Shall We Form an Alliance?

After resting at the foot of the mountain for two days, most of the surrounding resources had already been used up.

"We need to hit the road today. We've been staying here long enough."

Su Chen tucked his handgun into his pocket. He finally had enough energy to drive again.

Starting the RV, the rhythmic "beep beep" of the horn sounded as the vehicle rolled forward.

Without a GPS, Su Chen had no clear destination in mind. He could only rely on his instincts and drive aimlessly.

Er Bao sat in the passenger seat, watching Su Chen drive, while the horse stayed in the storage compartment—it preferred solitude.

About half an hour later, Su Chen spotted a mystery box by the roadside.

It was strange that no one had picked it up.

"Could it be a trap?"

Taking a few steps back, Su Chen aimed his gun and fired directly at the box.

If a monster jumped out, he could shoot it on the spot!

In theory, he would never run out of bullets.

The moment the bullets hit the box, a small hole was blasted into it.

A normal box wouldn't explode from a simple shot.

Through the tiny opening, he could vaguely see something red inside.

Su Chen stood still for a few seconds, observing the box. There was no movement from within.

"Looks like it's just supplies."

He stepped forward and tore open the mystery box.

The sight inside left him completely dumbfounded.

"Seriously? People are this extravagant nowadays?"

"I actually got a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes?"

Su Chen had been in this world for a long time and hadn't smoked at all.

Of course, he knew smoking was harmful to health.

He wasn't addicted—he only smoked occasionally to relieve stress.

Back in the day, after class, he'd squat outside and take a drag, finding it incredibly relaxing.

Seeing cigarettes again genuinely surprised him.

Maybe one day, he'd even find some champagne.

Enhance!

[Ding! Congratulations, Host! Enhancement successful! One pack of Zhonghua has been upgraded to five cartons!]

Five cartons? That's fifty packs in total.

Damn, that's enough to last for a long time.

But something seemed off—these Zhonghua cigarettes looked a little different from what Su Chen remembered.

Zhonghua Cigarettes: Smoking can regulate emotions and refresh the mind. A must-have for mental clarity. (These cigarettes have been specially processed and contain no harmful effects. Please enjoy with confidence.)

Su Chen had never smoked Zhonghua before, so he immediately opened a pack and placed a cigarette between his lips.

A faint scent of plum blossoms lingered in the air.

He didn't have a lighter, but that wasn't a problem.

There was a fire starter in the RV, and worst case, he could always use the stove.

Turning on the flame, he lit the cigarette and took a deep drag.

Squatting down, he savored the moment.

"Mmm… as expected of Zhonghua! The taste is phenomenal."

It had a rich, smooth flavor—mellow, not harsh on the throat, and completely non-irritating.

"Must be the soft pack version," he murmured.

Even though it was his first time smoking Zhonghua, he had heard of its reputation.

Soft pack Zhonghua was known for being smoother compared to the hard pack.

Just as Su Chen was enjoying his cigarette, a man's voice suddenly called out.

"Hey, kid! What are you smoking over there?"

"Is that a cigarette in your hand?"

Su Chen had been too focused on enjoying his smoke and hadn't noticed anyone approaching.

Turning around, he saw a man with a pockmarked face.

The guy wasn't very tall—about 1.7 meters.

He swaggered toward Su Chen, followed closely by another man.

The second man was stocky, a bit taller than the pockmarked guy by half a head.

From their body language, it was obvious they were together.

They both looked like your typical street thugs.

Su Chen stood up, watching them approach.

Height-wise, he completely towered over them. However, they had the advantage in numbers.

Su Chen wasn't sure what they wanted, so he decided to wait and see.

The pockmarked man smirked.

"Hey, kid. You just got yourself some cigarettes, huh? How about sharing a little?"

"Brother Liu, this kid's got Zhonghua!"

The fat man glanced at Su Chen with disdain.

"Kid, good stuff like this shouldn't be kept to yourself."

Before Su Chen could react, the fat man reached out and snatched the pack of cigarettes from his hand.

He took one for himself and then handed another to the pockmarked man.

Su Chen didn't get angry—wasting emotions on people like this wasn't worth it.

"Brothers, what exactly do you want?"

His tone remained respectful.

The pockmarked man spoke first.

"Kid, why don't you join us? Right now, it's just the two of us, but before long, we'll have hundreds, maybe even thousands of followers. If you join now, you'll be our third-in-command."

Su Chen wasn't interested.

In a world where people lived out of RVs, forming a massive alliance was completely unrealistic.

"I'll pass. If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way."

He turned to leave, but before he could reach the RV door, the fat man blocked his path.

"Hey, let me ask you again. Are you joining us or not?"

His tone was aggressive, like Su Chen had no choice but to say yes.

"You don't get to refuse, brat. You're joining us whether you like it or not!"

The pockmarked man chimed in.

"Yeah, yeah! Brother Liu is talking to you. Are you deaf?"

It was clear who was in charge here.

The fat man was slightly shorter than Su Chen. He wasn't particularly muscular, but his sheer bulk gave him an imposing presence.

Fighting them off and forcing his way into the RV wasn't an option—the fat man's body completely blocked the door.

"Three people sharing one RV? How would we even drive?"

Su Chen didn't immediately draw his gun. Instead, he tried reasoning with them.

But that only made them bolder.

The pockmarked man grabbed Su Chen's sleeve.

"Come on, we're willing to take you in. There's plenty of food in the car. If you're hungry, help yourself."

His words sounded generous, but his tone was dripping with condescension.

Su Chen had no patience for this nonsense. He just wanted to leave.

Dealing with thugs like them was a waste of time—especially with how short the daylight hours were.

His initial good mood was already gone, replaced by irritation.

Growing impatient, Su Chen snapped, "You two grown men are being awfully clingy. Just say what you want and stop wasting my time."

Er Bao, who had been napping in the RV, was startled awake by Su Chen's sudden outburst.

Dazed, the dog stumbled toward the door—only to see the fat man blocking Su Chen's way.

Realizing that his owner was being harassed, Er Bao immediately flared up.

"Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"

It barked furiously.

The fat man turned around upon hearing the noise.

"Oh? What a feisty little mutt!"

Su Chen gestured for Er Bao to stop barking.

He still wasn't entirely sure what these two really wanted.

If they were simply looking to form an alliance, then it just meant Su Chen was too charismatic for his own good.

But if they had other intentions…

Su Chen wasn't afraid in the slightest.

____________

T/N: If you want to read chapters a ahead,

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