Lin Feng never expected that even just watching the drama unfold, he would get dragged into it himself.

Watching Liu Yueqi wipe her tears and walk toward him, Lin Feng quickly waved his hand dismissively.

"Go on, get out of here..."

But the young woman still approached him and asked,

"Mr. Lin, please let me join you! I can do anything!"

Lin Feng frowned slightly. He glanced at the dazed Liu Ruojiao behind the girl and dropped his spectating attitude.

"Teacher Liu is right. You’re still young, not even an adult. You can’t take this kind of risk. Killing Zergs isn’t like playing house. Didn’t you see the grisly scene on the road, with so many dead teachers and professors? Next time, it could be you who dies."

"Before, we were all trapped in the city and had to face the threat of the giant bugs. Now that we’ve escaped, who would want to go back?"

Liu Yueqi wiped the tears and snot from her face with her sleeve, stifled her sobs, and tried to argue back.

"But didn’t you join? It doesn’t seem as dangerous now as it was in the city..."

Lin Feng let out a soft cough, took out the Replica handgun, and placed it on the table.

"I can pick off Zergs from hundreds of meters away. What about you? You’re going to fight them in close quarters with that saber?"

"Are those two risks the same?"

Liu Yueqi gripped her Thousand Slash Saber tightly. Lin Feng’s words didn’t change her mind; instead, her expression grew even more resolute.

"But just running and hiding will never solve the problem."

"Mr. Lin, you should know better than I do that if I don’t get stronger as quickly as possible now, it will only get harder later."

Lin Feng nodded. Looking at the stubborn, dramatic teenager before him, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him.

"That’s true."

"It’s just that most of the upcoming missions will be in the wilderness. Your saber-wielding attack style is only suited for one-on-one duels, using the complex terrain of a city."

"How about this: first, work hard to become an Awakener. Let’s see if your Awakening Superpower brings any new changes."

"If you can solve your current offensive predicament, I don’t think anyone will stop you from stepping onto the battlefield again."

Having received a temporary affirmation, Liu Yueqi wiped her tears away, her sorrow turning to joy. The slap mark on her face had also faded considerably.

The dreams of youth always run into the wall of reality. These setbacks make people timid and force them to compromise, and they call this "growing up."

Lin Feng shrugged and told the young woman to sit down first.

Having witnessed Liu Yueqi’s unwavering conviction, Lin Feng was willing to give her a chance.

He had seen from the Thousand Slash Saber’s data display that it had stored over two hundred swings’ worth of Damage. God only knew how hard she had been working, still finding time to practice her Sword Skill even after escaping Hai City.

On the other hand, Lin Feng was also curious what kind of ability a close-combat specialist like Liu Yueqi, who focused solely on the saber, would awaken.

Superpowers were often closely related to one’s usual habits, and thus to their profession. For someone like her who had chosen the difficult path from the start, a miracle might just happen.

Taking an unconventional path could often lead to a game-changing move.

After giving his promise to Liu Yueqi, Lin Feng looked at the woman standing stunned behind her.

Liu Ruojiao snapped back to reality, realizing her actions had deeply hurt Liu Yueqi. But she had acted that way because she couldn’t accept the current reality...

Her entire life’s achievements had become worthless overnight with the arrival of the apocalypse.

She had already lost everything; she didn’t want to lose one of the few relatives she had left.

Seeing this, Zhang Xuan stepped forward to support her by the arm. Emotionally collapsing, Liu Ruojiao burst into tears.

Liu Yueqi didn’t look back, as if she had made some kind of resolution.

As Liu Ruojiao sobbed on Zhang Xuan’s shoulder, Lin Feng’s gaze shifted to the man.

Their eyes met. Lin Feng flashed a fake smile, while the other man gave a polite nod before holding the woman in his arms and returning to their car.

While comforting the emotional Liu Ruojiao in his embrace, Zhang Xuan’s gaze was fixed on the young woman with her back to them.

As Liu Ruojiao’s fiancé, and Liu Yueqi’s soon-to-be uncle-in-law, he should have sided with Liu Ruojiao and persuaded the girl to give up her dangerous decision.

But he knew better. If the girl joined the Administration Bureau, he, as a family member, would not only be spared from hunger and cold but could also reach Jin City safely and smoothly.

So, caught in a dilemma, his silence was his consent.

But in the end, the one who won over Liu Yueqi was Lin Feng.

This displeased him greatly, and he felt a sliver of resentment and disgust for the crying woman in his arms.

Pursuing this older, single woman, Liu Ruojiao, had always been a means to use her father’s influence at the university to advance his own career.

Given the choice, Zhang Xuan would naturally have preferred someone young and beautiful, like his junior, Chen Yanyan.

Now that things had come to this, Liu Ruojiao’s value was less than that of her annoying high-school-aged niece.

’Zhang Xuan needs to find another way out, and fast.’

...

Chen Yanyan cooked the meal quickly. There weren’t many complex ingredients. She boiled a large pot of noodles, stir-fried green peppers with pork for a topping, and made a side of cold-marinated cucumbers.

