Zhang Shi rubbed his aching shoulders, glanced at the time, and was shocked to find that it was already close to 3 pm, with only a little over an hour left in the system's sunset countdown. Remembering the system's repeated warnings that nights in the wilderness were extremely dangerous, Zhang Shi immediately packed up his tools and sped away on his bicycle. Fortunately, Zhang Shi hadn't strayed too far from the shelter; pedaling furiously, he returned to the dilapidated thatched hut in about 20 minutes.

As they approached the shelter, they heard a sound like a ship's horn nearby. Zhang Shi was startled, and upon closer inspection, he discovered that the animal trap he had casually placed when he left that morning had already caught something. A snow-white rabbit was caught by the leg, lying on the ground unable to move, only able to cry out helplessly.

Zhang Shi quickly stepped forward and killed the white rabbit with a single stroke. Good heavens, that rabbit's cry was so piercing; if it attracted a large, ferocious beast, how could this dilapidated thatched hut possibly withstand it?

System notification: Congratulations on obtaining:

Rabbit meat (white), 600g: Rich in protein, tender and smooth, it's a relatively easy-to-obtain meat in the wilderness.

[Rabbit pelt (white) x1: Dense fur, glossy coat, versatile uses, no tanning required.]

Zhang Shi reset the animal trap and excitedly carried the rabbit meat back to the shelter.

After taking a big gulp of purified water, which was now empty, Zhang Shi opened the system, intending to exchange some resources in the trading module to upgrade the shelter first, and then solve the problem of food and clothing.

Opening the trading module reveals that a significant number of survivors have already posted trading information. The items available for trade are diverse, with prices for various resources fluctuating considerably.

Seeing this, Zhang Shi decided to first observe the market situation in the regional chat channel.

Zhu Dachang: Family, does anyone have resources for sale? I'm offering 500g (white) bread x2 in exchange for 100 units of wood and 30 units of stone. DM me if you're interested.

Cheng Xiaobai: Don't even mention it, bro. I've been chopping trees all day, my axe's durability is all gone, my back is practically broken, and I've only collected 20 units of wood so far. As for breaking rocks, that's even more strenuous work, who would want to trade with you?

Hou Kun: Exactly, even if an ordinary person swings an axe until it smokes, they still can't gather enough resources to upgrade their shelter. You think you can exchange it for two pieces of bread? What kind of daydream are you having?

Ge Dalong: Everyone, I recommend that you explore the area around the shelter when you have time. I've found that treasure chests randomly spawn around the shelter. These chests not only contain basic supplies, but also have a chance to contain tools. [Exquisite Iron Axe (Green) x1: An exquisite iron axe with a sharp blade, making it much more efficient for chopping trees or attacking people. Durability: 98]

Liu Ruanruan: Wow, brother is amazing! You must have collected a lot of resources. Can you help your little sister?

Duan Bi: Wow, brother, you're amazing! You must have collected a lot of resources. Can you help your little brother?

Zhu Dachang: Hehe, little sister, I have a lot of extra resources here. Let's chat privately to discuss it in detail.

Liu Yu: @Ge Dalong, the person upstairs is right. I found a treasure chest near the shelter and got a blue-quality iron pickaxe. I've been busy all day and have a lot of stones. Anyone want to trade? 30 stones for 100 wood, based on the shelter upgrade ratio. DM me if interested.

Zhu Dachang: @Duan Bi, can you please stop messaging me, you dead rabbit? I'm talking to @Liu Ruanruan. If you bother me again, I'll block you.

Zhang Shi noticed this man named Liu Yu. He glanced at the prices of stones and timber in the trading market; due to the difficulty of mining, the exchange rate was often 1 for 5. After thinking for a moment, and since he had enough timber, he messaged Liu Yu privately.

Zhang Shi (VIP): Hello, you want to exchange 100 wood for 30 stones, right? I have some extra materials. Let's trade.

Liu Yu: Holy crap, it's a VIP! Can we add each other as friends and collaborate more in the future?

After saying that, he sent a friend request.

Zhang Shi thought about it for a moment. He was very efficient at chopping wood, and Liu Yu was good at breaking stones. Working together would indeed greatly improve the efficiency of resource gathering, so he agreed to his friend's invitation.

The two then successfully completed the transaction and politely said goodbye to Liu Yu. Zhang Shi looked at the 35 units of stone in his backpack, excitedly clicked the construction module, and upgraded his shelter.

With a flash of golden light, the thatched hut transformed into a small wooden cabin. Although losing 90 wood and 27 stones from his backpack was a bit painful, Zhang Shi still felt it was all worthwhile, thinking that he finally had a foothold in this wilderness.

Zhang Shi surveyed the new shelter. The original drafty shack had been transformed into a wooden cabin of about 20 square meters. The cabin was entirely constructed of wood, with moss sealing the gaps, making it airtight. The floor was paved with stone slabs, preventing moisture from the ground. Most importantly, the cabin had a door and windows; aside from the cramped interior, it barely resembled a home.

I used the system to check out the cabin.

[Wooden Hut: A basic shelter, providing protection from wind and rain, but still quite inadequate against natural disasters and wild animals.]

Zhang Shi ignored the system's evaluation of the wooden house, feeling very satisfied, and excitedly rolled around on the stone floor a few times.

"It wasn't for nothing that I worked hard all day; at least I have a decent place to stay."

System notification: Congratulations on successfully upgrading your shelter and unlocking crafting permissions for some items. You have obtained:

[Advanced Treasure Chest (Blue) x1: A high-quality treasure chest. Opening it may yield resources, weapons, items, or a mysterious surprise. (Untradeable)]

Zhang Shi's eyes gleamed. He had been worried about not finding a treasure chest, but the reward for upgrading the shelter was a high-level treasure chest. Remembering that he hadn't used his VIP privileges for today, he immediately chose to open the treasure chest.

Ding! Successfully opened the premium treasure chest (blue), triggering VIP privileges. Items doubled. Obtained:

[Two black (or white) pots: Iron cookware, covered in stains due to prolonged use.]

Purified water 500ml (white) x6

500g white bread x 6

[Wood (White) x20]

10 White Stones

After the treasure chest was opened, it vanished in a flash of white light. Zhang Shi looked at the extra resources before him with some disappointment.

It's supposed to be a high-level treasure chest, but all I got were white-quality items, and not many of them either. It seems like whether you get anything good depends on luck.

Zhang Shi checked the building interface again and found that some furniture and iron products had been unlocked, including iron axes and iron pickaxes. However, these items still required one crucial material—iron. At present, most players did not have a way to obtain iron, so these unlocked items were only for display and not for use.

Just as Zhang Shi was struggling with his decision, the sky outside suddenly darkened. A few rays of light had been streaming through the wooden window into the room a moment ago, but in the blink of an eye, the entire room was plunged into darkness.

Zhang Shi calmed down and glanced at the system time. Sure enough, it was already 4 PM, the time when the sun was setting. Zhang Shi quickly closed the doors and windows to prevent wild animals from disturbing them.

Once he calmed down, Zhang Shi felt a growing hunger pang in his stomach. He then realized he hadn't eaten anything all day. Remembering the rabbit meat and cooking utensils he had just acquired, he decided to prepare a decent dinner in the cabin.