Chapter 32: Vehicle Upgrade Card

[Player 2010: Brother Qiang, what supplies do you need? If I have them, I will give them all to you. If I don't, I will go through fire and water to find them for you.]
[I Am the Strongest Gamer: No need.]
[I Am the Strongest Gamer: Working hard to train and staying alive is the best reward you can give me.]
[I Am the Strongest Gamer: Alright, I need to get back on the road. Let's chat when I have time.]
[Player 2010: Brother Qiang, I will definitely train hard and not let you down.]

After ending the conversation with Brother Qiang, Liang Yi accelerated, eager to finish the twenty-kilometer ride so she could start her physical training.

During the journey, Liang Yi unexpectedly discovered two Level 1 treasure chests and one Level 2 treasure chest.

From the Level 1 chests, she obtained two bottles of mineral water, a steaming hot bun, and two fruit-flavored candies.

The Level 2 chest contained a set of women’s undergarments and socks.

For Liang Yi, who hadn't been able to change her intimate apparel in the three days since entering the game, this was like charcoal in a blizzard.

After traveling over ten kilometers, Liang Yi spotted a clear, small stream not far away.

She decided not to rush the rest of the journey and parked the tricycle by the stream. Taking a bar of soap from the cargo bay, she thoroughly washed the newly acquired undergarments and socks.

She found two trees, tied a rope between them, and hung the clean clothes out to dry.

Looking at the clothes swaying on the line, Liang Yi felt a sense of anticipation.

Imagining the refreshing feeling of putting on clean clothes tomorrow morning, her mood brightened considerably.

Checking the battery, she found that after a full day of charging, it had only reached thirty percent capacity.

This made her realize that upgrading the solar panel had become an urgent priority.

By the time Liang Yi finished setting up her resting area, it was already past four o'clock.

After a quick warm-up, she began her workout, following Brother Qiang’s instructional videos.

Left straight punch, right straight punch—primarily used to strike an opponent's head. Push off the back foot for power, keeping the punch trajectory parallel to the ground while letting the arm snap out in a relaxed motion.

Liang Yi summarized the techniques as she watched the video.

Left straight, right uppercut; left straight, right hook; left straight, right whip punch...

Liang Yi didn't find it monotonous; she just kept her head down and trained.

Half an hour later, she finally stopped.

The movements were simple to learn, but to add power to the punches, she needed strength training.

Consequently, Liang Yi began a series of squats, push-ups, and high-knee drills.

Finally, with her legs trembling, she began to work on her arm strength.

"Game Assistant, I don't need the instructional videos for now."

"But could you submit a request to put some fitness equipment in the chests?"

Liang Yi’s method for training arm strength was simple: she used a rope to tie a rock to her hand and would lift and lower it.

However, she didn't have a scale, the two rocks were of different weights, and the hemp rope chafed her palms raw as she lifted.

Homemade fitness tools were simply not efficient.

[I will relay your suggestion to headquarters in a timely manner.]

The Game Assistant responded quickly to Liang Yi's feedback.

"Don't just relay it; you need to urge them to speed up the progress."

"Aren't your masters supposed to be advanced beings? Can't they make their work speed more 'advanced' as well?"

This was Liang Yi's first time training her arm strength, so she stopped after twenty lifts with each hand.

By now, not only were her legs shaking, but her arms were trembling uncontrollably as well.

Liang Yi found it difficult even to reach out and open a bottle cap.

[I am sorry, but I can only relay information; I cannot do anything else.]

Liang Yi knew very well that in the real world, the Game Assistant was just a standard automated customer service bot. Expecting it to help her with anything was pure fantasy.

However, she still chatted with the assistant occasionally, mostly because she didn't see another living soul all day long.

Talking to oneself felt too strange, so she spoke to the assistant to pass the time and keep her language skills from deteriorating.

After resting for about half an hour, she checked the time; it was already 6:12 PM.

Not daring to dawdle further, she shakily picked up her small electric pot to boil some instant noodles.

She added an egg, a chili pepper, and some dehydrated vegetables to the noodles.

As for the seasoning packet she had found, she finished that in two bites.

Since she had no refrigerator, the grape juice she found earlier would likely spoil soon.

So, she treated herself and drank it all.

Once satisfied, she took the electric pot to the stream to wash it clean.

By the time everything was tidied up, it was nearly 6:50 PM.

Liang Yi did not delay any longer and nimbly climbed into the tricycle's cabin.

Having sent supplies to her family just yesterday, Liang Yi briefly considered and decided against sending more today.

Besides, by saving up more points, she could eventually trade for something more useful for them.

With that, she opened the [Trade] tab.

At this moment, both the orders for selling the minivan and her friend request interface had over ninety-nine notifications.

Fortunately, the people who designed the game platform were highly skilled.

Otherwise, in the real world, this volume would have crashed her phone.

Turning her flashlight to its lowest setting, she began scanning what the other players were offering.

Food was the most common item.

Liang Yi was naturally tempted by the blueprint for a hand crossbow.

After all, her physical stamina was lacking, and remote shooting would certainly be safer.

Opening the [Create] interface, she checked the materials needed for the crossbow: nylon string, copper blocks, and mulberry wood.

She hadn't seen any of these items yet, so she decided to keep looking.

Vehicle repair kits and battery blueprints were also items she coveted.

But in the end, a post for a Level 2 Vehicle Upgrade Card caught her eye.

[Player 888: Greetings, Big Boss. I have a Level 2 Vehicle Upgrade Card. Would you be willing to trade it for your minivan? See the attached photo, jpg.]

Her current tricycle was indeed a bit cramped, and upgrading her backpack seemed like a distant dream, so upgrading the vehicle's space was an urgent matter.

[Player 2020: Agreed.]

[Player 888: Great.]

Liang Yi didn't delay and initiated the trade immediately, completing it with Player 888.

In the blink of an eye, the minivan disappeared from her inventory, and she held a card the size of a bank card.

The card was simple, with "Level 2 Vehicle Upgrade Card" on the front and the letters "SOS" on the back.

Seeing the same letters as on the backpack coins, Liang Yi’s mouth twitched, and she began to wonder if those advanced beings were doing it on purpose.

They clearly knew that once people entered the game, there was no possibility of rescue, yet they insisted on placing "SOS" signs everywhere. She couldn't fathom what kind of hobby those creatures had.