Chapter 286: Communication, and the Unnecessary Struggle
With that thought, she called her brother.
When the call connected, she could see from his background that he was in the villa at the guild headquarters.
"Ethan, are you okay? Why are you at the headquarters?"
"I’m fine, don’t worry. Your big brother isn’t that fragile." Ethan Yardley also wanted to ask his sister how she knew so many strange, powerful experts and why she seemed so familiar with Islander 98.
But the words died on his lips, and he asked about something else instead. "What about you? Is that Island Master task of yours done?"
"Yep. Task 2 is done, and the next one has started. I wanted to get your opinion on it."
Faye then explained the requirements for Task 3.
Finding a hundred people was actually very easy. In fact, if she just wanted to find random people, she could probably gather over a thousand in minutes from the national channel.
Faye, however, wanted quality over quantity. At the very least, she needed someone with administrative experience who could take on the role of village chief and manage the residents’ various affairs.
’It’s a shame I didn’t get any more advanced robot assistants. That would have saved me a lot of trouble.’
Ethan Yardley’s eyes lit up. "Have you considered that an island that big could hold a hundred thousand, or even a million people, and it still wouldn’t feel crowded?"
Faye was speechless. "What would I do with that many people? And who knows what kind of restrictions or problems the system will throw at me once the population gets too high."
Seeing her brother was about to try and convince her, Faye quickly cut in, "Don’t give me any of that ’with great power comes great responsibility’ nonsense. I’m not that noble. You may not believe it, but your little sister is already helping others by helping you and Mr. Pierce. I can’t carry any more on my small shoulders."
"Alright, alright, I get it. Your wishes come first, of course. In that case, save thirty spots for my people. I’ll give you the list by noon tomorrow."
"Okay. And don’t bring me any troublemakers. I also need to remind you that it’s not completely safe on the island, and their lives will literally be in my hands. That last part is especially important. Make sure you make that clear."
’I don’t think I’m being paranoid,’ Faye thought. She had no experience with management, and if she brought people with ulterior motives to the island, there was no telling what might happen.
"Don’t worry. You can count on me."
After finishing the call with her brother, Faye called Zachary Pierce. She started by asking about his injured people before explaining the details of Task 3 to him.
She was perfectly clear about what needed to be said, laying her requirements out on the table.
Zachary Pierce listened intently before saying, "How about I start by sending you two people with prior experience in municipal government? Are you accepting families?"
"Yes. I can also accept orphans and elderly people who live alone, but it’s best if they’re self-sufficient. After all, the island isn’t exactly a paradise; there are plenty of unknown risks."
"Alright. I’ll get you a list by noon tomorrow as well."
"Thank you, Mr. Pierce."
"You don’t need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you for trusting me." Zachary Pierce continued, "By the way, the first group to go to the island should probably be combat-oriented. They’ll have a better chance of protecting themselves if danger arises."
"Okay, you’ve thought of everything, Mr. Pierce. As long as the risks are manageable, I’m willing to take in more people."
After exchanging a few more words, she hung up. Faye rolled over onto her back on the sofa. ’I’ll just wait. As for my friends in the group chat, I’ll see how things go with the first batch of people before I ask them.’
’It’s better not to make promises when I don’t know what to expect.’
"Faye, are you troubled by something?"
Faye’s eyes shifted to find Willow Yardley standing beside the sofa. "Not really troubled, I guess. You know what, I’ll just mention it in the group chat. It’s up to them if they’re interested."
She expertly opened the group chat and got straight to the point. "@everyone, hi. I’m working on an Island Master task, and when I finish, I’ll own an entire island. I’m now on part three. I can invite people to the island to become residents, but I have no idea what the system will do or how it will treat islanders. If you’re interested, you can think about it."
The group chat, for once, fell silent.
Finally, Leo Sloan was the first to respond: Group Admin, if you can, please take my whole family.
Faye Yardley: It’s not like the island is completely safe. There are a lot of aggressive creatures there. And I need to be clear: once you’re on the island, your lives are in my hands.
Leo Sloan: I understand, but Annie is only two years old. If I have the choice, I’d much rather she grow up on solid ground. On the raft, if I look away for one second, she could fall into the sea. Besides, my family and I trust your character, Group Admin.
No matter how well-behaved and sensible a child seemed, she was still just a child, and children’s thoughts were often incredibly simple, with no regard for the consequences.
Furthermore, from Leo Sloan’s perspective, while the system seemed to have cured his parents’ old ailments, they were not adapting well to life at sea. On days with high winds and rough waves, they were just as terrified as any child, if not more so.
Therefore, Leo Sloan saw this opportunity as a blessing from Faye Yardley for his family.
So what if their lives were in her hands? It wasn’t as if they were living much better with their fates in their own.
Of course, this decision was also based on Leo Sloan’s knowledge that Faye Yardley was not a killer. He trusted her character, and that’s why he was willing to entrust his entire family’s lives to her.
Others were tempted too, of course—people like Kyle Lewis and Bonnie Callahan. But unlike Leo, they weren’t in a position to decide their families’ fates on their own. Inevitably, there would be discussions and disagreements to hash out at home.
That’s why they remained silent in the chat.
Seeing Leo Sloan make his decision so quickly filled them with an envy they couldn’t put into words.
’In a world where you could die at any moment, what’s so embarrassing about latching onto a powerful person for support?’
’Others would kill for an opportunity like this.’
Faye sighed as she closed the group chat. ’I’m so indecisive. First, I thought I wouldn’t tell them. Then I figured I’d let them be the second batch. And in the end, I just blurted it out anyway.’
’So what was all that agonizing for?’
Faye shook her head and sighed. She was utterly exhausted.
She got up, went upstairs, and collapsed into bed.
She slept straight through until 4 a.m. the next day and woke up right on schedule.
She tapped her head. ’I still feel like I haven’t slept enough,’ she thought, which was completely bizarre. ’I used to be full of energy after just two or three hours. Did I oversleep this time?’
After some light stretches, Faye threw herself into the training room.
Over three hours later, she emerged from the bathroom feeling refreshed. The sun was already high in the sky. ’Another bright, sunny day.’
All she had to do now was eat breakfast, head to the island to plan a place for the future villagers to settle, and wait for the first group of islanders to arrive at noon.