Qin Yu held the black fishing rod as steady as a mountain.
The fishing line was pulled taut, cutting deep into the azure seawater, disappearing into the abyss.
Yao Qian hid behind Yao Xue, clutching the hem of her sister's white coat with both hands, her small head peeking out as she stared intently at the sea.
"Qin Yu..."
Yao Qian licked her chapped lips, her voice barely a whisper.
"Are you... fishing right now?"
"Is there really... any fish down there?"
She was genuinely thirsty.
The sun beat down, making her dizzy, her throat burning as if on fire. Every breath carried the salty, fishy scent of the sea, only making her thirstier with each inhale.
Yao Xue remained silent.
But her eyes, hidden behind gold-rimmed glasses, were fixed intently on the sea.
She was observing.
This inexplicable fishing rod, and Qin Yu's utterly confident expression.
As a doctor, she believed in science.
But in a place like this, science seemed utterly useless.
She had also seen the Virtual Panel earlier.
The Crafting list did indeed include blueprints for a "Simple Fishing Rod."
It required wood and rope.
But the rod in Qin Yu's hands was entirely black, gleaming with a cold light—clearly not some makeshift contraption pieced together from scrap wood.
Where did this man get such equipment?
"Whether there are fish or not, we'll know once we pull it up."
Qin Yu replied calmly.
No sooner had he spoken than—
Hum!
The black rod shuddered violently.
A tremendous pulling force traveled through the rod straight into Qin Yu's palm.
A bite!
The attributes of the God-Tier Poseidon Fishing Rod did not lie.
A hundred shots, a hundred hits!
It had been less than a minute since he cast the line.
"It's here!"
Qin Yu grunted low.
The muscles in his arms tensed instantly, veins bulging beneath his sun-tanned skin, radiating explosive strength.
The Yao sisters' hearts leaped into their throats.
"So much force!"
Yao Qian exclaimed, "Could it be a shark?"
Yao Xue instinctively pulled her sister further behind her, her right hand once again reaching for the scalpel in her pocket.
If it were a large marine creature, this tiny raft wouldn't withstand the struggle.
Qin Yu paid no attention to their reactions.
He focused on the weight in his hands.
It was heavy.
It didn't feel like a living thing struggling; more like a dead weight, a lump of iron.
There was none of the characteristic thrashing or fleeing of a fish.
Was this what "everything can be hooked" meant?
"Up!"
Qin Yu engaged his core, heaving backward with a powerful jerk.
Splash!
Water sprayed everywhere.
A square object burst out of the water.
It traced a parabola in the sunlight before landing heavily in the center of the raft.
Thud!
The raft shook violently, sending ripples across the water.
There were no slimy scales as expected, no gaping jaws.
Lying on the wooden planks was a square box.
About half a meter on each side, it appeared to be made of some composite material, with strands of green seaweed tangled around its surface.
A conspicuous white emblem was stamped on it.
It looked like a supply crate.
The air fell silent for a moment.
Yao Qian stared wide-eyed, first at the box, then at the fishing rod in Qin Yu's hands, utterly bewildered.
"What... what is this?"
"You can fish for packages in the sea?"
Yao Xue was equally stunned.
This was beyond absurd.
Fishing up a box?
Was this the so-called "everything else depends on fishing"?
Qin Yu put away his fishing rod, and with a thought, the black rod instantly vanished as if it had never existed.
This display of "Void Item Storage" made Yao Xue's pupils contract once more.
Qin Yu offered no explanation.
He strode over to the chest in two steps.
The chest had no lock, only a pull ring on top.
He hooked his fingers through the ring and gave a hard tug.
Hiss—
A sound like vacuum-sealed packaging being opened.
The lid sprang open.
Inside lay neatly arranged contents.
On the left were ten transparent plastic bottles.
They contained clear liquid, refracting enticing glimmers under the sunlight.
On the right were ten vacuum-sealed packs of bread.
Though the packaging was crude and bore no branding, their golden hue instantly stirred humanity's most primal appetite.
"Water!!!"
Yao Qian shrieked.
Her voice cracked with strain.
The formerly listless shut-in now erupted with astonishing potential.
Without a second thought, she lunged forward.
When parched to extremes, rationality ceases to exist.
"Don't move."
Qin Yu's voice was quiet, yet carried an undeniable chill.
Yao Qian froze mid-motion.
As if paused by a remote.
She looked up, meeting Qin Yu's cold gaze head-on.
His eyes held no camaraderie, only scrutiny.
Yao Qian flinched, shrinking back as she looked pleadingly at her sister.
