To avoid confusion and prevent misleading other pioneers, Norman listed the same trade three times. Each trade option included a unit of fish, with the required items for trade clearly listed below.
Norman didn't choose these materials randomly. Each one was necessary to repair the small gravity ball. While the water supply issue had been temporarily resolved, the source of stable food remained uncertain.
Three units of fish would sustain him for another two days, but for long-term survival, Norman knew it was crucial to repair the gravity ball first. With this essential tool in hand, securing ample food in the future would be much easier.
As Norman placed the three units of fish on the market, the communication channel, still abuzz from the recent storm, erupted in excitement:
[Golden Wheel: What the heck! The Captain of Tartarus just listed three units of fish at once—what the hell! Is he sitting on a fish spawn point?!]
[Love Sauce: Waaa... such a big piece of fish, I'm starving, I really want to eat...]
[Charger: Some pioneers have listed fish and crab meat before, but nothing compared to what Tartarus posted! This piece of fish alone is enough to eat for two days! What kind of fish did it come from?!]
[Little Confused: I have iron ore, plenty of it, but where do I find aluminum and titanium? Why does Tartarus want these? Is he planning to upgrade his submarine?!]
[Bad God: Are we in a game? I've only collected five units of plant fiber and haven't even made a fishing net yet. They've already made a fresh water extractor and are selling food too!]
[Alice: Hey, handsome, can you give me a piece of fish? I'm starving! I'll share my coordinates if you do, and I'll meet all your needs~]
[Yama: How did he catch so many fish so quickly?! He must be cheating! I'm reporting this!]
[Big Knife: Shut up, fool. Next, are you going to claim that the fish is yours too? Give me your coordinates, and I'll teach you some manners!]
[Qixia: Let me handle this idiot! Even on an alien world, things don't seem to change, like how the fuck do you cheat down here!]
The listing of three units of fish caused an uproar. Reactions varied widely across different people.
The small communication channel, with tens of thousands of pioneers, buzzed with activity. Even Norman hadn't expected such a strong reaction.
Sitting silently at the console, Norman's eyes were dull as he observed the chaos.
"It's just three pieces of fish... Why are they going nuts over this?"
"But that, Yama, is he an idiot? How the hell do I cheat in fishing? Especially when we are all in the same situation, ....oh yeah, I do have a cheat!"
A flash of puzzlement and understanding crossed Norman's face as he closed the communication channel. His private chat list began flashing frantically as numerous pioneers contacted him, hoping to trade for his fish.
[Rio: Hey, I've got ten units of iron ore. How about a trade for a piece of fish?]
[Liberty: Hi, friend! I'm short on aluminum and titanium. Can I offer other resources instead?]
[Kimir: Buddy, want some vodka? Fresh out of a supply box! I only drank half a bottle—trade it for a piece of fish?]
[Qingxinhao: Little brother, I'm starving! Can you spare some meat? After I eat, you can eat them, so nobody's hungry anymore, okay?]
With hundreds of thousands of private messages flooding in, Norman was overwhelmed and confused. Despite the lack of avatars, he could tell from the submarine names and the way they text that many foreigners were contacting him. However, all the messages appeared in English, leading Norman to suspect that the system automatically translated them.
The variety of items offered in trade amused him—vodka, cigarettes, toilet paper, lighters, and more. Norman couldn't help but wonder where these random items came from.
Besides sincere bartering, some pioneers resorted to verbal threats, begging, or even attempting moral blackmail. Others tried to tempt him with beauty or seduction, exhausting all tactics to get a piece of fish. Norman silently scoffed at these efforts.
"Do these people still not accept the reality we are in?" he thought.
All previous social structures and orders had collapsed. In the depths of this endless abyss, everyone was equal, no matter who they were. Norman ignored these desperate messages.
However, the sheer volume of private messages made it impossible for Norman to keep up. After more than ten minutes of trying, he realized he couldn't continue like this. He activated the submarine's automatic navigation system, setting it on course toward Gathering Outpost No. 1.
To streamline the process, Norman used filters to search for specific resources like titanium, aluminum, and plastic in his chat list. This filtering quickly cleared out the irrelevant messages, making the list much more manageable.
Norman knew that the trade requests he posted on the market were beyond the reach of most pioneers at this stage. His real goal was to convey his needs to others, encouraging them to initiate private trades. This strategy would give him more room to negotiate, maximizing his gains.
Of course, if a pioneer could provide the materials he needed, it would be easier to purchase them directly through the trading platform, saving him time. But realistically, such a pioneer likely didn't exist.
Ten minutes later, Norman finally identified a reliable buyer from the private chat list. However, when he saw the name of the other pioneer's submarine, he raised an eyebrow and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Shenlong... So, it's him?"