Apocalypse Hoarder: I Have Billions in Supplies

Once she reached the woods, the vultures and seabirds gave up the chase.

Jiang Si was exhausted. She rested for a while, panting, before continuing back.

Bailiman and Aisar had already finished mashing the anesthetic plants Jiang Si needed. Aisar brought over a coconut for Jiang Si to quench her thirst. While she drank, Bailiman and Aisar followed her instructions, smearing the mashed plants all over the fish and stuffing a large amount into their mouths.

The young vulture watched them stuff the fish, then watched as Jiang Si tossed them in front of it.

It was as shrewd as a person, giving them a look of disdain.

It was as if to say, ’Don’t even think about messing with me.’

Bailiman and Aisar were worried that if the vulture didn’t eat, all of Jiang Si’s hard work would be for nothing.

Jiang Si paid it no mind, simply leaving the fish in front of it.

If it didn’t eat, it would simply starve to death.

For one, it couldn’t escape. For another, it was currently unable to hunt.

The plan to tame the young vulture and leave this place was not guaranteed to succeed.

Jiang Si went back to making the boat with Bailiman and Aisar.

A sturdy boat would take a lot of work, but a simple raft was quite easy to make.

Jiang Si and the others worked for a whole afternoon. Ignored and unable to break free from its bonds, the young vulture grew ravenous. It finally, tentatively, picked up one of the fish coated in the anesthetic and swallowed it.

Aisar excitedly poked Jiang Si. When Jiang Si turned around, she saw the young vulture snatch up a second fish and swallow it in one gulp.

It devoured all twelve fish in front of it in one go.

Immediately after, it produced a large, stinking pile of droppings.

Jiang Si waited patiently. She also collected some fresh water, found a container, and placed it in front of the vulture.

Of course, this water also contained some of the anesthetic.

After drinking the water, the young vulture quickly became groggy.

As it struggled, unable to fully open its eyes, Jiang Si cautiously approached.

The young vulture immediately tried to lunge up and attack her.

But it fell back weakly to the ground, too limp to put up a fight.

A smirk played on Jiang Si’s lips, causing the vulture to flinch as if it thought she was about to carve it up.

But Jiang Si only moved closer, gently stroking the feathers on its back before carefully examining its wing.

Aside from the fracture, the young vulture’s wing had a large, gruesome flesh wound from an orca bite.

Jiang Si wasn’t sure if the bald patch would affect its flight, even after the fracture healed.

While applying the herbs she had gathered, Jiang Si felt for the location of the fracture, considering how to set it.

She had set her own broken bones before, but this was her first time treating a vulture.

’But whether it works or not, I have to bite the bullet and try.’

Jiang Si tentatively set the bone, succeeding on her first try. The young vulture struggled violently for a moment before going limp again.

As she tied on a wooden splint, Jiang Si said, "Relax, this won’t kill you."

The young vulture seemed to understand. Or perhaps it had simply given up resisting, resigning itself to its fate. It closed its eyes, letting Jiang Si do as she pleased.

After the young vulture’s wounds were treated, the sky grew dark. Jiang Si didn’t dare relax. Bailiman told her to rest for a bit, saying she was too tired today.

Jiang Si thought for a moment. "Alright, I’ll go lie in the hammock for a bit. Call me if anything happens."

She really was sleepy, after all.

Bailiman nodded, then she and Aisar gathered more wood from the surrounding area to make the campfire burn brighter.

When Jiang Si awoke, it was already the middle of the night.

She had slept well. The young vulture was still unconscious, and Bailiman and Aisar were huddled together, playing cat’s cradle with a piece of grass rope.

When Jiang Si sat up, they both stood up in unison, ever-cautious.

Having them around put Jiang Si much more at ease.

She smiled. "You two go get some rest."

Bailiman and Aisar nodded, then pointed to the kelp and mussel soup simmering on the ground, motioning for Jiang Si to eat.

Jiang Si nodded. "Thanks. Go on, get some sleep."

Bailiman and Aisar climbed into their hammocks, and before long, the sound of their steady breathing filled the air.

Jiang Si, for her part, resumed her unfinished work, diligently lashing the raft together.

As the sun slowly rose, Jiang Si stood up and rubbed her sore back. The young vulture also stirred, opening its small, beady eyes.

Jiang Si stared at the little tuft of feathers on its head and chuckled. "I’ll call you Dai Mao. Are you hungry? If you are, I’ll go get you something to eat."

’Little Chun and the others eat so much in a day,’ she thought. ’Dai Mao ate twelve fish yesterday, so it must be starving by now.’

Dai Mao ignored her, its eyes darting around as if plotting its escape. It tried to struggle to its feet and flap its wings, only to discover something strange bound to one of them.