Lan Jin had been busy for three whole days.
After three days of discussion, they finally decided on a place that might still have supplies — the industrial park in J City.
Lan Jin had driven there before. By car it took about thirty minutes, by bus over an hour. It was far from residential areas, so for people without transportation, the industrial park was out of reach.
Although it was called an industrial park, their target was not the factories. Most factory buildings were low, and even if built on slightly higher ground, they would already be buried deep under the ice by now. But the surrounding area had clusters of office buildings.
Where there are office buildings, there are usually supplies. And with no one able to get there to clear them out, the temptation was hard to ignore.
Huang Jinghe said, "I've worked part-time over there before, so I know the place. There are medical companies, live-streaming studios, and plenty of convenience stores in those buildings. If no one else has cleared them out, we might be able to bring back quite a lot. The only problem is, it's as hard for us to get there as it is for anyone else."
"If only we had a vehicle," Ling Jiang said longingly. "Too bad both of mine got ruined in the flood."
"You had two cars? I had five. All of them ruined. Couldn't sleep for days," Lao Gao said, his expression dripping with heartbreak.
A vehicle? A car?
Lan Jin actually had one in her spatial storage.
Before she could speak, Lao Gao said, "I'll try to find a way. If nothing else works, we can trade some supplies with the black market. They must have vehicles, otherwise how would they run things?"
Ling Jiang shook her head. "Might not be worth it. What if those buildings are already cleared? We'd waste the trip and lose a pile of supplies in trade. Too risky."
"But we can't just not go. Walking there isn't practical. The only way to make it worth the trip is by driving. And if we really do find supplies, we'll need a car to bring them back."
One way or another, they needed a car.
Lan Jin decided she couldn't keep it to herself any longer. "Actually, I can get a car. Tomorrow morning, we'll set out. I'll drive it to the gate of our community. You just come down."
The three of them stared at Lan Jin, clearly surprised she could get a car at a time like this.
"I'm serious," Lan Jin said. "Tomorrow I'll definitely have one. Just wait for me."
No one saw a reason for her to lie about it now. As for where she would get it, that was her private business, and they didn't ask. With the vehicle settled, they discussed the equipment they'd need for the trip and then returned to their homes to rest.
…
The next morning, before sunrise, Lan Jin left the house. She found a quiet corner and hesitated for a moment, deciding between her electric sedan and the Hummer. She chose the Hummer.
When the engine roared to life, the deep, long-lost sound wrapped around her, making her whole body relax. Even the smell of exhaust was oddly pleasant.
She drove toward the gate of the community.
In the silent complex, the engine's growl was impossible to miss. Before she could call them on the walkie-talkie, the other three had already packed up and come down.
When they saw the Hummer, their eyes widened.
They had expected Lan Jin to get a car, but not this kind of car.
Lao Gao slid into the passenger seat, grinning. "Sister Lan, this is nice. Really nice. Yesterday I was even thinking about building my own. Didn't expect you to come back with something this good."
Lan Jin raised her brows. "You can do that? Guess I underestimated you."
Ling Jiang and Huang Jinghe climbed into the back. Ling Jiang snorted. "Not just thinking. He actually built one. A makeshift electric cart that could hold all four of us. The battery barely worked, though. It didn't explode, but after a few steps the whole thing froze and wouldn't start."
Lan Jin was silently grateful she'd chosen the Hummer. If she had brought the electric sedan, they might have ended up stuck in the middle of the road, unable to go forward or back.
Once they were settled, she drove toward the industrial park.
The roads were eerily smooth. No people, no traffic lights, nothing to slow them down. They arrived in less than twenty minutes and stopped in front of the office buildings.
Lao Gao let out a low whistle. "See? Cars make life so much easier. That was nothing."
"Exactly. Let's get to work," Lan Jin said.
…
They parked in front of Building 1.
After confirming the number, they nodded to each other. "Perfect. We'll go in order, no skipping floors."
Before going inside, they circled the area, scanning for danger. The building showed no signs of damage, so they stepped in.
The tower had twenty-eight floors. Like most office buildings, the first two floors were taken up by lobbies, so there were no workspaces there. Lan Jin had expected fewer usable floors, but this building sat on high ground — the ice had only reached the eighth floor.
Lan Jin let out a low whistle. "I knew it was higher here, but I didn't think it was this high. Even if the eighth floor's useless, we've got almost twenty more above it to search."
The floors were smaller than those near their homes — only about four companies per floor at most. But any supply was good supply.
Still, as they began searching, Lan Jin finally voiced a nagging worry. "Hey, when I turn off the engine, will it freeze so we can't start again? I was so worried I didn't shut it off at the gate."
"It won't," Lao Gao said with an easy shrug. "A car this good? No way it won't start."
Her shoulders loosened a little at that.
…
Luck wasn't on their side. From the ninth to the sixteenth floor, all they found were dusty desks, broken chairs, and a thick layer of grime. Not a single bite to eat.