C3 The First Battle

"Congratulations to Ice Lord Number Three on your progress toward opening the Ice River Base. Believe in yourself—you can do it! Raise your arms and shout, 'I can, I am destined to be king...'"

Lin Xiaoqiang couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity, yet he raised his arms and shouted with determination, "I will succeed, I will be king..."

Lin Xiaoqiang reviewed the requirements for opening the Ice River Base:

1. Food storage: 1000 kilograms

2. An accessible underground water source

3. Gold reserves: 500 grams

4. Weapon crafting: 1 ton of iron reserves

5. Trade: Conduct one free trade on the public interface

6. First follower: Must not be an animal

7. Meat reserves: 500 kilograms

8. Firewood reserves: 1000 kilograms, for heating

After reading the list, Lin Xiaoqiang recalled a saying, "The journey is long and full of challenges, but I will persevere in my quest." It didn't faze him much, especially since the first requirement aligned perfectly with his own plans. He would need to secure food regardless of the system's demands, or he'd starve.

Quickly tidying up, Lin Xiaoqiang sought a handy weapon in his room, but found nothing except a long-handled rice spatula. With no other options, he made do with what he had. Clutching the spatula, he shouted the slogan once more at the wall, activated the navigation, and charged out.

He noticed something curious: digging through the snow felt as natural as walking, without any discomfort, reminding him of a groundhog. Soon, he arrived at Lee Laohu's doorstep, where he saw Laohu eating.

A red indicator hovered above Laohu's head, resembling a health bar in a video game. "Lee Laohu is rapidly recovering. Please attack..." prompted the system.

Lin Xiaoqiang had intended to barge in and take down Lee Laohu, but fear got the better of him, and he stumbled and fell at Laohu's feet. Picking himself up, his prepared harsh words lost their edge.

"Just surrender, and I won't kill you," Lin Xiaoqiang blurted out, feeling utterly humiliated by his own words.

"Go to hell, you little punk," Lee Laohu retorted, freshly revived with a mouthful of cake. Seeing Lin Xiaoqiang approach with the spatula, Laohu's anger flared, and he was ready for a fight.

Lin Xiaoqiang was ready for the confrontation, swiftly crouching down and thrusting his shovel forward with lightning speed.

Though not as physically strong as Lee Laohu, Lin wielded a weapon that gave him the upper hand. The shovel struck Lee Laohu's groin, eliciting a howl of agony from him.

"Congratulations, Master, on gaining battle experience. You've earned +5 battle experience and +5 attack power."

Humiliated and enraged, Lee Laohu couldn't fathom that his tried-and-true technique, honed over many years, could be evaded.

Biting back his frustration, he attacked once more, only to meet the same fate—another jab from the shovel.

When it came down to it, the shovel proved far more durable than flesh.

Lee Laohu's injury was severe; he lay convulsing on the ground. Even from a distance, Lin Xiaoqiang could almost feel the excruciating pain.

Eventually, Lee Laohu lay still. Lin prodded him with the shovel from afar—no response. Lee Laohu was dead.

The thrill of victory vanished, replaced by a numbness in Lin's fingers. He had taken a life.

"Congratulations to the No. 3 Ice Lord for vanquishing the villain and restoring peace. You've earned a newcomer's battle reward."

Name: Lin Xiaoqiang

Combat Strength: 16

Attack Power: 109

Combat Experience: 30

Skills: Smashing Golden Eggs

Weapon: Shovel

Hidden Weapons: 0

Firearms: 0

Otherworldly Energy: …

Lin Xiaoqiang could feel a transformation in his muscles—they seemed much firmer. He glanced at Lee Laohu's body and sighed.

In a world where only the strong survive, if he didn't eliminate threats, he'd be the one eliminated. Best not to dwell on it.

Lin rummaged through Lee Laohu's belongings, finding a watch which he sold for 1000 iron coins at the recycling center's small vault.

He also found a copper lighter and a pack of cigarettes worth ten yuan—2000 yuan in total. But when converting to iron coins, he could only get 1000.

Nothing else of value was found.

Still, it was a good haul, a bonus on top of his regular income.

Reflecting on his fortune, Lin realized he had amassed over 2000 iron coins.

Searching the room, he discovered a stash of food—rice, white flour, soybean oil, and sorghum—that far exceeded his expectations.

One hundred and fifty kilograms of white flour, two hundred kilograms of rice, fifty kilograms of sorghum rice, and ten kilograms of soybean oil were all secured in the base's food storage warehouse. However, there was still a notable shortfall from the system's target for four hundred kilograms of food. Clearly, more effort was needed.

To maximize his gains, Lin Xiaoqiang gave the room another thorough search but came up empty-handed. It looked like that was all for today. Best to head home, rest up, and recharge for the next day's challenges.

Securing food was the immediate priority. Survival hinged on a steady supply. And if he could get his hands on some metal, he could craft a proper tool. Relying on a mere spade was not only embarrassing but lacked the Ice Lord's commanding presence.

It was then that Lin Xiaoqiang discovered Lee Laohu's house was a treasure trove of metal. He didn't hesitate to take all the farm tools, even the hefty iron pot from the kitchen, amassing thirty kilograms of pig iron in total.

Afterward, he stripped Lee Laohu's house of its windows and doors, adding them to the base's resources. They would be vital for cooking and staying warm in the biting cold.

This reminded Lin Xiaoqiang of Lee Laohu's old goat-skin cotton jacket, which was oddly absent. He slapped his forehead, chiding himself for the oversight. Of course, no one would wear a wool-lined jacket in June when the weather turned.

So, he rummaged through their cabinets and, after some searching, not only found the jacket but also a pair of leather pants. The former owner was long gone, so Lin Xiaoqiang decided to claim them for himself.

Fully equipped, he left for home with a heavy heart.

On his journey, the system remained silent about Lee Laohu's son returning, which puzzled him. Wasn't he supposed to be back within a couple of hours? Perhaps he had taken a fatal tumble into a ditch.

But one thing was clear: Lin Xiaoqiang had grown accustomed to walking in the snow, finding it no different from treading on solid ground.

His adaptability seemed quite robust.

The navigation system kicked in, leading him back to his home.

Despite having hauled a considerable amount of stuff into the base, he didn't feel weighed down. There was no discernible difference from when he first arrived; on the contrary, he felt even more vigorous. Likely, this was due to an increase in his attack power. Moreover, the muscles in his legs and arms had bulked up significantly—he could see his thighs had thickened considerably.

Now he truly looked like a man's man, the type most women would find attractive.

Strolling home at an easy pace, he suddenly heard cries ahead—it was Zhang Lili's voice, mixed with the sound of a child sobbing.

Upon activating his Precognition, Lin Xiaoqiang seethed with rage. So that's why Lee Laohu's despicable son hadn't returned home—he was out here harassing women.

The fact that the child had offered him half a sweet potato, a life-saving gesture, was reason enough to intervene. But even without that, Zhang Lili's striking beauty was something he couldn't just overlook.