While others seek survival, I engage in flirtation Chapter 50: The Strange New Member

"Next time you head out, take him with you," Lilian said, disgust written all over her face as she pointed at Matt, who was sprawled on the ground after she kicked him.

"What happened to him?" I asked, looking at Matt, who was still wincing in pain.

"This jerk tried to sneak into the cave and mess with us while you were gone," Lilian spat, her eyes full of hatred.

Damn it, Matt! I always knew he was a lowlife! I thought he had finally decided to straighten up this morning. Didn't expect him to pull something so dirty!

I stormed over to Matt, grabbed him by the collar, yanked him up, and punched him in the gut.

I knew my strength, so I held back. I didn't want to kill anyone, no matter what.

Even though I knew he was bad news, I didn't want to break my moral code.

Plus, as worthless as he was, he could still be useful. At the very least, he could scout the way for us when we go out.

I kicked him a couple more times before shoving him aside. Then I called Lilian and Moon back into the cave.

The other girls inside looked a bit tense, but they relaxed a little when they saw me. Margaret and Aimee rushed into my arms.

I knew they were worried, but I had to push them away first. Lilian was too mad to explain everything clearly.

"What did Matt do after I left?" I asked while sitting by the campfire, cleaning myself with some water.

"After you left this morning, Matt ditched his work and climbed up into the cave," Aimee said angrily, her face turning red at the mention of Matt.

Judging by her expression, I could guess what happened, but hearing it from them would give me a clearer picture.

"After he climbed up, he tried to sneak up on us," Ivy continued when she saw Margaret and Aimee struggling to describe it. "He was so quiet we didn't notice."

"But just as he was about to jump on Margaret, Lilian spotted him," Ivy said, glancing at the bruised and battered Matt. "She grabbed him and jumped down from the cave."

So Lilian took down Matt? I always knew she was quick, but I didn't realize she was that strong!

I glanced at Lilian, who had just leaped into the cave without my help. She was incredibly agile and strong, almost like a guy. I saw her in a new light!

I thanked her, but she just shook her head, saying she did it for the camp's safety.

After that, she and Moon kept an eye on Matt, making him do various chores.

"Why did you go down?" I was curious. Moon didn't really need to leave the cave.

Even though I had seen her enter the cave, I was still a bit dazed. This pale, frail-looking girl was surprisingly capable.

Just a moment ago, I saw her nimbly return to the cave.

I couldn't imagine how this girl had such extraordinary abilities.

But our immediate priority was dealing with Matt, as he now posed a threat to our camp's safety.

As for Moon, I knew she had her share of secrets, but I didn't think she was a bad person. At most, she was just a bit quirky.

I hadn't spent much time with Moon, but in our few conversations, I got the sense that she wasn't quite normal. But I couldn't put my finger on what exactly was off about her.

Normally, with Matt pulling such a stunt in the camp, I wouldn't have let him stay. But things were different now, and we were seriously short-handed.

Among the girls, only Lilian and Moon could help me scout the rocky beach and the canyon. Since I was the only guy in the camp, a lot of tasks had slowed down big time.

After some thought, I called all the girls over and asked what they thought. Matt was still curled up in pain on the haystack outside the cave from my beating.

"Do you want him to stay?" I asked, looking at their faces, feeling really conflicted.

Ivy, Aimee, and Margaret had all been harassed by Matt. If they wanted him gone, I'd have to kick him out of the camp.

Given the current situation in the woods, I couldn't see how Matt would survive the night. If he left now, we might find his body by morning.

But the girls were hesitant. They seemed unsure if they really wanted Matt to leave.

"It's too dangerous outside," Ivy finally said. "Our camp is already short on people, and there's a serious gender imbalance."

"Even though Matt's a jerk, we can't deny that he's a man, and we need all the help we can get," she added reasonably.

As expected from a seasoned actress, she quickly analyzed our situation.

I didn't give my opinion and looked at the others. They were hesitant, but no one seemed to want to kill Matt.

Even Aimee felt the same. She said, "Although he was really mean to me, on this island, it doesn't seem like he's beyond redemption. I'd never forgive him, but kicking him out would be a death sentence !"

In the end, we unanimously decided to keep Matt in the camp, but Lilian, Moon, and I would take turns watching him.

Lilian and I aimed to prevent him from causing trouble and harassing others. But Moon chose to join us in monitoring him because she found it interesting.

She said she was a writer and wanted to experience more interesting things. As she spoke, she scribbled in her notebook.

We jumped down from the cave and walked over to Matt.

"What are you going to do?" He looked at me with fear and backed away. "I've already apologized! And I didn't harm them!"

I knew what kind of person Matt was. It was impossible to make him realize his mistakes!

Suppressing my anger, I took a deep breath and pulled him up from the ground. "From now on, you'll sleep outside the sheep pen!" I pointed to the small enclosure we had set up for the sheep.

The fence, barely high enough to keep the three sheep inside, wouldn't do much to keep Matt out.

No sooner had I finished speaking than Matt obediently moved to the nearby sheep pen. There were only some rotten haystacks, barely enough for him to lie on.