A huge thanks to GreenKiTea for the Kofis. Enjoy the bonus chapters!

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Day 12 of Survival, a peaceful day.

Today, the newspaper bird delivered the *Impermanent Sea Daily*.

Nan Liujing tucked the newspaper under his arm, leaned over to retrieve a stack of disposable spatial cards from the mailbox, and hurried back inside.

Nian Gao and Hei Tang had already finished breakfast and gone to work; their current job was herding slimes, and they both really enjoyed it.

For Nian Gao, it’s a chance to play in the water while picking on slimes, but for Hei Tang, the land-dwelling slime subspecies is just a mud ball with a satisfying texture—one he can kick all over the island like a soccer ball.

After Nan Liujing finished watering the fields, he went back inside to eat his breakfast.

The temperature had risen a bit today, so Nan Liujing couldn’t be bothered to light the fireplace—and didn’t feel like cooking either. Instead, he dug out a meal from the storeroom that he’d previously made using crab legs.

The meal had long since gone cold, and eating it with plain boiled water only made it colder still. Nan Liujing expressionlessly stuffed the fishy, salty meat into his mouth while flipping through the newspaper.

This issue of the *Impermanent Sea Daily* featured a new column; the newspaper had invited a food critic—said to be quite knowledgeable—to contribute, sharing his recommended recipes for each issue. This issue’s recommended recipe was shepherd’s pie.

【This is a delicious home-style dish that’s not at all complicated to make—perfect for serving at family gatherings to wow everyone. The method is very simple: first, you’ll need a nice piece of leg of lamb, or lamb shoulder…】 

Chop the onions, carrots, and lamb into small pieces, then add tomato paste, flour, and red wine to create a rich and flavorful meat sauce. Season with salt and black pepper; you can also add a little spice according to your personal taste.

Prepare the potatoes, add butter, cheese, and milk to make silky-smooth mashed potatoes.

Spread the meat sauce evenly over a baking dish, pour a thick layer of mashed potatoes on top, sprinkle shredded cheese over the surface, and pop it in the oven—and your delicious shepherd’s pie is ready.

The ingredient ratios and step-by-step instructions, written by a food critic himself, were extremely detailed. After reading through the entire recipe, Nan Liujing couldn’t help but hope for a new recipe.

He took a sip of cold water to rinse away the fishy taste in his mouth, then opened the recipe to check the cooking instructions.

【Shepherd’s Pie】 

【Category: Ingredients · Main Dish】

【Ingredients: Lamb x1, Carrot x1, Onion x1, Potato x1, Butter x1, Milk x1.】

【Optional Ingredients: Cheese, Salt, Spices, Green Peas.】

【Estimated Cost: 1,300 Sol.】

【Freshness: Fresh】

【Effect: Restores 50 Stamina points; reduces Stamina consumption by 50% (for 4 hours).】2

【A perfect combination of meat sauce and mashed potatoes—an essential dish for family gatherings.】

“That’s quite a list of ingredients.” At a glance, he only had two of them on hand. He was still a long way from making it himself. Still, having a reliable way to get the recipe was a good idea—what if he needed it someday?

Besides, Nan Liujing had a bit of a collecting obsession when it came to games. As long as he could fill in all those densely packed empty slots on the cooking page, he wanted every recipe—even ones he’d never make in his entire life.

After finishing the food column and catching up on the four-panel comic serialized in the center spread, Nan Liujing reluctantly turned the page.

This issue of the *Impermanent Sea Daily* seems to have undergone a redesign, with quite a few new columns added. Nan Liujing spotted one on fashion and styling, one on makeup, and one on scenic spots… 

“Oh, the agriculture and farming column—this one.”

After flipping through a few pages, Nan Liujing finally spotted one that caught his eye.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed this column was co-sponsored by the Shepherds’ Association and written by professionals, so the quality was guaranteed. This issue covered methods for improving sensitivity.

【As is well known, a herder’s sensitivity and mood levels greatly affect the quality of their produce. Five-star byproducts not only command higher prices but also reflect your level of expertise in animal husbandry. People generally place greater trust in stalls that produce five-star products…

This issue focuses on how to improve sensitivity. The Shepherds’ Association has long since developed a proven set of methods, which they are now sharing free of charge with all readers.

Feeding. You must feed your animals daily; only when they are well-fed will they have the stamina to produce by-products. They will also be grateful to the person who provides their food.

Petting. Gently touch the animals you raise to build a bond with them and let them become familiar with your scent and presence; gradually, they will grow closer to you.

Brushing. This method is effective only for livestock. Brushing the coats of the cows, sheep, horses, and deer you raise not only keeps their coats shiny but also improves their sensitivity and boosts their mood.

Interaction. Regularly interacting and playing with your animals helps improve their responsiveness. You can buy a bell and train them to come to you immediately when they hear it ring. Once they’ve mastered this, you can also use this method for herding.

……】

Nan Liujing read it patiently and concluded, “A post full of practical tips.”

Articles like this, which read like game walkthroughs, not only require careful reading word for word but also need to be photographed on a tablet and saved as a backup in case the newspaper is lost.

