Cheng Shuili's sneer lingered—[Relieved]'s whining was sweet justice. No sympathy here.
She flopped onto the sofa, eyes shut, body loose, mind drifting. Half-dozing, a flicker of worry about the driver's seat's chill sparked a wild idea in her foggy brain: Drive in the sleeping bag.
Sure, the gas pedal might be a hassle, but doable, right?
In her dream, she squirmed, cocooned, wriggling like a caterpillar to tap the pedal. The cart, a total jerk, taunted her, driving her to headbutt the wheel in a rage.
Dawn snapped her awake.
Chuckling at the bizarre dream, Cheng Shuili plotted her day. Extreme Cold loomed, and prep was king. The weather gave no hints—without system leaks, info was locked tight. Sprawled on the sofa, eyes still closed, she sighed. So much missing: hats, ear muffs, scarves, gloves, wool socks.
Her eyes shot open. Was I too chill? Trading all night, yet she'd slept like a rock?
Whatever. Done's done, even if sleep was iffy.
She shuffled to the sink, splashing water to wake her face, then grabbed her "disposable" toothbrush—days old, apocalypse-style. Spitting foam, Wan Yi's DM pinged.
[Wan Yi]: Up? Making breakfast.
[Crow Takes Flight]: Yup.
Unless roasting clowns, she kept it short—say what matters, skip the fluff.
Wan Yi, chipper, fired off more.
[Wan Yi]: Extreme Cold's tomorrow, kinda nervous. Good thing my cart's electric—no fuel freezing. Last night, the channel was wild with antifreeze bids. I snagged cotton clothes in the chaos!
[Crow Takes Flight]: Nice.
Her two-word reply killed Wan Yi's vibe, their chat stalling.
Before breakfast landed, another DM hit.
[Liang Shanbo & Pig Charge]: Crow boss! Got scarves, gloves, stuff like that yesterday. Need 'em? Free, no trade!
Cheng Shuili blinked, thrown. Why her? She wasn't great with this—better ask.
[Liang Shanbo & Pig Charge]: Got no other friends, just know you a bit. Without you, I wouldn't know Extreme Cold's coming. My gear's summer stuff—thickest is this autumn jacket.
[Liang Shanbo & Pig Charge]: Without you, I'd freeze tomorrow. Super grateful, wanna repay you.
[Crow Takes Flight]: Don't sweat it. I do need those. Want anything? I'll trade if I've got it.
[Liang Shanbo & Pig Charge]: I'm good, but these are women's, pink. Boss, you probably
Berzhu froze, picturing a hulking, dark-skinned guy rocking a fluffy pink hat, a flower-dotted pink scarf, white fuzzy gloves, and pink wool socks. Too much.
Her finger slipped, sending the half-message.
[Crow Takes Flight]: No biggie.
Cheng Shuili wasn't a pink fan—cool girls liked edge. But apocalypse? Beggars don't choose.
"You received a gift from player [Liang Shanbo & Pig Charge]: Thermal Fluffy Hat x1, Heavy Winter Long Scarf x1, Thermal Fluffy Gloves x1, Thermal Fluffy Long Socks x1."
Jackpot—gear complete.
She tried the pink hat—snug, ear-warming. The thick scarf swaddled her face, leaving just her eyes. Toasty.
Confidence surged. Wan Yi's breakfast dropped with a note.
[Wan Yi]: Too much water, made extra porridge. Finish it, return the box, I'll refill.
She paused, DMing Berzhu for a bowl.
Berzhu sent a ceramic bowl, no questions. Cheng Shuili eyed it, envious—she'd been stuck with Wan Yi's disposable boxes, reused, stirring grim memories of late-night office takeout. Rough days.
Envy aside, she ladled porridge into Berzhu's bowl, tossing in some veggies, and sent it back.
Berzhu, clueless why Crow wanted a bowl, felt her mouth water. Last real flavor? Crow's shared bite. More food?
She cringed—beggar vibes. But if begging scored tasty grub? Crow, drown me in it!
Blushing, she shook it off. Big hopes, big falls.
Choking on a dry compressed biscuit, she'd expected nothing, so no sting. Then, a steaming bowl of white porridge materialized.
Glistening rice oil shimmered like pearls in dawn's light. Three braised pork chunks—fat-lean, sauce-glazed, red-brown—lined the edge, wafting meaty, spiced heaven.
Meat.
Berzhu's throat bobbed, picturing the pork's melt-in-mouth bliss, fatty layers dissolving.
Green onion flecks floated, a spring spark in the gray apocalypse.
She hesitated—players knew this bowl's worth. Her gifted gear didn't compare.
Swallowing hard, she DM'd Crow.
[Liang Shanbo & Pig Charge]: This… really for me?
Cheng Shuili smirked, prepping her own bowl. A small gesture, big impact—survival's better with allies. Extreme Cold's coming. Let's eat up.