Slacking off in the Game of Survival

Chapter 30 Ten Square Metres Island(7)

Day 3, 02:34:21.

Qian Yue is engaged in a trade with someone.

“How much for the banana leaves?”

Without lifting their head, the person on the island replied, “Three hard bread for one, one raw ingredient for one. As for the rest, it depends on what you have.

Qian Yue said, “Cooked seafood soup. It can restore ten points of stamina. Deal, give me four pieces.”

The island owner replied, “Deal.”

Qian Yue received four banana leaves from the island owner and put them in her backpack. She continued drifting on the water with the help of the giant lotus leaf while searching for things she might need.

There were many people coming and going around her, mostly discussing trade-related matters.

It was currently noon on the third day of the game, and it was also the last day of the system’s protection. After today, crops on private islands would no longer be exclusive to the island owners.

After today, in order to protect their crops from being stolen, most people would choose to stay on the islands, making it difficult to leave.

Therefore, today was considered the last day of free activities, and everyone was actively shuttling between different locations for trading.

Qian Yue was currently on another island about a kilometer away from their group of islands.

She was always accustomed to being prepared and planning everything in the most comfortable way possible, so she wouldn’t panic even if the sky were to fall.

Since she discovered that the islands might sink soon, Qian Yue immediately entered a state of intense preparation.

Because she was worried about the bad weather at sea in the next few days, she planned to buy some things to reinforce her boathouse.

She had heard from Xu Xiaogu that most of the crops on the neighboring island were materials, so Qian Yue decided to come and try her luck.

Indeed, this island had abundant materials. Qian Yue bought banana leaves, firewood, and even cotton.

But unfortunately, after searching around, she couldn’t find any rubber.

Qian Yue contemplated, “A single giant lotus leaf probably won’t be enough to reach the next island. I’ll have to go back later.”

After all, the giant lotus leaf was just a plant and not as sturdy as a proper boat. However, it was discreet enough.

At this moment, when the crowd was the largest, Qian Yue didn’t want to expose her boathouse, so as to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Although there was only Xu Xiaogu on their group of islands with a giant lotus leaf, this item was actually quite common in other islands.

Many people passing by were riding on giant lotus leaves, and the water was filled with floating lotus leaves carrying people, which looked quite interesting.

The water flow was not turbulent, and Qian Yue advanced while observing the surroundings.

Perhaps because it was past noon, this place seemed very lively.

Some island owners were waiting on their islands for inquiries, while others were rowing boats and shouting,

“Do you want peaches? They have an amazing texture and burst with juice in your mouth!”

“Selling fireweed. I’ll teach you how to make fibers from fireweed for making clothes or ropes, all for free!”

“Cedarwood, cedar wood, the kind that can be hollowed out to make a boat!”

Qian Yue paused and used her bamboo pole to stop the person, “How much for cedar wood?”

The seller was a simple young man with a slightly muscular build.

The giant lotus leaf under him sank quite a bit, making him look a bit pitiful.

“Do you want to make tools or a boat?” he asked.

Qian Yue’s expression changed slightly, showing some surprise. She had originally just wanted to see if she could buy some wood for processing, but she didn’t expect the other person to mention building a boat directly.

Cedar wood was a versatile material, and if she could carve out a boat – even a canoe – it would be much better than her bamboo raft.

Qian Yue became interested and asked, “How do you calculate the cost of building a boat? And what about the tools?”

Without saying a word, the chubby man took out a piece of wood about twenty centimeters long from his bag. It looked like firewood.

The cross-section of the wood was clean, and the whole piece was round and smooth, without any splinters. It seemed to be a product of the system.

As soon as the wood was taken out, people passing by immediately turned their attention to it. Some even came over and squeezed next to Qian Yue.

Just then, a loud roar of an engine came from a distance, followed by violent waves suddenly sweeping across the entire water area!

“What the heck is happening!”

“Make way!”

At once, all the giant lotus leaves began to shake violently.
The players quickly stabilized themselves, afraid of accidentally falling into the water. Even Qian Yue was pushed away by the waves for a short distance.

“Make way for the people in front!”

“The rumbling engine sound approached, but the players on the giant lotus leaves didn’t have time to react and abruptly stopped near Qian Yue!

If she hadn’t reacted quickly, she would have been soaked with water.

A voice of complaint came from above, “What’s going on? I just reminded you to make way! If I hadn’t braked quickly, I would have crashed into you.”

