Apocalyptic Disaster: I Hoard Billions in Supplies and Kill the Saint

168: Chapter 168 The Return to the WastelandYe Nanxing fell silent for a few seconds, her fingers tapping lightly against the window frame.

She certainly knew that heading straight back to the base was the safest option, but at this stage, this return route meant more than just ”transporting goods.”

Under the extreme heat, the whole world was undergoing an Apocalypse screening.

And she could take the opportunity to save people, scavenge for lives, and seize chances along the way.

She slowly looked up, her tone concise: ”Fine.”

”Zhou Cheng, mark the route. First Wangchuan, then Fengling.”

”But one thing—we don’t rob, and we don’t stake claims.”

”If there’s something to take, we take it.”

”If not... we don’t get involved in the karma.”

”In this world right now, ’collecting things’ is easy.”

”’Getting into trouble’ is even easier.”

Zhao Wei: ”Hey, I knew it! I’ve always felt we shouldn’t travel empty-handed along the way. If we don’t stop at a few spots, I feel uncomfortable all over.”

Zhang Tianjin: ”That’s because your kidneys are bad.”

Sun Hao shot him a cold glance: ”Stop talking nonsense. I’ll just ask one thing: will we be able to drink iced watermelon juice when we get back?”

Zhou Cheng rubbed his forehead: ”Why don’t you ask if you’ll still be able to take a cold shower?”

Chu Yunting couldn’t be bothered with them and just spat out two words in a low voice: ”Let’s go.”

The 39th day of the extreme heat.

At seven in the evening, the sun finally sank slowly below the scorched yellow horizon.

The air was still scorching, but compared to the 79-degree heat during the day that could make one’s scalp swell and stick shoe soles to the ground, this was the ”best window” for traveling at night.

On the outskirts of Huangsha Town, inside an abandoned factory area.

Two snow-white RVs were parked quietly beneath the ruins of the factory building.

These were transit rest vehicles that Ye Nanxing had just pulled from her space, equipped with a full constant-temperature system—even if it was hot enough outside to roast a zombie, the interior remained refreshingly cool.

Inside the RV, the air conditioning was set to a constant 26 degrees, and mist rose from the table.

A pot of tomato and spicy mandarin duck hotpot was bubbling away, with beef rolls, tripe, bean curd skin, shrimp paste, and lotus root slices being added to the pot one after another.

Beside it sat a whole bucket of cut iced watermelon, a row of iced colas and fruit teas emitting white steam, and several cans of cold beer just taken from the space’s freezer, all neatly arranged.

The aroma and the cool air mingled, while the spiciness and happiness went hand in hand.

Zhao Wei sat cross-legged, shirtless, leaning against the sofa: ”Sister Ye... I seriously suspect that this RV is a ’mental hallucination’ created by your space ability.”

”It’s 69 degrees outside, we’re almost roasted, yet in here we’re eating hotpot... and can even drink cold beer.”

Zhang Tianjin, while swishing beef in the pot, used the watermelon as a cold compress on his face, eyes closed as he hummed: ”Life is complete. At this moment, I want to spend the rest of my life in this car.”

Zhou Cheng silently dropped a piece of bean curd skin into the spicy pot and glanced at the heat waves outside the window: ”Do you guys feel a sense of displacement? It’s like eating a Manchu Han Imperial Feast on the edge of purgatory.”

And Chu Yunting, at this moment, was holding tripe in one hand and a beer can in the other, his expression subtle.

He never ate spicy food.

He didn’t like the stimulation of spices, disliked heavy-flavored food, and couldn’t stand the rough dining style of ”hotpot,” which was full of ”sweat, smells, and oil.”

But this time, he didn’t refuse.

Instead, he took the initiative to sit on the spicy pot side and even refilled his sauce twice.

No one pointed out how he had changed, but even he himself had noticed it.

In an Apocalypse that drove people crazy,

In a situation with 69-degree heat outside, zombie hordes mutating, and civilization collapsing,

A bite of spicy hotpot and a sip of cold beer became the only remaining ”reality.”

