Chapter 19

Qiao Ning clutched her vest tightly, just as she was about to tell Li Yangxing to leave, when she suddenly heard someone shout:

"Look! Look! The top spot on the equipment ranking, overall strength ranking, and kill ranking is showing its name!"

"It's Yuan Heng! The big boss who reminded us to deal with the monster attack on the car!"

"The boss is really strong and kind-hearted. If he hadn't reminded me, I definitely wouldn't have survived last night."

"Come on, I bet he's afraid that if the mortality rate in the whole region is over 80%, he'll be in big trouble even if the next natural disaster strikes. He's clearly just trying to get the benefits, but he's making everyone feel like they owe him a huge favor. What's the point of idolizing someone like that? He's just lucky to get a lot of supplies and good equipment."

"What you're saying might have some merit, but it's undeniable that the information they provided saved us. This damn survival game is bad enough as it is; we should cherish even the smallest bit of kindness and goodwill from others. Otherwise, if people become cold-hearted, who will save you next time you need help?"

"Good luck is also a form of strength. And with such a high kill score, how could you do it without some skill? For example, with your physique, even if you were given the equipment, would you dare to take on the elite boss guarding the treasure monster alone? Getting within a meter of it would be commendable! No matter how good the equipment is, it still depends on the person's combat awareness to bring out its maximum effect."

"If you think I'm wrong, go ahead and do it. All I know is that the game system reminded us from the very beginning that no matter when or where, no matter how difficult life is, we must remember that we are human beings. Those who fall will inevitably perish."

In other words, those who do many unrighteous deeds will surely perish.

"In this game's format, being cold-blooded and selfish might allow you to survive for a while, but it will never get you to the end."

"Acknowledge others' strengths and face your own shortcomings, buddy. We ordinary people will only be better off if we recognize our current situation. Otherwise, we might not even know how we died."

After the man finished speaking, the people around him seemed to be moved and applauded him in strong agreement. The man who had received favors from Yuan Heng and was still gossiping about others, seeing that the situation was not good, snorted coldly with a sullen face, and pushed his way through the crowd.

"Ignore him. Some people are like that. They eat their food and then curse their mother. I've seen plenty of people like that in real life, not just in survival games. I've been doing business for so many years."

"Yes, that's my colleague. He's so annoying, like the whole world owes him something, and he never reflects on his own behavior."

After Qiao Ning and Li Yangxing left the crowd, he suddenly whispered, "Sister Qiao, would you believe me if I said I know Yuan Heng?"

Qiao Ning glanced at him but didn't say anything.

"Hey Sister Qiao, don't disbelieve me, I really do know Yuan Heng. We met through trading equipment. As soon as I entered the service area, I contacted you first, and then sent Heng the coordinates, but Heng... he's probably busy with important matters, so he didn't reply to me..."

Li Yangxing's voice trailed off as he spoke, as if he lacked confidence.

"I understand." Qiao Ning didn't want to embarrass him, but she didn't know what to say. Her job didn't require her to socialize much, so she understood social etiquette, but she wasn't very good at speaking.

Li Yangxing was secretly sending messages frantically to Yuan Heng: [Brother Heng! That beautiful, kind-hearted, and incredibly lucky girl I told you about is right next to me. We're planning to go to the prop shop. Do you want to come along? Or wait for us at the entrance?]

[Brother Heng, you're so unlucky! You don't even dare to come in and try to bask in Sister Qiao's good fortune right now. What are you waiting for? Come on over!]

After sending the message, he tentatively asked Qiao Ning, "Sister Qiao, if I let you meet Brother Heng, so you can all get to know each other and become friends, would you be willing?"

He immediately added, "I swear on my life, Brother Heng is a good person. He was a soldier before he entered the survival game!"

Qiao Ning doesn't think all soldiers are good people, but she does have a biased view of the military profession.

In reality, with social development and increasingly harsh environments, natural disasters are frequent, making military service a highly dangerous profession. Every year, hundreds of thousands of soldiers sacrifice their lives to protect the people. It's fair to say that without a strong sense of sacrifice for the country and its people, most people wouldn't choose the path of military service.

Qiao Ning had a childhood friend whose whole family were soldiers. After she came of age, she joined the army as a female soldier and later went missing during a mission.

Influenced by her childhood friend's family, she had a great fondness for soldiers.

Qiao Ning thought for a moment and said politely, "If we have the chance to meet, it would be great to meet and make friends. The other party is a big shot who is number one on several lists, I'm just afraid that he won't have time to meet me."

In fact, Yuan Heng really didn't have time. Li Yangxing received his reply: "[Let's talk later, I have something to take care of right now.]"

