Jiang Lai closed the chat channel and opened her backpack.
She looked at the information for the brazier she had placed inside.
Originally, the brazier could provide warmth for ten hours, but once it was put into her backpack, it became inert.
When she took it out again, the warmth would start flowing once more.
This undoubtedly made the brazier much more practical.
She hadn’t expected the backpack’s “pause” function to be so powerful.
Jiang Lai remembered the torch Qi Jingxing had mentioned earlier.
If torches could also be paused in the backpack, their usage time and cost-effectiveness would increase dramatically.
Maybe this really was something that could greatly improve players’ survival rates.
If only one person could survive in this game, Jiang Lai would, of course, choose herself without hesitation.
But if the game was just about challenging the limits of human civilization, then Jiang Lai hoped for a win-win outcome.
She wanted more people to survive to the end, for humanity to unite and help each other.
At least, to some extent—though she knew that would be difficult.
Thinking of this, Jiang Lai sent Qi Jingxing a message in their small group chat.
“Did you find a fire source?”
“What’s up? Do you have news?”
Qi Jingxing replied almost instantly.
“What’s your price?
I only want upgrade materials, not warmth supplies.”
Even among brothers, accounts should be settled clearly, let alone Jiang Lai and Qi Jingxing, who had only just met and weren’t close yet.
Jiang Lai had seen that on the trading platform, Qi Jingxing was offering both warmth and upgrade materials in exchange.
Now that she had a cabin, bedding, and a brazier, Jiang Lai didn’t really need warmth supplies anymore.
She had no intention of asking for an exorbitant price, nor did she want to take advantage of Qi Jingxing.
After all, she already had a lighter, so fire sources weren’t that precious to her.
As long as the price was reasonable, she was fine with it.
What Jiang Lai didn’t know was that, on the other end, Qi Jingxing gave a bitter smile when he saw her message.
His expression was even more miserable than crying.
He used to have some upgrade materials—wood, nails, even bronze.
But last night, the temperature dropped sharply, and since he hadn’t managed to trade for a fire source, Qi Jingxing upgraded his shelter.
Now, he barely had any upgrade materials left—nothing worth offering.
Since Jiang Lai didn’t need warmth supplies, she probably wasn’t short on food or water, either.
This put Qi Jingxing in a tough spot.
The thing he’d been hoping for was finally within reach, but he just couldn’t get it.
It was a truly agonizing feeling.
“I just upgraded my shelter last night…”
That one sentence was enough for Jiang Lai to understand what he meant.
Alright, so his precious wood and nails were gone.
What else did she need, then?
As Jiang Lai was thinking, Qi Jingxing sent another message.
“How about you use the fire source as an investment? We split the profits 50-50. Or I take 40, you take 60?”
Qi Jingxing knew that the fire source was the most important part of making torches, so he generously offered her a bigger share.
“No need, 50-50 is fine. Deal.”
Jiang Lai didn’t hesitate and agreed immediately.
Her brazier had been a big success yesterday, and she was very optimistic about the torch business.
If it weren’t for the fact that soil was hard to trade for, she didn’t have any oil, and she didn’t want the hassle, she wouldn’t have pushed Qi Jingxing to get the business going.
Besides, Qi Jingxing seemed reliable and capable.
So the two of them happily reached an agreement.
They drafted a simple contract on the trading platform, and once both parties signed, it took effect immediately and was protected by the platform, so there was no need to worry about trust issues.
Then Jiang Lai traded the fire source over.
“You even managed to make a brazier. Why bother with…”
Qi Jingxing, upon receiving the item, immediately realized that Jiang Lai’s brazier was much more practical than his torches.
Since Jiang Lai had the fire source, the idea, and had already succeeded in her experiment, partnering with him was actually a huge favor to him.
Qi Jingxing felt a little embarrassed and even more grateful to Jiang Lai.
“I’m just lazy and don’t like dealing with things.”
Jiang Lai was telling the truth, but to Qi Jingxing, it sounded like modesty.
“Besides, even torches, as long as they’re stored properly, can be just as useful as braziers.”
Now that they were partners, Jiang Lai didn’t hold anything back.
She explained in detail how the backpack could store fire sources and even pause their burn time.
Qi Jingxing was overjoyed—this storage method solved his last remaining worry.
He was at a loss for how to thank Jiang Lai.
“Jiang Lai, I really don’t know how to thank you.
Making torches isn’t just about making money—I want to help more people survive.
Thank you. If you ever need my help in the future, I’ll be there!”
Qi Jingxing sincerely thanked Jiang Lai.
They hadn’t known each other long, and he hadn’t expected to meet such a loyal friend in this game.
Jiang Lai smiled at his message.
If Qi Jingxing knew how easily she’d gotten the fire source, he probably wouldn’t feel this way.
Besides, she really wasn’t cut out for business and didn’t like dealing with things.
On the fourth day in the game, Jiang Lai laid her bedding on the raft, lay on her back with her legs crossed, and basked in the sun.
She had a biscuit in her mouth, looking completely relaxed and at ease.
Although it was still cold during the day, at least the sun was shining brightly.
Jiang Lai sunbathed while waiting for her fishing rod to hook another treasure chest.
She’d used the workbench to make a device to hold the fishing rod.
Whenever a chest was hooked, the device would automatically lift it up.
Then Jiang Lai just had to pull the chest in.
This freed up her hands and let her enjoy the sun in peace.
If it weren’t for the desperate cries in the chat channel, it would feel just like a vacation.
Jiang Lai squinted at the screen above her. The group chat with Qi Jingxing and Chang Fa was lively as ever.
Just as Jiang Lai had predicted, starting the torch business wasn’t as simple as Qi Jingxing had thought.
Even with the fire source, he still needed to buy large quantities of wood and burlap clothing.
Not to mention, there wasn’t enough oil.
There were lots of little details and a need for manpower.
So Qi Jingxing brought in Chang Fa to help, offering him a 10% share of the profits.
As for Jiang Lai, who had invested with the fire source, she naturally didn’t need to do any more work.
She could just sit back and enjoy being a major shareholder.
With Chang Fa on board, there was nothing left for Jiang Lai to do.
Chang Fa was very optimistic about the business. His family had always been in business, so he was quick to pick up on procurement and sales.
He was even more organized than Qi Jingxing, and had a clear plan for sales strategies and pricing. With his help, Qi Jingxing felt much more relaxed.
(End of chapter)”
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