The cabin was pitch black, so the immediate priority was to start a fire. Zhang Shi took out a lighter from his system inventory and, using its light, used Lao Duan to cut a piece of wood into thin strips, then lit them. The wood near Zhang Shi's shelter was very dry, and the strips ignited quickly. Zhang Shi then cut the wood into smaller, more manageable pieces, took out some stones, and surrounded the fire, creating a makeshift campfire.

With the campfire lit, the cabin instantly brightened. The fire gave Zhang Shi a greater sense of security in the dimly lit wilderness. Taking out the rabbit meat that the system had prepared, Zhang Shi, as usual, used thin wooden sticks to hold the meat in place before roasting it over the campfire.

As the campfire roared, the temperature inside the cabin gradually rose, and Zhang Shi felt a warm glow spread through his body. The firelight illuminated Zhang Shi's focused face, casting a warm golden hue over what he considered his handsome features.

The rabbit meat sizzled slowly over the campfire, its fat dripping into the flames and filling the hut with an enticing aroma. Zhang Shi adjusted the rabbit meat from time to time to ensure that each side was heated evenly, the golden-brown skin gradually becoming crispy while the meat inside remained tender and juicy.

As the rabbit meat gradually cooked, Zhang Shi carefully used a wooden stick to remove it from the fire and placed it in the black pot he had just acquired, using it as a rice bowl. Zhang Shi gently blew on it a few times to let the heat dissipate, then took a large bite out of the meat.

"Woo-woo, gurgle."

Zhang Shi looked somewhat disappointed. Rabbit meat itself has very little fat, and without the addition of seasonings, its flavor became even more monotonous. Accustomed to the grueling meals prepared with modern technology, Zhang Shi found this meal rather bland.

"Hey, it's good to have something to eat, it's better than just eating bread."

Zhang Shi took out a bag of bread, cut off a piece of rabbit meat, and sandwiched the meat between the bread slices.

"Old Zhang's homemade mini hamburgers are done!"

The atmosphere inside the cabin became warm and peaceful. The glow of the campfire and the aroma of food mingled together, creating a heartwarming scene. Zhang Shi sat by the fire, enjoying this rare tranquility. Even in the real world, his mind had never been as calm as it was now.

After enjoying this simple dinner, Zhang Shi did not forget to add new wood to the campfire to ensure it could continue burning throughout the night, providing him with light and warmth.

Zhang Shi opened the window, leaned against the bed, and gazed at the night sky. The sky was pitch black, without stars or moon. Zhang Shi's eyes were slightly red, and two lines of clear tears slowly slid down his cheeks.

"This smoke is so strong, it's almost choking me to death."

...

After eating and drinking his fill, Zhang Shi lay on a simple bed made of wood, using a rabbit skin as a pillow, watching the flickering light and shadow on the ceiling, silently planning his next move.

He opened his already stuffed backpack; his current supplies included:

[Old Duan (Five Colors) x1, Broken Stone Axe (White) x1, Broken Stone Pickaxe (White) x1, 500ml Pure Water (White) x6, Plastic Water Bottle x1, 500g Bread (White) x6, Windproof Lighter (Blue) x1, Bicycle (White) x1, Rabbit Skin (White) x1, Small Animal Trap (Blue) x1, Wood (White) x105, Stone (White) x6]

It's only the first day of wilderness survival, and we already have so many resources. I have to say, that invincible cheat code is really useful; it gives us practical and crucial items.

Although Zhang Shi is currently secure in terms of food and drink, he has decided to continue searching for water and food for long-term development. Furthermore, the chat channel mentioned that treasure chests spawn in the wild, and he has the privilege of doubling the resources from these chests, so exploring the wilderness is a must.

He lay in bed for ages, unable to fall asleep. Zhang Shi opened the system panel and saw it was only 8 a.m. Usually, he would have just gotten off work at this time. With nothing else to do, Zhang Shi checked the material requirements for the next phase of the shelter upgrade.

