Others try to survive on an island, I try to survive on a raft?

Chapter 147 The Shift in Team Focus

"We're having roasted wild venison tonight, brothers and sisters, aren't you excited?"

Zhao Dezhu laughed heartily as he stepped on a dead wild deer. Although he was disheveled, he was laughing very happily.

When he came back from his afternoon nap yesterday, he found that his small team had a lot of ironware. Upon asking, he learned that they had encountered a kind merchant ship.

He had a keen eye and could tell at a glance that their lives would gradually improve after acquiring this batch of ironware and engaging in trade.

Mu Qing then began to form a hunting team, and he decided to be the first to join because the hunting team could obtain sea monster meat and food subsidies.

Simply put, it means becoming stronger while also being able to eat more.

Of course, I have to pay more than before, but that's okay.

My salary used to be 3000. No matter how hard I worked, it was still the same amount, and I didn't make any progress.

But look at the situation now, they've received technology funding from a large company. With that technology, their small company will definitely thrive.

That's different from before. Now there's a lot of room for advancement. As long as he works hard, his salary will increase, so naturally he's willing to work hard.

In addition, almost all the men joined the hunting teams, and the remaining men who did not join the hunting teams became the leaders of the other collection groups.

Today, they got off to a great start by encountering a wild deer.

With weapons, they were finally able to inflict fatal damage on this medium-sized animal.

With a bit of luck, he caught his first prey right away.

On the open ground below the cliff outpost, a campfire lit up the darkness.

The poor deer had already been skinned and was roasting over a fire, sizzling and dripping with oil. The oil dripped into the fire and emitted a burnt smell that made everyone's mouths water.

"I'm so happy, Brother Zhao is awesome!"

"It has to be Brother Zhao! That one axe blow, I think the deer was completely stunned and died on the spot!"

A group of people gathered around the fire, cheering like savages, since they had never eaten meat since they came into this world.

Surrounded by compliments, Zhao Dezhu couldn't help but burst into laughter; it felt amazing.

"Come on, don't be shy, take it all!"

Zhao Dezhu used the sharp iron axe as a knife, slicing off pieces of venison with large, sweeping motions, and throwing them directly into the crowd, regardless of whether the slices were even or not.

"This piece of meat is for Lao Zhang; you worked hard digging this hole today!"

"This is for Xiao Liu. Even though you're slow, at least you didn't wet your pants. It'll help nourish your kidneys!"

Ignoring the fact that the meat was hot, everyone caught it and stuffed it into their mouths.

Some people don't even chew, wolfing it down, choking until their eyes roll back, then gulping down a mouthful of cold water and continuing to gnaw.

"Mmm...meat...it smells so good!"

"Following Brother Zhao really pays off!"

Unbeknownst to them, the center of the crowd had shifted from Mu Qing, who was standing on the periphery maintaining order, to Zhao Dezhu, whose hands were covered in grease.

In this primitive world, the one who brings back prey is the king.

Mu Qing, standing on the outside, watched this scene with a polite smile on her face, but her hand was tightly clutching the hem of her clothes on her thigh.

As the leader, her contributions were no less than Zhao Dezhu's. She oversaw the overall situation, kept accounts, assigned tasks, and planned inventory. These seemingly trivial but crucial tasks kept her firmly in the base camp.

She couldn't be on the front lines like Zhao Dezhu, even though she was actually quite skilled.

But despite her hard work and dedication, she had never received a single word of praise from anyone. Seeing Zhao Dezhu being so adored today made her feel extremely disheartened.

"A bunch of ingrates!"

Chen Yao carried a bowl of wild vegetable soup to Mu Qing's side. Looking at Zhao Dezhu, who was being fawned over, she was furious: "Don't you even think about who stood up and negotiated with that lecherous merchant, and who schemed to exchange the supplies for the tools—"

"Now that they're eating meat, all they can think about is Brother Zhao. What about Sister Mu?"

Two young men in charge of logistics also came over and whispered in agreement, "That's right, Sister Mu, Zhao Dezhu is too arrogant. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was the boss."

Mu Qing shook her head, signaling them to stop talking.

If you create conflict at this point, the team will immediately fall apart.

She composed herself, walked to the fire, clapped her hands, and said loudly, "Everyone, quiet down!"

"We're able to enjoy this meal today thanks to Brother Zhao's exemplary leadership. Our hunting team's formation was a great success, proving our route was correct! Let's give Captain Zhao a round of applause!"

The applause was sporadic, and most people, with their mouths full of meat, could only grunt incoherently.

Zhao Dezhu quickly waved his hand, his face immediately plastered with the habitual smile he wore in the workplace: "Oh, Sister Mu, what are you saying? I was just someone who did the hard work."

"If it weren't for Sister Mu's brilliant planning, getting us such a good axe, I would have gone and killed this deer with my head! Don't you all agree?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Sister Mu is a great leader, and Brother Zhao is incredibly brave!" Someone casually shouted a rhyme, which caused a burst of laughter.

Zhao Dezhu's words sounded humble, but everyone could tell that they were just polite words.

In everyone's mind, what's more practical than strategizing and planning?

Mu Qing could only smile and said, "Everyone, eat and drink well. We need to work even harder tomorrow."

"The sugarcane and potatoes in the warehouse are almost ready. Captain Su will come to collect the debt tomorrow. We not only need to pay it off, but we also need to try to get some new stuff in return."

These words instantly soured the previously harmonious atmosphere.

"Sister Mu, I think we should get a few more axes tomorrow, and it would be best to get one of those high-quality steel daggers too, so we can skin people cleanly!" a greasy-mouthed man shouted.

"Yes, yes, we need to change the salt. This meat is so bland without salt. There's iron on this merchant ship, so there must be salt too. I want to change the shampoo—or soap if necessary, my hair is going to go bad."

Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, without ever asking Mu Qing, the accountant, whether the inventory was sufficient. It was as if those supplies had come out of nowhere and could be exchanged for whatever they wanted.

Even though these people knew that there weren't enough supplies to exchange for so much, they still thought they could take out loans. They would take out loans as much as they could, as long as they didn't go bankrupt!

They thought that with their productivity, they were already a bit arrogant and could do whatever they wanted.

Mu Qing felt exhausted and was about to remind everyone to consume rationally when Chen Yao suddenly pulled a leaf out of her pocket and said mysteriously, "By the way, Sister Mu, our expedition team found this kind of leaf in the western valley today. It's dark silver and so hard it cuts your hand. I think this might be the steel wood that the shady merchant was talking about."

The leaf reflected a dark, metallic sheen in the firelight.

Aside from seeing it as an actor on Su Jin's big ship, this was the first time they had ever seen the real thing.

In an instant, everyone fell silent.