Chapter 45
At first, Jiang Qingyu thought he would at least symbolically suffer a little insomnia. Unexpectedly, his constitution of falling asleep the moment his head touched the pillow proved effective at a time like this.
Only a few minutes after he burrowed into the blankets, just when Fu Jingqiu thought he would chat with him for a while before sleeping, Jiang Qingyu’s breathing gradually evened out, becoming so light it was almost inaudible.
At first, Fu Jingqiu did not quite believe it. He thought Jiang Qingyu was too obedient and simply did not want him to worry, so he got up and quietly went to the bedside to check. Only then did he confirm that the other person had truly fallen asleep.
All right. At certain times, he really was rather carefree.
For example, ever since the two RVs had crossed Badain Jaran, they had not refueled once, charged once, or added water even once.
Fu Jingqiu did not know whether Jiang Qingyu believed that as long as Fu Jingqiu did not ask, the matter did not exist. In front of him, this child could be considered full of loopholes.
Jiang Qingyu never worried about food. The water and electricity inside the RV seemed to be self-supplying. Even though there was a solar panel on the roof with a conversion rate higher than any product on the market, Jiang Qingyu had practically never used it.
Not to mention, it had been raining all these days. Where would sunlight come from?
Fu Jingqiu did not ask, and Jiang Qingyu thought he had successfully deceived heaven and crossed the sea. Cheerfully, he shared with him and enjoyed facilities that should not belong in this vehicle.
In truth, he should have thought of it long ago. With this model of RV, no matter how much the interior was modified, there should still be limits.
At first, Fu Jingqiu thought he had simply not paid attention to these things for a long time, and that technology had advanced too quickly, which was why he found everything so surprising and unbelievable.
But later, because he was worried about their situation going forward, Fu Jingqiu deliberately did a lot of research and asked some of his former comrades. Only then did he realize that he had been thinking too simply.
Fu Jingqiu did not know how Jiang Qingyu had done it, but one thing was very clear:
He could have chosen not to bring him along. These high-tech devices and the food reserves Jiang Qingyu claimed were sufficient were enough for him to have no worries about food or clothing in the current environment.
Having one more person not only consumed his stockpile, but also added the risk of having his resources seized.
During a previous chat, Jiang Qingyu had said that he had only done an internship. Before he had even had time to truly step into society after graduating from university, something had happened at home.
Perhaps it was because he had never experienced the sinister side of human nature that he was so foolishly cheerful. His secrecy was half-concealed and half-exposed, completely unqualified.
Just like now. He was sharing a room with someone whose absolute strength surpassed his by more than just a little, yet he did not consider his own safety at all. He had actually fallen asleep so quickly and defenselessly.
Fu Jingqiu suddenly thought of something one of his close comrades had once said: he was born with a giving personality.
To put it nicely, he was loyal. To put it less pleasantly, he was a fool kidnapped by bonds and affection.
This kind of person was suitable to be treated as a blade, a convenient weapon, an object that one did not need to worry about bending or breaking.
The word suitable for him was “use,” not “carefully maintain.”
If there was no one for him to be loyal to, his life would instead lose meaning.
That was why, back then, when he realized he had always been used and deceived by so-called family affection, Fu Jingqiu’s thought had been to simply go with the flow. In any case, nothing had meaning.
But later, he changed his mind. He wanted to travel with Jiang Qingyu and try living like an ordinary person, eating three meals a day, entertaining himself, and resting.
He had never imagined something like the apocalypse would happen. Their journey, which had originally been tentatively set for a few months, now had to be extended. Perhaps for several years, or perhaps for decades.
Fu Jingqiu moved very lightly as he sat down by the bed. In the darkness, he gazed at the blurred outline of Jiang Qingyu’s figure. After a long while, he reached out and tucked the blanket around him.
A few seconds before Jiang Qingyu lost consciousness, he was still thinking that, with his habit of sleeping in, Fu Jingqiu’s schedule simply could not be adjusted to match his.
If he slept in the living room, Fu Jingqiu would definitely move quietly so as not to disturb him. But in that case, setting aside what they would eat for breakfast, even his activities would be restricted.
However, before he could think of anything meaningful, his consciousness was dragged into a dark, deep dream. Wrapped in the blankets, he slept heavily for almost ten hours.
