Perhaps due to this incident, Flynn was extremely silent during the return journey, so much so that it almost made people forget his presence. He walked at the back of the group, not moving forward, nor falling behind, giving everyone the impression that he was passively resisting. 

However, Su Ge was not affected by this atmosphere. Instead, her mood was quite good. 

After the fight with Flynn yesterday, she didn’t even bother going back to the stream to wash. Moreover, she unexpectedly found a soapberry tree near the campfire, so she had a very pleasant bath. 

After bathing, she picked a lot of soapberries and filled the entire backpack. In addition to this, she also collected a large bundle of peppercorns, chili peppers, wild onions, lemongrass, and the like, all wrapped up like the grilled fish in leaves and hung on top of the backpack with a rope. 

This pile of things was pretty heavy, and the journey was quite tough. But when Zigmadar helped Su Ge lift that large wild boar onto her back, her fatigue disappeared instantly. 

At this moment, all Su Ge had to do was think about that plump pork and those wild vegetables, and even if she did nothing else, just stewing a big pot… the taste would be heavenly. 

By noon, the group had already left the forest, and the safety point was directly within sight. 

Flynn, who had been pretending not to exist all along, suddenly quickened his pace, trotting towards the safety point as if he could disappear completely by leaving Su Ge and the others behind. 

Abing tightened her lips, sensing an unexpected surge of strength inside her. Since last night, Abing had been keeping an eye on Flynn’s mood, sometimes offering comfort. Despite Flynn’s not-so-friendly attitude towards Su Ge, he was actually decent to Abing. Especially last night, when she felt like giving up several times, his support kept her from quitting the recording. 

Unfortunately, Flynn couldn’t return the same kindness to Su Ge. Their relationship hit rock bottom after last night’s incidents. 

Abing felt caught in the middle; she had never felt so emotionally exhausted before. 

Seeing Flynn dash ahead, Su Ge rolled her eyes. ‘Why the hurry? Does running faster mean you won the fight? Will running faster make it go away that you got beat up?’

Hmph! You’re just fooling yourself. 

When they reached the safety point and saw Su Ge coming back loaded with goods, Rong Shi sensed something was off within the group and asked Su Ge about it straightaway. 

Su Ge just smiled and didn’t answer. Instead, she asked Zigmadar to take the wild boar back to her campsite. 

It was very unusual. 

As Su Ge’s figure faded from view, even Rong Shi felt a prickling sensation on his scalp, prompting him to ask about it. But before he could inquire, Sela had already elaborated on the entire situation in great detail, particularly about Su Ge’s fight with Flynn the night before, painting the scene as if Rong Shi had been there himself. 

The water well inside the campsite had actually been dug almost to completion before yesterday’s search for the contestants, but the well’s surroundings had yet to be finished. 

Su Ge leaned over to check the well. After a night of water seeping in and settling, there was now a good amount of water in it, clear and fresh-looking. Zigmadar squatted beside Su Ge, looking into the well with surprise. “Wow! Water does come out of this! I’ll dig one at my own campsite too. Having this makes getting drinking water so easy.” 

With these thoughts in mind, Zigmadar couldn’t sit still for even a moment. After bidding farewell to Su Ge, he dashed towards his own campsite. 

The big wild boar was placed by Zigmadar in a shady spot behind the house, not far from the “trash pit” that Su Ge had specifically dug. 

Standing beside the wild boar, Su Ge reached out and patted its chubby body, listening to the skin and flesh make a popping sound. It was an inexplicable feeling of joy. 

Even without cutting it open yet, just gazing at the wild boar made Su Ge sense the intertwined beauty of the world. 

With water, containers, and fire accessible within the campsite, preparing the pig was quite manageable. The only challenge was her inexperience with slaughtering pigs. 

Almost every child who grew up in China or had relatives in the countryside had experienced the process of slaughtering a pig during their upbringing. In fact, the difficulty in slaughtering a pig wasn’t in the act itself, as it was simply a moment of inserting the knife and pulling it out again. The real challenge lay in skinning and dividing the pig afterwards. 

As a child who grew up wandering around in the countryside, this kind of thing was not unfamiliar to Su Ge at all. She had seen it countless times since she was young, so theoretically speaking, her knowledge was very rich. The only trouble was that she only had theoretical knowledge. 

After all, there was still quite a gap between theoretical knowledge and practical work. 

