Qi Xu had just been thinking about the leaderboard rewards when the rewards were announced.
[Hello, players! In the recently concluded one-star instance "Take Me Home," our Zone 666 had a total of 600 participants, divided into 6 large groups.
The top 10 players in each group will receive generous rewards, with higher rankings yielding better prizes. The top 10 rewards for all six groups are now being distributed. You may claim your rewards after viewing the leaderboard.]
Qi Xu clicked open the list and saw her name at the top of Group 1, ranked first with 9 five-star reviews. The remaining nine names were unfamiliar to her.
Chinese Master Chef secured first place in Group 2, Chief Beauty Officer came in second in the same group, Bubbly Girl Guo Degang took first in Group 3, Warwolf 009 ranked sixth in Group 3, Retired Magical Boy claimed first in Group 4, and Old White Dragon in the Waves topped Group 5.
Aside from Warwolf 009, everyone else had performed quite well.
Though the task seemed simple, out of the 600 participants, only 546 had returned alive—50 had lost their lives for good.
The chat lobby buzzed with sighs over this for a while, but soon, attention shifted to the top 10 rewards flaunted by those who loved to show off and stir up excitement.
Sweet Donut: "Ugh, I worked my butt off all morning and only got 10th place. And I was in the same group as the legendary Whirlwind! Too bad I couldn’t figure out who they were."
Player 1029: "Only 10th place? That’s still amazing, okay?"
Bright Light Fills Tomorrow: "I also got 10th. The reward was just basic water and compressed biscuits, which I don’t really need. If anyone’s struggling, DM me—I’ll give them away for free if you’re really in need."
Player 0606: "How does Whirlwind manage to top every single instance?"
The group chat was now flooded with celebratory messages.
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "Hahaha, hell yeah! Our whole crew made the leaderboard!"
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "I got a whole carton of Huazi cigarettes! This instance was a dream—can we do it every day?"
Retired Magical Boy: "Big thanks to Whirlwind! I scored some great loot this time and finally crawled out of poverty!"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "@Warwolf 009, how’d you only get sixth?"
Warwolf 009: "Some girl kept insisting on being my girlfriend... I turned her down, and she gave me a bad review. Customer service is hell—if it weren’t for professionalism, I would’ve thrown hands. [Rage][Rage]"
Chinese Master Chef: "Hahaha, hearing that makes me feel better. One customer called me a 'gas tank come to life'—I almost kicked him out, but I held back!"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "I also ran into a nasty customer, but they ended up tipping the most."
Chinese Master Chef: "Lunch is on me today, everyone. Skip making your own meals."
Retired Magical Boy: "Honestly, I’ve never cooked before—not even before joining the game."
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang: "Same here... hehe, today’s gonna be a treat."
Now that everyone had some "money" in their pockets, they weren’t as worried about being unable to repay favors.
They all praised Chinese Master Chef’s culinary skills.
Qi Xu exchanged a few words in the chat before hitting the road again. She’d stop to eat once Chinese Master Chef finished cooking, but for now, she couldn’t afford to waste time.
The morning hadn’t involved any fighting, so she wasn’t particularly tired—just a bit worn out from talking. After drinking ginger and jujube tea for two days straight, Qi Xu wasn’t sure if it was just placebo, but her lower abdomen felt unusually warm, completely different from the usual menstrual cramps.
Too bad the tea was almost gone—only one box, one packet a day. She’d have to scavenge for more soon.
About an hour later, Chinese Master Chef sent everyone in the group a lunch package.
Braised noodles and tomato egg soup.
Simple fare, but everyone devoured it with relish. The joy of salivating over steaming hot food, the satisfaction of it filling their stomachs—it was pure bliss.
Bubbly Girl Guo Degang shared some yogurt packets in the group, Old White Dragon in the Waves tossed in a few cigarettes, and Chief Beauty Officer contributed tea leaves...
Everyone shared what they considered valuable, and though they gave something up, they gained even more. For the first time since entering this survival game, they felt a sense of belonging and security.
Qi Xu hadn’t had braised noodles in ages. She wolfed down two huge bowls, her stomach round and full, before finally feeling satisfied.
After a short break, she enthusiastically practiced the old man’s recitation manual, earning three extra health points.
Once her food settled, Qi Xu splashed her face with water and continued onward.
Every road has an end.
Qi Xu was full of energy. By 9 PM, she’d collected three wooden crates, three bronze supply boxes, and one silver supply box—a fantastic haul.
Since she might need to help Chinese Master Chef open boxes later that night, Qi Xu decided to save all her unopened loot for the evening.
The farther she traveled, the more chances she had of encountering strange sites.
Now, she wasn’t just anticipating supply stops—she was even looking forward to the parallel highways she used to fear. Back then, she’d been afraid of losing fights or having to interact with others. But now, peaceful coexistence meant profit.
Qi Xu hoped today’s boxes would contain bullets. She had a pistol but no ammo—right now, it was just a decorative piece.
Sure enough, it didn’t take long before Chinese Master Chef sent over his haul: four bronze supply boxes and two silver ones.
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "How are you this lucky? Not even a single wooden crate?"
Chinese Master Chef: "Eh, today wasn’t great. Yesterday, I stumbled across three golden crates in a row but didn’t dare touch them."
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Why?! Even if you didn’t open them, you could’ve sold them!"
Chinese Master Chef: "They were on a parallel highway. What if I got out and some player shot me dead?"
Qi Xu: "......"
Fair concern, but still painful to hear.
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "I’ll open them for you now."
Chinese Master Chef: "Thanks, boss. Be careful."
Qi Xu had put on her bulletproof undershirt set that morning. After a quick warm-up, she grabbed her staff and got to work.
She decided to tackle Chinese Master Chef’s six boxes first.
The moment she opened the first bronze supply box, nearly 20 green-haired monsters burst out, howling as they charged. Four or five of them were even wielding bricks.
Qi Xu swung her staff, keeping the monsters at bay. When they started smashing her car instead, her eyes widened. Damn, these things were getting smarter.
.........
