Chapter 50: Natural Barrier
Zhang Tuohai sent this message three times consecutively on the regional channel.
He also attached photos of the shattered remains of a mutated desert spider.
Especially the close-up shots of a young man's face, which he shared three times.
The previously quiet regional channel suddenly buzzed with activity.
“Damn! They can actually turn the dead into similar creatures? What’s this? An otherworldly version of Resident Evil?”
“Ah! I don’t want to turn into such a terrifying thing after I die! Is there anyone who can protect me? I’m willing to stick with them. I’m under the tallest building in the commercial district.”
“Boss is amazing, killing a mutated desert spider! Can you share how you did it?”
“Desperately seeking methods +1”
“Boss, do you have any weapons?”
“Boss, do you have any car repair tools? A spider ripped half my car door off. I’m so anxious without a door.”
Watching the flood of messages, Zhang Tuohai frowned and said, “Try to run north. The spiders are coming from the south. The northern defense line is the weakest. While the encirclement hasn’t closed in yet, there’s still a chance to break out. If you wait too long, you won’t be able to escape.”
“Hmph, how do you know there are fewer spiders to the north? Maybe you just want everyone to be your cannon fodder and scout the way for you,” a sarcastic voice chimed in.
Zhang Tuohai glanced at the speaker’s name—sure enough, it was Fan Mingkun.
This guy had been holding a grudge since Zhang Tuohai embarrassed him, and he frequently threw shade.
“Hmph, don’t let me run into you. Otherwise, you’ll regret it.”
Zhang Tuohai enlarged the other person’s profile picture, committing their appearance to memory.
“I have weapons, but they won’t work against the mutated desert spiders. If you need some psychological comfort, I’ll sell a few, and you can buy them yourselves. I also have car repair tools, but they require a lot of resources to make, so be prepared for that. I’ve laid out the path for you to survive; it’s up to you to choose. You know best whether to trust the person selling you resources daily or the one who only talks trash.”
After sending that message, Zhang Tuohai closed the regional channel.
He then listed 50 hunting spears and 5 car repair kits on the regional trading channel.
The hunting spears were at the old price, while the car repair kits were sold for three times the resource cost, though he was open to bargaining on the blueprints.
He believed those who had made it this far could discern trustworthy advice.
If they still couldn’t tell by now, dying might be better.
It would save them from adding trouble by being easily swayed.
After handling the trade information, Zhang Tuohai ordered Xiao Ai to continue north, heading straight for the mining area.
The hunting spears sold out as soon as they were listed.
Even though Zhang Tuohai had mentioned that ordinary cold weapons were ineffective against mutated desert spiders, people always held onto a glimmer of hope in desperate situations—what if?
What if they happened to kill a spider? Wouldn’t that be a win?
Moreover, after a morning of hoarding resources, everyone had accumulated enough to afford a spear.
The five car repair kits also sold out quickly.
After days of exploration, everyone’s vehicles had some damage, making the repair kits highly sought after.
Even those without immediate damage wanted one just in case.
As a result, the five repair kits were gone within half a minute.
If Zhang Tuohai had been watching the trading interface, he would have remarked that these people were quite wealthy, accumulating so many level one resources in a morning, then raising the prices a bit.
However, Zhang Tuohai had more pressing matters to attend to.
He focused intently ahead.
Before him stood a massive railway bridge.
The bridge stretched about 800 meters long, over a valley that was more than 50 meters deep, separating the mountain on the opposite side from the land he was on.
The bridge was entirely constructed of steel, but due to years without maintenance, the steel plates on the surface had rotted and broken, leaving only two tracks still attached to the bridge.
Moreover, over time, the bridge piers had tilted to some extent.
As a result, the steel tracks connecting the piers were also tilted, some even twisted into a helix.
“System, are you sure this bridge can support my vehicle?”
Zhang Tuohai looked at the “bridge” and instinctively wiped the sweat from his forehead.
[Please rest assured. After calculation, it can safely support your vehicle without any issues.]
“Alright then.” After receiving the system’s confirmation, Zhang Tuohai turned to Xiao Ai, “Can you drive the car safely across this bridge? The tracks look a bit off and tilted, which is a challenge.”
“Rest assured, Commander. Xiao Ai can definitely drive safely across the bridge. (▽`)”
“Then let’s go. Our lives depend on you two.”
Zhang Tuohai sighed and issued the order to set off.
There was no choice; the orange supply crate was just across the bridge, and he couldn’t get it without crossing.
The car slowly climbed onto the tracks.
The width of the railway tracks perfectly matched the width of Zhang Tuohai’s car tires, whether by coincidence or design.
Driving on the tracks meant he had to keep perfectly centered; otherwise, the wheels could slip, and the car could end up stuck on the bridge.
If that happened, it would be game over for him.
And if it were a straight road, Zhang Tuohai wouldn’t be as anxious, but the problem was that some sections of the tracks were twisted due to the tilting piers, and even experienced drivers would hesitate to say they could cross without incident.
Even though Xiao Ai was an AI, Zhang Tuohai couldn’t help but feel anxious.
As they passed over a section of twisted tracks, the car made a slight clunking sound.
Zhang Tuohai’s heart raced, and for a moment, he thought he was done for.
Fortunately, it was all just a scare.
The roughly 800-meter stretch took Xiao Ai twenty minutes to cross, but they finally made it to the other side.
After the car successfully passed the railway bridge, Zhang Tuohai leaned back in his seat and rested for a while to calm his nerves.
He turned to look back at the long railway bridge; it was now his shield against the mutated desert spiders and other players.
He couldn’t believe anyone else could cross here besides him.
With his mood settling, Zhang Tuohai pulled out a map to compare the location of the orange supply crate.
After studying it for a while, he nearly cursed aloud.
It turned out the orange supply crate was placed inside a mine.