The next day, when Kanae arrived, she brought some food that resembled thin, crispy pancakes.
Haruno Kaoru guessed they were likely made from the exceptionally thick palm trunks found in the swamp earlier.
However, unlike the previous day, Haruno clearly noticed some marks on Kanae's tanned neck that she had never seen before.
They looked like bruises, or maybe scratches.
Or more like…
Haruno didn't want to guess any further.
In contrast, Kanae's complexion was better than the day before, and when talking to Haruno, she was visibly in excellent spirits. However, every third sentence seemed to involve "Mr. Chuck."
Before leaving, Kanae gave her a hug.
Haruno had never seen Kanae like this before, and when she was hugged, she felt an inexplicable sense of resistance in her heart.
The third day.
Kanae finally arrived late, near sunset in the afternoon.
When her figure appeared before Haruno Kaoru, the latter didn't recognize her best friend, who she had known for over a decade, for a moment.
Kanae's uniform jacket, which used to be buttoned all the way up to the top, was now completely unbuttoned and tied tightly around her waist using the sleeves, turning it into a skirt-like decoration.
Her white shirt on the upper body also had two buttons undone, revealing her well-endowed Northern Hemisphere. The exaggerated curve of her tanned skin and the tight, dark cleavage that was squeezed out would make 99% of girls her age feel self-conscious.
The hem of the shirt was also lifted and tied into a bowknot just above her navel. This not only made her waist look slimmer but also exposed clear, tanned abs. Her skirt on the lower body was also significantly hiked up, revealing her firm, sexy thighs.
This series of changes made Haruno suddenly realize something that made her scalp tingle.
Isn't this… the way I used to dress at school?
As a former Hottie, Haruno always disliked the school uniform for being too rigid. Therefore, after searching online for Gyaru JK fashion tips and modifying them herself, she had maintained this style of dressing throughout school.
It was only after being stranded on the deserted island that she stopped dressing that way due to inconvenience and hassle.
Once, when they walked to and from school together, Haruno often suggested that Kanae dress up a little, knowing that Kanae had good underlying features.
However, the latter would always just smile and shake her head, saying, "That's not for me."
But now…
Haruno stood there blankly, watching Kanae in front of her. An inexplicable wave of anger welled up in her heart.
She wasn't angry because this style didn't suit Kanae.
On the contrary, it suited her too well.
Her tanned skin perfectly complemented the Gyaru style, her outstanding bust added a touch of sexiness, and her short, androgynous hair not only didn't clash but added a unique charm.
"Haruno, I brought you this today. It's fresh roast lamb ribs. Thanks to Mr. Chuck, we can eat such good food on this deserted island."
Kanae still held the food wrapped in palm leaves, smiling as she presented it to her. But seeing the stiff expression on her face, her eyes became worried.
"What's wrong, Haruno? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
"…Put your clothes on."
"Huh?"
Hearing Haruno's somewhat confusing response, Kanae was startled, but then the precious food in her hand was suddenly slapped away by Haruno.
Immediately followed by a hysterical shout of rage.
"I said, put your clothes on!"
Kanae was shocked and stumbled back half a step in surprise.
But seeing the inexplicable anger on Haruno's face, her quick mind soon understood the reason for Haruno's anger.
So, her eyes became slightly wet, and she slowly lowered her head, pressing her lips together without responding.
She looked like a child who had done something wrong.
But Haruno wasn't finished.
"You said it didn't suit you, didn't you? What is this now?"
"Not only do you copy my taste in men, but you also copy my way of dressing? Are you that insecure?!"
"…"
She launched a series of sharp, cutting words at Kanae, who kept her head down and remained silent, mercilessly cutting at her best friend's self-esteem.
Finally, after a long, awkward silence, Haruno's emotions gradually calmed down, and guilt and panic finally surfaced in her heart.
Why… was I angry?
Kanae didn't do anything wrong. She even comes to bring me food every day. Why did I lose my temper at her?
Her hand trembled as she slowly raised it, her eyes filled with regret as she looked at Kanae.
"I'm sorry, Kanae, I just…"
"You're right, Haruno. I've always been insecure."
Kanae spoke slowly, but took a slight step back, avoiding the outstretched hand.
This made the latter's gaze and heartbeat suddenly falter.