Li Yangxing waited from morning till night. He and Qiao Ning visited all the most expensive shops in the service area, and had big meals at restaurants for lunch and dinner, especially lunch, which was particularly lavish.

The two of them went to a buffet. It was 8 o'clock per person, and you could eat as much as you wanted for four hours. All food and snacks were unlimited.

From expensive imported fruits to exquisite and high-end desserts, everything that flies in the sky and swims in the sea is available.

In reality, a single super-sized lobster can sell for thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan, a giant red prawn can cost thousands of yuan per kilogram, and there are also abalone larger than a human hand, premium Wagyu beef, Tibetan pork, white-horned chicken, and butter crab...

There are so many top-quality ingredients here, a significant portion of which are extinct and can no longer be found in the real world.

Qiao Ning and Li Yangxing are both gourmets. Seeing so much delicious food, how could they control themselves? Anyway, they can eat as much as they want with 8 points of experience. It's a waste not to eat.

All staff in the service area are highly intelligent, lifelike robots. Many shops don't even bother to put up a robot; it's all self-service shopping. Stealing or trying to take advantage is virtually impossible; anyone who does has already been locked up in solitary confinement by the system.

According to the system description, the solitary confinement prison is an infinitely dark space where people do not experience hunger, defecation, or even sleep due to exhaustion.

There were no living things, no light, no sound, only darkness, and time flowed differently from the outside world.

A year inside is equivalent to only one minute outside.

That kind of awful place, let alone staying for a year, could drive a person crazy even for a few hours.

The robots at the buffet restaurant provide excellent service; whatever food you need is delivered to you almost instantly. Customers don't need to bother cooking themselves; all ingredients are handled by specialized robots and delivered to their tables immediately.

Qiao Ning and Li Yangxing ate like they hadn't eaten in eight hundred years. They were so full that they walked around the central square dozens of times before they were able to digest their food.

At dinner, the two learned their lesson and dared not eat like they did at noon. Instead, they chose a barbecue restaurant that looked popular and had a meal there.

The meal only cost the two of them a total of 5 experience points, which shows that the food at the service area was really good value for money and plentiful.

Around 11 p.m., Qiao Ning and Li Yangxing said goodbye and went back to their respective cars. The two cars were parked side by side, and Li Yangxing rolled down the window and shouted to her, "Sister Qiao, Brother Heng couldn't meet us this time because of something, but I'll definitely introduce you to him next time!"

Qiao Ning chuckled and nodded at him, "Okay, I'll wait."

After saying that, she pressed the control button and slowly rolled up the car window. Just as the window was about to close, a car suddenly stopped between her car and Li Yangxing's car.

The car was also a second-class vehicle, but it had some minor damage. The driver's side window was rolled down halfway, revealing the owner's profile.

The man had wheat-colored skin, short black hair, and stared straight ahead. He had a high, straight nose and a very handsome profile, so his face couldn't be too ugly from the front.

Qiao Ning heard Li Yangxing's excited voice: "Brother Heng, you've finally arrived! Qiao Jie's car is right next to you. Have you seen her? She's really beautiful inside and out, such a nice person..."

So it turns out he was Yuan Heng.

He has a tough and upright demeanor, truly like a soldier.

Upon hearing Li Yangxing's words, Yuan Heng, who was inside the car, subconsciously turned his head toward Qiao Ning, but unfortunately the car window had just closed.

"Bad luck, didn't see anyone," Yuan Heng replied casually. He didn't seem to care much about it.

The windows of the second-class car do not completely block the view; one can vaguely see the general shape and profile of the people inside.

She must be a very young girl.

This game is unpredictable; we might not live to see tomorrow. Hopefully, next time in the service area, I'll have the chance to actually see her.

At midnight, the second cycle of natural disasters began.

Welcome all players in Zone 1408 to the second Cataclysm cycle. Rewards from the previous Cataclysm cycle have been settled and sent to players' mailboxes. Please check and claim them in time.

Friendly reminder: At the end of each natural disaster cycle, the top 100 players on the seven leaderboards will receive extra rewards.

The natural disaster this time is: dampness.

Duration of natural disaster: seven days

Online users: 100,000

All players, please continue your efforts to survive this catastrophe cycle.

As the system notification sound disappeared, Qiao Ning lost her visual perception again, but her vision returned after two or three seconds.

She found herself back on a highway that seemed to have no end.

Unlike last time, this time the road is a winding mountain road.

To the left are steep cliffs and forests, to the right are precipices, and in front lies a continuous, boundless mountain range.

The mountains are shrouded in mist, and occasionally birdsong can be heard.