Chapter 25: Water Source

"It's fresh water! Haha, it's fresh water!" Kevin laughed out loud, his face filled with surprise.

The rest of the group hurried to the stream, scooping up water to taste. They all found that it was indeed fresh.

"That's fantastic! We've finally found fresh water. The surroundings are also great. We can set up camp here," Zhang Xiaoai said excitedly, taking in the view.

Upstream, there was a forest, and to the east, in the direction they came from, a large flat grassland stretched out. To the west, there was a shallow beach, lined with many reefs in the sea. This was also the estuary of the stream, meaning fish resources were abundant.

"You won't have trouble finding food here. There are no large carnivores, so this is an ideal place to settle," Kevin concluded.

"Let's explore and find the best place to build our shelter," he suggested.

After over half an hour of searching, they found an ideal spot for their camp.

"This spot is perfect. The protruding rock in front blocks the sea breeze, and there's shelter at the back. Plus, the wind blows from all directions, so when it gets windy, we won't have to worry about mosquitoes. And, it's close to the water source, which is really convenient," Kevin said, pleased with the location.

Everyone agreed, nodding in approval.

Kevin glanced up at the sun, thinking for a moment. "I have an idea. Do you think it could work?"

"What idea?" they asked.

"I suggest we send someone back to tell Sister Bird and the others to move here. The rest of us will stay behind to build the shelter. It's about a two-hour walk back, so it'd be a waste of time for everyone to go," Kevin explained. "The four of us will stay here and try to build a shelter today. We'll finish another one tomorrow."

The plan was to build two shelters: one for the men and one for the women, since it wasn't convenient for them to live together.

Everyone agreed that it made sense, but the issue was deciding who should go back.

"It would be best to send a girl back, as the boys are stronger and better suited for building shelters," Kevin suggested.

The group hesitated, not wanting to send a girl alone in the wilderness. So, the decision came down to Chris or Jarvis.

"I'll go back. You guys stay here and work on the shelter," Chris volunteered, stepping forward.

"No, you stay. I'm not much help here anyway," said Jarvis. His reasoning was sound, but the group still disagreed.

Chris shook his head. "No, I'll go back. We can't be sure that you'll be safe by yourself. I'll be back in an hour."

Kevin nodded in agreement. "Let's head back now while it's still cool. It'll be much hotter later."

"Alright, I'll drink some water first and then head out," Chris said, cracking open a coconut and drinking its water in one go. Afterward, he turned to leave.

After walking a few steps, Chris turned back and said, "If I get back and they're not there, I'll leave a message on the beach and return here."

Kevin thought for a moment and nodded. "Good idea, but be sure to leave the message far from the beach so it won't get washed away by the waves."

"Got it," Chris said, then left.

With Chris gone, Kevin gathered the remaining group to start building the shelter.

A shelter large enough to accommodate ten people would take time, so they worked quickly to get a basic structure built before nightfall.

Meanwhile, Chris had already made his way back to the camp. He was walking with urgency, eager to find the others.

When he arrived at the camp, he saw Mina, Bai Xiaolu, and the rest of the group.

"Why are you back alone, Chris? Where are the others?" Bai Xiaolu asked, looking around.

"We found a fresh water source," Chris said. "I came back to inform you all. We need to move to that location. They're staying there to build the shelter. Let's head there quickly."

Bai Xiaolu looked around. "Where are Steve and Sister Bird?"

Chris sighed. "They encountered a snake on the way. Steve caught it with his bare hands. They continued exploring, and we came back."

"Seriously, Steve caught a snake with his hands?" Bai Xiaolu's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Yeah, but it's fine. We're all okay. Let's move to the new shelter and leave a message for them to follow."

Mina, who had been silent up until that moment, suddenly spoke up. "You guys go ahead. I'll wait for them here. I think it's safer to leave a note, so I'll stay."

Chris was surprised. He looked at Bai Xiaolu, who gave him a knowing glance before smiling.

"Are you sure you can stay by yourself?" Chris asked.

Mina nodded firmly. "It's fine. I'm just waiting here for them. Don't worry."

Bai Xiaolu hesitated, then added, "Should I stay and keep you company?"

Mina shook her head. "No, you go. The weather will get hotter, and you'll be more uncomfortable traveling at noon."

After exchanging glances, the group agreed that Mina was determined to stay. There was no convincing her otherwise.

So, they left her behind as they took a few supplies and continued walking toward the new shelter.

Mina, left alone, had nothing to do but wait. She sat on the beach, staring out at the sea as the tide slowly receded. She would need to gather seafood soon.

Despite being alone, she was determined to stay busy. The sea breeze tousled her long hair, and her beautiful face occasionally furrowed in concentration, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. It was obvious that the girl was falling for someone—her feelings for Steve were undeniable.

Meanwhile, Steve and Sister Bird had been trekking through the jungle for over two hours. The weather had gotten hotter, and the humidity was unbearable. Mosquitoes buzzed around them, adding to their discomfort.

But they couldn't stop searching. If they didn't find the water source, they'd be in trouble. There was another group searching too, but Steve knew better than to rely solely on them.

His body was weaker than most, and after hours of walking through the humid jungle, he was exhausted. But he couldn't stop, not now.

"Hey, Steve, listen. Do you hear that?" Sister Bird suddenly asked, her voice alert.

Steve paused, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. He strained his ears, listening carefully for the sound.

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