Chapter Twenty-Seven: Solar Charging Panel

Solar power blueprints, PP plastic, a lighter, a set of women’s clothing, five eggs, three apples, a handheld fan, a pack of dried noodles, a bar of soap, a head-mounted flashlight, a 500ml jug of vegetable oil, half a pack of hot pot seasoning, ten bottles of mineral water, six packs of instant noodles, two boxes of self-heating hot pot, a bag of dehydrated vegetables, five chili peppers, two cans of Red Bull, and half a pack of salt.

The items exchanged were numerous, and the tricycle needed to serve as a bed for the night. Liang Yi found two cardboard boxes, stuffed everything inside, placed them on the roof of the vehicle, and lashed them down securely with rope. To prevent anyone from stealing the supplies in the middle of the night, she tied a bell she had scavenged from the dump to the boxes.

After depositing the dog bones into the points mall, she received fifteen points. Seeing this, Liang Yi finally stopped complaining about the unfair point distribution.

It was half an hour until seven o'clock. Instead of scavenging more trash, Liang Yi drove the tricycle directly into the only house in the dump. The interior of the house looked no different from the other buildings in the small town—empty, without furniture or decorations. However, for Liang Yi, this wasn't a major issue, as the game rules required her to sleep inside the vehicle.

After confirming there was no one else around, Liang Yi quickly opened two bottles of mineral water. She used one to rinse her body and the other to wash her hair. Due to limited supplies, she couldn't fully rinse out the soap lather, but the scent of blood on her was so overwhelming that she had no choice. Fortunately, the soap smelled of roses, and the residual foam helped mask the metallic stench to some extent.

Liang Yi’s hair was excessively long and had become a source of trouble; after days without a proper wash, it was tangled and matted. She made a mental note to cut it short when she had the chance. As for the clothes she had entered the game in, they were stained with filth, so she discarded them without hesitation. She put on the new set she had acquired, and to her surprise, it fit perfectly: a tight white tank top, black cargo pants, and the pair of black boots she had previously unpacked. Dressed in this outfit, she looked sharp and formidable, exuding an air that suggested she was not to be trifled with.

It was now 6:50. Before cleaning up, Liang Yi had used mineral water to prepare the self-heating hot pot and soaked the instant noodles in cold water. Pressed for time, she ate quickly, and at the very last second, she climbed into the cabin.

Since she had obtained a flashlight, she no longer had to spend the night in darkness. Once inside, her first task was to open the "Points" tab, preparing to send some urgently needed supplies to her family. With the bones from the man who had fallen into the swamp and the dog, her total points had reached twenty-one. However, items in the points mall were expensive. Ultimately, Liang Yi chose to exchange for four packs of instant noodles and four bottles of mineral water, as these were the most vital items for her family. This left her with only one point remaining. Imagining the expressions on her father, mother, sister, and brother’s faces when they received the goods brought a faint smile to her lips.

Communicating with her family was still a long way off. She could only hope that with these supplies, they would be able to survive. After sending the items off, Liang Yi took a deep breath, composed herself, and returned to the task of crafting.

Having already collected the blueprints, monocrystalline silicon, and electrical wires needed for the solar panel, Liang Yi placed them on the workbench and clicked "Craft." Soon, a solar panel measuring fifty centimeters by thirty centimeters appeared in the tricycle cabin. After inspecting it to ensure it was in good condition, she stored it in her inventory. She also had the blueprints for a power strip, along with aluminum and PP plastic, so she crafted that as well.

To her surprise, she discovered that by placing the power strip and solar panel in the workbench, she could combine them into a solar power strip without needing a separate blueprint. She crafted it immediately. She had been worried about how to utilize the electricity generated by the panel, but now she could charge devices while crafting. Liang Yi was satisfied; she no longer had to worry about the tricycle running out of power. Furthermore, after crafting these items, her "Creation" skill leveled up from one to two, allowing her to create a wider range of items, such as air conditioners and heaters. The only remaining problem was the vehicle's small size, which required an upgrade.

She reopened the trading panel. Her order for a vehicle repair kit had yet to receive any inquiries—perhaps no one had found one, or they were unwilling to part with it. The dog meat was gone, so she deleted that listing and initiated a new order.

[Player 2010: Looking for a vehicle upgrade kit. Direct message me if interested in trading.]

[Player 118: Wow, isn't this the big shot who sold the dog meat? Do you have any left? I don't have a vehicle upgrade kit, but I’m willing to trade five pears for some.]

[Player 6985: Hey big shot, any dog meat left?]

As soon as the order went live, players began discussing the dog meat, completely ignoring the vehicle upgrade kit request. Liang Yi sighed. It was a boring night; without a phone, she could only pass the time by reading the chat from other players to gather information.

She opened the "Channel" tab, where chat messages flooded in.

[Player 5892: Haha, the dog meat is delicious! Thanks to the big shot I traded with. (Photo attached)]

Liang Yi clicked on the image and saw the player was quite well-off, using a portable gas stove. The only downside was that their pot was just a makeshift tin cup. It was filled with dog meat and hot pot seasoning, and it looked quite appetizing. A crowd of players in the comments expressed extreme envy, with some even offering a pack of instant noodles for a single bite.

Liang Yi fell silent. If she had known, she could have just boiled the meat and sold it to get even more supplies. But the thought was fleeting; she had no cooking utensils anyway.

[Player 23122: Everyone, be careful when you sleep tonight. Don't let the snakes get you.]

[I Want To Go Home: I’ve climbed into a tree, just waiting for dawn.]

[White Stripes in the Waves: I want to eat watermelon, drink cola, play on my phone, and go home.]

Finding no useful information, Liang Yi closed the chat. She leaned back against the cabin wall, closed her eyes, and began to drift off to sleep while pondering how to manage her newly acquired supplies.