Chapter 101

By the time Lucy White returned to the beehive with her gathered food, the bees had mostly vacated.

She pulled out the bamboo tubes she'd prepared earlier and began teaching the group how to extract honey.

"So this is why Lucy had us make these!" William Jones exclaimed, finally understanding. "I thought it was just for fun."

The others marveled. "Only Lucy would think three steps ahead like this."

The trainees were especially impressed. "Professor Lucy is amazing. We have so much to learn from her."

The massive hive yielded enough honey to fill everyone's bamboo tubes. For the first time, the director allowed them to keep the wild honey—a silent apology for yesterday's ordeal.

After lunch, they continued their trek, and Lucy effortlessly sourced ingredients for dinner.

The director checked the livestream stats and was surprised to find that the audience preferred watching the guests coast along with Lucy rather than struggle through survival challenges.

"Viewers are tired of the traditional survival format," the assistant director observed. "This lighthearted approach feels fresh."

The director slapped his thigh. "You're right!"

In the following days, the production crew broke from routine, letting everyone enjoy the island life under Lucy's lead. The guests were stunned by the sudden ease, but the audience loved it. Lucy's social media following skyrocketed by millions.

On their final night, the group stargazed and chatted until late.

At dawn, Lucy was roused by faint cries for help. She sprang up and followed the sound.

Nearby, Ethan Smith opened his eyes but stayed put. He trusted she could handle it.

In a moonlit clearing, a leopard clutched a tiny ink monkey in its jaws. Lucy flung her machete, striking the beast with precision. The predator yelped and fled, leaving the barely breathing creature behind.

The ink monkey weakly pointed to the treetops. Lucy parted the leaves and found a newborn monkey, trembling and alone.

"You want me to care for it?" she whispered.

The mother monkey nuzzled her hand before closing its eyes for the last time.

Lucy buried the mother and recited a blessing over the grave. When she cradled the shivering infant, it immediately clung to her finger.

This was no ordinary monkey—it was a rare ink monkey, a cherished companion of scholars in ancient times. Lucy gathered berries to feed the tiny sprite, already resolved to raise it.

Under the moonlight, she carried the new life back to camp, its steady breaths warming her fingertips.