Hearing the system announcement, Qi Xu knew her gamble had paid off!
"Honored guest, are you unharmed? Wuwuwu, no one has ever been so kind to Taotao before."
Qi Xu shook her head slightly. "It was only right. I must go now. Perhaps we’ll meet again."
"Farewell, honored guest! Taotao wishes you smooth travels!"
With the most ladylike and elegant motion, Qi Xu picked up the corpse and severed head from the ground and tossed them into the black fog by the roadside.
Only after watching the white-and-pink twin-tailed fox return to the shop did she finally exhale in relief. Whew, that was close—almost lost everything! Thank goodness for quick thinking.
After scanning the off-road vehicle, Qi Xu sighed heavily. If only this guy had arrived a little sooner!
"Hello, Scrap Collector. The military-grade off-road vehicle you wish to sell is assessed as follows: 5% wear and tear, no damaged parts, one scratch/dent. Appraised value: 289 Survival Coins. Confirm sale?"
Qi Xu clicked "Confirm!"
Instantly, another 289 Survival Coins were deposited. Combined with her remaining 60, she now had 349 coins...
She couldn’t help but wish the twin-tailed fox would reappear—maybe then she’d have a shot at buying that fully automated mechanical arm.
Alas, once you leave any station, re-entry is forbidden. Oh well, contentment is happiness. Today’s haul is already plenty.
Qi Xu climbed onto her tricycle and set off.
Now, she wasn’t just awake—she was brimming with energy.
First, she pulled out the Level 3 Vehicle Upgrade Card.
Checking the upgrade requirements:
"Iron ×20 (11/20), Steel Bars ×8 (0/8), Glass ×10 (11/10), Fully Automated Solar Charger ×1 (1/1), Electronic Control System Component ×1 (0/1), Batteries ×30 (8/30)."
Upgrade conditions varied by vehicle type. Her last run had been with a gas-powered car, so this was her first time learning how battery-heavy electric vehicles were for Level 3...
She already had the solar charger, but that electronic control system was another rare and valuable item.
Iron and steel bars weren’t a big deal—she could trade for those in the exchange hub. No rush there. Better to wait until she had everything else first, just in case she lucked out and found some in a loot box.
Noticing she still had 6 units of gasoline left, Qi Xu posted in the group chat:
"Trading gasoline for batteries. DM if interested."
"Whoa, the big shot drives an electric? Us battery-powered folks finally have hope!"
"I’ve got some! DMing you."
Qi Xu opened the private messages... and nearly laughed in disbelief.
A 1:1 exchange rate? Do they think I’m an idiot?
A single battery could power 50 km, while a unit of gasoline covered 110 km.
On top of that, drop rates differed—batteries were common, gasoline far scarcer.
She promptly blacklisted every would-be scammer.
Free Bird: "Don’t need gasoline, but can trade 4 batteries for food. Possible?"
Qi Xu replied, "Sure. Spicy chicken burger, fries, original recipe chicken, and a Coke—no packaging. Deal?"
Free Bird: "Absolutely! Desperately need high-calorie food. Thanks!"
Just as that trade wrapped up, Retired Magical Boy messaged her:
"Big shot, got any gas left? Future trades, hit me up. My ride’s a fuel-guzzling beast! Only have one battery, but check this out—you’ll want it. [Image]"
Qi Xu clicked open and froze. No way. The electronic control system component she’d expected to hunt for ages had just fallen into her lap...
She immediately sent over all six gasoline units, plus a burger, fries, and a Coke as a bonus.
The family bucket had left her with more than enough, and given her bloated stomach (and, ahem, digestive issues), she wasn’t keen on eating more junk anyway.
That electronic component definitely didn’t come from a wooden crate—but she didn’t pry. Everyone had their own secrets.
Retired Magical Boy: "Gobble gobble gobble! I’ve missed this so much! And it’s still hot—ouch! Damn, so good!"
The word "hot" reminded Qi Xu of something urgent.
She quickly fused the Backpack Stasis Slot (purchased from the monster shop) with her main backpack, then stored the KFC family bucket and supreme pizza inside.
The Stasis Slot had 10 compartments. Once merged, anything placed inside would remain in perfect stasis—temperature locked, no decay.
Perfect. Now, when Chinese Master Chef delivered the cooked meals later, she could store them fresh indefinitely.
Current upgrade shortages: Batteries ×17, Steel Bars ×8, Iron ×9.
Qi Xu browsed the exchange hub for these three items.
Trading water and crackers netted her the remaining iron. Four chicken wings and some drumsticks swapped for 4 more batteries.
No luck with steel bars—none listed for trade.
Meanwhile, Chinese Master Chef messaged:
"Prepped all ingredients. Starting cooking now. Will you be available to receive later?"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Yep. Send each dish as it’s done today."
Chinese Master Chef understood. Ah, must’ve gotten a stasis-space item. Well, so have I.
"No need. I’ve got stasis storage too—I’ll send everything together when finished."
"OK!"
Qi Xu then checked with Bubbly Girl Guo Degang:
"How many green furs collected?"
Instant reply:
"218. Sweet Donut has 12 more, but she’s stubborn. Been haggling forever—her price is ridiculous. Not worth it."
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Got it. Skip hers. You’ve done great—thanks."
[Bubbly Girl Guo Degang has sent a gift. Accept?]
"Accept!"
Qi Xu received the 218 green furs and in return sent an egg tart, mashed potatoes, a corn cob, and two drumsticks—clearing out the first family bucket.
For lunch, Chinese Master Chef delivered four fist-sized rice balls stuffed with pork floss, ham, braised meat, and cucumber bits. They looked humble but tasted divine.
Qi Xu devoured all four.
This... this is the life. Never before had she felt so consistently full and satisfied.
Before the supply boost expired, Chinese Master Chef also sent over all promised dishes.
[Player Chinese Master Chef has sent a gift. Accept?]
.........
