Chapter 149

Abby was stunned. Jessica, wearing a facial mask, approached. Leaning in, she stretched her neck and asked, "Can we eat them?"

Cynthia sneered. "These aren't ordinary snake eggs. They're king cobra eggs."

The livestream viewers were shocked to see the king cobra eggs. Jessie, a self-proclaimed foodie, only cared about their edibility.

[The king cobra is a venomous viper. A bite is instantly fatal.] [This snake fiercely protects its young and can track their scent for up to nineteen miles. Abby is in danger.]

Alex asked curiously, "What's a king cobra?" Cynthia sighed, "It's a type of viper."

Abby was terrified. Her hands shook, causing the snake eggs on the leaf to fall and smash on her shoes. Panicked, she stomped on them, crushing them into a pulp.

Cynthia frowned. "Abby, what are you doing?" Abby, already several steps back, hugged herself, disgust etched on her face.

Cynthia explained, "You need to put those eggs back; otherwise, the mother snake will track them by scent. Now that you've crushed them, do you want a snake watching you sleep tonight?"

Abby's face paled. She exclaimed, "Cynthia, why didn't you tell me earlier? Are you trying to get me killed?" Cynthia was speechless.

[Is Abby crazy? Cynthia was clearly trying to help.] [Abby is panicking. If the eggs were so dangerous and couldn't be destroyed, Cynthia should have removed them earlier. Abby's reaction is understandable.] [It's not that serious. I've seen these eggs before. I used to eat them until someone warned me about the danger.] [The king cobra is extremely venomous; its bite is almost always fatal. Luckily, I've inherited a family secret of herbal remedies and treated over a dozen people bitten by cobras. So far, none have survived.] [Oh no, Abby is in danger! She should quit the show!]

Abby, terrified, realized the seriousness of the situation. "Cynthia, what should we do now? You must have a plan, right?"

Cynthia remained calm. "First, find a secluded place and bury the eggs. Then, go to the beach and thoroughly clean yourselves. Throw away your clothes and shoes after changing."

Abby protested, "You want me to handle these eggs? Won't I smell even worse?" She pouted. "Cynthia, you seem so professional. Can you help me? I'm so scared."

Cynthia stepped back. "Don't come near. I'm scared too."

Everyone else also retreated. Abby felt furious, seeing them treat her like a contagion.

Alex said, "Abby, clean up your own mess. Don't drag us down."

Abby, fuming but helpless, trembled as she cleaned the smashed eggs. While burying them, she found an undamaged egg. An idea struck her, and she carefully wrapped it in a leaf and kept it. She thought, "Cynthia, don't blame me. I don't want to die. If a snake comes, it can find you instead."

Most of their food was inedible, leaving everyone starving. Jessie looked frustrated. "What should we do now? I'm starving! I want sea urchin sashimi, king crab, bluefin tuna, foie gras, and truffles…"

Everyone's stomachs rumbled. Jessie looked at Cynthia. "Cynthia, what should we do now?"

Cynthia hadn't wanted to take charge, stepping forward only because the situation was life-threatening. Now, everyone looked to her expectantly.

Alex said, "Cynthia, you know so much. You must have a plan."

Preston looked at her eagerly. "Cynthia, I'm so hungry."

Nina looked at Cynthia expectantly. Jonathan and Ethan remained silent.

All eyes were on Cynthia. She wanted to be a bystander, but inaction meant starvation.

She said, "Some of the mushrooms Ethan picked are edible. Ethan, can you guide us back to gather more? Finding fresh water is equally important."

She continued, "Ethan and I will gather mushrooms. If anyone has energy, look for fresh water. Let's split up."

Abby returned, having dealt with the eggs. Hearing Cynthia's plan, she mumbled, "Cynthia, I bet you just want some alone time with Ethan."

Cynthia replied, "Do you want to go with Ethan instead?"

Abby fell silent, resenting Cynthia's seeming indispensability, but powerless to change things.

Preston was dissatisfied. "Cynthia, I want to go with you."

"No way. If we run into trouble, I'd have to watch out for you."

Preston, still smarting from a past incident, said, "If there's danger, I'll climb a tree. I won't be a burden."

Cynthia pointed to a coconut tree. "If you can climb trees, pick some coconuts."

Many coconut trees were nearby, but they lacked tools to harvest them.

Ignoring Preston, Cynthia turned to Ethan. "Ethan, let's go."

Ethan, still wearing sunglasses, walked ahead.

Preston, determined to prove his worth, went to collect coconuts. Jonathan quietly followed Cynthia and Ethan.

Nina was surprised. Alex blocked her path. "Nina, where are you going?"

Nina looked at Jonathan, then at Alex. "Alex, what's the matter?"

Alex confessed, "Nina, I fell for you the first time I saw you. I want to get to know you better."

(The final "SEND GIFT" appears to be unrelated to the story and likely part of a platform's interface.)