Desert Island Infrastructure: Claiming the System Brings Many Blessings

Qin Chuan looked in the direction of the signal and indeed saw a group of monkeys in the tree.

These monkeys are not very big, about the same size as macaques on Earth.

Light brown fur, black face, and a long, thin tail.

They were darting around in the trees, chirping and squeaking, stuffing lychees into their mouths.

Qin Chuan frowned, finding these monkeys very annoying.

Qin Chuan didn't plan to eat monkey meat; he found it disgusting.

Qin Chuan drew a machete from his waist and strode into the orchard.

Upon seeing Qin Chuan, the monkey troop erupted in chaos. More than a dozen monkeys darted about in the trees, squeaking and screeching at Qin Chuan.

Two bold monkeys jumped down from the tree, baring their teeth and making threatening gestures towards Qin Chuan.

Qin Chuan hated these cowardly bullies the most. With a flick of his wrist, he swung his cleaver with a "whoosh," the blade slicing through the air and slicing off a monkey's head.

The other monkey was startled and took two steps back.

Qin Chuan immediately stepped forward, picked up his machete, and chopped it in two with a "crack".

The monkey troop was completely panicked.

The lead monkey shrieked and led the troop out of the orchard. A dozen or so monkeys leaped and tumbled among the branches, disappearing in a few seconds.

Qin Chuan put away his machete and began picking lychees.

After picking fruit from a few trees, Qin Chuan realized he hadn't brought anything to hold the fruit. The metal container was full of rubber, and he hadn't brought any coconut shells either.

Qin Chuan looked around but couldn't find any banana leaves.

"Alright, let's use clothes to carry it."

He took off his T-shirt, leaving only his bare chest. Then he tied the sleeves and collar of his vest tightly, using the entire vest as a pocket.

He stuffed bunches of lychees into his pocket, filling it to about twenty pounds.

Carrying the lychees, I continued walking north.

Exploration cannot be abandoned halfway; since we've already started, let's go further.

The vegetation in the dense forest became increasingly lush further north. The trees grew taller, some with trunks so thick that two people couldn't wrap their arms around them. The moss and ferns on the ground were so thick they reached above the ankles.

The air was filled with the smell of damp earth, mixed with the fresh fragrance of grass and trees.

Qin Chuan activated his pupil technique and scanned the area. After walking for about five minutes, an open space appeared ahead.

A notification popped up from the pupil technique.

[Unknown plant community detected 80 meters ahead. Type: Otherworldly Cotton Tree. Level: 1. Soft fibers with excellent warmth retention. Can be used to make clothing, bedding, and pillow stuffing.]

Qin Chuan paused for a moment.

Cotton tree?

He quickened his pace and walked over.

A white expanse came into view.

The trees were about eight or nine meters tall, with canopies that spread out five or six meters wide. The branches were densely covered with white clumps, making the whole tree look like it was covered in snow from a distance.

Qin Chuan walked to the nearest tree and reached out to grab a cotton boll.

This cotton ball is as big as half a face, several times larger than the cotton on Earth. It feels light and fluffy in your hand, and it bounces back when you press it with your finger.

Qin Chuan broke the cotton apart and looked inside; there was no seed inside.

This is crucial. Earth's cotton contains cotton seeds, requiring ginning and seed removal during processing, which is very troublesome. But this otherworldly cotton is naturally pure cotton fiber; it can be used directly after harvesting.

"The plants on this island are just too outrageous," Qin Chuan muttered to himself.

Square coconut palms, plank trees, rubber trees, wool trees, and now cotton trees. Each one eliminates a lot of processing steps, as if it were designed specifically for human survival.

Qin Chuan felt a surge of excitement.

Cotton is exactly what we need right now.

While wool sweaters are wearable, they lack lining and can be itchy against the skin. Adding a layer of cotton lining inside makes them much more comfortable.

And then there's bedding. Nowadays, everyone sleeps on a layer of dry straw, which is hard and uncomfortable, even turning over in bed is painful. If cotton were used for blankets and pillow fillings, sleep quality would improve significantly.

Furthermore, cotton can be made into towels and sanitary napkins.

.....

Qin Chuan began picking cotton.

The cotton grows high up, and if you can't reach it, you cut down the branches with a machete. Since there's nothing else to put it in, you just hang it on your body like that.

After picking most of the yarn, Qin Chuan quickly returned along the way he came. When he passed the area with the yarn trees, he also took the two bundles of yarn that he had left under the trees earlier.

A person carried cotton, lychees, yarn, and rubber, all piled high.

Qin Chuan darted through the dense forest, and after about ten minutes, the camp's wooden cabins came into view.

Yang Mimi saw him before she even entered the camp.

"Brother Chuan is back! He brought so much stuff!"

Yang Mimi ran out from behind the stove, followed by Lin Shishi and Kitagawa Keiko.

Qin Chuan placed the items one by one in the yard.

There was a huge pile of white cotton. Another pile of bright red lychees. Two large bundles of yarn. Several metal containers filled with rubber.

Yang Mimi was the first to pounce on the lychee.

"What kind of fruit is that? It's red! And it's huge!"

"The lychees are very sweet."

Yang Mimi picked up a lychee, looked at it, and then peeled it open just like Qin Chuan had done.

The white flesh was exposed.

Yang Mimi stuffed it into her mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Sweet! Delicious, and seedless! Is this a lychee? My God, it's a hundred times better than lychees from Earth!"

Yang Mimi stuffed the food into her mouth one after another, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster's.

Lin Shishi also tried one and nodded, "It's really delicious. Brother Chuan, how long can these last?"

"I don't know, let's eat first. Give each person a few pounds, and find a way to store the leftovers."

Keiko Kitagawa squatted down next to the cotton stalk and reached out to touch it.

"This is... cotton?"

"Yes, it grows on trees. It has no seed, so you can use it directly."

Keiko Kitagawa's eyes lit up. "With cotton, we can make quilts."

Qin Chuan nodded: "We can make quilts, pillows, and clothing linings."

Fan Yubing came out of the wooden house, saw the things piled up in the yard, and raised an eyebrow.

"cotton?"

"It grows on trees and has no seeds."

Fan Yubing walked over, squatted down, grabbed a handful of cotton, and kneaded it in her hands. It was fluffy, soft, and very elastic.

"It feels nice to the touch. It would be great as a pillow insert."

"Do whatever you want."

Mina also came out at some point and stood at the door of the wooden house, watching the lively scene in the yard.

Yang Mimi ran up to her, holding two lychees in her hand.

"Mina, you have to try this! It's super delicious!"

Mina took the lychee, cracked open the skin, and took a bite.

"Yes, it's really good." Mina's evaluation was as brief as ever.

Liu Yifei squatted down next to the pile of cotton, picked out a few strands of cotton fibers from different places, and rubbed them in her hands.

"The fiber length is good, and the elasticity is also good. If it can be combed into cotton thread, it can also be used for spinning."

Qin Chuan glanced at Liu Yifei. This woman had a truly broad knowledge base; she could analyze anything and make sense of it.

"Don't rush to spin yarn. First, make a few duvet covers and pillowcases with wool, then stuff them with cotton to make quilts and pillows."

"Okay, but this cotton isn't enough; we need more," Lin Shishi said happily.

"No problem, I'm fast, I can just make a few more trips."

Lin Shishi: "Okay, let's get busy for a bit."

Looking at the few people busy in the yard, Qin Chuan felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.