Chapter Bonanza (2/10)

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

The main reason Nan Liujing hid in the animal shed was to avoid Victor while using the tablet.

At that hour, the animals were still roaming the pasture, and the shed was empty, with nothing but flattened droppings scattered across the floor, giving off a foul stench. Pinching his nose, Nan Liujing took out the shovel he’d just bought and scooped up the droppings along with a layer of soil beneath them, hauling them to the compost bin.

With the doors and windows wide open, the air inside the animal shed instantly became fresher.

Finally, the dairy cow purchased earlier that day was taken off the sales block and placed in the animal shed.

The first cow had been bought from someone else; it was already tame. As soon as it set foot on the ground, it let out a soft “moo” and nudged Nan Liujing’s chest with its big head.

Beneath its long eyelashes, its eyes looked like two black grapes, glistening with gentleness. Nan Liujing stroked the cow’s broad forehead and casually fed it a tuft of grass.

【Black-and-White Dairy Cow】 

【Category: Animals】

【The most common cow in the Impermanent Sea, known for its gentle temperament and ease of care. After giving birth, a mature cow can produce x1 milk per day. Careful feeding can improve the quality of its milk.】

While the other animals grazed outside, the feed trough in the animal shed was temporarily all to himself, and he soon stood by it, munching away. Accompanied by the sound of the cow chewing, Nan Liujing crouched by the doorway, took out his tablet, and opened the group chat.

Since their conversation that morning, a few more posts had trickled into the group chat over time—almost exclusively from Li Shechu and Zhang Zihan.

Looking at the message history, it seemed the two had bought nautical charts and gone out to chop down trees. Li Shechu got lucky and stumbled upon a resource island covered entirely in trees, where he toiled away for most of the day.

Zhang Zihan had landed on a monster island and spent half a day battling the monsters there.

In the group chat, one was complaining about how exhausting chopping wood was, while the other was cursing the monsters for being so tough. The two talked past each other, occasionally exchanging a few remarks to keep the conversation going—and surprisingly, they seemed to have a natural rapport.

Nan Liujing skimmed through the chat at a glance; it felt like watching a comedy routine.

Seeing no key points, he scrolled all the way to the bottom of the screen and started typing. 

Nan Liujing: 【Typhoon Barriers Construction Blueprints】 

An item description popped up for everyone.

Li Shechu: Holy crap! You’re truly a pro! You mentioned a possible typhoon this morning, and by this afternoon you’ve already got a solution! I’m in awe!

Zhao He: Impressive.

Zhang Zihan: Wow, that’s awesome.

Li Shechu: Ugh… the materials. No wonder your buddy told you to chop down more trees—it really is just scrap wood. 

Xu Jia: @Nan Liujing, has it been confirmed that it’s a typhoon yet?

Nan Liujing: Confirmed. In 9 days.

Nan Liujing: We’ve got the blueprints, but materials are a problem.

Wooden planks aren’t too bad—after all, players who’ve survived this long have tough it out for a full 15 days in the game and have saved up a bit here and there. Just to protect the shelter and build a typhoon barrier, they can grit their teeth and come up with 80 planks.

But magic crystals are a different story—many players haven’t even heard of them, let alone seen one.

Things are a bit better with Nan Liujing—there’s a traveling merchant right at his doorstep. If Victor doesn’t have any in stock, he’ll still have a chance to ask around when he goes to Goldfinch Island in four days.

In comparison, he was more worried about money.

Counting the number of buildings on his island—a basic farmhouse, an animal shed, a slime ranch, a marine ranch, and a smokehouse—plus two plots of poor-quality farmland. To install typhoon barriers, he’d need 6 magic crystals and 480 wooden planks—and that’s assuming only one barrier is needed for both plots of farmland.

If he had to buy them, how much would that cost? Just thinking about Nan Liujing made him feel overwhelmed.

He wasn’t the only one worried—the other players in the group shared his concerns. Players who’d reached his level might have only a single building on their island.

Li Shechu looked up from his tablet and gazed at the pottery workshop in front of him, his face filled with reluctance.

But this was his biggest cash cow after the wooden single bed—the pottery workshop produced pots, bowls, and ladles every day, and he knew just how well they sold in the trading district. If a typhoon destroyed it and production stopped for even a day or two, he knew how many resources he’d lose—just thinking about it was enough to break his heart.

