The whole nation is trying to survive on the cable car; I'm choosing one of three options at ea

"This is the Desert Fruit," she said. "The one mentioned in the intelligence. I checked, it's not for humans; its effect is to heal injuries to pets and battle pets. If your Cloud Vine is injured, this should be useful."

She had just placed the fruit on the table when she heard a commotion from the planting platform.

A few branches of the 'Moyun Vine' emerged from the edge of the wooden frame, slid slowly along the ground like snakes, and stopped about a foot away from the cloth bag. A few new leaves twitched gently, as if sniffing something.

Su Mu turned and glanced at it: "Who told you to move?"

The branches of the Moyun Vine stiffened for a moment, then reluctantly shrank back, but the leaves still faced the Desert Fruit with unwavering resolve.

Su Mu picked up a fruit and said to Mo Yun Teng, "Can this heal your wounds?"

A very light thought came through the contract, carrying a hint of urgency, like a series of rapid sign language gestures, roughly meaning "can eat, want, injuries will heal much faster".

Su Mu tossed the fruit over.

A branch suddenly sprang up, caught the fruit in mid-air, and then quickly retracted back into the planting platform, as if afraid of being snatched back.

Several thin branches wrapped around the fruit layer by layer, covering it completely, and the surface of the fruit had a very faint green sheen.

A moment later, the branches binding the fruit slowly loosened, and the pulp inside had turned into a muddy paste, which was gradually absorbed by the branches.

Su Mu could clearly sense that the status message from the other end of the contract was changing.

The hidden wounds that had remained deep within the vines seemed to be smoothed out bit by bit from the inside, as if something had erased them. The grayish-white scabs at the joints of the broken branches began to peel off, revealing the newly grown, glossy skin underneath.

The scent of the entire vine calmed down, and even the air inside the cable car seemed a bit fresher.

"The effect is good." Su Mu nodded as he looked at the slowly recovering branches.

Lin Yuwei pushed another fruit over, saying, "Then let's leave all of these for it."

Su Mu did not refuse.

After the Moyun Vine had taken the second one, Lin Yuwei took out another item from the storage compartment.

It was a scroll with a gray-gold border, longer than a regular skill scroll, with a string of extremely fine cable patterns engraved on the core.

Su Mu glanced at it and froze.

"A Level 7 cable car upgrade scroll?" He sat up almost immediately, took it, and examined it from all angles.

"I got this from a treasure chest I opened today," Lin Yuwei said. "Isn't your cable car level five? This is more useful to you than to me."

Su Mu ran his fingers along the scroll a couple of times, his first thought being... how much could this thing sell for outside?

He hadn't seen the cable car upgrade reel in a long time.

We've reached level 17, but the cable car is only level 5.

The difference between the two is unbelievable. A Level 7 cable car means more space, stronger defenses, more space for auxiliary buildings, and a longer radar scanning range. At this stage, such a reel is practically priceless.

Before he could even think of how to bring it up, Lin Yuwei spoke first: "Forget about the deal. I'm staying with you now, and this cable car upgrade is just as important to me. You wouldn't charge me for that, would you? And those Desert Fruits, I didn't ask you for money either."

Su Mu opened his mouth, then smiled helplessly after a moment: "Fine, I was the one who wanted it complicated."

Lin Yuwei snorted: "You're not complicated, you've been a shrewd businessman for so long that you don't even spare your own people."

"How did I become a profiteer?" Su Mu was somewhat speechless.

"You know perfectly well what you're doing," Lin Yuwei said. "When we first met, every time you gave me something, you were always crystal clear about what you owed me. Now you're trying to calculate it all? If I don't point it out, you'd probably give me a price quote."

Su Mu touched his nose: "Was that the kind of person you always saw me as?"

"What do you think?" Lin Yuwei glanced at him, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Su Mu shook his head and offered no further explanation.

She'd said it so plainly, he couldn't be bothered with the distinction between "yours" and "mine."

The two of them are now sharing a cable car, their fates intertwined. His every advantage means greater safety for her; the more information she has, the fewer detours he takes. They are, after all, inseparable.

"We used it directly," Su Mu said.

He took the reel and walked to the cable car control panel, placing the reel close to the core recess.

The patterns on the scroll lit up, like burning gold threads, spreading from the edges towards the center. A system notification then popped up:

[Upgrade the reel using the Level 7 cable car? The upgrade will take 24 hours. During this time, the cable car will stop moving, maintaining the current state without affecting internal functions. This upgrade will significantly improve the building's strength and interior space, and unlock the fifth auxiliary building slot.]

Su Mu clicked "confirm".

The scroll transformed into a wisp of extremely fine golden light, disappearing into the control panel.

The entire cable car shuddered slightly, and some of its outer structures began to change slowly and rhythmically, like a sleeping creature adjusting the position of its skeleton.

"The upgrade will be complete in 24 hours." Su Mu patted the control panel. "We'll have a lot more space then."

Lin Yuwei nodded, her gaze sweeping around the interior of the cable car: "It's better that it's bigger. Right now, it's a bit cramped for just the two of us. Especially..."

She paused after speaking, as if realizing what she had said, and the tips of her ears turned red again.

Su Mu pretended not to hear and spread out several blueprints he had obtained from Japan: "Take a look at these. There's a furniture blueprint that adds comfort. There's also a mobile food cart blueprint, which also emphasizes comfort. Plan your space and see which items can fit."

Lin Yuwei took the chairs and looked them over. When she saw the desert cushion chairs, her eyes lit up: "These are great. Once the cable car is upgraded and there's more space, we can put two by the window. That'll increase comfort without taking up too much space."

"Okay. I'll get some more materials from the exchange later. You can do it if you can," Su Mu said.

He thought for a moment, then stood up, walked to the locker, and took out a small ceramic jar from the very back.

The can was sealed with a thick cloth. When it was opened, a strong medicinal aroma mixed with the smell of alcohol rushed out and quickly filled the cable car.

Lin Yuwei sniffed and looked over in surprise: "What is this?"

"Medicinal wine infused with blood ginseng." Su Mu placed the earthenware jar on the table and poured out a small cup. The liquid was dark red, slightly viscous, and shimmered with a very faint light at the bottom of the cup.

"You said before that your strength improved rapidly during your time in Ash City, and part of that was due to this," Lin Yuwei said.

"Yes." Su Mu pushed the cup towards her. "This stuff replenishes qi and blood, improves circulation, and speeds up recovery. It's best to drink it before bed. Especially since you're already in the cable car today and don't need to go out, it's perfect."