For a botanical question like the sustainable harvesting of resin, Chuck naturally went to the expert.
According to Julia, resin is a protective liquid exuded from cracks in a tree's trunk, similar to platelets in human blood. It solidifies over a wound to prevent bacterial invasion.
The resin Chuck had collected previously had seeped out naturally over a long period. To harvest it continuously, he needed to create "wounds" on the trees himself.
A wounded trunk would produce resin much faster than natural seepage, but it also taxed the tree. Ideally, one trunk should only have one "wound," and after a period of harvesting, it should be allowed to rest and recover.
Fortunately, there was more than one Dipterocarp tree in the tropical jungle.
Traveling light with only a few small clay pots and tools, Chuck arrived at the jungle.
He quickly located one of the trees. Following Julia's instructions, he used his knife to cut a V-shaped groove into the bark. He then took a clay pot from his storage and tied it to the trunk with twine.
Pale yellow sap soon began to bead at the cut. It was noticeably thinner than the golden, solid resin he had collected before. Clearly, it would need time to flow and dry before becoming usable.
But at least the "sustainability" issue was tentatively solved.
Chuck carefully collected the remaining solid resin scattered around the tree, barely scraping together enough for the stone house upgrade.
With his primary goal achieved, Chuck didn't rush back.
He continued westward through the dense jungle but found nothing new. His previous explorations, aided by his Master Botanist perception, had already uncovered most of the resources here.
To find more, he had to venture into new territory.
This was the secondary purpose of his light travel...
He wanted to see what kind of creature ruled the lake plains to the west.
Knowing the enemy is the key to victory. Chuck had survived his encounters with wild beasts primarily because he knew what he was facing beforehand. Careful consideration, planning, and preparation were the keys to success.
"Hopefully, it's not too tough to deal with..."
Chuck pushed aside the branches and stepped out of the jungle, arriving at the edge of the plains.
The open alluvial plain and the distant lake came into view. Sunlight shimmered on the water, and herds of animals wandered peacefully nearby.
Despite the serene scene, Chuck knew a fatal threat lurked there.
He slowed his pace, senses dialed to the max, watching for any movement. His eyes scanned every direction, hoping to spot the danger before it spotted him.
Step by step.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. His heart pounded, tension ratcheting up.
The unknown was the greatest fear.
Chuck knew he was taking a risk, but he had no choice. Even if he could stay put for now, the island would eventually force him forward. He preferred to choose the timing himself.
The undergrowth beneath his feet grew denser as he left the safety of the border and officially entered the western plains.
But what unsettled him was the lack of any anomaly.
Could there be... no dominant beast here?
The thought crossed his mind. It wasn't impossible. The eastern beach, the southwest bay, and the rocky cliff area had no beasts. But the first two were starter zones for survivors, and the latter was a barren intersection of regions with almost no resources.
No...
Chuck frowned, immediately dismissing the idea.
The plains had a lake, rivers, rich vegetation, and abundant prey. If this were a starter zone like the bay or beach, any survivor waking up here would have an excessively easy start.
Most importantly, the narrow bay behind the cave near the jungle-plain border—not far behind him—was the real spawn point for this area.
Valentina had washed ashore there...
Right!
Chuck's eyes lit up.
How could I forget that!
Before meeting him, Valentina had survived alone in that narrow border area!
If the plains were safe, with her abilities, she would have been living like a queen by the lake. Why would she hide in a cave and try to traverse the jungle backwards instead?
What was her reason?
Realizing this, Chuck stopped instantly. He began to back away quickly until he was out of the plains and back at the border. Without hesitation, he turned and dove back into the tropical jungle.
Just after Chuck turned to leave, a patch of bushes less than sixty meters ahead of his previous position shook unnaturally.
A pair of cold, vertical pupils quietly emerged.
...
Near noon, Julia washed her hands and waited at the dining table.
Coincidentally, Jiang Qi emerged from the storage room after her rest. They exchanged awkward smiles but, being outgoing women, quickly started chatting.
Chuck had introduced Jiang Qi simply as his "ex." Naturally, Julia wanted to know more.
"So how long did you date?"
"Hmm—about six months."
"Wow."
Julia was visibly surprised. The answer was unexpected. After a brief silence, she pressed on.
"Who pursued who? And who broke up with who?"
Jiang Qi's enthusiastic expression faltered. She hesitated, then smiled bitterly.
"Both were me."
"What?"
Now Julia was even more shocked. To the Western mare, Chuck was the perfect man. A woman who dated him would initiate a breakup? That was the height of stupidity.
She pondered, then crossed her arms and guessed tentatively. "Was it because he had other women, and you couldn't accept it?"
