At the intersection, Miao Miao was struck by a motorcycle flung onto the roadside railing, and took a good while to catch her breath.

Lan Shiru frowned. Was her prediction really that unlucky?

The motorcyclist, a member of a biker gang, only staggered a bit before speeding off.

“Jiang Xiang, no need to chase.”

Jiang Xiang turned back and knelt beside Lan Shiru next to Miao Miao. “Are you okay? Any broken bones?”

Miao Miao let out a deep, rough breath. “No, but the impact jolted me so hard it feels like my insides hurt. I just need a moment.”

“Did you hit your head?”

“No.”

“Good. Jiang Xiang will stay with you while I go see if there’s any suitable vehicle nearby.”

Miao Miao nodded.

Lan Shiru scanned her surroundings and spotted a shop selling electric vehicles, including an elderly mobility tricycle. Right now, no one was minding the place—not even the shop owner, who was likely off scavenging food. A few rotting zombies wandered inside, but Lan Shiru swiftly dispatched them.

Once she confirmed no one was watching, she stashed away the new electric vehicles and mounted a larger electric tricycle. “Let’s go, it’s got 50% charge, so it should be enough to get us there.”

Miao Miao struggled onto the back seat, slumping against it. “Sorry, Sis… I’m so useless.”

Lan Shiru gave her a glance. “Not everyone’s useful from the start. Jiang Xiang, let’s move, and stay alert. These people still have some resources left, they’ll be bold for a few more days.”

“Woof woof.” Jiang Xiang replied knowingly.

With the tricycle and their loyal mastiff, they headed to the car dealership. By the time they arrived, dusk was falling, and the area had emptied out—nightfall made people wary. Lan Shiru, however, welcomed it, the cover of darkness meant more opportunities.

Another round of streetlights had gone out tonight. Perfect.

“Feeling any better? I have some medicine, though I’m not sure exactly what you need. Can you gauge it yourself?”

Miao Miao nodded. “Much better, no need for meds. If I’ve lasted this long, my insides must be intact—just a bit shaken up.”

Lan Shiru nodded. “Good. An ability user’s body is tougher than an average person’s. If you’re ready, are you taking point with your hands or your blade? There’s likely a fair number of zombies inside.”

“Blade.” Miao Miao replied, flipping herself up and stretching. She felt fine. “I’m more comfortable with a blade.”

Lan Shiru handed her a machete. “Don’t push yourself.”

Miao Miao smiled. “Don’t worry, Sis.”

They stowed the electric tricycle and headed toward the 4S dealership under the gray sky. This was the largest dealership in City B, with every kind of vehicle—from modest city cars priced in the thousands to ultra-rare, multi-million luxury models. Naturally, it was a popular spot.

The store’s doors were left open, and along the way, they saw a few headless corpses. Someone else had clearly been through here.

Inside, several cars were smashed up, and zombies roamed nearby. Miao Miao took the lead, dispatching them quickly, and then did a quick search around. “Sis, looks like someone’s already taken some of the good cars.”

“No problem. This is only one section. There are plenty more areas—they couldn’t possibly take them all.”

Miao Miao nodded and continued deeper into the dealership, with Jiang Xiang on alert beside them. His speed and sharp nose made him better than both of them at detecting any lurking threats or people.

The first few sections were heavily damaged with only a few usable cars left, but as they moved further in, the condition of the vehicles improved.

“Sis! There are tons of RVs here, and no one’s taken any!” Miao Miao called out, excitement in her voice.

Lan Shiru walked over. RVs weren’t particularly useful in the apocalypse—they were slow, fragile, and gas-guzzling, a luxury item more than anything. But as makeshift shelters, they were perfect; safer than tents when camping out. With a quick wave, she stowed them all—thirty or forty RVs disappearing in an instant.

Miao Miao’s eyes went wide. “Sis, I think I’ve hit the jackpot. Most people can barely store one vehicle in their space, but you just do it like it’s nothing!”

