Chapter 1908 The World Outside

Chapter 1908 The World OutsideElisa looked at Gareth with annoyance.
Gareth chuckled lightly and said, “If you're interested in their muscular physiques, I can show you mine
when we get back.”
Elisa rolled her eyes.
The two of them had gone through life-and-death situations together, and their trust in each other had
deepened. The atmosphere between them was no longer as tense as it was at the beginning. They
could even be considered as having a close relationship now.
What troubled Gareth was that the atmosphere between the two of them never became ambiguous.
novelbinPerhaps it was Elisa's carefree nature that, despite their many intimate interactions, surprisingly failed
to ignite any sparks between them.
That left Gareth puzzled. The farewell party gave him an irresistible urge to drown his sorrows in
alcohol.
Perhaps because they were about to leave, many people who had previously spoken ill or wronged
Elisa and Gareth came to apologize to them.
The person who approached them was Anna's sidekick. She apologized timidly, saying, “I'm sorry,
Elisa. I shouldn't have spoken ill of you.”
“It's okay.” Elisa constantly wore a smile, making her appear very approachable. “I'm sorry, Gareth. I shouldn't have mocked you.” The man who spoke was one of Sodo's followers who
jeered at Gareth during the warriors' tournament.
Gareth, of course, didn't mind. The man raised his glass. With a gulp of wine, their grievances became
water under the bridge.
That was also Gareth's exact intention. He also gulped glasses of alcohol in response.
The vibe was wonderful, yet there was a subtle hint of melancholy lingering in the air.
After three rounds of drinks, Elisa and Gareth exchanged glances. Elisa rose to her feet, found the
village chief, and shared with him all the thoughts she had been harboring. “Village chief, I wonder if
there's a chance for us to collaborate with you and the island villagers. Through mutual exchange, we
can bring benefits to each other. You can rest assured. To maintain the purity of the village, we won't
overdevelop, nor will we disturb the normal life of the villagers.”
Elisa and Gareth hoped that the island could send young adults out every year to learn advanced
technologies from the outside world or to further their studies. Only then could they return and
contribute to the better development of the island.
More importantly, the island had an abundance of jade and jadeite, like the jade rings on their fingers.
The locals treated those materials as mere stones, but selling them off could actually significantly
improve the villagers' living conditions.
After he listened to Elisa's proposal, the village chief fell into deep thought. In truth, Elisa wasn't very optimistic, particularly given the village chief's somewhat xenophobic
tendencies.
She knew she had to take her time with the matter and couldn't rush into things.
Elisa said, “Don't worry, our merchant ships will be around here. Whenever you've made up your mind,
feel free to contact any merchant ship bearing the name of Benett Corporation.”
Failing to persuade the village chief in one fell swoop was quite regrettable, but she had anticipated
that outcome.
If it weren't for the lack of time, Elisa was quite confident that she could persuade the village chief.
“Don't worry. We have plenty of time.” Gareth, seeing through Elisa's disappointment, offered words of
comfort.
The farewell party continued until the early hours of the morning.
So, after rounds of drinking, there were soon hardly any sober people left.
It was at that moment that Elisa stood up, dusted herself off, and extended her hand toward Gareth.
“We should get going.”
Grasping her hand, Gareth pulled himself up.
The two of them headed toward the merchant ship together. That was also a decision they had made together.
Leaving in broad daylight meant having to face the villagers. Neither of them wanted to part with the
villagers, so slipping away quietly was the best way to do it.
“I don't know when I'll have the chance to return once I leave,” Elisa murmured. She seemed to be
talking to herself, yet also as if speaking to Gareth.
Gareth subtly shifted his posture. “There will always be time. As long as you want, I'll accompany you
to come back here.”