34. Wind and Snow Guest
The next morning, the wind and snow continued to rage, and the biting cold seeped in through the corrugated iron walls, but was kept out by the warmth inside the small room.
When the group woke up, the charcoal in the brazier was still glowing red. Fu Yunong took out small bread rolls from her spatial storage. Since they had finished the previous ones, she specially used the system to make another twenty jin (10 kg) so they could take as much as they wanted. She also bought a large bucket of milk and poured it into a pot to heat it up.
After eating and drinking their fill, the group went about their own business: Xiao Linfang and Huangfu Jinrang sat by the brazier, Xiao Linfang's fingertips glowing with a pale green supernatural power, which she gently placed on Huangfu Jinrang's left ear; Fu Yunong and Shi Dong were doing physical training, their fists pounding against the sandbags with dull thuds; Lin Songsong was polishing her supernatural power on a piece of scrap iron, metal fragments flying back and forth at her fingertips as she pleased.
The most carefree one was Hua Hua. It would either curl up by the fire pit and lick its fur, or lie sprawled on the mattress with its paws tucked in, sleeping soundly without any guard, which made everyone's hearts melt.
“My superpower is indeed effective on your ears, but you need continuous treatment, and it’s hard to say exactly how many sessions will be needed,” Xiao Linfang said to Huangfu Jinrang after withdrawing her superpower.
Huangfu Jin's eyes shone brightly, "It's good that it can be restored. Thank you, Sister Lin. I'm not in a hurry."
The afternoon passed leisurely, and the group was munching on apples around the fire when Hua Hua, who had been sleeping, suddenly jumped up, her pupils wide, her fur standing on end, and growled towards the warehouse door. Immediately afterward, the intermittent sound of a car engine came from outside; the wind and snow were too strong, and the sound came and went.
Everyone immediately became alert. Fu Yunong glanced around and quickly put away everything that needed to be put away.
Outside the warehouse, a weathered SUV, having driven through snow up to half a wheel's width, stopped at the gate. One of the car's headlights was broken, and the other was flashing intermittently.
Four people got off the bus, two men and two women, three of whom were carrying bulging backpacks.
The woman in the lead, wearing a dark green down jacket, scanned the area with her rifle in hand, then tried pushing the warehouse door. She gestured behind her, and the other two immediately raised their guns to be on alert. Only the bearded middle-aged man, his eyes stinging from the wind and snow, rubbed his hands and urged them to knock on the door.
A flicker of disgust crossed the woman's eyes. Ignoring him, she increased the force of her knocking. "Is anyone home? We're just passing through and need some shelter from the snow. Please open the door!"
"Why waste your breath on them!" the middle-aged man snapped impatiently. "Don't you guys have superpowers? Just barge in! People will die if it freezes any colder!"
The woman cursed under her breath, "Idiot," and was about to speak again when the warehouse door suddenly creaked open.
The door opened, and several dark gun barrels were pointed at them.
Shi Dong quickly scanned the four people, analyzing them in her mind: three guns, three superhumans, two level one, one level two, and the middle-aged man showed no superhuman fluctuations, so he was either an ordinary person or at a higher level than her. But the latter was highly unlikely, as he was the one who was the most severely frozen among them.
From this perspective, our side is clearly stronger, but the opponent's strength should not be underestimated.
"You can come in, but leave your weapons behind." Shi Dong's voice was icy, leaving no room for negotiation.
The woman in the lead was named Sun Hui. Looking at the guns and clean clothes of the group, and sensing the supernatural energy fluctuations emanating from them, she was secretly surprised: There were at least three supernatural beings on the other side, two level two and one level one. Even the big fat cat that bared its teeth at them looked extraordinary. Such powerful characters were hidden in the wasteland. It was truly a place where hidden talents roamed.
Her attitude immediately softened, and she nodded, saying, "Thank you." She then turned and ordered her companions to put the weapons back in the car.
"We need to bring the car in too, right?" Ouyang Peng muttered. "If it freezes, we won't be able to leave." Sun Hui glanced at Shi Dong out of the corner of her eye and, seeing that they seemed not to have heard her, told them to ignore the car for now.
Only after confirming that they had indeed unloaded all their weapons did Shi Dong step aside to make way. Wang Dajiang, the middle-aged man, was the first to rush in, shivering from the cold, and pointed at Sun Hui and the others, yelling, "What are you all standing there for? Start a fire!"
Once everyone had come in, Fu Yunong reached out and took out heavy objects from her spatial storage in front of them, piling them up behind the door to block it.
Sun Hui and the others' expressions immediately changed. What kind of superpower was this?!
Fu Yunong ignored their expressions and pointed to the opposite corner of the warehouse, "You can only rest over there, you are not allowed to come near us."
The four were too cold to argue and were only focused on starting a fire.
Fu Yunong quietly observed: Although their clothes and shoes were worn out, they were still quite thick, and their complexions were good, especially Wang Dajiang, who clearly had the air of a petty bureaucrat.
Sure enough, not long after the fire was lit, Wang Dajiang arrived with Sun Hui and the others, chin held high, "We're from the Watchers Base. I'm a special envoy from the base, here specifically to conduct research in the wasteland..."
"I told you not to come near." Fu Yunong interrupted him, her tone turning cold. "I'll let it go this time, but I won't be so polite next time."
Sun Hui quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, speaking politely, "I'm sorry, Mr. Wang, you're being blunt. It's like this, we're running low on food and would like to exchange some with you. Is that possible?"
