Chapter 36: The Mysterious Stone Tablet

Gu Shan: "Are you up yet?"

Zhao Kuo: "Yeah, just about to have breakfast. What's up, Brother Gu Shan?"

Breakfast… Gu Shan looked out at the endless snow, feeling a bit envious. Nowadays, he only ate two meals a day at most, and his muscles had noticeably started to deteriorate.

But not by much.

Gu Shan: "Nothing much. Just opened a mid-tier chest and got a pair of chickens, one male and one female. You and Xiao Tang have four carriages combined, so you've got plenty of space. Maybe you can raise them."

Chickens? Beautiful or not?

Zhao Kuo hesitated: "Brother Gu Shan, you could raise them too, right? With two chickens, the eggs they lay every day would be a decent income."

Gu Shan chuckled: "I'm just a rough guy. I don't know the first thing about raising chickens. I'll send them over."

Without waiting for a response, Gu Shan initiated the trade.

He didn't mention that he had a fear of beaked animals—it was something he felt embarrassed about as a soldier.

Looking at the two chickens in the trade window, Zhao Kuo hesitated.

Honestly, he was also thinking about which carriage to turn into a chicken coop and how to build it.

When Zhao Kuo brought up the issue, Tang Yingying's eyes lit up: "How about we make a small shed in the third carriage and use some wood to build a fence? We can harvest some rice straw from the paddy field to spread inside. That's how they do it in the movies, anyway."

"Two chickens! Does that mean we'll have lots and lots of chickens in the future?"

Seeing the sparkle in Tang Yingying's eyes, Zhao Kuo smiled.

If they raised them well, they wouldn't have to worry about chicken meat in the future. Brother Gu Shan really was a good guy.

Without delay, Zhao Kuo took out the materials and, using his somewhat questionable carpentry skills, built a chicken coop. He then made a fence about human height using wire, unsure if the chickens could fly over it, but they probably couldn't reach that high.

He spread a thick layer of rice straw on the ground and made a feeding trough on the side. A simple chicken coop was ready.

He placed the two chicks inside.

The little creatures were curious about their new environment, walking around and exploring.

At that moment, Xiao Bai, the little snake on Zhao Kuo's wrist, slid down, seemingly curious about the sudden appearance of the two chickens.

Xiao Bai's sudden appearance scared the two little chicks, who quickly hid inside the coop, trembling in the straw.

However, Xiao Bai didn't eat meat. After the initial curiosity, it lost interest.

Just two lowly creatures, pitiful things.

Zhao Kuo put some rice in the feeding trough and let the two chicks roam freely.

After all, raising them from such a young age would take time, and breeding them would take even longer. There was no rushing it.

If only they could use hormones… Zhao Kuo's mind briefly entertained the evil thought.

But he quickly shook his head. After all, he'd be the one eating them. He couldn't do that.

Just as Zhao Kuo finished settling the two little lives, Luo Ping'an sent a message.

Luo Ping'an: "Brother Zhao, I've got some important news."

"Someone found a diary that mentions a stone tablet on the way to the second platform. Those who touch the tablet have a 50% chance of gaining a random skill and a 50% chance of losing one. I thought you might be interested. Don't miss it."

Zhao Kuo: "Has anyone found it yet?"

Luo Ping'an: "Yes, but some had bad luck and lost a skill. Others gained powerful skills but aren't willing to share what they got."

A powerful skill? It seemed like a good deal. That's why they weren't talking about it.

A 50% chance? Zhao Kuo had never lost when it came to luck.

Zhao Kuo: "Got it. Thanks, Brother Luo. By the way, I still don't know what your profession is."

Luo Ping'an quickly replied: "Haha, my profession is pretty good. It's related to commerce, more of a support role. Just not much combat ability."

A merchant profession? That suited Luo Ping'an well.

Zhao Kuo didn't press further. Everyone had their privacy, and even close friends needed some space.

As Zhao Kuo walked to the first carriage, he found Tang Yingying squatting in front of the fermentation barrel, trying to scoop out the unfinished rice wine with a spoon.

Zhao Kuo's face darkened as he pulled her up: "Unfermented rice wine can be toxic. Are you that desperate for a drink?"

"It's all your fault! I wasn't even thinking about it these past two days. Ugh, I still have to wait two more days?" Tang Yingying sighed, seemingly disappointed that she got caught.

"It'll be ready in a little over a day. Just be patient." Zhao Kuo covered the barrel and said, "From now on, you're in charge of taking care of the chickens. Just feed them and clean the coop every day."

"Oh…" Tang Yingying was reluctant.

While she was eager for eggs and chicken meat, cleaning the coop was a bit of a hassle.

Zhao Kuo thought of a solution: "If you agree, I'll give you a bigger share of the rice wine…"

Before he could finish, Tang Yingying straightened up: "I'll get it done!"

This wine enthusiast… Zhao Kuo felt like he was starting to figure out the right way to handle Tang Yingying.

Watching Tang Yingying run toward the third carriage, Zhao Kuo smiled, then sat down at the control panel to carefully consider the news Luo Ping'an had shared.

The stone tablet… Had he already missed it? After all, he hadn't been keeping watch at night.

Well, let it be. In two days, he should reach the next station. Most people who were still alive had steam engines, so barring any accidents, reaching the next station within seven days shouldn't be a problem.

But the number of people was indeed dwindling. In the regional chat channel, out of the initial 10,000 people, only a little over 3,000 remained.

It had only been a few days, but the harsh numbers revealed the brutal reality of this game.

In such a cruel world, the only way to survive was to grow stronger and stronger, to secure more resources and live well.

Even without his luck system, Zhao Kuo would've gambled on that stone tablet!

In this desperate subway world, without the courage to take risks, the only outcome was destruction!

Zhao Kuo didn't even realize it, but the seed of madness hidden deep in his heart was quietly growing day by day.

Just then, a sudden scream came from behind.

"Bad news, Zhao Kuo! One of the chickens is missing!"

Tang Yingying ran over in a panic, holding the remaining chicken, clearly frantic.

The grand plan hadn't even started yet, and it was already falling apart. Even Zhao Kuo was stunned for a moment.

"What are you standing around for? Go find the chicken!" Tang Yingying pushed him and dashed back with the chicken in hand.