Chapter 45
It's too cold outside; the outside temperature has dropped to 10 degrees Celsius. Normally, the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the car shouldn't exceed 3 degrees Celsius.
Qiao Ning placed enough warming water balloons, and the temperature inside the car was currently maintained at 23 degrees Celsius. She didn't make the temperature too warm because she would need to open the door and get out of the car to pick up the treasure chest on the way, and a sudden change from hot to cold could easily make her sick.
It's true that Qiao Ning has a strong physique now, but in a natural disaster, no one can guarantee that a good physique won't lead to illness. If her words or actions trigger the game's illness settings, even someone as strong as an ox could fall ill.
She didn't want to eat ready-made food for breakfast, so she cooked vegetable and mushroom porridge, served with some pickled vegetables and a few steaming hot meat buns. After eating it, she felt warm all over.
The smart assistant drove much more smoothly than Qiao Ning. Qiao Ning sat on the sofa she had acquired through the trade, opened all twenty-odd platinum treasure chests she had accumulated overnight, and organized the supplies inside.
Medicine: 500 portions of cold-dispelling herbs, 150 jars of warming plaster (100g per jar), and 150 jars of frostbite plaster (100g per jar).
80 boxes of a special medicine for cold rigor mortis (10 tablets per box), and 100 jars of a traditional Chinese medicine plaster for discontinuing dysplasia (100 grams per jar).
Essential supplies: 2000 units of gasoline, 200 liters of drinking water
Food: 10 bowls of Mala Tang (spicy hot pot), 100 ice cream sticks (mixed pack of 10 flavors including chocolate, vanilla, cappuccino, and blueberry), 10 bowls of Lao Gan Ma fried rice, 10 bowls of cured pork fried rice, 10 bowls of chicken stir-fried with naan (mildly spicy), 3 servings of sweet and sour pork with pineapple, 10 servings of shredded pork with garlic sauce, and 10 servings of twice-cooked pork.
Warm clothing supplies: 5000 cotton balls, 800 cotton-padded coats, 500 pairs of cotton-padded shoes, and 300 sets of cotton-padded overcoats.
Special supplies: 100 Strange Fire Seeds, 100 Heating Water Balls, 10 Oxygen Cylinders
Overall, the Platinum Chest contains a lot of items, but compared to other items, it has fewer special supplies and food. However, it's generous with the medicine.
This was from a platinum chest; if it were a wooden chest, iron chest, or bronze chest, you'd get even less stuff.
Qiao Ning habitually checks the chat channels, searching for useful information.
[Weren't they supposed to be spawning gold and diamond treasure chests? I watched the entire server chat all day yesterday, my eyes are practically blind, but I still didn't see any notification about the chest coordinates.]
The loot from these wooden and iron crates is far from enough; it's barely enough to survive. There's nothing left to trade. Continuing like this is no different from a slow death...
The system stated that gold and diamond chests would refresh at any time and location, but it didn't say they would refresh daily. It's possible that they won't refresh more than a few times during this natural disaster cycle?
Forget about these high-level treasure chests. You have to wait an hour to unlock and open them, forgot? During that time, anyone can steal your chest. Players without strength can't protect it and might even get themselves killed.
I ate very little food yesterday, and this morning I ate a piece of bread with cold water. My stomach feels really cold right now.
[I harvested two rare fire seeds last night. Anyone who needs fire seeds can trade with me. Don't even bother if you're looking to get them for free or try to bargain. Rare resources won't be sold cheaply.]
The temperature isn't too cold right now; I haven't even used any warm clothing, and I feel like I can hold out for another two days. I have to say, this natural disaster is quite benign for people like us in the north. I just don't know how low the temperature will drop later. In my hometown, the lowest winter temperature is below -30 degrees Celsius, which is truly freezing.
[Hey bro upstairs, don't let your guard down, this lousy game loves to screw people over.]
The ginger I planted has sprouted. If anyone is feeling unwell, you can buy ginger soup from me, or you can buy fresh ginger to cook at home. This will help prevent catching a cold.
[Oh my god, is your ginger made of gold? Selling it for such a high price! Keep it for yourself, you heartless bastard!]
[Sticky rice buns for sale! Freshly heated and piping hot, one is enough to fill you up, two are perfect!]
