"Help! Save me...she's robbing me!"
The young-looking boy didn't disappoint the woman's expectations and immediately jumped out of the vehicle.
"What are you doing? We're all players, and survival is hard enough as it is. Why turn on each other?"
The young boy said to Qi Xu, "Let her go first. Whatever the issue is, we can talk it out. Your goal is to take resources, not lives, right? Take the supplies on the ground and release her!"
Qi Xu wasn’t about to humor him. "If you’ve got nothing better to do, go chase rats. Don’t meddle in my business."
"You’re impossible to reason with! If you’re going to be like this, I’ll take your photo and post it in the chat hall—let everyone see what a murderer looks like!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the boy raised his light screen to snap a picture. But Qi Xu forcefully shoved the woman in front of his face, so only her back was captured.
Qi Xu sighed in exasperation. Stupidity was even more annoying than malice.
Early in the game, you always ran into these kinds of idiots—clueless yet eager to interfere.
Later on, you stopped seeing them. Because they all died off.
"Oh, so you know how to hide your face? That means you still have some shame. Then why not act like a decent person? Let her go now, or I won’t hold back."
As the boy raised his light screen again, Qi Xu suddenly stood up and shoved the woman straight into his arms.
"Don’t worry, I’ll save you."
Qi Xu pulled out a baton, ready to take on both of them—and teach this naive boy a lesson about human nature. The woman, just as Qi Xu had guessed, proved even more ruthless than expected.
She pulled a dagger from her backpack and stabbed the boy straight through the chest.
The boy died without ever understanding why the person he tried to save was the one who killed him.
Qi Xu clicked his tongue. "I thought you’d team up with him to take me down first, then betray him afterward."
The woman laughed brightly. "Nah. Idiots like that just ruin my mood."
Qi Xu nodded. "I agree."
The woman was skilled—probably had some combat training. Her moves were sharp and precise. Qi Xu, lacking fancy techniques, relied on brute strength and weapon advantage to knock her down again.
But she stubbornly pressed her face against the ground, fishing out a card from her pocket and flinging it at Qi Xu.
Sensing danger, Qi Xu fired an anesthetic needle from his ring. Just before the immobilization effect hit him, the woman collapsed unconscious.
It took Qi Xu nearly ten seconds to regain control of his body.
He couldn’t help but reflect—this whole mess could’ve been avoided if he’d just killed them both cleanly from the start.
Hadn’t he seen enough examples of betrayal and backstabbing?
The thought made him realize he’d gotten careless. He slapped himself hard twice across the face, then decisively struck the woman’s neck with his baton.
Ending her for good.
He collected the scattered supplies.
"Coconut bread ×10, pistol ×1, sakura-scented soap ×3, bucket instant noodles ×8, 550ml bottled water ×6, mixed grain buns ×6, basic water condenser blueprint ×1."
Though Qi Xu already had a basic water condenser, blueprints were valuable. Ever since getting the portable compressed shower, he’d been craving daily comfortable baths.
One condenser wasn’t enough. Until he unlocked the upgrade, quantity would have to compensate for quality.
Plus, he could sell extras. Judging by last night’s trades, players were stockpiling resources now—many must’ve looted good items. The basic water condenser would sell like crazy.
Qi Xu pulled out his work permit and got to business. The woman’s small truck was appraised at 112 survival coins, but the young man’s Harley-Davidson was the real prize. Despite lacking storage, it was brand new!
Even the light screen’s announcement sounded shocked.
[You’re really scrapping this premium vehicle?! Oh my god, that’s amazing! 98% new, no scratches, no dirt, 77% fuel remaining. Appraisal price: 435 survival coins. Confirm sale?]
Qi Xu hesitated, then tapped "No."
[You agreed to sell it! Why back out now? Player Qi Xu, explain!]
"The price is too low. A brand-new Harley is worth nearly 200k outside the game. Selling it for scraps feels wrong. Forget it."
[But you said it yourself—that’s outside the game. Even there, this brand’s resale value drops fast.]
Qi Xu ignored the prompt.
[Re-evaluating appraisal...]
[Player Qi Xu, apologies—the previous agent was an intern unfamiliar with market rates. Updated appraisal: 99% new, no dirt, no scratches, no part damage. New price: 731 survival coins. Confirm sale?]
This time, Qi Xu didn’t hesitate. "Yes."
Damn. Now he wondered if he’d undersold everything before. Who knew you could haggle with the system?
It hit him again—this work permit was insanely powerful. In the scrap trade, it gave him absolute authority, setting him apart from the lowest-tier players in this survival game.
His mind raced. If he could get one work permit, could he get another? Side gigs were the norm for modern young adults, after all.
Were these jobs the real key to surviving the game?
After scrapping both vehicles, Qi Xu tossed the two corpses into the black mist by the roadside, washed his hands, and drove off.
The parallel road soon vanished behind him.
The afternoon’s luck wasn’t as good as the morning’s—just one silver chest, but its contents were practical: a basic parts bundle.
"Rubber ×6, iron ×6, screws ×6, plastic ×6, wood ×6, silver ×6, glass ×6."
By 9 PM, Qi Xu parked and circled the car to ensure it was perfectly centered on the road before retreating to the truck bed to rest.
First order of business: checking the materials needed for the basic water condenser.
"Iron ×3 (3/33), glass ×1 (1/41), plastic ×2 (3/30), silver ×1 (1/8)."
He had extras of everything. The silver count was low only because he hadn’t dismantled a few silver storage crates yet.
So he crafted four condensers, lining them up along the right wall of the truck bed.
Qi Xu gazed at them contentedly. Time for a proper shower!
........
