When Lin Yu'an dragged the green box carrying unknown stories back to the shelter, the afternoon sun had already passed the zenith, and the light had begun to soften and slant.

He placed the green box in a dry corner of the shelter as if handling a precious artifact.

He gazed at the box momentarily, the face of the young female scientist with bright eyes, a hint of rebelliousness, and confidence on the ID card resurfacing in his mind.

And that source of unsettling heat...

This unexpected discovery, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, completely altered his internal rhythm.

For over twenty days, his goal had been pure and primal; survival was his only aim.

But now, the existence of the items in this box gave him an impulse to reconnect with that forgotten world of civilization.

Lin Yu'an shook his head, as if trying to fling away the restlessness in his heart.

He must not only survive for himself but also protect this crystallization of wisdom belonging to others. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

He stored the remaining Hairy Scale Fish from his backpack into the snow bucket fridge, then walked over to the fireplace to add some wood, rekindling the flames.

Though the fatigue washed over him like a tide, he knew it wasn't time to rest yet.

The bounty from the shoreline had ended, and he had to immediately embark on finding a new source of food.

His gaze traveled through the shelter door, towards the distant frozen, winding river.

Speaking into the camera, his tone became incredibly focused: "The ocean is generous, but its temperament is always unpredictable."

"While rivers, especially these inland frozen ones, have more stable and predictable ecosystems."

"Beneath the thick ice, life continues in a slow cycle."

"As long as I can find the correct method, I believe this river can definitely provide a new source of food."

"And the first, most critical step in all methods is finding out where the fish are."

He took a few sips of hot water, geared up, and once again left the shelter, this time headed for the frozen river.

The three o'clock afternoon sun had lost all warmth, leaving only a pale glow.

The river surface was far smoother than the ice pressure ridge by the shore, like a carefully laid white highway, winding into the distance.

But Lin Yu'an knew that beneath this smooth facade lay a complex underwater terrain.

Finding a fishing spot where fish congregate on such an expansive ice river was like finding a needle in a haystack.

But it wasn't pure luck; it required combining experience, knowledge, and sharp observational discovery.

As he walked along the riverbank, he conducted an on-spot analysis: "Fish, like all living things, need three things: food, oxygen, and shelter."

"In winter's ice river, with slow currents and scarce food, fish become less active."

"Instinctively, they seek places where they can use minimal energy and gain maximum security and food opportunities."

He first ruled out those wide, straight sections of the river.

"These areas have uniform water flow and a monotonous underwater landscape, lacking structural variation. Fish don't like staying here; it's too open and lacks a sense of security."

His gaze began searching for variations in the river's shape.

"We need to look for river bends, deep pools, obstacles, tributary entry points… all places that can alter water flow, provide shelter, and accumulate nutrients."

Finally, after walking about a kilometer, he reached a massive river bend where the river formed a near ninety-degree turn.

He crouched down, pointing to both the inner and outer sides of the bend: "Look here, this is a textbook classic fishing spot."

"According to fluid dynamics, at a bend, the water continuously scours the outer side, resulting in deeper water and faster currents on the outer side."

"While the inner side sees sediment accumulation due to slower currents, making the water shallower."

"In winter, the deeper outer river bend offers relatively stable water temperatures, and washed-out pits and underwater cliffs provide excellent hiding places for large fish."

"This is the first area worth prospecting."

But he didn't stop immediately; he stood up, his gaze eagle-sharp, continuing to scrutinize every detail of this bend.

He wasn't just applying textbook knowledge; he was invoking that super Sixth Sense of his.

Through the Sixth Sense, he could clearly perceive the presence of fish underwater.

Suddenly, his attention was captured by an inconspicuous detail on the outer side of the river bend.

On that flat ice surface covered with white snow, the snow formation in one area appeared slightly different from elsewhere.

There, the snow seemed to be shaped by an invisible force, forming an almost imperceptible, elongated bulge.

He quickly walked over, crouched down, and carefully brushed away the loose snow in that area with his gloved hand.

The smooth ice surface revealed itself, the ice thick and a deep, dark green, signifying deep water below.

But what really caught his eye was the large, blurry shadow beneath the ice.

It appeared to be a complete, huge tree felled by summer floods and caught at the outer bottom of the bend, most of its trunk and roots deeply buried in mud and sand.