Now that Qi Xu had some free time… she actually felt at a loose end.
No more slogging along the road, no more watching the roadside like a hawk for crates. She could tidy up at her leisure, water the orange tree, and browse the light screen.
Pure bliss~
She suddenly understood why the automatic driving system had been so expensive—and so tempting. This really was nice.
Right now, though, the roadside only had Wooden Supply Crates. Missing those hardly mattered. After the Beginner Protection Period, she might come across silver or Gold Supply Crates, and leaving those behind would be agony.
So she would also need to install an automatic mechanical arm on her vehicle to collect Supply Crates for her.
But both the Fully Automatic Driving System and the Fully Automatic Mechanical Arm required a level-four vehicle. That was still a long way off. Qi Xu vaguely remembered having to stockpile supplies for ages just to upgrade to a Level 3 Vehicle in her previous run.
Afterward, she had been much like Peppy Girl Guo Degang—nearly bankrupt. She’d gone hungry for several days before she began to get back on her feet.
Qi Xu sent Peppy Girl a private message. “How’s it going? Do you have enough supplies? Let me know if you run short.”
Peppy Girl Guo Degang: “Enough for now. I traded all the food for compressed biscuits or basic raw materials first. Those are easier to trade.”
Qi Xu sent two thumbs-up emojis. Don’t entrust a job to someone you doubt; once you entrust it to them, trust them. She might not deal with people very often, but she understood that much.
So she left it at that and waited for the results.
Even after browsing the entire trading market, Qi Xu found nothing particularly good. Perhaps because it was still the Beginner Protection Period, most of the listings were basic supplies. There wasn’t much she wanted.
After lying down for a while, she began to feel sleepy. Normally, she’d be wide awake at this time. How was she already drowsy? People really weren’t meant to sit idle.
She had only just closed her eyes…
The tricycle braked hard. Qi Xu slid forward and knocked her head against the edge of the cargo bed. Without the Protective Barrier, she would definitely have ended up with a huge bump.
She was stunned. It couldn’t have been five hours yet! One hour, at most!
Qi Xu sat up and looked ahead. Holy shit, another traffic light!
Who the hell came across three stops in seven days?
When the light turned green, the tricycle shot past so fast that she couldn’t even make out what kind of monster was standing in the middle of the road.
The moment the vehicle came to a stop, Qi Xu scrambled out and sprinted toward the stop.
Every second wasted was costing her Survival Coins!
Qi Xu immediately took out the Supreme VIP Card the Purple Fox had given her and walked inside with it held between her fingers.
An exceptionally beautiful White-and-Pink Two-Tailed Fox was already waiting by the door. “Welcome, honored guest. I heard magpies calling this morning. So they were announcing your visit!”
Qi Xu smiled. “Hello, boss. You’re beautiful. Your tails are gorgeous.”
The White-and-Pink Two-Tailed Fox blushed at once. “Really? Thank you for the compliment.”
“Of course,” Qi Xu replied with complete sincerity.
[Monster Store owner White-and-Pink Two-Tailed Fox’s Affinity toward you: 10]
The Supreme VIP Card came with five Affinity points, and her compliments had earned another 5…
“What can I get for you? Please, sit down and take your time choosing. I’ll prepare some morning tea. Would rose flavor be all right? I’ll put together a few snacks to go with it.”
Qi Xu gave an elegant nod. “That would be lovely. Thank you, beautiful White-and-Pink Two-Tailed Fox.”
The owner left with a squeaky laugh. Qi Xu shook her head in wonder. When had she ever been treated like this?
On her previous visits to Monster Stores, the owners had barely acknowledged her, simply tossing a price list her way. Now she was getting actual service! Even free food…
Qi Xu opened the price list. A Monster Store offered 10 products per visit. She had been hoping for something good, but her hopes sank when she saw the prices. Everything was still cheap, yet the good stuff remained out of her reach.
[Fully Automatic Driving System — Price: 500 Survival Coins]
[Fully Automatic Mechanical Arm — Price: 300 Survival Coins]
[KFC Family Bucket ×10 — Price: 0.2 Survival Coins]
[Level-Three Vehicle Upgrade Card — Price: 2 Survival Coins]
[Vehicle Compression Capsule — Price: 5 Survival Coins]
[Padded Winter Clothing Blueprint — Price: 0.5 Survival Coins]
[Wagyu Super Supreme Pizza, 10-Pack — Price: 0.5 Survival Coins]
[Pink Chainsaw — Price: 2 Survival Coins]
[Inventory Stasis Slot ×10 — Price: 1 Survival Coin]
After reading the list, Qi Xu made her choice without hesitation. Apart from the first two, which she couldn’t afford, she wanted everything!
There wouldn’t be any more prices in fractions of a coin later on. These bargains would not come around again. She wasn’t about to pass up this last chance to cash in on the bargains!
A pity she could only purchase each listing once. Otherwise… Never mind. She had to learn to be content.
Dear Waste Depot, the next time I see you, I promise I won’t complain about your smell. Thank you for all the good fortune you’ve brought me!
Qi Xu silently offered her thanks to the most sacred Waste Depot…
It took quite a while for the White-and-Pink Two-Tailed Fox to return with a tray. A stemmed glass held pink juice, accompanied by a small sandwich portion and a little plate of biscuits.
“Have you found anything you’d like? I’d be happy to tell you about the products.”
“No need,” Qi Xu said. “Everything from the Monster Store is bound to be top quality. You can’t go wrong buying here.
“I’ll take everything from number 3 through number 10. Please total it up for me, and I’ll scan the code to pay.”
[Monster Store owner White-and-Pink Two-Tailed Fox’s Affinity toward you has increased by 5. Current Affinity: 15!]
“Oh my goodness, honored guest! You certainly have the means. Why aren’t you buying the first two? Don’t you like them?”
Under the White-and-Pink Two-Tailed Fox’s curious gaze, Qi Xu managed an awkward smile. Didn’t like them? Like hell she didn’t! She was just poor.
But admitting she was broke in front of the money-loving Fox Family might get the Supreme VIP Card snatched straight out of her hand…
“I’m not very fond of their names. They sound so cold and impersonal. Now, Pink Chainsaw—that has a lovely ring to it. I like beautiful things.”
Qi Xu took an elegant sip of juice and spoke at a leisurely pace.
The White-and-Pink Two-Tailed Fox nodded. “I understand! Honored guest, we’ll work on that. We hope to satisfy you next time.”
Qi Xu fidgeted with her fingers against her leg…
Were there any reckless idiots with a death wish who could hurry over and deliver a few vehicles? If she didn’t save up a few thousand Survival Coins before her next visit, how could she show her face in a Monster Store again…? She had a wealthy persona to maintain!