And then there was the outdoor toilet—he had to protect that one too. It had cost him a full two pieces of glass to build, and who knows how much it would fetch on the trading zone? More importantly, it was one-of-a-kind—there were hardly any others for sale.

If just one outdoor toilet were destroyed, he’d be out of a pleasant bathroom experience for several days.

There were four or five buildings on the island. Li Shechu felt a pang of regret looking at each one—should he protect them all? But when he ran the numbers, he couldn’t help but curse out loud. Just as everyone was at a loss, a new message popped up in the group chat.

Xu Jia: I have a lead on the magic crystals. Li Shechu perked up and quickly typed a reply.

Li Shechu: Boss, spill it fast!

Xu Jia: Have you guys checked the task board posted by the Island Management Committee? I found a job listing there today for a temporary worker.

Xu Jia: 【Screenshot of sticky note】

They clicked on it.

Hiring Temporary Workers.

Job Description: Travel to Lava Island to perform excavation work. Pay: Paid daily, 6000 per 8 hours.

Requirements: All resources mined must be turned in. Those who work a full 8-hour shift may keep 1 of those resources.

“…and you’ll get a meal.”

Xu Jia: The back of the sticky note is a nautical chart—you can use it right away.

Li Shechu: What do you mean? I don’t get it.

Zhao He: Wait, Lava Island? 

Zhang Zihan: That sounds familiar.

Zhang Zihan: I remember now! That’s the intel J shared, right?

Xu Jia: Right. J previously shared intelligence related to Lava Island—specifically, reports that a volcanic eruption on Lava Island may have spewed magical crystals, and news that a native organization was hiring people to mine magical crystals there. As soon as I saw a mission related to Lava Island, I got suspicious.

Xu Jia: So I went to do a mission there today. 

Li Shechu: Huh???

Beside a beautiful coral forest, Xu Jia sat barefoot on the shore, his calves submerged in the pale blue seawater. Colorful tropical fish swam around his feet, tentatively nibbling at the dead skin on the soles of his feet.

Xu Jia’s upper body was charred and scorched; his hair had previously been singed into curls, so he’d simply cut it off with a single stroke of the scissors and now sported a shaggy, buzz-cut-style hairstyle.

His two bright, piercing eyes were bloodshot from the smoke; his face was pitch-black; his fingers were covered in soot and cracked, and any blood that flowed out was immediately stopped by his scorched flesh—he was a complete mess of blood and flesh.

He had never looked so disheveled in the past ten years, but now he sat there, enjoying the cool sea breeze and the gentle waves, with small fish swimming around his feet.

Xu Jia typed clumsily with his swollen, sore fingers, his expression remaining calm throughout.

Xu Jia: The mission didn’t specify it, but the job does indeed involve mining magic crystals.

Eight hours ago, while Xu Jia was chatting with his group members, he was already on the boat heading to Lava Island.

At 9:30, he arrived at Lava Island, where nearly 30 small boats were already docked at the pier.

A man who looked like a foreman stood in the front, wearing a full set of protective gear in alternating shades of bright yellow and green, completely wrapped from head to toe, his face concealed by a black mask.

If the other person hadn’t spoken, and it hadn’t been a rough, gruff male voice, Xu Jia would not have been able to tell his gender.

“Name. What are you here for?”

“Xu Jia. I’m here to work.” Xu Jia handed him a sticky note. The foreman glanced at it, then looked her up and down.

“Is that all you’re wearing?”

Xu Jia asked, “Is there a problem?” 

“A problem?” The other person gave a hoarse laugh. “I’d advise you to cover your face. If you’ve got the guts, come with me.”

He turned and walked away, motioning for Xu Jia to follow. Before entering the mountains, Xu Jia looked up at the distance.

Lava Island itself was a massive active volcano; crimson magma still surged from the summit, and the air was whipped by a fierce gale that cut across his face like a knife.

The sky was a murky gray—not because the weather was clear, but because the air was thick with volcanic ash.

The mountainside still bore traces of the magma’s rampage during the eruption; most of it had cooled, but in some places, flowing crimson magma could still be seen.

Halfway up the mountainside, the ruins of a village were visible. A broken pillar had rolled down and was now wedged diagonally into the mountainside; its tip, pointing skyward, was still adorned with exquisite relief carvings.

