Volume One, Chapter 29: Be a Lone Wolf or Build an Organization?

It is clear to anyone with eyes that Lin Yifan’s strength is firmly in the top tier within their group. Therefore, anyone who isn't a fool would want to foster a good relationship with him. Ruan Qintan is no exception. She had actually considered whether she should, like the women in the comment section, seize the opportunity of knowing Lin Yifan to try and seduce him. However, after some thought, she decided it was unnecessary. It is obvious that Lin Yifan is not the type to be controlled by his lower half; he values value and capability far more. That is why Ruan Qintan wants to prove her worth.

Lin Yifan understands her intentions. He has a favorable impression of her and is willing to accept her goodwill, so he replies: "Alright, I won't stand on ceremony then! If you need anything, just let me know. Consider us friends."

Thinking of her ability, he adds another message: "By the way, if you have a chance tomorrow, help me get a blueprint for a Level 3 Shelter. As payment, I’ll craft you a bed, a table, and a chair. If I manage to produce a bathroom set in the future, I’ll send you one of those as well."

Lin Yifan is quite generous with his friends. Ruan Qintan, who was lamenting missing out on a chance to gain benefits, felt it was all worth it upon seeing this message. Her shelter is currently at Level 2, but aside from seven or eight empty treasure chests and some food, the room is completely bare save for the fire pit in front of her. It is practically empty; even a mouse would have to bring its own rice to visit.

While basic furniture like beds, tables, and chairs are sold on the market—since there is no shortage of clever people and these items are easy to craft once one has the blueprint—the prices are quite high. In this world, basic resources are the hard currency, and a standard exchange rate has emerged among the survivors. The lowest tier consists of wood and stone, exchanged at a 1:1 ratio. Clay is rarer, trading for two units of wood or stone. Above clay, there are basic iron ingots. While there wasn't a single ingot on the market yesterday, they have appeared today, indicating that many in District 10086 have upgraded their shelters to Level 2. Currently, a rough wooden bed sells for 100 units of wood or stone on the auction house, even though it only requires 20 units of wood to craft.

The profit margins are staggering. Lin Yifan has also crafted a batch of wooden furniture to sell on the auction house, keeping his prices consistent with others rather than engaging in malicious competition. He has plenty of other ways to earn resources, and his upcoming "High-Efficiency Mosquito Killer" will surely make him a fortune. There is no need to block everyone else's path. After all, experts back on Earth often noted that from a macroeconomic perspective, to make money from the masses, you must first ensure the masses have money themselves. Otherwise, if everyone is broke, there’s no profit to be made.

Once Ruan Qintan agreed, Lin Yifan crafted the wooden bed, table, and chair and traded them to her as a deposit. Seeing the items, Ruan Qintan was overwhelmed with gratitude. In a moment of impulse, she messaged him: "Great One, I haven't mentioned this before, but my talent gives me an advantage in opening treasure chests, which is why I can find so many things I want. Now that I’ve told you this secret as a sign of my loyalty, please save a spot for me if you decide to build a team or an organization. I believe my talent could be useful in a group."

Lin Yifan was surprised by her frankness. One's personal talent is their most important trump card, rarely revealed to anyone, especially when it is as unique as hers. She was right: her talent would be a nation-building asset in an organization. He hadn't expected her to be so open. However, why did she suddenly bring up teams and organizations? Had someone started one?

He checked the chat channel and the auction house and realized that, indeed, some had begun forming groups. The top two listings on the auction house were recruitment ads. The first, from an organization called "Dark Apostles," sold one unit of wood for 10 stones. The second, from an organization called "Heaven and Earth Society," sold one stone for 10 units of wood. Buying these items served as an entry fee. Lin Yifan admired their methods; 10 units of basic resources was an affordable fee for most. They claimed that joining would allow them to huddle together for warmth, though Lin Yifan was skeptical.

Regardless, it had nothing to do with him; he had no interest in leading a faction. He was doing fine on his own and enjoyed his freedom—why invite trouble? He replied politely: "I have no plans to start an organization, but thank you for your trust. I will give you one piece of advice: your talent is rare and will make many jealous. If word gets out, it will be dangerous once people are able to meet in person. Try not to reveal it unless you intend to join an organization and serve as their chest-opening machine."

Ruan Qintan understood his kindness and was moved. She replied: "Great One, I only told you because I trust you. Since you want to be a lone wolf, I will follow in your footsteps. I hope you will look after me; I will follow your lead in everything."

Lin Yifan twitched his lips; he hadn't expected her to be so eccentric. Still, since it was her choice, he had nothing more to say. As long as their trades were fair, he wouldn't let her suffer. After closing the chat, he looked at the fifth item she had traded him: a sprig of fish mint. Though useful, he didn't care for the taste, so he planted it in his cultivated soil—there was still space, and the members of the "Southwest F4" might like it.

After planting the herb, he finished his remaining buns, cleaned his frying pan, and boiled some water. Drinking cold water couldn't compare to hot water. It was then that he opened the private message from his second friend, "Sexy Little Wildcat."

"Woooo! Brother Yifan, it’s so scary, so scary! I ran into a savage today!"

A savage? What on earth?