Qi Xu didn’t accept her supplies. Her voice already sounded weak.
Qi Xu asked directly, "What’s wrong with you? I have medicine here."
The retired magical boy replied, "Poisoned. I got scratched by a monster while trying to steal a silver chest. The wound wasn’t deep, so I ignored it at first, but I’ve been feeling worse and worse. Now my vision’s getting blurry.
Don’t bother with the medicine, boss. I don’t have any valuable supplies on me, and I can’t afford to pay you back."
Qi Xu didn’t reply immediately. Instead, she took out the first-aid kit she’d bought from the monster store and checked its contents.
"Five fever reducers, five cold medicines, five hemostatic bandages, five detox pills, five cough suppressants, five anti-inflammatory pills, five bruise ointments, and three instant-recovery miracle pills."
Qi Xu took out one detox pill and sent it to the retired magical boy.
There was no response from the other side for a long time.
Qi Xu almost thought she’d died. Just as she was about to sigh regretfully—
A message popped up: "Boss, it might... take me a really, really long time to pay you back. Are you sure you want to give this to me?"
"Sure, take it."
Qi Xu wasn’t just doing this out of kindness. She genuinely wanted to nurture a heavy-duty truck.
Sure, it consumed a lot of resources, but in the long run, it would far surpass other vehicle types. The only problem was that people couldn’t be trusted. Qi Xu saved others with expectations—hoping this girl would eventually join her faction and never betray her.
It was too early to talk about that, though. It might take years to build a bond, or they might click as friends the moment they met. Everything depended on compatibility.
In any case, it was just one detox pill. Consider it a long-term investment.
Thirty seconds later, the retired magical boy "revived" on the spot!
"Haha! Boss, I’m back! Wuwuwu, I’m so grateful. I’ll pay you back slowly, but I’ll work hard! I’ll join the group now, okay?"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Sure."
Once the group was assembled, Qi Xu sent another message.
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "I happened to get a group owner card, so I invited friends I’ve traded with and who seem easy to talk to. It’s convenient for chatting or exchanging supplies—a better platform for everyone."
Retired Magical Boy: "I’m so honored, boss! You ignore hundreds of @s in the main chat but actually talk to us in this little group. This feels surreal."
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "Exactly! This is the first time I’ve seen Whirlwind Bro send such a long message. Before, he kept everything super short!"
Chief Beauty Officer: "Boss, you’re amazing! Already a Tier 3 vehicle!"
War Wolf 009: "@Invincible Black Whirlwind Seriously impressive. This was a server-wide announcement, not just a regional one."
Retired Magical Boy: "Whoa, I didn’t even notice—server-wide, not regional! How many people is that?"
Qi Xu suddenly had a thought. The retired magical boy... was a girl. So, Bubbly Girl Guo Degang... might actually be a guy?
And Chief Beauty Officer, Old White Dragon in the Waves—their genders might not match their names either. But that was normal. She did the same thing.
It wasn’t that one gender had an advantage, but choosing the opposite gender offered more safety and stability.
Qi Xu hadn’t even glanced at the flood of @s in the main chat. Sure, some were genuine congratulations, but most were just fishing for info, sucking up, or begging.
She wasn’t narcissistic or obsessed with praise, nor did she care for meaningless chatter.
So she changed the subject in the group: "Got some news—might be accurate, might not. But it’s definitely going to get colder."
"Thanks, boss!"
Everyone echoed the same four words...
Including War Wolf 009.
Qi Xu used to call him "boss." Now the tables had turned—it felt strangely poetic.
Once, she’d obtained a rare vehicle expansion card. Since it was an untradeable "small shrimp," everyone lowballed her. Some even threatened to track her down and steal it if she didn’t sell.
That was when War Wolf 009 stepped in and bought the card—a hot potato for Qi Xu at the time.
He paid a fair price, too. Back then, Qi Xu had just upgraded to a Tier 3 vehicle and had been starving for weeks. War Wolf 009’s help was a lifesaver.
He gave her more than enough supplies and food, even exceeding the card’s value.
Qi Xu wasn’t ungrateful. From then on, she always offered him first dibs on good items.
They grew somewhat familiar, occasionally chatting as friends.
So Qi Xu had always held a favorable impression of him. But after the faction system unlocked and server mergers happened, he reconnected with his old comrades. Some of their actions struck her as overly "righteous."
His own resource growth suffered as a result. Plus, the leader of their team gave Qi Xu a bad vibe, so they gradually drifted apart.
The group chat buzzed with lively conversation, everyone’s moods noticeably lighter. The constant tension of daily survival weighed heavily, after all.
Speaking in the main chat was a nightmare—too many idiots ruining the vibe, and messages scrolled too fast to keep up.
This small group solved all those problems.
Everyone was unusually active, Qi Xu included. Sometimes, she even caught herself laughing along.
Then, at midnight, a broadcast echoed in everyone’s ears simultaneously.
[Hey, dear players! Congratulations on surviving the 7-day beginner protection period! By now, you should have a basic understanding of our Highway Survival Game, right?]
[Fun, isn’t it? Not too dangerous, maybe even a little thrilling? Think about it—slaving away at work or school might be worse than this!]
[Kekeke~ But! The good times are over. The real, bloody, violent survival game begins now! Want to live? Upgrade your vehicle!]
[Friendly reminder: Low-tier vehicles may soon fail to provide protective shields at night. Little noobs, better get moving! Elimination means death. Death means permanent deletion!]
[Next up: Rankings for all players during the beginner protection period. Top 100 get rewards—higher ranks, better prizes. Fight on, players!]
..........
