However, the chances of encountering one are slim.
In Qi Xu's last round of the game, which lasted four years, he didn’t come across a single one.
So he quickly stopped thinking about it.
Chinese Master Chef sent Qi Xu a private message:
"Boss, I won a green-haired costume set in the red packet grab yesterday. Can I give it away? [smirking]"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Of course! Did you find someone you know?"
Chinese Master Chef: "Not exactly. Remember that customer you introduced me to, Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt? We hit it off, and he gave me an auto-defense item. I want to return the favor."
Qi Xu remembered that guy—the one with the bulletproof undersuit set. Their previous trade had gone smoothly.
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "No problem. What you won is yours—no need to ask me."
Chinese Master Chef: "OK! Oh, and he also has energy stones!"
Qi Xu’s eyes lit up. "Alright, I’ll ask him."
As soon as Qi Xu opened the chat with Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt, the man had already sent over the energy stones.
"You can have these for free. Can you add me to your group?"
Qi Xu immediately pulled Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt into the group.
Then he added, "No problem joining the group. We mostly just chat, exchange supplies or info. I do need those energy stones—let me know if there’s anything you want in return."
Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt: "I have a big appetite. Just give me some food."
Qi Xu sent over a family bucket meal and a pizza.
The family bucket happened to be the last one left—it wasn’t worth taking up inventory space for just that. Besides, Qi Xu’s tastes had gotten pickier, and he wasn’t too interested in such basic fare anymore...
Just then, the tomatoes ripened. Qi Xu picked five large ones—though they had no special effects, fresh produce was rare these days, and these looked especially juicy.
The green crystal stone’s energy hadn’t run out yet; more would ripen tomorrow, so there was no worry about shortages.
Still, trading such simple stuff for precious energy stones made Qi Xu feel a bit guilty. Since they were now groupmates—potential long-term allies—he threw in two hemostatic bandages as well.
The medicine cauldron had been working nonstop these past few days, stockpiling all kinds of drugs.
Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt immediately wrapped the bandages around his thigh. He’d assumed no one would trade such valuable items—Invincible Black Whirlwind was a real stand-up guy.
Suddenly, he felt trading with Qi Xu was the smarter move. Chinese Master Chef’s cooking was delicious, but the portions were small—fine for a meal or two, but not enough to stave off hunger long-term...
Invincible Black Whirlwind clearly had more supplies...
Looking at the new group chat, Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt hesitated, unsure what to say. There were seven others besides himself.
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "Whoa, new friend alert! Welcome welcome, sprinkle some flowers! 🌸"
Chief Beauty Officer: "Welcome! Haha, finally, fresh blood! Newbie, post a selfie!"
Chief Beauty Officer was just joking—it was a habit from before the survival game, meant to liven up the group. Even the main chat rooms used to joke like this.
But then...
Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt actually sent a photo.
A perfectly standard headshot of a stern-looking bald man, lips slightly curled in a nervous smile.
Chief Beauty Officer: "Holy—! Bro, my bad! My bad! My mouth ran away with me. There’s no photo rule here, sorry sorry! Want me to delete it?"
Chief Beauty Officer was so embarrassed he could’ve dug a hole with his shoes. Feeling guilty, he snapped a quick selfie and posted it too.
No choice—when you mess up, you own it.
The photo showed a young guy with an awkward grin.
Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt: "No worries. What’s done is done—it’s just a small group anyway."
Retired Magic Boy: "@Chief Beauty Officer, that mouth of yours..."
Chief Beauty Officer: "Haha, my fault. Sorry, Brother Golden. Here’s some jerky Chinese Master Chef made earlier—my apology gift."
Golden Bell Armor Iron Shirt accepted it but sent back a bulletproof undersuit set in return.
He wasn’t angry—just hadn’t realized it was a joke.
"Anyone else need bulletproof undersuits? I’ve got the blueprint and a workshop. I’ll make them for free, no crafting fees. Let’s trade supplies together from now on."
Apart from Qi Xu and Chinese Master Chef, everyone else needed one, and the group chat exploded with enthusiasm.
Qi Xu examined the two energy stones closely. Jet-black and weighty, they had a solid texture, and just holding them let him sense the energy pulsing within.
He scanned his inventory, debating what to replicate. The three-attribute enhancement pill would’ve been ideal, but he didn’t have any on hand.
The next best option was the site selection card.
No hesitation—if he could duplicate this, getting rich would be a breeze! No more scavenging in garbage dumps.
But when he tossed it into the replication box, Qi Xu froze.
[Requires 3,758 energy stones.]
Qi Xu smiled wryly. Of course it wasn’t that easy.
Now he understood why the Red Mania gang replicated hot water bottles instead of rarer items.
Trying the vehicle upgrade fragment next, he found it required 369 energy stones...
Only basic, non-specialty items—like water bottles, plain water, compressed biscuits, or bread—needed just 1 stone.
Replicating unupgraded weapons cost 8 stones. Even a hot water bottle took 2.
Slightly better food required 3–6 stones, while a full meal from Chef Fatty needed 7 or 8.
After testing everything, Qi Xu finally gave up.
These two stones weren’t easy to come by, and he didn’t urgently need any ordinary items right now, so he decided to hold off.
He’d wait to see what the next 10-day disaster type was before deciding what to replicate.
Meanwhile, Old White Dragon in the Waves, upon getting the site selection card, couldn’t sit still. Braving the blizzard, he charged forward recklessly.
He barely made it through the intersection as the light turned red, his excitement at a fever pitch. Inside, he beelined for Drunken Monkey.
"Hey, buddy! Let’s have a drinking contest."
Drunken Monkey: "?"
Qi Xu never expected Old White Dragon in the Waves to go this hard, charging into a storm like that...
The main chat room was lively too. With vehicles immobilized, people—social creatures by nature—turned to group venting to ease their frustration.
.........
