Chарter 4: Tеsting the Hаnd Сrоssbоw, Оn thе Evе оf Dерarture
Мo Qianqian pushеd оpеn thе wооdеn doоr аnd stеppеd оut of thе shack.
Thе shaсk where the fеmalе prоtаgonist lived wаs locatеd аt thе оutermost еdgе оf thе Safe Zоne.
Сompаred to thе inner cirсles, the outеrmоst рart оf thе Safe Zonе was thе mоst dangerоus.
When eхternаl thrеаts like zоmbies or mutаnt beasts invаdеd thе Safe Zone, the first to suffer werе аlways those living оn thе outermost еdgеs.
Therefore, anyone with even a bit of strength or capability would do everything they could to squeeze into the inner circles of the Safe Zone.
The female protagonist had no money, no strength, and no backing. She was a soft target that anyone could push around, so she was forced to live on the outermost edge of the Safe Zone.
Because this area was so unsafe, there weren’t many shacks here, and the neighbors were quite far apart.
This actually provided her with a convenient opportunity to test the hand crossbow.
Not far from the side of her shack, there was a leftover tree stump from a felled tree.
The stump protruded about thirty centimeters above the ground and had a diameter of around twenty to thirty centimeters.
The female protagonist usually used this stump as a stool to sit on.
Mo Qianqian chose this stump as her target for the test.
She walked to a spot about ten meters away from the stump, loaded the crossbow bolt, and pulled the trigger.
With a soft whoosh, the bolt struck the stump with remarkable accuracy.
Accompanied by a dull thud from the impact, a faint puff of dust rose from the spot where the bolt had hit.
Mo Qianqian hurried over to inspect it.
Once the dust settled, she couldn’t hide the surprise in her eyes.
The nearly thirty-centimeter-thick stump had been completely pierced through by the bolt.
Perhaps the kinetic energy carried by the bolt was too great, as the entire stump had split apart.
The wooden shaft of the bolt couldn’t withstand such immense force either. After piercing through the stump, it shattered into fragments.
Such power far exceeded Mo Qianqian’s expectations.
Even in the 21st century, it would likely take a medium to large-caliber firearm to achieve this level of destructive force.
The Mechanism Inscriptions truly didn’t disappoint when it came to enhancing the hand crossbow’s power!
After her initial shock, a look of delight spread across Mo Qianqian’s face.
Having such a powerful hand crossbow by her side undoubtedly greatly increased her ability to protect herself.
Of course, her quick-witted, money-making mind naturally thought beyond just self-defense.
In this post-apocalyptic Wasteland world, the laws weren’t as strict as they were in the 21st century.
Selling high-powered weapons wasn’t prohibited here.
Since those mysterious and unpredictable Mechanism Inscriptions could be replicated in this Wasteland world…
It seemed like a promising path to wealth for her to establish herself, hire some muscle, and operate as a major arms dealer behind the scenes…
Mo Qianqian narrowed her eyes slightly, lost in thoughts of her future path to riches.
In just a short time, she had already come up with no fewer than ten ways to make money using Mechanical Arts.
However, she wasn’t the reckless type.
This was evident from how she had managed to accumulate an eight-figure fortune single-handedly back in the 21st century.
To make money, one first needed to understand the policies, research the market, analyze trends, and assess competitors.
She could plan all that later, step by step.
For now, the most important thing was to seize the opportunity right in front of her.
This upcoming hunting trip with the male protagonist’s team was a massive opportunity that the original female protagonist had once missed.
With a space in hand, the world is mine!
A space containing a spirit spring would be a tremendous asset for establishing herself in this Wasteland and for her future wealth-building endeavors.The accuracy and power of the hand crossbow tested, Mo Qianqian wasted no time.
She returned to the shack, placed over fifty crossbow bolts into a small cloth bag, slung it over her back, and hurried toward the gathering point where the hunting team was set to depart.
At this point in the plot, the male lead’s influence had yet to develop.
The Yunming Mercenary Corps, renowned in the later stages of the book, currently consisted of fewer than ten people, including the male and female leads as well as the female supporting character, and hadn’t even been given an official name yet.
When Mo Qianqian arrived at the hunting team’s gathering spot, the male lead Ji Yunting, the female supporting character Sun Mingxue, and the others had just arrived as well.
Upon seeing Mo Qianqian jogging over, the members of the hunting team frowned, their expressions filled with disgust.
The original female lead had once feared such gazes, cautiously trying to please the members of the male lead’s hunting team in hopes of one day fitting in.
But Mo Qianqian was no pushover like the original female lead.
Pleasing others?
Not a chance.
Wherever she went, strength reigned supreme. Rather than trying to please, she preferred to crush others with her own power!
She ignored those unfriendly stares outright and walked straight toward Ji Yunting.