Apocalyptic Extraordinary Convoy, I'm really not weird!

"besides,"

Lin Wei added casually from the side,

Many cars have anti-theft systems.

Even if the battery has power, it's useless if you don't have the key or don't know how to unlock it.

Unless you find a "miracle" where the door happens to be unlocked and the key is still in the ignition, or...

You can forcibly disable the steering wheel lock and ignition system, but that could damage the vehicle.

Old Zhao chuckled:

"Kid, did you hear me?"

Having physical strength and strange abilities isn't enough; you also need some technical skills.

While traveling these few days, pay close attention to the people in the team.

Who seems to know anything about car electrical systems?

Who might have worked in this field before?

Who might even have hidden batteries or tools?

Sometimes this information is more useful than carrying an extra bag of canned food.

Su Ye kept their reminders in mind.

Indeed, finding a car is not the end goal; getting the car running is.

He had only considered the vehicle itself and the driver before, but now it seems that getting the car moving is not a simple matter.

"I see."

Su Ye thanked the people for their guidance.

"Thank you, Captain Chen, Sister Wei, and Old Zhao."

I'll keep an eye on it.

The group chatted for a while longer.

After Su Ye got up and bid farewell to the three of them, he turned around, lifted the curtain, and went out.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling. The survivors in the camp were packing up their supplies. The air was filled with dust and a hint of pre-departure anxiety.

Once Su Ye's footsteps faded into the distance, the brief silence in the tent was broken by Old Zhao.

He scratched his cheek and grinned at Chen Shou:

"Old Chen, why didn't you just say so earlier?"

You have a ready-made hitchhiking route and spare tools there.

And with Lao Liu's skills, changing a battery or jump-starting is a piece of cake.

Even if you give him a pile of scrap metal, he can still hammer it into something that can run.

"Which of our cars hasn't been handled by him?"

Chen Shou leisurely pulled out a half-pack of crumpled cigarettes from his pocket, took one out, and lit it.

He took a deep breath, letting the faint white smoke slowly diffuse inside the tent.

His gaze was calm as he peered through the smoke.

Help delivered to your door is worthless.

We should only help when he's truly in trouble and asks for our help himself, or when we realize he genuinely can't handle it. That way, the favor is more genuine, and he'll remember it better.

If we tell him now, he might take it for granted, or even think we're being nosy.

He paused.

"Moreover, this is also an observation."

Observe how he handles difficult problems and interacts with people; see if he is truly resourceful or just relies on brute force.

Lin Wei glanced at Chen Shou, her icy blue eyes devoid of emotion, and simply said:

"Calculation."

It's unclear whether this is an evaluation or a statement.

Old Zhao rolled his eyes:

"All your convoluted and roundabout ways..."

Okay, you're the captain, you're in charge.

He then became curious again, and lowered his voice.

"Hey, what do you guys think is the price for that kid's 'strange power' sequence?"

"It looks really ominous; the price I'm afraid won't be light."

Chen Shou slowly exhaled a smoke ring and shook his head:

"I can't tell. At least for now, there are no obvious changes or abnormal behaviors on the surface."

He looked at Lin Wei and Old Zhao.

"Can you tell what price we've paid just by looking at us?"

Old Zhao chuckled and pointed at Lin Wei:

"Isn't the price Xiaowei paid quite obvious?"

Those ice-blue eyes, like they're wearing colored contact lenses, make them look different from ordinary people.

"What kind of obvious price is this?"

Chen Shou glanced at him.

"Outsiders might just think her eye color is unusual, or even that it's pretty."

Unless she says it herself, who would know that the world in her eyes has long lost its color, leaving only varying shades of ice blue and gray?

The cost is intrinsic; the appearance is merely incidental.

Lin Wei didn't speak, but her icy blue pupils seemed to deepen, as if confirming Chen Shou's words.

Old Zhao shrugged:

"Too.

The price I paid...

Tsk, let's not talk about it.

Anyway, we need to keep a closer eye on Su Ye in the future.

His ability felt even more bizarre than the bizarre itself.

Let's take it one step at a time.

Chen Shou stubbed out his cigarette.

"Let's get past Qintang Village first."

Set off."

For the next three days, under Chen Shou's command, the convoy moved slowly and cautiously, like moving pieces on a chessboard full of invisible traps.

The route is completely unpredictable:

Sometimes we would speed along a deserted county road for a while, and sometimes we would suddenly veer off the road and bounce around in the potholed fields.

Sometimes, without warning, all the cars would stop and turn off, lying dormant in complete silence for a long time until Chen Shou signaled that it was safe before restarting them.

On two separate occasions, the entire convoy turned around and reversed a considerable distance after traveling only a short distance.

They set off again, seemingly to avoid something that was passing by ahead.

No one in the team complained.

Everyone understood that this was an attempt to escape those wandering, invincible monsters.

Every abrupt turn or pause could mean a brush with death.

Those on foot and those on makeshift vehicles were more exhausted, but the will to survive kept them close to the dust kicked up by the convoy.

In the past few days, Su Ye has also been running around with the electric bike on his back from time to time, adapting to his awakened physique.

This also reveals one function of the strange power: it can be used to restore physical strength.

The efficiency is quite high; basically, with just a little bit of strange power, he can run at full speed for an hour.

During this time, he also observed whether the other members of the team had the professional talent he needed. What a pity!

Three days later at noon, after passing through a grove of dead poplar trees, a flat expanse of land appeared ahead.

A sizable village, or rather a town, came into view.

Chen Shou stood atop the armored vehicle, raised his binoculars, and stared intently for a moment before his deep voice came through the loudspeaker:

"Qintang Village is just ahead."

Everyone stop the car and remain quiet.

The engine noise gradually subsided, and everyone held their breath, their eyes focused on the excessively quiet village ahead.

Chen Shou's voice rang out again:

Listen up, everyone!

Currently, only one strange entity has been detected in Qintang Village, with a strength of approximately peak first-tier, located near the central square of the village.

He paused, giving everyone time to process the information.

"This time, Old Zhao and Su Ye will be responsible for keeping an eye on and keeping an eye on that thing."

The others can use this time to go into the village and collect supplies!

This caused a low commotion.

"Those who are afraid may remain outside the village to keep watch, but must not make a sound and must follow instructions."

Chen Shou's voice carried an undeniable power.

"Those who want to go in are allowed to drive in this time to speed up the moving process."

The main locations for supplies are the two-story supermarket in the center of the village and the gas station at the east end.

And the basements or cellars that may exist in the homes of various villagers.

He then deliberately raised his voice:

"If you need gasoline, you can follow my car."

I have a manual oil pump in my car.

Let me make this clear from the start: using my pump to extract oil isn't free.

To draw a standard 20-liter oil can, you need to pay for one kilogram of rice or noodles, or food of equivalent value.

Of course, you get the fuel yourself from the gas station; the pump is just a tool.

As soon as this condition was announced, the eyes of those in the crowd who owned cars, especially those whose fuel was running low, immediately lit up.