fictionpage Chapter 15 Gas Station!
Chapter 15 Gas Station!
The promise of 10 servings of all-purpose fuel and an E-Class car, amidst increasingly severe survival pressures, shines with an irresistible allure for many desperate women.
Cao Shuang patiently clicked through the photos one by one, using the system's built-in evaluation function to quickly scan the photos sent by the other party (many of which were even online images).
The results were disappointing. Very few people even reached the system's standard of 8 points, and those scoring 9 points or higher were extremely rare.
Occasionally, you might find one or two people with similar looks, but they either have a vulgar demeanor and shifty eyes, or their photos are obviously heavily photoshopped, and their real appearance would probably be distorted in half.
There's an even more outrageous one: someone used a still from a popular actress's drama, and Cao Shuang immediately blocked them.
"pity."
Cao Shuang closed the private messaging app and rubbed his temples. The pool of potential customers was large, but finding high-quality targets was extremely difficult.
However, he was in no hurry. Just as he had predicted, as time went on, as the threat of death approached and resources were depleted, some people would eventually succumb to the pressure and lower their standards. Or... those truly high-scoring beauties would also re-evaluate the pros and cons under the harsh realities of life.
He slightly modified the recruitment post, adding the line "Valid long-term, contact me anytime," and then stopped paying much attention to it. His immediate priority was to continue accumulating resources and increasing his strength.
For the next two days, Cao Shuang drove his Wuling Hongguang, which had its defense enhanced to 30 points, at a stable high speed on the highway.
He no longer deliberately sought out hordes of zombies to fight, but when he encountered small groups or those blocking his way, he would simply crush them, and his experience points increased slowly and steadily.
His main focus is on searching for resource blind boxes. The coordinates of the newly released 100,000 blind boxes have still not been announced and can only be found by random updates along the way.
He no longer values white boxes much, and he rarely stops unless it's on his way. Green boxes and the occasional blue box are his targets.
Chu Yao gradually got into character and no longer needed Cao Shuang to remind her. Whenever she saw a green or blue dot on the roadside, she would point it out on her own.
The two gradually developed a better understanding of each other. After parking the car, Chu Yao got out to touch and pick up the item, while Cao Shuang stood guard with his gun.
Once you get a box, unless it's of blue quality, you'll usually open it on the spot.
The supplies from the green crates are similar to those before: high-grade food, clothing, a small amount of fuel, and daily necessities.
The blue box provides a consistent supply of 15 high-grade rations, 10 fuel, and random items.
My luck has been so-so these past two days; I haven't gotten any more weapons, but I did get a set of [Simple Car Water Purifier (Filters Rainwater and River Water)], a blueprint for [Level 1 Car Window Explosion-Proof Film (Slightly Improves Car Window Strength)], and some QQ items.
Cao Shuang learned the design of the explosion-proof film. The material requirements were not high; it could be made using several common metals and polymers obtained from the unpacking.
He immediately used some of the materials from the green boxes to apply a light, metallic-looking film to all the windows of his Wuling Hongguang.
On the data panel, the defense value remained unchanged, but the evaluation added a sentence: "The car windows have received a minor enhancement."
We'll put the water purifier aside for now; we don't lack drinking water now, but it might be useful later.
Every night when he rested, Cao Shuang would still have Chu Yao keep watch over him until the latter half of the night.
Their relationship remained in a delicate balance. Cao Shuang's demands were direct and brooked no refusal, and Chu Yao went from initial resistance and shame to gradual numbness and acceptance, and even at certain moments, her body would give an honest response against her will.
During the day, she tries her best to play the roles of "assistant" and "passenger," picking up boxes, organizing supplies, and trying not to cause any trouble.
Cao Shuang wasn't exactly gentle with her, but he wasn't harsh either. She had plenty of food and water, and her safety was guaranteed. Apart from her strong sexual desires, she received what was considered "good treatment" in the post-apocalyptic environment.
The seed of admiration for strength in Chu Yao's heart quietly took root and sprouted in this abnormal relationship, making her fear of Cao Shuang mixed with a dependence that she herself did not want to delve into.
On the regional channels, the atmosphere of death grew heavier day by day.
The gray fog advanced slowly, 30 kilometers a day, like a Damocles' sword hanging over everyone's heads.
The threat of zombies looms intermittently, with constant reports of vehicles being attacked, damaged, and people dying.
Fuel shortages have driven many to despair, leaving them stranded on the road, helplessly watching the approaching haze, or sending out their final, desperate cries for help on regional channels only to be met with silence.
[Regional population statistics: 8,521,003...8,490,112...8,432,788...]
Every day, that cold, hard number is decreasing at an alarming rate.
One hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, three hundred thousand... Nearly two days have passed since the outbreak of the zombie crisis, and the death toll is once again approaching the million mark!
The game started with ten million players, but now there are less than eight and a half million! And the rate of decline shows no signs of slowing down.
Every time Chu Yao saw the headcount statistics, her face would turn several shades paler.
Those once vibrant IDs turned gray, and the last message was filled with despair.
She grew increasingly silent, and sometimes, gazing at the desolate scenery rushing past the car window, her eyes would become somewhat vacant. She began to truly understand what Cao Shuang meant by "there is no affectation in the apocalypse."
To be alive is the greatest luxury.
"Cao Shuang... do you think that if everyone helped each other more,... wouldn't so many people have died?"
During a break, Chu Yao saw a message on the channel from a mother pleading to exchange herself for fuel for her child, but no one responded. She couldn't help but ask softly, her eyes filled with pity and confusion.
Her saintly compassion seemed so pale and powerless in the face of cruel reality.
Cao Shuang was wiping the barrel of his AK-47 when he heard this. Without even looking up, he scoffed.
"Mutual aid? With what kind of mutual aid? With the little food left, or with the almost empty fuel? If you save this one, will you save the next one? Will you save them until you're out of ammunition and food too, and then die together?"
He raised his eyes, his gaze icy as he looked at Chu Yao:
"Stop your ridiculous sympathy. Everyone here is struggling to survive. Being able to take care of yourself and not be a burden to others is already considered being a 'good person.' Want to be a saint? Get off the bus now and distribute your supplies to those who need 'mutual aid,' and see how many days you can survive."
Chu Yao was speechless, her face flushing red and then pale. Finally, she lowered her head in dejection and remained silent. She knew Cao Shuang was right, but she couldn't get over that hurdle in her heart anytime soon.
In this increasingly oppressive atmosphere, shrouded in the shadow of death, on the morning of the third day, that cold yet grand game announcement once again resounded in the minds of all the survivors:
[Announcement: In view of the pressure on players to survive and the need for sustainable vehicle energy, the 'Roadside Gas Station' system is now available.]
The first gas station has been built, located 500 kilometers ahead of the current fog front. Specific coordinates will be released in half an hour.
[The location of subsequent gas stations will increase by 100 kilometers each time... and so on.]
[Note: Gas stations are safe zones; zombies will not enter gas stations.]
[Wishing all players a safe journey.]