Chapter 24: Small Fuel Extraction Workstation Blueprints
In the dimly lit truck, Ryan lit a candle.
After all this time, both of them were feeling a bit exhausted.
Ryan took out a bottle of mineral water and started drinking. Then he ate a piece of chocolate to replenish some of his energy.
Leo Qin leaned against the truck bed, sitting on the ground. He took out alcohol and bandages from his system backpack.
"Did Candy tell you where the location is? Is it far from here?" Leo Qin asked Ryan while treating his shoulder wound.
Ryan tossed the chocolate wrapper aside.
He looked up at Leo Qin but didn't say anything.
Although they had communicated a few times, it was indeed their first meeting.
Since it was their first interaction, they needed to be a bit more cautious.
Moreover, the upcoming collaboration could involve life-threatening risks…
Candy's abilities should not be underestimated.
She was clearly much stronger than those mindless zombies.
If Leo Qin suddenly changed his mind midway or did something to betray him, it could spell disaster.
Therefore, it was best for both parties in this collaboration to become a community of interest.
If either side betrayed the other, it would lead to a complete loss for everyone involved.
Thus, Ryan wanted to take the initiative in their partnership.
Firstly, it was Leo Qin who actively requested this collaboration.
Secondly, he could be considered Ryan's lifesaver.
Additionally, there was some information Ryan had learned from the administrator that he couldn't conveniently disclose to Leo Qin.
Therefore, having the initiative in the collaboration, particularly regarding who would give the orders during the hunt for Candy, was extremely important.
After some consideration, Ryan spoke up, "What I'm really curious about is, what exactly is the blueprints you purchased for? I hope you'll provide a clear answer, as it relates to whether our collaboration can proceed."
Leo Qin poured alcohol onto his hunting knife, briefly disinfected it, and then inserted it into his wound to extract a steel ball.
After that, he poured the remaining half bottle of alcohol directly onto the wound.
"Ugh..." Leo Qin let out a breath.
The burning sensation of the alcohol on his wound was like pouring salt into it.
He picked up some gauze to start bandaging himself but did not directly answer Ryan's question: "You don't need to worry about the specifics of the blueprints, I've already said that all the seized supplies belong to you."
Ryan chuckled softly, "I don't care about those supplies. Besides, if I kill her, wouldn't those supplies rightfully be mine?"
"Uh... no, no." Leo Qin shook his head. "I'll help you. You won't even have to lift a finger or do it yourself, you just need to lure her out, and I'll take her down with my compound bow."
"Oh, by the way, you should return the compound bow to me, right?" Leo Qin said, cleaning the blood-stained hunting knife in his hand.
"Return it to you?" Ryan replied with an incredulous expression.
He pointed towards the front of the truck, "To rescue you, I not only charged into a horde of zombies but also took a bullet head-on. The windshield of the truck is shattered, doesn't that count as risking my life to save you?"
Leo Qin closed his mouth, Ryan was indeed correct.
In fact, from the very beginning, he had already prepared for the worst.
Leo Qin originally thought that when Ryan learned about his predicament, he would certainly leave without offering any help.
"And besides, when I shot those two scavengers, you seemed to display a great deal of distrust, didn't you?" Ryan said coldly, bringing all his intensity to bear.
Upon hearing this, Leo Qin felt even more ashamed.
He could feel a slight heat rising in his cheeks.
It seemed that, in both emotion and reason, the young man was absolutely right.
"And how do you repay a lifesaving favor?" Ryan raised an eyebrow. "You've used me up and now want to take back the compound bow. What's your plan? Are you waiting for the negotiations to fall apart so you can use it to kill me?"
"And you also know that you might not be Candy's match." Ryan continued, pulling out a piece of beef jerky and starting to tear into it. "You're afraid that if she has a gun and realizes your intentions, you won't get a second chance, right?"
"The fact that you're willing to risk your life and even offer so much shows just how important that blueprints is." Ryan analyzed further.
He looked up and gave Leo Qin a smile. "Could it be something related to a certain resource?"
