Chapter Sixty-One: The Battle of the Snowfield Moles (Hold On Tight, Little Xi)

[Hyperbaric oxygen chamber with constant temperature for recuperation, five square meters, windproof, lightning-proof, explosion-proof, waterproof, with five energy crystals for power x1]

Jiang Huan: "...???"

Lady Luck, are you being this fierce this time?

Hyperbaric oxygen chambers can increase the oxygen content in the human body, improve hypoxia, enhance metabolism and immunity, regulate sleep and mental state, and even have beauty and anti-inflammatory effects. This is already a boost to physical health. And this recuperation chamber comes with so many defensive attributes!

It’s truly a blessing upon blessing.

Though it’s not the constant-temperature suit she’d been yearning for, she likes it even more. With this, there’s no need to sleep in the RV at night; the risk of exposure is much less.

And it’s temperature-controlled!

Jiang Huan cheered, grabbed her brother’s hand, and opened five medium boxes at once!

[Ice cream maker: five flavors—vanilla, mint, milk, fruit, chocolate]

[Rapid-fire crossbow: can shoot fifty arrows in succession; comes with two replacement bags (fifty arrows each)]

[High-strength energy-saving bulbs: two hours of charging, continuous use for twenty-four hours; bright within twenty square meters, clear within thirty, soft within fifty]

[Iris access control set: door lock, identifier, main door, resistant to cold, high temperatures, and corrosion]

[Windproof gas stove: can continuously burn and provide heat in extreme weather]

All are excellent items!

Jiang Huan smiled as she opened the remaining ten small boxes.

In total, she obtained five hundred pounds of pork, three hundred pounds of beef, one thousand pounds of assorted pork offal, three hundred sausages, sixty pounds of white sugar, two hundred bags of salt, two hundred adhesive bandages, and a standard diving suit.

All in all, not bad.

Jiang Huan immediately swapped out the crossbow, checked the specifications of the arrows, and found they matched perfectly with the types she'd previously collected. As always, the items from the box-opener were superior to those found in reality; the arrows were all sharpened.

With this, Jiang Huan and her brother spent a few hours each night hunting hundreds of snowfield mice, only retreating into the recuperation chamber to rest at dawn. They used some torn cardboard as makeshift cover and set a small trap at the doorway as an alert. When they woke again, it was because the trap outside the door had been triggered.

The recuperation chamber was simply too comfortable, like a spa.

She got up as quickly as possible, pulled her brother out, packed away the chamber, put on her coat, and headed downstairs.

She completed all these actions in under a minute. Jiang Xi lagged behind a bit, only finishing up and grabbing his high-strength slingshot once Jiang Huan was already negotiating with the people downstairs.

When they went downstairs, Jiang Xi sensed immediately that the newcomers were not friendly.

After hearing just a couple of sentences—things like “ungrateful,” “we scouted this area,” and “those snowfield mice”—Jiang Xi, even in his innocence, understood what they meant.

They wanted to take the snowfield mice Jiang Huan and he had caught. No, more accurately, they intended to rob them.

Jiang Huan saw that the speaker’s face was rosy, his clothes were warm, and his expression was full of disdain when he looked at the mice. He certainly didn’t seem like someone who would fight others over a few rodents.

She kept her patience and explained that they needed the snowfield mice too, but if they had supplies to trade, she’d be willing. “There are about five hundred here, some alive. Even if they’re all dead, that’s dozens of contribution points. You can trade equivalent supplies—”

“Our boss Lin has taken a fancy to your lousy mice. That’s your good fortune, so don’t be ungrateful.”

Boss Lin let his men sneer at Jiang Huan before he spoke: “Five pounds of rice for all these. Take it and go, and don’t come back here again.”

Five pounds of rice was nowhere near the value of five hundred mice.

These people were outright bandits.

Seeing the negotiation was going nowhere, Jiang Huan counted their numbers. She saw they had two vehicles, three people before her, and possibly more in the cars. So, she decisively gave up the five hundred snowfield mice. Sure enough, they tossed her five pounds of rice.

Jiang Xi picked it up and looked at his sister.

Jiang Huan acted as if she were conceding, and together with her brother, they completely yielded the spot to them.

Then she heard Boss Lin boast, saying, “It’s just mice. Find a few more suckers and send back thousands of snowfield mice. Let’s see if they dare lecture us again! Only fools would come out in this cold for these things; just trade for them instead.”

Jiang Huan and her brother walked for a while, and when no one was around, she released an RV.

The RV’s fuel tank was one of her previous box-opener prizes, ensuring it could run for days without worrying about fuel.

And she was about to make a move.

“Xiao Xi, fasten your seatbelt.” Jiang Huan tied her hair into a tight bun, found a yellow wig from her storage, applied smoky eye makeup, changed into men’s clothing, down to the shoes.

“Hold tight, sister’s going to get our things back!”

Xiao Xi immediately shouted, “Okay!”

Seatbelt, fastened!

Fighting spirit, ablaze!

Jiang Huan floored the gas pedal. The massive RV roared and sped straight toward the small house from before. As she drew near, she fired shots, bursting the tires of their two vehicles. Strings of firecrackers were thrown by their doors, forcing anyone trying to get in back toward the house.

Jiang Huan spun the wheel, driving the RV—nicknamed the apocalypse fortress—around the shabby house several times. The blaring horn was like a death knell, sending the people inside into a panic, not knowing what to do.

Someone tried to aim a gun outside, but the RV’s body offered no openings.

They finally managed to fire a shot, but it only left a shallow mark on the RV.

They had guns, but bullets aren’t unlimited! Jiang Huan sneered, driving slowly, then picked up the RV’s internal loudspeaker and shouted, “Listen up in there. Our boss only wants the snowfield mice and supplies. Drop your guns and run north, and we’ll let you go.”

Someone inside yelled back, distrustful. “How do we know you won’t attack us after we hand over our guns?”

Jiang Huan imitated a questioning voice. “Then we’ll just toss two grenades in, and no one will be left to whine at our boss.”

Inside: …

Negotiations, negotiations—talk first, judge later.

If you won’t give us a chance to talk, how can we negotiate? “They can’t possibly have grenades. I only have one for emergencies. The base is so poor now, how could any leak out? I say, go out together and sweep the area with guns. I bet there are only two or three people in that RV, or they’d have come out already—”

“Shut up. At a time like this, you’re still giving useless orders. I’m starting to suspect these two are the people you robbed before—how else would they keep mentioning snowfield mice?”

Boss Lin was speechless.

Just then, the RV drew closer. Someone inside waved a grenade, then pulled it back. “Our boss won’t waste a grenade on you. Go or stay, it’s your call. Five seconds to decide. Five, four—”

After the apocalypse, Jiang Huan had counted down so many times that she was an expert; her cadence gripped everyone’s nerves.

They quickly made their decision.

(End of chapter)