From Robinson Crusoe

1687 12 Month 1 Day.

As the year draws to a close, the island is already immersed in a festive atmosphere. Long ropes adorned with colorful fabrics hang on both sides of the streets, and vendors hawk their wares, selling desserts and interesting trinkets from all over the world.

Spaniards, Portuguese, Brazilians, Dutch, and the island's natives walked through the wide streets.

The island was already in the dry season, and the dense crowds made it even hotter.

Noble ladies who came by ship from faraway Europe often couldn't stand the heat and would faint from heatstroke on the beach or in the streets.

The police station and resident clinic located at the port receive calls from islanders every day and treat delicate European noblewomen.

In the last decade or so, the officials on the island are no longer purely indigenous.

Influenced by Kylian, foreigners from all over the world came to the island and intermarried with the islanders. Some settled on the island, while others frequently traveled between the island and Europe, and they could all be considered half-islanders.

Their children received advanced education on the island, and some left the island after they grew up, while others stayed.

These mixed-race children look very different from the natives. They met at their parents' gatherings and gradually formed small groups independent of the islanders.

Although Chen Zhou did not want to see Europeans take root on the island, he even strictly prohibited outsiders from holding high positions.

However, the island's original inhabitants are too few, while outsiders keep coming in, and the interdependence between them cannot be severed so easily.

Gradually, a large number of mixed-race or European people obtained official positions and used their authority on the island to benefit their friends and acquaintances.

However, due to Chen Zhou's influence, these "officials from other places" were always considered inferior to the local officials on the island.

The islanders have a saying that goes something like this: "Avoid officials with yellow skin, and point at and curse officials with white skin."

This means that officials of indigenous origin usually hold real power and cannot be easily provoked, while Europeans, even if they have not made any mistakes, will be in the wrong if they cause trouble for their superiors, and they have to endure being scolded even if they are pointed at and cursed.

The island sees the most European guests during the year-end celebrations.

Some came on merchant ships, some came to the island for sightseeing, and others came to visit their children and relatives who were studying on the island.

These outsiders did not understand Chinese, making it inconvenient to handle their affairs. The officials, who were of indigenous origin, were usually unwilling to deal with such troublesome matters, so they simply handed over the matters of taking the outsiders to the mixed-race officials or "white-skinned officials" to them.

……

Saturday observed how his subordinates acted.

In his youth, he frequently criticized this type of official—

If you don't speak the language, you can learn it. How can you leave your affairs to outsiders?
The port is such an important area. What if something goes wrong if we leave it completely unattended?
But as he got older, he gradually took these things less seriously. There were indeed many more important things on the island, and he was nearly fifty years old, so he didn't have that much energy to manage trivial matters.

Moreover, family, career, and personal hobbies take up too much space in life. Now, when holding meetings on Saturdays, these matters are only symbolically brought up to warn the officials.

Once the storm has passed, everyone goes back to the old ways; this has become an unspoken rule that everyone acknowledges and follows.

……

On the evening of the 1st, before the sun had set, Saturday packed up the documents on his desk and left the office.

As dusk deepened, the island was ablaze with lights, and the clamor of voices from the streets drowned out the sound of the ocean waves and the chirping of insects and birds in the forest.

When I first arrived on the island, I never imagined that it would turn out like this.

As Saturday was pondering what dishes to order for his beloved daughter tonight and where to go sketching tomorrow morning, he suddenly stopped in his tracks as he walked out of the office gate, and his usually upright figure subconsciously slumped down.

Across the street, under the dim light of a three-story wooden and stone building, stood a slightly hunched but still very tall person.

His upper body was hidden in the shadow of the building, making it impossible to see his face or expression. Just by standing there, he exuded an awe-inspiring aura.

……

"You, how did you get here?"

On Saturday, not expecting Chen Zhou's sudden visit, I hurriedly went up to him, my tone a mixture of disbelief and the caution of someone in a subordinate position.

As a powerful figure on the island, second only to the island's leader, no one but Chen Zhou could elicit such a response from Saturday.

"Can't I come to see you if there's nothing wrong?"

Chen Zhou patted Saturday on the shoulder—

The once skinny boy has become an obese middle-aged man, and the childishness on his face has turned into a dignified presence, inspiring fear in the islanders.