As he gradually woke, the sound of rain slid into his ears. Jiang Qingyu thought of Meimei, felt the texture of the short velvet bedsheet, and only then thought of Fu Jingqiu.
After opening his eyes in a daze, the first thing that entered his sight was Fu Jingqiu sitting beside the folding lazy chair, quietly reading a book.
Speaking of which, this scene was a little strange—sorry, it was not that Fu Jingqiu was uncultured. It was just that, subconsciously, Jiang Qingyu felt that this scene did not quite match his style.
And after Jiang Qingyu clearly saw what book he was holding, the drowsiness that had originally wanted to make a comeback was instantly chased away.
Fu Jingqiu was actually reading the original English version of Pride and Prejudice.
This was even more unbelievable than seeing him thread a needle and sew clothes.
After all, among those who came from the military, very few did not know how to mend their own clothes. But seeing such a tough-looking man reading this kind of book by the window truly surprised Jiang Qingyu.
He pushed the blanket up to his chest and pressed it down with his chin, sitting up like a caterpillar. “What are you doing?”
Fu Jingqiu looked over when he heard him. “Awake?”
He closed the book, got up, walked over, and sat down beside Jiang Qingyu. “I searched online in real time for the situation in Minfeng. There are no zombies. It was probably only the people at the reservoir checkpoint who encountered trouble, and it hasn’t affected the city for now.”
These words flowed from Jiang Qingyu’s left ear to his right. He did not take in a single sentence. He stared at the book in Fu Jingqiu’s hand. “Where did that book come from?”
Fu Jingqiu lowered his head and glanced at it. “When I went to handle paperwork before, I passed by a bookstore and bought it casually.”
Jiang Qingyu sat there blankly for a while. “Ah. So you didn’t exercise this morning? Have you eaten breakfast?”
Fu Jingqiu looked at him, a faint smile appearing on his face. “I ate. I didn’t want to wake you, so I read to pass the time.”
Tangyuan had its front paws on the edge of the bed, enthusiastically poking its head around, wanting to get close to Jiang Qingyu.
Standing for too long was not good for the puppy’s health, so Jiang Qingyu picked it up and instinctively petted it a couple of times. Probably because he had not fully woken up yet, he spaced out for another few minutes.
Fu Jingqiu did not rush him. In any case, he was awake now, so some tasks that would make noise could also be started.
When Jiang Qingyu slowly came back to himself, the sound of rain outside the vehicle seemed to have weakened a lot. It was almost inaudible.
He lifted his head to look at Fu Jingqiu and asked uncertainly, “Has the rain stopped?”
Fu Jingqiu pulled open the privacy curtain and looked outside twice. “Yes. The sky has brightened too.”
This was a sign that the rain had passed and the sky was clearing.
Good thing, good thing. When it kept raining, nothing was very convenient. Tangyuan, this little puppy, had eaten with them these past few days until its belly had become round. Its energy had improved more than just a little, and it had started having the strength to cause trouble.
If the rain still did not stop, this little fellow might start tearing the place apart.
System: “Congratulations on surviving the torrential rain disaster! Because of your correct decisions, you avoided dangerous areas and successfully survived this disaster. Rewards are now issued as follows: RV upgrade—one-click transfer / extreme cold resistance. Please choose!”
As usual, the system explained to him what this so-called “one-click transfer” meant.
If he was not in the vehicle and the RV was violently taken over by someone else, Jiang Qingyu could use the one-click transfer function to move the space and all equipment and items inside the RV to another vehicle.
Even if that vehicle was only an abandoned car by the roadside, after the transfer, it would become Jiang Qingyu’s original RV.
Jiang Qingyu: !! There was actually such a good thing!
But the other upgrade option also made him extremely conflicted. He kept feeling like this reward was a hint. The torrential rain had just ended, and the system had not announced what the next disaster would be.
Now that the system had suddenly offered an upgrade for resisting cold and freezing, it was hard not to feel that this was previewing the next disaster.
Speaking of which, Jiang Qingyu still had something he wanted to ask the system. “This torrential rain only seemed to last a little over a month. Is there any pattern to the timing?”
System: “If described in terms of your human gaming terminology, the torrential rain was only an elementary beginner mission, and the difficulty of survival was not high. The duration of all disasters is random. Some may last a few months, while others may last a year. No accurate answer can be given.”
