King of the Deserted Island: Survival Game with the Beauties

As my consciousness gradually returned, I felt my heavy body being continuously washed by warm, flowing water. The salty wind invaded my nostrils, and the rhythmic sound of waves echoed in my ears. My throat was parched, and I instinctively opened my mouth, only for a rush of salty, bitter water to flood in. Reflexively, I coughed violently, spitting out the bitter water again and again as I struggled to open my heavy eyelids. Beside my sand-covered hand, white foam from the waves slowly receded. Shocked, I looked into the distance and saw rows of coconut trees. "How did I end up here? Where is this place?" I murmured. My head throbbed as if pierced by needles, and I struggled to stand up. I stared blankly at the endless ocean stretching behind me. My last memory was of working overtime at the office to meet a deadline. "What's going on? Am I dreaming? How did I suddenly end up on a beach?" I asked myself. Two seagulls let out their noisy, distinctive cries as they flew closer from afar. They swooped over my head before quickly disappearing into the distance. My T-shirt, clinging tightly to my body, dripped seawater as I panted heavily, my heart pounding fiercely. "Is anyone there? Where is this place?" A hoarse, unpleasant voice squeezed out of my throat, leaving me feeling as though I had used up all my strength. But the only response I received was the endless sound of waves. "No... What on earth is going on?" I staggered toward the shore. An indescribable sense of the unknown and helplessness overwhelmed me, leaving me dazed and unsettled. At that moment, a wave of hunger surged from my stomach. "I'm so hungry... Wait, what's that?" Suddenly, I noticed something. On the beach, a black, rectangular object was pinned down by some rocks. I quickly walked over, bent down, and picked it up, discovering it was a notebook with writing on it. [Congratulations! You have been selected as one of the 1,000 players in this thrilling survival show on a deserted island!] [We do not acknowledge or care about your anger or confusion.] [Before you officially begin your survival journey, please remember the following tips:] [1. This is a mysterious island far from any shipping routes and unknown to the world. It is rich in resources but also home to dangerous beasts.] [2. Survival will be your only goal. There is no exit button in this reality show. Death here means the true end of your life.] [3. If you encounter other players, you can trade, form alliances, or plunder and enslave them. It's entirely up to you.] [4. Survival supplies will be randomly dropped on the island. Find them before others to gain an advantage.] [Please enjoy this one-of-a-kind survival game to the fullest!] "Survival... game?" I clenched my teeth, staring in disbelief at the words in the notebook. Then, I looked out at the vast, endless ocean, feeling an unexplainable surge of fury wash over me. 'I've been made a player in this so-called survival game?' I murmured inwardly. "Who wants to play this stupid game? I want to go home! I want out!" I shouted in rage, my anger reaching its peak. 'What kind of sick joke is this? Treating human lives like they're nothing?' My mind buzzed, and my fury boiled over. "Who wants to participate in some stupid survival game? I just want my normal life back!" I yelled a few more times, even angrily throwing a rock into the water. But the scorching sun above and the cool sea breeze brushing past gradually calmed me down. "No, this is pointless. No matter what, finding other people or searching for those supplies is the right thing to do," I reminded myself. I took a few deep breaths, finally steadying my heartbeat, and began scanning my surroundings. Suddenly, I noticed a gray figure dozens of yards away on the beach. "That looks like... a person." Filled with hope, I ran over, quickly taking off my T-shirt to wring out the large amount of seawater it had absorbed. I patted my jeans pocket and found only a house key inside. "What's going on? Not even a phone?" I put my T-shirt back on, lamenting how poorly equipped I was. I only had a key. In no time, I reached the figure. "Hey, are you alive?" I asked. It turned out to be a short man. Looking closer at his face, I realized he looked incredibly familiar. "Simon? Is that you, Simon?" I couldn't help but call out. I realized that the person lying on the beach was actually my colleague. A wave of surprise and excitement washed over me. In a place like this, having someone familiar around was definitely better than being alone. But Simon, lying motionless on the sand, didn't respond. His pale, bloated face and bulging, lifeless eyes showed no sign of vitality. There was even some white foam at the corners of his mouth. I suddenly noticed that his chest wasn't moving. He didn't seem to be breathing. I gasped and quickly checked his nostrils with my fingers, then felt for his pulse and heartbeat. There wasn't a single sign of life from him. I rolled his body over and lifted his eyelids to check his bloodshot eyes. It didn't take long for me to reach a conclusion. "He's dead? That can't be..." I stammered. Simon was indeed dead. I looked again at his swollen abdomen and bloated face. I knew it was too late. There was no point in even trying CPR. I stepped back a few paces, staring at Simon's body as the waves occasionally washed over it. From what I could tell, he must have drowned in the seawater earlier. Just then, I felt something hard beneath my foot. As I was about to look down to see what it was, a sudden scream erupted behind me. "You killed him! Zane, you're a murderer!" I whipped around and saw someone I knew very well standing there. "Ms. Jackson?" I blurted out. The person in front of me was none other than Ruby Jackson, the CEO of our company. The company had originally been her father's business, which he later handed over to her. I had been personally recruited into the company by Ruby herself. However, this stunningly beautiful woman, with a figure like a famous actress, was known in the company as the "Queen of Aloofness." In the two and a half years I'd worked there, I'd never seen her smile even once. Seeing Ruby here, I felt a mix of surprise and relief. But being accused of murder quickly dampened my mood. "Don't talk to me! You murderer! Simon's dead, and there's no one else around. It must have been you who killed him! I... I'm warning you, don't come near me!" Ruby screamed. At that moment, her beautiful face twisted in fear.