Crossing the wilderness to survive, starting with a broken kitchen knife.

The next morning, Zhao Feng excitedly pushed open Zhang Shi's door, only to see Zhang Shi and Wu Qing snuggling in bed. His eyes widened. After confirming he wasn't mistaken, he realized what was happening and quickly left the room, not forgetting to close the door.

"When you two are done, come to the command room. Old Ge has something to say."

Wu Qing was so embarrassed that she wished she could find a hole to crawl into, and quickly buried her head in the quilt. Zhang Shi smiled indifferently and patted her on the back.

"We're all friends, we have to face it, there's nothing to be shy about."

……

The sun finally came out in the sky which had been gloomy for a while, and the mud and sand brought by the flood settled down. The surroundings were blue, and many idle soldiers chose to come out to bask in the sun and enjoy the sea breeze. The ark looked full of vitality.

Zhang Shi signed in and got a new and interesting toy.

[Magic Hot Air Balloon (Green) x1: A primitive flying machine that can maintain long-term flight with minimal magic consumption, making it a must-have for travel and exploration.]

Zhang Shi looked at the capacity of the hot air balloon and found that it could easily accommodate more than a dozen people. After landing on the island, he could use it to explore at high altitude.

Twenty minutes passed before the four of them gathered together, and Zhang Shi was very satisfied with himself.

Ge Dalong opened the panoramic map, pointed to the location of the island and said with a smile.

"I estimate that we'll be able to see the island in half an hour at the latest. If you're any later, the Ark will have already reached the shore."

Zhang Shi enlarged the map and took a look. He found that the fog had not yet dissipated, so he discussed with everyone what to do after landing on the island.

In less than half an hour, a emerald green island appeared in front of everyone. It can be said that this island was completely different from the image of an isolated island in Zhang Shi's mind.

There were no reefs or beaches on the shore, but a pile of rubble, with some broken branches and various garbage among them. Without exception, they were all covered with mud, looking dirty and messy. Further back was a dense jungle. The overall slope of the island was very high. Zhang Shi estimated that this was originally a high mountain. After the water level rose, the main body of the mountain was submerged, and the exposed area formed this so-called "island".

The absence of the reef was good news. Zhang Shi launched two landing craft, and Zhao Feng led a team of soldiers ashore to survey the island's general situation. He, along with Wu Qing and Ge Dalong, boarded a hot air balloon, intending to tour the island from above.

Zhao Feng was very efficient. After landing, he found a relatively flat area and cleared it out to serve as a temporary camp. The soldiers also transported supplies to the island one by one. Zhao Feng had even started building a warehouse to store the supplies.

Zhang Shi in the air was observing the panoramic map and found that as their exploration deepened, the fog covering the entire island on the map was slowly dissipating. Zhang Shi saw mountains and water sources on the map, and even saw many wild animals moving around. It seemed that they were not the only lucky ones, and there were many lives that tenaciously survived the flood.

Zhang Shi enlarged the map and looked down from the air. He found that although the island looked rather desolate at first glance, careful exploration would reveal rich resources and potential for development.

The first thing that caught his eye was the dense jungle, the island's most valuable ecological resource. Using the zoom function on the panoramic map, Zhang Shi carefully observed the distribution within the jungle. He discovered that it contained not only common trees like oaks and pines, but also some exotic plants with broad leaves and plump fruits, clearly rich in nutrients. He speculated that these might be plant species unique to the wilderness, perhaps possessing medicinal or edible properties.

In addition, the jungle is home to a variety of wild animals. From the moving light spots on the map, we can infer that there are deer, rabbits, and even more ferocious beasts such as lions or tigers. The presence of these animals not only adds vitality to the island, but also indirectly reflects that there is a complete food chain on this small island.

On the other side of the island lay a vast meadow dotted with wildflowers. In the distance, a clear lake shimmered brightly in the sunlight. Lush reeds grew around the lake, providing a habitat for fish and waterfowl. Zhang Shi suddenly realized that this might be an ideal location for a fishery and grazing.

After determining the distribution of resources on the island, Zhang Shi, Zhao Feng and others gathered together and quickly formulated a plan for infrastructure work.

They decided to first build a stable camp on the south coast of the island as a subsequent command center and living area. The terrain there is flat and backed by a mountain, making it the best location for building a camp.

Zhao Feng led his soldiers in felling trees and constructing simple stone and wooden huts. They also dug a drainage ditch to prevent rainwater from accumulating and causing flooding. Zhang Shi constructed a rock wall to demarcate the perimeter of the shelter. Although no danger had been discovered on the island, the wilderness world was all about the unexpected, and Zhang Shi had developed a cautious nature.

In order to ensure food supply, Zhang Shi also decided to open up a piece of farmland on the edge of the jungle, spread high-quality soil, and plant crop seeds brought from the Ark. Wu Qing was still fully responsible for this work.

At the same time, Zhao Feng also organized a hunting team, preparing to enter the jungle regularly to capture wild animals, gather them in captivity, and provide a source of meat for the team.

On the east coast of the island, they chose a relatively flat beach as a pier for docking and unloading supplies. Zhang Shi directed his soldiers to construct a simple pier with stone and wood, ensuring the Ark's safe landing and establishing a stable supply channel between the islands. After all, their geographical location was advantageous, and if possible, regular fishing trips would be a viable solution to their food problem.

The lake area was another key area of ​​their focus. Zhang Shi decided to establish a fish farm near the lake, utilizing the lake's abundant water resources to cultivate fish. They crafted simple fishing tools, such as nets and rods, and assigned several soldiers to oversee the farm's daily management and maintenance. They also planned to plant aquatic plants, such as lotus roots and water chestnuts, around the lake to increase food diversity.

Zhang Shi also made full use of the panoramic map and personally conducted a comprehensive exploration of the island, not only drawing a more detailed map of the island but also discovering several potential resource points. For example, basic resources such as stone and wood were readily available on the island, and it would be a pity not to collect them.

After the soldiers cleared the path, Zhang Shi planned to use his resource generation cards to acquire some high-level resources. He was always prepared for danger. Without gunpowder, Zhang Shi couldn't even sleep soundly. Now, upon landing, his first thought was how to develop. After all, he would eventually pursue hegemony, and conflict was inevitable. The sooner he developed, the sooner he could gain advantage. Furthermore, he had promised the soldiers to report the incident at the transfer station, so he didn't dare to rest for a moment.