Jing An snorted, then softened with a sigh. "That's my daughter, my own precious girl. Of course she's gotta leave something for her old man."
The crimson BYD Song crept through the pitch-black, muddy road, its tires churning with a steady sloshing sound. Muddy water on the road was already twenty centimeters deep and sticky enough to make driving a nightmare.
The storm outside clashed sharply with the warmth and peace inside the car. Jing An only ever turned on the heater when his wife and daughter were around.
Jing Shu lay sprawled on the backseat, replenishing her energy, while Xiao Dou rested obediently in its custom travel nest. The hen had a smoked ham tied around its neck and was carefully preening its feathers so they stayed sleek and shiny. Its tiny shoes were neatly placed underneath the nest, as if afraid of dirtying the car.
She really was a neat-freak old hen.
Two huge suitcases were strapped to the roof.
The trip went smoothly overall, though they arrived a little later than planned. By the time Jing Shu got there, the operation team was already waiting at the Nanshan highway exit. Their target was hard to miss. On the barren slope of Nanshan, the floodlights were so bright you could spot them from a kilometer away.
As Jing An parked, Yang Yang came jogging over to greet them. But when he saw Jing Shu, he froze for several seconds. What the hell was this? Why was she wrapped up so tightly that only her eyes showed? Was it really that cold? It wasn't even that bad, come on! Way too exaggerated.
"The captain and the others got here early. They were bored, so they went out for a walk. Hao Yunlai's still sleeping in the car," Yang Yang said.
Jing Shu blinked. "Walk around? In this pitch-black mud pit? What's there to see, worms?"
Jing An, meanwhile, looked like a dad sending his daughter off to college. He shook hands with Yang Yang, then started hauling her luggage out like a proud parent helping her settle in. Even though he'd been drinking Spirit Spring water for a while and had gotten much stronger, those suitcases were just too damn heavy.
Yang Yang tried lifting one, failed, and quietly gave up.
"Should I leave these on this minibus?" Jing An asked, holding onto one of the boxes.
"Let's put them in the luggage compartment. That's her bed over there," Yang Yang replied, exhaling softly. Thankfully, Jing Shu hadn't brought a literal mountain this time. He still hadn't recovered from that trauma. But her stuff wasn't exactly light either.
Jing Shu followed quietly behind her father, while Xiao Dou trailed after her like a little soldier. The three of them boarded what looked like an ordinary minibus from the outside.
She gave Yang Yang a side-eye and shivered. It was well below freezing, yet he was wearing high leather boots, a thin leather jacket, and a stylish cap that showed off his long, lean build. "Was he not cold? What the hell, that's insane."
Inside, the minibus glowed with warm yellow light. The cozy temperature and luxury interior sealed them away from the biting cold outside.
So this was one of those rumored "low-profile luxury" custom minibuses. Apparently, some powerful but discreet people loved to travel in these—simple on the outside, lavish on the inside.
Unlike a regular minibus, this one had no passenger seats. The front half still had the driver's area and door, but the co-driver's side had an enlarged fuel tank and what looked suspiciously like...
Jing Shu squinted. "Is that a bike pedal? What, are they planning to work out while driving?"
A tall, broad-shouldered man sat behind the wheel, his muscles practically bursting through his jacket.
Yang Yang gestured toward him. "This is Hong Bin, one of our team members."
Hong Bin gave an awkward little wave, looking embarrassingly shy for someone built like a tank. His voice was surprisingly high-pitched, even slightly childish, which made the contrast even funnier.
Jing An, ever the smooth one, handed him a boiled egg. "Please take care of my daughter. Here, have a warm egg first."
Hong Bin accepted it with a sheepish smile, his expression soft and harmless. "Don't worry, sir. We'll make sure to look after all the ladies."
Jing Shu couldn't help but laugh. It felt exactly like that moment when parents bribe your dormmates on your first day of school.
The center of the bus had two sets of bunk beds built against the wall, with a foldable table and chairs in the middle and a mounted LCD TV above—basically a mobile meeting room.
"Put your luggage in the connected storage compartment. You'll take the lower bunk here, I'm next to you," Yang Yang said.
The others' luggage was already packed in tight, so hers ended up squeezed near the door. That's what she got for arriving late.
Jing An, panting, wiped the sweat from his forehead after stowing everything. Then he took out her luxury tent and started setting up her private space. Jing Shu stood quietly behind him, smiling sweetly, looking like the picture of an obedient little girl who couldn't lift a finger.
Hao Yunlai was snoring above her, completely dead to the world. Since he didn't seem to be having a nightmare, she decided not to wake him.
Once Jing An confirmed her tent was warm and cozy enough, he nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright, sweetheart. I'm heading back now. Be careful out there."
"Got it, Dad. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
He chatted a bit more with Yang Yang, reluctant to leave, before finally driving off.
Yang Yang turned to her again. "Anyway, let me show you around the bus since we'll be living here for a few days."
Honestly, being able to stay in a minibus was already a luxury. The road ahead wouldn't be easy, and Jing Shu had mentally prepared herself to walk if necessary.
"The back half is packed with supplies and weapons. We've got compressed biscuits, energy bars, gasoline, and water. There's no resupply point along the way. Our main goal's to find the ship convoy and deliver these supplies. Once we meet up, we'll figure out what went wrong."
Jing Shu nodded. If they managed to find the convoy and bring the food, great. If not, at least they'd deliver the supplies and call for rescue afterward.
"Don't worry, there's a satellite link in the back, so we won't lose contact. Once we locate the convoy, the hardest part's over," he said.
She nodded again, feeling reassured.
"Oh, one more thing. Water's limited—one liter per person per day," Yang Yang added.
"No problem," she said easily. She still had plenty stored in her Cube Space anyway.
Once they finished the serious talk, the two started gossiping.
On the opposite side of the bunks stood a ridiculously fancy space capsule bed, separated by a small divider for privacy.
"That one's for our captain," Yang Yang explained.
Jing Shu instantly understood. She'd noticed that gaudy thing the second she stepped in. Her own tent was practical, but this—the entire capsule was inlaid with diamonds. How extravagant could one person get?
"It was carried up here by a special crew. He apparently takes it everywhere," Yang Yang said with a smirk.
"So he really is a spoiled rich boy, huh? Knows how to enjoy life, though. Gotta admit, it's way fancier than Wu You'ai's setup. Looks even roomier too."
She pulled out her phone and snapped a few pictures. "I'm definitely showing this to Wu You'ai."