Even a mountain of muscle like Iron Lion couldn’t hide the envy in his eyes as he stared at Chen Ye’s Doomsday Pickup.

Eventually, the spectacle ended. The crowd dispersed, everyone returning to their own tents and vehicles to mind their own business.

However, sticky gazes of jealousy still clung to Chen Ye’s vehicle.

There was no helping it. To the starving survivors, this truck seemed like a vanity project—more for show than practical use. But god, did it look good.

Its imposing, armored body was a steel declaration of power. It was a vehicle built for the end of the world.

“Chen Ye, eat while it’s hot.”

A bowl of steaming instant noodles was placed in front of him.

Chen Ye looked up to see Xu Lina standing there, her expression a perfect blend of shyness and expectation.

He looked down at the bowl and was genuinely surprised.

This wasn’t just noodles. It was a culinary masterpiece compared to the slop he usually threw together. Resting atop the broth was a fried egg.

And next to it… two green vegetable leaves.

Green leaves?

An egg?

“This egg…” Chen Ye started, baffled.

He knew for a fact his own Supplies didn’t contain fresh eggs.

In the wasteland, an egg was a luxury item comparable to gold. In the scorching summer heat, eggs lasted seven to ten days at best. Even in optimal storage, they spoiled in a month.

Given the current timeline of the apocalypse, the value of a single preserved egg was astronomical.

And the greens?

This was a desert. Where in the hell did she find fresh vegetables?

It was simply outrageous.

Xu Lina lowered her head, a rosy flush creeping up her neck. “You… you eat first. I’m going back to have my meal!”

She turned and fled, moving like a schoolgirl who had just confessed to her crush.

However, the moment her back was turned to Chen Ye, the shy tremor vanished. A smug, triumphant smile curled her lips.

From start to finish, she hadn’t spared a single thought for herself. She had given everything to Chen Ye.

She hadn’t even kept a bite.

That has to leave a deep impression, she thought. I even saved him his own supplies. He must think I’m devoted to him heart and soul.

Men. They are so simple.

Recalling the genuine shock on Chen Ye’s face, her smugness deepened.

Honestly, dealing with a man like Chen Ye felt too easy. There was no challenge.

Xu Lina returned to the school bus group.

Breakfast was already being served.

Old Li greeted her with a beaming, ingratiating smile.

“Lina! Yezi’s car is really something, isn’t it?”

Xu Lina’s expression was flawless. She smiled politely, the picture of grace. “It is. Chen Ye’s car is amazing. He truly lives up to the Mechanic Sequence. Very impressive!”

Old Li, a man in his thirties, smiled even more amiably, his bald head practically shining in the morning sun.

The other survivors cast complicated looks at Xu Lina before burying their heads in their tasks.

Xu Lina hadn’t done a lick of work this morning, yet she walked over to eat for free. No one voiced an objection.

Even Xu Jiaojiao didn’t jump up to mock her.

The rival woman simply turned her back, head bowed low, using her curtain of hair to hide her expression and the meager contents of her small bowl.

Xu Jiaojiao had lost a lot of weight recently.

The convoy’s rationed Supplies were limited; under these conditions, even the fattest person would eventually wither into a skeleton.

“Sister Lina, this is yours!”

Little Fu trotted over, presenting a large bowl of thin porridge with both hands.

“Little Fu, thank you!”

Xu Lina accepted the bowl. Her face showed neither disappointment at the gruel nor excessive gratitude. She remained polite and gentle, making those around her feel as comfortable as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

She could feel the shift in the atmosphere. The people around her were much friendlier now.

It was a fair trade.

She had paid a price, and now she was reaping the rewards.

Even that lecherous Old Man Zhang hadn’t dared to come over and harass her this morning.

Usually, the pervert would appear like clockwork to ogle her. Although he never managed to touch her, dealing with his wandering eyes was a nuisance.

The greens and the egg she gave Chen Ye? She had scammed them out of Old Man Zhang.

The old man knew he’d been played. But he didn’t dare approach her.

When Xu Lina glanced toward the corner where Old Man Zhang sat, he flinched and offered her a pathetic, ingratiating smile.

He knew she was “Chen Ye’s woman” now. He didn’t have the guts to complain.

Chen Ye rubbed his chin, his dark gaze following Xu Lina’s swaying hips as she walked away.

He didn’t dwell on it. He took a bite of the noodles. The taste was excellent—leagues better than his own cooking.

