Encountering Humans

Su Chen had just received the keys to his new RV. It was a silver metallic key, intricately designed with a hollow center and decorative carvings along the edges.

After staying at this base for about a day and a half, and having already explored most of the surrounding mountains and rivers, Su Chen decided it was time to hit the road again.

He had a simple breakfast of bread and water, took care of some basic daily needs, and then prepared to set off.

Compared to the previous days, today's temperature was slightly warmer, but wearing a heavy winter coat was still a necessity.

He put a custom-made coat on Er Bao, his companion, which fit the little dog perfectly. Er Bao looked a bit shy, but for Su Chen, who was still adapting to his new role as a "rookie dad," getting this right felt like a great accomplishment.

After all, Su Chen was just a college student who had only recently started university. Despite his inexperience, he had taken exceptional care of Er Bao in their time together.

From a cozy sleeping nest to carefully planned meals, Su Chen made sure Er Bao's every need was met. Interestingly, after being used to a diet of rich meat and fish, Su Chen found that plain bread tasted surprisingly decent.

Inserting the key into the ignition, Su Chen turned it, and the RV's engine roared to life. The motion felt strangely familiar yet still somewhat foreign to him.

The new RV's interior was a significant upgrade compared to the previous one, offering a much more comfortable and user-friendly driving experience.

This improvement was worth praising. Long hours behind the wheel could be incredibly tiring, so having a well-designed, aesthetically pleasing interior could greatly enhance the overall driving experience and vehicle efficiency.

Su Chen had always enjoyed playing racing simulation games. Back at home, he could spend hours immersed in those thrilling virtual races.

But driving in reality was a completely different experience—less exciting and far more exhausting. While there were no speed limits here, Su Chen was so accustomed to the slower speeds of the past that he found it hard to adjust to driving faster.

There was no GPS here—only endless stretches of highway and the surrounding scenery. Su Chen's landing zone appeared to resemble the inland regions of his own world, with mountains and lakes but no sight of the ocean.

Yesterday, he had passed by a mountain that reminded him of the infamous scene where Zhang Dongsheng pushed his in-laws down the cliff. This uncanny resemblance reinforced his belief that the terrain here was modeled after China's geography. However, unlike in the real world, there were no buildings here—everything was replaced by greenery.

Considering this, Su Chen felt relatively fortunate. If he had landed in a desert, his progress would likely have lagged far behind the average player.

After driving for nearly half an hour, Su Chen finally spotted something in the grass by the roadside—a mysterious blind box sticking out. After so long on the road without encountering anything of interest, this discovery was exhilarating.

He immediately stopped the RV and got out to investigate. Holding a hoe in his right hand for self-defense in case the box contained something dangerous, Su Chen cautiously approached.

Although he doubted the hoe would offer much protection, it provided him with at least some sense of security.

Opening the blind box revealed a few bottles of mineral water and 50 liters of gasoline—useful resources that helped replenish his supplies.

Su Chen took stock of his inventory. While he had plenty of items, some, like apples, were perishable and wouldn't last long even if stored in the refrigerator.

Not being particularly fond of apples, Su Chen decided to list them on the trading platform to see if anyone was interested. Fruits like apples and bananas were usually more popular with women.

Since upgrading his RV, Su Chen didn't have any pressing material needs, so he was happy to trade excess supplies for something useful. Trading was fairly common here, and transactions usually went smoothly.

After spending several days here, Su Chen had already adapted to this way of life and even found himself starting to enjoy it.

However, enjoying life required resources—at the very least, enough food and supplies to sustain oneself.

While money didn't hold any value here, the underlying principle was the same: survival depended on one's own efforts. Every resource here had to be earned through exploration and hard work.

The biggest difference was the stark disparity between the haves and the have-nots. Back in the real world, money determined social status, and some people were born with privileges others could only dream of.

Here, however, everyone started on equal footing. Everything had to be earned through personal effort, creating a more balanced, albeit harsh, mini-society.

In this cold and unforgiving world, failing to secure food in time could easily lead to starvation—a harsh reality that weighed heavily on Su Chen.

He was particularly worried about whether his current resources could sustain his basic needs. No matter how much he worked, it always felt like his expenses outpaced his gains.

Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Su Chen remained vigilant while driving. His serious and focused approach to everything he did was one of his strengths.

As he approached a bend in the road, Su Chen suddenly noticed a large object blocking the highway ahead.

Slowing down, he realized it was a black RV parked horizontally across the road.

This discovery changed everything—if there was an RV, it meant there might be people inside.

"Finally, a living human being," Su Chen muttered to himself, somewhat surprised.

Yet, he hesitated. Having grown accustomed to living alone, the idea of adding another person to his survival routine wasn't exactly appealing.

Surviving alone was already challenging enough. Adding someone else would introduce countless uncertainties and additional burdens.

Su Chen stepped on the brakes and honked repeatedly, but there was no response from the other vehicle.

Technically, he could just drive off-road and bypass the obstruction. His RV was sturdy enough to push the other vehicle aside if necessary.

However, old habits die hard, and Su Chen instinctively followed the traffic norms he was used to.

"What's going on here? Blocking the road like this—don't they have any manners?" Su Chen grumbled, increasingly irritated by the lack of consideration.

Just as he was about to get out and voice his frustrations, the door of the black RV opened. A young woman, who didn't look very old but appeared frail and malnourished, stepped out, followed by a skinny dog trailing behind her.

At first glance, nothing seemed unusual. But as they approached, Su Chen noticed the woman's gaunt face, evidence of prolonged hunger.

The dog, hiding timidly behind her, whimpered weakly, its voice barely audible.

"Water... Mama, I want water," it murmured pitifully.

Seeing the woman's frail figure, Su Chen suppressed his frustration.

The woman finally spoke, her voice weak and pleading. "Could you spare us a little water? And maybe some food if possible?"

Su Chen's instincts told him something was off. Was this woman trying to freeload?

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