While Everyone Panicked, I Upgraded My Raft

Chapter 153: Chapter 142: They All Want to Become Rowan Rhodes’s Followers?

The introduction of solar energy indeed stirred up quite a bit of excitement across all zones. The number of players purchasing the guide was climbing steadily.

Although the guide cost 10 Trading Coins, it was an absolute bargain compared to its actual value. The vast majority of players could afford it. Since it was within their means, they simply bought it directly instead of trying to fish for the information from others. Once they actually purchased it and read through the detailed process, many felt that 10 Trading Coins was an incredible steal.

The only downside was that they lacked the required titanium ore.

However, Rowan Rhodes’s guide mentioned that titanium ore could also be extracted from Metal Scrap. While most players didn’t have Metal Scrap, those who had dismantled the abandoned plane certainly did!

These specific players were the elites of their respective zones. The virus disaster was barely a threat to them; they were simply biding their time until it passed. Being intelligent, they knew that solar power generation would be a crucial energy source for their rafts in the future. Mastering this technology would save them an immense amount of resources. If nothing else, it meant the currently exorbitantly priced batteries could be reused.

Speaking of which, they already had batteries on hand. They just hadn’t thrown them away after they died, keeping them around on the off chance they could be recharged. With the advent of solar energy, these batteries finally had a chance to be reactivated. Therefore, these players couldn’t wait to start building solar panels using titanium ingots. They quickly succeeded and immediately listed them in the Sea Survival Shop at astronomical prices.

After all, even though the solar panels were built, today’s weather made them completely unusable. These players were simply using them as a tool to show off.

In the Sea Survival Shop’s grand chat, the players were buzzing with excitement.

”Haha, I actually made it! A solar panel.”

”Now we just wait for the weather to clear up.”

”Boss Rowan is truly so generous. I can’t believe she’s willing to share such a massive secret.”

”Yeah! If it were me, I definitely would’ve kept it hidden.”

”She probably did hide it for a while.”

”Heh, she could have hidden it for a lifetime. I can’t believe there are actually players complaining she published it too late.”

”It takes all kinds to make a world. Just ignore people like that.”

”There are actually this many people who succeeded?”

”Where did you guys get the materials?”

”The first batch of players who landed on Glimmerstone Isle dismantled the plane. They definitely got Metal Scrap.”

”I’m so jealous! Are any of you selling Metal Scrap?”

”I just want to know, will the most important material for the solar panels be available for purchase later?”

”I think there definitely will be.”

”I always feel like Boss Rowan is incredibly formidable. She’s always one step ahead in everything.”

”Yeah! Fortunately, the boss is willing to share.”

”...”

Because quite a few players managed to craft solar panels, the tangible benefits allowed everyone to see Rowan’s generosity. After all, this wasn’t some minor trick like before; it was a guide that genuinely enhanced a player’s strength. Rowan’s status in the hearts of the players rose yet another notch.

On Rowan’s end, she also received private messages from many regular players. Quite a few of them carried tones of goodwill and a desire to befriend her. This kind of goodwill was an attempt at a deeper bond. Some players even offered to become her subordinates.

Through the Positioning Card incident, many players had long understood that the future would very likely involve team combat. Since it would be team-based, attaching oneself to a powerful faction was essential. The current situation was that most were still developing their own rafts. Many leading players were confident in themselves, hoping to become their own faction in the future, so they wouldn’t take sides prematurely.

However, Rowan was an exception. Her strength in this early stage was visibly formidable. No one would ever doubt her capabilities. It was easy to imagine that if such a player continued to develop smoothly, she would absolutely become a top-tier existence. Leaning on a power like hers right now was simply an early investment! If they waited to invest in the future, who knew if they’d even get the chance to join her?

This was the exact reason these players were offering their allegiance to Rowan.

Rowan herself hadn’t anticipated that she would become a target for allegiance in the eyes of others just because of a solar panel crafting guide. She had no intention of accepting these players. After some thought, she privately replied to all of them, stating that she only wanted to focus on developing her raft.

[Boss, I understand. I will properly develop my raft too.]

[No problem. If you ever need me, remember I’m waiting for you, Boss.]

[Then we can just cooperate on everyday things.]

[Anyway, if there’s anything you need me to do, just say the word.]

[Heh, what are you acting so arrogant for?! Since you look down on me, I’ll just team up with someone else.]

[...]

Everyone had their own interpretation. Looking at these varied responses, Rowan unconsciously paused. For the friendly ones, she sent a polite reply. For the hostile ones, she completely ignored them and blocked them directly. With such unstable mindsets, they definitely wouldn’t survive for long.

Rowan felt that communication with players across the different zones could be deeper, especially when operating under her own name. When dealing with the Sea Survival Shop, most regular players put on a ”friendly” front. Only when facing Rowan, a fellow player, would their true colors subtly slip out.

Even among those who came seeking allegiance and feigning friendliness, there were definitely those scheming to exploit her strength to quietly build their own power, waiting for the chance to usurp her position in the future. In her past life, although she hadn’t joined any faction, she had watched the back-and-forth struggles between them. She knew that in the Sea Survival Game, even players under the same faction had to be on guard against one another.

After all, there were countless incidents of faction bosses failing in the Sea Survival Game, doing all the hard work to build up their rafts only for someone else to reap the benefits. Thus, there were plenty of people who wanted to see if they could wring more out of her, the current number one player in the entire server.

The solar energy guide acted like a signal flare she had fired off. If she dared to release something like this, didn’t that mean she was holding onto even more valuable things? Driven by such thoughts, a continuous stream of players swarmed straight toward her like sharks catching the scent of blood. Thankfully, she had very few people on her friends list; otherwise, the number of people pledging their loyalty would be even higher.

Speaking of which, compared to these verbal alliances, Rowan preferred alliances built on action. For instance, Zelda Parrish and her group. At this very moment, Zelda and her crew were discussing this exact matter in their private group chat.

[Zelda Parrish: I heard a lot of players reached out to Rowan wanting to join her, but she rejected them.]

[Owen Caldwell: They’re all just in it for the benefits.]

[Faye Sinclair: I don’t think Boss Rowan would accept them anyway.]

[Skye Schuyler: I think so too. Boss Rowan probably cares more about concrete actions. We followed her to work and got so many benefits. As far as I’m concerned, I’m already one of her people.]

[Zelda Parrish: Yeah, we’ll prove it with actual actions.]

[Skye Schuyler: We were the earliest ones to follow Boss Rowan. If she really does start recruiting, she’ll definitely consider us. Let’s just work hard!]

[...]

Zelda and the others were considered the earliest to ”follow” Rowan, so they had a certain understanding of her character and personality. Rather than offering empty verbal allegiance, they preferred to get things done. Unbeknownst to Rowan, her own alliance had already quietly begun to take shape.