Zhang Shi was taken aback, then quickly clicked on Zhao Feng's profile picture. Looking at that familiar yet unfamiliar face, Zhang Shi was overjoyed and hurriedly typed out a message and sent it.

Zhang Shi: Brother Feng, it's me!

Zhang Shi and Zhao Feng were college roommates and had a very close relationship; they even slept in the same bed (bunk bed). After graduation, many classmates gradually lost contact, but they still kept in touch with their roommates from time to time. It could be said that Zhao Feng was Zhang Shi's best friend.

Zhao Feng was also very excited to find friends in the other world. He excitedly applied to be friends and made a video call.

"Stone, you're living a good life. It's only the first day, and you're already living in a cabin."

Through the screen, under the bright light, Zhang Shi saw that Zhao Feng's shelter was also made of wood. He chuckled and teased, "Don't flatter me. You've upgraded to a wooden shelter too. Where did you get a light? Send it over for me to see later."

Zhao Feng smiled smugly and joked.

"Hehe, not as good as you. I see your channel messages are pinned, and you even have some kind of VIP membership? Tell me honestly, are you cheating?"

The two chatted for a while. Zhang Shi inquired about Zhao Feng's situation and learned that there was a small river right in front of his house, and that he had opened a treasure chest that morning, which yielded a high-quality blue fishing rod. Zhao Feng did nothing all day but sit by the river and fish.

Whether the fish were stupid or the fishing rod had some special effect, as soon as Zhao Feng cast his line, a swarm of fish rushed towards him, eagerly biting the hook. If Zhao Feng hadn't planned to fish slowly and steadily, he felt he could have caught all the fish in that area.

Even so, Zhao Feng returned with a bountiful harvest that evening. Food was an invaluable resource at the moment, and Zhao Feng effortlessly acquired all the supplies he needed through the trading market. Just as he was about to announce his catch in the chat channel, he saw Zhang Shi's pinned post.

Encountering stories in a foreign land is truly one of life's greatest pleasures. The two chatted about everything from their university days to their work, and then to this desolate world they now live in.

"Stone, you're the only person I can trust in this strange place. If you encounter any difficulties, be sure to tell me. I may not have much else, but I have plenty of water." After saying that, Zhao Feng traded over a grilled fish and three bottles of purified water.

Zhang Shi felt a warmth in his heart and accepted the items without refusing. Even though he had already eaten dinner, Zhang Shi still ate the grilled fish heartily in front of Zhao Feng. Through the video interface, Zhao Feng saw Zhang Shi's mouth agape from the scalding fish and burst into laughter…

The two chatted back and forth until late at night before finally hanging up the video call. Zhang Shi reminded Zhao Feng to collect as many stones as possible, as stones were key to upgrading the shelter in the next phase.

Zhang Shi added a few more pieces of wood to the campfire, then lazily lay back on the wooden plank bed and let out a long sigh. He glanced at the system time; it was past midnight. This was his second day in the wilderness world.

Suddenly remembering his incredible daily check-in system, Zhang Shi checked the system's homepage. Sure enough, the raised middle finger was flashing golden light again. Zhang Shi activated his cheat system, and the familiar check-in page popped up. Full of anticipation, Zhang Shi clicked to check in.

"Thanks!"

Another loud male voice rang out, followed by a system notification.

The system notifies you that you have received the following rewards for checking in:

[Backpack Upgrade Card (Blue) x1: One-time use item, non-tradeable. Increases backpack space to 30 slots upon use.]

Zhang Shi was initially full of anticipation, but upon seeing only a blue prop with a look of disdain, a strong sense of disappointment welled up inside him.

"That's it? That's it!"

Looking at the card in his hand, Zhang Shi could only silently console himself.

"My backpack was about to burst, so this is a godsend, yes, a godsend."

...

Nothing happened that night. At 6:00 AM the next day, Zhang Shi was woken up by the system alarm he had set. Zhang Shi stretched and felt the soreness all over his body, confirming that he was still in that small wooden cabin of less than 20 square meters in the wilderness world.

"Damn! I need to get some bedding when I get the chance; sleeping on this wooden board is too uncomfortable."

Zhang Shi got up, rubbed his shoulders, and added some wood to the still-burning campfire. He placed the black pot on the fire and heated a pot of river water to a boil. Zhang Shi had considered that many people had already found water resources on the first day, so the price of water would inevitably decrease gradually. There was no need for him to be frugal; he should use it as needed.

Zhang Shi quickly washed up with hot water. As dawn broke outside, he cautiously opened the door, only relaxing when he found nothing amiss around the shelter. Sitting back down by the campfire, Zhang Shi opened the system panel, stuffing bread into his mouth while checking his rental business earnings.

The system notifies you that you have successfully obtained the following through rental:

[White Wood x365]

Zhang Shi accepted the timber with satisfaction and left the lighter for rent at the market. This was a one-off deal; business would only get worse as time went on, so Zhang Shi planned to make a quick buck while he was still trying to survive.

Switching to the regional chat channel, Zhang Shi noticed that the messages were scrolling quite quickly, indicating that most people had adapted to the pace of life in the wilderness world and had gotten up early.

Zhu Dachang: Family, something terrible has happened! I woke up this morning wanting to chat with my sister, but I found that @LiuRuanRuan's profile picture was grayed out. What should I do? Is she dead?

Cheng Xiaobai: Huh? Wasn't it said that the first seven days were the beginner period and there was no danger? What should I do? I'm so scared. Will the beginner period turn into the seventh day after my death?

Zhang Shi glanced at the notification box above.

【Summer-12-11 District, 9956\/

In the blink of an eye, more than forty people had lost their lives in the wilderness. Although the percentage was low, they were still real human lives, and Zhang Shi felt a sense of crisis. After thinking for a moment, Zhang Shi typed a long message in the chat channel.

Zhang Shi (VIP): The system has warned that wild animals will appear at night. During the beginner phase, it's difficult for wild animals to find the shelter's location, but they can still find it. The initial shelter is described as having almost no defensive capabilities. If you are discovered by wild animals at night, it's almost certainly a death sentence for survivors at this stage. My advice to everyone is to upgrade your shelter as soon as possible for your own safety.

After sending the message, Zhang Shi switched back to private chat and inquired about Zhao Feng's situation. Upon learning that Zhao Feng was doing well, Zhang Shi reminded him to acquire some weapons for self-defense, so that he could protect himself if he encountered small wild animals, and die with dignity if he encountered large predators.

Zhang Shi opened the trading market, intending to buy some supplies. At this stage, iron ore was scarce, and the survivors' tools hadn't been upgraded yet. However, news of the demand for materials for the Stone Shelter had spread widely, and Zhang Shi worried that the price of stone would skyrocket.

Taking advantage of the early morning crowds, he began his sweep of the trading market. He specifically targeted transactions involving timber, snapping up deals as soon as the price wasn't too outrageous. By the time his timber was almost gone, Zhang Shi had 120 units of stones in his backpack.

Zhang Shi got up and stretched his limbs. Seeing that it was already bright outside, he packed his backpack and prepared to go out and explore.

"Today's plan is to find resources in the morning and cut down trees in the afternoon."

Zhang Shi glanced at the sky; the morning dew was rising, the sun was shining brightly, and the breeze was gentle. Choosing a direction opposite to yesterday, Zhang Shi took out his bicycle, hoping to have a fruitful day.