
Let's talk about that later. First, open your iFlytek phone and look for it in the system's built-in folders.
Fortunately, users of iGuo phones rely heavily on iGuo's own mobile ecosystem, storing all useful information on their phones.
The latest saved file clearly states "Yama Sun Summer Camp Scientific Expedition Team".
Open it quickly.
It turns out this was a collaborative project between the Department of Earth Sciences at a prestigious American university and the College of Life Sciences and Environment at a university in Southern America. The NSF that Becca mentioned is actually the National Science Foundation of the United States, which accounts for the majority of the funding for this project.
The project goal is—you don't recognize many of the words…you can only barely understand "flaxseed," "landform change," and "microbial system."
No problem, once you have internet access, you can download the dictionary and use the translator.
The next page is an introduction to the professor, but it's too long, so you decide to skip it for now.
Click on the second item, and you'll find the team's responsibility list, which clearly outlines each person's tasks.
Another bunch of unfamiliar words, making you dizzy. Luckily, your own job is very simple:
Assist "Assistant Becca" and "Database Entry Clerk Mina" in completing data encoding, format proofreading, and so on.
It seems like what you're about to do isn't difficult?
Upon closer inspection, it turns out that among this group of master's and doctoral students, you are the only novice undergraduate.
However, you're also happy that your responsibilities aren't too heavy.
My only concern is... you should put down your phone and think from the perspective of the game.
If you were to design such a scenario and event, you would definitely not simply get everyone to unite and help each other to achieve a common goal.
If something goes wrong, the least important person might easily be overlooked.
Being in a dungeon means certain death.
You need to find a way to avoid being overly noticed while also not being ignored.
Turn off your phone, unzip the tent, and smilingly take out the snacks from your backpack.
You walk up to Max, who is still secretly taking pictures behind the professor's back, and share some snacks: "Hi~ Can I borrow your hotspot for a bit? That way we can add each other as friends on camera."
Max looked up at you, and the excitement that had been on his face suddenly vanished, replaced by a stiff expression.
He shrank back a little, but his tone was amused: "Uh...you mean...I'll turn on the heat for you?"
You nodded, somewhat puzzled by his attitude: "It'll only take a few minutes. We can add each other as friends and then send a short story."
Max paused for two seconds, then cautiously asked, "Would you... look into my phone?"
You were stunned for a moment, almost thinking he was joking.
"Of course not, I'm just connecting to the internet. You can set a hotspot password." Because of his overly serious questioning, you suddenly even wondered if there was something wrong with your understanding?
"I can't check your phone just because we're connected via hotspot," you said, tilting your head with a subtle expression.
He frowned, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of anxiety that he was afraid of being overheard: "You know... hotspots are connections. I haven't even turned on my phone. Sometimes, you know, when devices from other countries connect, I get some strange notifications. I'm not sure if I'm being tracked."
You suddenly realize that he wasn't unwilling to help you—he was genuinely afraid.
What's there to be afraid of?
Thinking about some real-life social news, you unconsciously tightened your cheekbones and said, "Don't worry, I'm not a hacker."
"And certainly not a spy."
Max still looked a little nervous, so he hurriedly added, "I wasn't talking about you! I really didn't mean to offend you! It's just that the system sometimes detects strange devices. I'm a paid user of Guoyun, and I don't really want other people connecting to me... you know?"
You nodded slightly. Of course you didn't understand. You had absolutely no idea how things had gotten to this point.
Even if trending topics do indeed pose a risk of information leakage.
never mind.
You thanked him for his enthusiasm and prepared to go directly to the professor to borrow the hot topic.
"Oh, I really want to help you. I love Flower Country, really. I respect you and your country, really," Max said anxiously, explaining incessantly.
"Don't worry, I didn't think that much about it." You smiled, then thought for a moment and added, "Ha! Ha! Ha!"
"Really? That's great! Hahaha!" Max laughed too.
To avoid further rounds of laughter, you slip away and make your escape.
The professor was reading alone at the time and was only slightly surprised by your arrival. She put on her glasses: "What's wrong?"
You carefully state your needs, promising that you just want to let your family know you're safe: "I completely understand if you refuse. We Chinese have a close bond with our parents, and I just don't want them to worry."
Based on the vague sense that "racial prejudice seems to be very strong" you currently have, you simply expand your request to seem to be a cultural phenomenon that is common to your ethnic group.
Unlike the professor's serious demeanor this morning after Carlos's injury, her brow relaxed after hearing your request, and she instantly revealed a motherly expression, readily agreeing.
"Tell your family about it," she said with a smile.
"That's great, thank you!" You thanked them profusely, and immediately opened the app after connecting to the internet on your phone.
There must be a student union.
You've already experienced two instances without the student union, but after going through that ordeal, you really feel it would be a waste to spend so much effort only to fail to find the universal rules.
Even if you know the instance is virtual and the locals here aren't exactly "normal," the experience is real, and you're still not happy about it.
The page opened a little slowly, and you looked at the professor with a forced smile.
I waited anxiously.
They're out!
The pinned group chat is the student union! That's great! You've become so cheerful, you almost want to hug your phone and kiss it.
The familiar group chat, the familiar group structure, the familiar group messages.
You quickly found the 12 general rules that have been compiled:
1. The shared refrigerator does not belong to you.
2. Perhaps you should only eat the right amount of food.
3. Your praise brings joy to others. And vice versa.
4. Learn to smile; it's very useful.
5. There are no firecrackers here.
6. “What do you mean by that?” is the final warning.
7. Join a sorority/fraternity. Be a most trustworthy sister/brother. Always look upon the sorority/fraternity building with respect.
8. "I" am more important than "you".
9. Do not approach the "white-covered vehicle".
10. Don't go to the library; knowledge isn't a good thing.
11. Be an open-minded person, and you'll find that even the air smells sweet.
12. Social media is the most important place to showcase yourself in modern times, and you know how to maintain a positive social media image.
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Author's Note: Please don't use German time when you're in China, but American time when you're in Germany! =.= If I keep going like this, I'll have to change my name to Creamy Panda -.- My wish is to wake up before midnight in China and write another chapter.
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