"Is that so... Really appreciate Director Gong’s concern! Um, mind if we inspect it?"

Zhang Su felt the need to be cautious.

"No problem, Leader Zhang, please do."

Xiao Xuejian had no objections, and readily gestured for them to proceed.

"Dakun, go check it out!"

"Got it!"

Pang Dakun received the order and, taking an unconventional route, directly climbed over the wall.

"Such agility, young man!"

Xiao Xuejian watched Pang Dakun’s nimble movements and couldn’t help but praise.

"Hehe, you’re too kind, too kind."

Pang Dakun loved being complimented, but he didn’t forget his task, thoroughly inspecting the vehicle inside and out, then gave Zhang Su an "OK" gesture.

"Open the gate, Captain Xiao, please."

Inspection was one aspect, but Zhang Su also needed to verify the other party’s attitude. Seeing Xiao Xuejian cooperate without any signs of ulterior motives, Zhang Su gradually felt relieved. It seemed they genuinely intended to show kindness, but for what purpose?

"Leader Zhang is too polite." Xiao Xuejian smiled and nodded, seeing the gate slowly open, quickly returning to the car.

Squeak, rumble.

As the iron gate opened, Xiao Xuejian, driving forward, suddenly saw a fist-sized black hole pointing at him from afar.

"A tank?"

Xiao Xuejian incredulously frowned toward the gate, rubbing his eyes, and indeed, wasn’t it a 99 Heavy Tank?

Even though the big iron lump seemed clumsy after combat drones appeared, it was still a king-level heavy weapon on land!

Gulp.

He swallowed heavily, changed gears and released the handbrake, gently lifting his foot off the brake, cautiously moving forward, afraid of a sudden burst scaring the other party, and ending up being wrongly shot by a cautious guy.

Driving into Celestial Horse Island, Xiao Xuejian felt even more awestruck seeing the tank up close. In just a few days, they’d managed to build such a giant beast. At this rate of development, will they have a J-20 in a week?

Lost in thought, he parked the car steadily. Without permission to venture further into the camp, he simply stopped by the tank. Using the rearview mirror, he saw the group approaching, so Xiao Xuejian quickly turned off the engine and jumped out of the car to show goodwill, leaving all the weapons in the car.

"Captain Xiao, it’s so early, you probably haven’t had breakfast. Would you like to have something here? We have steamed buns and cornmeal cakes, haha."

Zhang Su gestured toward the dining area, extending goodwill with a smile. Even though Gong Chengming’s intentions were unclear, the person sent over was quite courteous.

Xiao Xuejian shook his head with a smile, "Already had breakfast, thank you. Leader Zhang, why don’t we... take a look at the supplies."

Saying this, he walked to the car’s rear, opened the trunk, and saw several boxes neatly stacked, a full dozen cardboard boxes, filling the back of the Coolway entirely.

"Wow, so many things brought over, Director Gong is very generous. Wonder what they are?"

Zhang Su asked curiously as he recalled Pang Dakun’s expressive face during the inspection.

"Let me introduce them to Leader Zhang."

Xiao Xuejian unloaded three boxes from the car, opening each one sequentially, "These two boxes contain heating pads, which stick to clothes and provide warmth. We men rarely used them before, but they’re very convenient in winter, keeping you warm all day. The other box contains various types of hot-water bottles, though with the freezing weather, some might crack, so inspect them before use."

Looking at the well-packaged heating pads, Zhang Su’s thoughts surged. Given the freezing climate, these supplies were like a timely rain. Although life on Celestial Horse Island wasn’t freezing, the importance of these supplies couldn’t be denied!

Not to mention, during missions, sticking one on significantly enhances comfort, indirectly boosting various body metrics, effectively increasing combat power!

"Come on, help Captain Xiao unload the supplies."

Seeing the other party starting to unload the boxes again, Zhang Su called for help while saying, "Director Gong is really considerate."

"Haha, Director Gong always acts like a patriarch. Many trivial matters in the alliance are managed by him. Look, Leader Zhang, here’s something interesting. These three boxes were brought for trade by a survivor organization called Water Bear from over in Beihai District!"

"Water Bear? That’s a strange name. Does it have any special meaning?"

Zhang Su showed interest in this name.

Wang Xin was just about to speak, but when he saw Xiao Xuejian pause his action, it was clear he intended to explain, so Wang Xin held back.

"Haha, at first, I didn’t know what a Water Bear was either. Later, I learned from a scientist in the camp, oh, it was Dr. Fu who was kidnapped a while back, that Water Bear is a kind of arthropod-like creature, very small, about a millimeter in size, incredibly resilient. It can withstand freezing, dehydration, starvation, lack of oxygen; none of it fazes it. Compared to it, the indomitable cockroach is utterly weak!"

