Matrix Survival: I Get A Random Chest Every Day

The comment section in the outer world is going crazy: "Damn~ I can count a plate of mussels with my knees, and you’re selling it like that?"

This remark sparked widespread dissatisfaction.

"What? Honestly, even though there are only eight mussels in this portion, it’s a bargain compared to those western restaurants outside, okay?"

"I still remember the time I went to a certain Spanish restaurant and ordered a plate of mussels, only to have a small bowl with just three of them brought out... It’s ridiculous!"

"But to be frank, dividing a pot of forty mussels into five portions is still too sly, even if it deserves criticism!"

"Yes! Resist unscrupulous merchants, starting with me; it’s everyone’s duty!"

...

The young man hesitated for a moment, then went back to fish out a flat, fiery red fish from the fish keeper: "How about this one?"

[Molten Lava Flatfish

Level 1

Special Fish

Value: 20 event points

Effect: Eating it temporarily enhances Fire Gene Ability slightly, Duration: 30S (Repeated consumption does not stack effects, only extends duration.)

Note: This species adapts to high temperature environments, is extremely hard to cook, non-toxic, harmless, and can be eaten raw.]

The Molten Lava Flatfish wasn’t large; excluding inedible parts like bones, viscera, and the fish head, getting fifty grams of fish flesh would be lucky.

Li Zheng glanced at it and decisively said, "Perfect!"

"Really?"

The young man was somewhat surprised, worried that Li Zheng wouldn’t accept a level-one fish, but unexpectedly, he agreed.

After joyfully making the trade, the young man cracked open a mussel, carefully picking the bursting white meat inside and putting it into his mouth.

His teeth gently pressed down, breaking the flesh, and the rich sauce mixed with the aroma of seafood instantly filled his mouth.

The rich fragrance of butter, the fresh scent of basil, the pure yet not pungent garlic flavor from cultivated garlic, and the high-quality mussel ingredient from the terminal all blended, layering the flavors in the mouth, offering a different experience with every chew.

A teardrop appeared at the corner of the young man’s eye, and with trembling hands, he picked up another mussel, unwilling to waste even the dripping sauce, savoring it carefully.

"It’s so delicious! Delicious to the point of tears! Boohoo~"

The young man’s reaction was the best advertisement, instantly dispelling any hesitations the other players might have had, as they rushed to grab a low-level special fish and surrounded Li Zheng.

"Boss! Give me a portion!"

"Boss boss, I want two portions!"

"Don’t squeeze, I’m buying it all... Damn? Who the hell kicked me?"

"Yeah, kicked you, everyone else is buying just one or two portions, and here you are trying to buy everything! Folks, let’s get him!"

"Yes! Get him!"

"Damn it, no... I was wrong!"

The small-scale chaos could not deter others from successfully trading, and once in hand, each savored a piece eagerly, reacting just like the first young man.

"Damn! It’s so freaking delicious!"

"It’s been almost a month since I ate anything other than barbecue and sashimi! Boohoo... I almost forgot there are such delicious things in the world!"

"Hell, stop fighting, if you keep fighting, my stuff will get snatched by others!" cried the beaten man: "Damn! Sis, aren’t you in your forties? Can’t believe you’d steal from someone as young as me? Stop pulling! It’s going to break..."

Most of these people were privately trading the fish they caught with Li Zheng; the more ’selfish’ ones ate it all alone, their eyes green with desire to buy more.

The ’selfless’ ones took it back to share with their legion, bringing more people to join the buying frenzy.

Soon, Kunlun’s defensive line was in tatters, not from territory rushes, but from the food rush.

Fifty servings of food were snatched up in no time, Li Zheng checked and found he’d somehow ended up with two extra level-one fish, not knowing who the unlucky ones were that paid but got nothing.

The scene was way too chaotic; Li Zheng was squeezed in the middle, unable to move.

Thankfully, he was foresighted enough to stand at the entrance of the teleportation gate, so he could just turn around and leave.

Immediately, he shouted loudly, "None left! All sold out! Everyone disperse!"

However, with just his strength, he couldn’t suppress the highly emotional crowd, and reluctantly, he ducked back into the teleportation gate, covered in dust.

