Cave Refuge-Chapter 232 - 230: Encounter and Meeting Again _1

It was quite noticeable when Dong Tianyu drove above ground after the outdoor temperature had returned to normal and most of the survivors were resurfacing from below.

Though there were numerous vehicles throughout Pengcheng, very few could actually function and be driven on the roads, the majority had been cleared away and parked on either side of the streets.

To Dong Tianyu’s surprise, as soon as he left the third ring expressway, there was someone attempting ’pengci,’ a scam in which they deliberately pretend to be hit by a car. However, before the scammer could even act out a fall in front of his car, their companion quickly pulled them away.

Confused, he asked his companion why he was pulled away, only to be chastised," Have you forgotten the rules because we haven’t been doing this in years? We don’t do pengci with highway vehicles. Were you looking for death just now?"

Hearing his companion reminded him, he was taken aback. Indeed, their line of work followed this rule.

The rule was established for their own good. They performed pengci only for money, not suicide. Vehicles on the highway, even if the driver was highly skilled, could cause serious injury or death to a person faking being hit if they didn’t have time to react.

If the driver was a greenhorn or an experienced old hand, they would often manage such situations with a ’hit to kill’ mentality.

The reason was simple. The patrol police found it difficult to deal with pengci even if there was clear footage recorded, afraid of causing trouble. They usually handled it by punishing both parties equally.

This method of handling it was commonplace for experienced pengci scammers, but was certainly a hassle for the driver involved.

If the pengci scammer only got injured, various expenses - medical bills, loss of income, caregiving fees, mental distress compensation, and other miscellaneous items, could pile up. Even if the driver had a large insurance policy, the insurance company wouldn’t cover it completely.

However, if the scammer died, according to Pengcheng’s standards, the insurance payout would only be tens or hundreds of thousands which would be covered completely by most car insurance policies, which ranged from half a million to a million dollars.

Hence, when choosing between injury or death, experienced drivers often choose to cause the least pain to the scammer.

Those who drove fast cars were either greenhorns or experienced old hands thus, the rule of ’No pengci with highway cars’ was applicable.

The scammer who wanted to perform pengci, thought about the black car’s speed and its imposing exterior, and broke into a cold sweat. He slapped his own face in regret, lamenting,

"Damn it, I forgot that anyone who can drive these days is not to be trifled with. I was just itching to do some pengci after such a long time. We should lay low for a bit."

Seeing his companion come to his senses, the pengci scammer’s friend heaved a sigh of relief. He thought they were here to scavenge from the discarded cars, not knowing that his friend wanted to perform pengci.

He didn’t even consider if things used to be the same as before the disaster! Not to say anything else, but all the CCTVs on the road are already malfunctioning now. What if the person he ends up scamming decides to dispose of his body after bumping into him, they wouldn’t even get a chance to regret it.

Dong Tianyu had no idea that him speeding was enough to lead the two pengci scammers towards relative righteousness. Although he was not sure how long this would continue, it was a good deed nonetheless.

When the black car arrived at the village in Peach Blossom Paradise, Dong Tianyu noticed that villagers had returned and started living there. Moreover, the fields around the village had been replanted with crops.

Taking in this scene, Dong Tianyu marveled at the capable folks in Peach Blossom Paradise. Unless something unexpected happens, Peach Blossom could be like the refuge center in Pengcheng, surviving the continuous onslaught of natural disasters.

The noise of the black car arriving startled the villagers, Dong Tianyu’s Divine Sense noticed a villager contacting others from inside his house using a device similar to a walkie-talkie.

Seeing this villager’s actions, Dong Tianyu’s impression of Peach Blossom Paradise rose a notch.

As soon as the black car entered the gates of Peach Blossom Paradise, he saw Mace waiting for him by the gatehouse. Seems like he was alerted beforehand.

Mace was quite excited when he heard Dong Tianyu was coming over. Although the previous trade didn’t significantly raise his position, it had solidified it.

Given the current circumstances, the positions at Peach Blossom Paradise were pretty much set in stone unless the person in charge either died or committed a major screw-up, making it hard for others desiring the position to pull them down.

Of course, there was another way, which was by making a significant contribution that can impress the boss and result in a promotion.

However, in this era, not making mistakes is easy, but making a significant contribution is extremely hard.

Mace didn’t have any expectations initially, he was prepared to continue his mundane existence. But the arrival of Dong Tianyu gave him hope.

So when he confirmed from the villagers’ description of the vehicle that it was the black car Dong Tianyu had driven the last time, Mace immediately hurried to the gate, afraid others might steal Dong Tianyu from him.

Normally, the inside of the black car was quite spacious. Dong Tianyu didn’t like any messy decorations, the only things in the car’s interior were a reclining chair at the front.

Upon seeing Mace waiting by the road with a smile on his face, Dong Tianyu had the electronic devices similar to the ones Robinson William saw previously, appear inside the car, then he opened the car door, inviting Mace to get in.

Although Dong Tianyu did not formally invite him from the door, the opening of the side door and the extending stair confirmed that he was being invited to enter the car.

Once the stairs were securely on the ground, Mace decisively entered the black car.

Just like the first time Robinson William entered, Mace was awed by the futuristic array of electronic devices in the car.

Just think Robinson William, an experienced special operations team captain, did not even notice at first glance that all the devices inside the car were imitation goods. For Mace who isn’t often exposed to such items, he definitely couldn’t tell the difference.

"Don’t stand at the door, come and have a seat."

Watching Mace gape in awe at the sci-fi landscape inside the car, Dong Tianyu warmly invited him to sit in the passenger seat.

The interior of the black car was divided in the same configuration as last time, with the front and back sections separated by a metal barrier.

Responding to Dong Tianyu’s call, Mace had just sat down on the passenger’s seat when he saw Dong Tianyu tossing something over to him. Catching it, he realized it was a bottle of Happy Water. It was not only that, but it was also a chilled bottle of Happy Water.

Noticing that Mace hadn’t opened the bottle yet, Dong Tianyu casually told him, "Go ahead, drink up. It’s on me."