Early the next morning, Lin Xian'er and I set off on our way back. I didn't know how much longer Xi'er could hold on, so we had to seize every moment. We followed the marks we had left on our way, moving forward and stopping from time to time, and finally returned to the cave in the afternoon, a little after two o'clock. Upon our return to the cave, Lin Xian'er immediately examined Zhang Xi'er. Xi'er's condition was somewhat dire; she was delirious with fever, her cheeks flushed, her lips cracked, and she was severely dehydrated. Lin Xian'er dared not delay. She quickly began preparing herbal remedies and asked me to make a stone pot. I found a rock and, using a hammer and chisel, crafted a simple stone pot. I stood by the fire, watching the herbal medicine boiling in the stone pot, while Lin Xian'er used traditional Chinese massage techniques in the cave to alleviate Xi'er's symptoms. At that moment, Wang Yan came over holding a coconut and handed it to me. I took the coconut and thanked her. Wang Yan sat down beside me, propping her chin on her hand, and asked what I had encountered in the dense forest. I organized my thoughts and gave her a general description, then took out the parchment. Wang Yan was delighted when she saw it, and Xia Lan also came over. The two of them eagerly studied the map together. I turned my head to glance at Jiang Dandan, who was tied up inside the cave. She hung her head disheveled, as if asleep. "Has Jiang Dandan been like this all these days?" I asked Wang Yan. Wang Yan was taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at Jiang Dandan and said, "Yes, she has been like this ever since you left." Xia Lan looked at Jiang Dandan and sighed, then turned to me and asked, "What should we do next?"

I said earnestly, 'We must get both of them back to normal. Everyone is precious if we want to leave this place.' Wang Yan and Xia Lan both nodded in agreement. The herbal medicine was ready, and I poured the dark liquid into a coconut bowl and carried it into the cave. After Lin Xian'er fed Zhang Xi'er the medicine, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. 'How is she?' Xia Lan asked nervously. 'Let her sleep well, she should be able to wake up tomorrow morning. She will be weak for a few days and needs proper nourishment,' Lin Xian'er replied. I also breathed a sigh of relief, finally pulling Zhang Xi'er back from the brink of death. As night fell again, we had three smoked fish, some coconuts, and plenty of water left. It seemed I would have to go out looking for food again tomorrow. The four of us ate a simple meal, and Lin Xian'er cooked some fish soup in a stone pot to take to Zhang Xi'er. I took a grilled fish and squatted in front of Jiang Dandan. I pushed aside her messy hair, waved the grilled fish in front of her eyes, and asked, 'Do you want to live?' Jiang Dandan looked up at me, sneered, 'Huh, who doesn't want to live?' I nodded in agreement, 'Good, as long as you want to live, we can talk.' I drew my military knife, and a flash of fear crossed Jiang Dandan's eyes. 'You...' Jiang Dandan managed to say only one word before tears streamed down her face. I cut the vines binding her and stuffed the smoked fish into her hands. Jiang Dandan held the smoked fish and cried blankly. Suddenly, Jiang Dandan asked me, 'Why didn't you kill me? I almost killed you!'

I shrugged and said to Jiang Dandan, 'Neither you nor I have the right to kill. If you want to survive, listen to me. Now that we have a map of the deserted island, as long as you don't cause trouble, we'll build a boat together and stock up on food and water in preparation for leaving the island!' Jiang Dandan was taken aback at first, then glanced outside the cave. A cold smile appeared on her lips as she said, 'Perhaps some people have completely different ideas from yours.' I was stunned, not quite understanding what Jiang Dandan meant. Wang Yan and Xia Lan, who were chatting outside the cave, noticed us looking at them and cast puzzled glances my way. Jiang Dandan bit into a smoked fish and said to me, 'I'll remember your words. I won't cause you trouble anymore, but you have to guarantee that I can survive if I help you.' I nodded and replied, 'You can rest assured about that. I'm the one who found the food and water, I have the authority to make decisions.' However, Jiang Dandan said, 'What men want is nothing more than power, money, and women. I can give you all three, as long as you can get me out of here alive.' Saying this, Jiang Dandan gave me a flirtatious look, licking her lips with a seductive expression. 'What, compared to Wang Yan, I consider myself not much worse. Whatever you like, I can do a lot of tricks,' Jiang Dandan tempted me. I shook my head and sighed. Just Wang Yan and Lin Xian'er alone were enough to give me a headache. I said to Jiang Dandan, 'As long as you don't have any ulterior motives, I will do my utmost to help you survive.' After hearing this, Jiang Dandan stopped flirting with me and silently bit into a chicken leg.