Jiang Qingyu: “…How thoughtful. There’s even a beginner transition period?”
The system said shyly, “Actually, it’s not that much.”
Do you think I was really praising you?
Jiang Qingyu said, “Then can you spoil it for me a little? What’s the next disaster?”
The system instantly returned to being cold. “Sorry, dear, no.”
Then why are you saying a bubble teapot!
What should he do? He really wanted both.
The former could completely bind him to the RV. As long as he himself was fine, even if the vehicle was lost, it would be fine. In any case, he could still get it back.
The latter could allow them to survive in extreme cold weather without worrying about the vehicle freezing until it was scrapped or being unable to operate because of low temperatures.
Just like the countermeasure and medical functions the system had offered after the previous stage ended, these were all relatively practical at the moment. Now that an extreme cold resistance option had suddenly appeared, no matter how he thought about it, it was very likely to be useful next.
After hesitating again and again, Jiang Qingyu ultimately chose cold resistance.
He would treat it as a gamble!
Since they had decided to go to Minfeng in the afternoon, dinner naturally had to be eaten out.
The two of them ate some bread and fruit to make do for lunch. After the rain stopped, the speed at which the temperature rose was truly astonishing. Originally, when going out, they still had to wear shell jackets with down liners. Now, even wearing a single layer felt hot.
Fu Jingqiu took Tangyuan out for a walk nearby. It was not only the puppy; this brother, who could only warm up and exercise inside the vehicle, was probably also stifled.
The small bag previously used by Jiang Qingyu was now equipped by the owner who had prepared it. Fu Jingqiu used these things more smoothly than Jiang Qingyu did, and the bag even had an extra walkie-talkie inside, so he could contact Jiang Qingyu in the vehicle at any time.
Once the rain stopped, there were many more things they could do.
Jiang Qingyu took out the drone and began operating it to patrol the surrounding area.
The speed of climate change was so fast that people could hardly cope. In the time Jiang Qingyu spent fiddling with the drone, the sun, which had not shown itself for over a month, unexpectedly emerged.
Jiang Qingyu stood by the window in a daze for a while and murmured, “No way. Is it this exaggerated?”
Could the next disaster be extreme heat? Then had he chosen the wrong upgrade option?
With a complicated mood, he sent the drone out to patrol. After the temperature rose, moisture evaporated very quickly. The cement ground was covered with mottled patches, and some areas had already been dried by the sun.
They had chosen to park here last night because the nearby construction projects were half-abandoned, so naturally there were not many people. The drone did not detect any zombies either, so it could be considered a safe area.
Jiang Qingyu estimated that if the temperature rose any further, Fu Jingqiu would have to bring Tangyuan back no matter what. Otherwise, forget people—even a puppy would not be able to bear it.
Sure enough, about ten minutes later, the video feed from the drone showed a person and a dog. The tall one had already stripped down to only a tight tank top, and Tangyuan was so hot that it kept sticking out its tongue and panting. The two of them rushed toward the RV in one breath, looking no different from if zombies were chasing them from behind.
Jiang Qingyu, with great foresight, had turned on the cold air inside the vehicle. He welcomed the “father and son” in, giving water to the one who needed water and cold drinks to the one who needed cold drinks.
Fu Jingqiu accepted the things and thanked him, the hair at his temples and forehead damp. “This weather isn’t right.”
Speaking of this, Jiang Qingyu felt a bit gloomy. “Yeah. I’m afraid the weather will suddenly become hot next.”
Fu Jingqiu said, “It won’t. If it weren’t for over a month of rain, this part of southern Xinjiang should have had several snowfalls by now.”
Natural disasters did not reason with people. Who could say for sure?
After another round of preparation, the RV set off again.
With the help of the drone, scouting the road became very simple.
The county town was very lively. Most tourists crossing the Qiangtang uninhabited area would choose Minfeng as a stopping point. From plateau to plain, they would rest here, comfortably wash their hair and take a bath, and eat a big meal. Needless to say, the level of happiness was high.
During the rainy days, the restaurants and shops here had not completely closed. Now that the sky had cleared, all kinds of stalls had been set up: fruit sellers, beef and lamb stalls, pastries and snacks, freshly squeezed juice. It looked very lively.
Their vehicle drove in and, according to plan, parked at the RV campsite. Here, they could charge and park, but they could not add water.
