The next day, the convoy continued onward.
Based on Captain Hui's calculations and a check of the Map, the Small Town was about five or six kilometers ahead, with a Gas Station just one kilometer away.
The convoy would first replenish its gasoline at the Gas Station, then try to reach the Small Town before noon.
Chu Sheng was already prepared for this.
He had specifically readied eight 1.5-liter Mineral Water bottles and a 20-liter Fuel Drum.
It wasn't that he didn't want to prepare more bottles for gasoline. He simply had no room.
The Sidecar Motorcycle's sidecar was only so big. After accounting for his backpack, food, and supplies, there was very little space left for gasoline.
He could actually have upgraded the Sidecar Motorcycle to make the sidecar bigger.
But when he had been about to upgrade it the previous night, he had stopped.
It wasn't worth it.
Even after his spectacular performance against the Eerie Pig, he had only earned 16,500 survival points. Added to the 40 he had left, that brought his total to just 16,540 survival points.
It seemed like a lot, but it really wouldn't last.
Upgrading something out of thin air cost far more survival points than upgrading it after gathering the necessary materials.
Chu Sheng intended to get it all done in one go. The Sidecar Motorcycle was sufficient for now, so he would first collect accessories, parts, a frame, and the like, then upgrade it properly.
That would save him a considerable number of survival points.
A little gasoline simply couldn't compare to survival points.
Over the past few days, he had also figured out the sidecar motorcycle's fuel consumption.
Perhaps because he had loaded the entire sidecar with supplies, its fuel consumption had risen considerably, but it was still acceptable.
At five liters per hundred kilometers, the Mineral Water bottles and Fuel Drum he had prepared would keep him going for a long time, provided he filled them all.
Sometimes, being greedy wasn't a good thing.
As the convoy slowly advanced, the outline of the Gas Station came into view.
After more than half a year without maintenance, the Gas Station looked considerably run-down.
Even from a distance, they could vaguely make out human bones and patches of unidentified dark brown stains.
The Gas Station wasn't large. It only had four fuel pumps.
Two of them seemed to have been hit by something and stood somewhat crooked.
Captain Hui's voice came from the front of the convoy.
"We're here! Anyone who needs fuel can come along. If you don't, just wait here."
He sounded rather relaxed, as though he was genuinely certain there were no Anomalies here anymore.
Hearing him, Chu Sheng and the others headed straight toward the Gas Station without hesitation. To be safe, however, they didn't drive inside. Instead, they parked beside the Gas Station and got out carrying fuel drums or other containers.
Several more vehicles followed behind them, along with twenty or thirty people carrying Mineral Water bottles or other bottles.
"Brother Zhou, won't carrying gasoline weigh us down?"
Li Qian held three bottles that had once contained iced black tea and looked at Zhou Dun beside her.
Hearing this, Zhou Dun gave her a somewhat helpless look and shook his head. "Qianqian, we're not here to collect gasoline for our own use."
Li Ling, who stood beside them, tugged at her older sister and added, "Sis, Brother Zhou means we can trade this gasoline for things later."
"The more gasoline we bring now, the better our chances of surviving later."
"Yes, Ling is right. We can't eat or drink gasoline, and we don't have a vehicle. Carrying it on the road might burden us a little, but it's our last safety net."
"Whether we trade it with others in the convoy for food or supplies, or exchange supplies with another convoy we encounter, we'll have something to offer."
"Better safe than sorry." As Zhou Dun spoke, he gestured for Li Qian to look at the people around them.
Most of these people didn't have vehicles either.
Yet they had still come to collect gasoline.
Most likely, they had the same idea, or they were planning to get a vehicle and prepare its fuel in advance.
After hearing their explanations and looking around at Zhou Dun's prompting, Li Qian finally understood. She looked at him gratefully.
"Brother Zhou, thank goodness we have you. Otherwise, Ling and I might have died long ago."
Zhou Dun shook his head helplessly. "I told you, you don't need to thank me. You two are like little sisters to me. In this apocalypse, the three of us are the only people we can trust."
"All right, let's stop talking about that. Let's hurry up and get in line."
With Chu Sheng and the others present, nobody crowded or shoved while collecting fuel. Instead, everyone lined up neatly behind them.
"Good thing the pumps at this Gas Station are purely mechanical." Zhu Qing's driver walked several circles around a pump and breathed a sigh of relief.
"If this place were like the previous Gas Stations, we'd have to dig another hole."
"Yes, purely mechanical pumps are easy enough to handle. Let's start filling up."
Captain Hui nodded from the side.
Although few Gas Stations still used Purely Mechanical Fuel Pumps, they hadn't disappeared entirely. They could still be found at privately owned stations and small ones like this.
Even after more than half a year without maintenance, these pumps could still dispense fuel through their nozzles.
They relied on physical mechanisms such as gears and levers, with a manually turned belt helping draw out the fuel.
Chu Sheng didn't understand any of this. He merely watched Zhu Qing's driver fiddle with the pump a few times before fuel began flowing.
Honestly, he didn't understand it, but he was deeply impressed. The convoy really was full of talented people.
Watching Zhu Qing begin filling a Fuel Drum, Chu Sheng glanced around.
Perhaps the apocalypse had struck too quickly, or perhaps people had been killed here afterward. Three or four cars were still parked inside the Gas Station.
They were covered in dust. One seemed to have been struck from the side, leaving a deep dent, with its doors twisted and crumpled together.
His gaze didn't linger on those cars, however. Instead, he looked toward a corner of the Gas Station.
Two Electric Scooters were parked there.
Chu Sheng glanced around, then pulled Zhou Dun and the two sisters out of the line.
Zhou Dun's heart jolted when Chu Sheng pulled him out, seemingly unable to understand why Chu Sheng had approached them.
The sisters, Li Qian and Li Lin, even hid behind Zhou Dun.
Chu Sheng paid no attention to their reaction. He simply looked at Zhou Dun and said, "Help me fill these bottles and this Fuel Drum. I'll give you half a kilo of rice afterward."
Zhou Dun's eyes lit up at his words, and he inwardly sighed with relief. He nodded eagerly. "No need for the rice. It's just helping fill some containers. Hardly any trouble."
Chu Sheng merely glanced at him without speaking, then walked away.
If he doesn't want the rice, so be it.
He knew exactly what Zhou Dun was thinking.
But if they really imagined that doing him a small favor would make him protect or help the three of them, then they had overestimated his moral standards.
It was even better if they didn't want the rice. He could save himself two meals' worth of rations.
Once Chu Sheng left, Zhou Dun stepped straight into his former place.
He stood directly behind Old Man Li.
Seeing the three of them, Old Man Li merely smiled and gave them a pitying look.
The survivors behind Zhou Dun and the sisters, however, felt rather envious and jealous.
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