Chapter 14: Beneath the Surface

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Accept a few friend requests at random.

【Qi Qian: Bro, how about I trade you some water for that stone of yours?】

【Chen Zhuo: My listing’s crystal clear—I want arrow schematics. What’s this?】

【Qi Qian: Come on, don’t be so rigid. Water for your rocks? You’re not losing out.】

Chen Zhuo mulled it over. Right now, with no reliable water source in sight, water was worth more than stones in his book.

【Chen Zhuo: Fine. How do we do it?】

【Qi Qian: Let’s say I take a slight hit—30 liters of water for 30 stones.】

Wait… Qi Qian’s shelter was by the lake? This deal was *way* too good. Almost suspiciously so.

【Chen Zhuo: Send the trade first.】

[Trade Request: Qi Qian → Item: Water? (Boiled) | Required: Stones]

“Huh. There’s something off.”

“What’s that question mark after the water mean?”

“Why didn’t Survival Platform analyze its composition?”

A dark thought slithered into Chen Zhuo’s mind.

To test it, he activated his system and scanned the questionable water.

【Acid Rain (Boiled): Contains multiple toxic substances. Consumption may be fatal.】

“Son of a bitch. He’s selling boiled acid rain like it’s clean water?”

They’d never met before. Yet this guy immediately tried to scam him with poison disguised as hydration.

Thank God Chen Zhuo had checked first. If he’d gone through with it, he’d’ve lost valuable stones—and worse, drunk himself into an early grave.

【Chen Zhuo: Acid rain?! What the hell is wrong with you?!】

【Chen Zhuo: We’re all fighting for survival in this apocalypse, scrambling just to stay alive. And you’re out here selling poison like it’s bottled spring?】

Qi Qian had no idea how Chen Zhuo figured it out—but he wasn’t pretending anymore.

【Qi Qian: Hmph. Survival of the fittest. The strong thrive, the weak get screwed. If they can’t spot the scam, it’s their own fault.】

【Qi Qian: Besides, it’s boiled. Drinking it’ll just give them a stomachache. Might teach ‘em a lesson.】

He shrugged like it was nothing—like robbing people blind was just part of the game.

【Qi Qian: Today you dodged a bullet. Lucky you. Don’t mess with me again—or I’ll make sure you regret it.】

【Chen Zhuo: Oh please. Still playing gangster in a world where Blue Planet’s dust? Nobody cares about your little mafia act. You better pray I never catch you. Because if I do… well, let’s just say you’ll wish you’d stayed in the gutter.】

Just as Qi Qian was about to fire back, he realized he’d been blocked.

Fuming, he turned to find another victim—someone desperate enough to trade for “water.”

But Chen Zhuo was faster.

One second, Qi Qian was being blacklisted. The next, he saw the chat feed explode with messages from Chen Zhuo.

【Chen Zhuo: Watch out—this ID, Qi Qian, just tried to scam me with boiled acid rain, pretending it was safe drinking water.】

【Chen Zhuo: Proof attached. Screenshots.】

“Are you kidding me? In *this* world, there are still scammers?”

“Exactly when we need unity, people like this exploit the chaos.”

“No rules means lawless predators grow unchecked. This kind of thing will only get worse.”

“I found his ID—already blocked. Never trust anyone blindly.”

“Wait… I traded with this guy yesterday. Water, but with a question mark. I thought it was fine. Turns out it was acid rain? Thank god I didn’t drink it.”

“Damn it. Everyone—ignore this guy. No trades. See how long he lasts without a market.”

The flood of rage in the chat channel drowned Qi Qian’s composure.

Messages screamed at him from every direction. “Don’t trust him!” “Block him!” “He’s a fraud!”

【Qi Qian: Stop falling for Chen Zhuo’s lies! I never even added him as a friend. Those screenshots could be fake.】

“Dude, are you serious? We’re not on Earth anymore—you can’t Photoshop evidence here.”

“I was skeptical at first… but now he’s *defending* himself? That’s proof enough.”

His excuses were pathetic. They only made things worse. Now half the survivors were adding him—just to yell at him face-to-face.

With no choice, Qi Qian shut down the chat channel and went silent, hoping to fade into the background.

“Chen Zhuo…”

The name came out between clenched teeth, dripping with fury.

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Meanwhile, across the server, Xia Qianqian pointed at the message thread in the regional chat.

“That’s the one you told me about? Chen Zhuo?”

A tall girl in denim shorts and a cropped T-shirt stepped up beside her, peering at the screen. She nodded sharply, jaw tight with anger.

“That bastard. I’m furious.”

“But look—he’s warning everyone. Seems less like a monster than you made him out to be.”

“Pfft. Hypocrite. Two faces—one for show, one behind closed doors.”

Seeing her best friend so worked up, Xia Qianqian dropped the subject. After all, she’d done enough for her—sacrificed her pride, even her dignity.

And honestly? She didn’t think Chen Zhuo was evil. Just… a kid with a crush who couldn’t act on it. A little awkward, maybe. But harmless.

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Back in the fray, Chen Zhuo finished posting and got back to gathering arrow schematics.

After hours of grinding, he finally secured the blueprint—for 20 stones.

He’d expected to sell it fast.

Instead, every trader who showed up wanted *stones*. Not schematics. Not anything else.

Even with a bold “Only arrow schematics accepted” tag on his listing, nobody cared.

Desperation had turned them all into hoarders. They dumped everything they thought might be useful—rare herbs, scrap metal, old tools—just to get stones.

The threat of death had rewired their instincts. When someone offered stones, they didn’t ask questions.

【Craft Successful: Arrow x10 acquired】

He set aside a small piece of pork and tested his aim.

*Whoosh.*

The arrow shot forward—then *thud*—slamming into the wall.

“Predictable miss. Pulling the bowstring and hitting the target are two entirely different skills.”

“The acid rain window’s almost over. Training now won’t help.”

He glanced at his inventory. Nothing useful.

So… was it time?

Only one option left.

**Use happiness points.**

Three meals of pork daily, plus furniture bonuses and the premium stone cottage’s passive boost—20 happiness points a day. Plus 20 more from the Vitality Fruit.

He hadn’t touched the system store in ages.

With a grimace, he spent 172 happiness points on the **Basic Archery Skill Book**.

The number plummeted to 112.

“Use Skill Book!”

The book materialized in his hands—then dissolved into shimmering golden particles, flooding into his mind.

As the light merged with his thoughts, his senses sharpened beyond belief.

He felt every heartbeat. Every breath. The rush of blood through his veins like a whispered symphony.

Memories flooded in—not learned, but *remembered*. As if he’d practiced archery his entire life.

Every motion. Every stance. Every micro-adjustment—perfect, instinctive, flawless.

【Congratulations, Host. Basic Archery Skill Acquired. +30 Happiness Points】

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