Chapter 76: An Acquaintance

The big white tiger’s belly was unbelievably soft. Jiang Si originally wanted to resist a bit, but her exhausted muscles were screaming—they just wanted to sleep on this big, furry mattress.

As her eyelids slowly closed, even the chilly night didn’t feel cold anymore.

The moment was so warm and peaceful that everyone kept their movements quiet while eating, afraid to disturb her rest.

Half an hour later, Jiang Si was jolted awake by an aftershock.

This aftershock wasn’t strong—likely no more than a magnitude 4—and didn’t significantly impact the Xiangjiang grasslands.

Still, fearing a stronger quake might follow, Jiang Si got off the tiger and told everyone to get back into the helicopter quickly.

If a big quake hit, they’d need to take off immediately.

Thankfully, no further tremors occurred. Instead, the shaking frightened away the scorpions.

As everyone prepared makeshift beds inside the helicopter for sleep, a woman suddenly rushed from a helicopter about 100 meters away, shouting before even approaching:

“Is anyone here a doctor? My mom and my brother are having allergic reactions to scorpion venom. Is there anyone who can help them? We’re willing to trade food and alcohol!”

In the apocalypse, food and alcohol were as valuable as gold. If there was a doctor, they’d surely be tempted.

The woman’s voice sounded strangely familiar—like one of Jiang Si’s old clients from her extreme sports club.

Through the window, Jiang Si peered out. The woman’s dimly lit, blurry face in the dark was unmistakably Zhuang Feiyue.

Jiang Si had coached Zhuang Feiyue in wingsuit flying for two years. They were familiar, but only on a professional level.

Someone like Jiang Si, even with her high income, wasn’t someone a wealthy CEO’s daughter would see as a friend.

Still, Jiang Si had made a lot of money thanks to her, which had helped her stockpile materials in her storage space.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Si handed Shen Baoying a bottle of medicinal essential oil (Fengyoujing).

Fengyoujing contains organic solvents that can help dissolve scorpion venom, quickly reducing swelling and relieving pain. The sooner it’s applied, the better. If the venom stays in the body too long, it’s absorbed into fat tissues and becomes harder to treat.

Elders in the mountains often used Fengyoujing for all kinds of ailments. Having all grown up near the Longquan Forest Reserve, they knew this remedy well.

Shen Baoying passed the bottle to Jiang Linhai, who stepped out of the helicopter.

The moment he appeared, Zhuang Feiyue’s eyes reddened—she thought he was a doctor.

But Jiang Linhai stopped several meters away and tossed the bottle toward her.

Zhuang Feiyue caught it, confused. “Fengyoujing? Isn’t this just for headaches or mosquito bites? How could this treat venom?”

Jiang Linhai simply said, “It works. Apply it quickly to your mom and brother.”

Though skeptical, they had no better options—it was worth a try.

Zhuang Feiyue sincerely thanked him and promised to return shortly with the items they’d offered. She rushed back to her helicopter with the bottle.

Only after confirming she had made it back safely did Zhuang Chenshen finally relax his grip on his gun.

Zhuang Feiyue applied the oil to Wang Rongxue and Zhuang Qiyuan. The cooling sensation instantly reduced their pain, and after a while, they were even able to speak again.

Fengyoujing truly worked on scorpion stings—Jiang Linhai hadn’t lied.

Zhuang Chenshen sighed in relief. “These people are decent. They didn’t take advantage of us—just gave us the medicine.”

He added, “Still, we should hold up our end of the deal. We don’t want them thinking we’re untrustworthy.”

Zhuang Feiyue planned to give a few vacuum-sealed tea eggs, half a bag of rice, and a bottle of alcohol.

But Zhuang Qiyuan, now able to sit up, felt that was too much. “They only gave us one bottle of Fengyoujing. A bottle of alcohol should be more than enough.”

And not just any alcohol—a full 500ml bottle. That could last a long time.

Zhuang Qiyuan even thought a full bottle was overpaying. Food supplies were now more valuable than gold; giving away half a bag of rice and tea eggs was several days’ rations.

Zhuang Chenshen gave him a stern look. “They gave it so confidently—they clearly believe we won’t dare break our word. If we try to lowball them, and they get mad, they might take everything from us. You’d have no way to argue.”

Zhuang Qiyuan shivered, glancing toward Jiang Si’s group, suddenly feeling as if a sniper rifle had them in its sights.

As dawn broke, Zhuang Feiyue walked toward Jiang Si with the food. When she saw Jiang Si stepping off the helicopter, her pupils contracted in shock.

After staring for a few seconds, she finally confirmed—yes, it was Jiang Si.

Her face lit up with excitement. “Jiang Si!”

She ran up, overjoyed to see a familiar face.

Jiang Si merely nodded. “Mm.” Her tone was polite but distant, leaving Zhuang Feiyue awkward and frozen.

She had only ever treated Jiang Si as a coach. They never exchanged private contact info—what right did she have to act friendly now?

Still, if Jiang Si could lend them a barrel of fuel, their chances of continuing their flight would improve greatly.

Zhuang Feiyue placed the food in front of her. “Thank you for the Fengyoujing last night. I hope you’ll accept this food and alcohol in return.”

“Okay.” Jiang Si only responded with one word—clearly not interested in chatting.

After hesitating, Zhuang Feiyue glanced at the armed Jiang Linhai and forced herself to ask, “Jiang Si, could I trade more food… for a barrel of fuel? When we get to the North, I promise my brother will pay you back double.”

Jiang Si didn’t respond immediately. She just looked at her, as if considering the offer. Zhuang Feiyue’s heart pounded nervously.

Just then, a loud rumbling filled the sky.

Everyone turned around—multiple helicopters were approaching, lit by the morning sun.

They had likely spotted Jiang Si’s group from above, aiming to land nearby to rest and possibly refuel.

Jiang Si’s storage space had more than enough fuel. But in that moment, she completely abandoned the idea of helping Zhuang Feiyue.

If she lent fuel once, word would spread, and others would assume they had resources to spare.

And now that so many helicopters had landed, Zhuang Feiyue could barter with someone else.

Jiang Si decisively rejected her and waved to her group. “Everyone, get in the helicopter—now.”

Zhuang Feiyue stood there watching as Jiang Si boarded, her lips nearly bleeding from how hard she bit them.

She had finally found a familiar face, but couldn’t even get a little help. The despair was suffocating.

She looked up at the approaching helicopters, not yet knowing whether these newcomers were friend or foe.

Without hesitation, she ran back to her own helicopter, preparing to flee if anything seemed off.