154 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

As time ticked by, there was still no word from the people the military had sent over. Commander Yang tightly closed his eyes. They had already lost quite a few people due to Chen Wan, and continuing this way would only lead to a bottomless pit. However, if he left things be, he wasn't comfortable having such an unstable element so close at hand. Qingji City was originally under his control, and Commander Yang did not want Chen Wan and her group to incite any riots. If he couldn’t eliminate them, perhaps offering them supplies in exchange for their voluntary departure from Qingji City would be a viable option. It would be unfortunate for those who had previously perished, but Commander Yang decided to prioritize his interests. There couldn't be anyone challenging his authority in Qingji City. Once he figured this out, he resolved to have his personal guard negotiate the departure with Chen Wan and her group the following morning. On Chen Wan's side, even after eliminating General Sun and his men, they remained vigilant. They continued their shifts as planned by Chen Wan, keeping watch in pairs. She and Jiang Yanxin were on the shift from midnight to 3 AM, so she first took the little one for a wash to get ready for sleep. Cai Cai was exhausted after a long day. Physically, she wasn't that tired but had expended too much mental energy, so she was very sleepy. While Chen Wan washed her face, Cai Cai was so drowsy that she could hardly open her eyes. Finding Cai Cai endearing, Chen Wan kissed her little face before gently putting her to bed for a good night's sleep. So exhausted was Cai Cai that she fell asleep as soon as Chen Wan placed her in the small bed. Chen Wan and Jiang Yanxin then took the opportunity to rest as every moment the RV wasn't upgraded posed a threat. When Chen Wan and Jiang Yanxin took over the night watch from Qin Ke and her partner, it began to drizzle outside. Half an hour later, it had turned into a downpour, with no signs of stopping. Chen Wan looked outside at the rain, starting to worry. Fortunately, the military did not dispatch anyone else that night. However, by morning, the rain had yet to cease. Around six in the morning, Chen Wan diced a large piece of pork and, after bringing out two bags of sweet soybean paste, prepared a big bowl of soybean paste sauce. Having only had porridge for dinner the night before, Chen Wan was quite hungry. Once the sauce was ready, she began cooking noodles, serving everyone a full bowl. After Cai Cai had washed up with Jiang Yanxin, the aroma of the sauce drew her out. Chen Wan filled Cai Cai’s small bowl with noodles, drizzling over a generous spoonful of the sauce and mixing it until it was thoroughly blended before handing it to her. The sight of delicious food immediately dispelled Cai Cai’s sleepiness. Soybean paste noodles were a novel food for her, and after just a couple of bites, she was wide awake. She found it delicious and loved it! With her little hands, Cai Cai kept picking up noodles and chunks of pork, stuffing them into her mouth, adorably getting paste all over her cheeks. Around 7 AM, Cai Cai noticed something, tugging Chen Wan to the front windshield and pointing a little finger at the street outside the district. "Mommy, it seems like bad guys are coming again. There’re six cars this time~" Cai Cai could count from one to ten, so she provided Chen Wan with an accurate number. The rainfall outside gradually eased, but the sky remained gloomy as Chen Wan looked into the distance with a slight frown. Chen Wan directed Jiang Wannin and the others, who currently lacked combat capabilities, to the second floor, advising them to stay clear of any sudden developments to avoid getting caught in any unforeseen events. The remaining members prepared for the arrival of the group. Unlike previous occasions, the military vehicles drove into the community, stopping at a distance from Chen Wan and her group. Chen Wan lowered the surrounding steel panels for better observation of the military’s antics. Through a loudspeaker, the military vehicles communicated with them: "Chen Wan, Commander Yang knows everything you've been doing. Qingji City can't accommodate those who disregard orders. But Commander Yang is merciful and is willing to give you two cars full of supplies in exchange for your departure from Qingji City. Otherwise, you will face relentless attacks." Chen Wan let out