The items Su Chen had obtained were undoubtedly useful, but some of them had no immediate application for his current situation. This led him to think of the [Trading Platform].
He had noticed this feature in the system on his RV before but wasn't entirely sure how to use it. However, based on the name, it seemed to involve exchanging items with others.
Curious, Su Chen opened the Trading Platform and found a variety of posts from other users, many of whom were already bartering their goods.
Some people were offering to trade dry bread for raw meat to make a hotpot. The items listed on the platform were gradually increasing in variety: bottled water, wild fruits, dry bread, wood... These were all relatively easy to acquire.
Some luckier players had landed near the sea, where water resources were abundant. Although the water might have some sand in it and wasn't as clean as purified water, it was still drinkable.
Wild fruits could be picked from trees, something that shouldn't be too challenging for a healthy adult. As for wood, it required chopping, but it wasn't particularly valuable.
On the first day, there were people running around with broken axes, chopping wood non-stop. Yet, after exhausting themselves, they hardly gained anything worthwhile.
Dry bread, compared to these more easily obtained items, was harder to come by. Usually, it came from opening blind boxes.
The people trading on this platform were likely among the top players in this world. On one hand, bartering food indicated that they had an ample supply—enough to feed themselves while having some left over to exchange for items they needed.
There were also staple foods like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and bananas being traded. Su Chen couldn't help but admire those who could climb trees and grab bananas on the very first day.
But subsisting solely on fruits and dry bread wasn't sustainable. These foods were too low in calories and would drastically reduce energy for venturing out to search for more food.
Staple foods like potatoes were relatively expensive on the Trading Platform.
It was clear that at the top of the food chain were meat slices, which were, of course, categorized by quality.
["Does anyone have meat? I'm willing to trade ten wild fruits for it."
"Dream on! Ten fruits for a slice of meat?"
"Trading ten frog meat slices for purified water. Anyone interested?"
Reply: "Hi, I have purified water. Would you like to trade?"
"Of course! I'm dying of thirst here!"]
Transaction completed.
Su Chen decided to try his luck and posted a thread on the Trading Platform. Within a day, his post went viral.
["Hello everyone, I currently have plenty of purified water, wood, dry bread, and even a pot. I'm planning to make a hotpot to treat myself, so I'd like to trade for any ingredients I need. Please post your offers below!"]
The comment section immediately blew up with responses, proving that Su Chen had already become somewhat of a celebrity in this world.
["Hi, brother! Could you tell me where you're located? I'm stuck in a desert with nothing but sand, and I'm starving. I just managed to get some gasoline. Can I drive to your location?"
"Boss, how did you manage to gather so many supplies on the first day? Could you share some tips?"
"Wow, I spent the entire day chopping wood and only managed to get twenty logs. I'm exhausted! How did you gather so much in just one day?"]
The comments kept pouring in, with most of them expressing admiration for Su Chen's incredible resourcefulness.
Of course, there were also skeptics, accusing Su Chen of cheating.
Unintentionally, Su Chen's single post had turned him into a sensation. He hadn't expected such an uproar just from one thread.
While the comments didn't provide much practical value to him, a friend request suddenly popped up.
(Jiang Susu has sent you a friend request.)
Judging by the username and profile picture, it seemed to be a young girl, likely quiet and reserved.
Su Chen accepted the request, but surprisingly, Jiang Susu didn't send him any messages.
This puzzled Su Chen.
"Isn't she here to trade supplies with me?" he thought. "Why add me as a friend and then not say anything? How strange."
After hesitating for a moment, Su Chen decided to take the initiative and sent her a message.
("Hi, do you have any supplies you'd like to trade?")
After a brief pause, she replied:
("Yes, I opened a hotpot seasoning packet today and wanted to trade it for some purified water. Would you be interested?")
Su Chen was stunned. Wasn't this exactly what he needed? What a coincidence!
He immediately replied:
("Yes, I need that! Let's trade.")
[1 liter of purified water for 1 packet of hotpot seasoning.
(Transaction confirmed.)]
This encounter made it clear that many people in this world were opening supplies they couldn't currently use.
The Trading Platform was undoubtedly a helpful solution for the randomness of resource drops, effectively addressing some of the unfairness in the game.
With the hotpot seasoning secured, more people began approaching Su Chen for trades.
5 liters of gasoline for 5 slices of meat.
1 liter of purified water for 1 potato.
1 liter of gasoline for a bundle of vegetables.
20 logs for 1 box of alcohol burners.
It looked like tonight's hotpot feast was coming together. Checking the time, Su Chen noticed there were only 30 minutes left before nightfall.
"Time to hide in the RV and enjoy a good meal!"
Just then, the system broadcasted an urgent message to all players, warning them to return to their vehicles before nightfall. Otherwise, they risked being killed.
Su Chen quickly packed up his items and returned to his RV. Today had been an incredibly productive day.
Once inside, Su Chen began preparing for his feast. He cleaned the meat slices, vegetables, and potatoes, ready to reward himself properly.
By now, he was starving. He lit the alcohol burner. Though it was a bit risky to use one inside the RV, it was manageable.
Despite its small size, the RV had everything Su Chen needed—a toilet, a small area for cooking, and enough space to organize his supplies.
That said, Su Chen wasn't sure whether this tiny vehicle could withstand an attack from wild beasts.
"It looks like I'll need to upgrade the RV as soon as possible," he thought.
Before long, the hotpot began to boil, releasing a mouthwatering aroma that filled the entire RV.
Su Chen eagerly cooked a slice of meat and popped it into his mouth, only to scald himself.
"Ah! So hot! But it's so delicious!"
The tender, flavorful meat, the well-seasoned potato chunks, and the refreshing vegetables—everything tasted incredible.
Completely satisfied, Su Chen rubbed his now-rounded stomach.
This hearty meal replenished his energy and protein intake, ensuring he'd be full of vigor for the next day.
After wiping the grease from his mouth, Su Chen turned on the RV's display screen to begin studying. He planned to learn about RV upgrades and maintenance, as he was still unfamiliar with this type of vehicle.
From the information he found, most RVs resembled small homes. However, Su Chen's RV was more like a rundown van, with hardly any amenities. Upgrading it would significantly improve his quality of life.