Yao Xue grabbed her sister's arm and yanked her back.
Though she was thirsty too.
Her throat felt like sandpaper.
Seeing those bottles of water, she yearned to gulp them down immediately.
But she was clearer-headed than her sister.
Qin Yu had obtained these supplies.
In this lawless sea, was private property sacred?
No.
Possessions belonged to whoever had the strongest fists.
Qin Yu was currently the only adult male here—physically robust and possessing this bizarre method of acquiring resources.
Forcibly seizing them?
Suicide.
"Qin Yu."
Yao Xue took a deep breath, forcing herself to look away from the bottled water.
She adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on her nose, striving to keep her tone calm.
"You're the captain."
"You obtained these supplies, so you decide how to distribute them."
A smart one.
Qin Yu silently approved.
Had Yao Qian rushed to snatch them earlier, he wouldn't have minded teaching the girl a lesson.
Even if they were former classmates.
But Yao Xue's attitude pleased him.
Those who understand the times are true heroes.
In this apocalyptic world, only those who recognize their place survive long.
Qin Yu didn't rush to distribute the supplies.
He sat cross-legged before the chest, like a dragon guarding its treasure.
"Don't be hasty about eating and drinking yet."
Qin Yu glanced at the two sisters.
"First, let's assess our current situation."
As he spoke, he reopened the blue Virtual Panel.
His fingers tapped at the air.
The [Chat Channel] enlarged.
In the upper right corner was a bright red number he hadn't examined closely earlier.
[Current Region: Sea 9527]
[Regional Population: 33,333]
"Everyone, check your own panels."
Qin Yu pointed at the air.
"Chat Channel, upper right corner."
Yao Xue and Yao Qian complied.
"Over thirty thousand people?"
Yao Xue frowned at the number.
"If we estimate three people per group, that means over eleven thousand rafts…"
"And this is just one region."
Qin Yu nodded, his expression grim.
"Exactly."
"Number 9527 means there are at least 9,526 districts ahead of us."
"Possibly even more."
"This is a global screening process."
As he spoke, he kept his eyes fixed on the rapidly scrolling messages in the Chat Channel.
Compared to the initial panic, the Chat Channel now contained something else.
"Damn it! I'm dying of thirst! Anyone got water? I'll trade a Rolex! A Submariner! Genuine!"
"Is the guy above an idiot? Can you drink a Rolex now? I've got piss, want some?"
"Sob... one person on our raft just fell into the sea and didn't come back up... There's something in the water! Really something!"
"I salvaged a wooden barrel! There are two rotten apples inside, a bit sour but edible! Hahahaha!"
"Help... the two men beside me have strange looks in their eyes... I'm a girl, can anyone save me..."
"Beauty upstairs, send your coordinates, big brother will row over to save you, hehe."
Human nature.
Fully exposed in these few lines of text.
Some were begging for help, some were showing off, some were in despair, and some still couldn't think with anything but their lower brains even in such times.
"Understand now?"
Qin Yu pointed at the message about the "girl" and looked at Yao Xue.
"The order here is no longer the civilized society you're familiar with."
"Here, humans can be more dangerous than wild beasts."
Yao Xue's face turned pale.
Of course she understood.
As a doctor, she had witnessed too much human warmth and coldness in the hospital.
But in this completely unrestrained environment, the evil in human nature would be infinitely amplified.
She subconsciously touched her pocket.
That was her last line of defense.
"However, you're quite lucky."
Qin Yu closed the panel, his gaze sweeping over those two extremely alluring long legs before finally settling on Yao Xue's cool, detached face.
"At least I'm not the kind of scum who acts on lustful impulses."
"Of course, that's provided you both behave."
After speaking, Qin Yu reached out.
Took two bottles of water and two packs of bread from the crate.
Gave them a light toss.
Slap! Slap!
The two water bottles landed precisely in the sisters' arms.
Followed by the bread.
"One bottle of water and one bread each."
Qin Yu said indifferently.
"The remainder will be kept as strategic reserves under my unified management."
"Any objections?"
Yao Qian couldn't hold back any longer.
She frantically unscrewed the bottle cap, completely disregarding any ladylike demeanor, tilting her head back to gulp it down.
Gulp, gulp.
The cool water flowed down her throat, moistening her parched body.
Some water droplets escaped from the corner of her mouth, flowing down her fair neck and slipping into her shirt collar.
"Ha—"
Only after drinking half the bottle in one go did Yao Qian finally let out a long sigh.
"Alive again..."
Hugging the water bottle, her face full of happiness, she looked at Qin Yu with shining eyes.