Qian Yue turned her head towards the sound but unexpectedly didn’t see a person; instead, she saw a layer of metal.

“Hey, this wood is good. It’s perfect for making things. Boss, how much does it cost?”

A familiar voice came from above, and Qian Yue immediately looked up. Because of the lighting, she squinted her eyes.

Due to the angle, Qian Yue couldn’t see what the person looked like, but she noticed his speedboat first.

A series of words flashed through Qian Yue’s mind: speedboat = with an engine = fuel-guzzling metal beast.

Not only in these two islands, but this kind of equipment was probably extremely rare throughout the entire instance.

The players, who were originally innocent of being splashed by the waves and about to get angry, were all stunned, swallowing all the foul words they wanted to say.

“What the heck, a speedboat.”

“Awesome.”

“It’s not sold in the store, right? Made from special blueprints?”

“I guess it’s an airdrop. I heard there are some good things in airdrops.”

…

The other party seemed accustomed to being the center of attention and didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.

But Qian Yue felt a complicated mood when she looked at him.

For some reason, whenever she saw this kind of person now, she subconsciously imagined what he would look like when he got slapped in the face.

Society is like a large soy sauce jar; it’s better to be low-key.

The other person shouted, “I’m asking you a question. How much does this cedar wood cost?”

The chubby man quickly snapped out of his daze and smiled, “Are you looking to make tools?”

“If it’s for making tools, this piece should be enough. Two loaves of bread for one piece. But for making a boat, you’ll need a large piece of wood. As for the price… well…”

The chubby man chuckled and didn’t continue speaking.
From his expression, it was easy to tell that it probably wouldn’t be cheap.

“Go ahead and tell me…” Qian Yue was about to say something when someone next to her interrupted—

“Making a boat? That sounds interesting. Price is negotiable. Show us what you have first.”

Hearing the man’s tone of being taken advantage of, Qian Yue instinctively furrowed her brows.

Qian Yue wasn’t in need of money.

After collecting the materials in the morning, she was concerned about storing so much bamboo, so she made two simple bamboo rafts and put them in her backpack.

Although bamboo rafts couldn’t compare to wooden boats, she probably had more than enough wood to buy—now with this person interfering, it wouldn’t be easy to negotiate without raising the price two or three times.

Qian Yue thought of leaving.

Although cedar wood was good, she didn’t necessarily have to buy it.
As a skilled tambourine player, she gracefully gave up.

But at this moment, the chubby seller stopped her and said, “That thing is too heavy, I can’t bring it out. Why don’t you come with me to take a look?”

Cedar wood was solid, and the big lotus under the chubby man’s butt was already in a shaky and hungry state. If he had to pull out a solid piece of wood from her backpack, he would probably fall down on the spot.

Qian Yue declined, “Since someone else wants to buy, I’ll forget about it.”

“Don’t. I have more than just one piece of wood.” With two potential big customers, the chubby man didn’t want to give up either.

To put it bluntly, if one of them didn’t like his wood, he still had the other person.

He persuaded, “From what I know, there are very few islands around here that produce wood. Cedar wood is only available from my island.”

Seeing Qian Yue’s lack of response, he continued persuasively, “It’s getting late, and you might not find anyone else. Besides, I have plenty of wood there. Let’s go and take a look together.”

Before he finished speaking, someone on the speedboat suddenly spoke up with an annoyed tone, “Why is it you?”

The chubby man was stunned, thinking it was about him, and instinctively stopped talking.

Qian Yue sensed something and looked up, only to see a familiar face standing up from the pilot’s seat of the speedboat.

It was someone she had beaten in the previous round.

Apparently, the feeling of superiority brought by the equipment made him forget the pain. Du Yuanlang, standing high on the big lotus, looked down at Qian Yue and smiled.

He raised his eyebrows without hiding his mockery and said, “What kind of junk is that? You’re so poor?”

The players sitting on the big lotus, …suddenly feel as if struck by an arrow.

Qian Yue stared at him expressionlessly and asked, “Is your brother not here?”

As soon as she mentioned Du Yue, Du Yuanlang momentarily panicked.

Then he immediately retorted, “What does it have to do with you whether my brother is here or not?”

For some reason, he looked Qian Yue up and down, full of disdain, and asked, “Are you also interested in becoming my sister-in-law?”

“…”, Qian Yue twitched her mouth, seemingly smiling yet not smiling.

