Although Meng Hao narrowly escaped the shark's attack, his clothes weren't so lucky—they vanished into the depths of the sea.
That damned shark failed to devour him, but managed to swallow his clothes in a single bite.
Originally, he had intended to enjoy a bath while cleaning his garments.Now, things had taken an awkward turn.
Sweeping his gaze over the shoreline, Meng Hao's eyes suddenly lit up.
He rushed forward a few steps and retrieved a damp piece of clothing from the swirling surf.
"Thank goodness, my underwear survived!"
Perhaps due to its small size, the shark had missed it.
With haste, Meng Hao slipped on the salvaged undergarment, and an inexplicable sense of security washed over him.
He felt as though he had taken a significant step toward reclaiming civilization.
Returning to the shore, he slipped his shoes back on and turned his back on the sorrowful beach.
The grudge he bore against the shark, he vowed to settle later—once more pressing matters were resolved.
"The priority now is to send the spears to my family."
Now that he had access to iron ore, the weapons factory operated smoothly, producing one spear every ten minutes, automatically storing them in his storage ring.
Glancing inside, Meng Hao found that three spears had already been forged.
He retrieved one, tested its weight in his hand—it was heavy and razor-sharp.
[Spear: Black Iron-grade weapon. A cold weapon with a lethal point, capable of piercing through zombies with ease. Attack Power: 15.]
Reading the spear's description, Meng Hao gave a silent nod of approval.
Its power far exceeded that of a wooden stick. With such a weapon, his parents should now be capable of defending themselves.
His father had the Speed-enhancing Gauntlets, his mother the Agile Shoes—now, paired with spears, their combat potential had significantly improved.
As for his sister, there was little need to worry.
Wielding a Super Red Hawk Revolver, she stood as a formidable force in the entire game.
Opening the trading interface, Meng Hao quickly dispatched the spears to his father and mother.
He checked the family chat group—99+ messages.
While he was away, the others had been actively sharing their experiences.
His sister and father had both posted updates on their island explorations, akin to a live broadcast.
So far, both had successfully claimed their own islands.
His mother, lacking an adequate weapon, had yet to set out—but now, with the spear from Meng Hao, she was finally ready.
Meng Nanshan (Father): "Huh? I just received a spear from Xiao Hao. Is he online?"
Zhang Hailan (Mother): "I got one too! Finally, a proper weapon!"
Meng Hao: "Dad, Mom—my base island has leveled up. The weapons factory is now producing spears. These are freshly forged."
Meng Ke (Sister): "Whoa, your weapons factory is already up and running? That's incredible!"
Meng Hao: "Of course. Do you know who your brother is?"
Meng Ke: "My island's upgraded too, but opening a farm, mine, weapons factory, and barracks costs a ton of crystal coins. I used 3 coins to upgrade the island—now I only have 2 left. So broke."
Meng Nanshan: "Right. A farm costs 5, a mine 10, weapons factory 50, and barracks 100. We're nowhere near having enough crystal coins."
Meng Ke: "Brother, opening a weapons factory costs 50 coins—where'd you get so many? Tell me honestly, are you being sponsored by a sugar mommy?"
Meng Hao: "..."
Meng Nanshan: "..."
Zhang Hailan: "..."
Meng Hao: "Alright, I'll send you some crystal coins. Everyone should prioritize unlocking their farm, mine, factory, and barracks."
As he spoke, Meng Hao returned to the trading interface, preparing to distribute coins.
However, he quickly discovered it was impossible.
Crystal coins, being equivalent to currency, couldn't be gifted.
There was no "selling money" function—the trading system simply didn't support such operations.
Meng Hao: "The trade channel doesn't allow gifting coins. Here's a workaround—list a useless item for sale at 200 coins. I'll buy it."
Meng Ke: "200 coins?! Brother, you're amazing!"
Zhang Hailan: "I'll pass for now. I haven't begun my expedition yet. But now that I have your spear, I can finally start."
Meng Ke: "Mom, I've already secured an island. I don't need the gun for now. Take it and use it—just return it after you've cleared out the zombies."
Zhang Hailan: "No need. I've got the agile shoes, and with the spear, I should manage."
Meng Ke: "Take it anyway—it'll be faster. There are only five zombies. Won't take long."
Zhang Hailan: "Alright then. I'll give it back when I'm done."
Watching the lively chat between his mother and sister, Meng Hao's expression suddenly shifted.
That's it—why not fully utilize the trading system for family-wide resource sharing?
Strategic assets could be allocated wherever needed.
And what if he helped them open treasure chests?
With his luck amplification system, anything he opened would yield a hundredfold reward.
If his family sent him their chests, they too could benefit from those immense rewards.
In effect, the entire family could share his divine-level fortune.
Excited by the idea, Meng Hao felt a surge of heat in his chest.
Meng Hao: "Everyone—don't open any treasure chests you find. Send them to me. I've been unusually lucky lately—maybe you'll get a bit of that luck too."
Meng Ke: "Sure! I'll send every chest I find to you!"
Meng Nanshan: "No problem!"
Zhang Hailan: "Alright!"
Seeing their unanimous agreement, Meng Hao smiled knowingly.
If he could open chests for his family… could he also do so for others?
What if he started acquiring unopened chests from the trading channel?
The mere thought quickened his breath.
He might have just discovered a path to untold wealth.
In a post-apocalyptic world, resources were king.
If he could control what others desperately needed, he could trade for anything.
"Let's see what people are lacking."
Without hesitation, Meng Hao dove into the world chat, seeking valuable insights.
In just half a day, the channel had transformed dramatically.
Trending keywords now topped the world chat as hot topics—items of frequent discussion ranked higher.
Severe water shortage
Food scarcity
Tips for fighting zombies
Island drifting survival tips
Zombies bleed no matter where you hit them
There are sharks in the sea
Handstands can help you drink your own urine
Global death toll exceeds 3 billion
Devouring islands upgrades your base
I want to go home
From the trending list, one thing was clear—freshwater was in dire shortage.
In just a few hours, islands were already experiencing a freshwater crisis.
And whoever controlled the water, controlled everything.
A sinister smile crept onto Meng Hao's lips.