[Stone House (Unlocked): Intermediate Shelter, providing shelter from wind and rain, and offering some protection against natural disasters and wild beasts. Its built-in fireplace effectively combats harsh weather. Upgrade Requirements: 105 Wood / 300 Stone / 6 Stone / 500 Mud / 50 Stone House Blueprints / 1]

The next phase of the shelter upgrade will require more resources. Mud and blueprints aren't urgent; they'll probably appear on the trading market in a few days. We can get them then with some resources. However, 500 units of stone is a huge expense for anyone, and I don't know if trading with Liu Yu alone will be enough to meet the demand.

With that in mind, Zhang Shi decisively opened the trading module and browsed through it briefly. At present, the prices of basic resources in the trading market have stabilized, and the ratio of wood to stone is roughly 4 to 1.

Zhang Shi summarized the reasons as follows:

First, although it's possible to collect scattered stones in the wild, gathering enough to upgrade a shelter still requires considerable effort to mine. Mining stones consumes far more stamina and time than chopping trees, leading more survivors to opt for chopping trees.

Secondly, many top survivors have upgraded their wooden houses and unlocked the next stage of stone house upgrade requirements, and have begun to buy up stones in large quantities on the trading market, causing the already high price of stones to rise even higher.

Zhang Shi looked at the other items being traded but didn't find anything particularly interesting. Most of the trades involved exchanging basic resources for food and water. Perhaps due to the newbie gift pack, it was only the first day, and everyone was being careful with their food and drink to get through it; food prices weren't too high.

Zhang Shi decided to let the bullets fly for a while longer, temporarily abandoning the idea of ​​exchanging food for resources. After placing twenty trades offering 4 wood for 1 stone, Zhang Shi opened the regional chat channel to see what everyone was up to.

Duan Bi: Waaaaah, this world is so dark, I'm so scared. Is there any big brother with abs who can video call me to comfort me?

Chen Beipan: Anyone who has successfully started a fire, please share some with me. I can trade you water for it.

Tang An: Does anyone sell lighters and matches? I opened a treasure chest and got a piece of raw meat, but I can only stare at it, I'm so hungry.

Zhao Weiwei: This thatched hut is drafty. Does anyone sell a fire starter? If the price is right, please message me privately.

Zhang Shi's eyes lit up as he spotted a business opportunity. He jumped up, took a burning piece of wood from the fire, and listed it on the trading platform.

System notification: Successfully listed [Wood (White) x1]

Zhang Shi was taken aback. He took the wood off the shelf and found that the flames on it had been extinguished, leaving only a charred black spot.

"I tested it, and it was all for nothing."

Zhang Shi casually tossed a piece of wood into the campfire and was about to close the trading interface when he caught a glimpse of a rental module. Clicking on it revealed that the system allowed renting out tool-type items. Survivors could set time or durability limits for renting; once the conditions were met, the rented items would be immediately retrieved.

Zhang Shi's eyes lit up again, and he tried renting out the lighters. Since they were products with no durability, Zhang Shi didn't know how long they would last, so he set a time limit of 3 minutes per person, with each rental consuming 3 units of wood.

Ding! Your [Windproof Lighter (Blue) x1] has been successfully rented by "AAA Building Materials Brother Wang," and you have received [Wood (White) x1] in return.

"Haha, it's done!"

Zhang Shi was overjoyed. He now had a stable source of timber income, not much, but in large quantities. In the early stages of the game, very few people could start a fire themselves. Renting out lighters was incredibly profitable, and most people wouldn't hesitate to exchange 3 units of timber for a fire source. After all, 3 units of timber could be reliably obtained in just half an hour, but even professionals couldn't guarantee starting a fire within that time. This business was incredibly lucrative.

Sure enough, the moment the previous tenant returned the lighter, the next order was already placed. Below Zhang Shi's rental list, there were also many comments from survivors:

Bloodthirsty Demon Realm: Mad Blade: You're awesome, boss! Where did you get that blue-quality lighter? Can you take your underlings with you and we'll get rich together?

Pure Man: Boss, could I borrow your lighter for a moment? I was only wearing my underwear when I transmigrated here, and now it's dark and the temperature has dropped. It's freezing cold, I'm going to freeze to death, waaaaah...

Prometheus: Have you lost your mind? You're selling something as important as fire for a pittance? Let me tell you, don't let me catch you, or you'll be in big trouble.

Humanoid Teddy Bear: @RevitalizeManhood, bro, is this ID a lie? Can we talk in private?