49. First day of business

As night fell, all the blackout curtains on the RV slowly fell, and instantly the vehicle disappeared into the dark night. If you didn't get close, you would never have guessed that such a huge thing was hidden in the ruins.

After washing up, the five of them lay on the large bed on the second floor, the room warm and cozy from the heating. They chatted about matters related to the supermarket, their voices gradually fading as night deepened, until only their soft, even breathing remained.

The next morning, with a roar, the RV engine started and the behemoth slowly drove out of the ruins, gradually increasing its speed.

Shi Dong gripped the steering wheel, initially a little rusty, but soon became more and more stable in his driving.

Behind her, Fu Yunong, Xiao Linfang, Huangfu Jinrang, and Lin Songsong, four big heads, huddled together, watching the scenery outside the window slowly recede, their faces filled with excitement.

This feeling of having home with you is simply wonderful.

After the car started moving smoothly, Lin Songsong sat in the passenger seat, while the other three were busy with their own things in the spacious car: Fu Yunong organized the price list, Xiao Linfang checked the crystal core storage box, and Huangfu Jinrang combed Hua Hua's fur.

As they got closer to their destination, the group regrouped in the front seats.

Their first stop was a no-man's-land, a place where all sorts of people mingled, but it was popular and close by, making it an ideal location for a trial operation.

As the ground trembled slightly, the survivors in the no-man's-land peeked out from their dilapidated houses and shacks.

At first, they thought it was a convoy from some base passing by, but when they saw the huge silver-gray RV, they all thought they were seeing things. How could there be such a big difference between people in the same post-apocalyptic world?

As the car came to a stop, the rooftop terrace slowly rose, and Lin Songsong leaned out to hang a neon sign on it, the five large characters "Conscience Supermarket" standing out brightly.

Then, she picked up the megaphone and banged it on, and the catchy, looping announcement immediately blared: "Grand Opening Sale at the Conscience Supermarket! Come and take a look, everything is a great deal! Grand Opening Sale at the Conscience Supermarket..."

Meanwhile, the two sides of the RV's first floor open like wings, revealing several neat sets of tables and chairs, labeled "Food and Supplies," "Medicines," and "Cold-weather Protection," respectively.

After the escalator descended, Xiao Linfang and Huangfu Jinrang carried the pre-written exchange instructions and price list off the bus and weighed them down on the open ground next to them with large stones.

With everything ready, the group put on their gloves and took their positions. They planned to operate for four hours each day, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

At first, people only dared to watch from afar, whispering among themselves with their hands tucked in their sleeves.

After a while, a bold man came over, glanced at the price list, and then hurriedly left.

Seeing that there was no danger, more and more people gathered to watch, and soon a crowd had formed in front of the RV.

"Crystal cores? Can these really be exchanged for food?"

"I picked up a few zombies a few days ago, but I thought they were useless!"

"They only have a few people, how could they really have so many supplies?"

As they were discussing this, the crowd suddenly stirred and began to scatter to both sides. The local tyrant from the no-man's-land had arrived.

Shi Dong raised an eyebrow, afraid that you wouldn't come.

Lu Zhan was tall and burly, with a stubble beard. He carried an old-fashioned submachine gun and was followed by a dozen or so men carrying scrap metal.

These people stopped in front of the RV, and one of their men handed him a stool. Lu Zhan sat down on it, spread his legs wide, and asked in a gruff voice, "Where did you guys come from? Did you get my permission to set up a stall here?"

Fu Yunong pointed to the price list next to her, "We are in business, with prices clearly marked. We exchange crystal cores for supplies."

One of the underlings immediately ran over to take a look, then came back and whispered a few words in Lu Zhan's ear.

Lu Zhan chuckled, then his face suddenly darkened. He raised his submachine gun and pointed it at Fu Yunong. "Enough nonsense! Hand over all the supplies, and I'll spare your lives!"

His henchmen behind him shouted, "If you know what's good for you, hand over the goods now! Otherwise, we'll take you and your car for granted!"

"If you're not going to buy anything, then get out. Don't delay our business." Fu Yunong frowned.

Lu Zhan flew into a rage, swore, and pulled the trigger!

"Knock knock knock!"

Gunshots rang out, and the bullets were blocked by Lin Songsong's unfolded metal shield as soon as they reached the RV. The bullets clattered to the ground.

Before Lu Zhan could react, green light emanated from Xiao Linfang's palm, and a thorny whip lashed out, striking him hard across the face and sending him flying, leaving a bloody welt.

Lu Zhan screamed and tried to get up, but suddenly a ring of sharp wooden spikes appeared all around him, trapping him firmly in the middle.

"They're superhumans!"

The crowd immediately erupted in uproar.

The fact that these people have superpowers means they are capable, and the exchange of supplies is likely genuine!

Some were eager to try, but fearing being watched by others in public, they could only remain still.

Just then, a woman who was so thin she was practically skin and bones squeezed out. Her face was sallow, her clothes were torn and her arms were exposed. She walked to Xiao Linfang's table with a tense expression and shakily put down two level-one crystal cores. "Just give me some food, I'm starving... It would be best if you brought some salt, I haven't had any salt in a long time."

Xiao Linfang immediately gave her a pound of flour and a pound of rice according to the price list, and then took out a leftover meat bun from the morning and handed it to her, saying, "This is for you."

