LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 16: Midnight Attack
[Blanket: Level 1 cold resistance item, can help you withstand temperatures as low as -10°C. Crafting materials: 5 units of Level 1 fabric.]
Zhang Tuohai had already experienced how cold it could get in the desert at night.
Moreover, the people who died from the cold last night had used their lives to prove how terrifying low temperatures could be.
[Selling blankets, each for 10 units of Level 1 fabric.]
Zhang Tuohai wasn't planning to be too greedy with these supplies. Doubling the price for a small profit would be enough.
By now, night had fallen, and the temperature was starting to drop.
Zhang Tuohai felt like the temperature was dropping faster today compared to yesterday, but he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.
He glanced at the thermometer. The outside temperature had already dropped to 10°C above zero.
Of course, this was only the beginning.
By the second half of the night, the temperature would drop further, possibly nearing or even falling below zero.
Zhang Tuohai believed his blankets would sell well tonight.
Sure enough, when Zhang Tuohai put the blankets up for sale, there was a lot of enthusiasm for them, and the first batch of ten was sold out within ten minutes.
Zhang Tuohai immediately used the fabric he earned to make twenty more blankets and put them up for sale again.
"Boss, I'm out of fabric. Can I pay with metal scraps?" someone messaged privately.
"Sure." Noting that making spears required metal scraps, Zhang Tuohai reluctantly agreed to the request.
He traded a blanket for the metal scraps.
Of course, Zhang Tuohai hadn't forgotten about Su Mu and her sister; he sent them two blankets as well.
After all, they were major blueprint suppliers, and maintaining that relationship was important.
Besides, just two blankets were something he could afford to give away.
He could recover the cost by selling just a couple more blankets.
"Thanks, I just got a blueprint. You can have it at a cost price," Su Mu said, looking at the blanket in her hand with a sigh, and sent over a blueprint.
[Strong Flashlight Blueprint: Level 1 lighting equipment. Crafting materials: 1 unit of basic electronic components, 5 units of metal scraps, 5 units of glass shards, 1 unit of glass, 5 units of metal parts.]
[Note: Hand-crank charging.]
"A lighting device?" Zhang Tuohai widened his eyes.
It was the first time he had seen a device that required electricity.
Even though it was hand-cranked.
Except for the glass, which was a Level 2 material, the rest were common Level 1 materials, not hard to find.
Zhang Tuohai immediately crafted it.
In a blink, a one-foot-long black metal flashlight appeared in front of him.
The only difference from a normal flashlight was that it had a crank on the side.
Zhang Tuohai cranked it vigorously for dozens of turns, then pressed the switch.
A blinding beam of light shot out from the flashlight, illuminating over ten meters ahead.
After about a minute, the light gradually dimmed and eventually went out.
"The performance is decent, and this thing can also be used as a melee weapon, right?" Zhang Tuohai weighed the flashlight in his hand; it was five or six pounds of pure metal. A blow to the head could at least cause a concussion.
Moreover, the beam was very dazzling; it could even blind someone if shined directly in their eyes.
It was almost like a semi-controlling weapon.
"Pretty handy. I'll give you a set of sun-protective clothing." Zhang Tuohai rummaged through his supplies and tossed a set of sun-protective clothing to Su Mu.
This outfit was just a thin gauze set, but it blocked light well and effectively prevented sunburn.
Zhang Tuohai didn't need it since he had light-blocking glass, so he casually gave it to Su Mu.
"For the rest, I'll treat you to something special tomorrow, stir-fried tiger meat," Zhang Tuohai said.
"Uh, can I get a few more sets of sun-protective clothing?" Su Mu hesitated for a moment before messaging back. "I can provide the materials."
"Why do you need so many sets of sun-protective clothing? One set is enough to wear," Zhang Tuohai asked curiously.
"I've been wearing the same clothes for two days; they're too dirty," Su Mu stammered.
Zhang Tuohai scratched his head.
Ten minutes later, Zhang Tuohai made three sets of sun-protective clothing using the materials Su Mu provided and sent them back. After some thought, he also broke off half a bar of soap.
"Conserve water."
After taking care of these tasks, Zhang Tuohai saw that no one else was looking to trade, so he rendered the remaining tiger meat into oil dregs, wrapped himself in blankets and a coat, and started to sleep by the residual heat of the stove.
In the middle of the night, Zhang Tuohai seemed to hear a few wolf howls.
He suddenly woke up.
Rubbing his eyes, he looked around and saw a pair of green glowing eyes moving about ten meters in front of his car.
[A lone wild wolf is detected ten meters ahead. No threat to the vehicle.]
The alert system timely provided the information.
Hearing there was no threat, Zhang Tuohai let out a sigh of relief, feeling much less anxious, and started observing the lone wild wolf.
The wolf was very patient, circling around the car, occasionally scratching at the car door with its paws, testing for weak spots in the vehicle's defenses.
However, Zhang Tuohai's car was a modified steel-frame vehicle, which was not something an ordinary wolf could break into.
Still, the wolf's brazen behavior irritated Zhang Tuohai.
[Is there a way to deal with it?]
Zhang Tuohai softly asked the alert system.
[You can blind it with the strong flashlight and attack it with a hand crossbow.]
The alert system provided a suggestion.
"Seems worth a try."
Zhang Tuohai calculated in his mind and felt it was feasible, with little risk.
Having made up his mind, Zhang Tuohai started cranking the strong flashlight like crazy, pushing his hand speed to the limit.
After two minutes of cranking, Zhang Tuohai released his tired hands and tapped the car window.
The wild wolf, which had been circling outside, raised its head in confusion when it heard the noise.
It saw the sun!
A blinding beam of light shot straight into the wolf's eyes.
The wolf let out a yelp and turned to run away.
Trying to escape now?
Zhang Tuohai opened the car door, raised his hand crossbow, and aimed at the wolf's tail.
[Raise it by an inch.]
With the alert system's guidance, Zhang Tuohai pulled the trigger.
Whoosh!
The arrow shot like a meteor, piercing deep into the wolf's rear, with even the fletching disappearing from view.
"Awooo!"
The wolf let out a pained cry, collapsed to the ground, and writhed like a maggot, its movements growing weaker, seemingly on the brink of death.
"Is it too crippled to continue? Should I finish it off now?" Zhang Tuohai asked while picking up his hunting spear.
[This wolf still has the ability to counterattack. If you approach, it will bite your neck. Wait an hour, and it will lose its ability to resist.]
The alert system immediately advised.
"Damn, that's sneaky."
Hearing the alert system's warning, Zhang Tuohai was startled.
He hadn't expected the wolf to still be capable of counterattacking despite its severe injuries.
Moreover, it was even playing dead, almost fooling him.
Without the alert system, he would have fallen into the wolf's trap today.
"How dare you try to trick me? I'll kill you and eat your meat later." Zhang Tuohai closed the car door and waited patiently for the wolf's death.