He slipped away, leaving the players who came with fish for trade wailing loudly, calling him back.

After waiting five minutes without Li Zheng reappearing, they reluctantly returned to their previous fishing spots.

Once the crowd dispersed, Kunlun reformed the defensive line, seeing a guy covered in footprints lying at the entrance, looking worse than death.

"It’s too tragic, didn’t even get to buy a dish and got beaten up. What’s the point?" a warrior from Kunlun sighed.

"True... Is it really that delicious? To go this crazy?" someone wondered, frightened.

Bear in mind, a legion launched an assault on their defensive line before and didn’t even behave so crazily, being easily beaten back.

The people watching the livestream were stunned.

"This is too exaggerating, right?"

"Can someone tell me what on earth just happened?"

"Don’t ask; if you ask, even I don’t get it!"

"Hype?"

"I can’t believe Li Zheng’s dishes are that tasty! Can the streamer ask Li Zheng for a dish to try and authenticate it for us?"

"Yes, yes, now’s such a good chance, Shufen, go and freeload!"

"Just say you’re going to expose the fraud and reveal the true face of this unscrupulous merchant!"

Zhou Shufen, seeing the ’agitated’ comments, secretly swallowed twice before declaring righteously, "Brothers, maintaining the livestream environment is our duty! Today, I, Zhou Shufen, will use my last interview privilege to verify if Li Zheng’s dishes are really that magical for everyone!"

"But I have nothing to trade with him, brothers, support me for a wave!"

Such an obvious hint, of course, the audience understood, and they generously ’donated’ in the form of a flood of gifts.

...

"Miscalculated, I didn’t expect such a simple dish to cause such a sensation."

Back in the Endless Ocean, Li Zheng wiped the sweat off his forehead, feeling the pinch: "My fifty plates!"

All the utensils were made by Li Zheng using Iron Ingot. Mixing a bit of Manganese Steel into one Iron Ingot could produce ten ordinary dinner plates, with rust-resistant properties, and they didn’t retain oil, easily cleaned with a rinse of water.

Fifty plates plus some locally-sourced ingredients exchanged for fifty-two fish with special effects.

Li Zheng counted again and found, besides the twenty-eight Molten Lava Flatfish, there were ten Deep Red Mud Monsters, ten Heated Eight-Clawed Octopuses, and four Lava Crabs.

The Deep Red Mud Monster has a chance to increase Fire Gene Abilities below Silver Level by one tier, making it relatively valuable.

But it also has a chance to inflict ’Fire Poison’ on the eater, causing the agony of burning heat.

Removing ’Fire Poison’ is simple; aside from some special fish, one can also be freed through ’death.’

The Heated Eight-Clawed Octopus is not big, about the size of an adult’s fist, with effects similar to the level 4 fish Li Zheng caught before, accelerating Genetic Force recovery.

The Lava Crab is relatively rare, can increase both Fire and Earth Gene Abilities below the Silver tier by one level.

If a player has the same tier dual abilities of fire and earth (not exceeding Silver Level), there’s a tiny chance to merge them into a new fire-earth dual ability.

There are side effects too, besides ’Fire Poison,’ there’s a ’Petrification’ effect.

It slowly turns the eater’s body into stone, fully petrifying the body results in forced ’death’ once.

Preemptive ’death’ can cleanse this negative status.

Of the four special fish catches, two are relatively dangerous, and eating them rashly leaves the success rate entirely to fate.

Non-luckily blessed individuals dare not eat them casually.

Li Zheng weighed them in his hand, deciding to hand it all over to Phoenix Mountain.

That guy has a special constitution, maybe through his distribution, he could boost the success rate a bit.

"Idol! I’m back!"

At this moment, Zhou Shufen’s figure appeared next to Li Zheng once again, blurting out frankly, "This time we’re not doing an interview, just coming for a meal!"

Li Zheng: "...?"

It was his first time seeing someone speak of ’freeloading’ so confidently and righteously.

But Zhou Shufen’s timing was perfect as he was wondering how to lure a streamer over through ’talking to himself.’

She walked right into it.