Chapter 86: Someone’s Coming

They moved everything out from under the cashier counter. There was still quite a bit left—mostly cigarettes—locked inside a glass cabinet.

Jiang Yuan swept everything directly into a woven sack. She used to sell this stuff a lot before; it’s basically money in the future.

The two of them worked quickly. Maybe because they had been gathering supplies all day, they were already quite skilled.

In less than half an hour, they had cleared out everything from the convenience store.

Their eyes then turned to the specialty products across the hall. Western snacks were endless in variety.

These specialty products were all pre-packaged, so taking them back to eat later wasn’t an issue.

However, the packaging was too bulky and obvious, so they simply removed it and put the contents into bags.

Of course, some items couldn’t be removed from their packaging—like red dates or dried persimmons.

“Yuan-jie, there’s still so much beef jerky and roast chicken here. I wonder if it’s still edible.”

Jiang Yuan glanced at it and quickly understood.

“They’re all vacuum-sealed. Take them.”

“Got it!”

…

After they cleared that area, they didn’t spare the food stalls either.

Anything edible or usable—they took.

Since it was just the two of them now, they didn’t split up.

Finally, they took a quick look in the bathroom. There was still some toilet paper outside and half a bottle of hand soap.

“Leave that,” Jiang Yuan said after some thought. “This place isn’t very hygienic anyway, and there’s not much. Just forget it.”

With time still on their side, they exited the building and headed toward the nearby gas station.

It was about 40–50 meters away, and this time they brought the big night lamp with them.

Not only was it bright, but also waterproof—absolutely five-star worthy.

Though it couldn’t connect to the internet, it still deserved a glowing review.

The gas station wasn’t large: two diesel pumps and four gasoline pumps.

Across from it was a small room. Unlike usual gas stations, there was no convenience store here.

However, there were two other rooms nearby. With her light, Jiang Yuan checked them out. One seemed like a dormitory, and the other looked like a small storeroom. Inside were plenty of bottled water, drinks, and, directly across, a cashier station.

Seeing that lifted her spirits, and she went over to check—after all, some people still used cash.

“Yuan-jie, how are we supposed to carry all this fuel?”

“Don’t worry. Look around—we’ll definitely find some containers.”

Highway gas stations are always prepared for emergencies.

For example, when a car runs out of gas and breaks down mid-drive, the rescue centers usually source fuel and tools from nearby facilities.

She opened the door, and the two of them went inside.

“Yuan-jie, there really are containers! Let’s take the big ones.”

“Good. Mianmian, there are a lot of drinks and stuff here too—see if there’s anything else useful.”

As she spoke, Jiang Yuan walked over to the cashier counter. Not much cash—about two or three thousand yuan.

She stored the bills and put the coins into a plastic bag.

“Yuan-jie, this room’s just got windshield fluid and the like. I’ll check the other one—it has beds, might have more stuff.”

“You okay going alone?”

To be honest, Jiang Yuan was a little worried.

“I’m fine. I already checked—it’s safe.”

“Alright then, go ahead.”

She unlocked the door for Ye Mianmian and let her explore while she herself ran next door.

She grabbed several fuel containers. It was easier alone.

She stored the extra containers in her space, keeping just two in her hands.

She also grabbed some bottled water, drinks, windshield fluid, and engine oil—just enough that it wouldn’t be too obvious.

With not much time left, she quickly filled twenty diesel containers and forty gasoline ones.

She kept half of them for herself—not a bad haul.

The rest she grouped together to move later into the main hall.

Ye Mianmian came back with a few items, but not much.

“Let’s move all this to the main hall and guard it from there. It’ll be easier that way.”

“Okay.”

So the two of them became like industrious little ants, hauling everything over bit by bit.

It was exhausting, truly physical labor.

By the time they finished, they were completely wiped out.

“God, what a workout. We should’ve waited for the guys to come help.”

Ye Mianmian was becoming more relaxed now, no longer afraid to voice her real thoughts like before.

Jiang Yuan took out a thermos, poured a lidful of hot water, and handed it to her.

It was boiled earlier while they were cooking. Ye Mianmian quickly waved it off.

“I’ve got my own. You drink it, Yuan-jie.”

It was already 11 p.m. Time had flown, and they were getting hungry.

Jiang Yuan pulled out the roast chicken they had found earlier, along with some beef jerky, dried persimmons, and sausages.

Time to replenish some energy. Ye Mianmian was hungry too and didn’t say no.

The two of them sat on chairs with no concern for appearances, tearing into the chicken with their hands.

“Let’s rest after eating. The others probably won’t arrive until after midnight.”

If everything went smoothly, the second trip was probably underway by now.

If not… then who knew.

“Got it.”

After such a busy day, they felt a wave of fatigue wash over them now that they had time to rest. Thankfully, there were massage chairs nearby—lucky them.

Although they were made of synthetic leather and a bit cold, they warmed up quickly once you sat on them.

Jiang Yuan turned off the big night lamp—it was too bright and used up too much power.

Around midnight, both of them were dozing off.

“Mianmian, Mianmian—wake up, someone’s coming!”

“Huh? They’re here already? That’s fast.”

Ye Mianmian was clearly groggy. She had fallen asleep and was now abruptly waking up, her brain lagging behind.

“Not necessarily them. Get up—quickly.”

Jiang Yuan had spotted it earlier. Though the flashlight beams weren’t super bright, in this kind of weather, they were still noticeable.

At least five or six of them—and if it were Song Yi and the others, they wouldn’t be this flashy.

Ye Mianmian felt a wave of fear hit her. She quickly stood up from the massage chair, and the two of them crouched low and ran toward the restroom.

It connected to the outside. Once out, if they turned right, there was a door.

It led to the hot water dispenser area, and past that was the outdoors.

They didn’t dare to be careless. They couldn’t use any lights now.

Jiang Yuan, relying on her instincts, unlocked the door.

“Yuan-jie, they’re getting close.”

Ye Mianmian’s voice trembled. The flashlight beams were nearing, and there were clearly quite a few people.

Jiang Yuan felt scared too—this was the first time she had faced a situation like this. She had no idea who those people were.

“Deep breaths. Stay calm.”

They couldn’t panic. This was the worst possible time to lose their composure.

Seeing how calm Jiang Yuan was helped Ye Mianmian collect herself too. She really started doing deep breathing exercises.

The group had already opened the door. Even from a distance, they could tell—

About five or six men. All of them male.