Dismantle everything!

"Not bad. The information was fairly detailed, and I could barely notice any mental power consumption."

Su Ye nodded in satisfaction.

With his mental attribute now at 8.4, that tiny expenditure was negligible.

Then Su Ye went over to the fuel dispenser, took out the Fuel Storage Tank, and inserted the nozzle into its intake before he began extracting fuel.

"Glug, glug..."

Accompanied by the machine's low rumble, thick fuel rushed through the hose into the palm-sized Fuel Storage Tank.

Soon, all one thousand units of fuel had been transferred into the Fuel Storage Tank.

The gauge on the previously empty Fuel Storage Tank shot straight to full, yet its weight had not increased at all. It still felt virtually weightless.

Su Ye did not rush into the Convenience Store to loot it. Instead, he turned and approached the Vehicle parked by the roadside.

He took out the Function Module he had just obtained and pressed his palm against the car door.

[Would the player like to consume materials to upgrade the Vehicle?]

"Yes."

[Please select an upgrade direction for the Vehicle.]

Looking at the three familiar options that appeared before him, Su Ye chose speed without hesitation.

[Selection successful!]

[Detected a Function Module in the player's possession. Add it to this upgrade?]

"Yes."

[Vehicle upgrade initiated. This upgrade will take 25 minutes. Please wait patiently.]

As the system notification ended, a dense layer of white light instantly enveloped the entire Vehicle.

Su Ye was in no hurry.

Once the car reached level six, its speed would undoubtedly soar again, and he would soon make up for the time spent upgrading it.

"Since I have to wait for the Vehicle to upgrade anyway, I'll strip this Gas Station of all its resources first."

Su Ye turned and headed toward the Convenience Store.

He pushed open the battered glass door, and a pungent smell of mold mixed with dust hit him in the face.

The Convenience Store was quite a mess. Shelves lay toppled everywhere, and assorted wrappers and broken glass littered the floor.

Still, he could see some undamaged resources, including food and water.

Like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, Su Ye began feverishly gathering supplies.

[Obtained: 500 ml mineral water × 12]

[Obtained: compressed biscuits × 8]

[Obtained: canned beef × 3]

[Obtained: expired, moldy bread × 5]

[Obtained: cloudy purified water × 4]

Su Ye packed away all the food and water, leaving behind neither the visibly spoiled bread covered in green mold nor the cloudy water.

"I won't eat it myself, but I can sell it to other players."

People starving badly enough would stuff dirt and tree bark into their mouths, let alone expired food.

As long as it could fill their stomachs and keep them alive, plenty of players would scramble for it even if it gave them diarrhea afterward.

Didn't want it?

Then you weren't hungry enough!

After looting everything edible or drinkable, Su Ye turned his attention to the collapsed shelves.

"Can't let these shelves go to waste either."

Su Ye stepped forward and began collecting them.

The shelves were all made of aluminum alloy, a decent material that could be used later to upgrade his Vehicle or craft weapons.

Next, Su Ye went into the Convenience Store's restroom.

He had wanted to check for a water reservoir or any remaining water, but unfortunately, the faucet had long since rusted shut, and the pipes had dried out ages ago.

Still, Su Ye had no intention of leaving empty-handed.

He glanced up at the Exhaust Fan overhead, then at the metal water pipes in the wall.

"These pipes aren't bad either."

Bang!

Su Ye took out a hammer and smashed the wall tiles, then grabbed the exposed pipe and yanked it outward.

Crash!

A large section of plaster fell away as he tore the long metal pipe right out of the wall.

[Obtained: Rusty Iron Pipe × 6]

[Obtained: damaged Exhaust Fan × 1]

Su Ye dismantled everything he could, not even sparing the restroom's partial-height wooden door. He removed its hinges and tossed it into his Storage Ring.

"Who knows when it might come in handy? Even burning it as firewood would keep me warm."

Leaving the restroom, Su Ye returned to the checkout counter.

The cash register was beyond repair, its screen shattered, and naturally, there wasn't a penny inside.

But the machine contained precision components, so he simply stored it away and took it along.

Once he had stripped the Convenience Store clean, Su Ye walked outside, thoroughly satisfied.

He looked at the six fuel dispensers, five of which were already broken.

"Even that sheet metal counts as material. I'll take them all."

Without hesitation, Su Ye collected the five broken fuel dispensers, then looked at the working one he had just drained of fuel.

"I've looted even the broken dispensers. No way I'm leaving a working one behind."

Su Ye took out a Toolbox and detached the intact fuel dispenser before storing it in his Storage Ring.

"That's better."

"Good thing my Storage Ring has enough space for all this. Even if other players wanted to loot everything, they'd have to pick out the important things to take."

Su Ye spoke with a smile.

Just then, a faint mechanical hum came from the roadside.

The white light around the Vehicle gradually faded away. It had reached level six.

Su Ye quickly walked over to the Vehicle.

It had not changed much in appearance, except that the window glass had become thicker.

Su Ye opened the door and got in. The instant he shut it, the wind outside was completely blocked out, leaving the interior so quiet that he could hear only his own breathing.

"Not bad."

Su Ye opened the panel to check the Vehicle's latest stats.

[Vehicle]: Gale Ranger

[Level]: 6

[Durability]: 100%

[Fuel]: 741 units (each unit allows 18 kilometers of travel)

[Top speed]: 420 kilometers/hour

[Mounted weapons]: none

[Function Modules]: energy conservation, Sprint, Rapid Speed, Hard Armor, Sealing.

"A top speed of 420. With Sprint activated, it could reach 2,100 kilometers per hour. Good thing my physique attribute is pretty strong now, or I really couldn't handle it."

"But I should still eat that Giant Bear meat tonight. That'll make it a little easier."

"I still have four groups of my own people to meet today. I wonder what good stuff they'll bring me."

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Su Ye started the car.

"Vroom..."

The level-six Vehicle's engine roared like a mighty beast, and a brilliant blue flame shot from its exhaust.

"Let's go!"

Su Ye floored the accelerator, and the car shot forward.

Time slowly passed, and before he knew it, the third day had come to an end.

Night lay heavily over the endless highway like an enormous black curtain.

Su Ye parked on the highway, took several pieces of dry firewood from his Storage Ring, and deftly built a campfire in a spot sheltered from the wind beside the car.

Then he took out ten huge, blood-red chunks of Giant Bear meat, skewered them one by one, and set them over the campfire to roast.

"Sizzle..."

As the flames roasted the Giant Bear meat, fat began to seep from its surface and drip into the fire with an enticing sizzle. A rich, meaty aroma instantly filled the air.

Sitting beside the fire, Su Ye turned the roasting meat while mentally taking stock of the day's haul.