Xu Jia averted his gaze, raised his hand, and tore off a large piece of fabric from his T-shirt to cover his face, leaving only his eyes exposed.

He followed the foreman to the foot of the mountain, where more than twenty people had already gathered. Most were fully equipped, while a few, like him, were ill-prepared.

Everyone carried baskets on their backs and held pickaxes in their hands, hunched over with their heads down, striking the fiery rock stroke after stroke. As rock chips flew, a massive amount of heat radiated into the air; people had to squint carefully to keep the debris out of their eyes.

Even more terrifying was that with one swing of the pickaxe, instead of hitting anything solid, a cloud of toxic fumes was unleashed. The thick, acrid gas contained deadly irritants and corrosive agents; a man without head protection was accidentally sprayed in the face with the toxic fumes and collapsed on the spot, screaming in agony.

Seeing this, the foreman cursed under his breath, walked over, grabbed the man by the collar, and yanked him to his feet. First, he slapped him twice hard across the face to bring him to his senses, then pulled out a bottle of some unknown liquid, roughly pried open the man’s mouth, and forced it down his throat.

He went through the routine with such ease that Xu Jia felt like calling the police.

Fortunately, a few minutes later, the unlucky man coughed his way back to his feet. The foreman asked coldly, “Can you still keep going?” The man coughed as he spoke, but managed to nod with great difficulty.

So the foreman let him go and walked back to Xu Jia’s side: “Did you get a good look? That’s your task.”

“Take this pickaxe and keep digging until you unearth a shiny little thing,” the foreman said. As he spoke, he pulled out a fiery-red crystal to show Xu Jia. “If you come across sulfur deposits, you can dig up some of that too. The alchemists have a need for it.”

“Don’t be afraid of dying. My job is to make sure you’re brought back alive. The work is steady, potions are plentiful, and the pay is generous. If you work a full 8 hours, you can even take one of those shiny crystals home. But the risks—well, they’re exactly what you see right now.”

“So, what do you say? Are you up for it?” the foreman asked. “If you’re scared, back out now. If you try to leave halfway through, you won’t get paid.” 

“……” Xu Jia nodded. “I’m in.”

So Xu Jia was given a backpack and a pickaxe and joined the army of miners. Digging on a volcano—the working conditions were anything but comfortable.

Even though there were clearly no sparks around, it felt as if hot steam were rising; the air warped and twisted, making people sweat profusely in a stifling heat that felt like a sauna. The ground was uneven—it could hardly be called a path—and after just a few steps, people would fall and scream in agony as the rocks on the ground burned them.

It had been only a few days since the volcanic eruption; not only was the temperature still high, but the toxic fumes hadn’t dissipated either.

After about ten minutes, Xu Jia’s eyes were stung red; he blinked in discomfort, his white sclera streaked with red blood vessels. Yet he couldn’t close them—if he couldn’t see the path clearly and stumbled, suffering a first-degree burn would be the least of his worries.

Even Xu Jia, who was usually mentally tough, felt a lingering sense of dread at the thought of this task.

Xu Jia:【Magic Crystal】 You can take one home after working a full 8-hour shift, plus a cash reward. The mission pay is pretty generous. But it’s best to be fully equipped—wear protective gear and a gas mask.

Xu Jia: @Nan Liujing, J, how much are you charging for the contract manufacturing of the typhoon barriers? 

Nan Liujing was reading the item description for the Magic Crystal. It was his first time seeing it, too.

【Magic Crystal】

【Category: Ore】

【A naturally formed, magic-infused gemstone—a common source of power in the Impermanent Seas and the core component of the vast majority of alchemical items.】

【Suggested Price: 8,000 Sol.】

“8,000… Well, that’s not too bad—though it is a bit pricey.” Nan Liujing breathed a slight sigh of relief; it was cheaper than what was listed on the blueprint.

He guessed that because the material was used in large quantities in the Impermanent Sea and was rare to begin with, the price had skyrocketed. Now that he had a better idea of the cost, and seeing Xu Jia’s inquiry in the group chat, Nan Liujing gave it some serious thought.

The blueprint for the typhoon barriers had cost him 10,000 Sol—which was actually a bargain.

As for practicality, these were an absolute necessity for players to cope with the typhoon striking nine days later. Without the typhoon barriers, players would surely die tragically when their shelters were destroyed by the storm.