Great, if she really starts a fight in a while, she won’t hold back like last time.

Seeing the atmosphere gradually becoming awkward, the chubby guy regained his senses and forcefully squeezed into the conversation,
“Uh, since you two know each other, it’s even more convenient. Let me show you the way, let’s go together.”

Du Yuanlang glanced at the wrinkled big lotus under his butt and immediately smiled, “You show us the way? Don’t lead us into the water halfway, will you?”

Chubby, “…”

Du Yuanlang, “Alright, let’s just take my speedboat. I have to go back to my island later, don’t have time to waste with you guys.”

Du Yuanlang’s mouth seemed like it was born to be slapped, even kind words could sound like giving alms, yet he himself was completely unaware of it.

Onlookers couldn’t bear to listen anymore and shook their heads behind his back.

It’s a pity that they have such good equipment, yet following such a guy with a big mouth, it will eventually be taken away by someone.
Although the chubby guy didn’t like what Du Yuanlang said earlier, as a businessman, he knew how to adapt. If someone offered to take them, why not take advantage of it?

“You’re absolutely right. How can my stuff compare to your speedboat? It would be troublesome for you!”

The chubby guy chuckled and directly abandoned his big lotus, climbing onto the speedboat. His movements were agile, not at all like someone weighing nearly 200 pounds.

Once he settled down, he reached out to Qian Yue, “Come on, I’ll pull you up.”

Qian Yue, …

She said coldly, “No need.”

Du Yuanlang couldn’t resist inserting himself, “Are you too poor to afford it? Don’t worry, I won’t charge you for the oil—well you probably can’t afford it anyway.”

“…”

Qian Yue silently looked at Du Yuanlang, her black and white eyes devoid of any emotion.

The latter thought she was unable to retort, making him ecstatic.

He thought, “Huh, you were so proud the last round, but now you’re just a poor wretch. Dare to challenge me?”

Du Yuanlang was determined to humiliate the other party with the speedboat he had drawn from the airdrop.

“Are you afraid of me?”

“Or… can you simply not afford the wood and are pretending to be rich?”

Qian Yue calmly said, “You don’t need to provoke me.”

Du Yuanlang said arrogantly, “Then why don’t you come up?”

Qian Yue retorted, “Are you really hoping for me to come up?”

Du Yuanlang’s attitude became even more arrogant, “It’s just a matter of coming up or not. If you don’t come up, you’re just a coward.”

Coward?
Qian Yue sneered, giving him a deep stare.

Then she held the hand that the chubby guy extended to her and silently boarded the speedboat.

At the same time, she didn’t forget to turn back and collect her lotus leaves.

Finally, with the chubby guy’s enthusiastic gestures, she sat behind him.

This series of actions was seen by Du Yuanlang, which made him look down on Qian Yue even more.

At this moment, the chubby guy approached from behind with a smirking face, startling Du Yuanlang, who dodged to the side.

“Hey, what are you doing?!”

The chubby guy tried to please him, saying, “Bro, let me discuss something with you. Look, there are still many seats on your speedboat…”

“Do you mind if I call a few more people? If you find a liking for the wood, I’ll give you a discount.”

Chubby cautiously touched the speedboat as if searching for treasure, with a regretful expression on his face. “This speedboat is so good, it’s a shame to only take a few of us.”

Du Yuanlang wasn’t planning to agree at first, but Chubby’s last few words made him feel flattered, and he nodded without thinking.

“Alright, go ahead and call them.”

“Thank you, bro!” Chubby immediately went cheerfully to gather people.

This speedboat had already caught people’s attention, especially since there was some commotion when they arrived. Many people were watching when the three of them were talking.

Now, when they heard that they were going to bring more people, quite a few became interested.

Chubby stood at the railing of the speedboat and shouted, “Cedar wood! Cedar wood! Cedar wood that can be used for props or boats. Does anyone want to join me to inspect the goods?!”

Someone laughed, “Can we come along without inspecting the goods, just to enjoy the ride on the speedboat?”

Du Yuanlang’s face darkened instantly, but since he had already agreed with Chubby, he couldn’t take back his words.

Impatiently, he urged, “You have five minutes. After five minutes, I won’t care how many people you’ve brought.”

Chubby promptly responded, and soon people agreed to board the boat.

