In the chat box, after the other side sent a [hug] emoji, no more messages came through.
Player [Window That Won't Close] grew even more suspicious that the other side was indeed a shy and cautious girl.
Yes, the name [Melancholy Little Fries] also seemed like it belonged to a little girl.
Player [Window That Won't Close] felt a bit excited, though he didn't know why he was excited.
Player [Window That Won't Close]: "Hehe, you're so cute, big boss!"
Jiang Yi: "... Damn."
Leaning against the forklift, Jiang Yi couldn't help but curse out loud.
Just as he was about to close the chat box without a second thought, player [Window That Won't Close] said: "Big boss, I want all 5 liters of gasoline! Big boss, what do you want in exchange?"
Seeing this message, Jiang Yi's finger, which was about to click the close button, paused slightly, ignoring the messy filler words.
What do you want in exchange?
Could it be that this guy already has a lot of supplies?
As if understanding Jiang Yi's doubts, [Window That Won't Close] said: "Hehe, I was pretty lucky. When I got transported here, I was in the middle of a survival drill, so I brought a backpack full of supplies!"
"I'm a loyal fan of apocalypse novels and works!"
That was indeed very lucky...
However, Jiang Yi himself didn't lack basic supplies.
"I want batteries."
Jiang Yi typed the message succinctly.
Batteries were exactly what he had been focusing on in the Trading Hall, and this guy happened to be selling them.
[Window That Won't Close]: "Sure! Hehe, the batteries came from today's treasure chest! It's truly fate that I got to know you, big boss!"
Jiang Yi was silent for a second, choosing to ignore it.
"I have three batteries here. Do you think that's enough? Gasoline is quite precious. If you think it's not enough, I can add some water or food. (wagging tail) (wagging tail) (wagging tail)"
He didn't need the batteries, and since they were going to be traded anyway, it was better to trade with the big boss!
Someone who could trigger a server-wide announcement couldn't be a simple person!
Looking at the chat box with a little dog wagging its tail at a high heel, Jiang Yi almost gritted his teeth in frustration. Enough, damn it, enough.
Fine, for the sake of the supplies...
Jiang Yi forcibly suppressed his irritation and was just about to suggest a private trade—
Names would appear in the Trading Hall, and Jiang Yi didn't want to attract more attention at this time;
Before he could say anything, the other side sensibly sent over the three batteries, along with a bottle of Farmwife Spring.
This kind of trade was a unilateral gift and didn't have any binding force.
Jiang Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. Did they guess his intention to chat privately? Not too dumb...
Jiang Yi casually gifted back 5 liters of gasoline *2 and a pack of oddly flavored broad beans. Not wanting to continue chatting with [Window That Won't Close], Jiang Yi left a message, "If you have more batteries in the future, feel free to find me," and directly closed the private chat channel.
[Window That Won't Close]: "Okay, big boss! (wagging tail) (wagging tail) (wagging tail)!"
After sending the message, [Window That Won't Close] sat in the driver's seat of the truck, legs propped up outside the window, swinging them happily!
And this young master has finally latched onto a big shot's thigh!
...
After exchanging supplies, Jiang Yi put everything on the roof of the vehicle and continued to accumulate mileage.
Although the speed of the electric forklift was much faster than bicycles, strollers, or wheelchairs, it couldn't compare to players who drove cars, trucks, or other vehicles.
Though the latter might also be limited by fuel and fatigue, not daring to drive too fast.
But Jiang Yi didn't want to fall behind in this aspect.
If he believed the mileage displayed in the upper right corner had a unique purpose in the game, he had to seize it! This story is hosted at g.com.
Jiang Yi drove at maximum speed until the orange glow was swallowed by darkness, with only a faint glimmer of light in the misty white fog.
Although the timeline for [Day] and [Night] was 10 PM, few players would actually run in the dark until 10 PM. Besides the issue of supplies, there was also the problem of lighting...
By 8 PM, the sky was completely dark, and the highway itself had no lighting. Only the white fog on both sides had some faint light, but it only illuminated the sides.
At this time, if you accidentally turned the steering wheel, it was easy to rush into the white fog, and that would really be game over.
Vehicles needed lighting.
This was the conclusion Jiang Yi reached.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Yi finally stopped the vehicle.
He glanced at the mileage in the upper right corner:
[Current Fog Erosion Distance: 300 kilometers]
[Today's Mileage: 300 kilometers]
He had traveled another 150 kilometers!
Adding yesterday's 30 kilometers, he had traveled a total of 330 kilometers.
This figure seemed good, but Jiang Yi knew it might only take some vehicles three to four hours!
But there was no way to rush.
Jiang Yi only felt a slight twinge of regret and jumped off the forklift.
Forget it, he was hungry.
Jiang Yi's wrists and buttocks were already numb, and his fatigue level was stuck at 60 again.
In the dark, Jiang Yi couldn't take out other food, like noodles and his small pot, so he could only pull out a jar of Brown Bear Manager's Honey.
This honey didn't have any special effects like refined essential oil; it was just a rare delicacy with a sweet taste.
