Though Shang Qi did not explicitly state it, Zhang Wenbin could infer from the topics he skipped over.
Shang Qi hummed, the waves washing against his calves. "When we arrived, Deer City was already occupied by surviving ability users. They established a survivor base, possessing powerful equipment that rivals that of official garrisons."
"To be honest, we sailed out to sea to avoid conflict. Therefore, my proposal is to avoid the inner harbor for now and stay here. You want the ships, and I can discuss it with my companion to decide if she will provide them."
"As for the seeds you need, grains, and oil, I can provide them for you. Now that your people have awakened abilities and are working on connecting with them, once the crops are planted, their abilities can be put to good use. By then, you'll have plenty of seeds."
Hearing Shang Qi's words, Zhang Wenbin understood that the outside world was more dangerous than he had imagined.
He chose to accept Shang Qi's proposal. "In that case, thank you."
"You're welcome," Shang Qi replied, then fell silent. He looked into the distance, where the sea and sky met, the ocean stretching infinitely.
Zhang Wenbin shifted his gaze back to Shang Qi. "This sea island is very safe and can be developed into a survivor base. Survivors from all over the country are welcome to come and reside here for refuge."
Shang Qi nodded in agreement after hearing Zhang Wenbin's words. "It can be, but—"
"But what?" Zhang Wenbin looked at Shang Qi, waiting for his answer.
Shang Qi bent down, picked up a piece of coral stone from the sand, and fiddled with it in his hand. "In this doomsday, people's hearts are as treacherous as ever, far from what you knew before the apocalypse. While establishing this place as a survivor base is a good starting point, you must also be prepared for covetous individuals to invade and take over, and be psychologically prepared to witness the ugliness and darkness of human nature."
Zhang Wenbin wanted to say something, but recalling that Shang Qi and his group were outsiders and said these things, it was likely they had witnessed and experienced them. Therefore, their words were merely practical advice.
This applied not only to Shang Qi's group but also to them on the sea island.
When the doomsday first began, to ensure the safety of the island's residents, they cleared internal unrest and then deployed all their forces to protect them.
What was the result? The support and understanding of the majority, and the unreasonable tantrums and defiance of a minority.
It was precisely because of this minority's unreasonable behavior and defiance that an accident occurred. Those survivors who had not mutated after the doomsday ultimately couldn't escape being bitten by the mutated and subsequently mutating themselves. On this sea island, only their garrison survived.
The island's residents had all perished.
With this in mind, Zhang Wenbin simply said, "That's natural. Not only after the doomsday, but even before it, the ugliness of human hearts has consistently lowered people's standards and perceptions."
Shang Qi had intended to say that compared to human hearts after the doomsday, those were mere trifles.
But he didn't, and simply picked up the conversation, nodding. "In short, preparedness ensures success; unpreparedness ensures failure."
Zhang Wenbin was surprised by this remark, then understood it.
Their conversation ceased, and they walked back along the path they came.
As they neared a reunion with Su Ling and the others, Shang Qi spoke at the opportune moment. "Wait until your provisions are sufficiently abundant, and the ability users responsible for storing them can no longer manage the volume. Wait until all construction is complete, and when their abilities can be deployed in battle. Only then should you publicly announce your readiness to accept refugees."