Although he hadn't yet started the synthesis, Chuck could roughly guess that the palm oil extracted from the oil palm fruit would be similar to vegetable oils like peanut or olive oil.
It would obviously be very suitable for cooking and could completely replace lard.
But as for other uses…
Chuck calmed down and rubbed his nose.
It was better to think about it in the long term.
So, seizing the moment of excitement, Chuck climbed the trees and started harvesting aggressively, stripping the oil palm fruits from several trees in one go and storing them all in the storage space.
Although he didn't need to be polite, these fruits were useless to Jasmine Tang and her companions, so he might as well make good use of them himself.
A total of six clusters, nearly 40 kilograms, almost completely filling the capacity of his entire storage space!
Just these fruits alone made this trip worthwhile.
However, looking at the few bare oil palm trees, Chuck still sighed with a slight regret.
He wanted to make Molotov cocktails. This vegetable oil might be slightly better than lard, but it was still barely adequate.
After all, to deal with the wolf pack, lethality was always the most important factor!
If he went through all the trouble to make a few Molotov cocktails, only to throw them at the wolves and fail to cause any serious damage, wouldn't that be a massive failure?
Chuck looked up. It was still early, so he decided to try his luck again.
Since he had already made the journey to Southwest Bay, he might as well search thoroughly. If he truly couldn't find it, he would completely give up on this bay and turn his attention to the tropical dense forest in the west, figuring out how to bypass the black bear's territory.
He continued to explore Southwest Bay, time ticking by, and the sun gradually rose to the top of the sky.
The heat swept over him again, mercilessly.
The surrounding insect chirping became increasingly grating. Chuck pushed aside the palm fronds in front of him, raised the back of his hand to wipe away the sweat that was blurring his vision, looked up at the sun, and continued forward.
The temperature today hadn't changed much, but perhaps because rain was approaching again, the humidity was noticeably higher, and the stifling heat made it hard to breathe.
What Chuck most wished for right now was for his Golden Finger to directly give him an explosive charge. Then, he could simply blast an artificial cave into the cliff face of the rocky platform, eliminating the need to meticulously make Molotov cocktails, deal with the wolf pack, all just to collect ore and smelt metal in the Red Stone Hills…
Fortunately, despite the bad weather, luck was on Chuck's side.
Just as the time approached noon, and he had traversed nearly the entire vast Southwest Bay, the Master Botanist perception finally brought him good news.
A scent of sandalwood, mixed with a slight, mint-like coolness, suddenly appeared.
Chuck's whole body jolted. He immediately looked up in the direction of the sensation. His eyes widened.
In a slightly open area of the forest nearby, right against the cliff edge of the bay, above which was the dense tropical rainforest, stood a striking tall tree at the edge of the jungle beneath the cliff.
The tree was massive, estimated to be over 30 meters tall. The main trunk was so thick it would require four or five people to embrace it, and its canopy, blocking out the sky, was almost merged with the rainforest above the cliff…
Its most noticeable feature was the huge root system extending from the base of the trunk, radiating outward from the center.
Chuck slowly approached, his heart beating faster and faster.
The bark on the middle and upper part of the trunk was grayish-brown, with deep vertical fissures on the surface, like the cracked earth of a severe drought.
Embedded and clinging to the edges of these cracks and scars were semi-transparent, golden, irregular lumps…
The color of these lumps ranged from light yellow and golden to deep brown. They were shaped like water droplets, with uneven surfaces, some adhering to dust. The largest pieces were the size of quail eggs, the smallest like peas. Under the dappled sunlight, they reflected a warm, oily sheen.
They looked like pieces of amber.
Clearly, the unique, cool sensation Chuck's exclusive perk had granted him was emanating from these "ambers."
A surge of wild joy finally rose in Chuck's heart.
It was resin!
He actually found resin!
He took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and took out the bone knife he had prepared in his storage space.
Closer now, the sandalwood scent emanating from the trunk was even stronger. Chuck held the bone knife, carefully scraping away the impurities attached to the surface of the target resin piece, and peeled off a large, solidified piece accumulated on the bark.
The resin felt slightly sticky, like a piece of hard candy coated in saliva in his hand. He carefully placed it into the Workbench, and a long-awaited prompt appeared on the light screen.
