Qi Xu checked the sales of the hot water bottles and the small heaters.
The hot water bottles sold better—after all, they were cheaper. Over 800 had been sold, and combined with the ones given away in red packets or sold separately, they were practically out of stock.
Qi Xu removed the listing but kept a few dozen for himself. He figured he’d encounter similar weather again, and they might come in handy.
As for the small heaters, since he had the blueprint and plenty of materials, he left them up for sale, letting them sell at their own pace.
The blizzard had eased slightly, but the weather was still draining power. Qi Xu wasn’t in a hurry to set off and decided to wait until after lunch.
The tomatoes he’d planted yesterday had yielded 28 fruits. Qi Xu washed one and ate it raw. It was icy cold, but with the red crystal stone heating up the car, his back was practically sweating. The cool tomato helped soothe the heat, so he sliced a few more, sprinkled them with sugar borrowed from Chinese Master Chef, and instantly got that perfect sweet-and-sour flavor.
He then sent freshly picked tomatoes to a few people in the group chat.
Chinese Master Chef: "Nice! These ingredients are super fresh. Got any more? Send me some, and I’ll make you tomato dough drop soup tonight!"
Qi Xu kept three for himself and sent the rest to Chinese Master Chef.
After all, great ingredients only reach their full potential in the hands of a skilled chef!
Lunch was Chinese Master Chef’s pickled cabbage with grilled meat—sliced beef top blade paired with Northeastern-style sour cabbage.
One bite was enough to make Qi Xu’s taste buds sing. The meat was fragrant and rich, balanced perfectly by the tangy cabbage and chilled tomato salad. It wasn’t greasy at all.
Qi Xu thought it was even better than the honey-glazed grilled meat Chinese Master Chef had made before.
He snapped a photo and posted it in the chat, once again leaving everyone speechless for a solid ten seconds.
Spotted Dragon’s Cake Shop: "Suddenly, my instant noodles don’t taste so good anymore."
Player 1230: "Hot pot yesterday, grilled meat today… Meanwhile, even before this survival game, when I was just a corporate drone, I never ate this well."
Twinkling Star: "Boss, the aroma from your photo is practically leaking through my screen."
Blessed by Luck: "Am I the only one eyeing that plate of tomatoes? Feels like I haven’t had veggies in a year—unless you count the dried flakes in instant noodle seasoning packets."
Player 0701: "Same. Can’t even take a proper dump anymore."
Qi Xu immediately lost interest in the chat.
Instead, he focused on the newly appeared "bragging points" bar. At first, the numbers climbed quickly, but soon the growth slowed.
Compared to yesterday’s hot pot flex, this was nothing—barely over 2,000 points. At this rate, hitting 3,000 seemed unlikely.
Oh well. The first time always had the biggest impact. Still, something was better than nothing.
Qi Xu glanced out the window. The snow was still falling, already halfway up the car’s wheels.
If this kept up, driving tomorrow would be even harder. After eating his fill, Qi Xu decided to move around a bit.
He traded two hot water bottles for a large shovel in the trading space, then stepped out to clear the snow.
For now, the snow was still soft and easy to shovel, since the blizzard hadn’t fully intensified.
But if it piled up overnight, the lower layers would turn to ice.
Anyone with a snowplow right now would have a massive advantage.
Thanks to his enhanced strength, Qi Xu made quick work of the snow, soon working up a light sweat. The green fur suit was more than enough to keep him warm.
He cleared a path of about 50 meters, though the falling snow quickly dusted it with a fresh white layer.
Looking back, he felt a sense of accomplishment.
Not wanting his effort to go to waste, Qi Xu drove the car forward 50 meters each time he cleared a stretch.
The roadside supply crates were buried under the snow, but their faint glow was still visible. Qi Xu didn’t mind the extra effort—even small gains were worth it.
By afternoon, he’d scored a golden supply crate and two bronze ones.
But the work left him exhausted. Though he wasn’t cold, his hands were frozen stiff.
During a break, he checked the chat again and found someone had tagged him.
Blessed by Luck: "@Invincible Black Cyclone Boss, come chat with us! It’s such a rare, relaxed day—no need to stress over crates, and the snow’s too heavy to move anyway."
Dreaming of Flowers: "Haha, right! Today’s been great. With the green fur suit, we’re not cold, and we don’t have to obsess over finding crates.
Boss, even though you stay silent while handing out gifts, we can totally feel your kindness!"
Qi Xu snapped a photo of the path he’d cleared and posted it in the chat.
Invincible Black Cyclone: "Didn’t have time to check the screen this afternoon. The snow’s insane—had to shovel while driving. Only covered about 3-4 kilometers, but the haul was decent."
He added a shot of the three supply crates he’d found.
The normally hyperactive chat fell silent for a moment.
Then, the bragging points bar skyrocketed, climbing faster and faster…
Qi Xu’s eyes lit up. He seized the moment to stoke the flames.
Invincible Black Cyclone: "Turns out, heavy snow means more crates—and better quality ones too. Only downside is how freezing it is. My hands are numb from working all day."
Sure enough, the points surged even faster.
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "WHAT?! I napped all afternoon! Seeing this makes me want to slap myself silly!"
Blessed by Luck: "Now I get why Cyclone Boss is always top of the leaderboard. With that kind of grit, you’d succeed at anything."
Dreaming of Flowers: "Same. Here’s someone with tons of supplies still grinding hard, while I’m over here not knowing where my next meal’s coming from… No wonder I’m starving."
Player 1012: "Enough chatting. I’m going out to shovel snow."
Qi Xu offered a friendly reminder.
Invincible Black Cyclone: "Wrap your hands in cloth, folks. Mine are practically frostbitten."
Dreaming of Flowers: "Ugh, I feel so useless. I’m heading out to shovel too. With my meager supplies, I’ve got no business lounging around."
Qi Xu watched as the bragging points hit 26,000—far more than the hot pot flex. An unexpected windfall.
Truly, it wasn’t about fearing opponents who were hardworking, talented, or powerful.
The real fear was facing someone who was all three at once.
Satisfied, Qi Xu thought to himself: Get stronger, everyone. Otherwise, there’ll be no one left to trade with later.
.........
