A Gift

The man had completed the trade, but showed no signs of leaving. Grinning, he continued, "Big sis, you're beautiful and kindhearted. You're a good person!"

He didn't forget to include Lu Xi'an, either. "Big bro, too."

Lu Xi'an smiled and returned the compliment. "You should be the big bro. You look older than me. And you're cool and friendly, too. You don't meet many people like that these days."

The man waved a hand. "Out here in the world, everyone you meet is a big bro. My name's Luo Ping. What should I call you two?"

Lu Xi'an said, "I'll tell you next time."

"Big bro, you're really cautious."

Luo Ping chuckled. He didn't seem to mind the answer. "It's hard to get in or out of this place. Where are you planning to go?"

Yao Wei stood in front of Luo Ping, having already put the drone and controller back in the car.

When she saw Lu Xi'an take the lead, she didn't say another word.

The trade was done, and she wasn't very good at this kind of conversation. She might as well leave it to Lu Xi'an.

He was better at talking to people than she was, and he could always find something to say.

If Lu Xi'an hadn't been there before, she probably wouldn't have known how to start talking to him.

Lu Xi'an didn't answer. Instead, he tossed the question back to Luo Ping. "What about you? What are you planning to do?"

Luo Ping didn't seem bothered by Lu Xi'an's question. "What else can I do? Find somewhere to hide for a while, of course.

"This place is huge. No matter how many people they have, they can't cover everything. All they can do is guard the roads and wait for us.

"We just need to hold out for a few more days. They won't be able to keep it up. They'll have to send people out to look for supplies."

Lu Xi'an nodded. "Makes sense. Then what?"

"Then, when the time is right, we get out of here."

Luo Ping flashed Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei another grin, his uneven teeth showing. He seemed to love smiling, as if that was how he expressed his friendliness.

"Big bro, big sis, how about we team up?"

He suddenly added, "I've got a secret base in the south. It's an amazing place, full of treasures.

"Just look at my car and the stuff I gave you. You can tell there's no problem surviving there.

"Once we've waited this out, come back with me. You'll live like kings!"

Lu Xi'an asked, "If you've got such a great place, why aren't you staying there? What are you doing out here?"

Luo Ping shook his head. "Can't say. Can't say."

Lu Xi'an said, "Sorry, but we're not looking to team up with anyone."

Then he called for Yao Wei to get in the car.

Luo Ping hurriedly called after them. "You really won't think it over? Everything I said is true! I'm not lying!"

Lu Xi'an made up an excuse. "We'll pass. We like traveling around and don't plan to settle down anywhere."

Luo Ping laughed. "Big bro, you're a real joker."

Who could afford to travel these days? Even a madman wouldn't have that kind of hobby.

"All right, we'll be going, then. Until we meet again."

Lu Xi'an put on airs, borrowing the saying about how everyone you met out in the world was a big bro. Then he shifted gears and stepped on the gas.

But Luo Ping called out, "Wait." He quickly ran back to his car and grabbed something, then tossed it through the passenger-side window. "You two are decent people, so I'll throw in two more things for free.

"Four AA batteries, brand-new. They'll keep your controller going for ages! And a good book, too. It's packed with useful knowledge. You can learn a thing or two and find some new ways to amuse yourselves."

The passenger-side window was open, so Luo Ping's gifts landed right in Yao Wei's hands.

The batteries were indeed brand-new, wrapped in clear, rigid plastic packaging.

But Yao Wei took one look at the book and hurriedly tossed it onto the back seat, not daring to look any longer.

Lu Xi'an glanced at it from the corner of his eye and broke into a grin.

The book Yao Wei had tossed onto the back seat had no cover, but from the contents, it was clearly a full-color comic.

Each page was divided into four panels. In them, handsome men and beautiful women were fighting fiercely, leaving Yao Wei blushing.

This guy Luo Ping sure had a lot of racy stuff. Were most of the treasures in his secret base things like that?

Yao Wei had always been frugal and hated wasting anything. Even though the book she'd just held was so indecent, she hadn't thrown it out the window. She'd only tossed it onto the back seat.

Lu Xi'an planned to give it a proper look once they stopped later.

There were so few ways to amuse yourself in this world. He'd finally got his hands on something, and he couldn't let it go to waste by using that spiritual nourishment as kindling.

"What should we do next? Head west and take a look, or listen to Luo Ping and find somewhere to hide for a while?"

Lu Xi'an asked.

Yao Wei thought it over briefly. "Hide first. Just in case he was telling the truth."

Lu Xi'an nodded. "True. Better safe than sorry. If what he said was true, then heading west later would just help draw their fire toward us."

Yao Wei couldn't help glancing at Lu Xi'an. He'd been talking in one smooth stream ever since their conversation with Luo Ping, as if he'd caught it from him.

Lu Xi'an considered it for a moment. "What if we went back to the shelter? We could hide there for a few days.

"It's safe there, and we don't have to worry about using up our supplies. It's perfect for staying put.

"There's not much water there, but it's right by a reservoir. Now that we have a drone, we can send it out to check the area. Once we're sure it's safe, we can bring water back.

"Luo Ping was only just blocked in. The people from the county town aren't the same group as the ones in Liangshui Village he mentioned, so they probably won't hear about it right away. If we're careful, we should still have time to get back and hide."

Yao Wei had no objections. She nodded. "Okay."

They agreed on a plan and immediately drove back.

Yao Wei checked the map and found a rural road that would let them avoid being blocked by the Liangshui Village group.

They didn't head west. Instead, they turned back east. Liangshui Village would have a hard time blocking them for now.

They had only just left the county town. Further east should be the territory of the county-town group. Until they reached an agreement with them, the people from Liangshui Village probably wouldn't dare encroach too much.

There was enough gas in the car. Lu Xi'an drove along the bumpy country roads, avoiding not only the people from Liangshui Village, but also Fengcheng County and Gao Family Village.

Were the people from Gao Family Village part of the same group as the county-town people?

They soon reached Tan Village Entrance. As before, they drove through the village first to check it out. After confirming it was safe, they turned into the passage between two houses at the village entrance and stopped behind one of them.

After getting out, Lu Xi'an glanced at the house and suddenly had a new idea. "What if we knocked a hole in the back wall and backed the car inside?

"There's a hillside behind it, and nothing on either side to give us away. Even if someone came by, they'd never spot us."