Giant Fish Survival: I Can Hear the Giant Fish's Heart

[Furnace blueprint: Requires 50 stones.]

Zhou Wen directly used the blueprints to check the materials needed for the production, which were not many.

A furnace is naturally used to smelt metals, which should be able to smelt those metal ores into pure metals, such as iron ingots and copper ingots. However, the smelting process requires extremely high temperatures, which means that a large amount of oxygen needs to be consumed.

The stomach wall space is only so big, and the oxygen content is not high to begin with. Most survivors can only increase the oxygen content in the stomach wall space by eating and swallowing supply boxes when they transform into Leviathan every day.

Although Zhou Wen had an algae oxygenation tank, the oxygen produced was hardly enough to support the consumption of a furnace. Moreover, the combustion process during smelting might produce harmful gases such as carbon monoxide.

In a confined space, carbon monoxide is absolutely deadly, so it is currently impossible to use a furnace for iron smelting.

Of course, it is possible that due to the nature of the global system, smelting iron in a furnace does not produce harmful gases, but this is still unknown and there is a risk involved in trying it.

"How about... we give it a try?" Zhou Wen studied it carefully and found that there was actually a period of time when the furnace could be used.

That is the feeding phase. During this phase, the Leviathan will eat five times with short intervals, and the air in the stomach wall space will be replaced multiple times.

Zhou Wen happens to build 20 algae oxygenation tanks every day. These 20 algae oxygenation tanks can be used to produce oxygen during the iron smelting process. By feeding the illusory Leviathan, harmful gases that may exist in the stomach wall space can be expelled.

If the metal ore can be successfully smelted during the feeding phase, and the 20 algae oxygenation tanks are then put on the world trading channel, it would be perfect.

"It might actually work." Zhou Wen felt that his idea was entirely feasible, but there was one condition.

That means everything has to go smoothly during the feeding phase, but that's obviously wishful thinking. The feeding phase is the most turbulent, as all sorts of aggressive and dangerous creatures often enter the stomach wall space along with seaweed at this time.

Therefore, even if Zhou Wen's guess is feasible, it would require good luck to encounter a feeding phase without aggressive creatures.

However, this idea definitely cannot be tested today, as the feeding phase has passed. Nevertheless, Zhou Wen still used 50 stones to create the furnace.

The furnace is one meter high and has a trapezoidal structure that is wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. It is hollow in the middle and has an arched air inlet at the bottom.

"Wait a minute..." Zhou Wen suddenly realized a serious problem: where would the fire come from?

Although he lacks nothing, he has no tools to start a fire. Moreover, the environment inside the stomach wall space is quite humid, since a large amount of seawater enters every day. In addition, the temperature inside the stomach wall space is constant, which causes some seawater to evaporate, resulting in a high water molecule content in the space.

Even if Zhou Wen wanted to learn how to start a fire by rubbing sticks together, as shown in those wilderness survival videos, he couldn't get it started in this damp environment.

"Sigh, never mind, we'll talk about it later." After thinking it over, Zhou Wen realized that smelting iron was impossible at the moment, so he put the furnace away.

Next, he continued to wait for the second supply box of the day. During this waiting time, Zhou Wen continued to train his body. He had been training with weights for three days and had reached a strength of 11.5. He definitely couldn't give up.

Maybe if I do some weight training tomorrow, I can make up for that 0.5. I might need that 0.5 power when I use the pest control coupon.

During his training, Zhou Wen kept the world chat channel open, looking at the messages exchanged by the survivors. Suddenly, he saw a message that wasn't good.

[Haha! I got the blueprint for the algae aeration tank!]

【Fuck! 】

【Fuck! 】

【Fuck! 】

[Damn it! Why wasn't it me?]

[What incredible luck! Is a second superstar about to emerge?]

I think I'm sick. Seeing this message made my heart feel like it was blocked. Is there a doctor here? Is there something wrong with my heart?

I'm not a doctor, but I know you're not sick; you're just filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

[Damn, I really want to rush over there right now and snatch his blueprints.]

[Damn it! This world is unfair! Why haven't I gotten a single blueprint yet, while everyone else seems to get amazing items?]

[Haha! Don't be envious, everyone. If I get it, everyone gets it. My price is the same as the pros: 100 basic materials per machine.]

However, I don't set an upper limit, nor do I limit the quantity each person can buy. As long as you can afford 100 sets of basic materials, I will trade them to you.

The survivor who obtained the "Algae Oxygenation Tank Blueprint" instantly ignited the entire chat channel with these words, causing Zhou Wen's reputation to plummet in an instant.

Wow, you're the real boss! That other "boss"—what's his name? He hasn't even mentioned his name in all these days, always hiding his true identity. He's definitely not a good person.

[Yeah, and they even limit the amount each day, saying they're not worried about excessive seaweed consumption affecting the growth of the Leviathan Transformation. I believed them before, but after seaweed trading started, I felt like they were treating us like fools.]

[Who says otherwise? If he weren't the only one with algae aeration tanks, and I wasn't worried he'd stop selling them, I would have already scolded him.]

[Tch, what's there to be afraid of criticizing? It was never a good thing to begin with. All those restrictions are just to drive up the price and then use it to trade blueprints. Even capitalists aren't as ruthless as him.]

[Don't say that. Although there are various restrictions, the price really isn't high. Everyone has the opportunity to trade if they save up a little.]

What? Are you his son or grandson? You're still defending him after all this? Have you gotten used to being a dog?

[I'm just stating the facts. If there wasn't a bottom line from a big shot, what price do you think he would set? Would he really set the price for 100 sets of basic materials?]

[What are you barking about, you dog? What are you barking about, I'm asking you? If you want to be exploited, go lick the boots of that guy from before, don't come here barking like a dog.]

[I'm just trying to help everyone. I'm advising everyone to be mindful of what you say. It's a good thing that two people are selling algae aeration tanks; everyone can buy them at a low price.]

[But if you keep criticizing the big boss like this, and he stops selling algae-based oxygenation tanks, he'll have a monopoly, which won't benefit any of us.]

[Just keep cursing, keep cursing! They even said they'd stop selling? I don't believe they'd stop selling! Who doesn't want their money? I'm not only going to call him a heartless capitalist, I'm going to call him a scoundrel! And that "big boss" thing? Pah!]

There were many people in the chat channel who spoke up for Zhou Wen, but they were all attacked by a large number of survivors. Zhou Wen felt quite bad seeing these people who spoke up for him being scolded.

So, I clicked on their profile pictures and sent each of them two wooden foundations.

No one has yet obtained the blueprints for the wooden foundations, and Zhou Wen has stopped selling them. After they get the wooden foundations, they can keep one for themselves and sell the other to the guilds in exchange for protective items.

Zhou Wen didn't care much about those who criticized him. It was perfectly normal. People are inherently selfish, especially in this precarious world where survival is at stake. Naturally, they will speak up for whoever offers the greatest benefit.