Compared to the survivors in the South Sea Islands and the northern city, the highland survivors were clearly not lacking in meat, vegetables, fruit, or water.
However, different groups always had different needs—especially this production crew.
People accustomed to the fast-paced, high-pressure city life were dependent on two things: coffee and milk tea.
Not everyone could get their hands on freshly ground Red Label Gesha beans, but Yu Xi had stockpiled plenty of regular coffee beans. Whether it was espresso or Americano, she could provide an unlimited supply.
As for ice—using her ice-based abilities, it was just a matter of expending a little energy and purified water.
When she came from Star House at dawn, she had chosen to cool herself with 【Sunblock Spray】 instead of forming an ice layer around her body, mainly because an ice shield would be too conspicuous.
But as long as she had a camper van and a fridge, having ice cubes on hand became completely natural.
As for milk tea, the freshly made takeaway cups from milk tea shops were limited in supply. However, she had plenty of instant milk tea sachets, canned milk tea, and boxed ready-to-drink varieties.
At the window of her camper, she placed stacks of paper cups and poured freshly brewed coffee into them. She then set up a cooling fan nearby, letting it blow both the cold air from the air conditioning and the rich aroma of coffee outward.
Coffee was a magical beverage. Even those with the dullest sense of smell could immediately recognize its scent in the air.
While the rest of the production crew hesitated, still observing from a distance, Da Feng had already finished writing his 500-word praise letter at lightning speed and rushed to the camper window, eager to trade.
Before the apocalypse, Da Feng had been Min Cheng’s assistant and also managed his public accounts across several platforms. Not only did he regularly post photos and videos, but he also engaged with major fan club leaders and frequently wrote promotional posts under Min Cheng’s name.
As a fan club president, he was an expert at crafting flattering comments and managing online narratives. He had even left countless well-worded fan comments under Min Cheng’s posts.
A mere 500 words of praise? Child’s play.
The hardest part was actually finding paper and a pen to write it down.
After Da Feng finished reading his letter aloud, Yu Xi placed a roll of double-sided thick transparent tape on the small table, along with a pair of scissors.
She instructed him to cut the tape, sign and date his letter, and then stick the piece of paper somewhere on the camper.
Da Feng: …?
He didn’t quite understand the purpose, but he still did as he was told.
Once he was done, Yu Xi asked, “What do you want to trade for?”
Da Feng scratched his head and handed over a bag containing two eggs—not ordinary eggs, but massive ostrich-sized eggs from mutated chickens.
“Uh… do you have toilet paper?”
It was a tragic realization, but he had never expected to miss toilet paper and napkins so much in his life.
Without napkins, clean cloth could be used as a substitute—it could be washed and dried for reuse.
But for bathroom needs, only those who had truly experienced the lack of toilet paper could understand the suffering.
Using non-toxic leaves or scrap paper? Too rough, and not effective.
Using cloth? It worked, but washing and drying it… was a nightmare.
Yu Xi took the mutated eggs, placed them in the fridge, and then opened a cabinet. She pulled out an entire pack of toilet paper—a 12-roll coreless pack—and handed it over.
Da Feng had assumed she would open the pack and give him a single roll. Instead, she handed him the entire bag.
“All of it?” Da Feng hugged the bulky pack, grinning from ear to ear.
Yu Xi suppressed a laugh. “Yeah.”
Then, she took out a black plastic bag and added two cans of iced cola, a double-layer beef burger, and a bottle of insect-repellent floral water as a surprise gift.
Just earlier, while drinking coffee in the camper, Da Feng had nostalgically mentioned his love for junk food, just because Yu Xi had said the word “sandwich.”
He never expected she actually had it.
Her evolutionary ability—could it be… Doraemon?
**
Da Feng, carrying a huge bag of toilet paper and sipping an ice-cold cola, left the camper, shocking everyone who saw him.
In this unbearable heat, the sight of someone casually drinking a can of ice-cold cola felt like witnessing divine intervention.
And all it took was a praise letter?
She had just helped them yesterday. What was wrong with flattering their new boss a little? Five hundred words wasn’t a big deal—most of them were variety show writers. Who didn’t know how to write?
With Da Feng setting the example, those who had been standing on the sidelines, watching for various reasons, quickly joined in.
Some wanted to try their luck trading for feminine hygiene products—and they got them!
Someone boldly asked if there were professional-grade protective suits—and those were available too!
