Morning dawned, and the rising sun bathed the forest floor in warm light, restoring life and energy to the woods.
After starting his livestream, Leo Chen rubbed his face vigorously and yawned. "Hey everyone, it's Leo Chen here. This is Day Two of my survival in the jungle. I'm feeling awful—last night's shrimp didn't fill me up, and keeping the fire alive all night means I'm both exhausted and starving."
"To be honest, in my current state, if a wild beast appeared, I'd be sitting duck," he added, and the stream switched to a close-up of his face: dark circles under his eyes and red-rimmed whites betrayed his sleepless night.
"I feel for you, man—didn't sleep a wink."
"Hang in there, streamer! Keep pushing and you'll win. We're all rooting for you."
"One second of silent support for the streamer."
Leo forced a wry smile. "Thanks for the encouragement, friends. Honestly, I'd love to head back and rest, but I've got to keep moving if I want to get through the next few days."
Gathering his resolve, he set off toward the stream. "Although flipping rocks in the creek got us some food, it isn't enough for my daily needs. Today, I'm going to weave a simple fish trap so we can catch food more reliably."
Before long he reached the stream's edge. Sitting on a boulder, he began weaving slender branches into a conical trap, chatting with his viewers as he worked.
"Streamer's so chill—others are already near breaking point."
"He's got a plan and sticks to it—impressive."
"I'd have given up by now!"
Leo glanced at the camera. "To be honest, I'm scared too. Getting pulled into a game and thrown into a primeval jungle for seven days—that would terrify anyone. But fear won't save me. In dire straits, a person's potential can explode. To survive, I have to control my emotions and tackle each task step by step. That's the only way I'll see my family again. Okay, everyone—my fish trap is done."
He held up the cone of woven sticks. "With this and some bait, we'll have fish soon." He then dug in the soft, damp soil nearby and unearthed several earthworms.
"In a pinch, worms are decent protein. But only eat them if you have to—and clean them thoroughly first." He cut the worms into segments, baited the trap, and submerged it in the water.
"While we wait, let's make a few more traps to cover our bases."
"Earthworms: you're using me for bait? So noble."
"Learning so much from this stream."
"Loads of tips—let's go, team!"
As he chatted and laughed with his viewers, Leo crafted several more traps and set them in the creek. His eyes shone with hope as he surveyed the water.
"Guys, whether we eat today depends on these traps. If nothing bites, we'll have to flip rocks for shrimp again. But while we wait, let's tackle something else."
He followed the creek upstream, scanning the forest floor. Soon he discovered a patch of reddish clay soil. Leo's eyes lit up—just what he needed.
"See this, everyone? Guess what it is."
"A pile of dirt?"
"Dude, are you so hungry you forgot what clay is?"
"Actually, that's good pottery clay—perfect for making durable containers."
Leo nodded. "Exactly—clay. We've been using a wooden bowl to boil water, but that's temporary. Now we can make proper pottery and be set. Let's grab some."
He scooped up several chunks of clay into his shirt and headed back to camp.
Back at the shelter, Leo got straight to work. He crushed last night's charcoal and the clay chunks with a sturdy stick, then ground them into fine powder. Adding a little water, he kneaded the mixture like dough.
"Today I'll show you a simple way to make pottery," he explained as he rolled out the clay into strips. "Without a potter's wheel, we can use a stacking method: shape small rectangular slabs, stand them up edge-to-edge, join them carefully, then add a base and smooth the seams. Voilà—basic pottery."
He stacked and smoothed the pieces into a crooked little vessel. Holding it up, he laughed ruefully, "It doesn't look pretty, but if it works, it's a success."
"No worries, we're all ears!"
"Brain: see? That's all it takes. Hands: huh?"
"Haha, streamer's first pottery fail!"
Ignoring the teasing, Leo got to the next step. "Now we let the 'greenware' dry in the shade. While that's happening, let's make a couple more."
As Leo focused on forming more pots, the chat gradually went quiet, everyone watching the humble vessels take shape.