Qi Xu rolled around on the bed, indulging in the comfort for a full circle before finally turning her attention to the other rewards.
The one that intrigued her the most was the so-called "Heart of a Champion."
Upon opening it, Qi Xu discovered it wasn’t a title but rather a vial of pitch-black liquid that looked unbearably bitter. She frowned in distaste.
[Heart of a Champion: After consumption, increases Strength, Stamina, and Agility by 5 points each!]
Her furrowed brows instantly smoothed out, and she downed it in one gulp—only to scrunch her face into a pained grimace from the bitterness.
She hastily pulled out a can of cola from her backpack and gulped it down in two or three swigs. "Seriously, even in a game world, can’t they make potions taste at least somewhat decent?"
"Noted! Player feedback received. Qiuqiu will strive to improve!"
Qi Xu froze. This voice was different from the usual robotic system alerts—it carried a hint of emotion, something she had never heard in her four years of playing.
"Who are you?"
"Hello, Player! I am Qiuqiu, the exclusive AI assistant for elite players in the Survival Game. Think of me as your smart little helper, here to assist with timekeeping, chat searches, and trading inquiries.
There are plenty more features waiting for you to discover! (^.^)"
Qi Xu pressed further, "What’s the criteria for becoming an elite player?"
Qiuqiu: "Either setting a global record once or dominating a regional leaderboard for 12 consecutive periods."
Qi Xu understood—the bar was set high. A global record meant being the first in the world to achieve something, which was incredibly difficult.
As for 12 consecutive periods at the top of a regional leaderboard? That meant holding the No. 1 spot every month for a full year—also no easy feat.
In her memory, the strongest player in Region 666 of Server 88 was Wolf Warrior 009, but even he couldn’t secure the top spot every single month. Luck always had a way of favoring someone else at some point.
Qi Xu found Qiuqiu quite approachable and asked, "How many elite players are there right now?"
"That’s classified information. Sorry, can’t disclose!"
"No worries."
Taking a deep breath, Qi Xu turned to her player stats panel and promptly collapsed the endless list of items—it was too overwhelming. She figured she could just ask Qiuqiu to find things for her later.
[Player: Qi Xu | Female | 24 | [Carefree Little Rascal]
Class: [Junk Collector]
Survival Coins: 469
ID: 8866620010608
Nickname: Invincible Black Whirlwind
Vehicle: Brand-New Pink Garbage Truck (Tier 3 Vehicle | Battery: 100%)
Health: 75 (Hey, seems like you’re a little constipated, huh?)
Fatigue: 2 (Living the dream, aren’t you, human?)
Strength: 34 + 3 (Throw a punch! Oof, that’s gotta sting!)
Stamina: 36 + 3 (On par with a college student who barely passes fitness tests)
Agility: 39 + 3 (Pretty nimble on your feet, eh?)
Combat Power: 53 (Not the strongest, but you’ve got guts and creativity, I’ll give you that.)]
Qi Xu was satisfied. At least the stats panel was somewhat readable now, and the snarky remarks had toned down.
Next, she pulled out the Fire Crystal. She knew exactly what it did.
When integrated with her vehicle, it functioned as a heater—even allowing temperature adjustments.
However, the Fire Crystal’s energy would deplete over time. It could be manually toggled on or off, but under continuous use, one crystal would last about three months.
In the Survival Highway, weather patterns shifted every 20 days, followed by a 10-day buffer period, so this Fire Crystal would serve her well for a long time.
She placed it onto her truck, and it seamlessly fused with the vehicle.
Now, for the Small Group Owner Card.
[Small Group Owner Card: Upon use, creates a 9-member group. As the owner, you can invite, kick, or mute any member. No member is allowed to insult or slander the owner.
Note: Each player can join up to 10 group chats.]
This card was essentially the earliest form of a guild—a loose gathering of like-minded players for chatting, trading, and bonding.
After a moment’s hesitation, Qi Xu invited all her current friends into the group.
These were people she’d traded with and enjoyed talking to. If things turned sour, she could always kick them out later.
The group chat exploded with excitement the moment the invites went out.
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "Whoa! We can make group chats now? Why don’t I see this option in my menu?"
Wolf Warrior 009: "Must be a special item. You probably can’t create one without it."
Chinese Master Chef: "This is awesome! So lively!"
Chief Beauty Officer: "Looking at it another way—does this mean I’ve made it into the inner circle of a top player?"
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Anyone got cigarettes? Paying top coin! No scamming among friends."
[Chinese Master Chef sent Old White Dragon in the Waves three cigarettes.]
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Thanks, bro. Need any Vehicle Upgrade Card fragments?"
Chinese Master Chef: "Nah, keep ’em. I don’t smoke. Just hook me up if you find good ingredients or spices later."
[Old White Dragon in the Waves sent Chinese Master Chef a Seafood 18-Piece Set.]
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "I’m so done. Risked my life for a silver chest, and all I got was this stupid seafood set. If it was edible, fine—but it’s all raw!"
Chinese Master Chef: "You’re complaining about THIS?! This is amazing!!!"
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Take it if you want it, bro."
Chief Beauty Officer: "Having a small group is great. No more dealing with those toxic trolls in the main chat."
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "Exactly! Now we can trade stuff among ourselves first."
Qi Xu watched the lively chatter but noticed someone was missing—Retired Magical Boy, usually the most talkative, hadn’t joined.
Just as she was about to check in, a private message popped up from him.
"Thanks for the invite, boss. But I’m about to kick the bucket, so I’ll pass. Don’t wanna ruin the mood by going offline right after joining. I traded all my stuff for gasoline, so I don’t have much left—probably nothing you’d want anyway. But consider it a farewell gift. At least I got to know you guys. Didn’t really have other friends."
Retired Magical Boy sent it as a voice message. Qi Xu listened—yep, definitely a girl’s voice.
.........
