In the blink of an eye, the single-person barbecue grill, only as wide as a chair, transformed into a luxurious grill 1.5 meters wide.
There was even cola, which meant Su Chen could enjoy a grand barbecue feast.
After going back and forth three or four times, Su Chen finally moved all the supplies near the RV.
He set up the grill on the side of the RV, but only then realized he was missing a few essential items.
Su Chen immediately thought of the trading platform.
He snapped a photo of the grill and posted it online:
[I urgently need charcoal and some basic vegetables. I can trade barbecue skewers or cola for them]
As soon as the post went up, it attracted a ton of attention.
More spectators gathered to watch.
["No wonder you're a big shot. Here I am gnawing on a steamed bun, and you're casually having a barbecue?"
"Unbelievable. I'm out here working myself to death scavenging for food, and someone's actually living so leisurely?"
"Well, duh! Big Boss even has cola. Imagine what else he has that we don't know about."
"Water! Who has water? I'm starving and dying of thirst in this godforsaken place."
"Ha! With so much food, why doesn't he share with those who are struggling?"
"What the hell you mean, are you some kind of saint? This is a survival-of-the-fittest world. The weak are meant to be eliminated."
"Stop wasting your time chatting here. Go out and gather some food instead!"
"Big Boss Su, look at me. I've got charcoal!"
"I have some too! How do we trade?"
"Guys, I just crashed my car into a tree and accidentally found a bunch of wild fruits. My car's totaled, but at least I won't starve now."
"There was some kind of monster chasing me earlier. It was terrifying."
"I stumbled across a vegetable garden—potatoes, radishes, cabbages. I'd love to trade for some meat, Big Boss!"]
Su Chen scanned the messages briefly.
Some people were his fans, as indicated by the support group logo next to their names.
It seemed Su Chen's fame in this world was growing steadily.
In the future, he might even create a brand like Wang Lao Ji, named after himself.
That could turn into a massive business empire.
Just then, a friend request popped up.
Zhang Yuan wants to add you as a friend.
Su Chen glanced at the profile picture. The person seemed about his age.
He clicked "Accept."
Before long, Zhang Yuan sent a message.
[Big Boss, are you still trading?]
The tone was quite polite.
Su Chen replied:
[Yes. What do you have to trade?]
Zhang Yuan, thrilled at how quickly Su Chen responded, thought to himself, "He really is as kind as people say."
[Uh… I just found some charcoal. It should work for grilling. Could I trade for a little bit of meat? I haven't had meat in ages.]
Seeing that Zhang Yuan had charcoal—exactly what he needed—and given Su Chen's generous nature, he readily agreed.
[Sure, we can trade now.]
Zhang Yuan received the meat slices, his eyes lighting up with delight.
He never imagined he could eat the meat he had been craving in this place.
After receiving three slices, Zhang Yuan exclaimed, "Big Boss Su is truly amazing!"
Su Chen exchanged three pieces of meat for some charcoal.
As for the remaining vegetables, he thought, "If I can't find them, so be it. I have plenty of skewers anyway—enough to eat dozens."
Not long after, more friend requests came in.
One stood out. Someone had included a note:
[Hello, I have vegetables. Would you like to trade?]
Requests with a note always left a better impression.
Without hesitation, Su Chen accepted.
Judging by the profile picture, it seemed to be a girl.
In this world, everything was tied to real names and verified profiles.
Profile pictures and names were always authentic, making it easier to judge someone's character at a glance.
This system helped reduce the chances of being scammed.
The girl messaged quickly:
[Hi, I have potatoes, cabbages, and carrots. How would you like to trade?]
Su Chen responded immediately:
[What do you need?]
[Some meat skewers, please.]
After a brief exchange, they successfully completed the trade.
Now Su Chen had all the necessary barbecue tools and ingredients.
The next step was preparing the food and digging in.
He washed the vegetables thoroughly.
The iron dagger he'd forged earlier finally came in handy.
With the knife, he chopped the potatoes and carrots into chunks and separated the cabbage leaves.
He couldn't wait to see how these vegetables would taste grilled.
The skewers were pre-marinated in honey sauce, clearly more flavorful than the plain vegetables.
To his surprise, the skewers came in a variety of flavors: honey glaze, spicy, and cumin.
Just imagining it made his mouth water.
He placed the charcoal into the grill.
Starting a fire turned out to be a real challenge.
For someone like Su Chen, a total novice in survival skills, it was a major blind spot.
After some trial and error, he finally managed to light the fire. By noon, lunch was ready.
Er Bao, his companion, tilted his head and said, "Master, you look so handsome when you work seriously~"
Seeing Su Chen's messy appearance, he didn't laugh at him but kept cheering him on.
"Finally got the fire going. Any longer, and it would've been embarrassing," Su Chen muttered, feeling a bit shy at Er Bao's encouragement.
With the fire going, the hardest part was done. Now it was time to grill.
Having always eaten barbecue at restaurants, Su Chen was excited to try cooking it himself for the first time.
Despite his limited cooking experience, Su Chen was confident in his skills.
Back at home, his egg fried rice often earned praise from his parents.
Proudly, he gave himself the nickname "Master Su."
Though a bit childish, his skillful handling of the grill lived up to the name.
He deftly turned the skewers, ensuring each side was evenly cooked.
Soon, the meat began to sizzle, releasing a tantalizing aroma.
Er Bao, drooling, watched eagerly from the side.
"You little foodie. I'll let you have the first bite."
Su Chen took a skewer, removed the meat, and fed it to Er Bao.
He gobbled it up, then jumped around joyfully, his delight clear.
The taste must have been incredible.
Su Chen tried a piece himself and found it just as good as restaurant-quality barbecue.
Encouraged, he grilled another batch, adding the potatoes and carrots as side dishes.
The second round was ready in no time.
The potatoes and carrots were filling, while the skewers were irresistibly flavorful.
After finishing the skewers, the natural taste of the potatoes and carrots, followed by a bit of cabbage to cut the grease, made for a perfect meal.
"So delicious! Truly worthy of Master Su's skills."
Satisfied and full, Su Chen let out a contented burp.
With a full stomach, he decided to take a nap.
Using some straw as bedding, he lay down to rest.
Feeling accomplished, he sought validation.
"Er Bao, how was it? Was it good?"
Er Bao nodded enthusiastically, looking utterly adorable.
With that, Su Chen drifted into a leisurely nap.
What a carefree, heavenly life.
__________
Information: Wang Lao Ji (王老吉), a well-known herbal tea company. The brand was named after its creator, Wang Lao Ji, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. It's recognized globally for its herbal drinks and holds cultural significance in China.
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