Slowly, Qi Xu recalled what day it was now. A glance at the watch showed it was already 6:00 AM.
Normally by this time, he would have already washed up, eaten breakfast, and set off. Yesterday, perhaps because everything had been resolved, his mind was more relaxed, allowing him to sleep so carefree.
"Maintain a steady speed of 40 mph."
Qi Xu instructed the vehicle to depart immediately, then carefully washed his face and applied skincare products. Whenever conditions permitted, Qi Xu preferred to live with refinement—it made each day feel more fulfilling.
He took out the La Mer luxury skincare set he had unboxed from a supply crate yesterday and gently patted it onto his face.
Perhaps because this round of the game had just begun, and Qi Xu had never lacked food or drink, his skin remained in good condition.
In the previous round, he hadn’t been so fortunate. Back then, he could barely eat enough, let alone care about appearances.
Add to that the constant exposure to wind and sun while trekking along the highways—his face had turned dark and rough, his hands cracked and calloused. Wiping his face felt like an abrasive battle between skin and palm...
The rougher he lived, the harder it became to face his own reflection.
In a survival game, beauty wasn’t a wise trait—it could even invite fatal trouble. But with strength, there was no need to fear such things.
After finishing his cleansing routine, Qi Xu sat at the table and opened a private message from the Chinese Master Chef to claim his breakfast.
True to its name, this autonomous-driving culinary master spared no effort in crafting exquisite meals.
The breakfast was so lavish that even pre-game Qi Xu would have hesitated to indulge in it. The variety was staggering—though each dish came in small portions, just one or two pieces, it was more than enough to satisfy.
Pork shaomai, black bean chicken feet, piglet buns, golden cake, steamed prawns, durian pastry, honeycomb tripe, a fruit platter, and boat congee...
The Chinese Master Chef was a true connoisseur of food.
Not only were the dishes a feast for the senses in aroma and taste, but the presentation was also impeccable. Even the fruit platter was arranged in a harmonious burst of colors.
As Qi Xu laid it all out on the table, he couldn’t help but admire the sight—and knew it was another opportunity to rack up bragging points.
He snapped a photo and opened the chat lobby.
He noticed... many players hadn’t slept all night, and several had even been muted last night.
"This heat is unbearable! I’ve been chugging cold water nonstop, and I’m still on the verge of collapse."
"Count yourself lucky—at least you have water to spare. I have to ration every sip."
"The damn weather won’t let up for days. I can’t take another minute of this. I regret leaving the dungeon early!"
"The screen says today’s peak temperature will hit 51°C. Right now, it’s 45°C. If it wants me dead, it should just say so—why the roundabout torture?"
Qi Xu scrolled up and saw that everyone was suffering from the heat. Many had resorted to voice messages, cursing the survival game in the public chat.
A few unlucky souls had triggered warnings and lost some of their supplies as punishment. After that, people only dared to grumble—no one risked outright insults anymore.
Not everyone was as fortunate as Dongfang Yuan, who could hurl the vilest curses without consequence—even earning rewards instead of bans.
Qi Xu posted his breakfast photo directly in the chat lobby.
Along with a caption:
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Advertisement: Buying all types of crystals, energy stones, vehicle upgrade card fragments. Selling workbenches, water condensers, air conditioners, Level 5 vehicle upgrade cards."
His bragging points skyrocketed, but the ad might as well not have existed.
Almost no one read the text—they were too busy staring at the photo, their hearts turning to ice.
Lucky Charm: "Brother Whirlwind, so thoughtful—cooling us down just when we’re about to melt."
Player1111: "I want prawns bigger than my hand too!"
Player1218: "Then you’d better lie down and dream about it."
True Grit: "This is pure extravagance. Young people these days have no sense of planning. For me, this could last days... sigh."
Breaking Free: "Your condescending tone is nauseating..."
Seeing the critic already getting roasted, Qi Xu didn’t bother replying. There was no point in sarcasm if you couldn’t actually silence the person—just a waste of time.
Just as he was about to start his daily training, a private message arrived.
Player0929: "Hello, Whirlwind. I’m on the verge of death from dehydration. Could I borrow two bottles of water? If I survive, I’ll repay you a hundredfold. If not... my apologies."
Attached was a video of a middle-aged woman—her lips cracked and bleeding, eyes hollow, voice trembling with exhaustion.
Without hesitation, Qi Xu sent her five bottles of water.
He hadn’t expected to encounter her. At the start of this round, he’d met a middle-aged man and saved him from a Fat-Eared Rabbit.
The man had been desperate, unable to find his daughter or the girl’s mother.
He’d shown Qi Xu a photo—likely this woman, though she looked far more weathered now.
The recipient seemed stunned that Invincible Black Whirlwind had actually sent water—and extra bottles at that. After a long pause, she accepted the gift.
"I have almost nothing to my name now. I can’t repay you yet, but I will!"
Qi Xu sent another message:
"Do you have a daughter? I met your husband. He carried a family photo in his chest pocket."
Player0929: "Yes! I have a daughter! Please, if you know my husband’s username, tell me. Thank you so much!"
Even through text, Qi Xu could feel her desperate hope. For a moment, he felt a pang of envy.
But the man’s username... Qi Xu couldn’t remember.
It was another Player-[Numbers] combo.
Still, he decided to help all the way.
He posted in the chat lobby:
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Missing person notice: Early in the game, during the newbie protection period, I rescued a middle-aged man from a Fat-Eared Rabbit. He carried a family photo in his chest pocket. If this man sees this, please contact me."
Such messages were easily buried under the flood of chat.
But... that’s where a top player’s influence came in.
Every player who saw the post copied and reposted it, appending Invincible Black Whirlwind’s username.
For ten straight minutes, the chat was nothing but this message—thousands of repetitions, unstoppable.
Qi Xu was baffled... Couldn’t they just stop chatting instead of spamming? Was this supposed to be cool?
..........