Their RV could be completely self-sufficient, so they did not care much about these things. After parking the vehicle, Jiang Qingyu very cautiously released the drone again and flew it around the campsite. But he saw many people dressed like tourists gathered in small groups. Hearing the sound of the machine, they all looked up almost at the same time.
That feeling of everyone looking through the camera in an instant was rather eerie. Jiang Qingyu subconsciously shrank his neck and said in confusion, “What’s going on?”
Fu Jingqiu said, “Bring the drone back first.”
Jiang Qingyu quickly did as told. Just as the drone was about to fly back, someone in the crowd picked up a stone from the roadside greenery and threw it at the drone.
Jiang Qingyu was startled. Fortunately, his reaction was fast enough, saving him from the risk of losing a drone.
Seeing that the person still seemed ready to pick up more stones and throw them, his hands moved even faster. Fu Jingqiu reminded him from beside him, “Don’t land it near us. Feint once, then switch to another place.”
Jiang Qingyu was stunned for two seconds before understanding what he meant. He cooperated and operated the drone. Fu Jingqiu confirmed with him where the equipment would land, then got out of the vehicle first to retrieve the machine.
After he left, Jiang Qingyu hid behind the privacy curtain and secretly observed. Because there were no vehicles blocking the view, from a distance, he could see several people heading toward the place where the drone had landed.
Fu Jingqiu circled around and quickly brought the machine back from another direction. With a cold face, he looked a little fierce. “I just saw someone holding a slingshot.”
Jiang Qingyu said, “No way. They even have that kind of thing?”
Fu Jingqiu calmly put the machine away. “I have one too. I just didn’t take it out.”
Jiang Qingyu: “…”
He was a little baffled. “Are they doing this because they don’t want to be filmed? But isn’t this a bit…”
They could have communicated. How did it become directly trying to damage someone else’s property?
Fu Jingqiu said, “They must have seen the information online. Now they can’t go back and can only be trapped here. Moreover, it’s not guaranteed that zombies absolutely won’t appear here. Perhaps they’re anxious, so they’re a little more aggressive.”
As they were speaking, that group of people had failed to find anything and came back cursing. Jiang Qingyu lowered the soundproofing and heard them saying things like “don’t let us find them,” “smash it,” and “looking for death.” His brows twitched.
This hostility seemed a little too strong.
Jiang Qingyu said worriedly, “Then should we just change places?” If they could not provoke them, could they not hide?
Fu Jingqiu actually agreed.
But he had no way of confirming exactly what the situation inside the campsite was. Everyone had seen the zombie news. Those who reacted quickly might already have thought of how to respond next. During these rainy days, there had been enough time for people in the campsite to band together or form teams and discuss how to obtain “free” supplies.
Naturally, this was Fu Jingqiu using a preconceived notion of “evil” to speculate. He did not want to guess correctly or have his words come true, but now was clearly not a good time to take risks. It was best to prioritize stability.
Fu Jingqiu said, “No hurry. Let’s wait and see first. Even if we leave, it can’t be right now.”
In case someone was specifically watching.
He explained this to Jiang Qingyu. The latter thought about it, then customized the RV’s sound insulation: they could hear the movements outside, while the sounds inside the RV were hidden tightly and completely, without a trace leaking out.
To put it this way, even if Tangyuan were already an adult dog and barked and howled madly inside the RV, people standing outside the vehicle would not hear a single sound.
Jiang Qingyu held his phone and searched nearby food rankings amid the chaos, while Fu Jingqiu prepared the things they needed to carry when they went out later.
One could never be too cautious.
The campsite gradually returned to calm. Occasionally, people passed by, but no one paid attention to the small RV parked here that looked broken and old—yes, Jiang Qingyu had changed the skin again.
Thank heaven and earth. Facts proved just how wise his original decision to choose the skin upgrade had been. Along the way, he had relied on this skin-changing function to avoid far too much trouble.
Just like now, such a dusty and shabby vehicle looked like it had been gathering dust by the roadside for ten thousand years. No matter who passed by, they probably would not even bother to glance at it.
About half an hour later, after feeding the cat and dog at home, playing with them for a while, and draining some of their energy, the two of them each prepared a small crossbody bag stuffed full of self-defense items and went out to hunt for food.