[Dipterocarp Resin: Resin secreted by Dipterocarp trees. Rich in volatile components, it is an excellent medicinal material, spice, and adhesive. It also has a higher combustion efficiency than pine resin, making it very suitable as a fuel or combustion aid.]
So the name of this tree is Dipterocarp?
Chuck looked up at the towering canopy above.
It was incredibly tall.
However, based on the Workbench's description, this resin seemed even better suited for fuel than pine resin. And the scent wasn't pungent; instead, it had a soothing sandalwood aroma.
Not pine resin, but the PLUS version!
Chuck was ecstatic. He didn't hesitate, continuing to use the stone knife to peel off the resin from the trunk one by one.
For the small pieces of resin that had naturally solidified and were relatively independent, Chuck used the tip of the bone knife, prying along the edges where the resin blocks met the bark, just as he would pry ore.
He patiently controlled his strength, like fondling a small clitoris, using his wrist to apply force accurately and steadily, avoiding the resin from scattering and wasting this precious resource.
After successfully prying off a piece, he quickly put it into a small clay pot, and repeated the process…
Besides the pieces solidified on the trunk, there were also many scattered resin particles of various sizes underneath the tree, clearly the result of accumulation over many years.
After about forty minutes, Chuck finally collected all the solidified resin scattered on the bark and around the base of the tree. The two small clay pots were filled exactly.
Chuck looked at the pieces of golden resin with impurities in the clay pots, satisfied, and stored them, along with the bone knife, in his storage space.
At this point, this outing was finally complete. Chuck had no interest in the remaining resources of Southwest Bay.
However, on his way back, Chuck didn't choose the original path. Instead, he took a slight detour toward the stream that Jasmine Tang had once told him about.
He intended to take a look at the running water source that he once desperately longed for but now didn't need as much.
Passing through the increasingly humid jungle, he arrived at a more northerly position. Chuck clearly felt the soil under his feet become somewhat damp, and the sound of trickling water could be heard not far ahead.
But just as he was about to investigate, his powerful perception abruptly sounded an alarm.
The sound of faint footsteps came from the direction of the stream ahead. Chuck's expression hardened, and he slowly stopped.
…Jasmine Tang?
Just as he was about to speak first, an unfamiliar figure suddenly emerged from behind the jungle.
A pair of tanned long legs wearing sneakers stepped over the weeds. She pushed aside the branches and walked out, coming face-to-face with Chuck. She was startled by him, let out a light gasp, and subconsciously stepped back. Then, she stumbled, nearly falling.
Chuck instinctively stepped forward, timely supporting her arm to help her steady herself. His gaze instinctively lowered, and he was utterly frozen.
Swollen, full, and with the unique perkiness of youth, the tanned skin was covered in sweat, glistening with a healthy and alluring sheen.
Chuck was inwardly shocked, but quickly recovered, promptly releasing her arm and taking two steps back.
He then formally took a look at her.
A tall, upright figure, probably close to 5'9". Her defined limbs showed clear signs of athleticism. She had neat black short hair and delicate, clear facial features. If only looking at her above the neck, she possessed a unique androgynous vibe.
But he couldn't help it. The uniform, which was stretched high, and the large area of full skin visible below the collar, exuded an overwhelming femininity, creating a stark contrast with her neutral appearance. Chuck, an experienced connoisseur of breasts, couldn't help but inwardly praise them.
She was also wearing a JK uniform, seemingly the same style as the blonde gal he had met in the cave earlier. Combined with her youthful appearance, she was likely a high school student, but at this age, she already possessed a figure comparable to Julia, the bombshell.
She was even subtly larger in size! Only second to Gu Yitong!
Another busty tomboy appeared?!
But given the uniform, she was probably the blonde girl's companion.
"I'm sorry, are you alright?"
Having already determined her general identity, Chuck spoke first, directly using his slightly rusty Japanese.
Aya Yamagiwa, who was carrying a bamboo tube full of stream water, strung up with vines, and heading back to the cave, was startled and stumbled. She was initially panicking, but after being steadied by a strong hand and hearing a calm, apologetic voice, she finally calmed down.
