The highway had merged again.
Cheng Shuili leaned against her seat and took a deep breath. She didn't know if the person in the other vehicle was friend or foe; it could very well be another bitter battle.
She had considered whether she should just drive past.
Unfortunately, the vehicle was extremely long and parked horizontally right in the middle of the road. No matter which side she tried, her shopping cart couldn't squeeze through.
She had no choice but to get out and see what the situation was.
Cheng Shuili had always upheld the principle of not bothering others unless they bothered her, so she naturally didn't have a shred of murderous intent at this moment.
As for why she carried weapons on her person...
In this hellish place, anyone who encourages you to put down your weapon is definitely not a good person.
Cheng Shuili pushed the car door open. Since there was no strong wind today, she didn't bother tying a rope to herself, but she kept her polar cold-proof suit and goggles on securely. These two items were essentially necessities.
Cheng Shuili locked the door of her shopping cart tightly.
In this hellish place, as long as the owner of a vehicle is still alive, no one else can sneak into the vehicle or touch the owner's belongings.
It was one of the few safeguards the system provided to players.
Cheng Shuili's dagger was hanging securely at her waist, but the weapon she held in her hand was that solid wood baseball bat.
She had realized during the monster challenge that the bonus attribute points provided to humans were massive.
And her own attribute points were, if not the highest, definitely in the lead.
This meant that even if she didn't use the dagger, she could crush a thug's skull just by using this baseball bat.
Justice Sister Water, executing sentences online!
Cheng Shuili's boots crunched on the snow, leaving behind a trail of complex footprints that looked extremely jarring against the smooth, flat snow.
She didn't see the driver of the vehicle, only a series of messy footprints beside the driver's side door.
Cheng Shuili frowned as she tried to make sense of where the person had gone, but eventually, she just raised her hand and knocked on the car window.
"Who's there?"
That question didn't sound like it belonged in a survival apocalypse at all.
As soon as the words fell, a head poked out from under the car. The man was in his thirties, sporting a beard—perhaps he hadn't been able to find a razor and had to keep it for now.
The man was startled to see the baseball bat almost pressed against his face and immediately ducked back under the vehicle.
"Let's talk this out! Why are you bringing a baseball bat to my face?"
Cheng Shuili had never encountered someone like this before. This was a true naive soul!
Talk it out?
Was it really 'talking it out' if you lured someone in to lower their guard before stabbing them?
Cheng Shuili was left feeling a bit confused, but she didn't want to dwell on what was going on in this man's head; she just wanted him to move out of the way.
Cheng Shuili needed to drive her car forward!
"Why are you parked here? You're blocking the road."
"Little sister! It's not that I don't want to move! My car won't start, and I don't know what's wrong with it. I've been crawling under the car for ages!"
"Oh, wait, it's this wire that snapped. No wonder it wouldn't ignite!"
The uncle poked his head out from under the car again. Seeing Cheng Shuili switch the baseball bat to her other hand, he clearly realized he had met a good person and immediately broke into a smile. "Wait just a moment! I'll have this wire connected in no time!"
Cheng Shuili nodded and asked casually, "You know how to fix cars?"
"Back in the day... oh, this wire... I used to work in auto repair. I loved it. You wouldn't believe it, but my family was into politics and looked down on this trade. We almost cut ties because of it."
Cheng Shuili nodded. The man's accent was a bit strange, almost like he was performing a crosstalk act. She instinctively played along like a straight man in a comedy routine, asking, "Is that so?"
"That it is. I consider myself a veteran technician. When it comes to this car, I know every part and system like the back of my hand. I never thought these skills would be useful here, but it's a pity..."
The uncle crawled out from under the car, his white clothes stained black by the grime.
Watching him, Cheng Shuili suddenly remembered something: she had forgotten to ask for a washing machine when she was decorating...
The uncle gave a shy smile, though his words carried a hint of regret: "I thought I could finally earn my parents' approval this time, but who knew they'd go missing without a trace. I did find some uncles and cousins, but it's a pity, I'm always worried about my parents."
Cheng Shuili nodded. At a time like this, she didn't know what to say.
What could she say? That she was also a lone wanderer?
Loose lips sink ships.
It was better to keep her own business to herself.
"Can you move the car now, Uncle?"
"Of course!"
The uncle's voice was hearty, but as soon as he opened the car door, both of them heard the roar of an engine.
Great.
Things were getting lively today.
Highway merge upon highway merge. Now there were enough people to sit at a table for a card game.
Three's company, but they were one short.
The roar of the engine approached from afar. A modified black off-road vehicle drove up from behind, its tires crunching against the accumulated snow.
Cheng Shuili's fingers tightened involuntarily around the baseball bat, while her other hand quietly reached for the dagger at her waist.
"Someone else is here," she whispered, her gaze fixed on the vehicle that was gradually slowing down.
The uncle only glanced over there before climbing back into the driver's seat. He poked his head out from the cabin, still wearing the same friendly smile he had during their chat.
"It's my first time meeting so many people. How lively."
Cheng Shuili didn't respond.
Not everyone was like this uncle.
Most of the time, highway merges meant people died.
Her gaze swept over the off-road vehicle's windshield, trying to see the driver's face, but the reflective glass only showed her own blurred silhouette.
The off-road vehicle stopped about ten meters away. The door opened, and a man wearing a brown leather jacket stepped out.
He looked to be in his twenties or thirties, with short, neat hair and a friendly smile on his face.
"Need some help? Or maybe trade?" The man walked a few steps closer and raised his hands to show he had no weapons. "Highway merges aren't easy to come by. I haven't seen a living soul in a long time."
The uncle responded enthusiastically, "That's true! I had some issues with the wiring, but I just finished fixing it. You are..."
"Wang Sanqiang," the man said, extending a hand. "I used to be a truck driver, so I know a thing or two about cars."
Cheng Shuili stood her ground, still gripping the baseball bat.
Her gaze slid from Wang Sanqiang's smiling face to the slightly bulging area at his waist, where a weapon was clearly hidden.
"Cheng Ershui," she gave a fake name briefly, with no intention of shaking his hand.
Wang Sanqiang didn't seem to mind her coldness and turned to the mechanic uncle instead. "And what should I call you, brother?"
"Eh? I can't take being called brother. My name is Chen Qingshan." Chen Qingshan wiped the oil off his hands and shook hands with Wang Sanqiang. "My car is just fixed, and I was about to move it to make way for this little sister here."
"That's perfect. I can help keep an eye out for you," Wang Sanqiang said, naturally taking a step closer to Chen Qingshan. "This car of yours has been upgraded, right? Do you want me to help you check the lines again?"
Rate on N.U.