Wang Yu asked for antibiotics and anesthetics, only for Yu Xi to hand her an entire medical kit—complete with gauze, alcohol, iodine, Yunnan Baiyao, cold medicine… even a few doses of adrenaline.
…
Those who wrote lazy, half-hearted praise letters walked away with only a small paper cup of iced Americano or milk tea.
But those, like Wang Yu, who had written genuinely heartfelt gratitude, were given an entire bag filled with food, drinks, and daily necessities.
The camper van was like a fully stocked convenience store, but everyone had already witnessed Yu Xi’s strength firsthand.
Even if they envied what was inside, no one dared to have any ill intentions.
Besides, up until now, the production crew had never experienced the kind of life-or-death struggles over resources that other survivor groups had.
They had food, water, electricity, and shelter.
They had never needed to kill each other for supplies.
Yesterday had been the first time they had been forced to pick up weapons and fight for their lives.
While the three lodges of the production crew were busy trading, the county group in the other two lodges couldn’t possibly stay unaware of what was happening.
Since midnight, their side had also been restless.
Word had spread quickly that Zhong Lin, after being instigated by a few troublemakers, had led a group of grieving families to “seek justice” from the production crew.
When Xiao Tong had run over to calm the situation, the two people who had stayed behind to help bury their fallen comrades had finally spoken up.
They didn’t understand how this had turned into a reason for Zhong Lin to seek revenge.
During the mosquito swarm attack, the people who had been egging Zhong Lin on had run for their lives.
The ones who had stayed behind to bury the dead had done so at great personal risk.
They had done the right thing, so why was it being twisted like this?
Zhong Lin had left with over ten people, but more than twenty survivors had remained behind.
Aside from the elderly, women, and children, most of those left behind were honest, straightforward people.
But even among honest people, some were smart enough to see the truth.
After discussing the situation, they quickly realized what was really going on.
Zhong Lin and the grieving families had gone to seek justice—but those who had egged them on had gone to take advantage of the chaos.
This survivor group had endured a brutal journey from the county, losing more than half their people along the way.
Their survival had been incredibly difficult.
When they finally reached the highland, they had been afraid of being rejected or forced out, especially since the production crew outnumbered them.
But in the end, they had been accepted.
There had been small conflicts, sure, but given the state of the world, those had been nothing.
The highland had water, electricity, food, strong buildings, farmland, vegetable greenhouses, seeds, and tools.
As long as both sides worked together, they could continue to survive here indefinitely.
To those who had stared death in the face, this peaceful life was already more than enough.
But those few troublemakers had never been satisfied.
Now, they had even brought weapons into their fight.
Were they trying to destroy this hard-earned stability for everyone?
The group decided they couldn’t stay silent anymore.
They needed to stop Zhong Lin and the others before things spiraled further out of control.
However, before they even made it halfway, Zhong Lin’s group had already returned.
The same troublemakers who had pushed Zhong Lin into this had clearly taken a beating.
They couldn’t even walk, and were being dragged back by the grieving families who had gone with them.
Zhong Lin’s rage had disappeared.
Instead, he was calm and quiet—an unsettling contrast to his earlier anger.
He had gone back and questioned everyone—especially those who had stayed behind to bury the dead.
And then, he turned on the ones who had instigated him.
The troublemakers couldn’t withstand Zhong Lin’s fists for long.
Under physical persuasion, they quickly confessed everything.
Just as the production crew had said, there had never been some elaborate scheme for revenge.
There was no hidden evidence or buried truth to uncover—it had been an accident.
In the end, the real culprits were the ones who had stirred up trouble.
They had panicked and abandoned their escape plan, running wildly and knocking over their own teammates—but had never stopped to help them up…
Even after being exposed, those troublemakers still refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing. They insisted that the process didn’t matter—only the outcome did. They questioned Zhong Lin, asking if he didn’t want to be the leader of both groups. Was he afraid of the production crew? Had he lost his nerve?
But they didn’t understand—Zhong Lin wasn’t afraid of conflict, nor was he uninterested in leadership. What he despised was being used and manipulated like a fool.
The families of the other two victims were even angrier at their hypocrisy. Adding to that, these same people had been the ones who slashed Min Cheng and a few others in the fight, so the final decision was clear—they had to be locked up.
They found a windowless room, tied them up, and locked them inside. From now on, they would only receive basic food rations—enough to survive but never enough to satisfy. There was no way they would be allowed out again to stir up more trouble.