I'm not used to not having anything to farm in the wilderness, but thankfully the supplies from the crates are enough. Putting everything else aside, the fact that food can be stored for a long time without spoiling in this disaster makes it so much more comfortable than the last one.
I've already hung the chilled items I took out of the car outside. Once the temperature drops a bit more, the area outside will become a natural refrigerator.
[You just hung these up? Last night I hung up several strings of sausages, a few large pieces of fresh meat, and a bunch of other food, and when I checked this morning, there wasn't a single sign of spoilage.]
As things stand, I think we can overcome most of the natural disasters, except for the rapid consumption of gasoline. Everything requires gasoline, and even though my car has only been running for a short time, the battery consumption of various devices in my car is skyrocketing, making my heart race.
I also wanted to mention the gasoline. The gasoline leak rate was okay today, but consumption was much higher.
[No way, it's only 10 degrees Celsius, how come the food cooled down so quickly? Yesterday I specifically left a few boxes unopened, and just as I opened one of the metal boxes, I found two bowls of hot sesame dumplings, and in the time it took to find something, at most three minutes, the dumplings were completely cold. This just doesn't make sense.]
[We're in a survival game now, what's the point of talking about common sense? If we were really following common sense, we wouldn't be forced to participate in this kind of awful game in this godforsaken place!]
[Upstairs, after all that I said, you only saw the word "common sense," right? The point isn't "common sense," the point is that the food gets cold quickly! Do you understand what that means?]
[It's just that the food cools down quickly, right? Just reheat it. If that doesn't work, eat it quickly.]
The problem is, it's only 10 degrees Celsius today, and hot food cools down so quickly. What if it were below zero? Or tens of degrees below zero? I don't even want to think about it.
[Use your brain, buddy. Who can survive in a car where it's tens of degrees below zero? Even in the north, indoor temperatures aren't tens of degrees below zero. Later on, we'll definitely need to ensure the car's interior temperature is at least low enough for a person to survive.]
Why are so many people selling materials after this natural disaster? Aren't people stockpiling materials to upgrade their cars or craft things?
[Eating, drinking, and even getting around are problems; what's the point of having so many materials? These things have a high drop rate, so it's easy to accumulate them. Only things like gold and silver glue have a lower drop rate.]
Does anyone have cotton? I'm willing to trade it for gasoline or something similar.
Looking to buy cotton-padded clothes and shoes.
[I've discovered that homemade cotton-padded clothes and shoes seem to be even better than the ones you get from the boxes. I made one last night, which increases cold resistance by 20 degrees Celsius and adds 30% resistance to cold-induced paralysis. I'm working on the cotton-padded shoes now; I'll show you their stats once they're finished.]
Holy crap, can this even be made at home?!
The system provides cotton and cotton fabric, so it makes sense to make my own cotton-padded clothes. It's just a pity I don't know how to sew. I can only rely on skilled craftspeople to make more so I can buy them.
Am I the only one who noticed this "cold rigor mortis"? I clicked on the description, and it only said one sentence: prolonged exposure to low temperatures can trigger this condition, but it didn't specify what kind of low temperature!
[We're buying cotton at high prices! Also, we're selling pure handmade cotton gloves. Wearing them instantly increases hand warmth by 30 degrees Celsius and also helps slowly heal frostbite. Don't miss out!]
[I buy all cotton products, including cotton-padded clothes and trousers; I can exchange them for cotton.]
[I'd trade one unit of cotton for food, anything will do, as long as it fills my stomach.]
[Add a little more upstairs; one unit of cotton is too little. The resulting thread is only enough to knit one glove.]
Sister, why did you turn cotton into cotton thread in the crafting menu? The system is so unfair; you can't get much cotton thread at all when you try to exchange it for cotton thread.
I'll teach you a method. Sew a glove out of cotton cloth, stuff it with cotton, and one unit of cotton will make a pair of cotton gloves. After it's finished, the system will still count it as a cotton glove. The effect is exactly the same as one woven from cotton thread, only the durability is slightly lower—20 points less durability.
"Oh? Is that so? I happen to have some scraps of cloth. I'll give it a try!"
[Oh my god, thank goodness you reminded me! I've already changed a whole bunch of cotton threads; if I hadn't seen the reminder, all my cotton would have gone to waste. Thanks so much, sister!]
