Eisen, having endured the anger of many, now that he had caught the culprit, felt an overwhelming urge to beat him to the ground. "You're truly heartless! We're all in this predicament, hoping to help each other and escape this accursed place quickly, yet you attack your own people. Were you that short of food?"
"Wasn't the food we gave you before enough?" Pei Ji was also utterly baffled. "What benefit could you possibly gain from doing this?"
Hearing their words, it was as if he had already been convicted. Carter became anxious. "Don't spout nonsense and frame me! I never did anything like that! Nor do I have any reason to, I have no grudge against him, and I have my own food!"
The more anxiously he tried to defend himself, the more insincere he sounded.
Pei Ji's sharp gaze fixed on him. "Whether you did it or not, we'll know once we check. Since it's a muddy ground, footprints will surely be left."
It hadn't rained since last night, so the footprints wouldn't have been washed away; there had to be traces.
Panic flickered in Carter's eyes. "And what would that prove? I told you, I also went out to relieve myself. Isn't it the same place? Besides, how are you sure I left later than him?"
It was utterly unreasonable.
Shen Qingqing, too lazy to argue with him, simply said, "The evidence is conclusive, leaving you no room to deny it."
Carter roared in anger. "On what grounds do you convict me like this?"
"Mistakes must be punished."
"I made no mistake!"
Carter was furious, but Shen Qingqing paid him no mind. "Whether a mistake was made is not for you to decide; the punishment is also for us to determine."
He was so angry his eyes turned bloodshot.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Shen Qingqing announced, "Since you stole someone else's food, from now on, your food belongs to Harry. You will have to find your own food from now on, and no one is allowed to assist you. If I catch you stealing from anyone else, don't blame me for being harsh."
Her eyes, cold as ice, darted to his uninjured arm.
A chill ran down Carter's spine. He quickly hid his arm behind his back, gritting his teeth. "On what grounds? You're not our leader! Just a woman!"
Shen Qingqing turned directly to Mr. Z. "What do you say? Do I have the right to set a punishment?"
Mr. Z didn't expect her to direct the question at him. He chuckled helplessly. "Of course. You possess medical skills, foresight, and intelligence. Unlike me, my health is poor. With you here, I believe you can lead everyone out of this place. Setting a punishment is certainly not a problem."
Carter's heart sank instantly.
With his words, Shen Qingqing's command became legitimate.
The only one with the ability and standing to object was Pei Ji, but while he wasn't particularly close to Shen Qingqing, he certainly wasn't an enemy.
"I support Mrs. Fu."
As expected, he sensed Carter's gaze and shattered his last hope.
Under the steely glares of everyone present, and with King and Fu Jingshu providing silent but imposing physical deterrence, Carter was intimidated even without them speaking.
Watching his food being taken away with his own eyes, he was livid but had to swallow his anger, feeling incredibly stifled.
When breakfast time arrived, everyone ate in silence.
Only Carter had nothing to eat.
He sat in a corner, staring intently at others, making their skin crawl, forcing them to move their food away from him.
After everyone finished eating, the foraging team prepared to depart.
This time, Fu Jingshu led the team, accompanied by Zhao Qian and a few other young men. Mr. Z assigned the teams and gave a few instructions.
"Be sure to prioritize safety. Be wary of potential wild beasts or venomous creatures. Don't confront them head-on; your own safety is paramount."
Everyone nodded. Then, they noticed Fu Jingshu had already taken the lead and was walking away.
The others quickly followed.
Shen Qingqing watched their retreating figures, her gaze lingering for a long time. King, seeing this, teased, "So worried?"
"What is there to be worried about? I know his capabilities very well."
"Then why are you still staring? They're already out of sight."
King deliberately blocked her path. Shen Qingqing's small face tensed. "What are you doing? So annoying?"
With that, she turned and entered the cave.
King chuckled, followed her in, and then suddenly looked back, as if sensing something, and saw Carter quickly lower his head.
But the fleeting, venomous glint in his eyes was still caught.
However, King didn't care.
He was just a weakling.
Without hiding his contempt, Carter secretly gritted his teeth. Last night, his arm had been hurting badly, so he hadn't eaten. He had nothing to eat this morning either and was now so hungry he felt dizzy.
He looked at Pei Ji. "Little Prince..."
Pei Ji immediately stood up, not giving him a chance to finish. "I'll go scout the surroundings. We can't have no one on patrol."
With that, he turned and walked away quickly.
Carter clenched his fists, the veins on the back of his hands bulging. Then he looked towards Eisen not far away.
Eisen pretended not to notice him looking and, before Carter could speak, loudly engaged in conversation with the person next to him.
"Did you eat enough today?"
"Ah... I ate enough..." The other person was a bit stunned at first, feeling that they weren't very familiar with Eisen. But then, seeing Carter's covetous gaze behind him, they immediately understood.
They also cooperated, pulling Eisen into conversation, whispering and murmuring, giving Carter no chance to interject.
As for the others, they simply ignored Carter.
After being rebuffed multiple times, Carter knew no one was willing to share with him. Yet, he couldn't bear to go hungry, so his thoughts began to wander.
When no one was paying attention, he quietly left.
He went to the grass not far from where Harlin had been knocked unconscious. Inside, hidden, was Carter's own portion of food.
He opened a bag of bread and took a large bite.
His starving stomach, which had been cramping, began to feel some relief.
"Gotcha."
Carter froze and abruptly turned around, only to see Shen Qingqing and Mr. Z watching him from not far away. He quickly tried to hide the bread behind his back, but there was still food in his mouth.
In his haste, he choked.
Mr. Z glanced at the butler, who strode forward and clapped him on the back. Carter opened his mouth and vomited out the bread in his throat.
Many people also came rushing over upon hearing the commotion. Seeing this scene, they felt nothing but disdain for him.
"Before, I thought perhaps Mrs. Fu was wronging you. Now it seems it was really you. You're so disappointing!"
"Just a shameless thief!"
"Bastard."
The crowd condemned him with a barrage of insults. Carter's face turned ashen, his hands crushing the bread until it was misshapen. His lips trembled, but he remained silent.
Shen Qingqing said calmly, "Hand over the food, and we'll let bygones be bygones."
Carter looked up abruptly.
"But this is a one-time thing, and there won't be a next time." Shen Qingqing was not a saint. However, in the current situation, driving him away would be akin to sending him to his death. She didn't care, but she had to consider the thoughts of the others.
Everyone felt she was extremely kind and praised her profusely.
Shen Qingqing found their praise irritating and coldly stated, "Take out the food and go back to your spot. If there's a next time, I'll throw you into the mountains to be fed to the wolves!"
She turned and strode away.
Mr. Z looked at Carter, disappointment in his eyes. "You..."
Carter felt the contemptuous and indifferent gazes of the crowd. He knew this was not the time to be stubborn; when one should bow their head, they should bow their head. Thus, he immediately admitted his mistake.
"I'm sorry. I was blinded by greed. I know I was wrong. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me."