**
By morning, people from the county group had noticed the camper van in the courtyard. Some went to observe from a distance and discovered the trading system.
Then, those who had gone to the production crew’s lodges the night before brought back shocking news—
Beef burgers?
Iced cola?
Insect repellent?
Medicine?
Professional protective suits?
Iced milk tea?!
Toilet paper?!
…
Every single item was something they desperately needed.
Unlike the production crew, the county group had children among them.
Adults could endure hardships, but watching their kids longingly eye these things was painful.
But after everything that had happened, how could they just walk over and trade like nothing had happened?
Even though they desperately wanted the supplies, they couldn’t bring themselves to face Yu Xi after what had gone down.
So while more people from the county group came to observe, not a single one had the courage to step forward and trade.
This only made everyone resent those troublemakers even more.
If not for them, the two groups wouldn’t have ended up in this situation.
**
With Yu Xi’s sharp hearing, she had a rough idea of what was happening in the other lodges.
But since they were too ashamed to approach, she wasn’t going to lower herself to invite them.
Here, among the 58 people in the production crew, even Min Cheng—who was still injured—personally wrote a note, handing it to Da Feng to deliver.
Unlike the flattery-heavy letters from others, Min Cheng had written a short prose poem, elegant and restrained in wording.
When Da Feng read it aloud at the camper’s window, even Yu Xi was slightly surprised—it actually sounded pretty good.
Da Feng didn’t miss her reaction.
“That’s because Min Cheng has always written his own songs. He can do both lyrics and composition,” Da Feng explained. “But before the apocalypse, the company had a strict career path planned for him, so he never got the chance to show it. And now, well… who even cares about music anymore?”
He had expected Yu Xi to say something, but instead, she just gave a neutral hum, packed up a bag of supplies, handed it to him, and declared the shop closed for the day.
“You’re leaving already?” Da Feng looked shocked and a little disappointed. “At least stay for lunch! We don’t have much variety, but everyone really wants to eat with you!”
Especially Min Cheng. He mentally added.
“I have things to do today. Next time.”
Da Feng was dying of curiosity about what “things” Yu Xi could possibly have to do.
This highland was completely isolated from the outside world—what else could she possibly be occupied with?
But he was smart enough not to ask.
“Jie, will you come back?”
“Of course. Didn’t I already say I’ve taken over this place? Since I’m your big boss, I’ll obviously be back.”
Yu Xi packed up the small table, shut the camper window, started the engine, and waved at him.
Da Feng quickly opened the gates to let her drive out of the lodge compound.
Yu Xi drove into the nearby forest, ensured no one was following, then, with a single thought, stored the camper and teleported back to Star House.
**
Yu Feng and Fan Qi were on the terrace, doing their daily physical training.
Seeing Yu Xi return, they immediately stopped and worriedly asked if she was hungry.
Without hesitation, they brought over pan-fried dumplings and beef vermicelli soup they had kept warm in the pot, urging her to eat.
But Yu Xi really wasn’t hungry, so she stored the entire pot and dishes into Star House storage for later.
Then, she briefly explained her trip and told them to continue training while she monitored their progress in real time.
Afterward, she asked Xing Min for two Strong Anti-Glycation Pills and had her parents take them to further enhance their physical resilience.
After taking the Strong Anti-Glycation Pills, ordinary blades and the attacks of mutated creatures would hardly pose a threat to her parents.
Afterward, she told them to get ready—she was taking them on a ride in the low-altitude vehicle.
**
Even though their daughter had mentioned it yesterday, Fan Qi had assumed the plan would be canceled since Yu Xi had gone out in the middle of the night. But the moment she heard the words low-altitude vehicle, her entire expression brightened.
She rushed to take a shower and changed into lightweight, waterproof pants and a short-sleeved shirt as fast as possible.
Just like Yu Xi’s first time in the low-altitude vehicle, full of curiosity and anticipation, her parents were the same.
After applying Sunblock Spray, they stepped out of Star House onto the open cliffside.
When they saw the low-altitude vehicle materialize before them and listened to Yu Xi explaining the principles of “floating wood”, Fan Qi’s eyes lit up like a child’s.
Yu Xi recorded Yu Feng and Fan Qi’s voices into the vehicle’s system, teaching them how to unlock and open the doors, then led them inside.
She took the driver’s seat, Fan Qi sat in the passenger seat, and Yu Feng sat in the second row.