Lin Feng ate a large bowl, with two extra eggs added just for him. After a long, tiring day, a hot meal was more comforting and satisfying than anything else.

The short meal ended quickly. During that time, some people came over to beg for food. Lin Feng slapped his handgun on the table, his meaning clear.

Don’t force him to point his gun at people.

Not even the women.

The importance of food was self-evident. The Public Security Administration Bureau currently only provided the most basic relief—the ration was enough for one person to have one meal a day, just enough to keep from starving to death.

But in reality, many people were still going hungry. Because for every person who ate three meals a day, there were two others who had to endure hunger.

So, the benefits of joining the Administration Bureau, aside from the rise in status, included a week’s worth of rations for three people. That amounted to sixty-three meals. Even if Lin Feng traded them, he could get countless riches and women in return.

And after a week, he would start receiving his weekly pay on time.

Under the envious stares of others, Lin Feng drank the entire bowl of broth, trying not to waste a drop.

Having starved for two days, Liu Yueqi finally had a full meal. She practically wanted to lick her plate clean.

After eating and drinking her fill, the young woman proactively cleared the dishes and went to help Chen Yanyan wash the bowls and clean the stove.

After the two came out of the RV, Lin Feng handed the Lv. 9 upgraded handgun Replica to Chen Yanyan and taught her how to use a gun.

She had been looking forward to this for a long time and finally got her wish.

The sense of security a firearm provided was incomparable to what a saber or a club could offer. It could keep threats at a distance and eliminate enemies from afar.

As the saying goes: beyond seven paces, a gun is fast. Within seven paces, a gun is both fast and accurate!

It was precisely with this small handgun that Lin Feng had managed to safely get through his early development stage.

"Your arm Power isn’t sufficient, so you can’t hold the gun with a straight arm. Bend your elbow, grip it with both hands, switch off the safety, and then aim through the sights..." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"A wide stance is the most stable. Aim to hit every shot within fifty meters, and be able to land a burst of shots within a hundred meters."

Chen Yanyan had previously followed Lin Feng back to scavenge and had successfully upgraded to Lv. 5. She now had 24 points in Physique and 25 points in Spirit, a twofold increase from before.

Not only had her slightly nearsighted eyes been restored, but her body’s reaction speed when aiming was also like that of a veteran with years of training.

As long as she didn’t use Metal Storm, she could completely handle a Fire Rate of ten rounds per second.

And that was more than enough.

Beside them, Liu Yueqi drew her Thousand Slash Saber and continued to practice her Sword Skill. Lin Feng was no expert in this area, so she could only rely on herself.

They trained like this for over an hour. The noonday Sun gradually began to set, and the time reached four in the afternoon.

The second piece of equipment Lin Feng had bound was finally complete:

[Modified RV Lv10/19, Red Quality]

[Upgrade Points 2/10, Damage 30, Defense Power 50, Average Speed 100km/h, Remaining Range 350km]

[Evaluation: This is an RV with a replaced engine and an improved central control system. It offers an excellent driving experience and is fully equipped with facilities, but its Defense Power is low, and it lacks effective offensive measures. Gain Upgrade Points based on distance traveled on a battlefield.]

Lin Feng narrowed his eyes, looking at the RV before him. From this moment on, just like the small handgun before it, it shared a special connection with him.

However, the way it gained Upgrade Points made him frown. It actually required driving on a battlefield, with points calculated by distance.

’So the two points it has now must be from the twenty kilometers Chen Yanyan drove like a maniac when we turned back earlier.’

’Looks like I’ll have to take on missions from now on, and I’ll have to drive this thing with me.’

But Lin Feng quickly regained his confidence. The Evaluation of the RV mentioned Defense Power and offensive measures. Although the comments were negative, these aspects would surely be improved with subsequent Upgrades.

’If a small handgun can gradually become a rifle, a machine gun, or even my current grenade Hand Cannon, then couldn’t the RV also become an armored car, an infantry fighting Tank, or something even stronger?’

Just as Lin Feng was lost in his reverie, a man in a sharp suit emerged from the convoy ahead.

He walked straight toward the RV.

Chen Yanyan and Liu Yueqi, each gripping their gun and saber, stepped forward and threateningly told the man to stop.

The suited man hastily raised his hands.

"Don’t be nervous, ladies."

"I’m here to see Mr. Lin to discuss some business."

Lin Feng turned to look. The man was in a clean greyish-blue suit, without a hint of the disheveled look of a refugee.

"Let him come over."

At Lin Feng’s words, the man slowly approached and sat down opposite him, offering a business card with both hands.

"Hello, Mr. Lin. I’m a businessman here, Hu Fei. You can just call me Ah Fei."

Lin Feng interlaced his fingers and watched him quietly.

Hu Fei pushed the business card forward, then took out a pack of expensive Federation cigarettes from his coat.

"It’s unopened. Please, have some."

Lin Feng nodded and looked at the man with the gaunt, monkey-like cheeks, speaking slowly.

"You want to buy Giant Mandible Material from the Black Spine Zergs?"

Hu Fei’s eyes narrowed, his playful expression vanishing.