From this perspective, the *Impermanent Sea Daily* wasn’t entirely without merit. At the very least, these newly launched columns were quite useful, and even the seemingly trivial fashion columns helped Nan Liujing stay up to date on the latest trends.

For example, this issue’s fashion column strongly recommended alpaca coats, so Nan Liujing knew that alpaca wool must be selling well lately. Who knows when he might actually need it? 

Back when he first heard about it, he didn’t know if it would be useful either, but didn’t he end up making a profit of two alpacas for nothing? He didn’t exert any effort or spend any money—he just talked his way through it from start to finish.

Is there any way to make money in this world that’s more profitable than intelligence?

After this sweet treat, Nan Liujing turned to the next page.

Today’s “Record of Impermanent.”

【Wanted: Matthew Jackson, 33, former member of the Alchemy Association, alchemist. Expelled from the Alchemy Association for conducting illegal human transmutation research and is currently on the run. Last seen on Aquarius Island. Bounty: 30,000 Sol.】 

【Yesterday, the Impermanent Sea Islands Management Committee confirmed that Yalan Island has completely sunk. Another island in the Impermanent Sea has vanished. Fortunately, as early as a month ago, when Yalan Island first began to sink, its residents had already been evacuated in an orderly manner. No casualties were reported in this sinking, but economic losses are inevitable.】

【Notice: Professor Alfonso Cocotte is searching for his suitcase. A week ago, while the research vessel *Phoenix Conch*, on which Professor Alfonso was traveling, made a scheduled six-hour stop at Meatball Island, he accidentally lost the suitcase he was carrying with him during the few hours he spent on the island conducting field research. It is a square carry-on suitcase with brass trim on the four corners and no lock. Professor Alfonso has stated: Anyone who finds his suitcase may take whatever they need from it, provided they send the manuscripts inside back to him. These are all crucial research materials. Return address: Mingxin University Island, Dormitory Building 4, Room 302, Attn: Alfonso Cocotte.】

“A suitcase?” Nan Liujing stared at the newspaper. That description seemed somewhat familiar. Brass trim… hadn’t he seen something similar somewhere before…

Nan Liujing jerked his head around and looked at the suitcase on the coffee table. A carry-on, square, with brass trim, and no lock.

“……”

Calm—calm down! It has to be this one. This must be the suitcase belonging to Hei Tang’s previous owner, right? Yeah, that’s it. Nan Liujing took a deep breath and stood up to sit on the edge of the sofa.

After hesitating for two seconds, he slowly opened the suitcase.

Inside was a red velvet lining, with two sets of men’s clothes neatly folded—each consisting of a silk shirt paired with crisp black slacks.

A travel toiletries kit containing a comb, six boxed single-use mouthwashes, wet wipes, travel-size bottles of facial cleanser, body wash, and shampoo, a half-used tube of toothpaste, and a slightly frizzy toothbrush.

A bottle of perfume and a bottle of essential oil, carefully wrapped in a clean towel to prevent the glass bottles from breaking. A piggy bank—a pink one, no less.

A specimen box containing several plant specimens and seeds, neatly organized by category.

A thick stack of manuscripts, filled with complex, indecipherable words and hand-drawn botanical sketches. In the lower right corner was a familiar name—Alfonso Cocotte.

Nan Liujing closed his eyes, resigned to his fate.

He had no choice but to accept this cruel reality.

…His cat had been a thief before turning over a new leaf.

That suitcase was actually stolen from an innocent passerby! 

Alfonso wasn’t even Hei Tang’s previous owner! Otherwise, he would have been looking for both the cat and the suitcase at the same time!

“…I guess I’ll just return the suitcase.” Nan Liujing rubbed his nose and instinctively reached to close the suitcase, but hesitated at the last moment and quietly opened it again.

“Professor Alfonso himself said he only wanted the manuscript…” As he spoke, Nan Liujing held up a silk shirt and held it up to his body to check the fit; he felt the size wasn’t too different. He then looked at the pants—the length was just right, too.

Since there weren’t many clothes in his closet, and these two sets were both clean and still smelled of laundry detergent, Nan Liujing had a battle with his conscience—and emerged victorious—quickly putting the clothes away in the closet.

As for the toiletries bag, he left behind the obviously used toothbrush but kept the rest in the bathroom for future use. The towel was nice, too—he’d been in need of one.

No sooner had he pulled the towel away than two bottles of perfume and essential oil fell onto the red velvet lining. Nan Liujing picked them up and, to his surprise, found product descriptions inside.

【Moli Perfume ★★】

【Category: Processed Product】

【A perfume made by extracting the essence of Moli flowers, with a fragrant aroma.】

【Suggested Retail Price: 236 Sol.】

【Lavender Essential Oil★☆】

【Category: Processed Goods】

【An essential oil made by extracting the essence from lavender, which has a calming effect.】

【Suggested Retail Price: 260 Sol.】

Nan Liujing fiddled with the glass bottle for a moment, unable to figure out what it was for, but since it came with a product description, he figured it might come in handy someday. He picked up the piggy bank again.

【Piggy Bank】

【Category: Item】

【An alchemical item produced by the Alchemy Guild that can store an unlimited amount of Sol, allowing you to deposit and withdraw funds at any time.】

【Current Balance: 4,800 Sol.】