Turning on the dashboard, Yu Xi explained the pre-flight system checks while going through the motions, deliberately slowing down so her parents could understand.
“This vehicle is highly intelligent. With the stretch-screen phone from that world, you can control it externally…”
Once the pre-checks were complete, Yu Xi signaled for them to sit tight, then started the vehicle.
Without a sound, the vehicle lifted off the ground.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Fan Qi felt as though she had stepped into a transparent elevator—suddenly rising into the air, smoothly gliding over the cliffside.
The drop between the cliff and the valley’s bamboo sea was enormous.
The low-altitude vehicle descended steadily, soaring like a bird through the canyon.
Yu Xi remained highly alert, keeping the vehicle at a safe distance from the bamboo sea below.
She still wasn’t sure what kind of mutated creatures lurked inside.
While Yu Xi remained cautious, Fan Qi was completely relaxed, enjoying the rushing wind and the thrill of flight.
Below them, the bamboo sea swayed slightly from the turbulence of the vehicle’s passage, rippling like an endless green ocean.
The sound of rustling bamboo leaves, mixed with the distant calls of unknown mutated creatures, filled the air.
They maneuvered past isolated peaks, sometimes skimming over mountaintops, other times gliding alongside jagged cliffs.
Fan Qi had taken planes and hot air balloons before, but nothing compared to the sensation of riding the low-altitude vehicle.
The freedom, the seamless blending with nature—it was an entirely different experience.
As they passed over one section of the bamboo forest, Yu Feng’s eyes widened in shock.
Below them, a massive, writhing figure coiled and uncoiled within the bamboo.
It was over a meter thick and more than ten meters long, its body completely green, blending perfectly with the bamboo around it.
It was rolling and thrashing, crushing a large swath of bamboo beneath it.
“…Is that a snake?” Fan Qi had also seen it.
Yu Xi turned the vehicle around, ascended slightly, and hovered above the creature.
“It’s a snake!” Yu Feng got a clearer look.
It had once been a common bamboo pit viper, but now it had mutated to an enormous size.
The creature it had coiled around appeared to be a giant bird, though the species was unclear.
It must have been attacked mid-flight while attempting to land in the bamboo forest.
“Good thing you’re flying high,” Fan Qi murmured. “That thing grew so huge, and its color matches the bamboo perfectly. It’d be easy to fall into its trap.”
“The outside world is still dangerous,” Yu Feng sighed. “The fact that those survivors on the highland are still alive… it’s really pure luck.”
As her parents reflected on the harsh reality of survival, Yu Xi stopped circling and continued toward the valley ahead.
The area was surrounded by mountains and dense forests.
Flying further ahead, Yu Xi spotted a towering isolated peak.
It was barren, devoid of vegetation or wildlife.
The flat summit was spacious enough to land the vehicle.
She descended, carefully scouting the surroundings before allowing her parents to step out.
Once she confirmed the area was clear, she stored the low-altitude vehicle, pulled out a table and chairs, and set up what looked like the perfect picnic spot.
“Let’s skip the meal,” Fan Qi suggested. “Let’s just sit for a while, enjoy the view, and then go home to eat. It feels safer.”
Yu Xi nodded. “Alright.”
With a thought, she swapped the chairs for three reclining seats with soft backrests.
This isolated peak was the tallest in the surrounding area, far from the ground and the bamboo forest.
The wind howled at the summit, carrying occasional drifting raindrops, but they were blocked by Sunblock Spray’s protective layer.
Looking down at the vast landscape, without doing anything—just sitting and gazing at the world—brought a sense of peace and clarity.
Yu Feng and Fan Qi spent most of their time inside Star House.
The terrace view was beautiful, but changing scenery now and then, especially in a way they never could have imagined before, was truly refreshing.
They stayed on the peak for over half an hour.
Yu Feng and Fan Qi thought their daughter would take out the low-altitude vehicle to bring them back.
But instead, Yu Xi simply looked at them, smiled, and said, “You’ve never tried teleporting before, right? Give it a try.”
This was why she had enhanced their physical resilience earlier.
The first time someone experienced molecular teleportation, their body would always feel a bit uncomfortable. The stronger their body, the less intense the discomfort.
Besides, now that she had more than enough energy, she planned to take her parents out more often.
If anything ever happened, they would need to be able to teleport back instantly.
But developing the mindset to react immediately required practice—and now was the perfect time.