After the first large pot of boiling water was ready, Su Ge quickly lifted it up and poured it directly onto the pig. The originally dark and elastic pig skin curled up directly from the scalding. While another pot of water was already prepared and heating up on the fire, she deftly started to remove the pig’s hair. 

As the knife scraped over the pig skin scalded by the boiling water, it immediately left a deep white mark on the dark skin. The stiff and prickly pig hair, along with the black skin, was scraped off together, revealing the thick and tender white skin of the wild boar. 

Boiling water, pouring it on the pig, and removing the hair, then boiling water again, pouring it on the pig, and removing the hair—this repetitive work didn’t seem very complicated, but in fact, it was quite heavy and exhausting. Anyway, Su Ge had already done it twice back and forth and was sweating all over, exhausted. 

Rong Shi felt that Su Ge was like a little ant, or a little bee. People from other planets liked to lie down when they were idle or play some small games with familiar friends to pass the time. But Su Ge was different. She seemed to never have idle time. Every time he saw her, she was always working diligently. 

Just like now, she had already taken off her outer clothes and pants, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and knee-length shorts, squatting next to a “table” made of wood, humming as she scraped the skin of the wild boar with a dagger in her hand. 

As for the wild boar, Rong Shi carefully recalled that an hour ago when he saw it, it was indeed black. But now, the pig had basically turned white. What magical thing happened in between? 

“Do you need any help?” Rong Shi rolled up his sleeves and walked over to Su Ge. 

Su Ge turned to look at him, but just uttered a faint “hmph” and said, “No, I don’t.” 

With that, she turned her head back and continued to laboriously remove the pig’s hair. It seemed quite difficult, especially since one side of the pig had already been cleaned, but relying solely on her own strength, it was almost impossible for her to flip the pig over. So, now she could only use the knife bit by bit. 

Rong Shi reached out and grabbed the somewhat relaxed flesh around the pig’s neck without saying much. He cleanly flipped it over and then casually took the dagger from Su Ge’s hand, starting to scrape off the hair. 

At first, his movements were a bit awkward, but after a few more tries, he found the knack, and his speed became unusually fast. Su Ge made a couple of ‘hmm’ sounds but couldn’t get her dagger back. She didn’t bother and simply walked over to a nearby rock, sat down, took out a bottle, poured water into her mouth, and casually said, “You’re here because of Flynn’s matter, right?” 

Rong Shi glanced at Su Ge, catching her disdainful gaze. His dagger paused slightly, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he asked, “Why can’t I scrape off the skin over there?” 

“That part hasn’t been scalded with boiling water yet,” Su Ge pointed out the correct method of hair removal to Rong Shi, then brought the conversation back, “You don’t have to say anything to me; I won’t apologize.” 

But Rong Shi just smiled. He lightly tapped the pig’s skin with the dagger in his hand, making a crisp sound. “You haven’t done anything wrong, so why should you apologize?” 

Su Ge’s hand, holding the water, suddenly stopped. She looked at Rong Shi in disbelief, feeling a sense of puzzlement she had never experienced before as she watched him work tirelessly. “You’re not here to convince me to apologize to him?” 

“I’m in no position to make you apologize.” 

What position? Su Ge hadn’t really thought about this question seriously. After all, in her view, apart from Earthlings, all the contestants were aliens, and the Milky Way Galaxy was the most developed and wealthy among all the participating planets and held the highest status in the interstellar alliance. Rong Shi, as their Royal Major General, was also the highest-ranking member in this show. So, it was only natural for him to be the backbone of this group of aliens. 

Indeed, that was the case. At first, perhaps everyone was somewhat unfamiliar, but after a few days, all the aliens had subtly regarded Rong Shi as the leader of the team, consulting him on everything big and small. 

In such a situation, did Rong Shi even need to inquire about my fight with Flynn? 

Moreover, Flynn’s planet, Helmor star, belonged to the same category of planets. As a member of the same category of planets, wouldn’t Rong Shi come to bother me for their interests? 

In any case, from Su Ge’s perspective, Rong Shi’s purpose for coming here today was crystal clear. 

“Aren’t you the leader of their team?” Su Ge sneered, rolling her eyes almost to the sky. In her mind, she had already assumed that this alien from the same category of planets must be siding with the other category of planets. 