"It can survive even in such cold conditions now?"

Lu Yubo interjected, puzzled, as his understanding was that all pests vanish in winter.

Xiao Xuejian chuckled, "Dr. Fu gave me examples, explaining Water Bears can survive at minus two hundred degrees for several days, endure pressures six times that of ten thousand meters underwater, and astronauts have sent Water Bears into space, where they survived unprotected for ten days! I was astonished..."

"Exactly, Water Bears can withstand hundreds of times the lethal radiation for humans, but their resistance to high temperatures is somewhat limited; it can’t exceed one hundred fifty degrees."

Wang Xin added.

Zhang Su couldn’t help but twitch his mouth and replied, "You call that limited? Minus two hundred degrees to plus one hundred fifty degrees and not afraid of nuclear radiation. Very well, this organization naming themselves Water Bear is quite meaningful."

Wang Xin nodded, agreeing, "Haha, Earth’s normal ecological environment barely threatens them. Unless the sun explodes, they won’t perish..."

"No kidding, unlike these guys, who are just weaklings. Leader Zhang, look..."

After answering Zhang Su’s query, Xiao Xuejian opened the box, and Zhang Su’s group looked inside to find some fresh produce, although frozen solid in the severe cold.

"Prawns, abalone, crabs, ribbon fish, and some other seafood, all quite fresh."

Xiao Xuejian took out two swimming crabs and tapped them, producing a clanging sound.

In the apocalypse, the value of food is no longer determined by past price standards but by the energy provided. Previously, seafood was expensive, with fatty swimming crabs costing nearly two hundred per kilo. If only the meat was calculated, the price could increase seven or eight times, with ordinary working families barely affording even one meal a year, but now, it’s rather impractical.

However, for those struggling with food scarcity, crabs may seem impractical, but for camps like Celestial Horse Island, currently not facing a food crisis, they represent a high-end enjoyment.

Gulp.

Although a bit embarrassing, Wang Xin, Wu Lue, and several others couldn’t help but swallow their saliva, the sight of seafood encased in ice seemingly filling their mouths with a fresh taste, salivating involuntarily.

Zhang Su seemed alright, merely reflecting that Gong Chengming certainly knows how to make an impression, sending interesting stuff, casting a slightly helpless glance at his companions, he spoke to Xiao Xuejian: "Beihai District residents can come to Qin City to trade now. Makes sense, it’s only twenty kilometers from Beihai to Qin City, closer than our trip here..."

In terms of distance, the Qin City District isn’t far from Beihai District, but along the way, the population is relatively dense, unlike heading north where it’s sparsely populated.

"We found a batch of broadcasting equipment a while back and strengthened the signal transmission; now distant places can also receive it. Survivor camps in Funing, Changli, and Lu Long have responded. If it weren’t for this damn climate, a trade network centered on Qin City could gradually be perfected."

Xiao Xuejian shrugged, sharing a piece of sensational news.

Although the three districts and the four counties of Qin City are not large, they’re also not small. If survivors from various regions could start moving, the future development would definitely be beneficial.

Zhang Su realized, laughing, "So it turns out Director Gong sent you on a promotional mission, haha."

Qin City has only four counties. According to Xiao Xuejian, the other three counties have now established contact with the alliance, leaving only Qing County inactive. Meanwhile, the largest force originally in Qing County, Cyan Dragon Corps, has already been wiped out, and Celestial Horse Island has become the dominant power...

Xiao Xuejian walked to the last few boxes, smiling, "Leader Zhang is correct, indeed that’s part of it, but Director Gong hopes to make friends with everyone, as in the apocalypse, more friends create more paths."

Their words didn’t seem off, but to Zhang Su, it felt a bit odd. The emphasis on Director Gong rather than Survivor Alliance or Leader Liao Youzhi made him slightly suspicious, planning to inquire further later, so he did not pursue the matter.

"By the way, Captain Xiao, I’d like to ask, approximately how many survivors are there in Qin City now?"

Zhang Su raised a very concerning question.

Xiao Xuejian pondered, "It’s difficult to give an exact count, but based on communication assessments, the number is certainly not less than three thousand. At the border between Changli and Funing, there’s a large safety camp established by the former Funing Government Office leader. Some brothers investigated there, and the population is definitely over five hundred!"

Xiao Xuejian had no reservations about sharing information, displaying a stance of full disclosure.

Zhang Su slightly nodded, acknowledging the credibility of the statements regarding Qing County, which is the least populous and covers the largest area in Qin City—a classic case of vast lands and sparse population. Conversely, Funing and Changli have much denser populations, so a large safety camp there isn’t surprising.

As for the so-called Government Office leader, it holds no meaning in current times. Maybe the title can bluff nearby survivors, but it does not exert any influence on other survivor camps!