Lan Shiru gave her a calm glance. “Focus on finding other things. The RVs are only good as beds.”

“Got it, Sis! Just watch!” Miao Miao responded cheerfully, then dashed off.

Lan Shiru smiled and shook her head. Having another person around did add some liveliness. “Woof! Woof!”

Jiang Xiang barked urgently from the other side of the showroom, and Lan Shiru hurried over—he only sounded this way when it was important.

To her surprise, he’d discovered a gas station within the dealership—a rare find.

“Good job, Jiang Xiang!” She pulled out a piece of jerky and handed it to him.

Pleased, Jiang Xiang nuzzled her hand as he munched on the treat, savoring the flavor.

The dealership’s gas station was likely for internal use only; outsiders wouldn’t have known about it. The people who came earlier had probably rushed and missed it. Thankfully, the fuel tanks were still mostly full.

Lan Shiru found some oil barrels in the gas station and siphoned out all the fuel—around forty tons, enough to last a while.

After storing the fuel, she and Jiang Xiang went to look for Miao Miao who had already disappeared into the depths of the dealership. That girl was fearless.

Miao Miao was busy hacking at zombies—former staff members who had tried to shelter inside but ended up clustered together in death. There were over twenty of them, and Miao Miao’s arms were shaking as she swung, dodging around to avoid getting surrounded.

In order to prover herself, even though she was exhausted she stubbornly resisted calling for help.

By the time Lan Shiru and Jiang Xiang arrived, Miao Miao had already taken out most of them, her muscles visibly trembling. Lan Shiru asked calmly. “Need a hand?”

Miao Miao gritted her teeth. “Yes.”

Lan Shiru smirked, exchanged a glance with Jiang Xiang, and charged in.

Miao Miao let out a long sigh and collapsed onto the floor, utterly spent. Sweat poured off her, soaking the ground.

Lan Shiru and Jiang Xiang made quick work of the remaining zombies, finishing in under a minute. “Get up and stretch a bit; lying there isn’t good for you.”

Miao Miao weakly waved her hand, signaling that she needed just a little longer.

Jiang Xiang gave her a dismissive swat with his tail—so useless.

The hit left Miao Miao a bit dazed.

With the area confirmed safe, Lan Shiru let her lie there for a moment. The cars in this section were impressive—all top-tier luxury off-road models, perfect for rugged terrain with high comfort. She stowed them away.

“Let’s keep moving; only a few sections left. Once we’re done, we’ll take a break and wait until it’s completely dark. That’s when we’ll go out to gather supplies, then find a place to rest come morning.”

Miao Miao rolled onto her feet and asked. “Why go out at night to gather supplies?”

“It’s quieter at night.”

Fair enough—hard to argue with that logic. “Sis, do we have anything to eat? I’m starving, and this blade needs replacing; it’s all chipped.”

“Got it covered. For now, grab some jerky to hold you over. We’ll make some hot food once we rest.”

“Wow, Sis, you’re the best!”

Lan Shiru tossed another piece of jerky to Jiang Xiang and led the way deeper into the dealership.

The main reason for going out at night wasn’t just the quiet—it was because, for now, the zombies hadn’t evolved. Night outings weren’t too risky yet, but once they did evolve, going out after dark would be out of the question.

As they moved deeper in, they had a great haul: small cars, pickups, trucks, sports cars, and even buses. All that was missing were trains, ships, planes, and cannons.

“Let’s rest here. Can you cook?” Lan Shiru asked Miao Miao.

“Absolutely!” Miao Miao said, thumping her chest. “Sis, not to brag, but I could single-handedly run a top-class restaurant. North or south, land or sky, there’s nothing I can’t make.”

Lan Shiru raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “Your family runs a restaurant?”

“Hehe, no. I’m from the countryside. We were poor and didn’t have much to eat, so when I got out, I became obsessed with food. My dream is to try all the best food in the world. Seriously, Sis, I’ve got a talent for cooking—like, next-level talent.”

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