He took a light sip of beer and suddenly said: ”Actually... it’s not bad.”

Zhao Wei was stunned and asked in surprise: ”You’ve gotten used to spicy food?”

Chu Yunting smiled faintly: ”I’ve probably been assimilated by you guys.”

He paused, looked at Ye Nanxing, and spoke slowly but seriously: ”Or perhaps... it’s because I’ve been by your side for too long.”

”Whatever I wasn’t used to, I’ve gradually become used to.”

The lingering aroma of the spicy hotpot had not yet fully dissipated, and the cool air inside the RV was still circulating slowly.

The group rested for a while, leaning against seats, cushions, and military packs. The curtains were half-drawn, blocking the residual heat from the scorching white night sky.

A brief relaxation could not make them forget the rhythm of their night operations.

Zhou Cheng opened his handheld terminal and tapped on an area of red dots marked in advance on the map.

”On the north side of Huangsha Town, there’s a specialty glass factory.”

”The map data shows it has a military-industrial cooperation background. It used to specialize in military-grade high-temperature impact-resistant materials—if it hasn’t been looted, the factory warehouse might still have processing raw materials and semi-finished products.”

”In this extreme heat Apocalypse, these are more valuable than food.”

Chu Yunting scanned it: ”The route isn’t out of the way; it’s less than six kilometers from here.”

Zhao Wei stood up, yawning: ”I’m going to clean my gun. We might have to fight when we enter the factory later.”

Zhang Tianjin: ”I’m going to readjust the pressure on my exoskeleton leg armor so it doesn’t get stuck during the night operation.”

The group began to move; the habits had become a system.

But just as they were preparing to leave, a faint sound came from outside the RV.

At first, it was just a few faint footsteps.

Immediately after, there were human voices.

”...Did you smell that? The smell of chili.”

”Holy crap, this smell... is it hotpot?! Someone is eating hotpot here?!”

”I just saw a white car come over earlier... This... this RV has constant temperature control?!”

Zhao Wei immediately became alert, walked to the side of the vehicle, and peered out through the window gap:

Several survivors were standing on the outskirts of the factory area, their expressions hungry and cautious.

They were wearing tattered thermal suits, their chapped lips covered in peeling skin and bloodstains. Among them was a young man staring intently at the window, his nostrils flaring slightly, as if he were staring at a steam-filled paradise on earth.

”Looks like just passersby,” Zhao Wei whispered.

”Not a big problem, no weapons, but very hungry.”

Chu Yunting took a look, his eyes calm: ”Don’t scare them.”

”No matter how hungry they are, they don’t have the guts to touch our car.”

Zhang Tianjin, however, leaned against the window with his arms crossed, clicking his tongue: ”This is... the widespread lethality of hotpot.”

”Are you saying we set a mental landmine for this group of people?”

Zhou Cheng lowered his voice, teasing: ”The supplies aren’t the problem, but their mental state is about to be.”

Ye Nanxing sat inside the car, her gaze never leaving the few thin figures outside the window.

They stood cautiously in the distance, talking in low voices, neither daring to approach nor willing to leave.

She didn’t speak.

She just slowly stood up and took a few boxes of self-heating hotpot and room-temperature water from her space.

Her movements were calm and efficient, as if she were doing the most ordinary thing.

Zhao Wei looked at the items in Ye Nanxing’s hands and asked in a low voice: ”Are you really planning to give it to them?”

”Not giving,” Ye Nanxing said calmly, ”just dropped on the road.”

”Place it far away.”

”Don’t let them gather around.”

Zhao Wei was stunned for a second, then took the items and nodded: ”Understood.”

It landed without a sound, and no one noticed.

Half an hour later, the few survivors who had originally stayed on the outskirts of the factory area carefully followed the direction where Ye Nanxing and the others had left, slowly moving to that wall ruin.

”Hey, hey, look over there, is there something?”