To her surprise, Rong Shi shook his head. “I’m not a leader. In this show, we’ve never been required to be a team. I’m just Rong Shi, nothing else. So, why should I make you apologize?” 

Su Ge didn’t feel any better. She even squinted her eyes. “So, are you here to comfort me?” 

Rong Shi shook his head again. 

If the last headshake was somewhat expected, this time Su Ge couldn’t understand. Wasn’t he here to inquire about the matter or to cozy up to her at her residence? 

“Why should I comfort you?” Rong Shi looked up, indicating for Su Ge to pour the boiling water onto the pig. His tone was casual, as if he were talking about the weather being nice today. 

Su Ge quickly poured the boiling water onto the pig. She heard Rong Shi’s low voice beside her as he swiftly followed the direction of the boiling water, scraping the pig’s hair. “I’m from a Class I galaxy, and that won’t change. As for my identity, from birth till now, I’m destined to have never experienced discrimination. So, why would I come to comfort you? Showing empathy without understanding, such behavior is too hypocritical.” 

“I can’t change my identity or my past. They shape who I am now and my views on everything. I don’t condone racial discrimination, but that’s just it—I don’t condone it. As for me, I don’t know what it feels like to be discriminated against, so all I can do is not discriminate against them and help them when they need it.” 

“As for you…” Rong Shi paused his movements. 

“What’s wrong with me?” 

Rong Shi lifted his head and looked at Su Ge, giving a slight smile. “I think you’re strong enough. You don’t need anyone’s sympathy, especially not mine.” 

Su Ge raised an eyebrow, looking at Rong Shi with interest, unabashedly assessing him from head to toe with her gaze. 

“I don’t understand Earth; all my knowledge about Earth comes from you. But even through you, I can see the uniqueness of that planet. Although it’s a Class V planet, I think Earth has its own way of doing things, and this way of dealing with things makes sense.” 

“I remember you once said, ‘As long as there are green hills, there’s no need to worry about firewood.’ A race that can say such words must be one with far-sightedness and inner strength. And you, chosen by such a strong-willed race, would you really falter over such a trivial matter?” 

At this point, even Rong Shi couldn’t help but laugh. “So, I won’t comfort you, let alone mediate your direct conflicts.” 

“Why not? Isn’t peace a good thing?” Su Ge’s eyebrows raised even higher. 

“Isn’t quarreling and bickering the reality of this world? Moreover, conflicts that can be reconciled aren’t truly conflicts. So, the idea of mediating conflicts is nothing but a complete lie.” 

For some reason, Su Ge suddenly felt comforted. She indeed didn’t need comfort, and she didn’t think there was any reconciliation between her and Flynn, nor did she believe Rong Shi could empathize with her situation at that moment. However, when Rong Shi plainly spoke these words, she still felt relieved, comforted. 

How strange. 

There’s no such thing as truly understanding someone else’s feelings, no one can truly understand another person. So, in Su Ge’s view, the greatest understanding comes from being open and honest. 

In this regard, Rong Shi was indeed a very wise person. 

But… 

“You didn’t come here to mediate or cozy up, so what did you come for? I’m busy here, I don’t have time to listen to you play the confidante,” Su Ge squinted at Rong Shi. Suddenly, an immature idea popped into her mind, and she found it terrifying. 

“I came to see how you plan to deal with this creature,” Rong Shi was honest, without any hint of concealment, he directly told Suge his true thoughts. 

“And then?” Su Ge didn’t believe this was Rong Shi’s entire purpose; she was convinced there was more. 

“I only have one bottle of nutrient solution left. I think if I’m going to survive on this barren planet, I have to accept other types of food, such as Earthlings food,” Rong Shi said calmly. He just looked at Su Ge quietly, exuding an unquestionable confidence. 

Under this confidence, Su Ge felt like every single one of her 36,000 pores was raising a radar, each radar screaming danger. 

Sure enough! 

He’s here! He’s here! The alien has come to study my food! Our important resources might be in jeopardy! 

“Do you think I’ll agree to share my food, the very thing I rely on for survival, with you?” Su Ge said haughtily, almost spitting out flames from her nostrils. 

But Rong Shi seemed to have anticipated this scenario long ago, so he didn’t bother about Suge’s rejection. “I didn’t come here for you to share your food with me. I think we can collaborate on something.” 

“Collaborate?” 