Ryan's eyes were fixed on Leo Qin.
He carefully observed his every move and the reactions on his face.
He needed to know what that blueprints was in order to gain more leverage.
Ryan's initial speculation was that the blueprints was for a water filtration system.
If it was indeed the blueprints he possessed, he could demand other benefits in advance.
But if the blueprints was very appealing...
Ryan naturally wanted to get a piece of the action.
"Let me think." Leo Qin said, looking into the young man's eyes, seeing a shrewdness that didn't quite match his appearance.
When Ryan was analyzing the situation, Leo Qin felt a flicker of fear.
He felt that even though he hadn't said much, Ryan seemed to have completely figured him out.
Whether it was the concerns in his heart or his thoughts about the blueprints.
Ryan had seen right through them all!
Leo Qin felt as though his thoughts had been completely laid bare to the young man before him.
In fact, from the moment Ryan decisively killed the two scavengers, Leo Qin knew this guy was not ordinary.
He definitely possessed strong willpower and the determination to accomplish anything.
Leo Qin clearly remembered that when he was young and killed a fawn, it was only after encouragement from his father and a lot of mental preparation that he finally mustered the courage to act.
Clearly, Ryan had set his sights on his blueprints from the very beginning.
And all of his subsequent actions revolved around that blueprints.
It was evident that if he was unwilling to disclose or share the blueprints any longer, tonight's collaboration would fall apart.
And if that were the case, the compound bow would surely be out of the question.
At that point, trying to deal with Candy, who might have a gun and accomplices, would likely be an even greater challenge...
"Really, I can't outsmart you cunning city folks." Leo Qin sighed, a bitter smile appearing on his lips, he seemed to have no other choice.
"Alright, come closer, and I'll show you the blueprints information on my system panel."
"Just send it to me directly." Ryan said, his eyes cold.
He was also on guard against Leo Qin.
The partition door leading from the driver's cabin to the cargo area was still open.
Ryan took out the beef jerky despite not being hungry, intending to keep Buddy's attention focused here.
Leo Qin was sitting on the side close to the partition door, if he wanted to harm himself, Ryan could give a command, and Buddy would quickly rush out to bite Leo Qin's unsuspecting neck.
After all, one must always be cautious of others.
Moreover, Ryan had never seen Leo Qin's vehicle.
Even when Ryan checked the live map near the factory area, he hadn't spotted any players' trucks nearby.
Therefore, Ryan deduced that Leo Qin might be a killer player.
He had also killed players from the same spawn point early in the game and obtained their vehicle core.
After upgrading his vehicle to level 2, he had unlocked the "Portable Storage" feature as well.
Until he understood Leo Qin's background and whether he could be fully trusted, it was wise to remain cautious.
Leo Qin sensed Ryan's strong distrust.
He looked down at the hunting knife in his hand, feeling that asking Ryan to come closer was indeed a bit inappropriate.
"Uh, don't get me wrong. What you just said makes a lot of sense. I'm willing to tell you the contents of the blueprints, I just thought you might not believe me, which is why I wanted to show you the system panel." Leo Qin said as he opened his system panel.
After trying for a moment, he looked troubled and said, "Damn, it seems I can't forward it."
"Just take a look directly." Leo Qin enlarged his system panel and then activated the mirror inversion.
Once Ryan saw the contents on the screen, his eyes lit up.
[Small Oil Extraction Station Blueprints]
[Level: A]
[Function: Placed on the ground, it can extract crude oil from deep in the soil and convert it into fuel usable for vehicles.]
[Extraction Speed: 100 units (per hour)]
[Materials Required: Metal Materials x50, Plastic Parts x4, Engine x1, Battery x1, Radiator x1, Electronic Components x2, Fuel Tank x1]
This was indeed a valuable blueprint!
Now Ryan understood the worth of this blueprints.
He looked at Leo Qin and said, "Sell me this blueprints, and I'll supply you with all the items for free in the future. What do you think?"