[Neighbor Youche]:
"Oh my god, Elder Chu, you actually passed both rounds of the game!"
Youche looked at the message and couldn't help but sigh—Elder Chu really was always the Elder.
[Neighbor Youche]:
"So you must have at least 10 points! Did you ever make it into the top rankings?"
[Chu the Elder]:
"My points were just a little, very few."
Chu Yian didn't brag about her ranking—just mentioned it vaguely. But even being the last one to pass meant great strength.
Strength = a big asset.
[Neighbor Youche]:
"Elder Chu, you're still sharp as ever. Can you tell me about your heroic deeds? I want to learn from your experience!"
Experience?
Chu Yian had been lucky in the first two rounds, meeting the powerhouse teacher Lu. Although she couldn't say she coasted, she'd taken a lot of shortcuts.
[Chu the Elder]:
"Young man, let's not rush. You tell me about your car ability first."
Chu Yian was curious about this new player's skill.
If he could make cars, could he also make gasoline? If he had unlimited fuel, that would be incredibly useful—definitely worth teaming up with him.
[Neighbor Youche]:
"Vehicle Manufacturer means every two days I get a brand-new vehicle."
[Chu the Elder]:
"Does each vehicle come with fuel?"
That was her biggest concern.
[Neighbor Youche]:
"Don't worry, every new vehicle is at its peak condition."
Youche was telling the truth—every vehicle was perfect when produced. But he deliberately hid the fact that sometimes he only got bicycles or tricycles, not always cars, because he didn't want Elder Chu to think his skill was useless.
[Neighbor Youche]:
"So, Elder Chu, what did you get at the start of the game?"
Since he'd told her about his skill, Chu Yian wasn't stingy.
[Chu the Elder]:
"I got a portable chest that can change size. It's convenient for storing things but only holds about one cubic meter."
However, like Youche, she didn't tell the whole story. For example, the chest was pure gold and could kill someone if thrown, and her treasure chest's 'create from nothing' skill usable every three days—she didn't mention any of that.
Even so, Youche was excited.
Youche:
"Holy crap! That's basically a portable storage! Elder Chu, you got really lucky. No wonder you passed those games."
The two shared a somewhat guarded but honest conversation, gradually building a mutual alliance.
Chu Yian looked at the badge in her hand and sent Youche a photo of it.
[Youche]:
"What's that you sent, Elder Chu?"
[Chu the Elder]:
"This is a clue to the survival zone. Pay attention to the patterns. Try to find cities online that have badges with similar patterns."
Chu Yian actually didn't want to share survival zone info so early, but with power about to go out, she was tense. If power and internet both cut, it'd be nearly impossible to find the survival zone based on the badge patterns.
So she had to get Youche involved—another person means more strength.
Youche:
"Holy crap, holy crap!"
Youche swore excitedly in his room.
Elder Chu was truly amazing! What a legendary Elder!
Chu Yian, meanwhile, was focused on getting the safe zone figured out soon. She also sent him photos of her new findings, and they agreed to update each other promptly.
Day 10 of the Game
Though the two were searching for information, progress was slow.
Meanwhile, many people were already running out of supplies. Hunger and anarchy led to riots. Looting started—and was worse than the previous round.
Even those who stayed indoors saw at least three robberies through their windows daily.
The community no longer had property management or security.
Chu Yian knew most residents were wealthy and had stocked up lots of food before the crisis. That made them prime targets.
They were "fat targets."
Almost every household locked doors and windows tight, barely daring to leave. Some in high-rise apartments even sabotaged elevators, and no one cared about trash being thrown from windows anymore.
Chu Yian was one of those with little scruples.
If the apartment wasn't cleaned, mold would quickly invade bathrooms, kitchens, then spread to living rooms and bedrooms. Cleaning created dangerous garbage to dispose of, so she often just avoided it.
After cleaning the room, she sat down.
It was time for her tri-daily treasure chest opening.
She took out the chest and silently hoped for something useful, then plunged her hand inside.
"A set of modern bow and crossbow."
"Note: Items are reclaimed after the game ends."
"Good item description: One bow and 10 crossbow bolts. The treasure chest isn't always random—sometimes it's a friendly gift. Please be grateful."
"Thank you!" Chu Yian solemnly bowed to the chest on the table.
"Recently I met a player whose ability is to make a new vehicle every two days. Though cars are useful, I'm not jealous at all!
Because I have the treasure chest—my luck's still ahead!"
She sincerely complimented the chest, then eagerly examined the bow and crossbow.
The bow was small—about the length of a water bottle—painted all black, and felt solid in hand. The bolts were in a quiver she could hang on her chest or back.
She loaded a bolt and shot it at her bedroom door.
The bolt whizzed out and pierced right through the door!
The power was impressive; she had to use some effort to pull the bolt back out.
Chu Yian thought with practice, she might be able to get precise headshots.
After testing the crossbow, she noticed several new messages from Youche.
[Neighbor Youche]:
"Elder Chu, I have a major discovery!"
[Neighbor Youche]:
"The suspicious building outline on the badge—I found it! It's a place called Kuishan Research Institute, located on a plateau in X City!"
[Neighbor Youche]:
"I checked recent news about this institute—there's been talk about an underground planting hypothesis. Aaaah, we might really have found the survival zone!"
You could feel his excitement through the phone screen.
Chu Yian herself was thrilled!
But then the tone shifted quickly:
[Neighbor Youche]:
"Elder Chu, watch out!! Someone just sneaked into our community—eight fully grown men!"