84.2% for option one and 15.8% for option two.

…

【Option 1】

[With Professor Lin Wen and Chu Huairen, we spent the night in the woods next to the ancestral hall]

…

Do you really want to stay?

Zheng Zhuo took a look at the votes, and the big score made his scalp numb.

He vaguely felt that the atmosphere around here was strange, and something bad was definitely going to happen. But at the same time, he also knew in his heart: he came here just to take Chu Huairen out. The first priority was to ensure that the target person escaped smoothly.

"I'll stay too."

he said at last.

…

After saying goodbye to the professor, Chu Huairen, and Zheng Zhuo, classmates He and Wang left.

It was getting dark. However, the professor and Chu Huairen were still enthusiastically engaged in archaeological work, not to mention setting up a campsite, and they did not even stop to eat and drink.

After repeated reminders, Zheng Zhuo only received a reply of "I'll go there later." He gave up. He returned to the shore alone holding the towing rope, and selected a higher-lying forest to set up the tent.

He did not have any experience of surviving in the wild. Fortunately, the [Identification] skill helped him confirm the condition of the soil, and also helped him identify how the various parts of the tent should be riveted.

"..."

Zheng Zhuo pitched his tent in silence for a long time. As the sun completely set, he lit a camping bonfire.

During this period, Zheng Zhuo thought several times that the professors were coming back - he vaguely felt the sight, and once, he even heard the sound of soaked feet on the beach.

But every time he turned around, he saw nothing.

"(I'm too neurotic.)"

Even though he kept telling himself "this is subconscious", being alone in the wild late at night still made Zheng Zhuo nervous. He used a walkie-talkie to communicate with the professor and Chu Huairen, and the answer he received was always: "I'll go back in a while."

”.

"……never mind."

Judging from this situation, they would probably stay up very late. Zheng Zhuo decided to go to bed first.

I don't know how long it took, but in the haze, he felt someone open the tent. The salty sea breeze blew on his face, and Zheng Zhuo felt something wet entering the tent.

The professor and Allen Chu are finally back.

Zheng Zhuo thought this, and his consciousness sank into darkness again.

…

When he woke up the next morning, Zheng Zhuo found that the two sleeping bags beside him were kept open and casually thrown aside. It seemed that the professor and Chu Huairen had gone to the scene again before dawn.

Zheng Zhuo also crawled out of his sleeping bag. The ground of the tent was covered with seawater and gravel, which was sticky and damp.

"At least leave your shoes and outerwear outside the tent..."

People who are obsessed with scientific research are terrible. Zheng Zhuo whispered, got dressed, and went to the ancestral hall again.

He was the last one to arrive. Today, classmates He and Wang took over the job of looking after the generators and cables, and it was classmates Shen and Xue Ying who came to the scene.

Zheng Zhuo once again appreciated the joy of the professionals over the wonderful archaeological discoveries. He said "borrow it, borrow it" and squeezed past the two of them, and found that there were long cables stretched on the ground of the passage.

"I asked them to bring in a small capacity crane."

Allen Chu, who had heavy dark circles under his eyes, walked by and said:

"Last night, the professor discovered that there is another entrance in the depth that is suspected to have become too narrow due to geological changes. We used the radio to ask them to bring in the lifting equipment today."

"That thing is quite difficult to carry. Fortunately, it's only a short distance away."

Classmate Shen laughed from behind.

"Eh……"

Zheng Zhuo looked at the professor who was carefully operating the crane deep in the passage, and then at Chu Huairen.

"How many hours did you sleep last night?"

"Let me think about it... I went back at two o'clock, and I got up at six o'clock... It should be four hours, right?"

"Wow."

"Four hours is too much. It would be nice if people could go without sleep."

"Okay, okay..."

It was completely unreasonable. Zheng Zhuo turned his head.

However, at this time, he unexpectedly discovered that Classmate Shen and Xue Ying also had dark circles under their eyes.

