All in all, Jiang Ling's backpack wasn't much to pack. After taking the most important people and money, the rest were just a few minor details. She spent over a hundred points at a flea market to find a 40-liter travel bag, a palm-sized waist bag, and a quiver. She packed the largest compartment with the necessary protective gear, a filter canister, some spare underwear, and all the hardened synthetic rations she had on hand. She added a thermos, a few portable cooking utensils, and a few magnesium rod fire starters to the smaller compartments. Finally, she filled a plastic water bottle with water and placed it in another small compartment. After packing the backpack, there was about half the space left, so she packed some pickled monster meat in a plastic bag. Finally, she added some duct tape, some sealed bags, rope, salt, and other miscellaneous items.
She carried her terminal with her at all times, and kept handy items in her waist pouch, like the gadgets in her larger bag, like the Gauss bullets she'd gotten from other merchants. The helmet on her protective suit took up too much space, so she hung it on the carabiner on the outside of her backpack. Her quiver held thirty arrows, and she filled it with ten each of armor-piercing, explosive, and electric arrows. Two crossbows were sufficient; a scope wasn't necessary, as she wasn't planning on engaging targets too far away. She left the rest at home, letting the two family members dispose of them.
Jiang Ling put all her important items that she couldn't take with her into the plastic storage box. At her family's farewell dinner, she told them that if they needed to move or evacuate urgently, they could just take her storage box with them. The high-tech items inside were enough for them to live a good life at the central station.
Clothing, food, and transportation were all taken care of, but accommodations were essentially entirely dependent on the various stations. Theoretically, aside from the Green Zone, there wasn't much else on the surface to stay overnight. So, she didn't buy a tent or anything like that. She only managed to get a thermal blanket before leaving, which she had gotten on the black market and cost Jiang Ling nearly a hundred points.
Finally, on July 15th, Jiang Ling was about to embark on her long journey. The two unscrupulous guys at home had drunk too much the day before and didn't get up until noon, which made Jiang Ling angry and she took a can of drinks and two bottles of wine from the refrigerator.
Her primary destination was NT0101 Station, the main station in this second-tier city, which would pass through several smaller stations along the way. She had already researched the route, and it was fairly straightforward. If you had enough time, you could even walk the entire way. But Jiang Ling planned to take the passenger train directly.
Current transportation capacity is different from before. Each train has a specific purpose. It's no longer the kind of train that runs dozens of times a day, regardless of whether it's fully loaded or not. Due to the severe damage to the desalination plant in Shanghai, energy is now in short supply, and waste must be reduced in the short term. These electric subways have gone from being almost instantaneous to a maximum of two trains per day, and their speeds have also slowed down considerably.
Jiang Ling didn't intend to miss this train, as the previous one was already packed. In fact, by the time she arrived at the regional connection station, carrying a large bag, the train was already slowly moving. Fortunately, the next one was in the afternoon, and it was more loaded with freight, so it wouldn't be as crowded as this one.
She found a place to rest temporarily, moved the backpack from her back to her arms, then pulled up the hood on her back and browsed the news on the Internet.
"The interim government will begin power rationing in two weeks. It's understood that due to the shortage of fusion fuel, the current strategic reserves are insufficient to sustain normal consumption for one to two years. We are now recruiting professionals from across society to help expedite maintenance work at the desalination plant."
"The Countermeasures Bureau has issued a statement: Recently, a small number of Level III mutants have infiltrated the underground system. Residents are requested to exercise caution. If you see any unusual people or activities, please report them immediately to avoid endangering your own life."
"Economic Channel: Drinking water prices in the private market have increased by over 50 percent. Is this a new round of hype or a preview of a new crisis?"
"Ahem! Is there anyone next to you?" A figure approached Jiang Ling and asked.
"No, please take a seat!" Jiang Ling replied without looking up from the news or old stories she was reading. Her sensing abilities were mostly active, but with the high volume of people here, it was difficult to figure out who was stopping by.
The man leaned his suitcase against the bench and brushed off the nonexistent dust on it. He took out a paper-wrapped scone from the bag he was carrying and began to eat it while sitting on the chair.
Jiang Ling was familiar with that smell; it must be the goods from the stall of the "Three Yang Caravan" she'd encountered earlier. It reminded her of those people, and she wondered if they'd made it safely to the Green Zone. It had been two weeks, and there hadn't been any communication. If they'd made it, they'd surely have sent a brief thank-you email. She sincerely hoped they were all well, that even if their journey was temporarily hampered, at least they hadn't lost their lives.
Hiding in the shadow of her hood, she glanced to her left. She seemed to have some impression of this person's face. "Are you... Max?"
"Ah! It's tender!" He mumbled incoherently, then quickly swallowed the food down his throat. After clearing his mouth with a bottle of water, he replied, "It's you, Old Joe! Are you going out too?"
"Also? Are you going out too? Why aren't you a Seeker anymore?"
"I quit. I don't know who leaked the news, but when I got back that day, they invited me out for tea. I had no choice but to hand over the keys. It was like sacrificing the car to save the driver. At least I got the medicine. Now that I have the start-up capital, I want to go to a safer place to have a look."
"I thought you were an adventurer? You just gave up like that? I tried to think of a similar nickname for you, but I didn't expect it, I didn't expect it~" Jiang Ling teased. She initially thought that this guy became a searcher because he liked adventure.
"What about you? I see you're planning a long journey. You think you can't make it at this station anymore? Or do you have a better opportunity?"
"There is no way, but it is indeed a long journey. But it can't be considered an adventure!" Jiang Ling laughed and let this guy who gave up halfway guess the details.
"Is that so? Then let's add the communication code!" He approached Jiang Ling calmly, then whispered, "I actually have some experience in the black market. Let's make money together!"
Jiang Ling was immediately attracted when she heard that this guy had such talent. So she imitated him and replied in a low voice: "You won't cheat me, will you? I know a little bit about the black market."
"No, no! I operate with integrity!"
"What businessman doesn't claim to be operating with integrity? Why can't I see any integrity in you?"
"Hey yo?~ I've never lied to you since the day I met you, okay?"
"You lied to me in your first sentence, okay? Tell me, what's your name?"
The man finally understood, so he took a deep breath, straightened his back, and replied, "Let me introduce myself again. My name is Chen Mike, and I'm a businessman."
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