Meng Qingyin wasn't very knowledgeable about this aspect; she had only skimmed a few novels last night, so she had a basic understanding of a few things in her mind.
“I need an outdoor backpack, insect repellent spray, a lighter, a multi-functional entrenching tool…” She faltered, suddenly unable to recall what other tools there were.
The boss saw her hesitation and asked, “Are you buying these things for an outdoor trip, or for emergency use at home?”
Meng Qingyin seized the opportunity and said, “I’m planning an outdoor experience. Do you have any recommendations?”
The boss asked again, “What’s your budget?”
Meng Qingyin had worked for two years. Although her salary wasn't high, she didn't spend much money alone, so she had saved nearly thirty thousand yuan.
However, she couldn't spend all this money at once. What if the conversation in the Highway Survival Management Group was just a prank, and she spent all her money here, leaving her without financial security later.
After thinking for a moment, she tentatively said, “Boss, I’m still a student, and I don’t have much money. I’ve only saved four or five thousand yuan in living expenses. Could you help me with a recommendation?”
“Alright!” The boss readily agreed.
With the boss’s recommendations, Meng Qingyin bought a large pile of items, spending exactly five thousand yuan.
A camouflage bag, a windbreaker with a liner, high-top boots, tactical gloves, a helmet, a gas mask, a multi-functional entrenching tool, a dagger, insect repellent spray, a stun baton, a lighter, a compass, a solar flashlight, a high-frequency whistle, an extra-large capacity power bank, rope, a tent, a medical kit, compressed biscuits, canned meat and fruit in iron cans, mineral water, white sugar, and salt.
The boss also thoughtfully explained how to use some of the tools to her.
Meng Qingyin paid cheerfully, then took a taxi home with her numerous bags.
By the time she got home, it was already past one in the afternoon, and Meng Qingyin was starving.
Not wanting to cook, she ordered takeout, and while waiting for it, she opened a wilderness survival video to watch.
The takeout arrived quickly. Meng Qingyin splurged today and ordered a family bucket.
She continued watching the video while she ate.
The entire afternoon passed by watching videos.
As the time approached eight o'clock, Meng Qingyin was still watching survival videos, but her mind was no longer on them.
To save space in her camouflage bag, she had already changed into her clothes and shoes, and put on her helmet, mask, and gloves. She clutched the camouflage bag tightly in her hand, her expression solemn.
She looked exactly like a special forces soldier about to enter a desperate battlefield.
Meng Qingyin was scared to death. She could no longer hear the sound from the video, and her eyes occasionally glanced at the time, which had reached seven fifty-nine.
She looked at the Highway Survival Management Group again. There were no new messages, as if everything that had happened before was just her imagination.
Meng Qingyin pursed her lips, staring at the countdown on the clock.
Ten, nine… six, five… three, two, one, zero!
The moment she counted to zero in her heart, she felt a dizzying sensation of the world spinning in her mind.
Before losing consciousness, she tightly clutched the camouflage bag in her hand.
…
Meng Qingyin was awakened by a cold voice that resonated directly in her mind.
“Successfully linked Earth resident, successfully loaded game!”
“Welcome to the Highway Survival Game. I am Survival System 007. Now, I will introduce the rules of this survival game.”
“One: Life is singular; death is the end!”
“Two: Players deployed in this game are aged 16-60. All players will participate in the game in the same healthy physical condition. Residents outside this age range will be properly handled.”
“Three: Each player receives an initial vehicle and a wristband. The vehicle is bound to the player. If the player dies, the vehicle becomes unowned. Vehicles can be upgraded!”
“Four: Resource treasure chests will randomly drop along both sides of the highway. Collecting more resource treasure chests means having more chips to survive!”
“Five: Night is extremely dangerous. Do not leave the vicinity of your vehicle by more than three meters, or you will be responsible for the consequences!”
“Six: There is a required daily mileage. Players who fail to meet the target will be eliminated!”
“Seven: On the highway, you can only move forward, not backward!”
“Eight: The next three days are a novice protection period, during which the danger level is significantly reduced. Please make good use of it!”
“Wishing you a pleasant journey!”
The moment the voice ended, Meng Qingyin fully regained consciousness.
The Highway Survival Game had truly begun!
She immediately looked down to check if the items in her hand were still there.
When she saw the bulging camouflage bag, her heart settled slightly.
Her gaze shifted, and she saw a pink twist car parked in front of her. It had a cheap plastic body, a steering wheel that could be held with one hand, four glowing wheels…
And the familiar music, “What’s Dad’s Dad called?”
Meng Qingyin’s expression completely crumbled.
This children’s twist car was her vehicle?!
Making her survive with such a prop, how was this any different from asking her to develop a manned spacecraft?
Although she found it absurd, Meng Qingyin still cautiously sat on it. She didn’t even dare to lift her legs onto the footrests, fearing she would collapse the fragile twist car.
Fortunately, this twist car, despite looking cheap, could at least support her, but whether it would eventually collapse was a question mark in Meng Qingyin’s mind.
She put on her camouflage bag and noticed a black wristband on her left wrist. The screen was lit, with various messages scrolling across it one by one.
The wristband display wasn’t large, and the light was strong, so Meng Qingyin had to lean in to examine it carefully.
Only then did she realize they were messages from other players.
Player 036934: “??? Where did this thing bring me?”
Player 057190: “Highway Survival? Which jerk is playing tricks? Whoever it is, let me go back now, immediately, right now!”
Who’s in Beijing: “Based on my years of experience reading survival novels, we’ve been thrown into a survival game! The most important thing now is to immediately find supplies!”
Wang Pingping: “Mom and Dad, I’m Pingping, contact me if you see this!”
Cool Autumn: “Paralyzed for years, I woke up and my legs are fine! I love this game!”
Player 039076: “My vehicle is a bicycle. What are your vehicles?”
Monkey on a Tree: “Damn, I was taking a dump, and I came in with a roll of toilet paper!”
Xiao Kalamu: “I was eating, and I came with a pair of chopsticks. Couldn’t you at least let me finish that Kung Pao Chicken!”
I'm Really Grateful: “I was playing poker with my friends, and I came with a hand of poker! I’m really grateful!”
Wu Aiguo: “Tomorrow is my sixtieth birthday, and I’m about to retire. Why did they bring me here? I’m an old man, isn’t this sending me to my death?”
“…”
The chat channel was chaotic. After watching for a while, Meng Qingyin felt her eyes hurt.
Looking at electronic products under strong light was too unfriendly to the eyes.
She squinted and looked for a long time before finally finding a “projection” option and clicking on it.
The wristband screen immediately blurred and magnified. Dragging the edge allowed her to adjust the size.
Adjusting the blurred screen to tablet size, Meng Qingyin finally felt better.
She glanced at the chat channel and saw the current number of chat participants: 100000 / 100000.
Her current district was the 30th District.
Besides 【Chat】, there were also 【Trade】 and 【Friends】, but the list was empty, as Meng Qingyin hadn't added any friends yet.
In addition, there were two other modules: 【Personal Information】 and 【Vehicle】.