By this point, Qiao Ning had gathered a lot of important information. This game can't be played by one person working hard alone; it often requires brainstorming.
With tens of thousands of players in a server, there are always some who can discover something from a unique perspective.
Qiao Ning also had an idea and immediately sent a message in the chat channel: "Craft masters who can make cotton-padded clothes and other warm clothing, please DM me. I have a batch of leather. I'll provide all the materials and pay a processing fee. I'll make as much as I can. The processing fee is negotiable."
[Holy crap, is this really Qiao Ning herself? Has her account been hacked?]
[This game allows account theft? You're dreaming.]
[The honest guy upstairs.]
[Boss, I can do anything! Take care of me, I'm both cool and sweet!]
[Fan Xiaoyu (1657): Miss Qiao Ning, I'm a live-streaming craftswoman. I can make clothes and more complex items. I have a million followers on Douyin. I've already sent you the private message; please take a look. All other conditions are negotiable, but one thing I hope you won't sell the finished products to Lu Wenfang in section 1657.]
[Lu Wenfang (1657): ***, are you sick? An Fei's lackey, you only fawn over Yang Mo after An Fei died, and now that Yang Mo isn't helping you, you're going crazy everywhere?]
Qiao Ning (1408): I will not participate in your private feud.
[Fan Xiaoyu (1657): Sorry, I was just assuming things.]
Qiao Ning didn't care about this little incident. There are all kinds of birds in a big forest, and it's normal for people to have conflicts and personal grudges. She wouldn't meddle in such things, but others shouldn't try to drag her into it for no reason.
Qiao Ning picked out two people from among the many players who sent her private messages.
A man in his thirties, claiming to be a well-known designer, said he would prioritize payment for gasoline for processing fees. For large items like cotton-padded coats, he would pay 10 units of gasoline per item; for smaller items, 6 units of gasoline per item.
Another woman, Ms. Wang, is a divorced mother in her forties with a child. She made all of her son's clothes for all four seasons by hand since he was a child, as well as his schoolbag, pencil case, and other items.
The processing fee requested by Sister Wang, regardless of the item being processed, must be paid in the form of heated water balloons. Pricing is not based on the size of the item being processed, but only on the complexity and time spent. More complicated items require 5 heated water balloons per piece, ordinary items require 3, and simple items require 1.
After understanding the situation, Qiao Ning chose Sister Wang. Although Sister Wang only accepted payment for heating water balloons and charged a high price, she was more skilled at making practical items, and she was used to being frugal and knew how to save materials, making full use of every scrap.
Ms. Wang revealed that she has a talent for quickly handcrafting a large number of items.
Qiao Ning looked at the pictures of the male designer's creations; they were beautiful, attractive, and of good quality, with virtually no mistakes. He was quite skilled at making clothes. The problem was that this designer was overly focused on aesthetics and detail when making clothes. Due to his own personal habits, he subconsciously tried to make the clothes perfect and conform to his aesthetic standards.
This inevitably leads to some waste of materials and a significant expenditure of time.
This wouldn't be a big problem in the modern world, but the key issue now is in a survival game.
Qiao Ning mailed dozens of animal hides to Sister Wang, all of which were dropped by monsters in the first two wilderness areas. At the time, she was wondering how to use up all these hides, since crafting equipment required special blueprints. She figured all these hides would just sit there collecting dust.
I never expected that this natural disaster would come in handy.
Since cotton cloth and cotton can be used to make warm materials, there's no reason why leather can't be used as well.
Throughout history and across the world, humans have used animal hides for warmth.
Qiao Ning possesses various types of skins, including variegated rabbit skin, pig skin, cow skin, snake skin, hyena skin, leopard skin, tiger skin, sheep skin, and deer skin.
The drop rate for these leathers is extremely high for her, and she constantly farms in the wilderness, so she has at least several thousand leathers, if not tens of thousands.
The best leathers for keeping warm are rabbit, leopard, tiger, sheep, and deer skins. Other leathers are less effective at keeping warm, and some also have a strong odor.
After discussing the warm clothing items with Sister Wang, Qiao Ning mailed the materials over and then left it at that.
As for the issue of trust... everyone knows that Qiao Ning has a magic door that can instantly teleport her to anyone's side. If someone really wants to swindle her out of supplies, that swindler definitely won't be able to escape.
