Chapter 505 - 38: The Evil in Human Nature
The night was deep.
Zhao Shu had not yet rested.
He lay on his back in bed, staring at the dark ceiling, recalling the events of the day, his hasty plans, his posture while sprinting through the woods, and later, mustering the courage to return to the scene, pretending nothing had happened while discussing with others, causing a layer of fine sweat to appear on his palms.
Reflecting on his previous life in the tribe and everything he had encountered since being brought to this island, his mind was a jumble of thoughts.
"Zhao Shu" was the new name he had given himself.
"Zhao" comes from the Hundred Family Surnames, being the first surname on the list.
Zhao Shu heard Sunday mention that in the Leader’s homeland, everyone uses surnames from the Hundred Family Surnames.
As a result, whether newcomers or veteran members, they all fashionably gave themselves "Chinese names," as if by doing so, they could become like the Leader.
And "Shu" is a character Zhao Shu thought of himself.
He couldn’t understand Chinese literary allusions, nor did he know what poetry or Zen meant.
The simple words he learned in class, such as "heaven and earth, mountains and rivers, sun and moon, lakes and seas, flowers, birds, grass, and trees," became the primary choices for most natives when naming themselves.
Except for the zebra, Saturday, Sunday, and the three—Chen Fu, Chen Lu, and Chen Shou—who refused to change the names personally given by the Leader, all other members on the island now had their own Chinese names.
...
Zhao Shu was among the first batch of new natives on the island to choose a name.
He liked this new place more than the others, relishing everything about it. He yearned to climb upwards, longing to have more—
Better houses, tastier food, newer clothes, the Leader’s appreciation, and even to live in that supposedly indestructible fortress made of cement...
After being on the island for so long, Zhao Shu’s biggest regret was on the first day he set foot on the island, when the Leader selected candidates for a reserve confidant, he failed due to fear, missing that opportunity to soar.
Thus, he watched helplessly as Chen Fu, Chen Lu, and Chen Shou, who were no different from him in the tribe and even worked worse, climbed above him.
During the August 1st banquet, he watched the trio’s exuberant demeanor, feeling that all of it should belong to him.
He seemed to see someone take away his life.
...
Since then, a feeling he had never experienced before emerged, constantly lingering on Zhao Shu’s mind, pressing heavily against his chest and tinting his eyes red.
When working, Zhao Shu would vent his frustrations by using all his strength.
However, most of the time, more strength did not equate to better work.
When planting rice seedlings, Zhao Shu’s seedlings were the most crooked;
When sawing wood, his boards were always crooked, uneven in thickness;
Even when cooking, Zhao Shu’s dishes were the worst, either adding too much water, too much salt, or the heat was too high, resulting in a burnt taste;
The old hand responsible for looking after Zhao Shu had a good temperament, assuming Zhao Shu was just young and clumsy, rarely criticizing him but also seldom teaching him the real skills of the job.
Only the companions who joined the island at the same time would occasionally ridicule Zhao Shu’s disastrous work without mercy.
Zhao Shu didn’t mind, always believing he was superior to Chen Fu, Chen Lu, and Chen Shou. He thought he just missed an opportunity.
Once he found that opportunity, he was confident he could stand above everyone, reaching the top of that indestructible gray fortress, looking down on the ungrateful crowd—
He always thought so.
...
However, opportunities were hard to come by.
After missing one, Zhao Shu waited a long time but never found a second opportunity.
As the rainy season arrived, the Leader stayed in the factory all day, out of sight, and he was left with those irksome companions, feeling increasingly restless.
To seek opportunity, or rather find a path to climb up, Zhao Shu began using various excuses to approach the old hands on the island, searching for a chance.
Sunday always had a cold face and spoke harshly, being the one Zhao Shu least liked.
He often cursed Sunday in his heart—
"Aren’t you just here a few years before me? What’s with the act? Once I earn the Leader’s favor, I’ll do better than you!"
Saturday always rambled on about incomprehensible things like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, chemistry, and physics, merely listening made Zhao Shu drowsy. He hated doing homework the most.
So, despite Saturday’s teacher seeming kind and usually answering questions, Zhao Shu didn’t approve of him either.
After much inquiry, he finally set his sights on the zebra, Kosu, and Kulu.
It’s said the zebra is closest to the Leader, besides Saturday and Sunday, while Kosu and Kulu were the other two members of the three-man team that raided the island.
Being able to participate in such an important action with Sunday shows that Kosu and Kulu had an extraordinary relationship with the Leader as well.
If he could obtain some secrets from them, acquiring information others didn’t know, as the idiom goes, wouldn’t he then "rise straight to the top" later?
...
The zebra still held some authority among the natives, appearing not easily approachable.
Two new members under his management complained to Zhao Shu, saying the zebra managed strictly, even demanding firewood be sawn evenly, making work under him quite punishing.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Shu thought the zebra was a tough character, so he didn’t seek him out first, turning instead to Kosu and Kulu.
After returning from the night raid on the island, Kulu, driven by the thought of avenging his son, became more diligent and serious than before, occasionally running with Sunday to improve his physical fitness.