The car roared back to life just as the zombies began pounding on it. Chen Du slammed the accelerator, shifted into second gear, and sped away with a screech of tires. The undead horde gave chase, relentless as ever.
Retracing his earlier route, Chen Du quickly regained the rhythm of driving a manual transmission. He smoothly shifted into third gear, pushing the pedal down further. But when he attempted to shift into fourth, the gear stubbornly refused to engage. His jaw clenched in irritation. The car, judging by its worn interior, was at least two decades old, and its aging transmission was clearly struggling. Still, it ran—and that was better than nothing. He floored the accelerator, revving the engine higher, managing to maintain a speed of forty to fifty miles per hour.
As he passed the fiery circle where Bai Xi had been trapped earlier, Chen Du noticed she was nowhere to be found. Nearby, however, he spotted a makeshift escape tunnel covered with dirt. It seemed Bai Xi had managed to slip away within mere minutes. Chen Du raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. Good for you, he thought briefly before refocusing on the road ahead.
Once on the highway, the car surged forward, leaving the pursuing zombies far behind, their snarls fading into the distance. Chen Du allowed himself a satisfied smirk. Today's haul had been more than worth it. A few bottles of water and some bread had netted him the coordinates to a gold-tier supply crate—and there was no reason to honor the rest of the deal. After all, Bai Xi had willingly used herself as bait. Did she really expect him to uphold his end of the bargain? No, this round was undoubtedly a loss for her.
But the true prize wasn't the supplies—it was the gasoline generator he'd found inside the crate. That, coupled with the unlimited fuel source he'd secured earlier today, made him feel invincible. In this post-apocalyptic world, electricity was power. With it, he could finally activate the villa's dormant security systems: cameras, alarms, even a water heater. For the first time in ages, life might actually feel civilized again.
Driving back toward the fortified villa district, Chen Du reflected on the day's journey. Earlier, he'd left on an empty stomach, eating only two steamed buns before embarking on a grueling four-to-five-hour ride to reach the supply crate's location. This return trip took less than half the time. As he approached the fortress wall, he gave a light honk of the horn.
Inside the villa, Xie Li startled at the sound. She rushed upstairs to the balcony, crossbow in hand, ready to defend herself if necessary. Only when she saw Chen Du lean out of the driver's window and wave did she relax, hurrying downstairs to unlock the gate.
After securing the gate behind them, Chen Du parked the car in the garage, leaving his backpack untouched for now. Xie Li emerged moments later, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Oh my god, Chen Du! Where did you get a car from? Let me guess—you opened the gold-tier supply crate and drove it straight out, right?"
Chen Du laughed, pulling her closer to the vehicle. "What do you think? Do you like it? With this, our supply runs will be much easier."
Xie Li nodded eagerly. "Of course I love it! Now we can gather resources so much faster. And best of all, I can come with you! One of us drives while the other keeps watch."
Chen Du awarded her 300 experience points without hesitation. Checking her stats panel confirmed what he already suspected: she'd leveled up.
ID: 1215
Level: 4 (0/400)
Strength: 10
Agility: 15
Stamina: High
Her physical condition was improving steadily. Taking her along on future missions no longer felt like such a risk. Keeping her cooped up in the villa wasn't helping her grow stronger—not in a world overrun by the undead.
Covering her eyes with one hand, Chen Du teased, "Lili, don't look at the car just yet. You'll get your turn soon enough. First, I want to show you something even better."
Intrigued, Xie Li tilted her head. "What is it? Why are you covering my eyes?"
With his free hand, Chen Du pulled the gasoline generator from his backpack. Removing his hand from her face, he gestured dramatically. "Take a look!"
Xie Li blinked in confusion. "Is… is that a lawnmower?"
Chen Du sighed, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Not quite. It's a gasoline generator. We're going to have electricity now."
"A generator?!" Xie Li gasped, her eyes lighting up despite her disheveled hair. "Does this mean we can use electric lights?"
Chen Du chuckled softly. "Think bigger, Lili. What else can we do with electricity?"
She bit her lip, deep in thought, but came up blank. Then, inspiration struck. "We can set up surveillance cameras and alarms on the fortress walls!"
It was exactly what Chen Du had planned—but not the answer he wanted to hear right now. Tapping her forehead lightly, he shook his head with a grin. "Miss Xie Li, doesn't it bother you that you haven't bathed in days?"
Xie Li frowned. "Of course it does! I feel disgusting…"
"Well?" Chen Du prompted. "Didn't you realize that with a generator, we can finally use the water heater?"
Her eyes widened in realization. Water was precious in this new world. Drinking it sparingly was one thing; using it to bathe seemed unthinkable. She'd imagined collecting rainwater or finding rivers someday—but both were undrinkable and harmful. Acid rain made natural bathing impossible. Hearing Chen Du's suggestion, she hesitated. "Even with electricity, wasting water feels wrong…"
Chen Du retrieved several crates of bottled water from his pack. "We've got plenty of water. Don't worry about that. But we won't be wasteful either. From now on, we'll shower every three days."
"Really?" Xie Li threw her arms around him, planting a quick kiss on his cheek. "You're amazing, Chen Du!" Grabbing fresh clothes, she dashed inside, heading straight for the bathroom.
Chen Du chuckled, shaking his head. "The generator isn't even installed yet…"