Qi Xu straightforwardly posted the required materials for the crafting table in the group, letting everyone get a clear idea first.
After a while, Qi Xu spoke up again in the group.
Invincible Black Tornado: "Bring your own materials, and then choose one of the following options."
"40 Vehicle Upgrade Fragments, 4 Weapon Enhancement Cards, 8 Colored Crystals of any type, 6 Energy Stones, 1 Auto-Pickup Mechanical Arm (I can supplement some extra materials), or any other odd and interesting items."
Lucky Charm: "Can I trade with 14 Vehicle Upgrade Fragments, 2 Energy Stones, and 3 Green Plant Crystals? Please, big bro, have mercy on me!"
Invincible Black Tornado: "Deal! As long as the value is roughly equivalent, any combination works."
Instantly, the group became lively again. While trading with everyone, Qi Xu also casually chatted a bit more with them.
The reason he didn’t leave all these trivial tasks to Qiuqiu was to gauge everyone’s personalities through the trades. Those who clicked with him could be quickly recruited later when forming a faction.
In one night, Qi Xu traded away 27 crafting tables. Almost everyone who inquired ended up making a deal, after all, crafting tables were a core necessity in this survival game.
Out of the 40 people in the group, more than half chose to trade. The rest either already had one, lacked the resources, or were unwilling to part with their items.
This result was already impressive, especially since it wasn’t even posted in the main chat hall yet. Qi Xu planned to pay Qiuqiu the next morning and assign him the task of selling crafting tables in the main chat.
After checking the resources he received in exchange:
459 Vehicle Upgrade Fragments, 9 Weapon Enhancement Cards, 19 Colored Crystals of various types, 19 Energy Stones, 1 Advanced Backpack Expansion Card, 1 Monster Disappearance Card, and 1 Stealth Tool Card.
The last three cards were sent by "Watch Me Slice You." Qi Xu was slightly stunned—was this person fearless or just reckless? Giving up such valuable survival items?
However, since her basic resources were insufficient, Qi Xu supplemented the deal a bit. Both sides were satisfied, given how rare those cards were.
Just as Qi Xu finished cooking, he even sent "Watch Me Slice You" a bowl of freshly made tomato and egg noodles.
"Watch Me Slice You" was overjoyed—no more going hungry tonight!
Qi Xu checked the upgrade requirements for his Pink Chainsaw: 20 Weapon Enhancement Cards.
He estimated that after selling more crafting tables in the trading hall tomorrow, he’d have enough—maybe even enough for another upgrade.
Originally, Qi Xu had activated a Red Crystal for warmth, but gradually, it became unbearably hot. After turning it off, he glanced outside and saw the snow beginning to melt.
The temperature was rising surprisingly fast. The Red Crystal still had plenty of energy left—despite the extreme cold, the weather hadn’t been harsh enough to deplete it completely.
Qi Xu picked up a grip strengthener and started his cardio workout. After finishing, he took a refreshing shower. Before bed, he stored away a thick quilt and quickly fell asleep.
At this temperature, he no longer needed to wear extra layers in bed. The Green Fur Outfit was also unnecessary—just wearing the bulletproof thermal set under the blanket was enough to stay warm.
Outside, the sound of light rain pattered against the vehicle. Though the rain wasn’t heavy, the snow and ice on the ground had already turned into muddy slush.
Qi Xu paused—was it the rainy season already? The question was whether this was normal rain or acid rain.
In this survival game, acid rain was far more corrosive than its real-world counterpart. Contact with skin caused an immediate burning sensation.
Normal fabrics, plastics, and even metal sheets couldn’t withstand its erosion.
Qi Xu rolled down the window and tossed out half a metal sheet. After a while, seeing it intact, he sighed in relief. Normal rain was manageable—acid rain would’ve made collecting supply crates much trickier.
So far, there was no known material that could resist acid rain.
This round of the game’s weather patterns were completely different from before—no discernible order or logic to them.
Suddenly, Qi Xu remembered—hadn’t he found a raincoat in a supply crate yesterday?
He quickly retrieved it and placed it on the crafting table. It only required 2 plastics to make.
Qi Xu crafted eight raincoats—one for himself and one for each of his small group’s members.
Inspecting the raincoat, he noticed it wasn’t the usual flimsy poncho. It was thick, high-quality, and designed as a two-piece set with an extra-long brim that could cover half the face—maximum rain protection.
He listed both the crafting tables and raincoats in the trading center.
The crafting tables required the same materials as yesterday’s group deal. For the raincoats, besides 2 plastics, buyers needed to add any two basic materials—type didn’t matter.
After posting, Qi Xu headed to the main chat and sent a message:
"Anyone need crafting tables or raincoats? Self-service at the trading center. No haggling."
Player Ghost Comic: "Holy crap! Crafting tables are really here! So hyped! Heard rumors about Tornado bro having the blueprint yesterday, but I doubted—my bad!"
Player 1022: "Finally! No more dealing with those scammy middlemen! I’ve been hoarding so many blueprints!"
Sunny Big Boy: "Sick, sick, sick! Tornado bro, I’ll take one!"
Sweet Donut: "OMG, crafting tables? This is way too expensive! 40 Vehicle Upgrade Fragments?! Plus Weapon Cards, Energy Stones, Colored Crystals—all premium stuff! This… isn’t worth it at all!"
Cursed One: "Yeah, yeah, you’re so right. It’s totally not worth it. Better to go to you for ‘processing’—where we bring our own materials AND pay you triple, right?"
Sweet Donut: "It’s just a trade. If others don’t mind, why are you butting in?"
Cursed One: "Great point. Since you’re not buying a crafting table, why are YOU butting in?"
Sweet Donut stopped replying but was seething—her most profitable business was ruined!
Not long ago, that "Retired Magical Boy" had already undercut her prices, forcing her to lower them. Now, with everyone getting their own crafting tables, who’d even need processing services?
Qi Xu skimmed the chat and checked Sweet Donut’s profile:
Nickname: Sweet Donut (Blueprint Processing Services, DM for details)
If he remembered correctly, this person had owned a crafting table for a while—guess the profits weren’t enough.
Selling crafting tables would inevitably step on some toes, but… no need to care. Securing resources was what mattered most.
After a quick wash, Qi Xu boiled 15 dumplings, ate up, and hit the road.
Today’s required travel distance had jumped from yesterday’s 20 kilometers to a staggering 80.
The road conditions weren't exactly ideal, making it another day of determined travel, with numerous unmelted snow patches still covering the ground.
.........