"Why didn't you sleep well?"

he asked.

"Hey! Don't mention it." Classmate Shen said angrily, "The wind was too strong last night! The cabin was filled with the sound of wind, whining, and it was so noisy! I couldn't sleep well at all - it was even more exaggerated than at sea!"

wind?

Zheng Zhuo was a little confused.

He slept in a tent in the woods by the sea at night! Why didn't he feel the wind was strong?

Could it be that he was in the leeward position and the scientific research ship was parked at the wind?

Can the difference be so big?

Zheng Zhuo asked Mr. Shen, who was good at meteorology. However, he didn't really understand. He could only explain this as a phenomenon caused by the special contour of the island.

…

Later that day, Professor Lin Wen made a new discovery. After successfully using heavy equipment to open a moss-covered crack, he discovered a niche inside.

There is no statue inside the niche, but three small dots arranged at intervals.

"This is……!"

The professor opened the suitcase he carried with him - it was the same suitcase that sailor Cao Yang had helped him carry earlier. He carefully took out a pottery piece from it: the pottery piece had exactly the same pattern painted on it.

"A few years ago, when this piece of pottery was discovered during scientific research on the nearby coastline, I firmly believed that ocean currents must have brought it from this sea area!"

Professor Lin Wen said excitedly.

"It's true...and...you see!"

He pointed to the niche with his finger. The small dots depicted in the niche were much larger and clearer than those on the pottery sherds. Each small dot was not an ordinary circle, but had an irregular outer contour.

"At the bottom!" The professor pointed everyone to look at the small dot at the bottom. "The outline of the bottom point is exactly the same as the outline of the island shown on the satellite image! And the outer outline of the niche... have you noticed it? ?It’s the nearest coastline!”

"This shows that there are two islands discovered by the same civilization, but we haven't found them yet! I have guessed this for a long time... and now it has finally been confirmed!"

The professor's hands were shaking slightly with excitement.

"We...our harvest will far exceed our imagination!"

…

A few days later.

The original return date has arrived. However, the professor and his team insisted on staying a few more days to conduct a more detailed inspection.

"I want to change my itinerary."

The professor proposed the "Three Islands Hypothesis". He wanted to continue to follow the ocean current after the scientific research work on this island was completed, and go to the next two islands indicated on the map. He hoped that the scientific research ship would not return to Cape Town, but Directly across the Atlantic Ocean, go to Montevideo to dock, replenish fuel, and then return directly to the university from there. In this way, the sailing schedule will be shorter than originally planned, with more docking time and reserves of fuel, food and ship equipment. With more money, they can stay a few more days and conduct more research.

Since the professor successfully brought back substantial evidence from the niche in the temple, he quickly convinced the captain. After contacting the marine control department using the signal tower repaired by the sailors, the captain agreed to the professor's proposal.

The exploration schedule was extended for another three days. During this period, everyone was enthusiastically rubbing every figure.

Zheng Zhuo was concerned about other things.

These days, the students go back to the research ship to rest. Only he, the professor and Chu Huairen live in a nearby tent.

He could still occasionally detect sight at night. The professor and Chu Huairen also said that when they entered the tent on the first day, there were already traces of sea water inside.

After that, they made sure they entered the tent without wearing boots. However, salt and water stains still appeared in the tent from time to time.

"(I have to figure out what's going on.)"

Zheng Zhuo thought to himself. He quickly had an idea.

…

On this day, it was Zheng Zhuo's turn to guard the cables and pipelines on the shore. He dragged his sleeping bag to the shade of a nearby tree, and then slept for a long time during the day.

It was the same as usual at night. The two classmates greeted Zheng Zhuo, who was packing his sleeping bag, and walked towards the scientific research ship. Zheng Zhuo also walked towards the cliff and returned to the tent.

Normally, he would eat something and then sleep first. But today, he lay in his sleeping bag with his eyes open.

"(Can you see something...)"
To be continued...