Chapter 6: Encounter

Marcos lifted his head, looking at the furious Pato in confusion. He saw Pato's face, which had been darkened by the equatorial sun over the past few days, turning bright red, with his wide-open eyes filled with rage

"Indeed, I would stake my geography teacher's beautiful daughter on it," Ron said, "Besides, we might encounter an American ship."

"Shut up!" Ron, who was just about to enter the cabin, couldn't hold back. This was not only because, as someone from a later generation, he instinctively detested racial discrimination, having studied "I Have a Dream" in English class, but also because he was filled with frustration that needed to be vented. More importantly, Marcos was his aide, his person! He had to defend him! His past experience as a mid-level manager taught him that in such situations, a group could easily collapse due to mutual distrust and complaints. Any action that could lead to the collapse of the team must be immediately stopped. Even if it couldn't be stopped, even if all order on this ship would break down, anyone who wanted to be a lord of the flies here (of course, this novel seemed not to have been written at that time) must ensure that there were people who would steadfastly stand by his side. Marcos was the person most easily united around him, and his actions would also influence his brother. Those who could operate the fishing boat and catch fish were the truly indispensable people on this ship.

Now, the sailboat drifts motionless on the ocean like a dead fish. The tropical sun beats down, scorching the deck, while the cabin feels stifling like a large oven. The entire cabin is filled with sweat and the foul odor of various other things. To avoid heatstroke, everyone remains still in the cabin. In the first couple of days, some people prayed to God—asking for a breeze. However, now it seems that everyone has lost interest in praying. There were once a few gusts of wind, but they lasted no longer than a cigarette. Fortunately, the rain in the doldrums is abundant and quite punctual. Almost every day around four in the afternoon, thick clouds appear in the sky, and half an hour later, a torrential downpour arrives as scheduled. The rain continues until around six o'clock, when it ends right on time, and at that moment, the setting sun casts a rainbow across the sky.

I miss my mother, and my Amy!" Pato suddenly crouched down, choking back tears, "I think I will never see them again...

It was a night with a small crescent moon. Due to the strategic importance of Surigao, a decisive battle between battleships would erupt here a few years later. Of course, at this time, people were unaware of this, and thus no one would indulge in nostalgic thoughts. Japan's patrols in this area were quite strict, so everyone had no choice but to choose such a night to cross the strait. Without the aid of navigation systems, it was quite difficult for a small boat with no long-distance sailing capability to navigate the strait at night. Fortunately, there was a bit of moonlight, allowing them to see the dark silhouettes of the surrounding islands. The small boat moved from the shadow of one island into the shadow of another, thus crossing the most dangerous strait. Along the way, they encountered a Japanese warship once again; at that moment, the small boat was hiding in the shadow of a small island when a Japanese destroyer passed by not far away. Under the faint moonlight, it left a black silhouette and a long trail shimmering with a faint glow—this was the light emitted by plankton living in the stirred waters.

On the afternoon of the twelfth day of being trapped in the windless zone, after the heavy rain that arrived as scheduled, the conflict finally erupted

After stabilizing his emotions, Ron reached out his hand and patted Pato on the shoulder, then squatted down beside him

Everyone on the small boat held their breath (though this was of little significance), yet the Japanese did not notice them. In fact, they need not have been so tense, for first, they were hiding in the shadows, and second, the deck of the Japanese warship was much higher than that of the small boat. From the perspective of the Japanese, the small fishing boat seemed to completely dissolve into the dark sea. However, perhaps because from their viewpoint, the silhouette of the Japanese warship was so clearly defined against the brighter sky relative to the sea, they worried that the Japanese could see them in the same way. The small fishing boat seemed to completely dissolve into the dark sea. However, perhaps because from their viewpoint, the silhouette of the Japanese warship was so clearly defined against the brighter sky relative to the sea, they worried that the Japanese could see them in the same way. Thus, everyone was still terrified. (In fact, German submarines often took advantage of this perspective at night to surface and attack American and British merchant fleets)

Damn it! A ship is really coming! Oh God! Oh Jesus! It must be our ship!

Marcos merely glanced at Pato before continuing his shower, clearly accustomed to such racially charged language.

Ron knew that now was a good time; as long as he seized this opportunity, he could temporarily defuse the imminent conflict, delaying the time when a real-life version of "Lord of the Flies" would unfold on this small boat

"We are not yet at our wits' end," Ron said. "We are not currently worried about fresh water, nor are we concerned about food; we have sufficient vitamins and medications. Pato, our situation is much better than Robinson's, isn't it? Don't lose heart; tomorrow, perhaps tomorrow, a lovely breeze will blow in."

Do you really want to line up and walk into the Japanese prisoner of war camp

In the days that followed, it became considerably safer, as we no longer encountered any Japanese warships along the way. However, not long after, something even more terrifying occurred— for several consecutive days, there was not a trace of wind on the sails. These individuals, who knew little about navigation, were unaware that they had entered the forbidden zone for sailing vessels—the Doldrums.

