Zhang Shi secretly noted down the name Prometheus, then switched back to the regional chat channel, wondering if anyone had any other needs so he could profit from them.

At first glance, aside from those begging and chatting, those genuinely wanting to trade goods had similar needs to the trading market: basic necessities and food. Zhang Shi didn't find anything interesting and was about to exit when a familiar ID appeared on the screen.

Ge Dalong: I collect all kinds of containers, the larger the capacity the better. If you are interested, please contact me privately.

Zhu Dachang: Holy crap, Brother Ge, have you discovered a water source? If you make it big, don't forget to take me with you.

Cheng Xiaobai: Boss, you're awesome! I have an empty plastic bottle here, would you like to buy it?

Zhang Shi recalled that he had tricked Ge Dalong earlier in the day, but Ge Dalong had still told him some methods for finding water, which made him feel somewhat guilty. Looking at the extra black pot, Zhang Shi clicked on Ge Dalong's profile picture and initiated a private chat.

"Hey bro, are you there? I have a black pot (white) x1 here, wanna buy it?"

Ge Dalong replied quickly.

"I'll take it. Name your price."

Zhang Shi thought for a moment. At this stage, cooking utensils were merely icing on the cake, not necessities, so exchanging them for stones would be difficult. Remembering that he had been collecting containers in the chat channel, he guessed that the other person might have found a water source. So he tentatively asked.

"Have you found a water source?"

Ge Dalong didn't hide anything and sent a link to an item directly.

[10L River Water (White) x1: The river water is clear, sweet, and refreshing, but I still recommend that you boil it before drinking.]

“I found a small river near the shelter, but I lacked a container to heat it.”

Zhang Shi stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and then typed a message in the chat box and sent it.

"This black pot is an extra one, I don't have any use for it, so I'll give it to you. If I buy water from you in the future, just give me a discount."

Immediately, Zhang Shi traded the black pot directly to Ge Dalong, who accepted the trade without saying much. Not long after, Zhang Shi received a trade request. Upon opening it, he found that Ge Dalong had returned the black pot, which was now filled with a full pot of river water, conservatively estimated to be about 10 liters.

Zhang Shi placed the pot of river water down, marveling at how honest this brother was. He then traded the other black pot back, thanking him profusely. There was no reply from Ge Dalong; he was probably busy with other transactions.

Zhang Shi still couldn't fall asleep for a while, so he switched back to the regional chat channel, lurked around, and watched other survivors brag. The time didn't seem so hard to pass.

Zhu Dachang: Sigh, this wilderness world is so boring, there's no entertainment at all, I'm really not used to it.

Qian Duo: There are wild animals howling outside all the time, it's terrifying. I'd be grateful if I could just have something to eat and drink, I don't have the time to think about entertainment.

Liu Ruanruan: Which family member has plenty of water? My sister is dying of thirst. This time I won't take it for free; just tell me what resources you need for the trade. I'm about to reach my speaking limit.

Zhu Dachang: @Liu Ruanruan, girl, didn't I give you a bottle of water during the day? Why isn't that enough?

Liu Ruanruan: I'm a sophisticated girl, I need to take a nice bath. There's only so little water, how can that be enough for me?

Wu Qing: @Liu Ruanruan, these are extraordinary times, let's be patient. Water resources are extremely precious right now, how can we waste them so easily?

Ge Dalong: Everyone, I've listed a large quantity of [100ml (White) River Water x1] on the trading market, priced at 1 unit of wood. Those interested can purchase it. Friendly reminder: please use a container to collect it after purchase, otherwise it will spill on the ground.

Cheng Xiaobai: Holy crap, you should have said so earlier! I saw someone listing water resources on the trading market, so I bought 500ml. But all the water I bought spilled on the ground, boohoo.

Zhang Shi searched the trading market and found that a person named "Frosty Nineteen Provinces" had listed a large amount of river water, which only required one piece of wood per 100ml. He figured that this person was Ge Dalong.

Zhang Shi did some mental calculations. He figured that even a weakling like him could chop 6 units of wood per hour using the white-grade stone axe provided by the system.

The river water you traded costs 5 wood, and adding the 1 wood cost for heating and boiling it, it means that you only need to work hard for an hour to get 500ml of pure water. Ge Dalong's pricing is already quite reasonable.

Zhang Shi switched back to the chat channel, and sure enough, Ge Dalong's low-priced water immediately ignited the trading market. Many survivors were extremely grateful to him, but many other survivors selling water felt their share was being taken and began to smear him.

Tang An: Thanks to @Ge Dalong, I checked and the cheapest water in the trading market costs at least 2 units of wood per 100ml. Ge Dalong is such a conscientious merchant!

Wang Wu: Yes, I glanced at the trading market at noon, and the price of water was more expensive than gold. Some people even displayed 100ml of water for the price of 10 pieces of wood.

Chen Beipan: Hmph, they sell purified water, this is river water, it's filthy. Who knows how many microorganisms and bacteria are in it, and you still dare to buy it?

Chen Beipan: The source of that water is unknown. You wouldn't even know if someone urinated in it. Anyone who buys it is a fool.

Duan Bi: @Chen Beipan above, where did this idiot come from? Is he sick in the head? Why is he slandering my brother?

Zhu Dachang: Dead Rabbit's words may be crude, but they're not wrong. I think that kid upstairs is probably a water seller too. His previous chat history mentioned wanting to exchange water for fire starter. I guess Brother Ge's water is cheap, and he can't sell his water, so he's desperate and comes here to smear him.

Tang An: The Great Detective!

Wang Wu: +1

Cheng Xiaobai: +1

Sheng Mu: @Ge Dalong, buddy, since you've discovered the river, the water resources are inexhaustible. Why not share it with everyone in the channel for free? We're all survivors lost in this wilderness, we should help each other, don't you think?

Seeing this, Zhang Shi was so angry he laughed, and couldn't help but speak up and retort to Sheng Mu.

Zhang Shi (VIP): What a hypocrite! You truly live up to your name. Since you're so kind, could you do me a favor? I'm short on materials to upgrade my shelter. Could you contribute your wood and stone? Let me get rich first, and I promise I'll make you soar.

Zhang Shi's highlighted and pinned comment in red was tantamount to publicly humiliating Sheng Mu. Sheng Mu was clearly taken aback, tagging Zhang Shi and unleashing a torrent of profanities. Zhang Shi remained unfazed, treating it as mere entertainment, and responded with two words: "Clown!"

Others in the channel spontaneously joined in, and the chat channel was flooded with the word "clown," instantly filling the entire area's chat channel with a joyful atmosphere.

Seeing that the chat channel was empty, Zhang Shi checked the rental market and saw that timber harvesting was still going strong. Zhang Shi yawned. He glanced at the system time; it was already past 10 o'clock, and he decided to rest. Unexpectedly, just as he was about to close the system panel, someone messaged him privately again.

Zhao Feng: Stone, is that really you?