Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Hearing footsteps approaching, the middle-aged soldier leaning against the side of the carriage immediately raised his head alertly, his hand instinctively resting on the holster at his waist. When he saw that the newcomer was a young woman who looked fairly clean and had bright eyes, his tense muscles relaxed slightly, but the scrutiny in his eyes did not lessen.

Xu Xiaoyan stopped about three steps away from him, a distance that was neither too aggressive nor too safe. She didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point, her voice clear but not overly loud: "Comrade, excuse me, but I'd like to ask what kind of supplies I need to pay if I want to ride in a military vehicle?"

The soldier looked her up and down, but instead of answering immediately, he asked, "How many of you?"

"Three people," Xu Xiaoyan answered crisply.

Upon hearing this, the soldier frowned slightly, seemingly calculating rapidly in his mind. He remained silent for a moment before speaking, "According to the current regulations, at least 180 catties of fresh goods are required, such as wild vegetables and potatoes, or 40 catties of dried goods such as dried meat and dried fish. And this is the basic price per person."

This number made Xu Xiaoyan's heart sink. They did have some fresh and dried goods, but definitely not this much, and these were their staple food, their only means of survival. Her mind raced, and she tentatively asked, "Cigarettes, alcohol... are those okay?"

"Smoke?" The word seemed to possess a certain magic. The soldier's previously composed eyes suddenly lit up, and his body unconsciously leaned forward slightly. He quickly glanced left and right, and seeing that no one nearby was paying particular attention, he took a step closer to Xu Xiaoyan, closing the distance to less than a meter. He lowered his voice, his tone carrying a barely perceptible urgency, "You have smoke?"

Xu Xiaoyan nodded without saying much. She deftly took off her backpack and, using her body as cover, took out two packs of high-end hard-shell cigarettes from the backpack (actually from her spatial storage). The cigarette packaging was in excellent condition, with even the plastic seal still intact.

The soldier almost impatiently reached out and took it, his movements so fast they bordered on snatching. He carefully examined the seal of the cigarette box, his fingers tracing the smooth plastic seal, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.

When he spoke again, the composure in his voice had vanished, replaced by an undisguised anxiety and longing. "How many packs of these cigarettes do you have left?" He looked up, his gaze fixed intently on Xu Xiaoyan, as if trying to see through the backpack to its contents.

Xu Xiaoyan did not answer immediately, but calmly looked back at him, her eyes carrying a question and a hint of scrutiny.

Stared at like that, the soldier seemed to realize he had been a bit out of line. He coughed awkwardly, trying to control his emotions, but his tone remained direct as he presented his condition: "Listen, young lady, if you can produce another pack, making it three packs of these intact cigarettes, I can make the decision to allow the three of you to travel together to the next survivor base. The journey isn't far; it should take about ten days."

He paused, observing Xu Xiaoyan's reaction. Seeing that she remained calm, he offered an even more tempting offer, lowering his voice to almost a whisper, "If... if you can produce six more packets, making a total of nine, I can find a way to take you directly to Linchuan! It's now one of the largest and most secure survivor bases in the country! Only there will you be truly safe."

Linchuan! The name pierced Xu Xiaoyan's mind like a ray of light. Her heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm. She needed to quickly assess the credibility of the soldier's promise: nine packs of cigarettes in exchange for three people to reach the largest safe zone. It sounded really good!

The largest survivor base in the country is indeed very tempting, but because of its importance, the situation is bound to be complicated. She cannot bet everything based solely on the other party's side of the story.

Xu Xiaoyan didn't show much excitement or hesitation. She simply nodded calmly, reached into her backpack again, took out another pack of high-end cigarettes that was also intact, and handed it over.

"Uncle," she began, "Going to Linchuan is a big deal. I have two companions with me, and we need to discuss it carefully before making a decision. Here, I'll give you three packs of cigarettes first. As you said, could you please take the three of us to the next survivor base?" She continued, "We'd like to see the situation there and understand it clearly before deciding whether to go to Linchuan with you. Is that alright?"

Her words were tactful, expressing her willingness without outright rejecting the possibility of going to Linchuan, leaving room for a potential deal later.

The soldier took the third pack of cigarettes, skillfully squeezed it to check the texture, and a satisfied look appeared on his face. He quickly stuffed all three packs into his pocket and then said to Xu Xiaoyan, "Okay, we'll do it your way." His tone was much gentler than before, even carrying a hint of appeasement. "My name is Jiang Shan, you can call me Uncle Jiang from now on. You can go check out the next base first. Remember, if you decide to go to Linchuan later, be sure to come find me! Two packs of cigarettes each are enough!"

Xu Xiaoyan immediately showed just the right amount of gratitude and responded positively, saying repeatedly, "Okay, okay! Definitely! Thank you for your care, Uncle Jiang! We'll get back to you as soon as we reach the next base and have discussed it!" She turned and left the military vehicle, already planning how to discuss it with Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao.

With only half an hour left before departure, people in the camp were starting to wake up. Xu Xiaoyan quickly returned to their resting corner, while Xie Yingtang and Wang Xiao were still deep in sleep, their extreme fatigue reducing their awareness of the outside world to a minimum.

She squatted down, gently nudged Xie Yingtang's shoulder, and shook Wang Xiao's arm, her voice slightly urgent, "Wake up, it's time to get up. I have something to tell you. If you want to sleep, you'll have another chance later."

The two woke up almost simultaneously. Their long-standing alertness allowed them to respond quickly even in deep sleep. Wang Xiao rubbed his sleepy eyes, let out a huge yawn, and mumbled, "So fast... it feels like I just closed my eyes..."

Xie Yingtang regained his senses more quickly. He sat up, his eyes scanning the surroundings to make sure it was safe, before looking at Xu Xiaoyan with a questioning look in his eyes.

Without delay, Xu Xiaoyan succinctly explained the deal she had just made with Jiang Shan: "I just went to a minor officer in the army and we've settled the terms. We've now secured the right to ride in the military vehicle for the next ten days, allowing the three of us to travel to the next survivor base."