"of course can."

He laughed on Saturday, then asked cautiously.

Is there something inappropriate about my job?

Or do you have other instructions?

……

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Zhou strode ahead.

At this moment, Saturday dared not think about anything else. His mind raced as he reviewed his actions over the past few months, fearing that he might have unintentionally made a grave mistake.

"I'm not here to talk to you about work today, it's Saturday."

Chen Zhou's tone was very calm.

I wanted to tell you that I'm leaving.

"Gone?"
Where are you going?

On Saturday, he subconsciously pressed him for help, thinking that Chen Zhou was going out to sea to fish or moving to another location on the island as before, which was why he asked him for help in making arrangements.

Chen Zhou continued walking ahead without answering.

Although he was old, he walked quickly and steadily, and the shorter Saturday had to quicken his pace to keep up.

Soon, Saturday realized that the place the leader was going to was completely different from before. He stopped asking questions and simply followed Chen Zhou closely, waiting for this old man, who was like a father to him, to tell him the answer himself.

The two walked one after the other and soon reached the end of the street.

The lights from the houses on both sides were extremely dim here. Further ahead, the stone path continued, but there were no more yellow lights. Only a dark forest lay across the road, waiting for pedestrians to pass through.

Chen Zhou stopped there and turned to look at Saturday.

"I want to go back to where I came from and leave forever."

……

On Saturday, he opened his eyes wide in shock, unable to believe what he had just heard.

His lips trembled, and after a moment of hesitation, he asked—

Are you going back to heaven?
If you leave and never come back, what will we do?

"The place I came from is not heaven, but a distant kingdom that belongs to the people."

As for what happens after I leave…

Chen Zhou pointed to the brightly lit street.

"I have paved the way for you. Although all of this is inseparable from your efforts, without me, you would probably never have been able to have these things."

And what will happen after I'm gone...

Chen Zhou gestured to look at the dark forest beyond the end of the road on Saturday.

"The future is up to you."

Whether I continue to pave roads, build taller houses, and enable people to live better lives, or plunge headlong into darkness, it's none of my business.

After I leave, you and Sunday will be the helmsmen of the island. Whether this large, already-built ship sinks in the storm or reaches the other shore depends entirely on whether you can control the course and avoid the reefs.

While I am here, I can certainly help you bear a lot of pressure, but if there is always someone thinking of you, you will never grow up.

Now it's your turn to take responsibility for all of this. Taking on greater power also means taking on heavier responsibilities.

As he spoke, Chen Zhou patted Saturday on the shoulder again.

"Many things I have done before, you may not understand the deeper meaning behind them."

From now on, you should turn back and think about things from the perspective of the island's ruler, and figure out my intentions.

Although you are not young, it's never too late to start learning.

After I'm gone, I hope you will ensure the island continues to exist in this world, at least preventing it from falling into the hands of outsiders.

"But..." Saturday opened his mouth, and upon hearing the news, a strong sense of helplessness welled up inside him—

The island's true Optimus Prime is about to fall, and he doesn't know if he and the other officials can salvage the situation.

There are no "buts". There is always a first time for everything.

There's an old saying in my hometown: "It's better to have your own than your parents." I've taken care of you long enough; you can't continue like this forever.

Chen Zhou interrupted Saturday, pressing down on his shoulder to make him look at the bustling street.

Then he turned and walked into the darkness, just as he had said, leaving Saturday behind.

……

The night of December 1st was an exceptionally difficult one for a Saturday.

After returning home, he didn't say a word and went straight to his study.

He ignored his wife's questions and his daughter's concern, sitting in his chair gazing at the paintings on the study wall until midnight.

……

The island that used to be shrouded in darkness after nightfall has long since disappeared. Even after midnight, the long streets of the harbor are still crowded with pedestrians.

It was the dry season, the sky was cloudless, and the stars twinkled.

Singers sang traditional tunes; dancers performed graceful dances; a circus troupe that had traveled from afar put on a show, and cheers rose and fell from the crowd.

The nimble horses danced across the low fences, and the monkeys leaped through the rings of fire onto the horses' backs, wagging their tails and begging for applause from the audience.

