"Where did you guys hunt these dinosaurs? Mind sharing?" a university student next to them asked.

His companion’s expression shifted, and he quickly gave his classmate’s arm a discreet tug.

Qin Ziwen answered casually, "I just stumbled upon them. I didn’t make a note of the location."

"Oh, I see. Well, that’s a shame." The student nodded in disappointment, then asked, "By the way, we caught some scorpions. Could we trade them for one of your dinosaurs?"

Qin Ziwen’s gaze fell on a small bucket they were holding, which had been fashioned from a large water jug. It was crammed full of black scorpions. They weren’t small, and their dark carapaces glistened under the sun.

"Are these scorpions venomous?" Qin Ziwen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We don’t know," the student replied, his eyes full of pure innocence. "We haven’t let them sting us."

"Scorpions in the Gobi Desert are almost all venomous; it’s just a question of how potent the venom is." Wang Yun walked over and peered at them, then jerked his body back abruptly.

"Black fat-tailed scorpions?!"

He stared at the group of students, who had casually tossed the scorpions into a plastic bucket, and felt his temples begin to throb. "You guys really have no fear, do you?"

The students all possessed a carefree, devil-may-care attitude. "Nope! Doesn’t matter how venomous it is. If it doesn’t sting you, it’s as good as harmless!"

Another one chimed in, "Yeah, we wandered around all morning and didn’t catch anything. We couldn’t come back empty-handed, right? Besides, these scorpions are pretty fun. They can even spray water."

"That’s fucking *venom* it’s spraying!" Wang Yun couldn’t stop himself from retorting. "This thing’s tail is fat and thick! Its venom sac is three to four times larger than an ordinary scorpion’s. You’d better watch out. If that sprayed venom hits you in the eyes, the consequences will be severe."

"Haha, thanks for the reminder, bro. We actually know all that," one of the students said with a cheeky grin. He pointed to a tall guy next to him. "Our boy Lao Liu here used to love keeping pet reptiles back in the dorm. He’s even raised one of these black fat-tailed scorpions before."

Qin Ziwen walked over and asked, "So how potent is their venom?"

"Extremely venomous," Wang Yun stated. After a moment’s thought, he added, "It can be lethal."

Qin Ziwen said, "Alright. For that whole bucket, we’ll trade you one dinosaur."

"But there are thirteen of them in here," one of the students pointed out.

Qin Ziwen countered, "But I’m offering a dinosaur. You can’t eat those scorpions, and they’re a pain to deal with. If you get stung, there’s no antivenom. A dinosaur, on the other hand, is a rare prize. Take it back and you’ll be the talk of the town. Plus, you can eat the meat. How about it?"

After a quick private discussion, the university students agreed to the trade.

They left joyfully, carrying a Single Claw Dragon with them.

Qin Ziwen turned to his people. "Who here knows how to handle these scorpions? Try not to kill them. We need to be able to extract their venom on an ongoing basis."

"I do!" "Sir, I know a little about it."

Wang Yun and Du Yu both spoke up.

"Good. I’ll leave it to you two, then."

Qin Ziwen handed them the plastic jug full of scorpions.

...

「Back at their residence.」

After laying the Single Claw Dragon carcasses on the ground, Qin Ziwen asked Chen Pi if their pelts were of any use.

Chen Pi felt the Single Claw Dragon’s skin. "It’s a bit like bird feathers, but finer."

After cutting off a small swatch and feeling the thin pelt, he shook his head. "Sir, this hide is a bit too thin. It’s definitely no good for making Leather Armor. It’s not great for everyday warmth, either. But the feathers are so vibrant, it would be perfect for making luxury items to sell to wealthy patrons."

Qin Ziwen was a little disappointed. In the Gated Community, everyone prioritized practicality. Who would buy something that was all flash and no substance?

Still, it was a dinosaur pelt. It would be a shame to just throw it away.

Qin Ziwen asked Chen Pi, "How long would it take you to process all of them?"

Chen Pi replied, "Reporting, Sir. Though the prey is small, its hide is thin and easily damaged. To skin and debone all twenty-two of them... it would take me at least two or three days."

Chen Pi chose his words carefully. "Sir, the hides from before also need processing. I’m getting overwhelmed doing it all by myself. Would it be possible to get some helpers?"

"You don’t mind teaching others the tricks of your trade?"

Chen Pi gave a wry smile. "The work of a Skinning Master is dirty and difficult; not many people are willing to learn it. If someone wants to, I’m happy to teach."

"Alright. I’ll find you some apprentices," Qin Ziwen agreed with a nod. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Meanwhile, as soon as Shi Hu and Zhang Meng returned, they headed straight for the Bow and Arrow Workshop to continue crafting bows and arrows.

They had been out hunting during the day, so even though the hunting party was larger, production of bows and arrows had been delayed.

Right now, only three people in their Home knew how to make bows.

Du Yu, Shi Hu, and Zhang Meng.

Having Du Yu make bows was a waste of his combat potential.

Li Tieshan was the Blacksmith, but because he was physically stronger than most, he sometimes served as a combatant as well.

As he thought it over, two words surfaced in Qin Ziwen’s mind: ’Too chaotic!’

In that moment, he had a sudden realization. ’This must be a common pitfall for small, newly-formed teams. Many members are wearing multiple hats, and the division of labor is unclear.’

He rubbed his temples, his thoughts growing clearer and more focused.

’It’s only through direct experience that things you never fully grasped before can crystallize into genuine understanding.’

’What one learns on paper is shallow, after all. True knowledge must be earned through practice.’

After a moment of contemplation, Qin Ziwen summoned Deng Guang and Zhao Pu to ask about the team’s current recruitment status.

Deng Guang was a bit puzzled by the sudden question. "Captain, after you mentioned it yesterday, two more people came to ask me about joining last night. I registered them just as you said. Both are residents from the apartment block next to ours."