"The price is fine, but I want my goods as soon as possible."
"I know the guys from the other four tribes must have contacted you too. I can pay you 10% extra, provided I get mine first."
"..."
All four of them wanted their goods first, and some had even offered to pay extra.
An idea struck Su Ye. Sure enough, the Fivefold Race was far from united.
"Paying extra won't get your order expedited."
"Making hand crossbows and bolts takes time, and I can't cut corners on any step. The Feather Tribe placed its order before you did, so you'll have to wait."
Su Ye replied, "If I cave in just because you offer more money today, you probably won't want to trade with someone as untrustworthy as me in the future."
That message established him as a businessman who played by the rules while subtly using the Feather Tribe to put them in their place.
After reading his reply, they fell silent for a while, then all responded:
"Fine, kid. You've got principles. We'll follow the rules. I'll send the deposit first. Deliver as soon as you can."
"I hope your hand crossbows live up to that lousy attitude. Deposit paid. Check it."
Several system notifications chimed, and a huge pile of resources instantly appeared in Su Ye's trading tab.
Wood, iron, plastic, rubber, purified water, food... it had everything.
Naturally, Su Ye was delighted to receive such an enormous haul of resources.
Just as he finished settling the details and pocketed all the deposits, a deep mechanical rumble suddenly rang out.
Immediately afterward, the dazzling pillar of white light surrounding the pickup began to contract violently.
The light gradually faded, and the pickup finished upgrading.
Su Ye was about to inspect his brand-new ride when he noticed the private chat interface flashing again.
It was a message from Ling Yue.
"Boss, I heard you refused the other four tribes' offers to pay extra and jump the queue, and kept our Feather Tribe's order first. Nicely done!"
Even through the screen, Su Ye could practically see the delight on Ling Yue's face.
"Those four bastards just messaged me to demand answers. Every word reeked of jealousy. They don't even understand first come, first served. Do they really think a few lousy resources let them throw their weight around in this survival game?"
"I can't let you lose out, boss. You offended them to protect my order, so consider this a little compensation."
[System notification: Player Ling Yue has gifted you fuel ×100 units. Accept?]
Su Ye's eyes lit up.
One hundred units of fuel was an absolute fortune at this stage.
A single unit of fuel could take him ten kilometers. These hundred units would let him race a thousand kilometers down this highway.
He hadn't expected an extra windfall.
Su Ye couldn't stop the grin spreading across his face.
He hadn't refused to let them pay extra and jump the queue because he had some lofty professional ethics.
They were fighting for their fucking lives. Talking about morals was just a way to get yourself killed faster.
He had simply considered the disunity within the Fivefold Race and wanted to see whether he could use this opportunity to drive a wedge between them.
Success would be ideal. If he could stir up their internal conflicts, he could profit from both sides as an arms dealer.
Failure wouldn't matter either. It had only taken a few words.
He hadn't expected it to work even better than he'd hoped.
Sure enough, the delighted young chief Ling Yue had sent him a hundred units of fuel as a tip.
"I've accepted the gift. There's no need for thanks. I'm here to do business, so naturally, I have to follow some rules. Whoever pays first calls the shots."
"Hahaha, great! I like how straightforward you are, boss. Here's hoping we can do plenty more business together," Ling Yue replied instantly.
After ending their pleasant conversation, Su Ye closed the chat interface and finally turned his full attention to his pickup.
The pickup had been completely transformed into a sleek black truck that radiated power.
Its paintwork had a matte finish, as though it could absorb the surrounding light.
The chassis had been noticeably raised, and its four enormous all-terrain tires bore deep, gripping treads, like four thick beast claws digging into the ground.
A thick V-shaped steel bull bar had been fitted to the front, making it look like a steel beast poised to strike.
Although he had chosen the [Speedster], which favored speed and agility over defense, its supposedly weaker defenses were only weak compared with those of a heavily armored combat vehicle.
Compared with his old level-one pickup, its defenses had made a qualitative leap.
"Nice, very nice. Its top speed is 240. Energy efficiency improved fuel economy by 20%, and the upgrade added another 20%. Now one unit of fuel can take me fourteen kilometers."
Su Ye nodded in satisfaction and immediately climbed into the truck.
The moment he sat down, he felt something soft yet supportive beneath him.
After testing the leather seat, Su Ye couldn't help letting out a comfortable sigh.
It really did feel great.
The steering wheel had also been replaced with one wrapped in leather with textured grips. It felt weighty and solid in his hands.
The dashboard was now a fully digital display, showing every reading clearly. There was even a basic radar screen on the center console.
Although it showed nothing but static for now, he would surely be able to install a suitable detection module later.
He then glanced at the workbench. It was humming softly as its progress bar steadily advanced.
It would take over another hour to finish making everything Ling Yue had ordered.
Su Ye didn't waste any time. He poured all one hundred units of fuel into the tank.
Vroom!
He started the truck, and the engine let out a low, powerful roar, like a leopard waking from sleep.
Su Ye shifted into gear and stepped on the accelerator. The truck instantly shot forward.
The intense acceleration pinned him firmly against the leather seat as the scenery outside streaked backward in a blur.
Su Ye nodded in satisfaction.
With this Speedster, he now had a shot at taking first place in mileage during the seven-day beginner period.
But it was only a shot.
Su Ye knew perfectly well that other players, especially big shots from the five tribes like Ling Yue, had hundreds or thousands of underlings supporting them. They must have upgraded their vehicles long ago.
They had no shortage of resources or fuel. They might already be driving level-three or even level-four vehicles.
By comparison, although he had made a fortune selling hand crossbows, taking first place was still out of reach for now.
I need to keep upgrading the truck.
Su Ye thought to himself.
Hopefully, I'll find some more functional modules along the way. Upgrading with basic materials alone won't give me much of an edge.
The truck continued speeding down the highway.
In an excellent mood, Su Ye drove along while humming a little tune about freedom.
"Give me a now, give me a now~"
"Step on it, step, step, step~"
"Full speed, what's there to fear~"
"See me, see go, oh~ see me, see go, oh, oh, oh~"
Before you continue