Chapter 37: Friendship Chest

Fortunately, it was just a false alarm.

When making the iron fence, there was a gap larger than expected, allowing the little chick to slip out and run into the rice paddy in the second carriage.

Although some rice was lost, at least the chicken was still there, and there was still hope for the future.

After repairing the fence, Zhao Kuo didn't return to the front carriage. Instead, he went to the electric treadmill and started his pre-sleep workout.

**[Electric Treadmill]**​

**[Requires electricity to operate. Running 10 kilometers daily for seven consecutive days can increase 1 point of Constitution or Strength, up to a maximum of 3 points.]**​

To be honest, running 10 kilometers every day wasn't easy, but for the permanent attribute boost, Zhao Kuo kept at it.

Just as Zhao Kuo was about to finish his 10 kilometers, he felt the train slowly come to a stop.

It was already nighttime, and the outside of the carriage wasn't safe.

Zhao Kuo frowned and quickly returned to the front carriage.

There, he saw Tang Yingying peering through the glass. Outside, in the snow, was a chest they had never seen before.

The chest had a crystal-like texture, looking quite high-end.

"I just noticed it. It must be a high-tier chest," Tang Yingying said, her eyes filled with desire.

Hearing this, Zhao Kuo walked over to Tang Yingying and looked out at the chest.

In the night, the chest glowed enticingly in the snow, exuding an extraordinary aura.

"A high-tier chest… With my current 100% Luck stat, I wonder what I'll get…" Zhao Kuo thought to himself, feeling both surprised and excited.

He knew that in the subway world, any unusual discovery could mean a huge opportunity.

"We need to figure out how to get it inside," Tang Yingying suggested.

Zhao Kuo nodded, quickly thinking of a feasible plan.

It was nighttime, and danger lurked everywhere. The train was safe with the Zhong Kui statue and the fire source, but venturing outside, even with his pendant, was risky.

However, letting such an opportunity slip away didn't sit well with Zhao Kuo.

"Wait, I can use Xiao Bai. Xiao Bai, it's your turn," Zhao Kuo said, shaking his wrist. The little snake, which had been resting, slithered out and grew in size. But when it saw the darkness outside, it showed a hint of fear.

Even mutated creatures feared the night?

Zhao Kuo hadn't expected that the white snake, a native species of the subway world, would also be afraid of the night here.

It seemed that for the supernatural, prey wasn't limited to humans who arrived here.

This was a bit troublesome.

"Maybe I'll try Little Croc. He's a plushie, so he should be fine," Tang Yingying said, releasing her plush crocodile.

As a summoned creature, the plush crocodile had no fear of the night and charged out immediately.

But to their surprise, although the plush crocodile reached the chest, it couldn't pull it back, returning empty-handed.

"Let's try using a hook," Zhao Kuo said, taking out the hemp rope and iron hook he had used to capture Xiao Bai earlier. He gestured for the plush crocodile to try hooking the chest.

The plush crocodile nodded, bit onto the iron hook, and darted out, successfully hooking the chest.

"Nice," Zhao Kuo praised, starting to pull the rope.

The chest slowly slid toward them. Thanks to the snow on the ground, the process wasn't too difficult.

"It seems we can't miss chests at night anymore," Zhao Kuo said.

Since the outside of the carriage was too dangerous at night, Zhao Kuo had never considered nighttime chests before.

But with the plush crocodile and the iron hook, he might be able to collect more chests and boost his strength.

Tang Yingying chimed in, "We can take turns keeping watch."

After some effort, Zhao Kuo finally managed to pull the chest from the snow to the side of the train.

He carefully opened the carriage door and dragged the chest inside.

As soon as the chest was inside, Zhao Kuo and Tang Yingying eagerly gathered around it.

**[Friendship Chest (Beginner)]**​

**[Only players bound together can encounter this precious chest. It's truly special! Just like your friendship.]**​

A brand-new chest. Judging by the description, it should yield something good.

Zhao Kuo rubbed his hands and looked at Tang Yingying.

Tang Yingying pouted and said, "You open it this time. It's my turn next."

"Deal!" Zhao Kuo nodded and placed his hand on the crystal-like chest.

**[Iron Ore x50]**​

**[Silver Ore x5]**​

**[Gold Ore x1]**​

**[Congratulations! You've obtained an ultra-rare item: One-time Item Upgrade Card x1]**​

**[Congratulations! You've obtained a rare item: Pet Feed Crafting x1]**​

**[Congratulations! You've obtained an ultra-rare item: Car Engine x1]**​

**[Player has activated the trait: Fate Manipulation. Current progress: 4/10]**​

The items weren't numerous, but they included one ultra-rare, one rare, and one ultra-rare item!

Especially the last one, ​**[Car Engine]**, made Zhao Kuo's breathing quicken.

**[Car Engine]**​

**[Upgrades a steam engine to an internal combustion engine. After upgrading, it requires oil to operate.]**​

Upgrading from a steam engine to an internal combustion engine was a leap across eras.

The only downside was that it required oil to function. Otherwise, Zhao Kuo would've upgraded the engine immediately, pushing the speed to a new peak.

Until he could secure enough oil, this item would just gather dust in storage.

Shaking his head with a hint of regret, Zhao Kuo checked the other two items.

**[Pet Feed Crafting x1 (Life Skill)]**​

It was actually a skill! This surprised Zhao Kuo. Even if it was just a life skill, it was incredibly valuable.

**[After learning this skill, you can craft 5 portions of beginner pet feed daily. The level and quantity of feed increase as the skill proficiency improves.]**​

**[Beginner Pet Feed]**​

**[Effectively accelerates pet growth efficiency.]**​

Seeing the description, Zhao Kuo's eyes lit up.

This was a great item! He currently had several pets, including Xiao Bai and the two chickens. The pet feed crafting skill was exactly what he needed.

Without hesitation, Zhao Kuo learned the skill.

As for the one-time item upgrade card, it was an old friend, so there wasn't much to explain.

Zhao Kuo didn't hesitate and chose to upgrade the steam engine. After all, speed was crucial right now!

**[Steam Engine at Full Power]**​

**[A steam locomotive with a sense of history, having witnessed the prosperity of the industrial revolution and the smoke of countless wars. Its scars are the unerasable medals of this warrior.]**​

**[Significantly increases train speed and load capacity. Requires wood planks or charcoal to operate.]**​

**[Hourly consumption: 30 wood planks or 6 charcoal]**​

**[Speed increase: 65 km/h]**​

**[Load increase: 500 kg]**​

Zhao Kuo started the train, and the speed noticeably increased. Factoring in the load and other elements, the speed reached an impressive 53 km/h!

He couldn't help but wonder how fast a level 3 steam engine upgraded to an internal combustion engine would be.

Zhao Kuo felt a growing sense of anticipation.