The woman paused, then took the bun in disbelief and swallowed it in a few bites. Her eyes instantly reddened, but she didn't say a word. She picked up the supplies and limped into the crowd.

The crowd erupted in uproar upon seeing this. Someone asked her where the crystal core came from, and the woman turned around and shrieked, "None of your business!" Then she disappeared without a trace.

After the first person came forward to exchange their items, several more people followed suit. Most of them exchanged for food, followed by medicine. There was also a man holding three level-two crystal cores in his hand. He looked better than the average person and had changed into a cotton coat.

But soon, a crowd swarmed in like ants, their eyes filled with greed, and more and more people realized that these women had supplies!

Huangfu Jinrang watched from afar and said, "Sister Dong, you were right."

Fu Yunong made a decisive decision: "Pack your things and close the door!"

The group quickly loaded the items into the car and slammed the door shut.

Soon, the crowd surrounded the RV, but Lin Songsong's shield kept them a meter away, preventing them from even touching the door.

Smash it!

Some people took the lead in throwing stones at the vehicle, while others held torches and tried to burn it, but no matter what they did, they couldn't get close to the RV.

"I don't believe you can stay in there forever!" someone cursed viciously, his eyes filled with venom.

The people inside the car didn't care about the people outside at all; they had already sat down and started eating coconut chicken hot pot.

The sweet aroma quickly filled the entire carriage, and Hua Hua squatted beside it, staring longingly at the chicken in the pot.

The pot boiled, and they ate and chatted, occasionally glancing at the monitor. They saw that the people outside had started arguing, which gradually escalated into a fight, and the scene was chaotic.

"Sister Songsong, eat more, thank you for your hard work." Huangfu Jinrang picked up a piece of tender chicken and put it in Lin Songsong's bowl.

Lin Songsong smiled and shook her head, "It's okay, I just upgraded, holding up this shield is no problem for me." Although the shield she controlled looked thin, it was more than enough to hold off these ordinary survivors.

The people outside struggled for a long time, but seeing that they couldn't do anything to them, they gradually lost their strength.

Some people started blaming the instigators, saying, "It's all your fault! You could have gotten a job, but now the place is closed!"

This statement sparked another round of noise.

On the ground, his men went through a tremendous amount of trouble to rescue him from the wooden spikes, and after all that, he was half-dead.

The RV door remained closed for three whole days. People outside couldn't stand it any longer and gradually left.

Fu Yunong clapped her hands, ready to reopen the business. She had been lying down for three days and her bones felt like they were going to give way.

Suddenly, Shi Dong pointed at the surveillance camera and said, "Someone's here."

She looked closely and saw a row of SUVs driving straight toward her in the distance, looking rather hostile.

In the blink of an eye, the convoy arrived.

The people on the bus started fighting as soon as they got off. Those with guns raised their guns and fired, while those without guns swung their machetes and hacked wildly. Any survivors who blocked their way were killed on the spot, leaving a trail of blood wherever they went.

The people who had been gathered around the RV screamed and scattered.

The leader was a woman with a cigarette dangling from her mouth. Her gaze swept over the RV, a hint of greed flashing in her eyes, which she quickly suppressed.

She spat out her cigarette butt, crushed it with her foot, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Hey friend inside, come out and let's chat!"

To be able to drive such a nice car, the other party must be quite skilled; we can't force them.

The RV's terrace slowly rose, and Fu Yunong and the others appeared one after another, looking down at the scene below.

The woman's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but whistle. They were all so damn energetic!

"I heard you have supplies here? Let's chat!"

Fu Yunong frowned slightly; she didn't like the woman's gaze. But in business, you encounter all sorts of people, so she patiently replied, "We only accept crystal cores, exchanging them for supplies. How many crystal cores do you have?"

Crystal core? The woman raised an eyebrow. It seemed the rumors were true; several major bases were searching for it.

Unfortunately, she didn't. She's used to killing and robbing; asking her to do hard labor? No way!

The next second, her expression changed, "Beat them!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her hand, and a row of sharp ice needles shot straight at the RV, causing the protective shield to ripple and almost shatter.

His men picked up weapons and attacked the RV together.

Fu Yunong's eyes turned cold. As expected, he was no pushover; he attacked without warning.

"let me!"

Lin Songsong took a step forward. Her superpower had just been upgraded, and she was looking for an opportunity to practice it.

As soon as she raised her hand, all the bullets and blades that were shot at her were instantly absorbed by the shield and gathered into a metal ball in her palm.

Immediately afterwards, she flicked her wrist, and the metal ball shattered into countless small fragments, which shot back towards the group of people!

"Ah!!!" Screams rose and fell as several people were pierced by shards and collapsed to the ground, howling in agony.

The woman quickly erected an ice shield in front of her, barely escaping unscathed.

Her face darkened, and with a wave of her hands, she conjured more than a dozen ice spears out of thin air, which then charged toward the protective barrier one after another.

The moment the protective shield shattered, a silver-blue lightning whip suddenly lashed down from the terrace, striking her with a "crack".

The woman screamed and fell heavily to the ground.

"Ugh..." she groaned in pain, feeling pain all over her body.

She looked up and glared at the group, realizing she'd met her match today.

"withdraw!"

She struggled to her feet, ignoring her groaning men on the ground, and decisively climbed into the car.

Seeing this, the remaining people quickly jumped into the car, floored the gas pedal, and fled in a sorry state.

Xiao Linfang blinked. "They just left like that? I haven't even made a move yet."