Minfeng was once the location of Jingjue, an ancient city of the Western Regions. The name “Niya” had been passed down from ancient times to the present. Even today, many places locally were named with “Niya,” including hotels, restaurants, and the famous black chicken, all of which had this name attached to the front.
Jiang Qingyu had long since decided he wanted to eat Niya black chicken. Forgive him; he was still not tired of big plate chicken. It was simply too delicious.
Fu Jingqiu had a large appetite, so they could also order nan bread-wrapped meat. Jiang Qingyu could take a couple bites and taste it.
He chose a shop with a very good reputation. When they arrived, it was exactly mealtime. There were a few locals inside, but at a glance, there were actually still more tourists.
Their obviously tourist-like appearance also attracted some attention to some extent. Fu Jingqiu kept a stern face the whole time, looking very intimidating, even a little like a cold-faced bodyguard.
Together with his height advantage, no one dared to look too freely, and they quickly shifted their gazes away.
Jiang Qingyu took the menu and looked. Sure enough, the prices had risen a bit. Because he had already had experience with this before, he was not too surprised and ordered normally.
The big plate chicken here came in a super-large portion. The amount of meat alone was astonishing. The chicken was tender and flavorful, and the sauce mixed with noodles was especially fragrant.
They also ordered barbecue and yogurt. A table full of protein and carbohydrates—what they ate was the most primitive kind of happiness.
As they ate, they also pricked up their ears to listen to what the diners at the neighboring tables were chatting about.
They had traveled alone the whole way and had not dealt much with other people. Their only way of understanding the current situation was through the internet.
However, the information that could be seen online was limited after all. Most people did not post everything online. Instead, this kind of method was more direct and comprehensive.
“I heard from the boss next door that if things keep going like this, prices will keep rising. We can’t go back now. Where would we get so much money to keep burning here? I don’t get it. It’s just a few zombies. Can’t they get some drones or something to sweep through and shoot them all down? Is it that hard?”
“How could it be that simple? You just aim at the one in front, and your teammate behind you mutates. Who can handle that? It’s too easy for things to become chaotic. Don’t talk like it’s effortless. If we hadn’t come out on a road trip, maybe we’d already be zombies right now.”
“I heard online that this zombie virus came out of some unknown laboratory. Big cities, you know, with people traveling and going on business trips back and forth. The flow of people is so huge that it can’t be controlled at all.”
“Hey, do you think someone carrying the virus might have happened to fly over here to travel during those two days?”
“That’s really hard to say.”
“Then I’ll wish they turn into zombies outside, preferably in an uninhabited area. They’d better not run over here and harm us.”
“What are you thinking? To the locals, you’re the one causing harm.”
The last guy’s comment was so sharp that Jiang Qingyu almost laughed out loud. He pretended to cough a couple of times, acting as if he had choked, while drinking tea and making faces at Fu Jingqiu.
Fu Jingqiu naturally heard their conversation too.
If it was so-called viral transmission, then their current situation would indeed be a little better. But he had not forgotten the zombie Jiang Qingyu had seen beside the reservoir last night. Clearly, this place was no longer that safe.
They had eaten more than half of their food when someone suddenly slipped over to their table. Acting extremely familiar, he pulled a chair over and sat beside them, asking Jiang Qingyu, “Brother, where are you from?”
Jiang Qingyu: ? Who is your brother?
This person looked to be in his thirties. Although his face was squeezed full of smiles, he did not look like the kind of person with a kind face.
Although one ideally should not judge people by appearance, Jiang Qingyu still instinctively did not want to deal with this kind of person. And could he not see that they were eating? What was he coming over to strike up a conversation for? To mooch food?
Before he could speak, Fu Jingqiu’s hand landed on the stranger’s shoulder. With slight pressure, he made the man turn his face toward him. “Is something the matter?”
Sure enough, the man turned his head and looked at Fu Jingqiu, sizing him up from top to bottom. In his heart, he secretly reached a conclusion: this person was not easy to talk to.
So he turned his face back again and grinned at Jiang Qingyu. “I heard your accent when you were ordering just now. We’re fellow townsmen, right?”
What utter nonsense! How were their accents the same?
The man clicked his tongue against his teeth. “Let’s discuss something. Look, we’re all strangers in this unfamiliar place. When fellow townsmen meet, we still have to help each other out. Looking at how willing you are to order dishes, how about lending your buddy some money?”
