"Anyway, let's just hope he is easy to get along with. If not, we can always go our separate ways."
Just as that thought crossed her mind, Jing Shu heard the metallic scrape of boots and someone climbing into the vehicle behind her. She quickly pocketed her phone and sat upright on the bed, smoothing out the rumpled quilt. Xiao Dou neatly placed its shoes under the metal frame, then quietly nestled beside her, its feathers rustling as it settled into a comfortable ball.
A moment ago, the bird had already scouted their surroundings, its sharp eyes making sure the area was safe. The place was small, certainly, but the reinforced walls and insulated flooring would do. When you're traveling through a frozen wasteland, 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 with a practiced flick of his ankles, revealing custom-fitted white clothes underneath that looked entirely too pristine for the current world. A white cloak lined with soft, thick mink fur draped over his shoulders, and he lazily hugged a small, ornate hand warmer in his crossed hands. He yawned, his movements elegant and unhurried as if he were strolling through a garden rather than a modified minibus. When he spotted her, his eyes instantly brightened, and he even waved a gloved hand.
He looked like he had stepped right out of an ancient, ink-wash painting.
Jing Shu lifted her hand and waved back, more out of politeness than anything else. For some reason, it felt like this guy already knew her, his gaze carrying a strange sense of familiarity.
She leaned in slightly and 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, his voice equally low.
"Hong Bin, let's head out. Jing Shu is already here," someone called from the back of the cabin.
Huh, another person who knew her name.
Well, it made sense. They probably had all her information and medical records on file already.
The minibus door slowly hissed closed, and the vehicle started moving with a low, powerful hum. It had a top-tier suspension system, just like her German MAN RV. When the heavy wheels hit the rough, frozen ground, they climbed over obstacles effortlessly, keeping the cabin steady and still. Even driving through the thick, sucking mud felt as smooth as riding a high-speed train.
Once everyone was aboard, they held a quick meeting in the center of the cabin. Even Hao Yunlai, who was half-asleep and stumbling, was dragged up to join. Still bleary-eyed and rubbing his face, he grinned at Jing Shu. "My whole family says hi," he said.
Jing Shu felt a sudden chill and suppressed a shudder. His whole family were ghosts! What kind of greeting was that? But thinking they might actually be watching her from some invisible corner, 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 physical appearance to whatever intel they had read beforehand.
Yang Yang continued, "And this is the leader of our operation, Jun Bao."
"Jūn Bāo?" Jing Shu repeated, her nose wrinkling in confusion. "Like, Zhāng Jūnbǎo? You're a grown man and you're still called 'Precious'?"
The young man gave a patient smile, seemingly used to the misunderstanding. "Not that 'Bao.' My name is 君褒. '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, poetic explanation was worse than no explanation at all.
Seeing her utter confusion and the way her jaw dropped slightly, Jun Bao tried again, simplifying the concept to the bare essentials. "It's the 'Bao' in 'praise.' As in, the opposite of criticism. Like in a word with a positive connotation."
"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 who was busy checking a digital tablet. "This is Lǚ Liu, the planner for this mission. All arrangements and scheduling go through her." As for Jun Bao, well, he is more like the figurehead. He mostly nods and looks important.
Lǚ Liu pulled out a thick folder from a side compartment. "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 will start our search from there. If all goes well, we will arrive tomorrow. The goal is to locate the fleet within two days. I have already listed about a dozen possible scenarios and corresponding plans here. Take a look."
Now this was someone who seemed reliable.
"We will rest on the bus tonight," Lǚ Liu continued, her tone efficient. "The bathroom has been converted into a fuel tank to extend our range, so if anyone needs to go, just ask Hong Bin to stop the vehicle. Don't be shy."
"No problem," someone called out from the driver's seat.
Jing Shu had assumed Jun Bao was interested in her, so she had stayed on guard, wary he might have ulterior motives or want to recruit her for something more. But when Lǚ Liu kept talking, Jun Bao crouched down with his hand warmer, staring intently at Xiao Dou where the bird sat on the edge of the bed.
So he wasn't interested in her at all, but in her chicken. Figures.
Their eyes locked—one human, one bird—in a silent, bizarre standoff.
Xiao Dou started to squirm uncomfortably, its talons clicking against the bed frame, unable to even think about laying an egg under that intense scrutiny. It turned around, presenting its plump, feathery backside to him in a clear gesture of dismissal. Jun Bao, still curious, shifted his position slightly to follow the movement. If he couldn't study the front, the back would do.
Jing Shu cleared her throat pointedly. "Ahem."
He didn't even notice the sound.
Then Lǚ Liu came out from the storage compartment, rolling a heavy, electric bath barrel. She plugged it into the wall outlet, and soon the sound of bubbling water filled the cabin, steam rising along with the faint, medicinal scent of dried herbs. "You must have gotten cold walking around earlier. Come soak a bit," she urged.
Only then did Jun Bao reluctantly stand, setting his hand warmer aside on a nearby table.
"Wait a second." Jing Shu stared at the steam. 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 of liquid!
Noticing Jing Shu's doubtful look, Lǚ Liu laughed softly. "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 in the middle of a mission?
The thing even had a built-in massager that hummed softly. As the steam rose higher and the faint scent of goji and herbs filled the air, Jing Shu couldn't help imagining herself soaking in hot water on a winter day, sipping coffee, and watching a show on a tablet. That would be peak apocalypse luxury.
She watched enviously as Lǚ Liu pulled a folding 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 steamed buns. But really, she was just an ordinary person. There was no point dreaming beyond that.
Too bad her RV only had a shower. A bath would have been nice.
Lǚ Liu finished prepping the area, placing a warmed hand warmer under the quilt in the narrow space pod, then brought over a steaming cup of goji and red date tea with a plate of pale, delicate 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 as the engine droned on. Hao Yunlai was snoring away in a corner, 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 on a small rack.
Jing Shu sighed, leaning back against the wall. It looked like she was going to lose that bet about the white clothes. Oh well. It was almost dinnertime anyway. She would 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 the privacy of her tent to avoid drawing any unwanted attention. Even Jun Bao, for all his displays of luxury, only snacked on small pastries. If she pulled out a full meal of meat and fresh 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.