"Sir, here's a blueprint we just acquired." Jasmine said, handing over a blueprint.
Gu Ning took it and examined the information.
Bedding Set Production Blueprint (Permanent): With this, you can finally move beyond bare plank beds. May you sleep soundly!
Crafting Requirements:Cotton Padding*10, Cloth3
Gu Ning smiled slightly. It was something he could use immediately, and being a permanent blueprint, it could be used indefinitely. This would significantly improve the crew's living conditions; they were still sleeping on rough straw-and-cloth pallets laid over wooden planks.
He used it right away. Now, whenever needed, he could simply craft it through the [Build]interface.
Jasmine turned and left after delivering the blueprint.
Gu Ning snacked on fruit passed to him by Wensa while crafting ice blocks. Before long, it was noon. He quickly ate lunch and drank a bottle of beverage.
Just then, Jasmine spoke up: "Sir, with the new crew members we've added recently, our flour and drinking water supplies are running a bit tight."
Gu Ning paused. He had overlooked that. Clearly, the Flour Producer and Seawater Converter needed upgrading. And the Planting Space Box too – the vegetables inside should be ready for harvest today.
"Hmm, I understand. I'll take care of it, no need to worry," Gu Ning nodded, reassuring Jasmine.
After everyone dispersed, Gu Ning went to a small chamber where the Flour Producer and Seawater Converter were housed.
First, the Seawater Converter. Currently Level 4, producing 20 liters of water daily.
He checked the upgrade requirements.
Upgrade Requires: Plastic 83/80, Wood 0/150, White Stone 1731/200
The plastic was accumulated over the last few days. Gu Ning had held onto it, anticipating future needs instead of selling it on the market.
He chose to upgrade immediately.
At Level 5, it could now produce 40 liters of water per day.
He checked the next level's requirements.
Upgrade Requires: Plastic 3/160, Wood 0/300, White Stone 1231/400
Forty liters a day was actually sufficient for now. However, considering more civilians might be summoned this week, Gu Ning decided to upgrade it anyway.
He opened the Trading Channel. Plastic needed to be purchased first.
Bread2
Exchange For: White Stone4
White Stone10
Exchange For: Drinking Water500ml
Cotton Padding30
Exchange For:White Stone100
Gu Ning searched specifically for plastic and bought the cheapest available offers.
He spent a total of 300 White Stones to gather the required 160 Plastic. But when attempting the upgrade, an awkward problem arose: he was short on White Stones.
Buying the Wood and the remaining White Stones needed for the upgrade would cost 1000 stones, but he only had 931 on hand.
Gu Ning went to the warehouse, sold some vegetables to make up the difference, gathered enough stones, and upgraded the Seawater Converter.
The Level 6 Seawater Converter could now produce 80 liters of water daily. Water shortages were no longer an immediate concern.
He decided to postpone checking the Flour Producer until tomorrow. He was completely broke now.
Gu Ning returned to the bow and resumed crafting ice blocks. Motivated by a strong desire to earn money, he worked diligently.
Time flew by as he worked, and before he knew it, the sun was setting and night approached.
After dinner, Gu Ning instructed Jasmine to harvest the vegetables from the Planting Space Box, replant seeds, and handle these tasks from now on.
He returned to the Core Cabin. After collecting the coins from the Money Tree, he began undressing to rest.
Lying in bed with Wensa in his arms, he opened the Chat Channel to see if there was any new information.
"Lekel and Ye Baifeng's duel today was incredible!"
"Yeah, Lekel's arrows were insanely fast! I wouldn't last a minute."
"Ye Baifeng's speed was crazy too! The way she handled her shield and scimitar was almost magical!"
"The key point is they're both gorgeous!" chimed in a pervert.
"I heard Ye Baifeng totally looks down on men, so don't get your hopes up."
"There's still Lekel!"
"Dude upstairs, you're a beast. Don't even think about the kid."
Gu Ning felt a bit speechless as the chat veered off-topic. Still, he gleaned some useful information: Lekel was an archer, and Ye Baifeng seemed to be a warrior-type fighter.
Just then, he noticed people starting to talk about him.
"Hey, haven't you noticed? Boss Gu Ning hasn't appeared on the Combat Points leaderboard at all!"
"No way, the Boss can't even make the top 10,000?"
"I just checked, he really isn't there."
"Gu Ning's strength is nothing special. He just got lucky to be first in Survival Points." That was Kawanishi and his crony ("Dog Brat") popping up again.
"Shut up, Dog Brat! Those pictures Wang Mu posted before clearly show the Boss is strong!"
Since Gu Ning had insulted Kawanishi that one time, everyone in the chat had started calling him "Dog Brat," fueling Kawanishi's hatred for Gu Ning even more.
"That was just his Hero unit being strong. Gu Ning himself is weak," Kawanishi retorted. "I hope I meet him in the Arena. I'll definitely show him what I'm made of."
Discussions continued below, but Gu Ning stopped paying attention. He saw no point in engaging Kawanishi now, only hoping to encounter him soon and settle things.
Next, Gu Ning checked Wang Mu's trade list for the day. He still needed two items for his [Hundred Changes]talent.
Unfortunately, it was the same as before: mostly bread, wall blueprints, etc. – things Gu Ning had no use for.
He picked out a pillow – mainly because it was the only Green quality item today; the rest were White.
With 773 White Stones left, he spent 40 to buy the pillow and exchanged for one Purple Stone.
He decided to use his final [Hundred Changes]opportunity on the Purple Stone. Getting another Green item was less valuable than boosting Huohuo's strength. As a Gold quality unit, enhancing Huohuo would yield far greater returns than a Green item.
First, Gu Ning took out the pillow and used [Hundred Changes].
A sofa immediately appeared on the floor.
The sofa had a white base, adorned with intricate gold and blue embroidery, giving it an overall luxurious appearance.
Luxury Sofa (Blue): A luxurious sofa that elevates a room's ambiance. Besides relaxing, you and your beloved can engage in some... romantic activities on it.
Gu Ning's expression darkened slightly at the suggestive description.
"This sofa is so beautiful!" Wensa exclaimed delightedly upon seeing it.
Gu Ning glanced at Wensa nestled in his arms and thought... maybe trying it out wasn't such a bad idea after all.