She stabilized herself, looked up at the tall figure who had suddenly appeared in front of her, met his gaze, and subconsciously raised a hand to brush the sweat-dampened stray hairs from her forehead.
"I'm fine… Who are you?"
The athletic short-haired girl responded softly, her voice unexpectedly pleasant.
Chuck's interest rose again, and a kind smile appeared on his face.
"My name is Chuck."
He introduced himself without rush, and then explained his purpose for being there.
"…That's about it. I also ran into your companion at the cave earlier, the blonde girl wearing the same uniform as you."
Fortunately, after hearing his words, the last trace of wariness in Aya Yamagiwa's eyes vanished.
"So Mr. Chuck is an acquaintance of Teacher Tang's, but why…"
Aya Yamagiwa looked down and murmured softly, but she didn't finish the rest of her sentence.
Honestly, she really thought she had run into the "savage" that Teacher Tang spoke of.
But after this brief conversation, she found that this man didn't seem as dangerous as Teacher Tang had described.
His tone and demeanor were gentle and well-mannered. His overall presence didn't make people afraid; it even subtly made her feel secure.
So why would Teacher Tang…
Aya Yamagiwa frowned. Being unskilled in social interactions, she felt a headache coming on, so she simply threw the thought aside.
I won't think about it.
Whatever happened between him and Teacher Tang, it had nothing to do with her.
She then looked up at Chuck and spoke softly.
"My name is Aya Yamagiwa, from Tokyo. Nice to meet you, Mr. Chuck."
After speaking, the short-haired, busty girl joined her hands and bowed slightly to Chuck, causing her tanned, outstanding "assets" to ripple with an astonishing movement before his eyes.
Chuck was taken aback.
So big… No.
Such a polite Japanese girl.
But then again, Japanese culture seemed to be this way.
The impression this short-haired girl gave Chuck was completely refreshing, a stark contrast to the strange blonde girl he met in the cave.
Feeling a sense of admiration, he also nodded slightly, mimicking her words.
"Nice to meet you too, Ms. Yamagiwa."
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Aya Yamagiwa looked up and corrected him seriously.
"Not Yama, my surname is Yamagiwa, Mr. Chuck."
"…Alright, Ms. Yamagiwa. My apologies, I'm not very familiar with your surnames."
Aya Yamagiwa blinked and shook her head slightly, indicating it was fine.
An awkward silence descended upon the air.
Chuck and Aya Yamagiwa stared at each other, and Chuck couldn't help but scratch his head. This awkward feeling vaguely reminded him of the first time he met Gu Mòmo in the forest.
Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind.
Just as Aya Yamagiwa pursed her lips and was about to say goodbye, Chuck suddenly spoke, looking at her with a smile.
"Ms. Yamagiwa, do you have a cell phone?"
"…A cell phone?"
Suddenly asked such a question, Aya Yamagiwa was stunned, but she still answered honestly.
"Yes, I do, but it got waterlogged."
Hearing this, Chuck felt disappointed.
He had a good impression of this short-haired girl and was thinking of exchanging contact information, just like he did with Gu Mòmo, so he could help her if she had any difficulties. Of course, if they got along well, he wouldn't rule out the possibility of taking things further.
However, Chuck currently only had the one phone that Gu Mòmo gave him. The little girl needed her own phone to play with, so he couldn't bear to take hers. He could only sigh softly.
But just as he was about to speak, he saw Aya Yamagiwa put down the bamboo tube in her hand and reach into her uniform pocket, pulling out a cell phone.
Chuck's gaze froze.
The phone screen was dark, apparently not turned on. There were a few irregular cracks on it, but what Chuck noticed the most was the logo at the top of the phone.
It was a logo he had never seen in China, but Chuck happened to recognize it. It was a local Japanese phone brand, not particularly famous. He only remembered it because he had once seen a funny advertisement for this brand on a certain website.
In that advertisement, there was a memorable scene where someone rinsed the phone under a running tap to promote its selling point of being waterproof.
Waterproof…
Looking at the phone in Aya Yamagiwa's hand, Chuck scratched his chin, then tentatively spoke.
"Ms. Yamagiwa, why don't you try turning it on?"