It was the only possibility she could think of. While Chuck was amazing, he was a harem man. They accepted it here, but in normal society, it was definitely an issue.
"No."
Jiang Qi's answer left Julia dumbfounded.
The barrage of questions made Jiang Qi uncomfortable. To stop the interrogation, she raised a hand apologetically.
"Sorry, Julia, I don't really want to talk about it."
"Oh... I asked too much. Sorry."
"Hehe, it's fine."
Julia might be blunt, but she knew when to stop. Seeing Jiang Qi's reluctance, she naturally shifted the topic.
Her gaze drifted down, landing on Jiang Qi's impressive chest, which rivaled her own. A smile returned to her lips as she winked.
"Since you were together for six months, you... must have done it with him, right?"
"Done..."
The sudden, explosive topic made Jiang Qi blush instantly.
But seeing the blonde hair and blue eyes, she chalked it up to Western openness and nodded, face red.
"Done... well, yes, we did."
"Was it amazing?"
"Eh? Why ask that... it was pretty good, haha, so embarrassing."
Jiang Qi waved her hands, face burning, trying to laugh off the awkwardness. She could handle dirty jokes with Chuck or her besties, but with a foreign woman she'd just met—who clearly had a deep relationship with her ex—it was toe-curling.
She stopped smiling, looked at the table, then back up after a moment of silence.
"So, have all of you done it with Chuck?"
Julia raised an eyebrow and nodded naturally. "Yes, everyone here has."
"Even the mother and daughter?"
"Of course. They often go into battle together~"
Though she had guessed, hearing it confirmed by an insider made Jiang Qi's eyes widen again.
"So kinky..."
In just a few hours, Chuck had repeatedly shattered her worldview.
Seeing Jiang Qi's reaction, Julia giggled. "You can join us tonight if you want~"
"Eh? Me? I'll pass, haha." Jiang Qi scratched her head, overwhelmed by the mare's enthusiasm.
"Actually, I'm a bit confused..." Julia leaned forward, chin in hand, looking at her with a half-smile. "Since you've done it with him, how could you ever quit that kind of pleasure?"
"Huh?"
Jiang Qi froze.
She had given her first time to Chuck, and their sex life had been compatible and enjoyable.
But quit?
"Uh... 'quit' is a bit of an exaggeration, isn't it?"
Hearing the question, Julia blinked, realizing the truth.
It seemed Darling's talents in that department had truly blossomed after arriving on the island.
As the one with him the longest, she knew best. From simple pleasure at the start, it had gradually become more intense—stimulating enough to overload the brain and body. Even the size seemed different from the beginning, though that might be her imagination.
Clearly, when Chuck dated this woman, he didn't have his current, monstrous capacity.
"Every night, we have sex with him on that bed. Sometimes it gets quite out of control. If you plan to sleep early, it might be difficult. It gets really loud."
Julia pointed to the massive round bed occupying half the room with a smile.
"Anyway, tonight you'll know."
Just then, light footsteps interrupted them. A pair of warm hands placed a pot of hot soup gently on the table.
Yitong Gu wiped her hands on a cloth, then looked at the new Chinese girl with a gentle smile.
"Sister Jiang Qi, would you like sweet potatoes or pancakes?"
"Anything is fine~ Thank you..."
Still reeling from Julia's words, Jiang Qi instinctively looked at the gentle MILF's chest. Two exaggeratedly large mounds strained against the floral dress, their tips marked by dark wet spots.
Her eyes widened again.
...
Back at the platform, Chuck added the remaining resin to the stone house upgrade blueprint.
Meanwhile, the workbench finished processing the last quartz sandstone bricks. The roof and outer walls were complete.
The progress bar jumped again. Only the limestone bricks for the inner walls remained.
Smelling the food and hearing faint chatter, Chuck washed his hands and went inside for lunch.
Sitting down, Yitong immediately served him soup. Chuck scanned the table but didn't see the person he was looking for.
"Where's Valentina?"
"Still gathering stone down below. I called her, but she said she wasn't hungry and would eat later," Janet said, peeling a sweet potato. Concern flickered in her eyes. "Baby, should I go check on her?"
"Leave her be. Let's eat."
Chuck wasn't as worried as Janet. He could guess the reason for Valentina's behavior.
He had teased her this morning, and while she acted annoyed, her Trust had increased by two points. She liked it.
But as a serious warrior, while she had adapted to living under his protection, she hadn't adapted to being treated like a woman. So, she chose semi-avoidance.
Simply put, she was shy.
That was a good thing.
It meant Chuck could ask her what he needed to know without the other women overhearing.