[Congratulations! Your companion Jiang Qi has reached maximum Trust! Workbench Queue Unlocked! Workbench Exclusive Bonus Unlocked!] [Workbench Exclusive Bonus — Eternal Love (Jiang Qi)] [Host (Chuck) Bonus: Workbench adds Time Storage function. When queues are idle, they can enter Time Storage mode. Each queue can store 5% of idle time, which can be used to accelerate future synthesis queues.] [Companion (Jiang Qi) Bonus: Mental stats increased by 10%.]
A series of screens appeared before Chuck. This time, he read every word carefully.
He was even more shocked.
Max affection right from the start... is this the power of an ex-girlfriend?
And the bonus effect—Time Storage!
It was like earning offline AFK rewards. Incredibly convenient.
But as his eyes wandered reading the text, Jiang Qi, straddling him, misinterpreted his reaction. She thought after finally summoning the courage to confess, he was looking away.
Her delicate nose reddened again, tears falling from her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, Chuck... it's all my fault, I'm sorry..."
"Huh?"
Her crying snapped Chuck back to reality. Seeing her tear-stained face, he was stunned. He hugged her back, patting her gently.
"What are you saying? What are you sorry for?"
"I, I back then..."
"You were indeed silly back then. But knowing the reason, how could I blame you?"
Chuck sighed slightly.
Honestly, saying he had no resentment back then would be a lie. But reuniting on this island, their story didn't have to continue as a tragedy.
He cupped her tear-streaked face, speaking seriously.
"I don't know what you've been through these past years, but I guess they weren't happy memories. From now on, whatever pain you have, I'll face it with you. All you have to do is what you couldn't do back then."
"Couldn't do..."
Chuck's gentle voice stopped her tears.
"Believe in me."
Looking at her messy, crying face, Chuck nodded, speaking with unwavering determination.
"I wasn't just talking last night, nor giving you false hope. I will cure your illness. So this time, you must believe me, okay?"
"..."
Hearing Chuck's words, a long-lost emotion rose in Jiang Qi's heart.
Relief.
For years, facing death's shadow alone. Abandoned by parents, distanced by friends, hopeless even to doctors. She pushed away the few who wanted to help, walking alone in darkness with endless loneliness and fear toward the inevitable abyss.
But now, someone appeared in that darkness. Walking ahead, holding a light, taking her hand, leading her forward.
She was no longer alone. She had a shoulder to lean on again. And this person happened to be the one she loved most.
Even if she didn't know what lay ahead, this time, she felt no loneliness or fear.
"Mmh, I believe you."
She looked at Chuck, her tear-stained face blooming into a smile that dazed him—bright and sweet, just like when they were deeply in love.
Pressing her face tightly against his chest, Jiang Qi squinted like a contented kitten.
Stroking her back, feeling her breathing steady, Chuck looked at the storage rack ahead.
His eyes grew serious.
After days of push and pull, they finally opened their hearts and rekindled old feelings. But Chuck couldn't feel happy.
Because Jiang Qi's illness seemed more severe than he guessed.
Holding her, Chuck's powerful perception kicked in, allowing him to clearly feel her erratic heartbeat.
Even as a layman, sensing such an abnormal rhythm meant her condition was likely terminal.
Meaning, every day forward was a hurdle for Jiang Qi.
She could die anytime.
Ten days was too long.
No time for leisure.
Chuck got up, placed the sleeping Jiang Qi on the bed, covered her with a blanket, and tiptoed out of the storage room.
...
After dinner, Chuck convened the Fifth Family Meeting.
He didn't reveal everything about killing the tiger, refining the Essence Potion, or saving Jiang Qi's life.
To avoid worry, except for Valentina, Chuck was cautious. He only informed the women that Jiang Qi's condition was not optimistic, and to cure her, he needed to focus fully for the next few days.
This meant suspending nighttime entertainment. Except for necessary physiological needs, Chuck would use the nights to complete his tasks ASAP.
The women didn't know what "tasks" he meant, but they felt the seriousness in his tone and expression.
Skipping sex for a few days was trivial compared to a companion's life. Without hesitation, they agreed and actively discussed shifts to care for Jiang Qi.
"Avoid chilling her. No outdoor showers. I'll boil water and sponge her down."
"Jules, it's cold at night. Don't let her go far alone. Someone should accompany her to the toilet. You're close to her, so please take care."
"OK. And Sister Gu, diet needs attention too."
"Mmh, I'll arrange it."
Watching them discuss seriously, Chuck leaned back, exhaling a long breath.
Just as Jiang Qi could rely on him, he had people to rely on too.
Nothing was more reassuring.
...
After dinner and washing up, Julia approached Chuck as he prepared to go out, gently holding his arm.
"Hey, don't stay up too late. Come back and rest early."
"Mmh, I know."
Like an old married couple, they leaned together for a goodnight kiss. Julia looked at him, hesitating before asking tentatively.
"Darling... is Jiang Qi okay?"
Chuck paused, choosing not to lie.
"Not optimistic. That's why I'm in a hurry."
"Fuck..."
Julia clenched her small fists, her exquisite face darkening.
She sensed Jiang Qi's issue but didn't expect it to be this severe.
Getting along well these days, finding similarities in personality and hobbies, Julia didn't want anything to happen to Jiang Qi. It would break her heart.
"Don't worry. I'll solve this, just like before."
Chuck patted her fluffy blonde hair.
"So I'll leave her care to you for the next couple of days."
Hearing this, Julia's worry faded. she nodded heavily.
Right.
He had never failed to solve a problem.
This time would be the same.
...
That night, for the first time, Chuck didn't engage in a fierce battle with the women. Instead, he lit a fire outside and began his overtime shift.
Since the women had work and care duties during the day, Chuck worked alone by the firelight, designing blueprints via the DIY function.
Three days.
This was Chuck's new deadline.
Sprint for two days to complete the three-step tiger preparation, rest well, and challenge the final boss on the third day.
With high mental stats, three to four hours of sleep sufficed.
Pausing his sex life was a bit stifling, but his brain was clearer and energy higher.
"Conserving energy" made literal sense.
Step one: Binoculars. Only grinding remained, but without sunlight, precision work was risky. Better wait for day.
Step two: A powerful ranged weapon.
After a day of thought, Chuck had the answer.
Ballista (Bed Crossbow).
The main reason was ammo efficiency: he could use existing javelins as bolts.
Chuck lacked experience designing siege weapons, and ballista knowledge wasn't in high school textbooks, so Momo couldn't help.
He was on his own.
Luckily, Chuck remembered a news story about an old man hand-crafting a legendary ancient "Triple-Bow Ballista." Using a unique structure of two forward and one reversed bow, it combined the draw weight of three bows to shoot over 200 meters.
Another crystal of ancestral wisdom.
If Chuck could replicate it, it would meet his needs perfectly.
Though the news version wasn't the historically accurate lost tech (which shot 1500 meters), achieving the knockoff's 200-meter range was enough. With the workbench and DIY function, it wasn't a pipe dream.
His needs were clear, so he could reverse-engineer it.
To ensure range and hit the unaware tiger from a safe distance, the bowstring requirements were high. It had to store elastic energy far beyond human draw weight without snapping.
Materials on hand: animal sinews collecting dust in storage, and fiber rope.
The good news: the Triple-Bow Ballista structure distributed the load among three bows and strings, lowering the strength requirement for each individual string.