Chapter 51: City of Tomorrow

The snow in the tunnel was even thicker now. Even with an additional snowplow, the subway was struggling to move forward, maintaining a speed of only 56 kilometers per hour. However, compared to others, this was still fast. After all, Gu Shan's train was currently moving at a mere 21 kilometers per hour, and he still had a long way to go before reaching the next station.

Fortunately, the temperature had warmed up a bit. It was puzzling how such a realistic day-night temperature difference could exist in this dark, sunless subway tunnel. Apart from the absence of sunlight, their biological clocks remained stable within a normal range, and no adverse effects had occurred. After all, a disrupted biological clock could cause significant harm to the body.

Zhao Kuo sat at the control panel, wrapped in a sheepskin for warmth. Ahead of him was an endless dark passage. Under the light, thick, icy snow was visible, and the internal combustion engine roared as it pushed forward through the vast expanse of snow.

Suddenly, Zhao Kuo noticed an intermediate treasure chest not far ahead. More than half of the chest was buried in the snow, and if not for his sharp eyes, he might have missed it entirely. Zhao Kuo stopped the subway, jumped out, and approached the chest. Just as he reached it, he heard a sharp whistling sound as an unknown object leaped out of the snow, aiming straight for his head.

But Zhao Kuo showed no panic. In fact, his ​Potential Perception​ had already alerted him to the danger nearby. He knew that treasure chests could be guarded by mutated creatures. Before the object could get close, a snake tail appeared in front of Zhao Kuo, swinging fiercely and sending the black shadow flying back into the snow.

Following this, Little White's massive body emerged, its mouth opening wide as it bit down on the creature in the snow with unstoppable force. Zhao Kuo finally got a clear look—it was something resembling a bee, but entirely white, with a long, sharp stinger at its tail. Under the light, the stinger glowed faintly purple, clearly highly toxic.

Such a creature hidden in the snow could easily catch someone off guard if they weren't careful. Without hesitation, Zhao Kuo snapped his fingers, and Little White's mouth clamped shut, killing the creature instantly.

[Congratulations, player! You have obtained: Giant Bee Stinger x1.]

Only one item was obtained from the decomposition… Zhao Kuo was a bit disappointed but still carried the intermediate treasure chest back to the subway.

On the subway, Tang Yingying was preparing lunch. "That makes eight intermediate treasure chests, right? Plus one primary chest. If we get two more primary chests, we can synthesize three high-level chests when we reach the next station."

From Tang Yingying's explanation, Zhao Kuo learned that the items in high-level chests were far superior to those in intermediate chests. The higher the level of the chest, the more precious the items inside. For example, primary chests could only yield rare items at best, while intermediate chests could yield uncommon items. High-level chests, however, could yield super-rare or even precious items! Obtaining a precious item could lead to a qualitative leap in a player's strength.

Zhao Kuo wasn't in a hurry to open the chests, even though his luck value had already reached 100% and had been overflowing for two or three hours.

"Let's see, we should reach the next station in about an hour or so," Zhao Kuo said as he placed the intermediate chest down.

"Probably. Let's have lunch first. Although there should be food at the station, it's a pity we can't bring it out," Tang Yingying sighed. She was making soup with the remaining pork ribs and some unknown vegetables. In this cold weather, a bowl of soup was a special treat.

Zhao Kuo's rice wine was also ready, emitting a unique aroma with a sweet undertone. Tang Yingying took a sip, and her eyes lit up. As a proud Shandong native, she had grown up drinking strong liquor like sorghum wine. She had never tasted such a soft, sweet rice wine before.

She immediately grabbed two bottles, sipping the soup while drinking the wine. "Hey, this wine really has no alcohol content, huh? It's sweet and doesn't hit you at all. It's delicious!" Tang Yingying downed half a bottle in one go, placing it back on the table with a bold gesture.

Zhao Kuo took a small sip. "I wouldn't lie to you. But we should save it. We only brewed about four liters this time. Luo Ping'an and Gu Shan each asked for a liter. If you finish this liter, it's gone."

Zhao Kuo kept nearly one and a half liters for himself, planning to enjoy it occasionally. Southern rice wine had a smooth taste and didn't cause headaches. It was also excellent for cooking, and even drinking it alone was a pleasure.

Tang Yingying's eyes sparkled as she listened, clearly plotting something.

At that moment, the subway entered a broader tunnel. Zhao Kuo stood up and looked ahead. Not far away, a station appeared. Unlike Lushan Station, this station wasn't covered in snow, as if it existed independently, unaffected by the storm.

However, the station was exceptionally dirty and chaotic, with garbage everywhere and walls covered in exaggerated graffiti. Even the station sign was painted with a skull, giving off a sense of complete disorder.

"This place feels… not very peaceful," Zhao Kuo murmured as he guided the subway to stop beside the platform.

Instead of disembarking immediately, he sent Little White out first. The small serpent swiftly slithered around the platform, but the entire station seemed empty, with no apparent danger.

Yet Zhao Kuo sensed something unusual. Looking at the disorderly graffiti, his brows furrowed slightly. After evolving ​Potential Focus​ into ​Super Potential Focus, his sixth sense had improved significantly, especially his perception of danger, which was now far sharper than most.

"Little White, go upstairs and check," Zhao Kuo commanded.

Little White obediently headed toward the nearby staircase, intending to investigate the upper level. But just then, a sudden change occurred—a large net fell from above, instantly wrapping around Little White and suspending it in midair.

Shrill laughter and playful screams echoed around as figures appeared on the second-floor walkway. They wore exaggerated outfits, their hair dyed in various colors, reminding Zhao Kuo of the "non-mainstream" trend that had been popular over a decade ago.

Little White, suspended in midair, wanted to struggle but received Zhao Kuo's command to wait and observe. If not for its master's order, it would have transformed into its full size, showing these mortals the true power of a winged serpent! Little White glared at the laughing crowd on the second floor with an unfriendly gaze.

At that moment, the crowd slowly parted, and a tall figure stepped forward.

"Welcome, travelers from afar, to the City of Tomorrow Station."

The figure was tall, standing at nearly 1.9 meters, with a muscular build and a square, reliable face. His deep-set eyes exuded authority, and he wore a simple tank top and jacket paired with work pants, standing out starkly from the flamboyantly dressed crowd around him.