Chapter 5: Underwear?

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Underwear?

The chat was flooded with question marks, but no matter what anyone else asked, "Jiang Yuxing" didn’t reply again.

Shi Zhile remembered her own Passive Skills. ’Jiang Yuxing most likely awakened a skill too. His is probably something precognitive.’

’It’s best to be on good terms with someone like that. If not, at least don’t make an enemy of him.’

She exited the [Chat] and opened the [Trading Hall], then typed out a message.

[100-125kg of stone for five 300ml bottles of purified water]

[Up to 25kg of stone for 2 pieces of wood. Can PM.]

The raft entered a deep-sea region. Shi Zhile put away the panel and took out her fishing rod.

[Fishing Rod: Level One Small Fishing Rod (2 Stamina/cast) (I can’t catch big fish, my back will break. But I don’t want to catch small fish either, so if you hold me, you won’t catch any fish at all~)]

Shi Zhile: "..."

’What kind of ridiculous fishing rod is this?’ She refused to believe it and cast her line. Soon, the bobber moved.

’See!’

’It doesn’t matter if the fishing rod is ridiculous. As long as the person fishing has good luck, there’s nothing they can’t catch.’

She reeled it in, and the sight of what she’d caught made her laugh in exasperation.

"What kind of decent person throws a perfectly good pair of men’s underwear into the ocean? Men don’t throw out their underwear unless it’s completely falling apart. Game designers, could you please put in a little more effort!"

After taking the underwear off the hook, Shi Zhile thought for a moment and decided to keep it. ’Once it’s dried, it should be pretty good for starting a fire.’

She cast her line again. This time, the wait was a bit longer, and when she reeled it in, the fishing rod didn’t disappoint.

[Rotten Men’s Underwear x3 (I don’t know what it’s for, but I just know it’s useful.)]

She casually took them off the hook, squeezed the water out, and placed them on the raft.

Staring at the ridiculous, useless fishing rod in her hands, Shi Zhile wished she could just snap it in half.

She took out her oar, paddled a few meters forward, and then started fishing again.

Her persistence paid off. This time, it wasn’t underwear.

[Drift Bottle x1 (Hey, jinx~ Open me up and take a look. Maybe there’s an unexpected surprise inside~)]

Even though it was just text, Shi Zhile could still sense the cheap, taunting vibe.

She had a reasonable suspicion that this thing was getting revenge on her—revenge for her telling it to get lost and for hitting it with a rock.

Inside the drift bottle was a yellowed piece of paper and a key.

She pulled out the cork and unrolled the paper. On it was a line of crooked, childish scrawl.

[My frend says on the other side of the sea is a group of prety blue sprites. Every nite they bro—(crossed out) sing.

But I think its prety mermaids who live there. Mermaid sister, when nite comes, can you sing a song for me?]

At the end was a big smiley face.

[Key (A proper key that can open locks, but not my heart~)]

She stuffed the paper and key back into the bottle and tossed the whole thing into her backpack.

’First of all, I’m not a mermaid. And even if I were, I wouldn’t sing.’

’I can’t sing, but that’s not to say I couldn’t make a fool of myself for the right price.’

She continued fishing and this time reeled in a rusty axe.

[Rusty Axe x1 (Needs sharpening)] 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

’Whoa!’

’A completely normal item description. How rare.’

[Rusty Axe (An overworked, overburdened axe... so... please, sharpen me to your heart’s content~)]

Shi Zhile: ...’I’m actually getting "honest guy throwing all caution to the wind" vibes from an axe.’

Remembering she still had crabs in her backpack, she took them all out and baited the hook with crab leg meat.

’Other people can catch fish, but I can’t. It must be because I haven’t been using bait.’

Learning from her previous experiences, she cast the hook far out this time.

After casting her line again, she opened the chat channel.

Her private messages had already shot up to 99+.

[N: Need a fire starter?]

[Player 2457: There are stones everywhere. I’ll give you one compressed biscuit for 100 stones.]

"Frozen" had also sent several messages. They started by asking for 500 stones, then dropped it to 200. When she didn’t reply, they ended with a string of vicious curses.

Shi Zhile immediately took a screenshot, reported them, and blocked them.

There were many messages, and many weirdos. Most players were telling her to be generous and give things away for free. She didn’t reply to any of them, instead picking and choosing a few to answer. One was N.

[Player 138138: I do. What do you want for the fire starter?]

The other was "Jiang Yuxing."

[Jiang Yuxing: I’ll trade you a chisel for 100 large stones.]

Shi Zhile replied: [30.]

[Jiang Yuxing: 50, and I’ll throw in two pieces of wood.]

Shi Zhile continued to bargain: [Forty, and you give me five pieces of wood.]

On another island, a young man in black hiking clothes laughed in exasperation.

He sat on his raft, a white bucket next to him filled to the brim with lively, jumping sea fish.

Just as he was replying to the message, his bobber moved again. He lifted his rod and calmly unhooked a salmon.

After casting his line again, he manipulated the panel and continued to reply.

[Need a hammer? Both for 100 stones.]

[Player 138138: Deal. And throw in five more pieces of wood.]

Looking at her reply, he took a deep breath and laughed in disbelief. "Shi Zhile, you black-hearted swindler! Why don’t you just rob me instead!"

[Deal!]

[Player Jiang Yuxing has sent you a chisel, a hammer, and wood. Accept?]

Shi Zhile stared at the items he’d sent, stunned for a moment. ’He didn’t use the trade agreement? He just sent them over so readily?’

’Isn’t he afraid I’ll scam him?’

Thinking of his skill, Shi Zhile replied tentatively: [I’m out at sea. Can I send them to you later?]

[Sure!]

’Scarily agreeable!’

She desperately needed those two items right now. If he had said no, she would have immediately gone back to move the stones. After all, this ridiculous fishing rod couldn’t catch any fish; she’d starve to death if she had to rely on it for food.

She accepted the items he sent and put them in the same slot where her fishing rod and oar had been.

While she was storing the items, the distant bobber twitched. Shi Zhile refocused and reeled in her line.

[Tattered Fishing Net x1, Rotten Men’s Underwear x2, Junk x Various.]

Shi Zhile’s expression didn’t change. With some effort, she hauled the fishing net onto the raft and cast her line again.

Holding the fishing rod with one hand, she rummaged through the junk in the fishing net with the other. The more she looked, the more disheartened she became.

"Plastic bags, plastic bottles, socks, shoes, rotten underwear... A huge fishing net and not a single living creature? This is unscientific! It’s completely unscientific!"

The excitement from her leg being healed was completely drained away by this fishing rod.

It was around two or three in the afternoon, the hottest part of the day. Baking under the sun, she felt hungry and thirsty, so she took out a bottle of purified water from her backpack and took a couple of sips.

The issue of a water source was still unresolved. Looking at the blue seawater, Shi Zhile reached out and cupped some in her hand.

[Seawater: Contains abundant salt and impurities (This water is crazy salty and undrinkable. If you don’t believe me, take a sip and try. I’ll take the L if the saltiness doesn’t kill you.

Note: You can get drinkable purified water by using a seawater filter~)]

’So seawater really can be filtered. As long as I can get a seawater filter, I won’t have to worry about a water source anymore.’

The bobber moved again. She was already too numb to have any hope.

"What is it this time? More underwear or a plastic bag?"

[Treasure Chest x1]