Qi Xu wielded a long staff in her left hand to pry open the treasure chest while gripping a pistol in her right, taking aim...
Suddenly, something flickered before her eyes. Instantly, goosebumps erupted all over Qi Xu’s body, and she swung the staff on pure instinct.
A growing sense of dread tightened in her chest—this monster was too fast to hit. The gun was practically useless when she couldn’t even lock onto her target!
In desperation, Qi Xu hurled out an "Emotional Bomb of the Modern Wage Slave"!
This item was something she’d obtained from "Take Me Home Fast." She’d once followed a young man ranting about his boss for hours, joining in with even fiercer complaints...
She even spun a far more tragic backstory about her own working life, leaving the guy utterly dumbfounded.
That’s how she’d earned this special tool—no aiming required. It automatically locked onto the strongest hostile target and immobilized them for five seconds.
Qi Xu had intended to save it as a last-resort trump card. But now, here she was, wasting it already. So much for luck—she winced at the loss of such a precious lifesaving item.
Switching the pistol for a machete, Qi Xu’s expression immediately soured.
A thin, thread-like black snake was now less than 10 centimeters from her neck.
Unwilling to burn another valuable item, she slashed wildly, hacking the serpent into eight pieces.
Only after confirming its demise did Qi Xu collapse onto the ground, heart pounding. That had been way too close.
No matter how cautious she was, danger lurked everywhere. Though she wore bulletproof thermal wear, her neck was completely exposed.
Just as she caught her breath, a sharp, numbing pain spread through her lungs. A glance at her player stats confirmed it—she’d been poisoned.
Without hesitation, Qi Xu swallowed an antidote pill. Slowly, the discomfort faded.
She aimed her light screen at the shattered remains of the Black Thread Snake, pulling up its details:
[Freshly Deceased Black Thread Snake: A premium serpent—swift, stealthy, and nearly unstoppable. The first kill grants a special effect: Brewing a soup from its freshly slain body boosts all three core stats by 3 points each.]
Any lingering regret vanished. Qi Xu tossed the snake fragments into an electric pot. Hesitating over seasonings, she ultimately gave up.
The eight tiny segments were thinner than a pinky finger, with barely an ounce of meat. Hardly worth troubling Chinese Master Chef over.
Predictably, the result was a pot of murky broth... which Qi Xu downed without flinching. It tasted like slightly fishy hot water—bearable, if unpleasant.
The effect, however, was undeniable. Heat surged through her body, strength flooding her limbs. Though only a three-point increase per stat, she felt undeniably stronger.
Her updated player panel reflected the gains:
[Player: Qi Xu | Female, 24 | {Carefree Little Rascal}
Occupation: {Junk Collector}
Survival Coins: 893
ID: 8866620010608
Nickname: Invincible Black Whirlwind
Vehicle: Brand-New Pink Garbage Truck (Tier-3, 51% Battery)
Health: 88 (Rosy-cheeked and thriving)
Fatigue: 56 (Craving a lie-down)
Strength: 36 +3 (Starting to shape up, huh?!)
Stamina: 38 +3 (A disciplined fitness enthusiast.)
Agility: 40 +3 (Nimble and quick)
Combat Rating: 56 (Not the strongest, but gutsy and resourceful.)]
Thanks to her title buff, only Strength remained below 40—the other two stats had broken through. Qi Xu felt a flicker of optimism.
The four-page inventory list at the bottom was even more reassuring.
Closing the panel, she hurried to the golden supply crate...
Peering inside, her disappointment over the wasted trump card vanished instantly. The haul was glorious—three blueprints and a rare item.
[Workbench Blueprint], [Mini Sun Blueprint], [Compressed Hardwood Bed Blueprint], and a Vehicle Reinforcement Card.
"Vehicle Reinforcement Card: Greatly enhances collision resistance, far surpassing vehicles of the same tier."
Qi Xu activated it without delay.
A brilliant light flashed over the pink garbage truck, vanishing as quickly as it came. Yet the edges now gleamed with a metallic sheen, the tires noticeably thicker.
The whole vehicle looked sturdier, ready to ram through anything.
Next, she examined the Workbench Blueprint.
Few players owned workbenches—likely fewer than ten in the entire region. This blueprint’s value was astronomical. But no rush to mass-sell in the main chat. First, she’d push the winter coats and green-fur suits.
Still, she shared the workbench specs in her private group:
"Workbench: An absolute must in this survival game. Without it, you’re doomed! Sell your socks if you must—just BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT!
Materials: Iron ×26, Wood ×1, Glass ×3, Bronze ×4, Silver ×8, Gold ×6.
Steep cost? Sure. But totally worth it. With all the crates we’re looting, hoarding junk is pointless. Tossing it feels wrong, though."
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "A blueprint?! Damn, your luck’s insane. Finding one workbench was wild enough, but this?!"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Almost got killed by a Black Thread Snake first."
Retired Magical Boy: "You okay now?"
Invincible Black Whirlwind: "Yep. It’s in my stomach."
Old White Dragon in the Waves: "Good to hear!"
Chinese Master Chef: "You cooked it yourself? How was it? Fresh? Why didn’t you let me handle such a delicacy? Think I can’t make snake tasty?!"
Qi Xu chuckled at the rapid-fire questions.
"Hardly any meat on that Black Thread Snake. Chopped it to bits—looked like shredded black yarn. Just boiled it straight up and drank the broth."
Chinese Master Chef: "Fine, fine. Next time, bring ingredients to me. Group members, I’ll cook for free!"
Chief Beauty Officer: "Thanks, Chef. My quality of life skyrocketed after meeting you."
.........