What if there is none tomorrow? What if there is never any?

Even a Japanese prisoner of war camp would not be worse than this! If it weren't for your alarmist rhetoric...

"Pato, I know you are under a lot of pressure, and we are the same; in fact, we all have significant pressure. " Ron relaxed his tone, "I know that some people have regrets. To be honest, I have also been thinking about trying my luck in a Japanese prisoner of war camp; it might not be so bad. But right now, thinking about these things is pointless; we must hold on."

Just as the heavy rain was about to end, Pato saw Marcos scrubbing his body with coconut oil soap and said, "Don't waste the soap; no matter how much you wash, you won't be any whiter than a chimpanzee!"

In the blink of an eye, a week has passed. During this week, the entire world was as lively as a pot of boiling water, yet this ship seemed completely detached from that clamorous world. Throughout the week, they encountered no other ships, no airplanes, and not even a single seabird. Three days ago, the radio on the ship broke down, and suddenly the entire world faded away. Moreover, the people on board were now almost entirely without clothing, their faces covered in beards, to the extent that Ron even began to entertain the fantasy that perhaps he had once again traveled back in time, this time to a primitive era. For the others, feelings of confusion, fear, and regret became increasingly apparent as the duration of their confinement extended. A week later, the original clamor of the heavy rain gradually gave way to a terrifying silence

Ron shielded the bewildered Marcos behind himself and the books, glaring fiercely into Pato's eyes: "Enough, Pato! You are being outrageous! Marcos is our comrade, our brother! You must apologize to him! Moreover, the fact that you have fish to eat every day is thanks to him! Without him, without Codis, we might as well wait for death!"

"Don't worry, we are currently drifting in the equatorial countercurrent, and with the ocean currents, we will eventually drift to America," Ron reassured. However, he also knew that this was merely a comfort, as drifting that far would actually take several years.

Listening to Pato, Ron suddenly felt a pang in his nose; while Pato might never see his family again, Ron had lost an entire world. Tears unknowingly welled up in his eyes, but fortunately, it was still raining, and no one could see.

Perhaps feeling ignored, or perhaps due to having had a bit to drink combined with already pent-up frustration, Marcos's actions inexplicably angered Pato. He stepped forward and slapped the soap out of Marcos's hand, "Damn it! Didn't you hear me talking to you? You brown-skinned monkey!"

Near the equator, due to prolonged direct sunlight, the atmosphere is primarily characterized by vertical movement, with very little horizontal atmospheric motion; in other words, there is almost no wind in this region. This poses a significant challenge for sailing vessels that rely on wind power.

"What are you, me, you, yours? Haven't you evolved to use human language yet?" Pato suddenly seemed to take pride in this.

Is it true

"Silence!" This time it was Tom who spoke up, clearly aware of the consequences that would arise if such a debate were allowed to continue. "Pato, you also voted in favor of this action! Moreover, you once said that it would be better to be a Robinson than to lose your freedom! But now, I truly feel ashamed for you and for the books!"

"Tom, I..." Pato turned his head, looking at Tom, seemingly hesitant. Clearly, faced with Tom, who was nearly 20 years older than him, he felt somewhat at a loss

"Sir... I just... you..." Marcos stammered.

"I just fear that the American ship won't be encountered, but instead will run into a Japanese ship." I don't know who said this from behind.

The encounter with the Japanese warship passed without incident, and the frightened people continued on their journey. During this time, some suggested whether to adopt night navigation, hiding on an uninhabited island during the day. However, the lack of modern navigation tools forced them to continue sailing during the day, except for the time they passed through the Surigao Strait

"The ocean is so vast, where could it possibly..." Ron said dismissively as he looked up and gazed around. Suddenly, he was taken aback.

At this moment, the rain had gradually ceased, and the setting sun shone through the dissipating clouds, casting a golden-red glow upon the surface of the sea. The sea was illuminated in a brilliant golden-red hue. There, a ship was swiftly approaching. Through the telescope, Ron clearly saw a flag with sixteen rays of sunlight, proudly fluttering in the wind.

This timely rainfall provides the most essential resource for those on the ship—freshwater. It also offers them the opportunity to bathe. At such times, a group of people would strip off their clothes and wash away the layer of salt that had accumulated on their bodies from excessive sweating in the heavy rain. Simultaneously, they would engage in light-hearted displays of their muscles and even compare the sizes of certain attributes out of boredom. This method serves to alleviate the anxiety of being trapped in this boundless ocean.

Pato was somewhat taken aback by Ron's roar, but in the blink of an eye, a sense of shame and indignation only fueled his anger further: "What do you mean waiting to die! Isn't this waiting to die right now! If it weren't for you! Not you! How could we have fallen to such a state!"