"No trade." Fu Yunong said without hesitation, "Now, get out of here!"
"You!" Wang Dajiang's fingers trembled with anger. "You women have absolutely no sense of the bigger picture..."
Before he could finish speaking, Shi Dong suddenly raised his leg and kicked him in the stomach. Wang Dajiang flew out like a tattered sack, crashing to the ground and curling up in a ball, his face turning purple.
As soon as Shi Dong made his move, Fu Yunong and the others immediately assumed a fighting stance.
Before Sun Hui could even see clearly, Wang Dajiang was sent flying. Just as she was about to speak, Ouyang Peng and Cai Yun unleashed their special abilities. With a sigh, she had no choice but to join the battle.
Ouyang Peng and Cai Yun each waved their hands, and invisible wind blades and a row of metal blades attacked Shi Dong and the others, but were blocked by the protective shield.
"Metal-based superpower?" Cai Yun was stunned for a moment. The next second, she was shocked to find that the metal blade suddenly went out of control and flew back towards her!
Just as the bullet was about to hit the two men, an earthen wall rose up from the ground, blocking the metal blade.
This earthen wall is much sturdier and thicker than the one built by the old lady of the Wang family.
Ouyang Peng was unconvinced and threw out several wind blades in succession, all of which were easily blocked by Lin Songsong. They wanted to fight again, but at this moment, Huangfu Jin activated his superpower, and a piercing shriek entered their minds. Sun Hui and the other two had splitting headaches, and before they could recover, their heads were pressed against the cold muzzle of a gun.
Lin Songsong, carrying a giant hammer, looked down at them and said in a gruff voice, "Didn't I say we weren't allowed to bring weapons?"
Sun Hui smiled bitterly and clasped her hands together. "It's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding! Please give us a chance, we will definitely not offend you again!" She knew in her heart that the other party had not used their full strength at all, and if a fight really broke out, they would probably all be defeated here.
Shi Dong and the others looked at Fu Yunong, who snorted coldly, "You're not keeping your word. I'll give you two choices: either get out now or get a beating. You choose."
"Can we do a third way?" Sun Hui's smile was tinged with misery. "We only have crystal cores left. Can we use them to make amends?"
Seeing that Fu Yunong remained unmoved, she immediately took out a deep red crystal core from her backpack and handed it over, saying, "Take a look first."
Fu Yunong took it and glanced at it. "A level four crystal core!" she chuckled. She raised an eyebrow. "I can give you one chance. But the two who actually made the move will have to pay interest."
Lin Songsong picked up Ouyang Peng and Cai Yun and punched them both. The two cried out in pain, clutching their stomachs and lying on the ground, writhing in agony.
Sun Hui sighed helplessly and dragged them back, one in each hand.
Wang Dajiang also struggled to his feet and limped back, not daring to utter another word.
The door to the small room closed, and the group sat around the brazier. Fu Yunong looked at Shi Dong and asked, "Do you know anything about this base?"
Shi Dong nodded and slowly said, "The Watcher Base is one of the five major bases in the Highlands, and one of the three bases with official backing. It has many survivors and is quite large."
"So many people have official backgrounds?" Xiao Linfang was somewhat surprised.
A hint of mockery flashed in Shi Dong's eyes. "The official faction has long been divided into several factions, and they each act independently when they disagree."
Things are different now. Human society has degenerated into a feudal society, or even a slave society. Various bases resort to any means necessary to seize resources, engaging in deceit, treachery, and a life-or-death struggle. Among them, those with official backing are the most hypocritical, always using the guise of saving the world to commit brutal acts, adept at justifying their violence with a pretext.
Finally, Shi Dong looked at the group with a serious expression, "You must be careful of these people. The power behind them is beyond our ability to contend with. But we can't just show weakness either. The weak don't even have the right to negotiate."
These words instantly made the atmosphere in the small room tense, and everyone wished they could suddenly increase their strength overnight.
Over here, Fu Yunong had already exchanged most of the crystal cores for points and used the level 4 crystal core to upgrade. Instantly, the space doubled in size, becoming a [160㎡ Comfortable Room (Upgradeable)]. The temperature adjustable range became 15℃, the living area became more comfortable, and the storage area became more intelligent.
In addition, several new categories have been added: [Industrial Energy], [Special Items], [Medical Devices], and [Sub-account Permissions].
Among them, the "Industrial Energy" category includes gasoline, diesel, solar panels, and even small generators. These are definitely hard currency and are the most effective means of cooperation and negotiation with these bases.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the warehouse, Sun Hui and her friends were cooking instant noodles around a fire—a delicacy most people wouldn't even dare to dream of. Wang Dajiang secretly glared at the small room, thinking, "Hmph, you bunch of scum, you'll be drooling!"
Unexpectedly, Hua Hua suddenly tiptoed out of the hut, turned around, and faced them with her buttocks, making a burying motion.
Wang Dajiang let out a furious sigh, "You little beast, you just wait!"
After finishing her instant noodles, Sun Hui sat down to take stock of their supplies and discovered that their food would only last for two days at most. She looked at Wang Dajiang, her brows furrowed tightly. Following this good-for-nothing was truly the worst luck imaginable.
"Sister Hui, what do we do next?" Cai Yun asked softly, rubbing her still-aching stomach. "We can't just stay here forever, can we?"
Sun Hui sighed, "Let's see how things go first, and then we'll talk about it when the snow subsides."
As for food, she glanced at Fu Yunong and the others' small room with mixed feelings. If all else failed, she would have to go and talk to them again...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com