Chapter 6: Zhou Xu’s Plan

To keep his "freshwater extraction device" running, they had to constantly add wood to the fire and pour water into the pot. In this primitive era where nothing was readily available, even getting a drink of water was no easy feat.

While waiting for the fresh water to accumulate, the skewered insects were ready to be roasted over the fire. Since none of the tribe members had ever done such a thing before, the arduous task of "grilling" naturally fell to Zhou Xu. Before he had transmigrated, Zhou Xu was quite fond of barbecue and could be considered a semi-professional grill master. His ability to control the heat was top-tier even among his old friends, and here, it was practically a transcendent skill.

The insects were naturally rich in oils, and under Zhou Xu’s technique, they began to sizzle. The scent caused the surrounding tribe members to sniff the air involuntarily; for some reason, their parched mouths began to secrete saliva, moistening their throats.

"That should be about right."

With that thought, Zhou Xu pinched some salt crystals he had gathered from the lakeshore and sprinkled them over the skewers. Since the seasoning was right there, he saw no reason not to use it. After letting the salt melt over the fire for a moment, he brought a skewer to his lips and bit into one of the insects.

Why bother with internal hesitation? He was starving to the point of lightheadedness! Besides, he had eaten similar grilled insects before. As he bit through the crispy exterior, he felt a burst of protein explode in his mouth. The taste was exactly as he had expected, which brought him a sense of relief.

He chewed the insect and handed the skewer to Feique, who was standing nearby. "One for each person. Pass them out. Don't be in a rush to swallow; chew them thoroughly first." Chewing more would help increase the feeling of satiety. Time was limited, and their catch was small, so he could only manage one per person for now. When distributing goods, the fear is not of scarcity, but of inequality, especially when their lives were at stake. Zhou Xu did not want to trigger internal strife over food distribution right from the start.

Previously, the tribe members would just stuff insects into their mouths raw—they didn't even bother to remove the heads or entrails, let alone cook them. Feique had never had any concept of "delicious" or "tasty" until the moment he put the grilled insect into his mouth and bit through that crispy shell. He was stunned.

For him, food had always been merely a means to stay alive. He had never imagined that a bug could taste so good. For some reason, he felt an urge to cry. Sniffling, he didn't forget the task Zhou Xu had given him and began to pass the skewers out one by one. The reactions of the others were almost identical to his. In that instant, a new element entered the cycle of the tribe members' lives: the desire to eat food like this every day. Desire had been born. And at that very moment, the era of "drinking blood and eating raw fur" was truly over for them.

During this, Zhou Xu could clearly sense that the tribe’s reverence for him was growing. If the tribe members had previously listened to Dashan because of the prestige he had built up, then at this moment, the prestige Zhou Xu had gained instantly overshadowed Dashan entirely. He had effortlessly accomplished what Dashan—and, in the eyes of the tribe, anyone else—could never have done. It was, quite simply, a dimensional strike.

"Now I understand why emperors of the past were so fond of fawning sycophants; this feeling is indeed quite pleasant." Even knowing it wasn't necessarily a good thing, under the gazes of those who looked at him as if he were a god, Zhou Xu couldn't help but feel a bit carried away—until his stomach let out a mournful growl, pulling him back to reality.

"Still not full." As a grown man, setting aside the taste, his appetite was such that he could easily put away a whole plate of fried silkworm pupae along with a large bowl of rice. A few grilled bugs weren't even enough to get between his teeth.

Looking for something else to fill his stomach, Zhou Xu turned his attention to the shell bowl catching the water. The process seemed faster than he had anticipated; in just this short time, it was already half full. Thirsty beyond measure, he didn't stand on ceremony. He signaled Feique to place another shell bowl under the drip, then picked up the half-full bowl and took a small sip. Perhaps because it had been so long since he’d had a drink, this simple distilled water tasted better than any nectar or fine wine.

Resisting the urge to gulp it all down, Zhou Xu handed the remaining water to Feique. "One small sip each, go ahead and distribute it."

"Yes."

Compared to the immediate impact of the grilled insects, the tribe members were much calmer regarding the distilled water. They were filled more with a sense of wonder, especially those who had previously drunk the lake water. If not for the various feats Zhou Xu had already displayed, which had led them to worship him like a god, they would never have dared to drink this water so easily. After tasting it, they could only conclude it was a miracle.

However, half a bowl of water was certainly not enough for the whole tribe. Those waiting in line were growing impatient, so Zhou Xu spoke up: "Don't worry, there is more; everyone will have water to drink."

After saying this, he turned to Feique. "Where is the tree bark we stripped off earlier?"

"Right here."

"Good. Everyone who has had a drink, gather around."

People like Zhou Xu, who enjoy strategy and management games, tend to be methodical; the better they play, the stronger their capacity for planning. Zhou Xu was no different. From discovering the Black Woods to establishing the camp and starting a fire for water, he already had a detailed plan in his mind. And now, he just had to execute it step by step.

"Dashan, while it's still light, take a few people and gather more tree branches."

After giving this order, Zhou Xu looked at the other tribe members who had gathered around. "Now, everyone, take a strip of bark of suitable length, just like I am doing. Then, interweave them like this. Take it one step at a time, don't rush."

In this area of the Black Woods, they had only found two sources of food: insects and rats. Zhou Xu had already seen how fast those rats could scramble; trying to catch them by hand was unrealistic. The best method was to build traps and wait for them to walk right into them.

In this moment, Zhou Xu was truly grateful to his grandmother. In her retirement, she used to pass the time by making simple handicrafts to earn a little extra pocket money. Whenever he returned to the countryside during school breaks, he would help her out, and as a result, he had picked up the craft. Now, it was finally coming in handy.