The following day at noon, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly, giving no hint of the violent storm that had recently swept through the small island.
The fishing village on the island was completely destroyed, and with it, the last of Vrisa’s fish listeners ceased to exist.
According to media reports, the disaster was due to an old power plant catching fire accidentally, leading to an explosion that caused the river dam to burst. On one side, the fire consumed the forest; on the other, the river destroyed the prison.
The Dragon Serpent Isle prison, a symbol of the Fustroydor colonizers’ misdeeds on this land, was erased from existence, marking a regrettable end to its history.
For the nearby residents, life was somewhat impacted, but it was not a significant upheaval. The fishermen quickly received subsidies to offset their economic losses from not being able to fish in recent days. Life went on as usual.
However, many biologists were deeply saddened, as the fire drastically reduced the island’s venomous snake population, a devastating loss.
But with the decrease in venomous snakes, other animals on the island began to reproduce rapidly.
Eventually, to protect biodiversity, experts proposed the “Wildlife Environmental Protection Act.”
A biological reserve was established on Snake Island to protect its venomous snakes, and dedicated personnel were hired to manage it. This proposal met both opposition and support.
As for the outcome, Cheyenne did not know, as she had discreetly donated fifty million to build schools and hospitals, allowing many children of age, like Mike and Baylee, to enter school, learn, and perhaps one day end their drifting life at sea.
General Kim was also heartbroken. Who could tell him what had really happened! After he was made to drink several pots of boiling water and spent a day discussing cultural differences, his mission ended.
“The fraud! General Iker is a fraud!” he exclaimed. “And what’s worse, they didn’t even serve tea; they just made me drink a bellyful of water.” No one understood why he was so angry…
A few days later, Mike also learned of Grandpa Maxim’s death, and his reaction was much stronger than Cheyenne had expected.
“I’m sorry we broke our promise and couldn’t protect your grandfather to keep him safe from harm.”
The kindly old man had been tormented by life all his life, and his only wish before dying was to see his grandchildren grow up safely.
Unfortunately, he would never see that day. Losing their beloved grandfather, Mike and Baylee became orphans. Being so young, how would they live their lives from now on?
Though young, Mike had already witnessed many scenes of separation and death.
While he was sad about his grandfather’s sudden departure, he also knew it was an inevitable end that everyone must face.
“Cheyenne, you don’t need to blame yourself. Grandpa said he would turn into a star after he died, watching over us forever in the sky.”
“A person’s death is not the end of life, but being forgotten by their loved ones and friends.”
“In my mind, Grandpa has always been alive. If one day I forget him, then he truly dies.”
Everyone has different feelings about death, and Cheyenne deeply agreed with Mike’s sentiments. “You’re right. If someone is forgotten by others, that’s when they truly disappear.”
“Your grandfather was a great man. Can we light incense for him?” “Of course.” Mike moved aside and handed them the incense.
In front of Maxim’s Grandpa’s memorial, several guests from Chulae, dressed in solemn black, took turns offering incense. Even the local mayor came to offer condolences, showing great respect to the guests from Chulae. This aroused curiosity among the locals. Wasn’t the deceased just an ordinary old fisherman? Why were so many important figures attending the funeral? Unfortunately, they never found out the answer.
After the funeral, the issue of Mike and Baylee’s guardianship was discussed. Paisley expressed interest in adopting the siblings, as she, an elderly woman, feared loneliness the most.
Apart from her grandson Humberto, who was not often around, the only person beside her was Old Bray, who loved arguing with her.
“It would be nice to have these siblings around, lively. Mike, Baylee, would you like to live with me and Grandma in Chulae?”
Old Bray, affectionately patting Mike’s head, said, “You’re quite the material for studying medicine. If you’re willing to come with me, I will definitely train you as my successor.” He lacked an heir for his skills, his own son being impatient and unsuitable for studying medicine. As for Humberto, he didn’t seem to have the talent either.
Facing everyone’s concern, Mike politely declined. “Thank you all, grandparents, uncles, and aunts, for your kindness. I grew up in this land, and my parents and grandfather are buried here. I don’t want to leave them.”
“You don’t need to worry. I’m already thirteen, I can take care of my sister.”
Cheyenne stopped insisting after hearing this.
“In three days, we’ll be leaving here. Since you don’t want to come with us, let me do one last thing for you.” In Mike’s name, she deposited one million in the bank, enough to support him until he turned eighteen and for Baylee to grow up.
“Each month, you can withdraw ten thousand from this card. The password is 123456. You can change it later.”
“Um… Cheyenne, I can’t accept your money. I’ve never seen so much money in my life! Not even when Grandpa was alive.”
Even if he lived to be as old as his grandfather, he’d never seen such a sum.
Iker suddenly spoke up. “How can you talk about a lifetime at your age? Take this money. If you feel guilty, study hard and become someone who can help others in the future, understand?”
Clutching the bank card tightly, Mike’s voice choked with emotion. “Yes, I understand. Thank you, Cheyenne, Uncle Iker. You two are truly a perfect match.”
Before anyone could respond, Omari flicked his forehead. “What nonsense are you spouting? What match with Cheyenne? If anyone’s a match, it’s me!”
“Ouch… that hurts.”
Kelvin’s face darkened, his hands outside the blanket clenched into fists. “You’re all so noisy, get out, I need to rest!”
Everyone looked at each other.
Omari grinned at Iker, “See, it’s your fault we’re noisy.”
“Hmph!” Iker turned and left the ward.
“Hey, don’t leave me, wait up, let’s clear things up.”
Old Bray still needed further examination on his legs. Paisley scratched her head and took the initiative to push his wheelchair from behind.
“Let’s go, we need to do another check-up.”
“What check-up?”
“Check your brain.”
“You!”