After Chen Du finished speaking, he turned and ran off, leaving Bai Xi alone within the circle of fire.
Bai Xi, fuming with anger, scratched her head furiously and shouted after him, "You coward, You'd better watch out for me!"
Chen Du heard her loud and clear but didn't look back, sprinting instead toward the warehouse that housed the gold-tier supply crate.
A woman who had plotted against him? No way was he letting her go easily.
Letting her live through this ordeal was mercy enough; Chen Du figured she could thank fate if she survived.
Others might have killed her outright, fearing retaliation, but Chen Du chose differently.
Though he hadn't taken her life directly, he doubted she'd survive the inferno.
With the flames spreading, burning alive seemed inevitable.
As Chen Du approached the warehouse swarming with zombies, he frowned deeply at the sight before him.
This single-story warehouse offered little maneuvering space. After scanning the surrounding woods, he made up his mind.
...
Zombies wandered aimlessly inside and outside the massive warehouse, instinctively drawn to the area near the gold-tier supply crate.
That same crate had fed them well several times before.
Bai Xi wasn't new to selling information. In fact, her intel wasn't exclusive to Chen Du. Before him, she'd dealt with numerous survivors and groups.
But every one of those people ended up as zombie chow.
Taking advantage of their downfall, Bai Xi collected payment for her tips and scavenged supplies from the fallen.
This time, she assumed Chen Du would fail too. If he died, she planned to raid his corpse.
What she didn't expect was that even someone accustomed to danger could slip up—and fall right into Chen Du's trap.
Clang!
The sound drew the attention of the zombies outside, who growled low as they moved closer to investigate.
Then, a deafening explosion sent them flying. More zombies poured out of the warehouse.
The source of the blast? A grenade Chen Du had thrown to distract them.
Without missing a beat, he hurled two gasoline canisters into the crowd. Attached to the cans were Molotov cocktails, which detonated on impact, igniting the fuel and creating an ocean of flames.
Chen Du didn't trust his current marksmanship to ignite the gas with a bullet—using Molotovs was simply safer.
While the zombies were mesmerized by the fire, Chen Du quietly circled around and slipped into the warehouse through a window at the back.
Even though most of the horde remained outside, plenty still lingered near the supply crate.
His earlier diversion outside was just a ruse; what he truly wanted was to sneak away with the supply crate unnoticed.
This was a perilous gamble—a walk on thin ice—but thanks to the gasoline he'd acquired earlier, the plan was finally feasible.
As soon as Chen Du stepped inside, the remaining zombies spotted him and charged forward.
Unfazed, he pulled out a gasoline canister and popped the lid open. With the undead hot on his heels, he dashed across the warehouse floor, spilling gasoline everywhere.
By the time the entire floor glistened with fuel, the zombies outside realized there was still a living human inside. They began rushing back.
Seeing this, Chen Du dropped the empty canister, grabbed his machete, and hacked his way toward the supply crate, cutting down any zombies in his path.
Reaching the gold-tier supply crate, he touched it briefly—no time to examine its contents—and stuffed it into his backpack.
Then, he leapt back out the same window he'd entered through.
Enraged by the loss of the crate, the zombies became frenzied, chasing after him with renewed vigor.
Chen Du glanced over his shoulder, smirked, and pulled out another Molotov cocktail.
"Sayonara, suckers!"
He threw the bottle into the warehouse. Flames erupted instantly, igniting the pooled gasoline and turning the entire structure into a blazing inferno.
Mission accomplished: the gold-tier supply crate was now his.
Chen Du fled the scene quickly, but before he got far, the warehouse exploded violently, sending waves of heat rippling outward.
Watching his experience bar steadily climb, Chen Du knew he was close to leveling up.
[Experience +1]
[Experience +1]
...
[Congratulations, Survivor! You've leveled up. Keep pushing forward!]
Level: 5 (0/500)
Strength: 20
Agility: 12
Stamina: Normal
To his surprise, all five attribute points had been assigned to Agility, his weakest stat. He hadn't seen that coming.
After the boost, Chen Du felt sharper, as if his reflexes had improved to the point where he could swat a mosquito mid-buzz.
And the experience kept flowing in.
[Experience +1]
[Experience +1]
...
"Not bad," Chen Du muttered with satisfaction, closing his stats panel.
Next, he retrieved the gold-tier supply crate he'd risked everything to obtain.
He eyed it reverently—the sleek design clearly set it apart from the bronze and silver-tier crates he'd encountered before. Gently running his fingers over its surface, he whispered, "Come on, don't let me down. Let me trade three days of my life for some real luck… please!"
When he touched the lock, a system prompt appeared with an 'Open' icon. Clicking it, Chen Du felt a mix of excitement and nerves—it was his first time opening a gold-tier crate.
As the crate unlocked, he closed his eyes and muttered fervently, "Drop something good… drop something amazing!"
Half a minute later, he opened his eyes and accepted the crate's contents.
[Successfully opened Gold-tier Supply Crate]
[Obtained Gasoline Generator x1]
[Obtained Fine Bread x50]
[Obtained Purified Water x99]
[Obtained Old Jetta x1]
...
Chen Du froze, utterly stunned.
A gasoline generator? That alone was impressive. But a car?! This was beyond anything he'd hoped for.
Pulling the old Jetta out of his inventory, he filled the tank with gasoline and climbed into the driver's seat. Adjusting the position, he gripped the steering wheel with a grin.
Back in the day, he'd been quite the skilled driver, moonlighting as an unlicensed taxi driver during college.
Now, with a vehicle at his disposal, the barriers between regions in this post-apocalyptic world felt trivial. And the engine noise? Barely noticeable.
Even if it attracted a few zombies, he could speed away easily. Compared to the convenience it provided, the risks were negligible.
Just as Chen Du basked in the thrill of owning a car, he noticed some surviving zombies stumbling toward him from the burning warehouse.
Curious about the car's performance, he started the engine. The low rumble filled the air.
Glancing at the approaching horde, Chen Du rolled up the window and sneered.
"Lucky for you lot, I'm in a rush to get home. Consider yourselves spared—for now."
He released the handbrake and shifted gears smoothly—but then the car shuddered violently, and the engine died.
Cursing under his breath, Chen Du muttered, "Damn it. It's been ages since I drove a manual. I must've let the clutch out too fast."