Qi Xu finally sold his electric tricycle, though the price wasn’t great—only 11 Survival Coins, far less than what he got for that silver minivan.
But it was just enough to round up his Survival Coins to a neat "100."
Qi Xu already had one fragment, collected two from the Retired Magic Boy, another two from Niu Bi PLUS, and now this one from Li Zhi—all six fragments were finally gathered.
As Qi Xu pieced them together, a complete Vehicle Upgrade Card materialized.
The conditions for upgrading his electric tricycle to Level 2 appeared:
Agricultural Electric Tricycle Upgrade Requirements:
Iron Blocks ×10, Nails ×10, Rubber ×2, Batteries ×3, Glass ×2, Plastic ×3, Electric Vehicle Headlight ×1.
"Current supplies meet upgrade conditions. Would you like to proceed immediately?"
Qi Xu glanced at the tricycle’s battery level—26% remaining.
It was leftover from yesterday, so he hadn’t swapped it out yet. He chose to delay the upgrade for now.
Upgrading would fully recharge the battery, and using it now would be a waste.
Instead of unpacking the Silver Supply Crate, Qi Xu quickly tossed it onto the tricycle, twisted the handle to full throttle, and took off.
Gradually, the parallel highway faded away, meaning no more encounters with other players. Qi Xu focused on the road, though he did come across two wooden crates.
Unfortunately, his luck for the day seemed spent on those two "kind souls" earlier—one crate was swarming with rats, the other packed with thorny balls.
After shooing away the monsters, Qi Xu stashed the crates in his backpack. All crates took up just one slot each, and he’d already collected nine.
Once the vehicle was upgraded, he’d unlock the Workbench’s dismantling function, allowing him to break crates down into materials.
Qi Xu waited until the battery was completely drained before hitting the "Upgrade Vehicle" button.
The upgrade to Level 2 was quick—just a one-minute wait.
He used the time to stretch, throwing punches and kicks to loosen up. With both long and short weapons now, his overall combat stats had risen to 42.
The minute passed in a flash.
"Congratulations! You are the first player in the region to upgrade your vehicle. Would you like to announce this to the entire region? There’s a reward for doing so!"
Without hesitation, Qi Xu replied, "Announce it."
The chat lobby automatically popped open, and a bold, golden, pinned announcement appeared at the top:
"Congratulations to player Invincible Black Whirlwind for becoming the first in the region to upgrade their vehicle! A generous reward has been granted. Keep striving, everyone—don’t let the strong pull too far ahead!"
Qi Xu eagerly awaited his reward. Soon, three small pills appeared—red, blue, and green, representing Constitution, Strength, and Agility.
He was familiar with these; they became common in the mid-to-late game. Qi Xu chewed all three at once.
Not bad—each of his core stats increased by two points, bringing him close to breaking into the 30s. A promising boost.
After checking the rewards, Qi Xu turned his attention to his upgraded agricultural electric tricycle.
The cargo bed had doubled in size, and a canopy had been added. Though the driver’s seat was still exposed, there was now overhead cover—great for shade or rain.
At night, it would block the wind, and most importantly, he could finally stretch his legs while sleeping! That was crucial—better sleep meant faster fatigue recovery and gradual health improvement.
The tricycle’s top speed had increased from 50 km/h to 70 km/h. Though bigger and faster now, it wasn’t as cute and compact as before.
The lace trim and pink seat cushions had also shrunk a bit.
Qi Xu knew what to do.
It was time for the incantation.
Clearing his throat, he chanted:
"Dark as pitch, make me chic! La-la-ha-wu-wu, ga-ba-ga-ba, transform!"
Instantly, the trimmings and cushions resized themselves, layering beautifully once more.
But Qi Xu suddenly realized—his aesthetic tastes seemed to have shifted. Why did pink suddenly look so appealing?
He’d always seen himself as a cool girl! But Qi Xu never overthought things. Cool girls could like pink too!
Just as he was about to set off again, a private message arrived—from a friend.
Qi Xu only had three friends so far: Retired Magic Boy, Warwolf 009, and Spirited Girl Pot Gang.
Though few, all three left a good impression.
Opening the message, he saw it was from Spirited Girl Pot Gang:
"Big shot, I couldn’t find a Vehicle Upgrade Card, but I did get a Motor Expansion Card. The seller wants at least two packs of instant noodles. You interested?"
Qi Xu immediately sent over two packs of noodles, plus an extra compressed biscuit.
Spirited Girl Pot Gang didn’t hesitate—she took the goods, got to work, and within a minute, secured the Motor Expansion Card for Qi Xu.
This was perfect timing. With the upgraded tricycle, the battery wouldn’t last as long as before, making mid-day replacements or recharging a hassle.
Now, that problem was solved.
By merging the Motor Expansion Card with the vehicle, he could install four batteries at once.
"Thanks. This is exactly what I needed."
"No problem—you paid me well. I’m the one who came out ahead."
Qi Xu liked this kind of dynamic—mutual benefit, no unnecessary ties, but still willing to lend a hand.
Before leaving, he skimmed the chat lobby and noticed Warwolf 009 was looking for fever-reducing medicine.
"URGENT: Need antipyretics. Will trade for food, weapons, blueprints, or other supplies!"
Qi Xu messaged him privately: "What blueprints do you have?"
Warwolf 009: "Only one for sanitary pads, but I also have a Basic Water Condenser. If you throw in some extra food with the antipyretics, I’ll trade both."
Qi Xu: !!!
Sanitary pads!
At the start of the game, Qi Xu had sprinted to the bathroom but failed to grab a pack in time. The regret still lingered.
With the blueprint, he could make them using toilet paper and cotton! And with his period due soon, this was a must-have.
"I’ll take both. I can give you one antipyretic, two packs of instant noodles, two bottles of water, and two small bread rolls. Deal?"
"Deal."
The trade was done in seconds, and Qi Xu felt a wave of relief.
He then searched the trading hall for cotton and toilet paper, swapping two compressed biscuits for a roll of the latter.
No cotton turned up, though—he’d have to hope for it in future crates.
With that settled, Qi Xu revved up and continued his journey...
........
