Chapter 26: Desert Dusk Endeavors

Lady Niu was right—once the pavilion is built, we’ll load up on food and head here to catch the desert sunset!

Heh, but honestly, even without the sunset, a trip to see that octagonal pavilion is well worth it.

That’s the truth.

In our Long Kingdom, aside from the ancient octagonal pavilions that have been preserved, none of the ones in the big tourist spots are built entirely by hand—no nails, cement, or wood glue.

I’ll leave it at this: if Hao Bro manages to complete an octagonal pavilion, I’m tossing in two space projectiles!

That’s one space projectile added!

The excitement wasn’t just from Lady Niu—scores of viewers were flooding the chat with their opinions.

All in all,

nearly everyone agreed that it was an awesome idea.

But amid the thrill, a number of calm fans spoke up—Wo Long being one of them, and his influence is almost as high as Lady Niu’s.

“Everyone, don’t get too carried away. Hao Bro is surviving in the wild, not building a tourist spot. He still has to spend a ton of time gathering food, and the desert is full of unknown dangers. We can’t let one octagonal pavilion make us lose sight of what really matters.”

Those words dampened the live chat’s enthusiasm, and someone retorted,

“Wo Long is right. I almost forgot that Hao Bro is in the middle of a wilderness survival challenge. Just this noon, that expert Cody had to withdraw due to an injury.”

“And it’s not just Cody—our other contestant, Zhu Qiang, doesn’t seem like he’ll last more than a few days either. So far, he’s only managed to stockpile a palm-length desert lizard, and he hasn’t even caught a fish.”

“But we really do hope to see Hao Bro complete that octagonal log pavilion.”

Lady Niu sent a teary, pleading emoji.

“Then let’s not disturb Hao Bro. Let him focus—he needs to rest early today because he has to go out and scavenge for food first thing tomorrow.”

“Makes sense. Hao Bro, just concentrate on your work. No need to keep updating us.”

“Support!”

“Alright, friends, I’m off to finish up the log cabin now and will catch up with you later tonight.”

Glancing at the nearly finished wooden door, Xu Hao nodded in satisfaction.

Wo Long wasn’t wrong; survival must come first before any other plans.

After that,

Xu Hao greeted the live audience and then got back to work, darting between the cabin and piles of timber.

Time ticked by steadily,

and by 4:30 PM the cabin’s doors and windows were perfectly in place—opening and closing without a hitch.

During that time, Xu Hao even managed to step out briefly to check on his charcoal kiln in the small courtyard.

Though he joked on stream, making charcoal is no simple task—so many intricate details are crucial.

At 5:00 PM,

the cabin’s doors were installed. Lacking metal hinges, Xu Hao crafted a pair of ancient-style double wooden doors with inserted bolts. Once the latch was in place, they were as secure as a lock.

After all that, Xu Hao applied mud to secure the waterproof tarp on the roof, fastening its edges tightly to the eaves.

With that, the log cabin was officially complete.

Glancing at the clock and seeing it was still early, Xu Hao turned his attention to building a wooden bed.

Hour by hour, and finally by 7:40 PM—just as the sun was setting over the Tengli Desert—a wooden bed measuring 1.5 meters wide and 2 meters long was hauled into the cabin.

And that wasn’t all.

Xu Hao also tied together seven strips of processed rabbit skin with rope to lay across the bed frame.

That meant there was no blanket—so if it rained or even snowed, things would get rough.

After securing the cabin, Xu Hao checked the well and the stove. Once everything was in order, he headed off to a distant grassy field to take care of personal business.

All in all,

Xu Hao’s cabin and its fenced courtyard had truly transformed into a livable space with a touch of comfort. Compared to the crude shelters built by other contestants using raw logs,

this one was in a league of its own! Meanwhile, viewers in the live stream cheered in anticipation—but not everyone was pleased. At the Tianchen Culture Headquarters, Liu Qing crossed his arms and scoffed at the screen.

“This is getting ridiculous! Just because he built a small cabin, does he think he’s some kind of genius? And he did it all by hand—no nails, no wood glue—now he plans to erect an octagonal pavilion on Shaji. If he really had the skills, he’d already be working for a top national institution instead of doing a survival challenge out in the wild!”

Ever since Xu Hao became a focal point, Liu Qing has barely left the live stream lobby. Yet with every passing moment, his irritation grew; every sign indicated that Xu Hao had no plans to back down from the challenge.

How could someone with a complete cabin, a rainproof drainage system, and not to mention two functioning charcoal kilns be undone by a bout of continuous rain?

Unless, like poor Cody, Xu Hao ends up getting stung several times by desert scorpions.

“Boss, what now? We’re worried about this endless rain…”

After a long pause,

a staffer at the main screen whispered.

Whether Xu Hao is exaggerating or fooling us, the fact remains: his cabin and courtyard are fully completed.

It means Xu Hao drew plot No. 7 for the challenge.

If he had drawn a plot like Matt’s—where he could catch fish—the outcome would’ve been all but certain.

“What do we do now? The only thing that can hold Xu Hao back is food to replenish his energy. If he doesn’t find more by tomorrow, the trouble will be real.”

Liu Qing shot an annoyed glare at the staffer.

“Oh!”

The staffer, realizing his mistake, lowered his head in haste, too nervous to continue.

“By the way, has the area within a one-kilometer radius of Xu Hao’s plot been thoroughly checked?”

After a brief pause, Liu Qing couldn’t help but ask again.

“Boss, we’ve checked within one kilometer—there’s only a small cluster of Haloxylon ammodendron in a neighboring Shadou area; nothing else was found anywhere else.”

The staffer quickly replied.

That was the fifth time Liu Qing had asked that question today.

Of course, he was aware of his boss’s impatience—just that morning, top leadership had been monitoring the stream. Every contestant was required to withdraw after the continuous rain and then move to Ning’an for a second round of challenges.

“No animals?”

“Apart from desert lizards and scorpions, there aren’t any animals around.”

“Good! We must ensure no large animals approach Xu Hao’s area. That kid’s luck is just too good—he needs to be kept in check.”

Liu Qing’s expression softened just a bit.

“Boss, rest assured—no mishaps will occur. Wait, what’s that thing?”

Just as the staffer was about to reassure them again, the live stream screen flashed. A closer look at the scene left him momentarily speechless.

Other staffers immediately stood up in unison.

“Oh my goodness, what is this…”