Zhou Xu's Plan

To keep his 'Freshwater Extraction Device' running properly, they had to constantly add wood and water to the pot.

In this primitive era where nothing was readily available, even getting a drink of water was difficult.

While waiting for the freshwater to accumulate, the skewered insects they had prepared could be roasted over the fire.

Since the tribe members had never done anything like this before, the arduous task of 'roasting skewers' naturally fell to Zhou Xu.

Before his transmigration, Zhou Xu, who quite enjoyed barbecue, was considered a semi-expert.

His control over the heat was top-notch among their skewer-eating squad, and here, he was even more skilled.

The insects themselves were rich in oil, and under Zhou Xu's grilling technique, they slowly began to exude fat.

At the same time, the tribe members gathered around couldn't help but sniff the air. For some reason, their dry mouths inexplicably began to secrete saliva, moistening their oral cavities.

[It should be about ready.]

As this thought flashed through his mind, Zhou Xu picked up some salt crystals he had collected from the salt flats by the lake and sprinkled them on casually.

The seasoning was right there, so there was no reason for him not to use it.

After sprinkling the salt and grilling for two more rounds to let the salt melt, Zhou Xu brought the insect skewer to his lips and bit into a roasted insect.

What's the point of doing any more morale-boosting?! He was about to starve to death!

Not to mention, he had eaten similar skewers before.

With one bite, breaking through the now crispy outer shell, Zhou Xu clearly felt the abundant protein explode in his mouth.

The taste was basically exactly as he had expected, which put him at ease.

Afterward, while chewing the insect in his mouth, he handed the skewer to Fei Que beside him.

"One per person, distribute them. Don't rush to swallow, chew them thoroughly in your mouth before swallowing."

Chewing more would always increase satiety.

Time was limited, and the insects they caught were also limited. In this situation, he could only distribute one per person for now.

When distributing things, it's always better to have equality than inequality, especially when it concerns their lives. Zhou Xu didn't want internal strife to break out over food distribution right from the start.

Before this, the tribe members had always just stuffed the insects they caught into their mouths. Forget roasting them; they didn't even bother to remove the heads or internal organs.

Before this, Fei Que had no concept of 'delicious' or 'tasty'. It wasn't until he put the roasted insect into his mouth and bit through the crispy shell that...

He was shocked!

Food had always been just a means to survive for him. He had never imagined that insects could be so delicious!

For some reason, at that moment, he felt an urge to cry.

He sniffled, not forgetting the task Zhou Xu had assigned him, and Fei Que began to distribute the roasted insects to everyone, one by one.

The reactions of the others were basically the same as Fei Que's.

In that instant, a new element was added to the vicious cycle that had been ensnaring the tribe members: the hope that they could eat such food every day! Desire began to be born!

And at that very moment, for them, the era of eating raw meat and drinking blood was completely over...

During this time, Zhou Xu could clearly feel the growing reverence from everyone towards him.

If, before, the tribe members listened more to Dashan because of the prestige he had accumulated in the tribe, Then at this very moment, Zhou Xu's soaring prestige within the tribe had completely overshadowed Dashan in an instant.

He had easily accomplished what Dashan, and even what the tribe members thought was impossible for anyone, had done. It was like a dimensional attack.

[Now I understand why the emperors of the past liked sycophantic officials so much. This feeling is indeed quite good.]

Even though he knew it wasn't right, under the gazes that seemed to be worshipping a deity, Zhou Xu couldn't help but feel a little puffed up.

Then, a groan from his stomach brought him back to reality...

[I'm not full at all.]

As a full-grown adult, putting aside the greasiness, in terms of appetite, he could eat a whole plate of fried silkworm pupae by himself, along with a large bowl of rice.

The current amount of roasted insects wasn't even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.

Wanting to find something else to fill his stomach, Zhou Xu's gaze fell upon the shell bowl collecting water.

The efficiency seemed to be faster than he had anticipated; in just this short while, it had collected more than half a bowl of water.

Already extremely thirsty, Zhou Xu didn't stand on ceremony. After signaling Fei Que to get another shell bowl to collect water, he directly picked up the half-full bowl and took a small sip.

Perhaps it was because he hadn't drunk water in too long, but this ordinary sip of distilled water felt more delicious than any nectar!

Suppressing the urge to gulp it all down, Zhou Xu, as usual, handed the remaining freshwater in the bowl to Fei Que.

"One small sip each, go and share it."

"Yes."

Compared to the direct impact the roasted insects had on them, the tribe members were much calmer about the distilled water.

What they felt more was a sense of wonder, especially those who had drunk lake water before.

If Zhou Xu hadn't already displayed various means that led them to revere him as a deity, these people would certainly not dare to put this water into their mouths so easily.

After drinking, they would only think it was a miracle!

However, half a bowl of water wouldn't be enough for everyone in the tribe, and those waiting would inevitably get anxious. Seeing this, Zhou Xu directly said...

"Don't rush, there's more here. Everyone will have water to drink."

After speaking, he turned to Fei Que and asked, "Where's the bark you tore off earlier?"

"It's here."

"Good, everyone who drank water, gather around."

People like Zhou Xu who enjoyed playing management strategy games were usually very planned in their actions, and the better they played, the stronger this ability would be.

Zhou Xu was just like that; he was a person who planned his actions meticulously. From discovering the Black Forest to establishing a camp, and then to starting a fire and getting water, he already had a very detailed plan in his mind.

What he needed to do now was to implement his plan step by step.

"Dashan, before it gets dark, take a few people and gather more branches."

After giving this instruction, Zhou Xu's gaze fell upon the other tribe members who had gathered around.

"Now, everyone follow me. Take a piece of bark of suitable length from here, and then cross them together like this. Do it step by step, don't rush."

Currently, within this Black Forest area, the only things they had discovered that could serve as food were insects and mice.

And Zhou Xu had already witnessed how fast those mice scurried. It was unrealistic to try and catch them with bare hands.

The best method was to set traps! Then the mice would walk right into them!

Here, Zhou Xu truly had to thank his Grandma. When she was retired and had nothing to do, she would casually do some handicrafts at home to earn some pocket money.

So, every time he returned to the countryside during his winter or summer breaks, he would casually do some along with her, which allowed him to master a craft.

And now it was actually proving useful!