Opening the honey jar, Jiang Yi took out the half piece of alkaline bread left over from lunch.
Drizzling a bit of honey on it, the dry bread finally became tasty.
The sweetness of the honey and the dryness and slight saltiness of the bread balanced perfectly.
While eating and daydreaming, Jiang Yi reopened the chat channel, but he didn't check the messages. Instead, he glanced at the number of online players:
[Dragon Nation Region 189, Zone 999 (99584/100000)]
Compared to when the treasure chest refreshed, the number of players had stabilized, but still, a dozen people had died.
Today was the second day of survival, and compared to the pursuit of the fog, issues with food, water, and fuel should be more prominent...
Thinking of the initial rules stating that players' ages ranged from 12 to 55, Jiang Yi fell silent again.
He couldn't imagine how people at both ends of this age range could survive.
Or rather, there might not be many of them left now...
Jiang Yi suddenly crumpled the plastic packaging in his hand into a ball and threw it into the white fog on the right side of the road.
The white fog seemed like a giant desert beast lying in wait. As soon as the packaging touched its edge, it was swallowed up, leaving no sound behind.
After finishing dinner, Jiang Yi took stock of his supplies:
Electric cooking pot *1, mineral water 500ml *14, Brown Bear Manager's Honey *9.8, Special Honey Essential Oil *3, handmade noodles *2, alkaline bread (taro flavor) *1, oddly flavored broad beans *1, change of clothes *1, screws *3, waterproof canvas *1, batteries *6, Anti-inflammatory Pill *2, Water Condenser Crafting Manual *1, Refined Rebar Steel Fork *1, sexy underwear *1.
Ignoring the last item, he first put the larger, heavier items like mineral water, honey, and batteries inside, along with the Water Condenser Crafting Manual. Jiang Yi hesitated for two seconds, then stuffed the pink and white item into the change of clothes, intending to put them together in the backpack, but the backpack indicated that their functions were different and couldn't be placed in the same slot.
Jiang Yi: "***"
Jiang Yi cursed profanely, made a difficult decision, and stored that thing away.
Jiang Yi wasn't a pervert, at least he didn't think he was, but it was a Chinese trait to find it hard to throw away something that wasn't broken or dirty without any psychological burden.
You never know when it might come in handy.
Since the vehicle couldn't be driven, Jiang Yi decided to start a simple workout within the 10-meter safe range of the vehicle.
He was afraid that other exercises might accidentally cause him to run out into the darkness.
However, perhaps due to the increase in attributes like strength, Jiang Yi found the workout more manageable!
After doing a set of burpees and push-ups, Jiang Yi had a sudden idea. He jumped lightly, grabbed the overhead of the forklift, and started doing pull-ups.
Pull-ups were a nightmare for many male students during university physical tests. It's not something you can do more or faster just because you have strength.
Moreover, the passing standard was 10, and to get a full score, you had to do 20!
Damn it, even the passing line for the US Marine Corps was only four.
If it weren't for everyone knowing and the leniency in the assessment, most people wouldn't meet the passing line.
Jiang Yi wasn't exactly a weak university student, but he was only on the edge of the passing line.
And now, Jiang Yi used his core strength, moving lightly, pulling his body up while counting. In just a few dozen seconds, he had already done 12.
He didn't think he could compare to some special forces guys, but 12 was already quite good!
And he wasn't exhausted yet!
After doing five more, Jiang Yi jumped down with a slightly flushed face.
17!
And it was a solid 17!
Such a constitution was something the old Jiang Yi couldn't even dream of!
A smile appeared on Jiang Yi's face as he happily continued his workout.
In the night, most people on stopped vehicles were chatting in groups, partly to gather information and exchange supplies, and partly to pass the time and quell the fear and loneliness that grew in the dark.
Although many people longed for a secluded life, the sense of security from group living in the face of unknown fear was irreplaceable.
But for Jiang Yi, this wasn't much of an issue.
When he worked in media, he was already used to talking to the camera alone, thinking about scripts and shots, even if no one responded, it didn't matter.
After finishing the last set of stretches, Jiang Yi felt refreshed.
However, the smell of sweat on him was indeed unbearable.
"Sigh."
Jiang Yi sighed.
Although he wasn't a cleanliness freak, he maintained basic hygiene;
Moreover, in survival, personal cleanliness was often an important step in preventing disease and infection!
After some thought, Jiang Yi took out a bottle of mineral water and used a small amount to wash up sparingly.
It would be better once he found the water condenser.
Jiang Yi thought to himself.
Taking off his shirt and hanging it to dry on the front driver's seat, Jiang Yi walked into the assembly inspection compartment at the back of the forklift, lay down with his legs spread, and placed a clean change of clothes over his stomach.
The weather on the highway was like early summer, not cold at night.
As soon as he closed his eyes, Jiang Yi felt drowsy and soon fell asleep.
This was one of the few times in many years that Jiang Yi fell asleep so quickly and without any burden.
A dreamless sleep.
As the sky began to brighten, at five in the morning, two messages suddenly refreshed in the chat group.
Player [Orange]: "Is anyone there?"
Player [Orange]: "Please help me..."