When Xiao He saw me, he immediately came over with a big smile.
“Brother Sihai, Brother Wang has already told us about your plans. We have nothing to do here anyway, so we can’t just sit here and not help at all. How about this, when do you plan to go? We’ll go with you.”
I knew Xiao He would be so enthusiastic, but I was still a little surprised to hear him say it.
But I quickly composed myself and nodded to Xiao He, pretending to be grateful.
"Then I'll really trouble you. I don't know if this trip will be successful. If it isn't, then it will all have been a waste of time. So you should be prepared."
Wang Ping picked up where I left off, nodding: "Yes, that's why Brother He and his friends are really loyal. I only mentioned it once, and they agreed immediately. I think it's still early, so why don't we go now? That way, we can be quick and it shouldn't take too long to go back and forth."
But no sooner had Wang Ping finished speaking than Yang Rui shook his head.
"I don't think so. We're quite far from our previous campsite right now, and we have to go through this burned-down forest. Who knows what dangers we might encounter in the forest? So I think we should go around this forest and head back in the direction we left in. That would be safer, since we've traveled that route many times."
Yang Rui's words were clearly an attempt to bring us closer, but I could tell he was just being subtle and didn't want to call him out on it.
After considering it for a moment, he shook his head and refused outright: "That would be taking the long way around, because we would have to go in a huge circle. Let's just go straight through this forest. I roughly remember the location."
Yang Rui remained silent, and Xiao He didn't object either. We immediately packed up some dried fish that we had prepared beforehand, and then each of us took a small cup of fresh water.
After settling things at the campsite, we set off.
We walked for about three hours before finally crossing the burned forest, but we still couldn't find our previous campsite.
Wang Ping also frowned: "The location of this place is really strange. Even after walking through it so many times, we still can't find it quite right. Now that we're coming in from this direction, it's really making us feel a bit dizzy."
Xiao He then took out a compass: "The woods you were in before should be due northwest. The direction you're in now is indeed a bit off. Why don't we head northwest again? If we still can't find it, we can turn back and follow the method Yang Rui mentioned before. We can still find it, but it will probably be tomorrow."
I looked at the compass in Xiao He's hand, and it was working again, which puzzled me.
I remember Xiao He telling me when we were in that grove of trees that the magnetic field there was problematic and could affect the direction of a compass.
But now they can actually do without those magnetic fields?
Could it be that after this forest was burned by the wildfire, even the magnetic field here was destroyed?
However, I only thought about it and didn't say it out loud, but Xiao He and the others immediately headed towards the northwest direction.
Of all the people who came this time, only Wang Ping and I are truly close. The rest of them all have their own ulterior motives and ulterior thoughts.
Since Xiao He plans to go this way, let's give it a try first. Anyway, it's already getting dark, and there's no point in going through any more trouble.
Wang Ping and I followed at the back of the crowd. Wang Ping held the knife in his hand and was very vigilant about the movements around us.
Yang Rui then sidled up to Wang Ping and me, jokingly saying that if we could actually find some wild boars or wolves here, we could have a feast tonight.
When the middle-aged man in Xiao He's group heard Yang Rui say that, he suddenly chuckled.
"The forest has been burned to this state by the wildfire. I'm afraid all the carnivores and herbivores have already hidden themselves away. After all, those animals are very shrewd. How could they possibly reappear so easily? Moreover, without our knowledge, the arrival of us humans on this deserted island has already disrupted the balance here and is constantly affecting the things around us. So, if we really want to encounter a herd of wild boars, we'll probably have to go deeper into the mountains."
Yang Rui nodded very seriously, seemingly agreeing with what the middle-aged man said.
We continued walking for a while, but still couldn't find our campsite, and it seemed to be getting further and further away from our previous campsite.
Wang Ping tried to speak several times, interrupting Xiao He who was leading the way, but I stopped him each time.
Because I know that Xiao He must have his own purpose, even if he doesn't say it, he is doing it little by little.
I'm really curious to see what kind of place he'll take us.
After walking for about an hour, Wang Ping complained that he was tired and insisted on resting on the spot, but Xiao He, who had been walking in front, quickly shook his head.
“This place is not safe. Although the forest has been burned down, there are still some poisonous insects and wild animals that may appear. This place is obviously not suitable for resting. Why don’t we walk a little further ahead? If we still can’t find anything, we can find an open space to rest.”
I think Xiao He is a bit too eager for quick success, but I also know that he didn't have any good intentions when he approached us from the beginning. After hearing what Xiao He said, I quickly nodded.
"Alright, let's continue walking then."
Wang Ping fell silent after hearing what I said. We continued walking for about forty minutes, and then the scenery suddenly changed.
Because this place was not burned by the wildfire, the whole area was covered with trees, and they were very neat. Although the surrounding area had been burned black by the fire, this place was particularly strange.
Wang Ping frowned: "Oh dear, all the forests have been burned down, how come this place is still intact?"
Xiao He remained silent but continued walking forward, holding the compass in his hand, his brows furrowed. He was indeed looking for something.
I pulled Wang Ping along behind me, telling him to keep quiet. We walked forward for a while longer, until we entered the grove of trees that hadn't been burned down. Xiao He's pace became even more hurried.
After walking for about ten minutes, a small hill appeared in front of us. To be honest, it didn't look like a hill at all; it was more like a pile of stones.
The strange thing is that the pile of stones is not on the ground, but floating in mid-air, making it look particularly bizarre.
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