While tensions between nations brewed outside the game, inside the game, An Xiaomei was happily examining the rewards she had just received.
The first thing she consumed was, of course, the longevity pill she had been thinking about for so long. A treasure like that was best taken immediately—nothing was safer than having it in her own belly.
Moments later, the audience witnessed something miraculous:
An Xiaomei's once-gray hair gradually regained its jet-black sheen, the deep wrinkles on her face faded into barely visible fine lines, and her formerly sallow skin brightened into a healthy, soft golden tone.
[Now I really believe the "ten extra years of life" claim! This is insane!]
[Look at her! She doesn't look like a grandma anymore—at most forty-something. I can't keep calling her Grandma An, I'll have to call her Auntie An now!]
[Jealousy has disfigured me. I don't want to grow old and gray either—how can I become young like her?]
[Honestly, this game doesn't seem that hard. I wanna join too—like Auntie An, eating well every day, even having dessert after meals!]
[Calm down, people. Someone like An Xiaomei lives like that because she's a top-tier adventurer. Most regular players are still struggling on the poverty line right now!]
[Exactly! Not everyone can live like our Grandma—uh, I mean, Auntie An.]
In truth, the longevity pill alone couldn't produce such miraculous results—it only worked this well because she also used some of her own concocted potions as supplements. But since she was the only one with such resources, the results were entirely under her control.
"Ding! You have opened the Advanced Resource Chest and obtained: one Sub-Island Token, four plots of farmland, one Refined Iron Hoe, one Portable Yurt, three Mega Water Tanks, one Expansion Stone, one Control Compass, and ten rolls of cotton thread…"
As expected, the advanced chest contained far more than the mid-tier ones. What pleased An Xiaomei most, however, was the Sub-Island Token.
With it, an adventurer could claim an unoccupied island by number and make it an affiliated territory—an incredibly valuable resource.
Even better, the game automatically provided an exclusive teleportation passage between her main and sub-islands. That meant she could select a resource-rich island to use as a natural storage base.
As for whether she should choose the very first island she'd encountered earlier, An Xiaomei decided not to rush—she would survey more before committing.
Then there was the Expansion Stone, which, according to the description, was another treasure:
"Level 1 Expansion Stone: expands backpack space up to 100 square meters; can also be used to increase island area or other spatial attributes."
The Control Compass, meanwhile, could steer the main island's direction—but only once it was powered by Energy Stones.
An Xiaomei sighed. "Figures—it's a half-finished item. Guess I'll have to find energy stones later." Still, it was a promising start.
Meanwhile, the spectators outside the game could only see her tapping and gesturing at the air. The specific items she received remained hidden, leaving them itching with curiosity.
[She's been staring into space longer than usual—must've gotten some serious loot this time!]
[Honestly, that's good. The game's protecting players' info this way—since these global streams can be watched by anyone, it's safer.]
[Right, if people knew what she had, they'd never let her go.]
[But the game's announcements already outed her. As one of the richest players, she's bound to get targeted sooner or later.]
Indeed, as a two-time top-three winner, An Xiaomei was surely on many people's robbery lists. Yet, instead of worrying, she actually looked forward to it—after all, she still had that Phantom Thief's Glove lying around unused!
Then came the familiar "beep-beep-beep" sound of incoming messages. An Xiaomei didn't even bother checking—she could already guess the contents. Either someone wanted "help from a fellow countrywoman," or they were trying to lure her with vague promises.
Examples included:
"You've got resources now, but people will come for you. If you invest in me now, I'll protect you in the future."
Or:
"I'm your grandmother's cousin's nephew—since we're family, can't you spare a little help for your junior?"
And of course:
"You've got plenty, and we're starving here. You wouldn't be so heartless as to ignore your struggling compatriots, would you?"
In her previous life, she had sat in a cold, empty house with no one to talk to. Now that she had wealth, they swarmed like leeches.
"When poor, even in a bustling city, none seek you out; when rich, even in deep mountains, you'll find long-lost kin."
The ancients never lied.
No matter how many pleas she received, they all vanished into the void—An Xiaomei wasn't running a charity. If someone wanted her help, they had to offer something worth her while.
Speaking of which, she finally had enough materials to use that clothing blueprint she'd been saving. Time to make herself some winter outfits.
"Ding! You have used 1 roll of cotton thread, 10 units of cotton, and 2 units of linen to craft 2 Winter Clothing Sets. Estimated completion time: 1 hour. Begin crafting?"
"Confirm. Start crafting immediately," she replied without hesitation.
While waiting, An Xiaomei opened her chat window to check for potential trade offers.
That's when she noticed a private message from Xu Qiang:
"Ms. An Xiaomei, I got a Basic Resource Chest this round and found an Energy Stone inside. I'd like to trade it for food—preferably those filling and hydrating fruits you had before. The quantity's up to you. I trust your judgment."
Seeing his final line, An Xiaomei couldn't help but smile. Smart man. He wasn't trying to take advantage of her, even though he surely knew the Energy Stone's worth.
And indeed, she guessed right—Xu Qiang knew full well that only An Xiaomei would trade fairly and not swindle him. Without food, the Energy Stone was useless to him; survival came first.
If he hadn't shown such decency in their earlier mineral trade, An Xiaomei might have lowballed the offer. But since he had, she decided to be fair.
"I'll trade 10 jin of sweet potatoes and 10 apples for your Energy Stone," she said.
A generous deal, all things considered—especially since she hadn't found any resource islands since the first event.