"Anyway, let's just hope he's easy to get along with. If not, we can always go our separate ways."
Just as that thought crossed her mind, Jing Shu heard someone climbing into the vehicle behind her. She quickly pocketed her phone and sat upright on the bed. Xiao Dou neatly placed its shoes under the frame, then quietly nestled beside her.
A moment ago, it had already scouted their surroundings, making sure the area was safe. The place was small, sure, but it'd do. When you're traveling, you can't be too picky.
Well, it wasn't like its owner ever worried about these things. That was its job.
Jing Shu looked toward the young man walking in front of her. He slipped off his mud-stained shoe covers, revealing custom-fitted white clothes underneath. A white cloak lined with soft mink fur draped over his shoulders, and he lazily hugged a hand warmer in his crossed hands. He yawned, his movements elegant and unhurried. When he spotted her, his eyes instantly brightened, and he even waved.
He looked like he'd stepped right out of a painting.
Jing Shu lifted her hand and waved back, more out of politeness than anything. For some reason, it felt like this guy already knew her.
She muttered under her breath, "I bet five points that his white outfit won't last a day before it turns black."
"I bet two days," Yang Yang replied.
"Hong Bin, let's head out. Jing Shu's already here," someone called from the back.
Huh, another person who knew her name.
Well, it made sense. They probably had all her information already.
The minibus door slowly closed, and the vehicle started moving. It had a top-tier suspension system, just like her German MAN RV. When the wheels hit rough ground, they climbed over obstacles effortlessly, keeping the cabin steady and still. Even driving through mud felt as smooth as riding a high-speed train.
Once everyone was aboard, they held a quick meeting. Even Hao Yunlai, who was half-asleep, was dragged up to join. Still bleary-eyed, he grinned at Jing Shu and said, "My whole family says hi."
Jing Shu shuddered. "His whole family were ghosts! What kind of greeting was that?" But thinking they might actually be watching her, she forced a polite smile and said, "Say hi to them for me too."
"This is Jing Shu," Yang Yang formally introduced.
Everyone greeted her one by one, nodding thoughtfully like they were comparing her to whatever intel they'd read beforehand.
Yang Yang continued, "And this is the leader of our operation, Jun Bao."
"Jun Bao?" Jing Shu repeated, her nose wrinkling. "Like, Zhang Junbao? You're a grown man and you're still called 'Precious'?"
The young man gave a patient smile. "Not that 'Bao.' My name is 君褒 (Jūn Bāo). 'I value your ability to compose, and you praise my skill in interpreting poetry'. It's the 'Jun' from 'a gentleman's virtue,' and the 'Bao' from 'to praise or commend.'"
Jing Shu just blinked, her mind a complete blank. As someone whose literacy had once been mocked by a six-year-old, this highbrow explanation was worse than no explanation at all.
Seeing her utter confusion, Jun Bao tried again, simplifying it to the bare essentials. "It's the 'Bao' in 'praise.' As in, the opposite of criticism."
"Oh!" Jing Shu's face lit up with understanding. "That* 'Bao'! Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"
Yang Yang then gestured to another person. "This is Lǚ Liu, the planner for this mission. All arrangements and scheduling go through her." As for Jun Bao, well, he's more like the figurehead. He mostly nods and looks important.
Lǚ Liu pulled out a folder. "We're heading to this spot about a hundred kilometers out. It's where the fleet last sent a signal a few days ago. We'll start our search from there. If all goes well, we'll arrive tomorrow. The goal is to locate the fleet within two days. I've already listed about a dozen possible scenarios and corresponding plans here. Take a look."
Now this was someone reliable.
"We'll rest on the bus tonight," Lǚ Liu continued. "The bathroom's been converted into a fuel tank, so if anyone needs to go, just ask Hong Bin to stop. Don't be shy."
"No problem," someone said.
Jing Shu had assumed Jun Bao was interested in her, so she'd stayed on guard, wary he might have ulterior motives. But when Lǚ Liu kept talking, Jun Bao crouched down with his hand warmer, staring intently at Xiao Dou.
So he wasn't interested in her at all, but in her chicken. Figures.
Their eyes locked—one human, one bird.
Xiao Dou stazsrted to squirm uncomfortably, unable to even lay an egg under that scrutiny. It turned around, presenting its plump backside to him. Jun Bao, still curious, shifted slightly. If he couldn't study the front, the back would do.
Jing Shu cleared her throat pointedly. "Ahem."
He didn't even notice.
Then Lǚ Liu came out from the storage compartment, rolling an electric bath barrel. She plugged it in, and soon steam was rising along with the faint scent of herbs. "You must've gotten cold walking around earlier. Come soak a bit," she urged.
Only then did Jun Bao reluctantly stand, setting the hand warmer aside.
Wait a second. Weren't they all supposed to be rationing one liter of water per person per day? That bath had to be over a hundred liters!
Noticing Jing Shu's doubtful look, Lǚ Liu laughed. "The tub and water are self-contained. It's a medicinal bath with an automatic filtration system, completely reusable. No waste."
A portable bath barrel, really? Was that necessary?
The thing even had a built-in massager. As steam rose and the faint hum filled the air, Jing Shu couldn't help imagining herself soaking in hot water on a winter day, sipping coffee, and watching a show. That'd be peak apocalypse luxury.
She watched enviously as Lǚ Liu pulled a screen around the bath, fully blocking the view. Suddenly, Jing Shu realized her understanding of "luxury" was laughably shallow.
It was like how peasants imagined the emperor's life was just eating endless buns. But really, she was just an ordinary person. No point dreaming beyond that.
Too bad her RV only had a shower. A bath would've been nice.
Lǚ Liu finished prepping, placing a warmed hand warmer under the quilt in the space pod, then brought over a cup of goji and red date tea with a plate of pale pastries.
So she really was Jun Bao's personal caretaker.
Even so, Jing Shu still couldn't figure out what kind of person Jun Bao was. He wasn't as cold as Zhen Nantian, not as friendly as Jin Tianci, and definitely not as sly as that old fox Jun Jia. He was… hard to define.
The bus soon fell quiet again. Hao Yunlai was snoring away, Jun Bao was soaking in his bath, probably about to crawl into his pod after, and Lǚ Liu was ironing his clothes, carefully pressing out every last wrinkle before hanging them up.
Jing Shu sighed. Looked like she was going to lose that bet. Oh well. It was almost dinnertime anyway. She'd eat something simple and turn in early. For now, things were peaceful—but who knew what kind of trouble tomorrow would bring?
She decided to eat in her tent to avoid drawing attention. Even Jun Bao, for all his luxury, only snacked on pastries. If she pulled out a full meal of meat and vegetables, wouldn't that look bad?
===
The leader's name is 君褒 (Jūn Bāo)
张君宝 (Zhāng Jūnbǎo) - The birth name of the legendary founder of Wudang Sect, Zhang Sanfeng, a very famous name in wuxia stories.
The problem? She confuses the character 褒 (Bāo - "to praise") with 宝 (Bǎo - "treasure, precious"). She finds "Precious" a cutesy name for an adult.
Jun Bao tries to clarify using a classical, poetic phrase: "我重君能赋,君褒我解诗" (I value your ability to compose, and you praise my skill in interpreting poetry). This is incredibly scholarly and uses the "gentleman" meaning of 君 (Jūn) and the "praise" meaning of 褒 (Bāo). Unsurprisingly, this flies right over Jing Shu's head.
He finally gives up and explains 褒 (Bāo) using a modern word everyone knows: 褒义词 (bāoyìcí), which means "a word with a positive connotation" (i.e., praise). That, she finally gets.