Chen Hao kicked away a clod of dirt at his feet, causing the stone he had casually picked up to be used as a stool to tilt by half an inch, almost causing him to fall on his backside. He ignored it, focusing instead on reaching into the storage box to look for a water bottle, but his fingertips touched a thin layer of wheat husks.

"Um?"

He paused for a moment, then pushed the clutter aside. At the bottom of the grain sack, there was only a thin layer of grains left, making a soft rustling sound when rubbed between his fingers. He squatted down, stared at the pitiful amount of grain for three seconds, and suddenly laughed: "Good heavens, I've eaten myself into a liability."

Nana was standing a few steps away checking the plow attachment when she heard the noise. She turned around and scanned the grain sacks with her optical eyes. "Inventory scan complete," she said. "The remaining staple food supplies can last for ten days, based on the current consumption rate."

"Ten days?" Chen Hao turned the bag upside down and shook it. A few grains of wheat jumped out and rolled far away on the ground. "I thought it could last a month, but it turns out that I, as a farmer, went out of business faster than a fast food restaurant."

“The original ration did not take into account high-intensity physical work.” Nana pulled up a projection chart. “The data shows that your daily intake exceeds the plan by 42 percent.”

"That's because I do a lot of work!" He slapped his thigh. "Yesterday I plowed the fields for two hours, today I herded pigs for ten minutes. Doesn't that burn calories? I'm not a perpetual motion machine, I still have to eat."

"It is recommended to reduce the frequency of farming or adjust the diet."

"Adjust my foot! I've grown attached to these compressed biscuits." He stood up and dusted off his pants. "The problem now is that we have no vegetables or meat, and even a decent meal is becoming a thing of the past. If this continues, I'm afraid I'll go crazy from hunger one day and start gnawing on wild boar legs."

Nana was silent for a moment, and the holographic map unfolded from her shoulder projection, floating in the air and slowly rotating. A red dot began to flash in the southeast direction.

“A signal from an abandoned grain silo was detected,” she said. “It is located about seven kilometers from the camp and is marked as an old-era agricultural reserve. The database records that it was last resupplyed seventeen months before the disaster.”

Chen Hao leaned closer to take a look, his brows furrowing: "Seven kilometers? What's that purplish-red area in the middle? Could it be another gas pit?"

“Acid rain deposition zone,” she pointed to the simulated path line, “but the weather model shows that the cloud cluster is currently shifted to the northwest, and there is no risk of precipitation in the next twelve hours, which is a safe window.”

"So, we have to rush over there while the weather is clear, bring back some food, and then run back before it rains?" He scratched his head. "It sounds just like when I skipped class and climbed over the wall in college—perfect plan, but I fell flat on my face."

"The success rate of the operation is estimated at 68 percent."

"Only 68%? Did you factor in my luck factor in that data?"

"The probability of subjective error has been deducted."

"Hey, I haven't even set off yet and you're already sentencing me to death?"

"I am merely stating the objective conditions."

Chen Hao walked around the map twice, then looked down at his worn-out shoe tips and sighed, "I can't not go, but I can't go into battle shirtless." He touched his backpack, "I'll bring a shelter, a backup power supply, and... never mind, I won't bring weapons anyway, I can't win a fight."

"It can carry a sonic jammer as a defensive device."

“That thing made my ears go numb last time, so let’s avoid it.” He waved his hand. “Let’s keep a low profile, move out and leave, no performance art.”

As he was speaking, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure moving under the shadow of a tree in the distance.

It wasn't like a wild boar charging around recklessly; instead, three people stood side by side, holding something in their hands, slowly approaching.

Chen Hao paused in his tracks: "Hey? What are those three deliverymen over there? Aren't they going to deliver to my door?"

Nana quickly switched to detection mode and whispered, "The target is carrying a metal rod and a simple crossbow. Vital signs indicate increased aggression."

"So you're not here to pick up a package, but to go on a shopping spree?" He swallowed hard. "Do you have any discounts or promotions here?"

The three men drew closer, and the leader raised a stick, his voice hoarse: "Give us some food! Or we'll smash up your shabby stall!"

Chen Hao took a small step back, but he didn't back down: "Brother, this is a family farm, we don't support group purchases or discounts."

