Chapter 2
1117 Words
Holding his pants in hand, Anthony teased, "Are you that scared of me? I'm not going to eat you, so don't overthink it."
After saying that, he tied a knot in the pants and plunged them into the water. When he pulled them out again, the pants were filled with two sizable fish.
Anthony looked at Sandra, his spirits high. "Didn't I tell you? We men have always loved fishing since we were boys. Some like to use rods, others prefer nets, but I like to scoop them up."
Sandra was still shaken, and her face was pale. Astonished, she asked, "Ah, you were fishing?"
"Of course! What did you think I was doing?" Anthony replied with a grin.
Sandra's face turned bright red, and her teeth clenched as she glared at him. "You... you tricked me, you jerk!"
Anthony chuckled lightly. "I'm not interested in you right now."
Sandra was upset. Looking at her reflection in the water, she thought, ‘I'm still pretty. Back home, so many wealthy and powerful young men chase after me, and I ignore them all. How can this loser say he isn't interested in me?’ She was annoyed. She cursed Anthony in her mind for playing tricks on her.
Meanwhile, Anthony paid her no attention and quickly got to work, cleaning the fish. The pale pink flesh looked exceptionally fresh and tempting.
Sandra's stomach growled loudly as she watched. "I'm hungry. Are you going to make sushi with that?"
Anthony rolled his eyes, thinking, ‘What a silly girl!Freshwater fish is full of parasites. Eating them raw can cause serious health issues.’ He replied, "I'm going to grill the fish."
Sandra snorted, "Don’t brag. We're out here in the wild, and you don't even have a lighter. How are you going to start a fire?"
Anthony remained calm and collected. He gathered a dry piece of wood and a small twig, then used a sharp stone to carve a small hole in the wood. He stuffed some wood chips into the hole and rapidly spun the twig between his hands in the hole.
Friction heated the twig's end rapidly. Soon, a wisp of smoke rose from the little hole.
As the tinder turned into glowing embers, Anthony quickly transferred it onto a handful of dry grass and gently blew on it. Moments later, a flame flickered alive. After adding more wood, a robust fire blazed up. The warm glow of the fire bathed both of them, transmitting a cozy warmth.
Sandra watched in astonishment, her eyes wide. She could hardly believe that someone could still start a fire using such methods even today. It seemed almost magical to her!
Anthony, ever so nonchalant, glanced at Sandra, amused. For a special forces operative, starting a fire this way was basic training.
Turning back to the task at hand, Anthony skewered the cleaned fish on a stick and held it over the flames. The fish quickly began to sizzle and emit a delicious aroma, its belly crackling with oil. Sandra's stomach growled again, and her eyes nearly popped out in anticipation.
Anthony watched her with a mischievous smile. ‘Let's see what you do now.’
The grilled fish was a success. The skin was crispy and charred, and the smoke added a unique flavor.
Blowing on a piece, Anthony devoured the juicy, delicious fish. "Oh man, this is so good! I've never had fish this tasty," he said, playfully spitting fish bones toward Sandra's feet, which widened her eyes in disbelief.
Driven by hunger and the tantalizing aroma of fats and proteins, Sandra couldn't resist any longer. "Anthony, don't eat it all. Save some grilled fish for me as well."
Anthony shook his head.
"You! How could you forget your words! Didn't you promise to be my servant until the show ends? You said you would protect me! How can you go back on your word now?" Sandra stared greedily at the grilled fish in Anthony's hand.
Anthony continued to grill the fish and casually remarked, "Well, even if I agreed to protect you, that doesn't necessarily mean I have to find food for you."
Sandra was infuriated. "You money-grubber, I hate you! Fine, I’ll buy it then. My family is not short on money. I'll give you a thousand dollars for a piece of grilled fish."
Anthony ignored her. In survival mode, food and water were priceless treasures. Like in a desert, even a small bottle of water could save lives at a critical moment. The same principle applied to food.
"Don’t be unreasonable! Okay, I’ll give you one hundred thousand dollars for that fish. Isn’t that enough?" she exclaimed.
One hundred thousand dollars was a significant amount. It was more than enough to support a small family for a year.
But Anthony still shook his head and scoffed, "Lady, do you think this is a shopping mall where you can just buy anything with money? Let me tell you, in the wilderness, the most important thing is food. If you want fish, catch it yourself."
Sandra was pissed off. She stormed off to the water in a huff, trying to catch something herself. After much effort and breaking a sweat, all she managed to get was an empty seashell.
Half of the grilled fish was still left, sizzling by the fire, wafting attractive aromas through the air.
Since the meal before the journey, Sandra hadn’t eaten anything and her stomach was painfully empty.
The aroma of the grilled fish enveloped her and tantalized her senses. It nearly drove her mad as drool involuntarily escaped her mouth. Finally, she dropped her pride and approached Anthony. She pleaded, "Anthony, I'm starving. You can't just let me die, can you? There are viewers watching this show. And since you don’t want money, what do you want then?"
Anthony looked up. The girl was drenched, her thin sportswear barely hiding her tantalizing curves.
Sandra Thompson had lost her earlier haughty demeanor of a pampered rich girl. Her beautiful face now bore traces of exhaustion. She was looking pitiful, likely to fall sick from hunger.
Anthony chuckled, "How about this—I'll give you half a fish, but in return, you need to agree to a request."
Sandra nodded eagerly, "Any request is fine. I'm really starving. Just tell me what it is."
At that moment, Anthony took a moment to appraise Sandra. Her outfit was damp, and her sports bra was disheveled and loose. ‘She's truly a beautiful woman. Being served by her would be quite the delight,’ he thought.
He stared at her and said, "My request might be a bit much; it’s up to you whether to take it or not."
- Writer
