So Xia Ning firmly remembered one piece of knowledge—cotton quilts can insulate and keep warm.

She spread out a quilt and draped it over the seats in front and behind her, like setting up a small tent.

It's just not very convenient to do because the "ceiling" is a bit low.

After tinkering with the car, Xia Ning looked at the animal pelts she had found after completing her mission and prepared to ask her sister how the mission was progressing.

Coincidentally, the two sisters were somewhat in sync. As soon as Xia Ning opened the friends channel, she saw a private message from Zang Ai Zhi Shang.

[Friends Channel]

Ji Li: "I've only collected four pieces of debris so far, so I can't complete the mission. Here, take them all and see if you can gather enough to complete the mission."

Ji Li: "Don't give me any excuses. At least one of us needs to complete the task for us to maximize our benefits."

Xia Ning was surprised; her sister had only found four.

Xia Ning: "Didn't any debris scrape onto your car?"

Ji Li: "What are you dreaming about? You think games can just fall from the sky?"

Xia Ning: "..."

Ji Li: "You're still short a few. If it's not enough, I'll find a way to help you get more."

Ji Li: "You don't have a single one yet, do you?"

Ji Li: "???"

Xia Ning: "You might not believe it, but the sand here really comes with its own pie."

Ji Li: "???"

Xia Ning: "The storm blew in animals, and one of them crashed into my car and became a skeleton."

Ji Li: "Speak like a human being."

Xia Ning: "My mission is complete. The sandstorm blew the skeletons right here."

Ji Li: "Are you serious?"

Xia Ning: "Look into my sincere big eyes (??????)?"

Ji Li: "Wait, I need to calm down. I'm having some existential questions right now."

Xia Ning: "Are you only questioning your life now? Ever since I didn't grow into a stunning beauty that everyone loves, I've been questioning my life."

Ji Li: "..."

Ji Li: "...What's the difference between your car and mine?"

Xia Ning: "My car is rather cold, ruthless, and unreasonable."

Kiri: "(ーー゛)"

Xia Ning: "I can trade you my extra remains, what will you give in return? <(￣︶￣)>"

Ji Li: "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."

Xia Ning: "Wow, you change your expression so quickly."

Ji Li: "Do you have 6? The time limit for the mission is running out. If you don't have 6, I'll have to find another way to trade them."

Xia Ning shrugged. Well, the two sisters' style isn't exactly melodramatic, so let's stick to a more practical approach.

—Phantom Princess lost [Lark Feather x1].

— “Phantom Princess” obtains [Metal Fragment x1].

— “Phantom Princess” lost [Inferior Lizard Skin x1].

—"Phantom Princess" received [Ordinary Glass x2].

— “Phantom Princess” lost [Inferior Scorpion Tail x1].

—"Phantom Princess" obtains [Vehicle Part x1].

Xia Ning: "There are still three missing. Let me help you look for more."

Ji Li: "We've used up our transaction chances. Don't worry about the rest, I'll figure something out."

Xia Ning wasn't very optimistic. She believed that many people had already discovered this method of trading, and based on her observations over the past two days, she noticed that quite a few people in the group chat had already formed cliques.

You can't find any task-related transactions on trading platforms; most of them are handled internally like these companies.

Xia Ning was pondering how to help her older sister collect 10 when another friend messaged her privately.

[Friends Channel]

Ma Jiayuanqing: "Good evening, have you finished your task? I have three samples of jerboa fur that I'd like to exchange for drinking water. Is that alright?"

Xia Ning, wow, it's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early.

She had used up her exchange chances with her sister, so she told both of them to let her sister add Ma Jiayuanqing as a friend.

Ji Li is a quick and efficient person; she said she had it done five minutes later.

Although the spokesperson's expression couldn't be discerned from the text, Xia Ning, knowing her sister well, assumed that Ji Li was probably in high spirits at the moment.

Xia Ning thought to herself, "As expected, my sister's skills are related to water; she's never short of water."

She was pleased with herself for guessing the other party's situation, thinking that Ji Li would definitely not be able to guess what her skills were.

Ji Li felt a great weight lifted off her shoulders and had the leisure to chat with her younger sister.

Ji Li: "You're lucky too. It's possible for items to fall from the sky. If you post this in the group chat, the other players will be green with envy."

Xia Ning: "Three parts are destined by fate, seven parts depend on hard work."

Xia Ning: "I call this intelligent survival."

Ji Li: "Pfft."

Ji Li: "No matter what, I'll remember this favor."

Xia Ning: "We're like family, aren't we? Didn't you think of helping me complete the task right away?"

Ji Li: "It wasn't the first time. I only contacted you because I saw that the mission was hopeless, just to have a backup plan."

Xia Ning: "( ﹁﹁) ~→"

Xia Ning: "The sisterhood is doomed."

Ji Li: "I knew you were doing alright because I noticed you hadn't contacted me."

Xia Ning's family has never had the habit of only reporting good news and not bad. From a young age, her parents told her that if she encountered something she couldn't solve, she should tell her family as soon as possible. If she kept it to herself, she wouldn't be prepared at all when things settled down. No matter what, having a family member by her side would at least give her some advice.

Besides, the family has lived together for so long, and they know each other very well.

Whether it's good or bad, it can't be hidden.

Xia Ning chuckled twice.

She didn't brag about her ranking in the top 10% in the last dungeon run, afraid that her sister would feel inferior.

A child prodigy like her shouldn't put pressure on her family.

╰(￣▽￣)╭

The older sister then asked Ma Jiayuanqing if he was Xia Ning's friend.

Xia Ning: "No, didn't you see her break down in the group chat last time?"

Ji Li: "No, there are too many people breaking down in the group, I can't remember them all."

Xia Ning: "...That's true."

Ji Li: "Now that you've added them as a friend, you have to forget about their dark history. Don't bring it up first, understand?"

Xia Ning: "Okay, okay, you're becoming more and more like Mom."

Ji Li: "It's good to look like my mom, no need to worry about going bald."

Then the two sisters veered off-topic to talk about their father's embarrassing secret of hiding hair growth cream.

In the darkness, the wind and sand whipped against the doors and windows, creating a terrifying sound.

However, Xia Ning was not afraid at this moment.

She lay back in the back seat, legs crossed, gazing at the tacky pattern on the quilt, as if she had returned to the days when she was a teenager and secretly gossiped with her sister in the middle of the night.

Her family is the source of her courage.