The circus performer, whip in hand, was immersed in the excited gazes of the audience when suddenly a gasp rang out from the crowd—

"look!"

Someone looked up in the direction the person exclaimed in surprise pointed, and immediately discovered that the sky had turned a dim yellow color and the stars had disappeared.

The island's heat subsided quietly, the campfire on the beach flickered restlessly, and a cold wind blew from the harbor, giving goosebumps to those dressed in light clothing.

A tourist from Northern Europe stared at the sky in disbelief, muttering—

"It's going to snow."

The indigenous people living in the tropics had only learned about snow from books, and before they could even process it, snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

The snow came suddenly. At first, small, cotton-like snowflakes drifted gently, but within minutes it began to fall heavier and heavier, in waves.

The wind fueled the snowfall, and black smoke billowed from the campfire roasting meat.

In the blink of an eye, the snow turned into flakes and clumps, pelting down and instantly enveloping the world.

People screamed and fled, wrapping themselves tightly in their clothes and hiding in shops facing the street, peering through the windows at the spectacular scene outside.

"God!"

"God!"

"Allah!"

Such exclamations came one after another from people's mouths as they watched the fire outside go out, watched the snowflakes pile up on the stone road, and watched the swirling white snow become the sole ruler of the world.

……

The blizzard raged through the mountains, turning everything in its path white.

Chen Zhou woke up from his dream, and the howling wind outside the window made him think for a moment that he was still in a dream.

The parrot hanging by the window nervously imitated a dog's bark, flapping its wings as it tried to escape its cage.

Slipping on his slippers, Chen Zhou drew back the curtains, and the sight inside the manor made him almost unable to believe his eyes—

A heavy snowfall, a snowfall that blanketed the ground, transformed the entire manor into a world of white jade.

The wind was still blowing, but the snowfall had slowed down. The fluffy snowflakes hanging on the trees shook off and fell to the ground, turning into shimmering snowflakes as they drifted away.

The snow came quickly and went quickly.

Chen Zhou woke up and stood by the window. Not long after, the wind weakened considerably, and the thick, yellowish clouds that had covered the entire sky dissipated.

Only a thick layer of snow remained on the ground.

Before long, under the high temperatures of the tropical island, the snow melted into water. That pure white scene appeared briefly in the world, like a fleeting ephemera.

……

With the windows open, the wind blowing in from the manor lawn carries a unique coolness and the earthy scent of melting snow.

Chen Zhou gazed at the starry sky, remembering that today was the day the final mysterious reward would arrive after the challenge began.

And this sudden snowfall must be the reward that was delivered this time.

He smiled, gazing at the boundless sky, as if he could see the audience who had followed him for 28 years softly saying thank you.

Today, he has long since let go of the past.

Not everyone has the chance to live an extra half a lifetime, and not everyone is lucky enough to begin this challenge.

As a "butterfly," he has done everything in his power to flap his wings and change the course of the world.

Now the wind and snow of his hometown are calling him, the howling north wind like the whistle of a departing ship.

Having said his final farewell, it was time for him to say goodbye to this world.

……

The strange celestial phenomenon only covered the island; those who spent the night on the ship on Sunday only saw the island shrouded in thick, dark clouds.

From early December to December 10th, it was his routine time to inspect the navy's training level. Having been away from home for so long, he always felt a sense of emptiness, as if he was about to lose something very important.

Upon noticing something amiss on the island, Sunday hurriedly led his fleet back overnight.

When the steel ships docked at the port, the snow on the island had not yet completely melted. People who had just taken shelter indoors came out and stood on the street, cupping the cold snow in their hands and discussing the miraculous scene.

It was getting late, and since it was Sunday, we didn't dare disturb Chen Zhou, so we called Chen Fu, Chen Lu, and Chen Shou and headed straight to Saturday's residence.

With the island's top officials gathered together, the middle and upper management below naturally received the news.

This time, however, no matter how many people they planted around their superiors or how much money they spent on bribes, they couldn't find out what they were talking about.

All they knew was that, in the years following that gathering, the island's laws, like the snowstorm of that night, underwent an unprecedented upheaval. (End of Chapter)