Volume 1, Chapter 9: An Instant Sensation!

Lin Yifan was not paying attention to the chat channel at this moment. He was busy listing 10 portions of snake meat and 10 portions of blueberries on the auction house, each priced at three units of clay. Afterward, he combined 5 portions of snake meat and three portions of blueberries to trade for a shelter blueprint.

He had arrived at this price by referencing the listings of others on the auction house. There were many people looking for shelter blueprints, but their offers were very low, mostly consisting of wood and stone. Only a few were willing to trade with actual goods, with the highest bid being half a piece of European-style bread. Compared to the others, Lin Yifan’s offer was arguably the most reasonable. Therefore, he was not worried about failing to acquire the blueprint.

He had calculated earlier that most people only possessed inferior axes; even with diligent work, they could only chop a dozen or so units of wood a day. The same went for those mining stone, unless they were lucky enough to stumble upon a stone deposit, which might yield a bit more. Regardless, it was virtually impossible for anyone to upgrade their shelter to level two within the day unless they had a stroke of luck—like his own, having awakened a powerful talent.

He had learned from the chat channel that level-two shelter blueprints came from white treasure chests. Perhaps due to the novice protection period, the drop rate for these blueprints from white chests was as high as thirty to forty percent. Given such high odds, it was inevitable that some people would choose to trade their blueprints for food.

As Lin Yifan expected, his trade request for the shelter blueprint was snapped up less than a minute after being posted. He took the blueprint, glanced at it, and set it aside. He still lacked enough clay. The listing he had posted to trade for clay had only yielded less than 10 units so far, and he needed 30. He would just have to wait.

After calming his mind, Lin Yifan closed the auction house and checked the chat channel. It was only then that he realized his 10 portions of snake meat had caused such a stir. In an instant, he had become a celebrity in District 10086. This caused him a bit of distress; he did not want to stand out, he only wanted to survive. In this world of survival, it was still unclear whether he would eventually encounter other survivors. If he did, the more high-profile he was, the easier it would be for him to become a target.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Human nature becomes insignificant in the face of survival. This was true even back on Earth, let alone in this survival realm. Therefore, the best strategy was to develop quietly. Now, however, he had already drawn attention to himself, and he feared he would have no peace from now on.

His private message channel was already showing 999+. He opened it to take a look, but it was mostly people begging for food, with very little useful information. It would take too much time to sift through, so he simply ignored it and let the messages pile up.

Since standing out was unavoidable, he would face it calmly. Lin Yifan adjusted his mindset and posted a message on the chat channel: "Friends, I have already traded for the stone and the shelter blueprint. I am currently short on clay. If anyone has any, feel free to trade with me on the auction house."

As soon as the message was sent, it caused a sensation:

"It’s the big shot who’s trading snake meat for supplies on the auction house! He’s appeared!"

"Big shot, please! I haven't eaten since last night, I'm starving to death. Please give me some food!"

"Brother, oh brother, I’m an internet celebrity, a 'Sexy Little Sheep.' I’ll send you my photos in black silk stockings if you give me some meat! I’m begging you, brother!"

"Shut your mouth, you damn cross-dresser! I’ve tolerated you for long enough. Don't think no one knows your background."

"I embezzled public funds to tip you back then, only to find out in bed that you’re a freaking cross-dresser! And now you’re here calling people 'brother'—don't you feel disgusted?"

"Holy crap, this guy is a cross-dresser? I don't know why, but I'm even more excited!"

"Hahaha, stop spouting nonsense and go to the auction house to trade for the big shot's meat! I just got some!"

"I got some too, and I also traded for a portion of wild blueberries. They’re sweet and sour, so delicious!"

"Thank you, big shot, for trading food at a fair price. Otherwise, I would have starved to death clutching my pile of basic materials!"

"What's there to thank? It’s not like he’s giving it to us for free. If you ask me, he should be distributing the food to us for free."

"Exactly! We are all human beings. Since he has the ability to get food, he should naturally distribute it to us vulnerable groups. Protecting the weak is the responsibility of the strong."

"Priority should be given to us women! Women first, don't you understand?"

"Good grief, Earth has been destroyed, and these parasites and feminist harpies still haven't died out yet!"

"How shameless. He worked hard to get that food himself; why should he give it to parasites like you?"

Lin Yifan read the messages and couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't expected that even in this survival realm, these societal parasites and overgrown infants had yet to wake up. But that had nothing to do with him; it was absolutely impossible for him to support these parasites. He ignored their messages and focused only on the useful ones.

Seeing that many people were speaking up for him, a smile appeared on his face. Although he wouldn't act like a saint, he did have his bottom line. For instance, while trading food for supplies was technically taking advantage of the situation, he had at least provided a relatively fair exchange rate. He had a clear conscience.

Even with a clear conscience, humans are social animals and still crave validation. Now that some people recognized his approach, his mood improved significantly.

Just then, the snake meat he had skewered by the fire was perfectly cooked. The rich aroma of roasted meat made Lin Yifan swallow hard. He picked up a skewer, took a bite, and his eyes lit up. He didn't know if it was because he was so hungry or if the ecosystem of this world was just that good, but the roasted snake meat was incredibly flavorful even without salt or seasonings, with no gamey smell at all.

After quickly polishing off two large skewers, he felt a sense of satisfaction. With his stomach filled, Lin Yifan couldn't help but want more. With meat this good, imagine how delicious it would be with some seasoning! Truly, a full belly makes for wandering thoughts. Lin Yifan couldn't help but look down on his own lack of contentment.