Including the driver’s seat, the speedboat had a total of four rows with eight seats in total. Du Yuanlang sat in the first row, Chubby on the right side of the second row, and Qian Yue behind Chubby.

The newcomer was a tall guy, over six feet, who looked a bit fierce when he didn’t speak.

As he passed by, Qian Yue casually glanced at him, and their eyes happened to meet.

But in the next second, the person casually averted his gaze.
Qian Yue, ?

What’s wrong with this person?

She furrowed her brows slightly, feeling that something was off again.

Better to believe there is something than believe there isn’t. After that, Qian Yue subconsciously observed each person who boarded the boat.

With a closer look, she indeed noticed a problem.

As mentioned before, due to the commotion they caused, many people were watching. Besides those jokingly wanting to hitch a ride, there were quite a few who expressed genuine interest in the Cedar wood.

However, Chubby’s selection of people was quite interesting.

He casually dealt with the nearby customers, but his gaze kept scanning the crowd, and he suddenly started chatting with a new person.

Then, after just a few sentences, he would bring that person onto the boat.

As for the players he was chatting with earlier, he brushed them off with various excuses. Even a few were immediately ignored once Chubby found a new target.

And after careful observation, Qian Yue noticed that most of the people Chubby brought on board were young adults who seemed quite confident.

Most importantly, from their appearance to boarding the boat, it only took a few sentences.

It was as if they had already identified their destined targets and were just waiting for them to appear.

-“You sell Cedar wood?”

-“Yes. It can be used for boats or tools.”

-“How much for a complete piece of wood? Is twenty loaves of bread enough? Take me to have a look.”

… and so on.

“Twenty or thirty loaves of bread were talked about as if they were cabbage. The prices mentioned were so low that it made the chubby guy’s face light up with a smile.

The surrounding players couldn’t help but marvel at the extravagance, and for a moment, the resentment of being ignored earlier dissipated a lot – after all, they truly couldn’t afford it.

Du Yuanlang grew impatient. “Are we ready or not?”

The chubby guy quickly responded, “All set, all set, just in time for five minutes. Brother, please do us a favor!”

Before he could finish his sentence, Du Yuanlang, the impulsive and arrogant kid, immediately changed direction and stepped on the accelerator.

Caught off guard, the chubby guy almost fell down before he could even sit properly.

Du Yuanlang shouted, “Which way?”

The chubby guy shouted back, “Turn right and go straight! We’ll get there quickly!”

Turning right led to an endless expanse of water, with no more lush foliage to obstruct the view. Du Yuanlang stepped on the gas pedal even harder, accelerating even more.

The passengers behind were drenched by the splashing waves, even the guys with fierce expressions couldn’t escape the ordeal.

Several of them were already clutching their stomachs, probably feeling seasick, as their faces clearly looked uncomfortable.

In this situation, only Du Yuanlang, as the driver, felt like a competitor on a racecourse one moment and like a wild horse running free the next. He even raised his hands and shouted, all while steering the boat.

“Wow!”

If there was music playing on the speedboat, the DJ’s beats would probably already be pumping by now.

Qian Yue covered her forehead, “…”

There’s no harm in comparisons, and now she finds her little brother extremely adorable.

Qian Chi may be a bit slow, but at least he has some common sense.

As for Du Yuanlang…

Clearly, this boy has been overly protected by the family since he was young. The last beating from Qian Yue not only not have a good effect but also sparked in him an unnecessary desire to regain face in front of her.

Without his older brother accompanying him, it was bound to go wrong.

Qian Yue couldn’t help but shake her head.

Raising children should not involve excessive doting; otherwise, the beatings owed during childhood will inevitably be repaid slowly as they grow up.

It was not until nearly ten minutes had passed since they set off and they still hadn’t seen the island or received any further navigation instructions that Du Yuanlang finally realized something was wrong.

He turned around to ask the chubby guy, “Hey, what’s going on? Why haven’t we arrived yet? Did you give the wrong directions—”

Before he could finish his sentence, the person next to him flashed their figure and immediately held a knife to his throat. At the same time, Qian Yue and another passenger were surrounded by people from behind.

One of the passengers shouted, “What are you doing?!”

Suppressing the urge to vomit, the chubby guy slowly stood up, holding onto the back of the seat. The vulgar demeanor of a small vendor vanished from his face, replaced by a sinister and cold smirk.

“The nonexistent island, of course, can’t be reached~”
He shouted harshly, “Hand over everything you have!”