"All this time, I only had volleyball and you in my life. I always thought that was all I needed."
As Kanae spoke, she finally slowly lifted her head, meeting the gaze of her former best friend with eyes brimming with tears, smiling.
"But Mr. Chuck… he said I was beautiful."
"No one had ever said that to me before. When I heard him say it, I'd never been so happy…"
"The prettiest person I could think of was you, Haruno. That's why I wanted to learn your style of dressing, wanted to learn how you talk, wanted to become as beautiful as you…"
"I just hope… to always be beautiful in Mr. Chuck's eyes."
"If me being this way causes you pain, then I apologize."
After speaking, Kanae looked at the stunned Haruno Kaoru. A few tears slowly rolled down her face. Then, she gently bowed to her former best friend.
"I'm sorry…"
Then, without hesitation, she turned and walked out of the cave.
She had done everything a best friend could do for Haruno.
She owed her nothing more.
Watching Kanae's retreating back, Haruno stood frozen in place, her face full of panic. She instinctively reached out to try and hold her back.
But after opening her mouth for a long time.
She couldn't squeeze out a single word.
The sun set again, bringing another cool evening.
After three full days of concerted effort from Chuck and the four women, and the continuous operation of the Workshop queues.
The materials required for both blueprints were finally all collected!
On the stone platform under the setting sun, Chuck held the last few materials and walked to the two blueprint construction sites that had already been largely supplied, inserting the remaining materials into them one after another.
As the progress bar reached 100%, the two faint blue lights dissipated…
Below the cliff, the Advanced Kiln, which was originally just stacked mud bricks and stones, had its walls further expanded, turning into a thicker mixed layer of mud bricks and firebricks. The internal space was noticeably larger, and even the smoke vent looked properly designed.
On the other side, a stable, roughly half-person-tall water tower, constructed from hardwood and mortar, stood firm. Wooden frames supported it in a crisscross pattern. The mortar foundation below had a grayish-white texture. The container at the top was a water vat newly fired by the Gu mother and daughter over half a day, securely fixed onto the tower with a hardwood frame. A simple spout and valve were installed at the base on the side of the vat; a slight turn allowed water to flow out.
Thus, with the Forge and the Water Tower, he could begin working on smelting metal tools. Water usage would also become much more convenient and efficient, providing a foundation for hygiene and future irrigation for planting.
Water and Fire, the two great tools of civilization!
Looking at the two structures, Chuck was filled with a sense of accomplishment.
Not only Chuck, but the Gu mother and daughter and Julia, who had witnessed the step-by-step transformation of these two structures from beginning to end, were all wearing expressions of shock, joy, or just habitual arousal, wanting to get down to business with Chuck immediately.
After all, it was a woman's nature to be clean. For them, the completion of a water tower at home meant they could clean and bathe with fresh water anytime!
This was unimaginable on a deserted island.
At the same time, a series of light screens also appeared.
[Basic Water Tower - Construction Complete! New Upgrade Blueprint Added!] [Forge - Upgrade Complete! New Upgrade Blueprint Added!]
[Blueprint Name: Advanced Forge, Type: Tier 5 Upgrade Blueprint, Description: Adds a composite refractory inner lining and metal piping to the Forge, significantly improving heat concentration. Equipped with a slag trough and forming area, it can stably smelt various metal ores. Maximum melting temperature can reach 1600
∘
Materials required for upgrade: Copper Pipe ×10, Quartz Sandstone ×10, Firebricks ×30]
[Blueprint Name: Improved Water Tower, Type: Tier 3 Upgrade Blueprint, Description: Expands the water tower support platform and adds an auxiliary storage container and a combustion furnace heating function, coupled with an improved valve structure, allowing for cold and hot temperature regulation. Materials required for upgrade: Mud Bricks ×10, Clay ×10, Hardwood ×10, Wedge Tool, Large Capacity Storage Container ×1, Improved Valve Structure ×1]
Looking at the two new blueprints that appeared, Chuck rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
After upgrading the Advanced Kiln to a Forge, there was still an Advanced Forge.
It looked like the subsequent upgrade was still focused on further increasing the internal temperature of the furnace.
