Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Shock
Bo Xi lowered his gaze, his expression desolate. "I’m Irish. I originally came to the Northern Country to travel with my parents, but they’re gone now. I barely managed to survive."
Everyone fell into a brief, painful recollection and looked at him with sympathy.
Jiang Si nodded, and just as she was about to agree to let him stay, Qin Shen suddenly dismounted and circled Bo Xi.
Bo Xi clenched the squirming, struggling bug in his palm, a cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Qin Shen’s intuition told him something was off about the man. He said to Jiang Si, "A visitor is a guest. Let’s have Mr. Bo Xi stay with us for a few days."
Zhang Aihua and the others immediately understood the meaning behind Qin Shen’s words. The looks they cast toward Bo Xi were now filled with scrutiny.
’Bo Xi desperately wanted to live with other humans.’
’He desperately wanted to live like a normal person.’
’If he could just get through these next few days of observation, maybe it would all be okay.’
’He was willing to take the risk.’
He nodded in agreement. "I’m willing. Thank you for your hospitality."
He was so compliant that Jiang Si was a bit surprised. ’How did he survive all this time on his own?’
’But that was precisely the problem.’
His fingernails were clean. His hands weren’t covered in bloody scars. He had barely any frostbite on his body. It was all very strange.
Jiang Si and Qin Shen led Bo Xi away.
Brother Qiu and the others immediately surrounded Zhang Aihua. "Boss, did we just bring back trouble?"
"Did Mr. Qin and Miss Jiang notice something was wrong?"
"Or are they deliberately trying to intimidate us?"
Zhang Aihua shook his head. "I think it’s just a routine test. After all, for someone to survive on their own until now... it’s natural for Jiang Si and the others to have their considerations and be cautious."
"Oh, so that’s how it is."
"That makes sense. If there’s something wrong with him, we’d be the first to die."
They had all just managed to settle down and didn’t want to take any more risks. They decided that if they found anyone else in the future, even if Qin Shen and Jiang Si didn’t take them for observation, they would observe the person themselves for a few days first.
When Qin Shen and Jiang Si returned, they’d brought back a tall, elegant, blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigner.
Everyone gathered around and asked curiously, "Who’s he?"
Jiang Si glanced at Bo Xi and gave a simple introduction. "Bo Xi, our guest." Then she turned to Jiang Linhai. "Dad, please get a room ready for him. If he needs anything, prepare it."
Bo Xi had thought the partitioned caves where Zhang Aihua and his people lived were the best accommodations available.
But after following Jiang Si and the others onto the Icebreaker, he was shocked. They had actually managed to keep a ship fully operational in this world of ice and snow. The moment he stepped inside, it was as warm as spring.
And the facilities on board... it felt as if the apocalypse had never happened, like he was on a cruise ship for a vacation.
A flood of mixed emotions washed over him. ’There are so few people on this ship. Why are Zhang Aihua and his group willing to obediently follow their orders instead of ganging up to take over the Icebreaker for themselves?’
Just as he was pondering this, a Snow Monkey wearing pants appeared, actually carrying a tray of snacks.
Bo Xi’s pupils constricted in shock. ’What is going on?’
Shen Baoying said, "Mr. Bo Xi, have something to eat."
She said it in her own broken English. After speaking, she glanced uncertainly at Jiang Si, as if asking if she had said it correctly.
Jiang Si gave her a thumbs-up.
Bo Xi snapped out of his astonishment and replied in English, "Thank you."
The next second, he saw another monkey serving tea to the others.
’This... wasn’t the same monkey as before.’
Following that, he saw a small monkey riding on a dog’s back, and the two seemed to get along quite harmoniously.
’Could it be that these people... are different, just like him?’
Bo Xi felt a surge of ecstasy at his own speculation. He stared intently at the monkeys, trying to see who was controlling them.
But he quickly became confused.
The monkeys seemed to listen to everyone, but they weren’t perfectly obedient. The little ones would scurry around and knock things over, yet Jiang Si’s group didn’t scold them or immediately put a stop to their strange behavior.
’In other words, these monkeys seem more like they were tamed.’
’Just like those two obedient dogs.’
’But is it possible to tame so many monkeys at once?’
Bo Xi was deeply troubled. Even with his favorite coffee right in front of him, it couldn’t dispel the worry in his eyes.
After a while, Jiang Linhai finished preparing the room. "Sisi, the room’s ready. Should we take him there now?"
They were speaking Chinese, and it was unclear if Bo Xi could understand.
But with an outsider present, everyone was cautious and didn’t say anything else.
Jiang Si nodded. Qin Shen stood up and personally led Bo Xi to his room.
The rooms on the Icebreaker, aside from those for high-level research doctors, were all standard crew quarters with the same layout.
A bed, a bathroom, a desk, and a large wardrobe.
Even so, upon seeing such a comfortable environment, Bo Xi couldn’t help but thank them emotionally, "Thank you, thank you..."
’He had thought he would be treated like a prisoner.’
’He never expected Jiang Si and Qin Shen to be so courteous to him.’
Qin Shen nodded. "Get some rest. If you need anything, just come out and let one of us know."
Bo Xi nodded. "Thank you."
When Qin Shen returned, the others had already surrounded Jiang Si. "Why did you bring him back?"
Jiang Si said, "Zhang Aihua and his group felt sorry for him and planned to let him stay, so we brought him back to check him out."
Shen Baoying was taken aback. "Couldn’t you just have let Zhang Aihua’s group check him out?"
Jiang Si replied, "I just feel like something’s not right with him. To be cautious, it’s better to keep him here and observe."
"Okay, so should we keep an eye on him at all times?"
Jiang Si shook her head. "Qin Shen and I will keep an eye on him. You all just relax, don’t be tense. Say whatever you want. This is a good chance to practice your spoken English with him."
"Your assignment for today is this: each of you has to have a ten-sentence conversation with him. If you do, you don’t have to go to class. You can have the day off."
Everyone cheered. "Alright!"
That evening, Shen Baoying prepared a lavish meal to welcome their guest.
Garlic roasted fish, scallops with vermicelli, butter-sautéed matsutake mushrooms, French-style steak, plus bread, red wine, and a fruit and vegetable salad.
Bo Xi sat down at the dining table. He knew this meal would probably be more refined than what Zhang Aihua’s group ate, but he never imagined it would be *this* refined.
Especially when he saw the fresh, dewy fruit and lettuce, which looked like they had just been picked from a garden, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
The extreme cold had lasted for a long time. Almost all plant life had vanished overnight.
’They could actually get strawberries and vegetables!’
’This was incredible.’
Bo Xi felt like he was dreaming.
Shen Baoying took the initiative to speak. "Is it not to your liking?"
Bo Xi shook his head nervously. "No, no, no, it’s just... it’s too lavish. Thank you so much for your hospitality." But he couldn’t help asking, "How do you have vegetables and fruit?"
Jiang Linhai understood and quickly jumped in to answer, "Because we have a greenhouse."