"No objections! Absolutely no objections!"
"Brother Qin Yu, you're the best!"
This girl, just give her some food and she starts calling you brother.
Yao Xue wasn't as exaggerated as her younger sister.
Holding the water, she didn't drink immediately.
Instead, she looked deeply at Qin Yu.
"Thank you."
She said these two words very seriously.
Ten bottles of water, ten packs of bread.
Logically speaking, Qin Yu could have completely hoarded them all, or given them just a little to force them to do anything he wanted.
In this godforsaken place, the value of two bottles of water was enough to buy two lives.
It was even enough to make a once-proud woman abandon all her dignity.
But Qin Yu didn't.
He shared it without hesitation.
Though it was only a small portion, it represented an attitude.
An attitude of cooperation, not enslavement.
Yao Xue unscrewed the bottle cap and took small sips.
Her movements were elegant; even in such dire circumstances, she maintained the grace ingrained in her bones.
After a few sips of water, her mind, which had been dizzy from dehydration, finally cleared up considerably.
She tore open the packaging of the bread.
It was the most ordinary, old-fashioned bread, even a little dry and hard.
But at this moment, it tasted like a Michelin three-star delicacy.
Yao Xue took a small bite, chewing it carefully.
But her gaze never left Qin Yu.
Qin Yu took a bottle of water for himself and gulped down half of it in one go.
Then he ate the bread in large bites.
He finished one in just a few mouthfuls.
As a sports student, his energy expenditure was far greater than that of the two women.
"Qin Yu."
Yao Xue swallowed the bread in her mouth and adjusted her glasses.
This time, her tone was less cold and more inquisitive.
"What exactly did you mean by 'obedient' earlier?"
"I don't want it to be a vague concept."
"If it involves matters of principle..."
She paused, her hand unconsciously moving toward her pocket again.
Qin Yu noticed that subtle gesture and couldn't help but laugh.
He stuffed the last bite of bread into his mouth and brushed the crumbs off his hands.
"Alright, Dr. Yao."
"Put away that scalpel of yours."
"If you keep it in your pocket, you might end up stabbing your own thigh."
Exposed.
Yao Xue's face flushed with embarrassment.
But she still didn't remove her hand.
Qin Yu shook his head, leaned back, and propped himself up on the wooden plank with his hands, staring at the hopeless blue sky above.
"My demands are simple."
"First, on this raft, I am the absolute commander."
"My orders must be followed unconditionally."
"If we encounter danger, listen to my commands. Don't run around recklessly, and don't scream."
"Second, no freeloaders."
"Since this is about survival, everyone must prove their worth."
"I am the main force, responsible for obtaining supplies and combat."
"You two are responsible for logistics—organizing supplies, crafting tools, and possibly even taking night shifts in the future."
Qin Yu turned his head, his gaze intense as he stared at Yao Xue.
"Third, and most importantly."
"Don't betray me."
"I'm a petty person."
"If anyone dares to pull any tricks behind my back..."
Qin Yu didn't finish the sentence.
But the cold gleam in his eyes was sharper than the scalpel in Yao Xue's hand.
Yao Xue remained silent for a moment.
She looked at Qin Yu.
This former sports student now exuded an aura that even made her, a chief surgeon who held lives in her hands on the operating table, feel a sense of pressure.
But this pressure wasn't unpleasant.
Instead... it felt reassuring.
In this world where order had collapsed, such dominance often meant hope for survival.
"I agree."
Yao Xue slowly withdrew her hand from her pocket.
Her palm was empty.
It was a signal.
Disarming herself, showing trust.
"I am a doctor. I know first aid and how to handle simple injuries and illnesses."
Yao Xue began to demonstrate her value.
"I'm very familiar with human anatomy. If we have prey, I can handle the dissection."
Dissecting prey?
Qin Yu raised an eyebrow.
This woman... interesting.
Making butchering fish and meat sound so refined.
"I... I can..."
Seeing her sister had already stated her skills, Yao Qian quickly raised her hand while her mouth was still full of bread, mumbling indistinctly.
"I can draw!"
"I'm an art student!"
Qin Yu: "..."
Yao Xue: "..."
The air grew silent for another two seconds.
Yao Qian seemed to realize this skill was pretty useless at sea, her face instantly flushing red.
"I... I'm quite strong too!"
"I can watch the water!"
"And... and I can cook! Though I only know how to make instant noodles..."
Yao Qian's voice grew softer until she buried her head in her knees, leaving only her reddened ears visible.
Like an ostrich that had done something wrong.
Qin Yu sighed helplessly.
