C2 Making a Fortune from Selling Water

As Ye Chen's attention lingered on Yang Ming'er, the sign-in system piped up once more. Almost instantly, a floating control panel materialized before him. Within a mere couple of minutes, the trading panel updated with a list of available goods.

"I'd like to trade a ten-meter climbing rope for a bottle of mineral water."

"I'd like to swap a lighter for two bottles of mineral water."

"I'd like to exchange a collapsible barbecue rack for two bottles of mineral water."

"I'd like to trade a dagger for 200 grams of biscuits or 200 grams of bread."

The trading hub was bustling with activity. It was clear that these unusual items were the spoils of the survivors' check-ins. Ye Chen quickly realized that water and food were the most scarce commodities.

With hunger gnawing at his belly, Ye Chen had no interest in bartering his belongings. He and Ming'er continued their drive eastward along the shoreline. It wasn't long before Ye Chen caught a glimpse of something shimmering. He slammed on the brakes, nearly causing poor Ming'er to collide headfirst with the windshield.

Ye Chen turned to look outside. The source of the glint turned out to be a lake! Hold on—

A lake?

Could it be a freshwater lake?

Without hesitation, Ye Chen flung open the truck door, leapt out, and dashed toward the lake. Reaching the shore, he sampled the water. It was indeed fresh! Finding a source of freshwater was a crucial first step in island survival, and he had stumbled upon a vast lake.

Ming'er followed suit, and together, parched, they guzzled the water greedily. Thirst was an unpleasant sensation, to say the least.

"Follow me, let's grab some empty bottles," Ye Chen said, motioning to Ming'er after quenching their thirst.

"Empty bottles?" Ming'er echoed, still catching up to the plan.

"We're going to sell water!" Ye Chen explained. With an abundance of empty bottles and a newfound freshwater lake, their worries were over. Those bottles had suddenly become a valuable asset, indispensable for earning their keep.

Ming'er caught on quickly. They hauled the empty bottles from the truck to the lake's edge and filled each one to the brim.

With their task complete, an eager Ye Chen reopened the trading system:

"I'd like to trade one bottle of fresh water for 100 grams of bread."

"I'd like to trade one bottle of fresh water for 100 grams of biscuits."

Right now, their top priority was to satiate their hunger.

Shortly thereafter, Ye Chen managed to trade four bottles of fresh water for 200 grams of bread and 200 grams of crackers.

"Here, take these and fill up," he said as he generously handed all the bread and crackers to Yang Ming'er.

"You should eat more; I'll be fine with just the bread," Yang Ming'er said, picking up only one portion of bread.

Ye Chen didn't object. Maybe she was on a diet.

Once they were full, dusk began to settle in. Ye Chen decided it was time to pull over and rest.

In unfamiliar territory, safety always came first.

"Are we going to sleep out there tonight?" Yang Ming'er asked, pointing to the lawn outside the car.

Ye Chen shook his head and pressed a button.

The backrest of the front passenger seat began to recline.

"We'll sleep in the car," he stated.

They had the protection of anti-collision glass, leather seats, and plenty of room.

With a car like this, there was no need to rough it on the ground.

Yang Ming'er seemed a bit shy, neither facing Ye Chen nor turning her back to him. She just lay flat, staring at the car ceiling.

Ye Chen, however, quickly dozed off, only to be woken by the voice of the system.

"Synthetic System activated!"

A floating screen materialized before Ye Chen.

"Two daggers equal one kitchen knife."

"Two kitchen knives plus a Mountain Splitting Axe blueprint equals one Mountain Splitting Axe."

"Two Mountain Splitting Axes plus an electric saw blueprint equals one air-powered chainsaw."

"Two rafts equal one canoe."

"Two canoes plus a motorboat blueprint and three solar panels equal one solar-powered motorboat."

The Synthetic System was impressively powerful.

With the right materials and blueprints, he could build an empire!

Feeling a surge of excitement, Ye Chen decided to forgo sleep and reopened the trading panel.

The price of a bottle of drinking water was skyrocketing, yet it was still in short supply.

While most were desperately vying for a single bottle, Ye Chen lay content and well-fed next to a beautiful woman in the comfort of his spacious luxury car.

Just past midnight, Ye Chen eagerly began his next sign-in.

"Sign in!"

"Congratulations, host, for a successful sign-in. You've earned a Rare Level D reward - a Supor ceramic soup pot. Please check for your reward."

The car gave a slight shudder.

Yang Ming'er seemed startled, jolting upright.

"What was that noise?" she asked, pointing in the direction of the sound.

"It's nothing. Looks like my soup pot has arrived," Ye Chen replied with nonchalance.

"Big star, it's your turn to sign in."

"Just call me Ming'er."

"Ming'er, go ahead and see what your sign-in reward is."

Yang Ming'er sat up straight, her hands pressed together as if in prayer, murmuring something to herself.

Ye Chen couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Yang Ming'er treating the sign-in like making a wish.

"Your recruit, Yang Ming'er, has earned a Perfect Level B reward."

A Perfect Level B reward?

Could it be that one must truly make a heartfelt wish before claiming their prize?