The other party sneered: "Stop talking nonsense. I haven't eaten for three days. If you don't give me something, I'll tear this wooden frame down and use it as firewood!"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Nana didn't move, but the shoulder guard slid open slightly, revealing a low-frequency hum from its internal mechanical structure. The next second, a recording suddenly came from inside her body—

"...We are survivors too, not enemies. If you hear this, please lay down your weapons. We are willing to share water, but food must be distributed according to need..."

It's that broadcast from Chapter 169.

Chen Hao's eyes widened: "When did you record this?"

"It was automatically saved at that time." She continued playing, "Repeated warning: Violent conflict will lead to further depletion of resources on both sides. Negotiation is recommended."

The three people were clearly stunned.

The man holding the stick froze, his eyes flickering. A tall, thin man beside him whispered, "That voice... doesn't it sound like it came from that camp before?"

“Yes, it was them,” another short man murmured. “We heard them on the west slope that night, but we didn’t dare to go any closer.”

The leader loosened his grip on the stick slightly, but still braced himself: "Who knows if it's a trap? They might attack after playing the recording."

Nana turned off the audio and said calmly, "We have a food crisis, and so do you. Cooperation is more energy-efficient than confrontation."

Chen Hao seized the opportunity to interject: "How about this, let's not talk about whether we'll give it to you or not, just put your weapons down first. Look at you carrying around this junk, you look like extras in an ancient costume drama, it must be exhausting."

The man hesitated for a few seconds before finally placing the stick on the ground.

“We really don’t have much,” Chen Hao pointed to the grain sacks. “This is all we have left, enough for ten days. If you want to take it, we can fight right now. Even if you win, you’ll still starve to death because the seedlings in the fields haven’t even sprouted yet.”

The tall, thin man gave a wry smile: "That's why we're looking for people to eat with... One person can't survive, but a group of people might be able to take turns eating."

Nana then pulled up a list: "Current non-staple food reserves: 30 vitamin tablets, 5 packs of dehydrated vegetables, and 2 bottles of water purifier. These can be used as temporary exchange supplies."

"You still have these things hidden?" Chen Hao turned to look at her. "I thought I had eaten them all."

"Reserve emergency resources."

"Alright." He turned to the three men. "Here's what we'll do: you help us go to that abandoned granary in the southeast and bring back some things. It'll be good to have someone to look after us on the way. When we get back, you'll each get a sack of wheat. How about that?"

The leading man squinted: "Who believes you can keep your word?"

“I don’t believe it,” Nana suddenly said.

All three of them were taken aback.

She continued, "Based on historical data, the compliance rate of external groups is only 12.3%. Therefore, transactions need to be settled on-site."

Chen Hao grinned: "She said she didn't believe it, but I do. If you're willing to help, I'll give each of you a pack of compressed biscuits right now, and we'll replenish the rest once the grain depot gets its supplies back."

He took three packets of dry food out of his bag and threw them on the ground.

The three exchanged glances. Finally, the tall, thin man bent down, picked up a packet, tore it open, took a bite, and his eyes lit up.

"When do we leave?" the short man asked.

"Let me change my shoes." Chen Hao sat down and started untying his shoelaces. "Also, let my robot calculate the route again, so we don't find out the map is fake halfway through."

Nana unfolded the new route map: "The terrain data has been updated to avoid two collapse areas. The estimated round trip time is eight hours."

"Eight hours?" Chen Hao looked up. "Then you have to make sure you don't suddenly say 'Sorry, low battery' halfway through."

"The backup power supply is sufficient."

"That's good." He stood up, put his new shoes on firmly, and said, "Let's go, comrades. This trip isn't about making money, it's just to keep our stomachs from rumbling."

Just as the group was about to set off, Nana suddenly raised her hand to signal them to stop.

A glint flashed in her optical eyes.

“A remote heat source movement signal has been detected,” she said in a low voice. “It is moving northwest, moving at a relatively high speed, and has an irregular shape.”

Chen Hao stopped in his tracks: "Wild boars again?"

“It doesn’t look like it.” She pulled up the outline analysis. “It’s larger in size, the number is unknown, and the movement trajectory is search-like.”

The leader of the vagrants' expressions changed: "That area... used to be a military transport route."

"So who's using it now?" Chen Hao muttered. "Could it be that the self-driving grain trucks have awakened?"

No one responded.

The wind blew in from the other side of the woods, carrying a faint smell of burning.

Nana slowly took half a step back, and the protective panel slid open a crack again.

Chen Hao looked at the gap in her shoulder and suddenly felt a little cold.

He looked down at his new shoes.