Despite talking, Rong Shi’s hands didn’t stop moving; in fact, they became even more vigorous. “So far, four people have been eliminated, and each of us has had four bottles of nutrient solution deducted. Although I don’t know how many bottles the person with the most nutrient solution left has, one thing is likely: these nutrient solutions won’t last until the supplies from the planet arrive in over twenty days.” 

“Which means, shortly, perhaps tomorrow or three days later, everyone’s supply of nutrient solution will gradually run out. Those who have managed to enter this program and persist until now, I don’t think anyone wants to be eliminated. To be eliminated because of something as foolish as starving due to lack of nutrient solution, really, it’s just too ridiculous.” 

“The situation of running out of the nutrient solution carried on oneself is not uncommon in this program, but the choices made after this situation arose were usually to search for ingredients on the spot, not much different from this time. The only difference is that previously, the ingredients searched for were also nutrient solutions, although perhaps with lower purity and quality. And this time, the only options available are the organisms on this desolate planet.” 

While Rong Shi had never butchered a pig before but his skill at skinning was indeed good. While conversing with Su Ge here, over there, a pig was already being skinned clean, much faster than Su Ge’s movements. 

“If you weren’t in this program this time, I think everyone would have to go through a particularly difficult and arduous experiment or choice to select edible ingredients on this planet. Fortunately, our program this time has you which saves us a lot of trouble.” 

“Of course, for us, persuading ourselves to eat such food is indeed not an easy task, but it’s not too difficult either. By that time, Su Ge, do you think your food can hold up?” 

From start to finish, Rong Shi’s voice was not very loud, sounding like the murmuring of a stream, or the wind blowing through bamboo groves, making everything he said sound reasonable. 

However, Su Ge obviously wasn’t buying it: “So, you’ve said so much, but still want to come to me for something, talking about cooperation, hmph!” 

“No, it’s really cooperation.” Rong Shi reiterated, “Firstly, for these large organisms, although you can kill them, it’s very troublesome to transport them back for processing. You can’t do it alone, but if we cooperate, it’s different.” He tossed the dagger in his hand into the air and caught it again, the dagger sparkling like a flower at his fingertips. “You have to believe that my knife skills are actually pretty good.” 

“Secondly, although I don’t think of myself as any kind of team leader, I have to admit that I’m more convincing to everyone except you. As long as I’m here, they won’t resort to grabbing your stuff directly when they’re starving. I can maximize the security of your ingredients.” 

“Finally…” A meaningful smile appeared on Rong Shi’s face. “I think when you’re forced to sell these ingredients, you need a fair or relatively generous but convincing price, and I can help you with that.” 

Su Ge: … 

Before this, she always thought Rong Shi was a decent guy from a particular planet, strong in combat, responsible, and everything he said and did was fitting. But now she deeply felt that everyone had a hidden side, even aliens. 

To sum up, was Rong Shi trying to negotiate with her? 

No, no, no, that sounds too harsh. It should be said that Rong Shi wanted to be a middleman or intermediary, and make profits from both sides, right? 

Although unpleasant, Su Ge found herself persuaded. She had to admit that since hearing about the deduction of nutrient solution from yesterday, she had been thinking about this issue. Aliens wouldn’t just sit back and do nothing, and eating Earth’s food hadn’t caused any problems. 

For example: Meng. 

That one was even eating Chinese medicine, and now living healthily and lively? 

So, in all likelihood, she would end up having to provide food for these aliens. After all, one person couldn’t stand against many, whether for personal reasons or for the sake of her home planet, she couldn’t fight alone in this program. Not only could she not, but she also had to maintain good relationships with everyone. Otherwise, when encountering situations like Flynn’s, she might not even have someone standing on her side, which would be a big loss. 

In this situation, instead of passively handing over food, it’s better to take the initiative, but being a little proactive isn’t as good as cooperating with others to maximize her own interests. 

And after careful consideration, Rong Shi was indeed the most suitable candidate. 

“What do you need then?” Su Ge wasn’t someone who beat around the bush. After quickly weighing the pros and cons in her mind, she made a decision. 

Rong Shi immediately smiled, his eyebrows seeming to be touched by light, his whole being brightened up. He slightly arched his eyebrows. “I’ll come over to dine with you in the future.” 

In an instant, Su Ge’s resolved determination began to waver again. 

She really didn’t want to eat with aliens, not at all, not even a little bit!