I'm Trapped in the Block

Chapter 374: Chapter 371: Peaceful Paradise Island

Si Yang didn’t stop, but instead threw himself into the reconstruction of Paradise Island without a moment’s rest.

After all the White Light Stones had vanished, Si Yang lost his incredible construction abilities. His body was now just a collection of useless, carbonized fragments with no special powers.

Nevertheless, he tirelessly helped the islanders move things, joining the teams tasked with repairing the buildings.

”Should we still paint it white?” a member of the construction team asked.

”I don’t think so. Resources are so scarce on the island right now; it’s a blessing we can even rebuild at all. We shouldn’t ask for too much.”

”But isn’t white the tradition on Paradise Island? It’ll lose all its character otherwise. And it’s not really a hassle—it’s just one extra coat of paint.”

The team members argued endlessly over the color of the buildings, unable to come to an agreement. Finally, they all looked to Si Yang, the only outsider among them.

”Si Yang, you decide. Should we restore the buildings to white?”

Si Yang scratched his head and answered, ”Colorful would be nice.”

Many people agreed with his suggestion.

”See? I told you colorful would be better!”

”I think you’re just lazy!”

The team members started arguing again, but they didn’t stop working, continuing to repair the building in front of them.

Si Yang watched these ”builders,” smiled, picked up his own tools, and joined them...

Meanwhile, Li Luo and Block were collecting supplies on the island. Li Luo was worried their provisions would be insufficient for their journey to the fourth level of the Abyss.

But with the post-disaster reconstruction underway, supplies on Paradise Island had become critically important. Canned food and drinking water were strictly controlled and rationed out per person.

Li Luo went to many different places, but she could only acquire a small amount.

Even Lin Nian was powerless to help. She could only advise Li Luo to stay on the island a while longer and wait for the supply ferry to arrive. Then, when resources were more plentiful, she could set off again.

But Li Luo was growing impatient.

Just as she was struggling with what to do, an unexpected person stepped in to help her.

That person was none other than the beggar.

The beggar had heard about Li Luo’s predicament. He led her through a winding series of turns to a ruined area near the docks.

”There should be some canned food in these boxes. And those boxes over there have some drinking water.”

The beggar said to Li Luo, pointing at the boxes piled up by the docks.

Li Luo opened one of the boxes and found some food items scattered inside. Some boxes even contained items like batteries.

’How could such important supplies be simply piled up by the docks?’

Seeing Li Luo’s confusion, the beggar explained, ”These are supplies cycled out from the ships. The crews are all robots now, so no one uses these things. They regularly discard items that are nearing their expiration date.”

”These are an older type of battery, too. Some might be completely obsolete, but you can probably still use a converter to give your equipment a charge.”

The beggar gazed out at the sea. ”Even though there was a disaster on the island, the robot-piloted ferries still leave and return to port on schedule. Everyone on the island is completely overwhelmed, so no one gets around to clearing out these supplies right away.”

He patted a box. ”Someone will probably come to clear this out soon, so you should make it quick.”

Taking the beggar’s advice, Li Luo quickly checked the expiration dates on the food. Thankfully, since they were all canned goods, they still had a long shelf life.

”How did you know there were supplies here?” Li Luo asked curiously.

”Because I’m a beggar.”

The beggar answered as a matter of course. ”Isn’t finding food one of my basic skills?”

Hearing the beggar admit his status so casually, Li Luo was left somewhat speechless.

”I won’t take much. Thank you,” Li Luo said with sincere gratitude.

”It’s nothing, don’t mention it.” The beggar waved his hand dismissively. ”You helped me before. Just consider this me returning the favor.”

The beggar patted his chest with a withered hand in a surprisingly magnanimous gesture.

Li Luo looked at the beggar, realizing he was very different from the man she’d met when she first arrived on the island.

Although he was still rail-thin, his spirits were clearly much higher. He had moved with light, quick steps while leading Li Luo to the food, completely different from the frail, tottering man she had first met.

”You seem to be in much better health.”

Hearing Li Luo’s words, the beggar froze. He scratched his head, looking embarrassed. ”Ah, that was just an act. The more miserable you look, the more likely people are to give you food.”

”Just don’t tell anyone else on the island. I’m only telling you because I know you won’t be staying here long.”

”Of course, of course,” Li Luo readily agreed, promising the beggar she wouldn’t tell a soul.

”Go on, take what you need,” the beggar urged.

”Okay.”

Li Luo didn’t stand on ceremony. She searched through the boxes for some supplies and stuffed them into her backpack. She didn’t need much, and her bag was soon packed full.

”You should go now. I’m going to grab a few things myself,” the beggar said to Li Luo.

”No problem.”

After a brief, hushed exchange, Li Luo stealthily departed from the docks.

Only after Li Luo was long gone did the beggar sigh and straighten his back.

He brushed aside his messy hair, revealing a weathered face. His eyes suddenly became clear and bright.

He was clearly the same person, and his clothes hadn’t changed, yet his entire demeanor had undergone a monumental shift. The dejected beggar of a moment ago had, in the blink of an eye, transformed into a man of extraordinary presence, a natural superior.

Mo Ling’s remote view had not yet departed, and this strange transformation immediately captured their attention.

’What’s happening to him?’

Mo Ling’s curiosity was instantly piqued.

The beggar, his aura transformed, moved with fluid grace. He reached a long, slender hand into his sleeve and pulled out a plain glass cup.

’The Cup of Lies?’ Mo Ling was stunned.

’The beggar still has it on him? What is he planning to do?’

Mo Ling watched him intently.

The beggar swirled the cup, and clear water materialized within it.

After taking a deep breath, the beggar raised the cup and GULP GULP GULP, drank all the water, not leaving a single drop behind.

Then, he cleared his throat and began to speak aloud to no one in particular.

”The people on the island will soon discover this batch of ’discarded’ supplies. They will use them for the reconstruction effort, solving the island’s resource shortage.”

”When more and more ships return to port, they will bring more supplies, along with their catches from various fishing grounds. These resources will help the islanders overcome this crisis.”

”Fleets from other islands will soon learn what happened on Paradise Island and send emergency supplies...”

”The weather on Paradise Island has been excellent lately—calm seas and bright sunshine...”

Seeming to feel he was getting off-topic, the beggar paused for a moment and fell silent.

After a while, he put the cup away.

In the distance, a beam of light suddenly cut through the darkness.

Someone was coming...

In an instant, the beggar reverted to his former dejected appearance. He ran a hand through his hair, letting the messy locks fall over his face again.

His posture suddenly hunched over, and his entire aura became one of dejection.

The light drew closer. It was the island police.

Seeing the police officer, the beggar hurried over and raised his hands as if he were a criminal turning himself in.

”Officer, I didn’t take anything!”