Chapter 519 - 44: Armed Strife (Part 2)
But Sunday had a louder language—
A bullet was chambered, the muzzle pointed obliquely at the sky, and the trigger was pulled.
Bang!
The loud gunshot from behind pierced everyone’s ears like a sudden clap of thunder, causing the swinging steel pipes, steel bars, shovels, and pickaxes to pause immediately.
The new member at the far back slowly turned his head, finally noticing Sunday and the three of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity, who were all full of anger.
Although they might launch attacks against the old-timers due to new grudges and old grievances combined with a momentary burst of anger, they couldn’t help but feel daunted when facing Sunday and the true high-level leaders on the island.
The conflict had been ongoing for almost an hour, and both those who were engaged in close combat with the old-timers and those bolstering their momentum from the rear were starting to feel tired.
Taking advantage of the "ladder" that Sunday provided, they sensibly laid down their weapons, squatting obediently by the side and waiting for the outcome.
...
It was the first time something so significant happened on the island. Even though the three of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity were nominally handling everything on behalf of Chen Zhou, they dared not act on their own when faced with such a situation.
After controlling the situation, they immediately sent someone to notify Chen Zhou.
Chen Zhou, who was taking a nap, was shocked and incredulous upon receiving the news.
In his wildest dreams, he never imagined that the first dispute the island faced would come from within.
Groggily, he crawled out of bed, washed his face with cold water to wake himself up, and asked the islander bringing the news to also call Saturday. Chen Zhou first went to see Lai Fu.
...
There is a saying that large dogs spend three years as puppies, three years as good dogs, and three years as old dogs.
Lai Fu was now nearly 6 years old, transitioning from its prime into its twilight years.
Spending all day with it, Chen Zhou noticed that Lai Fu’s golden fur was gradually becoming lighter in color, and its black nose was also starting to turn gray and white.
Like clothes that have been washed many times, its colors were bleached by time.
Along with the physical changes was a transformation in Lai Fu’s disposition and temperament.
It no longer enthusiastically played as it used to; its temper became more stable, and its nature more laid back.
Two years ago, if taken to the riverside upon hearing the frogs’ croaking, it would leap into the water and "fight" the frogs even if it couldn’t catch them.
Now, even if a frog croaked right in front of Lai Fu, it would largely ignore it.
It usually liked finding a shaded spot on the second floor of the factory to lie down.
In the past, whenever Chen Zhou left the house, Lai Fu would trail behind. Now, unless Chen Zhou asked it to, Lai Fu seldom took the initiative to go out.
Its energy was waning with age.
Accompanying it day in and day out, Chen Zhou could clearly feel it.
The old companion who challenged with him and accompanied him during his loneliest times was aging day by day.
In the stillness of the night, recalling the scenes of exploring the island with Lai Fu, and the excitement on his face when Lai Fu caught a lamb, Chen Zhou often felt a sense of loss.
Life is long for humans but peculiarly short for dogs.
Even though Chen Zhou knew he would inevitably lose Lai Fu someday, the thought of that day arriving was hard to accept.
The Space-Time Administration Bureau sent many rewards, from expensive crafts to sophisticated electronic equipment, and even Simmental Cattle, but not another dog.
Chen Zhou remembered he had promised Lai Fu to find it a wife—
While unable to extend Lai Fu’s life, he could preserve its genes, allowing its life to continue in another form in this world.
He used to rely on the mysterious rewards from the Space-Time Administration Bureau.
Having waited so long without hope, he finally felt an urgency.
The reason for building the port and dock, preparing to communicate with the outside world in advance, was actually to seek females from the Spaniards or the Dutch or the British merchant ships from the outside.
Yet, before the port and dock could be completed, this incident occurred.
...
When Chen Zhou found Lai Fu, it was lying relaxed in its usual spot, fast asleep.
Its fur was somewhat loose, and its eyes often had a small piece of eye dirt.
Chen Zhou patted Lai Fu’s head, wiped away its eye dirt, and watched it lazily wag its tail; he ultimately decided not to take it downstairs.
Taking pen and paper from the office, Chen Zhou also took the revolver with him just in case.
Ever since deciphering the documents from the safe, he felt the gun carried some sort of sinister power and would generally refrain from carrying it unless necessary.
With the situation still unclear, and uncertain whether Sunday had control over it, Chen Zhou carried the gun at his waist.
If a riot broke out, even if the six bullets in the gun couldn’t help him break through the encirclement, they could at least buy him precious time.
...
Hurrying to the construction site, the situation was slightly better than Chen Zhou had imagined.
The three of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity had already separated the severely injured from the lightly injured and promptly treated their wounds.
The natives’ attacks were as brutal as ever, and besides the zebra beaten until its head was bleeding, there were also two veterans with broken arms, and a new member with a broken leg.
As for Wang Lin, who instigated the conflict, since the brawl hadn’t escalated into a fight with weapons while he was being beaten, he only had some superficial injuries.
Now, he and the zebra were squatting separately on each side of the sunshade, with bruises on their faces, dirt all over their bodies, and their eyes having lost their former luster.
Neither of these two who stirred up the whirlpool had expected their momentary impulse would cause such a big mess.
Squatting on the ground now, they inevitably recalled the Leader’s announced punishments, the scenes of "decapitation" and "dismemberment" in the picture books, filling their hearts with fear.