a cold laugh. Unable to defeat them, they resorted to using supplies as bait. But they weren't interested in staying in Qingji City anyhow; once their RV upgrade was successful, they'd leave immediately. Utilizing her RV's loudspeaker, Chen Wan replied, "Alright, what supplies do you have? If we're satisfied, we’ll leave by noon, as promised." "One car of instant noodles and compressed biscuits, the other with mutant fish meat. I’ll have them drive the cars over," the Captain of the Guards had two soldiers drive the supply vehicles closer before quickly retreating. Seeing the vehicles approaching, Chen Wan announced through the loudspeaker, "We don't like being monitored. Once it's past noon, we’ll leave, and you’ll see through the checkpoints around Qingji City that we’ve gone." The Captain of the Guards considered the command not to engage in conflict and, remembering the fate of those who previously confronted Chen Wan and her group, readily consented to their proposal of leaving after noon. "Alright, those two vehicles of supplies are left for you." Following that, the Captain retreated with the remaining four vehicles towards the outskirts of the community. "Realizing they couldn't win through force, they came up with a new plan. Knowing it would end like this, why did they send so many before? These leaders sure care only for their skin." Chen Wan sighed, opening the RV door and, with Qin Ke, bringing the two supply vehicles next to their RV. Though they spoke of two cars of supplies, the vehicles weren’t large—ordinary military cars, modified to serve as cargo transports, emptied of backseats for storing goods. While the amount wasn’t vast, the supplies were practical. However, mutant fish meat risked spoiling, so Chen Wan and her group moved it onto the octopus truck, planning to handle it after upgrading the RV. The Captain of the Guards reported back, relaying the news that Chen Wan and her companions would leave after noon. Commander Yang instructed him to monitor Qingji City's checkpoints and report their departure promptly. As time passed, noon arrived, and Chen Wan received a notification in her mind from Yi Yi: “Congratulations, the RV has successfully upgraded to level five.” Yi Yi's announcement brought Chen Wan relief; they could finally drive away. She asked Yi Yi to check the upgrade benefits, quickly receiving the information: "RV leveled up to five. Reward: a mechanical arm. System scan range extends to 120 meters. Added: a new 15-square-meter room (with a bathroom) opposite Qin Ke’s room on the second floor. Compressed space increases to 150 square meters. Fuel and water tanks upgraded to 22,400 liters. Host gains an opportunity to enhance abilities. The RV can now transform for aquatic travel." At the mention of aquatic travel, Chen Wan felt at ease. With frequent rain recently and even the military constructing boats, an ominous feeling loomed inside her. However, knowing their RV could handle water gave her peace of mind, ensuring they wouldn’t drown. Chen Wan installed the final mechanical arm, completing the RV’s upgrades. Satisfied, she dispersed her additional attribute points into strength. Intending to leave soon, they concentrated on moving the supplies into the compressed space. They prioritized relocating all mutant beast meat inside. This included half a truck of mutant pork from the leopard, some new mutant fish provided by the military, and the remaining mutant octopus meat. The military’s instant noodles and compressed biscuits, along with half of the rice and flour from the leopard’s truck, were stored in the compressed space. After completing this task, the space was filled, leaving half a truck's worth of rice and flour outside. Additionally, they rummaged through the armored vehicle previously driven by General Yao, finding 10 light machine guns, eight rifles, 20 pistols, two crates of ammunition, and 10 bulletproof vests. While bulletproof vests remained useful, the firearms and ammunition didn’t hold much utility for Chen Wan and her group, given their existing stockpile. The remaining rice and flour required transport via their truck, posing an inconvenience. Chen Wan thought it might be worthwhile to trade these less useful items for crystal cores at a checkpoint market after leaving Qingji City. The firearms and ammo from the armored vehicle were also placed in the half-loaded truck, so they only had to tow one vehicle behind their RV, minimizing hassle. Yi