Chapter 5: Chainsaw and Knife

Smart appliances are now ubiquitous, and the era of surplus new energy has rendered the sound of fuel engines a rarity for Luo Di,

The vintage fuel chainsaws remind him of his favorite movie,

Without realizing it, he has already reached the counter,

"Young man, interested in chainsaws? You look strong, want to give it a try?" With a muscular physique, the store owner naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity to make a sale, especially since few people buy chainsaws these days.

"I'll take a look."

The store is crowded with retro oil saws, but there are also several new electric saws with high-performance batteries, which are better in terms of charging methods, portability, and power than traditional oil saws.

Luo Di's fingers slide between the chainsaw teeth, sniffing the smell of gasoline from the engine bay, as if transported back to the most classic hunting scene in the movie.

But his rational mind quickly took over, his gaze falling on the price tags.

The vintage oil saws are priced around 2600-3000 Rubles, which is a couple hundred or so in his country's currency, while the new electric saws cost at least three times as much.

At this moment,

A delicate face also came close, peering at the chainsaws with Luo Di.

"Do you like this sort of thing? It's good too. Our simulation practice is set in a certain forest region; this thing might be useful, maybe for sawing wood to make a fire.

Buy this one~ This looks good."

The class president pointed to a silver-plated portable electric saw, priced at 25,000 Rubles.

This price was obviously too high for Luo Di, who waved his hand to decline.

But the class president had already picked up the silver-plated saw and was bringing it to the counter, "The place we are going to has no gasoline supply. Once the gasoline runs out, those cheap goods are useless. Plus, it's big and not convenient to carry.

Don't worry about the money, as long as we pass the practice, its value is far beyond the cost of these items.

Even if my father came, he would definitely pick the most expensive and the best for you; it's called effective investing, understand?"

During his two years of high school, other than interactions in the class, Luo Di hadn't had any excess interaction with the class president, and this sudden enthusiasm caught him somewhat off guard.

However, he didn't refuse,

The class president's choice, the silver-plated electric saw, genuinely had its appeal, being a brand new product with retracting functionality.

With just a press of a button on the side, the "saw blade" protruding outside could fold back in, looking like a small, neat silver briefcase, of a suitable weight, easier to manage and more powerful than a fuel-loaded oil saw.

Although Luo Di was keen to recreate the authentic movie scene, taking into account the particularity of the practice, it seemed better to be safe.

"Thank you."

When taking the electric saw, Luo Di also noticed the very famous company logo etched on the surface of the machine.

Luke Electronics (encased within an arc-shaped halo around the word Lok)

Focusing on the manufacture of modern smart power equipment, the quality was guaranteed to be secure.

As Luo Di was feeling the brand-new sensation of the electric saw through touch, the class president had already moved to a knife store some ten meters away,

"Luo Di~ Do you want to pick out a knife too? After all, using a chainsaw for self-defense is a bit much; I've never seen anyone use this for protection.

Also, my family tutor taught me one thing, relying too much on electrical power is not a good thing, and tools that rely directly on our own biological energy are the safest."

"Okay."

Luo Di didn't mind, after all, it was the class president's money.

In the end, he chose a machete suitable for his own style, almost the same model as the one in the movie "Black Friday," and the moment he grasped the solid wooden handle, his arm instinctively raised and swung towards an uninhabited region.

Swoosh!

The motion was almost exactly like in the movie.

The sound made by the blade cutting through the air was satisfyingly substantial.

This scene was observed by other members; the blonde Anna also became more interested in this boy, muttering to herself:

"I must arm-wrestle this guy when I get the chance."

The class president raised her arm to signal everyone to gather, "We've almost gotten everything we need; now let's head to the City Research Institute, review the details of this simulation practice, and then go through a brief physical examination and sign-off."

"Thanks, my dear Wenwen!"

Anna gave the class leader an enthusiastic bear hug that almost squashed her out of shape, while Gao Yuxuan simply nodded his head politely in gratitude.

Luo Di had already thanked her when he bought the chainsaw, so he didn't say much more.

The vehicle carrying the four high school students made its way to the City Research Institute, an institution qualified to arrange "social practice" for students at the city level or above.

The class leader had everything well-prepared, and the related processes were completed with ease.

However, the institute was deliberately keeping the specifics of the rules a secret, to be explained in detail during tomorrow's ride to the practice region.

"Everybody remember to get to bed early tonight, we've got to meet at the institute's entrance at 06:30 tomorrow morning to set off. Wishing us all smooth sailing on our Simulation Practice!"

"Okay."

After bidding each other farewell,

Luo Di, having parted with everyone, still chose to ride the bus he considered the best value for money. But before he could reach the bus stop, a pure white sports sedan pulled up beside him.

The car window rolled down, and the class leader, with her sunglasses lowered, waved at him quickly.

"Hurry over~ or I'll get points deducted for the photo!"

Luo Di initially approached the back seat of the car, but since it was already piled up with various items, he was forced to sit in the front passenger seat.

"Class leader, you can drive?"

"You can get a learner's license at sixteen. I passed with full marks, so you can rest easy. Where do you live? I'll give you a ride home."

"Number 13 - Resettlement District."

The class leader immediately sat up straight, gripping the steering wheel firmly, and imitated an AI's voice.

"Received! Precision navigation is now activated; a veteran driver with twenty years of experience will serve you throughout the journey."

As she stepped on the gas, the class leader sneaked a glance at the passenger seat, and accidentally caught a glimpse of a faint smile flashing across Luo Di's face.

"Tsk~ It looks like you can smile after all. You've been all stern-faced all day, just like Gao Yuxuan, so boring."

"No."

"By the way, Luo Di~ Today at the institute's physical examination, though your body met the standards, it's not in healthy condition—you're lacking a lot of trace elements."

The class leader switched to one-handed driving, opening the center console with her other hand and pulling out a bottle of vitamins.

"I haven't opened this bottle yet, you take it and use it. Don't be shy with me; as long as we can get through this new type of practice, I'm willing to cover all your school expenses from now on."

"Okay."

Luo Di wasn't shy about accepting it. He had a strong attachment to his physical health, and such body-enhancing supplements were absolutely necessary.

"Class leader, it seems like you didn't buy anything today."

"You mean self-defense gear? I've already prepared it myself, you'll see when the time comes."

"Oh."

Luo Di said no more and turned to look out the window at the swiftly passing city streetscape.

The class leader glanced over once again, seemed like she wanted to say something, but swallowed her words at the last second.

The rest of the ride was silent,

as the car pulled up at the entrance of the Resettlement District. The class leader stuck her head out to take a closer look at the old-style buildings constructed with government funding, her face full of curiosity.

"Which one do you live in?"

Luo Di, carrying the big and small packages he bought today, pointed straight ahead, "The one in the very back."

"Can I come over to hang out at your place sometime, like during the winter or summer vacation?"

"It's better not to."

The class leader quickly picked up on the fleeting displeasure that crossed Luo Di's face when discussing this topic, and his pupils looked a bit strange. She quickly steered the conversation away.

"Alright~ see you tomorrow!"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."