The pink card sent by the Chief Beauty Officer was actually a special station invitation.
Some stations behind the traffic lights could only be accessed with an invitation, and the contents of these colored cards would only reveal themselves upon reaching the designated station.
The pink one was for a beauty salon.
Inside the salon, ordering a full-body massage not only instantly cleared fatigue but also boosted health stats. You could also purchase face masks, toiletries, and other items.
Everything bought from the beauty salon either increased health or reduced fatigue.
Qi Xu replied, "This card might be valuable later. No take-backs once the deal’s done."
The Chief Beauty Officer said, "I get it, I get it. I’m not like that idiot Player 1212. No matter how good this thing is, I won’t envy it. Nothing’s more important than my life. Trust me, even if this thing could level up a vehicle by 10, I wouldn’t regret it."
"Deal."
Qi Xu traded one fever-reducing pill for five vehicle upgrade card fragments, a wooden table, and a beauty salon invitation.
He also accepted the Chief Beauty Officer’s friend request.
Before bed, Sweet Donut privately messaged Qi Xu.
Sweet Donut: "Brother Whirlwind, I got a foldable mattress today, but I got hurt... sobs I need someone to blow on it for me."
Qi Xu was baffled. Someone to blow on it? What kind of logic was that? A slap would do the trick?
Slap and you’d hand over the foldable mattress? That’d be tricky, since players rarely crossed paths outside occasional highway intersections.
"Brother Whirlwind, are you busy? For some reason, your name feels so familiar... My dad’s name also has the character ‘Wind’ in it..."
Qi Xu still couldn’t follow this person’s train of thought. Was she trying to adopt him as a father?
Can’t blame Qi Xu—he hadn’t had a normal conversation in years. Road survival wasn’t exactly conducive to romance, and back then, Qi Xu was just a background character, a transparent noob. No one had ever tried this tactic on him before.
For a moment, it didn’t even occur to him what she might really be after.
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "What do you want for the foldable mattress?"
Sweet Donut: "If it’s for you, Brother Whirlwind, I’d give it to you for free."
Qi Xu raised an eyebrow. Such generosity?
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Alright, thanks. Then give it to me."
Sweet Donut didn’t reply for a long while...
After a pause, she finally said, "Brother Whirlwind, did you trade fever medicine with that Chief Beauty Officer? Do you still have extra vehicle upgrade fragments? I’m missing four to level up my vehicle."
Qi Xu refused without hesitation. "No deal."
This person was delusional—a foldable mattress for four upgrade fragments? In her dreams!
Sweet Donut: "Please, Brother Whirlwind, I really need these four fragments. [Image]"
The image showed a girl pouting with her hands clasped in a cutesy plea...
Qi Xu wondered if he should call her an idiot for carelessly revealing her real appearance.
Stupidity is contagious.
He promptly blocked Sweet Donut without another word.
Soon after, he saw her post in the public chat asking if anyone needed a foldable mattress.
Qi Xu privately messaged Bubbly Girl Guo Degang.
"Go trade for Sweet Donut’s foldable mattress. See what she wants for it."
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "On it!"
"She wants one vehicle upgrade fragment."
Qi Xu didn’t want to trade fragments—they seemed cursed for him. He’d never gotten one from a loot box; they were either stolen or traded for.
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Not happening. Ask if she’ll take something else."
Bubbly Girl quickly replied, "She also wants weapons."
Qi Xu had two weapons: a long blade and a dagger. The dagger’s poison effect had worn off, leaving it ordinary.
He sent the dagger to Bubbly Girl, but Sweet Donut took her time before finally agreeing to the trade.
Qi Xu’s eye twitched.
Oh, so a dagger was enough? But you asked for four fragments earlier? Do I look like a sucker to you?
He gave Bubbly Girl a small pack of sesame-flavored gluten and a mini bread roll.
"Thanks, boss! sobs You’re a lifesaver. I was starving to death."
Qi Xu asked, puzzled, "Your vehicle’s upgraded. How do you not even have food?"
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "I usually have great luck—I get plenty of food from loot boxes daily, so I didn’t stock up. I traded all my supplies for upgrade fragments and materials.
Then... I didn’t get a single food box all day and almost got scratched by rats. I regret upgrading so much. This Level 2 vehicle is cursed!"
Qi Xu nearly laughed. It was just bad luck, not some cosmic vendetta...
Speaking of vehicles, Qi Xu remembered his first added friend.
Retired Magical Boy, the unlucky guy who chose a truck.
A glance confirmed his avatar hadn’t grayed out yet.
Qi Xu clicked his tongue. Kid’s got survival skills.
If a truck could be developed properly, it’d dominate later—fully customizable into a war machine, unbeatable in faction battles.
Too bad most trucks never made it past the resource-scarce early game.
Qi Xu took out the foldable mattress and clicked "Open." A 1.2m × 1.8m single mattress unfurled.
He flopped onto it, feeling like he’d ascended to heaven.
After a day on an electric tricycle, his back was wrecked—not sore, just... indescribably awful.
But now, limbs stretched out, the discomfort faded. Pure bliss.
Draped in a jacket, Qi Xu soon drifted off to the soothing symphony of monster roars outside.
Dreamless sleep—the best he’d had in years.
Even with comparable past sleeping conditions, last night felt unmatched.
Maybe it was the anticipation. Like this morning, while washing up, he caught himself wondering: What’s the Chinese Master Chef cooking today?
Qi Xu never considered himself a foodie—just eat to live. Sometimes, even if reheating would improve a meal, he couldn’t be bothered. Food was food.
But after that one breakfast... everything changed.
Mid-workout, the Chinese Master Chef sent over the morning meal.
Tomato shrimp ball soup. Crispy pan-fried dumplings.
.........