“All we have to do is think about it—” Before Fan Qi could even finish her sentence, she disappeared.
Yu Feng blinked in surprise. “Then I’ll—” And he vanished too.
Yu Xi chuckled before following after them.
The next second, they were back at Star House’s entrance.
Yu Feng and Fan Qi stared at their daughter, who had appeared right after them, full of amazement.
They had known about it for a long time.
But experiencing it firsthand made them truly realize just how powerful the system their daughter was bound to really was.
**
Life soon settled into a steady rhythm.
Yu Xi spent a few hours every day at the lodge area, occasionally staying for a meal and trading at Star House once or twice.
By the second trade session, people from the county group couldn’t hold back anymore and finally came to trade.
Yu Xi learned from Da Feng and Wang Yu that Zhong Lin had led a group to formally apologize.
Since she had never outright rejected the county survivors, she accepted their trades.
However, she wasn’t always as generous—it all depended on who she was dealing with.
By the third visit, the two groups had fully reconciled.
Da Feng and Wang Yu had identified several more evolved individuals, carefully documenting when their evolution started and in what ways they had changed.
This time, all of them were from the county group.
And the list had been provided by Zhong Lin himself.
With Yu Xi’s influence and the shifting group dynamics, the leadership roles had become clearer than ever.
Da Feng and Wang Yu naturally led the production crew, while Zhong Lin had taken charge of the county survivors.
Both leaders had privately acknowledged the existence of evolved individuals.
For the first time, they could clearly see the future of this world.
The new era was never going to be one of equality.
Evolved individuals would always hold more power, but with power came responsibility.
There was no doubt that “Ya Tong Jie” was an evolved individual—far beyond anyone else’s level.
Yet, she didn’t abuse her strength. She didn’t oppress others, nor was she cold or ruthless.
She had declared herself their leader and taken over the highland, but if anyone thought about it rationally, they would realize—
She was helping them.
Helping them in her own way, while ensuring her own safety.
She didn’t use her power to do harm, nor did she compromise her own boundaries just to help others.
She was neither merciless nor weak.
She was rational, calm, and always had a moral bottom line.
This was what they had learned from her.
**
Before leaving that day, Yu Xi gave Wang Yu a fully automated espresso machine, preloaded with beans and water.
It was a high-end Italian model that ground the beans fresh, brewed at the perfect temperature, and required minimal electricity.
She also gave her a large supply of coffee beans.
Star House had plenty of these machines—so it was nothing to her.
But to Wang Yu, it was an invaluable gift.
The coffee machine used very little power.
The espresso was rich and aromatic, and adding ice turned it into an Americano.
There was no milk, but they had plenty of sugar—so everyone could enjoy it.
Min Cheng, however, remained unexpectedly silent.
Wang Yu knew why.
Yu Xi always gave them coffee herself.
But now, she had given them a machine instead.
Did that mean she was planning to leave?
Was she preparing them for her absence?
So that they wouldn’t have to rely on her anymore?
Wang Yu handed Min Cheng a cup of coffee and sighed.
“Stop overthinking it. She already rejected you.”
Min Cheng refused to admit it. “That’s not true. I haven’t even done anything yet.”
Wang Yu just shook her head, unwilling to waste her breath.
**
Yu Xi also provided both groups with professional protective suits and seeds.
These grain seeds were what the highland had been lacking the most.
Having vegetables, meat, and fruit was great—but without grains, their long-term survival was at risk.
The seeds were newly cultivated varieties from Fragmented Worlds, designed for short growing cycles and high yields.
In a short time, they would have enough food to sustain themselves.
**
After a long stretch of rainy days, the sun finally returned.
The heat remained, but at least the humidity had eased.
The mutated mosquito swarms never reappeared.
Yu Xi used her plant-based abilities to scan the entire highland and found no more traces of them.
It seemed that the mosquito swarm attack had been an isolated incident.
But to be safe, Yu Xi still left them several flamethrowers—ordinary ones, not the advanced weapons from the Endless Train world.
They were bulky and inefficient, only allowing for five to eight bursts of fire, but they were good enough for emergencies.
**
One afternoon, Yu Xi lay comfortably in a lounge chair in the lodge’s lobby, sipping iced milk tea.
Da Feng was rambling on with endless flattery, while Min Cheng strummed a gentle tune on his guitar.
Just then, Xing Min’s voice, silent for a long time, finally spoke.
“The spaceship system upgrade is complete.”
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