Yi absorbed the emptied trucks and military vehicles into the system, along with the four large armored vehicles. Though smaller in size than trucks, armored vehicles' intricate materials meant that building one required the material equivalent of three trucks. With preparations complete, Chen Wan and Qin Ke securely fastened the towing ropes between the truck and the RV, and the group set off towards the outskirts of Qingji City. Forty minutes later, they arrived at a checkpoint on the city’s edge, cautiously driving about a hundred meters past before pulling over to the roadside. Chen Wan took a large sheet of paper and wrote "Rice, Flour, Guns, Ammunition for Sale" on it, laying a sheet on the ground nearby. She placed a light machine gun, a rifle, and a pistol on the sheet, using the sign to attract attention. Since traffic moved through this checkpoint daily, Chen Wan believed there was a good chance the goods would sell quickly. Soon, a small convoy consisting of five compact cars and a minibus rolled in, noticing Chen Wan’s setup and pulling over gradually. The leader of the convoy, a Big Beard, inquired, "What’s the price for those things? What’s the trade?" Chen Wan lowered the passenger window slightly, replying, "We’re only interested in crystal cores, so it depends on how many you can offer." Within Big Beard’s group, they had two ability users who frequently dealt with zombies, but guns and ammunition were scarce. In the apocalypse, defending against others was as important as fighting zombies, and guns were the best defense. Their team only had five guns, two of which were powder-carbines, so they really needed firearms. "We have crystal cores. How much ammo do you have? Could you cut us a deal if we buy everything?" Big Beard suggested. "We're selling a total of 10 light machine guns, 8 rifles, 20 pistols, and two crates of ammunition. If your offer on crystal cores is reasonable, they’re yours," Chen Wan replied. Big Beard conferred with the woman beside him, then offered, "How about 1,000 level-1 zombie crystal cores?" Chen Wan chuckled and shook her head, "I don't need those, but I'm not gullible either. The two crates of ammo alone are worth more than that. If you’re not interested, let’s forget it. That offer is way off." Slightly embarrassed, Big Beard realized that to have so many desirable goods to sell, Chen Wan’s group must not be weak. They wisely kept any ulterior motives at bay. Aware that guns were unlike regular supplies and rarely sold, especially since prices were exorbitant on the black market, Big Beard made another attempt, "Okay, how about 2,000 level-2 zombie crystal cores plus 1,000 level-1 ones?" Chen Wan considered the offer, then replied, "Big man, add a little more. Guns, unlike other items, can be used as long as you have ammo. If you increase your offer, I’ll sell it cheaper." Big Beard gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, I’ll add 500 more level-2 zombie crystal cores, but that’s my limit. We also exchange goods with others for crystal cores." "Alright, deal," Chen Wan agreed, "Prepare your crystal cores, and I’ll ready the guns and ammo." With that, she and Qin Ke got out of the vehicle. Big Beard had his people bring out the crates of crystal cores. Chen Wan moved the guns and ammo, letting Yi Yi check the numbers. Once confirmed, she loaded the crystal cores onto the RV. Inspecting the quality of the firearms, Big Beard’s crew was visibly pleased—everything was brand new, well worth the cores spent. Smiling, Big Beard said to Chen Wan, "Pleasure doing business with you. These guns are in great condition. You’ve been a real lifesaver today." "Of course, I only carry quality guns," Chen Wan replied with a smile. With their new acquisition, Big Beard’s group drove into Qingji City, while Chen Wan revised her sign, removing the guns and ammo to focus on selling rice and flour, awaiting the next buyer. Yi Yi had already absorbed the crates of crystal cores into the system, bringing their total to 9,741 level-2 zombie cores and 8,123 level-1 zombie cores. Simultaneously, the news of Chen Wan's group leaving Qingji City reached Commander Yang. The checkpoint guards reported that Chen Wan’s group hadn’t gone far, setting up a stall to sell goods nearby. Commander Yang ordered them not to interfere but instructed that if Chen Wan attempted to re-enter Qingji City, they should be stopped immediately. He didn’t want to see her group in the city again.