【You have so many pieces of leather, and each piece is still intact and large. Even if I had special talent, it would take me five days of non-stop work to finish them. But I also need to drive around looking for supply crates, so I don't have that much time to make things.】
Qiao Ning replied, "We don't need to finish them all. We can make as many as we can, and make more cotton-padded coats."
Okay, if you can open the boxes and find some helpful items, like these "iron shears," which can assist in crafting, I can make them faster and with better quality.
Qiao Ning clicked on the description of the iron shears: "A common pair of weaving shears, made of iron. It can cut woven materials or items quickly and accurately."
This was the first time she had seen this type of prop. Since it was specifically emphasized that it was made of iron, there might also be scissors made of other materials, or other weaving props.
"I'll keep an eye out for you, thank you."
It's no trouble at all; it's just mutually beneficial.
Qiao Ning closed the chat and checked the regional channel again, only to find that everyone was already buying up thermal leather materials.
Although I can't sew clothes, wrapping myself in this leather will keep me warm.
That would greatly reduce its warmth retention, making it only suitable for emergencies.
[Oh my god, I made it! Thanks to Qiao Ning's brilliant idea, otherwise I thought I was doomed with this Cataclysm. I farmed the wilderness really diligently during the previous two Cataclysms, and I have all sorts of leather materials. Anyone interested in trading, come quick! I have everything except leather materials!]
[Thanks for the reminder, I'm already rummaging through my drawers looking for my leather items.]
I don't have many water balloons for heating, but luckily I have plenty of leather, haha.
Why is everyone else's leather rabbit or tiger skin, while mine is snake or lizard skin? It's not warm at all! I need to exchange it!
A trend of making homemade warm clothing quickly swept across the region. Regardless of what happens later, at least for now, no one is suffering from the cold.
Although the system's crafting menu is blacked out, it doesn't take too long and doesn't require manual crafting; you just need to submit enough materials. Players who aren't skilled at crafting can either find someone to do it for them or use the system to craft directly.
In short, within just one morning, the server already had all sorts of handmade warm items. Even hand warmers were available.
It is said that some players obtained the relevant blueprints and crafted the item by hand. The resulting item has an absurdly strong heat retention effect, being both warm and long-lasting.
Qiao Ning collected 5 treasure chests this morning: 3 platinum and 2 bronze. She encountered two spatial vortexes, but did not choose to teleport.
A player with a red name teleported to her location. Seeing that she had a white name and was a young girl, he wanted to kill her, rob her, and steal her car.
There will be no shortage of people like this during this natural disaster.
After Qiao Ning dealt with him, her name remained unchanged—a white-named player killing a red-named player increases kill points, but does not become a red-named player.
She had fought Ye Jun before, and he died because of her, but she didn't kill him, so his death wasn't attributed to Qiao Ning.
One red-named player increased Qiao Ning's kill points by 500.
From this red-named player, Qiao Ning also extracted a special piece of information: after a player becomes red-named, the probability of encountering treasure chests and treasure-guarding monsters increases, and the drop rate of resources increases with the degree of red-name status.
Those with weaker self-control might actually succumb to this temptation.
At noon, Qiao Ning ate shredded pork with garlic sauce with rice, plus a seaweed and egg drop soup that she made herself.
While she was eating, Qiao Ning suddenly felt the car shake violently and then stop.
[Master, the reinforced tires have been punctured by icicles on the road and need to be replaced.]
Qiao Ning looked puzzled. Where did the icicles come from? This highway, damaged by the natural disaster, was paved with ice and was very flat.
Moreover, the smart home assistant can automatically avoid obstacles.
Qiao Ning got out of the car to take a look and found that many sharp icicles had appeared on the originally flat road surface. She hit them with an ordinary weapon, but they didn't break, which showed how hard they were.
【Master, these icicles appeared suddenly. If you try to dodge them in time, your tires will slip and you'll overturn. So there's no way to avoid them.】
[Master, according to monitoring, starting from the road 500 meters away, the surface will be unsuitable for high-speed driving with both regular and reinforced tires. The maximum acceleration will be 40 km/h; otherwise, the slippery surface will inevitably cause the vehicle to skid or even roll over.]
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