Chapter 116: Chapter 106: Competition
"Aside from knowing it's a Mercedes brand, I have no idea what it is. Does Mercedes make RVs? I really can't figure it out..."
Las Vegas is a world-famous entertainment capital, and their RVs are also quite nice.
Tao Yu took a fancy to this one at first sight, even going as far as clearing the zombies around it to find the keys and an access card.
At four meters high, two or three meters wide, and over ten meters long, its entire structure resembled that of a truck.
After starting it, Tao Yu also discovered that this thing had very powerful horsepower, eight-wheel drive, and great off-road capabilities; it could probably run through the Gobi Desert without an issue, a truly nice ride for this post-apocalyptic world.
The RV's interior was luxurious, with a dining room, a bathroom with wet and dry areas, a kitchen, and even a bedroom. It was even divided into two floors, with the upper floor dedicated to a tatami resting area. The roof came equipped with solar panels for charging.
The two floors combined to offer an area of over forty square meters; not to mention a single person staying there, even several people would find it more than spacious enough.
The rear could also hold an off-road motorcycle and spare tires.
Furthermore, both water tanks and the fuel tank had a large storage capacity, and there was a water filter inside. The vehicle's weight of over twenty tons felt solid, almost indistinguishable from military grade.
"The glass seems to be bulletproof too. Probably no one had their eye on it before either because of the zombies nearby or because they couldn't get in. From now on, when crossing the world for exploration, I can drive this..."
After parking the RV and giving the interior a thorough check, Tao Yu found numerous pleasant surprises. However, it was quite wasteful for one person to occupy such a large space, so the surplus areas could be used to store supplies—the more, the better.
After getting out of the vehicle, Tao Yu set his sights on Little Black and then pointed towards a shopping center.
"Bring back more food, mainly canned goods. Grab some toiletries, too."
Once Little Black dashed off in that direction, Tao Yu returned to the sinister plot of black soil and began to irrigate it with blood.
"This piece of land is actually perfect for raising zombies. I don't need to feed them with my own blood, but since I've started and spent so much time on it, I might as well do it right..."
The bodies of Cao Shaolin and Wino lay quietly beneath the black soil.
Wino's body had even been smeared with Little Black's blood around the head.
Anyhow, after the corrosion, it was the kind that would give ordinary people nightmares just by glancing at it. They'd be unrecognizable by his own mother once dressed up and considering the natural changes in a zombie's physique.
"But, Wino should mainly stay in the shadows; Cao Shaolin can be used to move around outside."
Recognizable or not, Tao Yu decided to be safe just in case.
After finishing up, he slightly sped up his process, practicing the Myriad Streams Five Forms and simultaneously activating the Myriad Streams Breathing Technique to refine his bone marrow, the Basic Breathing Method to strengthen his viscera, and the Meditation Technique to continue honing his mental power!
"The Meditation Technique is really powerful. If it wasn't for having subdued my thoughts and purified them once, I probably wouldn't be able to do this simultaneously."
Tao Yu even had some leftover mental capacity to think, feeling the changes in his body, lest he neglect any part and miss a chance for corrective actions.
Although his movements seemed slow, practicing the Myriad Streams Five Forms was similar to practicing Tai Chi.
But each movement of Tao Yu's body seemed to make corresponding muscles twitch, and when he assumed a posture of drawing a bow, his body resonated with the sound of bowstrings, as though a little mouse was crawling all over him.
The initial sour numbness in the bone marrow was uncomfortable, but it turned into a pleasant soreness afterwards.
He could even feel the smell of blood between his organs, and every breath he took was a fortifying one, gradually starting to exhale white vapor.
"Everything is good, it's just too expensive regarding the Yuan Force, and if I speed up too much, regular food hardly suffices..."
But after completing a set, Tao Yu stopped, then began eating some of the food he had collected while finding the RV.
With the "Swallow Essence Technique - Modified," Tao Yu's digestion and absorption speed could definitely be said to be quite fast.
Without much acceleration, the "Swallow Essence Technique - Modified" is already at level 3 now.
But even so, facing the accelerated rate of multiple consumptions, Tao Yu could only slow down the rate of acceleration a bit. Fortunately, they had passed the outbreak window and were now in a stable period, so it wouldn't affect things too much.
"Hey, I wonder if there's some kind of delicacy from the food anime or something like a fasting pill from the martial arts or fantasy world, or even a food pill like in Naruto would be good."
While eating, Tao Yu pondered and turned on the RV's radio to tune in to some messages.
The RV's solar panels definitely charged more efficiently than his wristwatch, better to use this for more savings when possible.
"..., I'm a survivor from Las Vegas. Everyone, this base is real! There's basic order here and enough food, all the zombies have been cleared out. There's a strong armed force, it's extremely safe..."
As soon as he turned it on, there seemed to be a survivor narrating their experience upon reaching the base.
"Hmm, it's been five days since I've returned; there should be more survivors heading there by now, which seems normal."
This was originally a Las Vegas radio station's frequency, which the broadcasters in Las Vegas had ceased to use, allowing it to be taken over. It's unclear whether the station's personnel are also considering relocation.
"Comparatively speaking, the zombie density in Las Vegas is not high, making it easier to escape..."
Tao Yu switched the channel to Starshine City's channel to listen for some information about Pioneers.
"...I don't care what you do outside, but everyone better watch themselves. Now is the time when we need people. If you cause trouble and I catch you, don't drag your families into it..."
It was the voice of the handsome young Sun Shiqing, and Tao Yu rarely heard him sound somewhat annoyed, which made him raise an eyebrow.
"Is it fighting among the Pioneers? Something must have happened."
Then Tao Yu frowned, thinking about Panther, his business partner.
Currently, transporting goods from Las Vegas could be said to be one of the most profitable projects!
While the settlement lacks supplies and the proximity of Las Vegas with its abundance of resources, it's definitely a golden opportunity to make a good score.
With the vehicles provided by their side and two ready truck drivers, his partner had indeed seized a head start.
Leveraging his Inner City reputation to gather a group, they could keep the ball rolling and growing.
But indeed, this involved enough interest to make Inner City people jealous...
"Tch, I finally found a financial opportunity as a rural nobody from the Outer City. I hope no one messes it up, it's better if we all follow some rules..."
He had told Judy about his general area of activity; they should know he'd be back these two days.
If there was any issue, they'd probably come over to report...
It didn't take long for Tao Yu to wait. After spending an afternoon eating and training, as Little Black returned with bags big and small, Tao Yu adjusted the walkie-talkie placed on a foldable table beside him, and soon a voice inquiring came through.
"Boss, are you back yet?"
It was Judy's voice, which sounded normal.
"I'm back. How's everything going recently, going smoothly?"
What Tao Yu cared about was the income assurance of one hundred thousand Yuan Force for his first month.
"All in all, it's been okay. Panther's clout is pretty good; some others doing the odd delivery jobs have not been so lucky. We haven't had any issues for the time being, but there are already competitors..."