The giant ape gently tapped Hunter Carter's arm and took the lead, walking toward the big tree ahead. Hunter Carter hesitated for a moment, then followed behind it.

This tree was so thick that it would take five people to encircle it. The years had left scars all over its trunk, but its branches and leaves were still lush, displaying its powerful vitality.

The giant ape climbed up the trunk and soon carefully climbed back down, holding an aging George White in its arms. It pointed to its own sole, then pointed at George White.

Hunter Carter understood its meaning—the giant ape wanted him to treat George White's illness.

George White weakly opened its eyes. Although its eyes were cloudy, their gaze was still sharp, as if it could see through a person's heart.

When Hunter Carter met its gaze, he couldn't help but be startled. These eyes shouldn't have belonged to a beast.

George White forced a smile. "Are you a doctor?"

Hunter Carter nearly fainted. He even wondered if he was hallucinating, actually hearing George White speak to him.

"If I'm not mistaken... you are a doctor?" George White repeated the question weakly.

Hunter Carter pinched his own thigh hard. He clearly felt the pain and finally confirmed that this George White could indeed speak human language. He steadied his emotions and said in a low voice, "That's right, I am a doctor!"

George White sighed. "I'm ready. You can treat my illness now."

From George White's labored breathing and its purplish lips, Hunter Carter had already determined that George White was most likely suffering from a heart problem. He reached out his hand. "May I have your wrist?"

George White extended its arm. Under the white fur of its right arm, the blood vessels were knotted and coiled, giving the first impression of varicose veins. Hunter Carter was also quite knowledgeable in traditional Chinese medicine, and George White's weak pulse confirmed his initial suspicion.

Unfortunately, he didn't have a stethoscope or blood pressure monitor at hand, so he couldn't further diagnose George White's condition.

George White began to cough violently, and only after a long while did it calm down. "Doctor, is there any hope for me?"

Hunter Carter gave a bitter smile. "To be honest, your body's functions are very poor. But right now, I lack even the most basic diagnostic equipment, so I can't further understand your condition."

George White nodded, turned to the giant ape, and said something in a guttural voice. The giant ape nodded repeatedly, came up to Hunter Carter, and, without giving him a chance to refuse, picked him up again and leapt into the jungle on the right.

Having just experienced this, Hunter Carter was no longer as afraid of the giant ape's actions as he had been at first. Carried by the giant ape, he soared through the air for about a kilometer. Up ahead appeared a cliff. Looking out from the top of the cliff, he could see the vast ocean stretching to the horizon. Hunter Carter looked around and realized he was actually on an island surrounded by sea on all sides.

The giant ape reached the edge of the cliff, wrapped Hunter Carter in one arm, and leapt down the cliff. Hunter Carter screamed in terror. In midair, the giant ape accurately grabbed a vine growing from the cliff, swung back and forth, then leapt again, grabbing another vine nearby. On the nearly vertical cliff, the giant ape moved as if walking on level ground. Hunter Carter screamed in fright, extremely worried that if the giant ape made even the slightest mistake, the two of them would be smashed to pieces, their bodies utterly destroyed.

The giant ape finally reached the bottom of the cliff. Hunter Carter, tense to the point of exhaustion, was drenched in cold sweat. The giant ape set him down, and Hunter Carter looked up to see the wreckage of a crashed plane. It turned out the giant ape had brought him here to look for medical supplies.

Scattered on the ground were many bones, likely the remains of unfortunate passengers from the plane. Their bodies had long since decayed, leaving only white bones. It seemed the plane had crashed quite a long time ago.

Hunter Carter crawled into the wreckage and, after a careful search, found a first aid kit and some tools. In the cockpit lay two corpses who hadn't managed to escape. The interior was covered in scorch marks, indicating that a fire had broken out when the plane crashed, burning the pilot and co-pilot to death in the cockpit.

Hunter Carter found a pistol in the cockpit—a G-Sauer P229, loaded with twelve rounds. The pistol was well preserved, without any damage. While the giant ape wasn't paying attention, Hunter Carter hid the pistol at his waist.

Although he found some communication devices in the plane, they had long since become useless due to the passage of time. Hunter Carter packed the necessary items he could find into a canvas travel bag, then picked up the first aid kit and went to the giant ape.

The giant ape had already grown impatient and picked up Hunter Carter, climbing back up the cliff.

As they neared the ape colony, they could hear wailing from afar. Hunter Carter immediately sensed something was wrong. The giant ape seemed to notice as well and quickened its pace.

Over a hundred apes had formed a circle, protecting George White in the center, each one letting out mournful howls. They beat their strong chests, making a booming sound, expressing their grief.

The giant ape let out a roar, threw Hunter Carter aside, and began beating its chest and wailing loudly.