Chuck had already collected Chalcopyrite Ore, and he knew that the prerequisite for smelting metal was having a melting temperature that exceeded the melting point of that metal. Following this logic, upgrading to the Advanced Forge would likely unlock iron smelting… or even steel refining!
As for the Basic Water Tower upgrade blueprint, the next focus seemed to be adding cold and hot temperature regulation and water heating functions. If completed, taking a hot shower would only require adding water and heating it up daily, then manually adjusting the temperature.
Chuck let out a long sigh of relief.
Life on the deserted island was indeed getting better step-by-step as the technology tree was climbed.
However, these two newly unlocked blueprints were not the most urgent priority right now.
Chuck's habit was to set a goal and move toward its realization step-by-step. He could be slightly distracted in between, but the main direction would never change.
Therefore, his current main goal was still to excavate an artificial cave in this stone platform to cope with the high temperatures that could arrive at any time in the future.
To achieve this goal, Chuck had already fought a wolf pack, collected ore, and successfully upgraded the Forge, finally reaching the final stage of the objective—crafting metal tools and excavating the artificial cave.
But all in all…
Chuck looked up at the fading sunset on the horizon, raised his hand to cover his mouth, and let out a huge yawn.
Better have dinner first.
Today's work was successfully completed. The next step could wait until tomorrow.
"Speaking of which, hasn't Kanae returned yet?"
Stretching with a crackle, Chuck turned to the women and asked.
"No… should we go look for her?"
Gu Yitong held her daughter's small hand, responding softly to Chuck, instinctively looking toward the slope behind her, a look of worry in her eyes.
Chuck turned back, scratched his chin, and couldn't help but frown.
Although experience suggested that explored areas were generally safe, it was getting late, and he was worried about any accidents…
Wait, the phone.
He had saved Kanae's number when they first met, and he didn't expect it to come in handy now.
But just as Chuck pulled out his phone, ready to dial, Kanae's figure appeared with a rush of frantic footsteps.
Chuck looked up, relieved, put the phone away, and smiled as he walked toward her.
But just as he was about to ask why she was late, Kanae ran straight into his arms.
The force was so great that even Chuck, whose body was enhanced by the pills, took half a step back.
A sobbing sound accompanied by the dampness on his chest made Chuck pause. He immediately turned to the three women who were looking on in surprise and silently signaled them with his eyes.
The three women instantly understood. They cast worried glances at him, then quietly returned to the wooden cabin.
Leaving Chuck and Kanae embracing on the stone platform in the darkness.
He raised his hand, gently stroked the girl's soft, short hair, and asked in a low voice.
"What's wrong?"
Feeling Chuck's body warmth, Kanae's emotions finally calmed down. She slowly turned her head, wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand, and then slowly looked up.
"Mr. Chuck… am I a very troublesome woman?"
"Uh…"
Hearing this, Chuck was a bit confused but asked curiously.
"Why would you think that?"
"…"
Chuck's question wasn't trivial, but Kanae's lips immediately drooped again. Her eyes welled up with tears once more, so Chuck quickly pulled her into his embrace and gently comforted her.
Once her emotions finally stabilized, she leaned tightly against Chuck's chest and recounted everything that had just happened, holding nothing back.
The sunset on the horizon gradually faded. The light of the crescent moon shone down on the deserted island.
After listening to the girl's story, Chuck's expression remained calm.
He gently raised his hand, cupped Kanae's face, leaned down, and kissed her warm lips softly. Then, he smiled at the flushed, pitiful girl.
"I have an idea."
In fact, Chuck had been pondering the issue of Haruno Kaoru for the past two days.
She had pestered him relentlessly, and even dared to threaten him in a fit of pique after being rejected multiple times. Such a woman, no matter how attractive she was, Chuck would never accept into his harem.
However, she was Kanae's childhood best friend, a bond that couldn't be easily severed, and he couldn't just let Kanae run back and forth every day.
At least, in Chuck's opinion, he preferred not to let his women venture out adventurously.
Accepting her was a no-go, killing her was a no-go, and continuing to ignore her was also a no-go.
So, a solution had to be found.
And after two days of deliberation, Chuck had found the answer.
Not "don't accept," but a slow, planned acceptance.
In a word, it was to completely reform that restless Gyaru JK into an honest, obedient, and well-behaved girl…
Fortunately, Chuck had some experience in this area.