Forget it.
He never expected this shut-in to accomplish anything earth-shattering anyway.
Having her as a mascot wasn't bad.
At least those White Silk Stockings legs were pleasing to look at.
"Alright."
Qin Yu waved his hand.
"Since we've reached a consensus, that makes things easier."
"Our top priority now is to expand our living space."
"These four square meters are too cramped."
Three adults squeezed on such a small wooden plank couldn't even stretch their legs properly.
If they had to sleep here at night...
Qin Yu glanced at the two sisters.
That scene, while alluring, would be quite torturous.
"How do we expand?"
Yao Xue immediately got into character. Though she knew nothing about this, she was willing to think.
"With this."
Qin Yu pointed at the sea surface.
There, occasional floating objects drifted along with the ocean currents.
Wooden planks, plastic bottles, even some unknown garbage.
In this world, these were all resources.
"The system panel has a Crafting function."
"I glanced at it earlier - expanding the raft requires Wood and Rope."
"Maybe even Plastic."
"We're in the beginner protection period now, with mild waves. It's the perfect time to gather supplies."
Qin Yu stood up.
Having eaten and drunk his fill, his stamina had recovered considerably.
He summoned the black fishing rod from his backpack again.
"I'll continue fishing for supplies."
"Yao Xue, you have good eyesight. Watch the sea surface and tell me when you see floating objects."
"Yao Qian, where's that hook?"
Qin Yu pointed at the rusty iron hook that came with the raft in the corner.
"Ah? Here!"
Yao Qian quickly brought over the hook.
"You're responsible for using this hook to grab floating objects that come close to the raft."
"Just don't fall in yourself."
The division of labor was clear.
The previously lifeless, despair-filled atmosphere actually dissipated somewhat at this moment.
They had water, they had food.
They had a goal.
And people gained the motivation to keep living.
"Understood!"
Yao Qian nodded vigorously, clutching the rope that wasn't even as long as her arm with a look of grim determination. She lay prone at the raft's edge, her bottom sticking up high.
That posture...
Qin Yu averted his gaze and looked out to sea.
The fishing rod in his hand lifted once more.
Whoosh!
The fishing hook carrying hope flew into the distance once again.
Meanwhile, Yao Xue also stood up.
Unlike her sister who lay prone, she half-crouched beside Qin Yu, trying to maintain her balance as much as possible.
The sea breeze tousled her hair, leaving a few strands sticking to her cheeks.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Qin Yu."
She suddenly spoke.
"What?" Qin Yu didn't turn around, his focus remaining on the fishing float.
"This world..."
Yao Xue gazed at the boundless sea, her eyes somewhat dazed.
"Can we ever go back?"
This question carried immense weight.
Qin Yu fell silent for a moment.
Go back?
According to the tropes of online novels, for this kind of mass transmigration, there's usually only one way to return.
That is to clear the game.
Or, become a god in this world.
"Whether we can go back or not, I don't know."
Qin Yu's hands were steady, his voice equally calm.
"But I know that if we die here, then it's truly all over."
"Let's focus on surviving today first."
"Doctor Yao."
Yao Xue was momentarily taken aback.
Looking at that not particularly broad, yet ramrod straight back.
The corners of her lips lifted slightly, revealing an extremely faint smile.
This smile instantly melted the perennial layer of frost on her face.
Unfortunately, Qin Yu didn't see it.
"You're right."
Yao Xue murmured softly.
"Survive."
She crushed the empty plastic bottle in her hand and carefully stored it in her pocket.
In this resource-scarce world, even an empty plastic bottle was a treasure.
"Two o'clock direction!"
Yao Xue suddenly pointed at the sea and shouted.
"There's a plank drifting this way!"
Qin Yu instantly snapped into focus, looking in the direction she indicated.
It was indeed a rotten plank, bobbing up and down in the waves.
"That's Yao Qian's job."
Qin Yu glanced at the distance—only about three or four meters away.
"Qianqian! Go for it!"
"Received!"
Yao Qian shouted, swinging the iron hook in her hand.
"Hey!"
The iron hook flew out.
It had to be said, although this girl was a homebody, her aim wasn't bad.
Or perhaps she was just lucky.
The hook actually caught the edge of the plank.
"Pull!"
Yao Qian gritted her teeth, both hands tugging at the rope, her face turning red with effort.
Her white silk-stocking-clad calves rubbed against the wooden plank.
The plank didn't look big, but the water resistance was substantial.
"Keep going! You can do it!"
Yao Xue cheered her sister on from the side.
Finally.
With a determined cry from Yao Qian, th