Oh no! I've been kept as a pet by a stray killer whale!

He let out a low shout, and his hands, which had previously appeared somewhat scholarly, instantly bulged with veins. The muscle lines on his arms were clearly visible in the sunlight; they were the combat-ready muscles honed through years of frontline work, lacking the exaggerated size of those in a gym, but brimming with explosive power.

He steadily hoisted the wet log, which he estimated to weigh at least seventy or eighty pounds, onto his shoulder.

The viewers in the live stream were stunned.

Holy crap? That must weigh at least 100 pounds!

[The streamer looks skinny, but he's all muscle!]

[Impressive core strength! Carrying such a thick log and walking so steadily?]

[As expected, men who can be kept as pets by orcas must have exceptional physical abilities.]

Don't underestimate researchers! Darwin was a tough guy who traveled the world by ship!

Jiang Che carried the wood back to the camp—a dry, high-lying area he had chosen on the edge of the coconut grove.

"I'm going to build a modified version of a single-slope shed."

Jiang Che put down the piece of wood, took a deep breath, and began to explain his design concept to the audience:

"This structure is simple, sturdy, and highly wind-resistant. The back faces the prevailing wind direction to block the wind, while the front is open to allow for lighting and observation of the sea."

For the next two hours, Jiang Che demonstrated to the entire internet what "professional hands-on skills" truly mean.

He had no nails, no ropes.

But this didn't stump him.

He ventured into the edge of the woods and found a climbing plant called "white vine," which is extremely flexible and acts as a natural rope.

Jiang Che used a Swiss Army knife to cut the vines, removed the leaves, and then demonstrated several professional knot-tying techniques.

"This is a 'double overlock knot,' used to secure the base of the post; the more you pull it, the tighter it becomes."

"This is a 'square knot,' which is specifically used to secure two perpendicularly intersecting pieces of wood, resulting in very even force distribution."

His fingers moved nimbly among the wood and vines, his movements fluid and effortless, without a single unnecessary word. Each piece of wood was firmly fixed in place, remaining completely still even when shaken vigorously.

Soon, a triangular frame consisting of two pillars, a crossbeam, and several diagonal braces was erected on the beach.

The structure is extremely regular, and even the angles look as if they have been measured with a protractor.

This is the obsessive-compulsive disorder of researchers—either they don't do it at all, or if they do, it has to conform to the principles of mechanics.

After the framework is erected, the roof is installed.

Jiang Che collected a large number of broad palm leaves. Instead of piling the leaves directly on the beam, he arranged the leaf stalks neatly on the beam, layer upon layer, like weaving a straw mat, forming a structure similar to fish scales.

This type of paving is called "overlapping tile paving".

Jiang Che wiped the sweat from his forehead and patted the thick roof:

"Not only does it keep out the rain, allowing rainwater to flow down the veins, but it also provides sun protection and insulation. Even if there's another downpour, it will stay dry inside."

When the clock hands pointed to noon.

A simple yet structurally sound single-slope wooden house, with a touch of wild beauty, has been officially completed.

Jiang Che stood in front of his masterpiece, hands on his hips, his face full of pride.

Although my palms were marked with red marks from the vines, and my whole body was soaked in sweat, none of that mattered.

The important thing is that in this desolate world, he has a "home" that truly belongs to him.

"How's it going, guys?"

Jiang Che raised an eyebrow at the camera, a hint of pride in his eyes:

"I told you not to underestimate researchers, right? With this skill, they could probably make a living carrying bricks on a construction site."

The live stream chat was flooded with "666" comments.

[Awesome! This hands-on skill is amazing!]

[I've seen Bear Grylls' videos, but this streamer's setup is even more meticulous than Bear Grylls'!]

Is this the power of knowledge? Even tying a rope involves principles of mechanics.

[This looks so reassuring! I don't have to sleep on the beach tonight!]

however.

Just as Jiang Che and his netizens were praising each other and feeling good about themselves...

A series of extremely unfriendly jet blasts came from the sea.

"puff--!!"

Jiang Che's smile froze.

He slowly turned around.

In the shallow water not far from the shore, the five orcas that had "disappeared" all morning had somehow woken up.

At this moment, they were lined up neatly in a row, their big heads sticking out of the water, all ten eyes staring intently at Jiang Che's new house.

The scene resembled a group of middle-aged women from the village's "information center" watching their neighbor build a new house.

Moreover, judging from their eyes, their evaluation doesn't seem to be very high.

The first to speak was still the eldest brother, "Big Fatty," who was the most talkative.

It tilted its head, looked left and right, and finally exhaled a disgusted mist of water from its nostrils:

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

"Guys, look at that two-legged creature, he's been busy all morning and this is all he's built?"

"What is this? It's just a few rotten logs piled together. It doesn't even have a proper roof."

"This is so ugly!"

The orca, who always had a unique aesthetic sense, chimed in:

"Yes, honey, it's really ugly. Look at the shape, it's crooked and twisted, it's not streamlined at all."

"And it looks so fragile, I feel like I could crush it with just one tap of my tail."

The whiny kid went straight into mocking mode:

"Hahaha! Is this what a two-legged creature's den looks like? It's not even as nice as the beaver's den next door!"

"Even beavers know to plaster walls with mud, and he just covers it with a few tattered leaves? That's so shabby!"

"Oh dear, I'm so worried about him. How will this clumsy pet ever find a mate?"

Jiang Che: "..."

The veins on his forehead throbbed merrily once again.

He looked at his creation, which clearly conformed to structural mechanics, was rainproof and windproof, and could be called a wilderness mansion, and then listened to the comments of the group of guys living in the water in his mind.

I won't stoop to the level of a fish.

I won't stoop to the level of a fish.

Jiang Che took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

"Hey! You there!"

Big Fatty clearly had no intention of letting him off so easily. It shouted at Jiang Che:

"Stop standing there like an idiot! Look at you, all sweaty and stinking!"

"It's one thing if my house is ugly, but I can't be stinky too!"

"Hurry up and get down! We haven't finished scrubbing you in the bathhouse yet! I have another lump on my back today, come take a look!"

have to.

After the inspection team completed their inspection, they described it as an "ugly illegal building."

Now, it's time for the bathhouse attendant to take his turn.

Jiang Che sighed helplessly, looking at his hands, which were red from tying vines, and then at the old men waiting for service in the sea.

"Coming right now..."

"I owe you all..."

Jiang Che resignedly took off his shirt, revealing his muscular upper body, and walked towards the sea under the scorching sun.

Although the viewers in the live stream couldn't hear the orcas' complaints, they could guess what was going on just by looking at Jiang Che's expression, which seemed to have been worn down by life, and the orcas' anxious looks.

[Hahaha, the streamer's expression looks like that of a factory worker who just finished building a house and was called in by his boss to work overtime.]

[Orca: The house's finished? Okay, let's get down to work.]

[Is this what they mean by bittersweet? Having a place to live and powerful connections to rely on—it's tiring, but it's worth it!]