Chapter 2: What I See Is Mine

After organizing her supplies, Yu Jiang got off the vehicle and took a careful look around, thoroughly inspecting the three-wheeler’s condition. She was immensely grateful for the choice she had made just moments ago.

It was a light green, fully enclosed three-wheeled electric vehicle, providing a relatively safe resting space at night. It could shield her from wind and rain and had enough room to store supplies. More importantly, this type of vehicle came with built-in heating and could be upgraded with batteries and air conditioning. The specialty stores charged a hefty price—high-end models easily cost over ten thousand. If the battery ran out, pushing it was no different from a gasoline motorcycle. It was practically a mobile little home.

The only downside was that the driver’s side lacked a door. When she approached, a system prompt appeared before her eyes:

[Missing parts: Glass *1, Sealant *2, Iron Blocks *5
Tools: Screwdriver, Wrench
Unable to repair the door.]

Yu Jiang was unfazed. Though the paint was peeling, the seat cushions were tattered, one door was missing, and the rear windshield was gone, these were minor issues. The backup camera and headlights were broken as well, but as long as the vehicle could start normally, that was enough. The full initial battery charge gave her a strong sense of security.

Before setting off, Yu Jiang decided to gather some supplies. Traveling 50 kilometers a day during the newbie protection period was manageable for both vehicle and person, so there was no rush.

The surroundings were still a desolate wasteland, with no tools for self-defense in sight—only yellowed grass and leafless low shrubs. Yu Jiang had a compulsive need to collect; when she used to play games, she could gather resources until four or five in the morning, leaving no stone unturned.

The survival game rules only forbade driving while fatigued, not gathering while tired.

Looking at the vast, barren road, excitement surged within her. Wasn’t all this just free supplies? Those bare, low shrubs were essentially free wood. What you saw was what you got, so she activated gathering.

Tall, sturdy trees required tools to cut branches and climb, which wasn’t cost-effective given her physical condition. Plus, trees contained moisture, making their thick branches harder to dry and unsuitable for firewood storage. The already dry low shrubs didn’t have this problem, and she could also collect dead grass, which—once the dew evaporated—would serve as tinder.

For self-defense, Yu Jiang noticed some stones on the ground. Testing their hardness, she found them solid and picked up a few handy ones. A stone thrown at flesh and blood could cause serious injury; some could even double as cutting boards or knives.

Worried about snakes in the grass, Yu Jiang broke off a shrub branch to probe ahead. Her pace was brisk, and one low shrub after another fell to her gathering efforts, with the collected twigs bundled neatly. To save money, she had taught herself some handicraft skills before. Her basic rope-making was proficient enough to tightly bind slender branches.

[Player obtained ‘Small Wood’ +10 (usable for fire or crafting)]
[Player obtained ‘Small Wood’ +20]

The more she gathered, the more energized she felt, no—excited.

[Player obtained ‘Smooth Stone,’ a small body seemingly imbued with mysterious power, Health +1 (one-time only)]
[Player obtained ‘Sharp Stone,’ primitive but powerful! Player equipped with Weapon Attack +1.]

...

Having cleared the nearby area, Yu Jiang hummed “Riding my beloved little scooter,” driving the three-wheeler forward while collecting supplies. Her fatigue level didn’t rise; instead, it dropped by 5 points.

[Player, seemingly pumped with adrenaline, gathered ‘Small Wood’ *200, ‘Half-dry Dead Grass’ *100.
Achievement unlocked: ‘If I See It, It’s Mine,’ equipped for Agility +2, Attack +1.]

Finally looking up from her busy gathering, Yu Jiang decided to equip the achievement before anything else.

At that moment, two prominent green notifications appeared almost simultaneously on the game’s real-time public screen.

[Player ‘The King Asked Me to Patrol the Mountain’ earned the fastest gathering achievement Level 1, receiving the server-wide exclusive title ‘If I See It, It’s Mine’!]
[Player ‘X’ achieved first kill, earning the server-wide exclusive title ‘Pioneer’!]

Most players in the survival game hadn’t yet grasped what was happening.

“What does this mean? They’re so fast? Who are these two? Are they cheating? I haven’t even seen any supplies!”
“I don’t envy the first kill at all—the zombies in this damn game are terrifying. I just want to ask what supplies Little Whirlwind has and where they collected them.”
“Damn, I was just dancing with a crazy person, and in the blink of an eye, they entered the game wielding a stethoscope. Can you see me talking? Have I gone mad?”
“Those who chose motorcycles are lucky. Speeding along the road without others around feels really awesome!”
“If you run out of fuel, you’re stuck. I chose a pedal-powered tricycle.”
“If I’m not mistaken, the initial vehicle relates to later upgrade paths.”

A message from the player called X caught Yu Jiang’s attention. She instinctively believed this person was telling the truth.

The player who had just claimed the first kill spoke out, sparking heated discussion.

“Wow! I want to know—aren’t there any weapons? How did you kill the monsters?”
‘X’ replied: “The motorcycle’s rearview mirror was loose; once removed, it became a weapon.”

...

“All the pros choose motorcycles. It’s a sure thing!”
“Why do you have a motorcycle and I only have a secondhand tractor? That noisy thing rumbles along—look me in the eye and answer!”
“I don’t even have a bike, just a skateboard. What did I say wrong?”
“Be grateful. I saw a sports car and excitedly rushed over, but it turned out to be a child’s electric toy.”
“Electric powered smart wheelchair ready for battle!” This was from the player named ‘King of Lightning Medicine,’ a mad doctor with an impressive mental state.

While watching the public screen, Yu Jiang finished gathering a large area. The newbie starter pack’s most valuable item was a bag with six storage slots. Each slot could hold 50 pieces of ‘Small Wood.’ She collected exactly 250 pieces, putting 200 into the bag, 50 directly in the vehicle, along with seven or eight stones of various sizes and three bundles of yellowed grass.

The remaining two slots held instant hotpot, spicy turkey noodles, bread, and drinks—essential supplies. The snail noodles were stored in the vehicle, but without a pot, they couldn’t be cooked. Losing them was regrettable, but ready-to-eat food was more important.

After packing up, Yu Jiang dragged her loaded vehicle and set off once more. She was determined to survive here! What could be more terrifying than being a working mule?

The weather was mild, around twenty degrees, with a gentle breeze. The road on both sides looked like a scene from a movie.

At the game’s start, spirits were still high, and many people were willing to share information. The public screen buzzed with chat, intelligence exchanges, proposals for supply trading, and even requests for sponsorship or alliances.

Yu Jiang had gathered enough and no longer stopped along the way unless she spotted rare supplies.

The three-wheeler could reach a top speed of 35 km/h, but driving that fast drained battery quickly. Yu Jiang eschewed speed for energy efficiency, keeping her pace at 20 km/h to carefully spot supplies on the road.

She was short on water and batteries. If she couldn’t find any, she’d have to trade supplies with other players.

Therefore, the information players shared was crucial to her.

Someone had just mentioned mushrooms—expensive dried matsutake and edible red mushrooms in real life.

Anyone who had played games knew there were all kinds of people, and many sent false information to trick others.

Yu Jiang remained skeptical of that intelligence.