He took the bowl and squatted in the shadow of his truck bed. After scanning the surroundings and confirming that everyone was busy eating, he prepared for business.

He laid out his materials: the Heavy Machete, the broken Hand Crossbow, the Resentment-Binding Willow Branch, and the Skin-Peeler Ghost’s Scalp.

Slurping the noodles, he began to mentally simulate his upgrade options.

The most precious item was undoubtedly the red scalp.

If the upgrade went smoothly, fusing this skin could yield an Artifact ranked within the top 2,000.

Top 2,000.

Captain Chu treated his ‘Eavesdropping Radio’ like a national treasure. That gave Chen Ye a clear idea of the value.

Then there was the pink-haired alcoholic girl. Rumor had it her sword was ranked somewhere in the 3,000s, yet she never let it leave her side.

Chen Ye swallowed a mouthful of broth, his eyes darting between the four items.

“System, calculate the cost to fuse the Skin-Peeler Ghost’s Scalp with the Heavy Machete.”

A small spinning loading circle appeared in his vision.

The answer made Chen Ye excited, then immediately depressed.

[Requirement: 30,000 Slaughter Points. Time: 86 hours (3.5 days).]

Thirty thousand.

Chen Ye nearly choked on his noodles. He had nowhere near that amount.

He currently had about 8,000 Slaughter Points left. And technically, he still owed the System a massive debt.

He tried simulating a fusion with the Hand Crossbow.

[Requirement: 30,000 Slaughter Points. Time: 86 hours.]

Same result. An Artifact requiring 30,000 points would undoubtedly be a weapon of mass destruction, but it was out of his reach.

Reluctantly, Chen Ye shelved the Ghost Scalp. He would have to start smaller.

He turned his attention to the Resentment-Binding Willow Branch.

He decided against the crossbow. He needed a reliable melee weapon for defense.

“System, upgrade the Heavy Machete using the Willow Branch.”

[Requirement: 5,000 Slaughter Points.]

Five thousand. He had that!

Chen Ye was about to click agree when a thought struck him.

Black Dog Blood.

He remembered the bag of blood he had used to coat his blade. It had a suppressive effect on Anomalies. Logic dictated it should count as an Artifact material.

Why not throw it in the pot?

He put down his bowl and climbed into the truck bed, rummaging until he found the small plastic bag containing the sticky, dark fluid.

He spent 1 Slaughter Point to appraise it.

[Item Name: Drying Ordinary Black Dog Blood] [Type: Ordinary Artifact Material] [Origin: Harvested from a completely average black dog.] [Commentary: This item has a minor effect on low-level Anomalies. However, expecting to kill a true Anomaly with this blood is undoubtedly a fantasy.]

Chen Ye rolled his eyes. The System was ruthless.

The appraisal was filled with words like “ordinary” and “average.”

He canceled the pending upgrade task and reformulated the plan.

Even if it was ordinary, the System recognized it as a material. That meant it could be fused.

Something was better than nothing. If the new Artifact could permanently retain the anti-ghost properties of the blood, he wouldn’t have to constantly smear the blade manually.

That chore was a hassle; the blood would dry up or rub off during combat, requiring constant reapplication.

“System, add the Black Dog Blood to the fusion recipe.”

The System recalculated.

[Requirement: 5,500 Slaughter Points.]

It cost an extra 500 points.

Math time. He had 8,000 points. Spending 5,500 would leave him with 2,500.

That buffer should be enough to deal with unexpected emergencies.

The time requirement also bumped up from 12 hours to 12.5 hours.

If he started now, the upgrade would finish around 9:30 PM tonight.

Chen Ye confirmed the selection.

An hourglass countdown appeared floating above the Heavy Machete.

“Attention! Attention! Departure in ten minutes!” “Departure in ten minutes!”

Uncle Abao’s loudspeaker blared through the camp, signaling the end of the break.

Chen Ye tilted his head back and drained the last of the noodle broth.

As for washing the bowl…

He poured a tiny splash of mineral water into the bowl, swirled it around to catch the remaining grease and flavor, and downed the rinse water in one gulp.

This was a desert. Every drop of water, every calorie, was precious.

He quickly stowed his tools and materials, then climbed into the driver’s seat of his new beast.

The brand-new Doomsday Pickup was ready for its maiden voyage across the wasteland.

And tonight, he would wield his very first true Artifact.

The new day was full of hope.