Shen Yi actually quite liked watching men cry, but children were a different story; their crying just gave her a headache.
"I don't really hate you, you know."
"Stop crying, stop crying," she scratched her head. "I just couldn't quite imagine that the way you look when you grow up is so different from now."
Just how rough was his childhood for him to turn out like that?
Shen Zhizhao rubbed away the mist in his eyes, keeping his tone calm. "So, I will become a very bad person in the future."
"No, no, no," Shen Yi sweatdropped slightly; she really was helpless when it came to kids. "Your goodness or badness isn't determined by other people's likes or dislikes."
"If there are people who hate you, naturally there will be people who love you too."
"Besides, Little Zhizhao, even if you can't become a very good adult, that's okay too."
Shen Yi gently tapped the back of his head and lightly rested her forehead against the boy's—a comforting gesture she had learned from her second brother. She said softly, "Just being able to grow up is enough."
For any child, just growing up safely is already not an easy feat.
Shen Yi's arrival couldn't change any trajectories; he was destined to become the Shen Zhizhao in her memory.
He would be a qualified leader.
And not the little boy shedding tears in front of her right now.
"Grow up well," the girl gently rubbed his hair, telling him truthfully. "You can't imagine what you'll look like when you grow up, and I'm not entirely clear on what you'll experience as you grow up either."
"Life is very long, and pain is a common occurrence. There is only hope if you stay alive."
To stay alive.
Shen Yi's greatest wish used to be just to survive.
Shen Zhizhao listened, his face uncontrollably pressing against her shoulder as he whispered, "I will grow up well and become a useful adult, so that I can protect you."
"We can grow up together."
Faced with this impossible topic, Shen Yi choked up for a moment. Not daring to make casual promises, she could only let out a couple of soft laughs.
"You'll definitely become a very amazing adult in the future."
"But there's no need to protect me."
She changed the subject: "It should be pretty late now, aren't you going to sleep? Do you want to hear a story?"
"I can tell you any story you want to hear."
"Do you like Nailong? Kids all love it. This character speaks in a goofy way, it's very interesting." Shen Yi covered her mouth and chuckled, chattering away. "I have a brother who says only idiots watch it. He's the idiot. You must strictly discipline your younger brothers in the future."
His younger brothers were all menaces to society.
Of course, she wasn't much better herself.
But Shen Yi absolutely didn't want to be disciplined by her eldest brother in the future.
Shen Zhizhao looked at her.
This strange sister of his always talked a lot whenever she got nervous. Was there something wrong with what he said?
Shen Zhizhao didn't expose her. Resting his chin on his knees, he said, "I haven't seen it. I have to study."
"You can watch it after you get out of here in the future!" Shen Yi recommended enthusiastically. The thought of Shen Zhizhao going back, turning on the TV, and seeing a yellow Nailong—the little boy's bewildered expression would be hilarious.
Shen Zhizhao's eyes curved in a smile, and he gave a soft "Mm."
"I know."
...
The next day, Shen Yi woke Shen Zhizhao up at the crack of dawn, taking the child with her to hide and flee.
The process was exceptionally miserable. Shen Zhizhao's stamina wasn't as good as hers, and there were many terrain obstacles in this place, making stumbling inevitable when they ran.
Shen Yi had all four guns she had swiped in hand, hiding them separately in different spots.
Slung firearms were too conspicuous, so she chose one that could be hidden inside her clothes.
Clutching her jacket to her chest with one hand and holding Shen Zhizhao's hand with the other, she ran forward, stepping on fallen leaves and gravel.
The island wasn't particularly large, and along the way, they unexpectedly ran into two other kids.
Everyone tacitly maintained a certain safe distance, not rushing to approach.
In the end, it was the other side who spoke first.
"There are no hunters around right now, so there's no need for us to clash." The girl hiding behind a tree gathered her courage to negotiate with the two of them. "Besides, we aren't enemies."
Shen Yi agreed with this statement. "Our enemies are the hunters here."
Seeing Shen Yi acting like the one in charge, the girl lifted her chin, wanting to chat with her. "It's a bit strange this time. It feels like fewer hunters came; I've barely heard any gunshots."
Shen Yi looked around and signaled for them to find a good hiding spot first to talk things over.
"Have you guys ever thought about leaving?" She really wanted to know what the kids here were thinking.
The girl ducked into the dense bushes, stating it as a matter of fact: "Of course. Not just me, everyone has thought about it."
"But we are just children."
Children had no ability to put up any resistance. Even if they did, their resistance would only seem weak and laughable in the eyes of adults.
"Many of us on the island know each other. Even if we don't, it's hard to develop any ill feelings after spending so much time together."
There were no born villains here.
No matter how smart they were, they were ultimately just a group of young kids.
No one wanted their companions to die, nor did anyone like this system of mutual slaughter.
Shen Yi calculated the time; she would be leaving in four days. Before she left, she wanted to do something.
Therefore, Shen Yi moved a step forward, taking the initiative to communicate. "What's your name, please?"
"I don't have a name. My number is sixty-one, you can just call me Six-One."
Shen Yi didn't intend to waste time.
She kept her words concise and clear. "Alright, Six-One."
"I observed beforehand that the military helicopter here can carry all of us at once."
"Once all the armed hunters here are dealt with and gone, I'll go gather everyone to leave together. You probably know most of the people here, right? Can you get everyone together?"
"I can," Six-One frowned, "but we don't know how to fly a helicopter."
"There's a pilot," Shen Yi said. "We just need to hijack him."
Six-One was half-believing, half-doubting. "But what about those gunmen?"
Shen Yi waved the gun in front of her. "Leave them to me."
Six-One's eyes lit up.
"You actually have a gun?"
"So were you the one firing those shots earlier?" Otherwise, she really couldn't imagine how Shen Yi managed to get a gun. There weren't even cold weapons here, let alone firearms.
Shen Yi didn't answer.
Six-One immediately felt she had hit upon the truth.
"Also—" Shen Yi pulled Shen Zhizhao in front of her, "He will tell you what to do next."
"Just like we discussed last night." Under the boy's silent gaze, Shen Yi made a fist to cheer him on. "Little Zhizhao, you understand helicopters, right?"
Shen Zhizhao slowly nodded.
Last night...
Last night, aside from telling him what kind of person he would become when he grew up, Shen Yi also talked about how to escape from here.
Shen Yi planned to hijack the pilot here.
But if the pilot contacted the outside world during the flight, everyone would be doomed.
So she needed Shen Zhizhao to teach the basic knowledge points to the kids here.
Shen Zhizhao agreed without hesitation.
He found a branch and began mapping out the route, articulating every word clearly. "The cockpit is located below the main rotor, with front and rear seats. Behind the co-pilot's seat is a UHF/VHF radio transceiver that can be used to contact the outside."
"Once the aircraft takes off, you must keep a close eye on the pilot's every move." He tapped twice next to the helicopter symbol with a tree branch. "Do not let him touch the black panel on the left side of the center console. That is the radio control unit. If he reaches for it, stop him immediately."
Shen Yi shifted her gaze to the boy's face.
At this moment, the mildness and timidity she was so familiar with were entirely gone, replaced by a steady calm.
Shen Zhizhao explained a great deal in a fluent, continuous stream, and Six-One scrambled to take note of it all. She was a bit confused. "Thank you. But since you understand all of this, by telling us these things, does it mean you aren't planning to escape with us?"
If Shen Zhizhao were with them, they wouldn't be easily tricked by the pilot.
Shen Zhizhao shook his head. "I can't leave."
If he left, the Shen family would be even less likely to let this group of people go.
