Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 217: Chapter 172: Sudden Rainstorm

"Had your fill? If you’re done staring, then get going!"

Lin Chen had to use every ounce of his strength to finally haul the guy out of the pit. He watched him warily, looking like he was afraid Andre would just rob him outright.

"Haha, are you afraid I’ll rob you?"

Andre froze for a moment before it dawned on him. He burst out laughing and waved his hand dismissively.

"Relax. Don’t forget, I’m a professional Hunter. A Hunter only gets food through his own abilities. Someone who robs others of their food is a thief."

"Thanks for the tip. I can’t believe there are coconut crabs around here. This is great. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve tasted one in seven or eight years."

After saying that, the guy didn’t even need Lin Chen to shoo him away. He turned and left on his own accord.

From the direction he was heading, it looked like he was going back to the sea.

Lin Chen sat by the pit, his face dark. ’Dammit, that old guy... of all the places in this huge area, he had to come here and compete with me for territory.’

’The coconut crab population probably isn’t very large. The smart contestants will all eventually move toward the coast. The longer I wait, the lower the chances of catching any.’

’And with a strong competitor like Andre in the mix, it looks like the days ahead are going to be tough.’

He hadn’t expected Andre to know about sea fish as well. With his skills, he’d definitely be able to get established in no time.

What followed would be a struggle for food and water. The useful vegetation nearby would also be completely snatched up.

When that time came, he’d have to go farther out to search for resources. He was already getting tired just thinking about it.

’No way. I need to get to bed early tonight and wake up early tomorrow to scavenge for resources. I also need to widen and deepen the shelter, and to prevent it from collapsing, I’ll have to build support pillars and retaining walls.’

...

PAT.

RUSTLE RUSTLE.

Lin Chen’s ears twitched. He could faintly hear strange sounds.

He was half-asleep and groggy, so he just rolled over, ready to drift off again.

WHOOOOSH...

It was another long whistle of the wind.

A few seconds of silence passed in the pitch-black darkness. Then, as if he’d realized something, his eyes snapped open and he pushed himself up from the mossy ground.

’What’s going on?’

’Is the wind picking up?’

He moved carefully, trying not to get poked by any branches. Grabbing the wooden door with both hands, he gave it a hard lift, tilted it outward, and set it down, easily removing it from its frame.

But the moment he set the door down, a blast of damp air hit him, and a furious torrent of raindrops began to hammer his face.

"What the fuck?!"

He yelped and scrambled to lift the wooden door, hastily slotting it back into its groove.

Wiping the water from his face, he was now wide awake. He peered out through a crack in the door.

The sky was dark and overcast. A torrential curtain of rain fell in what looked like countless slanted lines.

He glanced at his watch. It was just past six in the morning.

Normally, the sun should have been starting to rise by now.

Wait.

My fire!

His face fell. He quickly looked to his left, where the banana leaf had been hanging.

The fire was gone. Only a single branch remained, standing forlornly in the wind and rain.

Not far below it, the banana leaf he had wrapped so carefully yesterday was soaking in muddy water. There was no way the ember inside could have survived.

’Sigh... What rotten luck.’

He sighed, plopped back down, and began to collect his thoughts.

’The preliminary research did mention that the weather in Panama was volatile. Sunny one moment, a downpour the next. That’s a typical maritime climate for you.’

’Regardless of how long this rain lasts, it’s pretty clear I’m not going outside today.’

’But looking at it from another angle, the temporary shelter I built is holding up pretty well. At least it’s keeping out the wind and rain.’

’It’s only been a little over three days. Most of the contestants have probably just finished their shelters. Some, like Andre, who are still on the move, might not even have one.’

’After this downpour, it’ll be impossible to find dry firewood and tinder in the forest. In other words, no one will be able to start a fire for the next two or three days.’

Without a fire, they’d have to put up with wet clothes. The only other option would be to wait for the rain to stop and the sun to come out, then strip down and dry their clothes in the sun. But that would mean running around naked.

Either way, there was a high chance of catching a cold, or even a fever.

He couldn’t help but make a bold prediction. ’Could the first wave of eliminations be about to start?’

’Don’t be fooled by how well-built Americans look. In reality, they’re fragile.’

’When I used to work at a restaurant, my colleagues would take sick leave two or three times a month, always for something as simple as a cold or the flu.’

’You’d see posters for flu shots everywhere on the street and in schools. Back then, I thought it was some kind of employee benefit. I only found out later that those guys weren’t just using the flu as an excuse to slack off—they were genuinely too sick to work.’

’Their colds aren’t like the ones back home with just some sneezing and a runny nose. They’re almost always viral, accompanied by dizziness, weakness in the limbs, and maybe even nausea and vomiting.’

’I once saw a guy who was built like a gorilla catch a cold and turn into a sickly chicken. His whole face was flushed red like he had a massive hangover, he always had tissues stuffed up both nostrils, and he swayed when he walked, as if a gust of wind could knock him over.’

’Ever since then, the myth of the tough American physique was shattered for me.’

’They’re a classic case of all show and no go.’

’This sudden storm should be enough to send at least one or two of them packing, right?’

At that thought, he let out a sly chuckle and lay back down.

As Lin Chen drifted back to sleep, Andre was huddled under two closely-spaced Bamboo Trees, a bitter smile on his face as he stared helplessly at the relentless downpour.