In the face of death, anything that saves lives is worth any price.

He could easily set an exorbitant price for the typhoon barriers and only trade with high-level players who could afford them. This approach would not only save time but also allow him to access a lot of high-level resources.

But if he actually did that, he’d be trampling underfoot the moral values, conscience, and even character he’d cultivated over the past twenty years. That said, if he were asked to help others build typhoon barriers for free, he wouldn’t be happy to do it.

After all, the blueprints come at a cost; nautical charts are expensive too, not to mention the time spent sitting at his tablet processing orders one by one. If he were to really spend a lot of time doing this for free, the Church of the Holy Light would have to topple the statue of their deity and invite him to take its place.

How could they set a price that both sides would find acceptable? 

After much deliberation, Nan Liujing had a sudden flash of inspiration.

Nan Liujing: In-game currency, right? The pay for the Lava Island quest is 6,000? I’ll take 3,000.

Li Shechu: Whoa, in-game currency? Boss, you’re so generous! 

To be honest, he was prepared to shell out a fortune. He never expected that Big Shot J’s “contract fee” would be so trivial—he only wanted in-game currency that’s practically worthless to players.

Zhao He: The boss is so generous! 

Xu Jia: The boss is so generous. I’m going to post on the forum right now. 

Zhang Zihan: Generous!

Before long, Xu Jia’s new post went live.

Backed by the name of a top guide, his post quickly shot to the top of the forum’s front page as soon as it went live. When other players clicked on the post, they were immediately stunned by the bad news: “A typhoon is coming in 9 days.”

Fortunately, the post was merely an informational thread, and the strategy expert subsequently listed solutions in the comments. The post focused on how to work on Lava Island to obtain magic crystals.

For the vast majority of players, the process of completing jobs, collecting wooden planks, and crafting a set of typhoon barriers within 9 days—all to protect the Simple Shelter, the most critical building—is no problem at all; in fact, the timeframe is quite generous.

If you want to make a few extra sets of typhoon barriers, you’ll just have to go all out and work a few extra days.

Nan Liujing also posted a contract job for typhoon barriers. Xu Jia didn’t reveal that he was “J,” simply saying he’d “contacted a friend with connections.”

However, the source of the news confirming the typhoon’s approach was still credited to Big Shot J.

The posts attracted Nan Liujing’s attention, and some players in the comments are already calling Big Shot J a top-tier jinx.

Every time he shows up, it’s either a natural disaster or a typhoon—plus information on several dangerous resource islands—and not a single piece of good news.

Yes, Nan Liujing could only remain silent.

Silently closing the thread, Nan Liujing reassured himself: “It’s okay—they’re talking about J, not me.”

While there was still a bit of daylight left, Nan Liujing took the opportunity to check his inventory. Today, to make ends meet, he’d actually sold quite a few items in Victor.

Evil God Pendant x1, 1,000 Sol. 

Golden Greens x1, 1,480 Sol. 

Dried Grilled Octopus x6, 2,400 Sol. 

Wine x5, 4,000 Sol. 

Monkey Head Mushrooms x11, 3,960 Sol. 

Matsutake Mushrooms x4, 3,200 Sol.

Pine Needle Grass x11, 16,500 Sol. 

Dew Grass x12, 3,600 Sol. 

Watermelon x10, 7,900 Sol.

Heart-shaped watermelon x1, 900 Sol. 

Sea salt jelly x6, 900 Sol.

Natural Pearl x1, 10,000 Sol. 

Deer Head x1, 600 Sol.

Smoked venison chops x10, 5,500 Sol. 

After selling off these odds and ends, he actually made 61,940. Then there were the things he bought today.

A set of Typhoon Barriers blueprints for 10,000 sol; a dairy cow for 4,000 sol; and a mane brush, a shearing knife, a pitchfork, a shovel, and a tin bucket—all bought from the blacksmith’s shop. Since ironware is generally expensive, this whole batch cost him 24,000 sol.

He also bought a bag of bread at the bakery, which included 2 baguettes, 1 cranberry European-style loaf, 2 donuts, and 1 country loaf. The girl at the bakery, taken with his good looks, rounded down the total for him, so he ended up spending 4,600 sol.

“That leaves… 26,000 sol.”

Finally having finished his calculations and verified that the amount matched what was left in his piggy bank, Nan Liujing let out a sigh of relief.