Chapter 219: Chapter 219

Jing Shu suspected her previous search methods were flawed, which was why she hadn’t found more Blood Mushrooms.

This time, after observing and chatting with them for the past dozen or so days, Jing Shu had familiarized herself with half the salvage team. It couldn’t be helped; with her night vision, she saw these same people clearly every day. She even learned how long each person typically stayed underwater before resurfacing.

Previously, while searching for supplies, she could only passively wait for people to disappear. When those who resurfaced mentioned an approximate location of something they’d seen, it was often too late. By the time anyone went to investigate, the item was usually long gone, and any trace vanished before a search party could find it.

"Little sis, why are you here again?" Liu Xing said, holding his head with a somewhat helpless expression.

Jing Shu agilely climbed onto the Salvage Ship, which was piled high with all sorts of items, while workers began to sort the goods one by one. Thɪs chapter is updated by NovelHub(.)net

Just a week ago, for instance, the salvage team had specifically visited the residential buildings. They pried away every remaining bed, toilet, sofa, wardrobe, door, and window from each household. Essentially, anything that could be pried loose was taken.

It was truly a case of "plucking feathers from a passing goose." Then, they quickly began installing these items into the still-bare apartments, at least ensuring everyone had a bed and windows with glass to shield them from the wind.

Although most of the items were nearly ruined by water, they were still serviceable. The temperature at night was just above freezing, and combined with damp clothes and sleeping on the cold ground, a number of people had fallen ill.

Furthermore, each apartment had to be equipped with a toilet, especially since water wasn’t scarce now. Otherwise... it was best not to think about the alternative. The government had to address this major issue. If not, the hallways and surrounding areas would soon be littered with "golden patties."

"Brother Liu, how’s it going?" Jing Shu asked with a smile. "Can I have a look at the list? What’s the latest reward?"

Liu Xing had mixed feelings about Jing Shu—a blend of fondness and frustration. Nevertheless, he put on a smile and handed her a detailed record sheet.

She’s a veritable ’god of wealth,’ he thought, someone I can’t afford to offend. Take the past dozen days, for example. Initially, she lacked experience and a consistent method, often returning empty-handed. Later on, however, as long as the approximate location of a reward item was confirmed, this "god of wealth" could find it.

Her mission completion rate even reached a terrifying 100%, and many people with specific needs would request her services.

In these past few days alone, the "commission" Liu Xing earned from the rewards completed by this "god of wealth" amounted to hundreds of Virtual Coins, multiplying his business volume several times over. Consequently, no matter what she requested—even if it seemed excessive—Liu Xing would applaud enthusiastically and then scurry to offer his assistance if needed.

But this "god of wealth" had one major flaw: she was always trying to dive in and rescue people. Annoyingly, she’d "rescued" four or five individuals who weren’t quite dead yet. And he, Liu Xing, couldn’t just stand by and let them die. If he dared, the other Salvage Workers would probably shove him into a pair of pants and use him as a soccer ball.

Not only could he not show any reluctance to save them, but he also had to profusely thank this "living Lei Feng," this revered ancestor, which made his job incredibly difficult. Even the Doctor was exasperated...

This was because those who had previously obtained Blood Mushrooms had disclosed the circumstances. According to them, the rumored Blood Mushrooms were found in areas with large concentrations of leeches. However, several people had also disappeared in such places previously, and when search parties went down, they found nothing.

This suggested that Blood Mushrooms might indeed exist among groups of leeches, but it wasn’t guaranteed.

Moreover, the underwater environment was treacherous. Some people disappeared due to entangling seaweed, others got trapped in submerged structures, and many other unforeseen accidents occurred.

Liu Xing pleaded, "Seriously, stop rescuing people!"

Jing Shu retorted, "No. You wish."

So, Liu Xing changed his strategy. He started assigning people to work alone and cover wider areas. This way, this "ancestor" of his wouldn’t constantly focus on one spot. The trick proved surprisingly effective. She couldn’t keep track of who was where or who had disappeared. After all, among so many people, how many could she possibly remember?

But Liu Xing had a bad feeling about today.

Jing Shu scanned today’s allocation list. It detailed which group was responsible for which area, what items specific Salvage Workers had retrieved, and what tasks were up for reward. For example, one offered 100 Virtual Coins to help move a suite of furniture, while another offered several hundred Virtual Coins for locating all supplies in a particular basement.

Jing Shu generally ignored tasks offering only a few hundred Virtual Coins. She only considered those offering a thousand or more. After all, she didn’t have much time to dedicate solely to completing reward bounties. She usually tackled them incidentally while searching for materials she needed.

Uncle Wang is in charge of the seven o’clock direction today, huh? How long has Xiao Liz been down? Why isn’t he back yet? Oh, right, Honghong is at the twelve o’clock direction. That area is quite dangerous, isn’t it?

"Ah, Ah Bao, you’ve surfaced!" Jing Shu greeted the Salvage Workers warmly. "How was today’s haul? You were in a group with Wang Mazi and Gousheng, right? How long ago did they dive in?"

The Salvage Workers respected and adored Jing Shu. They knew that someone piloting a Shark Submarine would come by every day and often dived to rescue them.

Jing Shu usually didn’t talk much. Only when the Salvage Workers mentioned someone missing would she rush into the water. She had changed significantly lately, but they still responded to her greetings with enthusiasm.

The Salvage Workers were actually quite shocked. Jing Shu seemed even more capable than their supervisor at matching their names to their faces. Their supervisor, on the other hand, always had to do a roll call. To him, everyone was just a "Bald" head, all looking identical and indistinguishable.

Liu Xing’s mouth twitched, not understanding what Jing Shu was up to, when suddenly Jing Shu exclaimed in alarm, "What? Wang Mazi has been down for two minutes already? Fine, just give me his direction, and I’ll go look for him."

Before Liu Xing could react, WHOOSH! Jing Shu had already leaped onto her Shark Submarine, revved the engine to maximum, and sped off, disappearing in an instant.

Liu Xing shook his head. "Truly burning fuel like there’s no tomorrow."

Soon, Jing Shu resurfaced. "Wang Mazi is fine; he’s coming up now," she reported, then asked, "What? Er Gouzi has also been down on the other side for two minutes and hasn’t surfaced?"

In a flash, the Shark Submarine shot out again.

Indeed, Jing Shu, intent on executing her plan more effectively today, was operating under the principle of "better safe than sorry." As long as someone hadn’t surfaced promptly, SWISH! She would dive down to find them, determined not to let anyone slip by.

This district was the commercial area. The government buildings and residential blocks had already been mostly salvaged. Now it was time for the busiest commercial sector. Before the apocalypse, items like clothing had definitely been moved out, but some large, immovable equipment still lay in the warehouses, and many merchants still had their goods hidden there.

If Jing Shu were to search this area by herself, it would take days and nights without end. But with hundreds, even thousands, of Salvage Workers searching, the area could essentially be covered in a day or two. So, if she were indeed to find Blood Mushrooms, it would still depend on the power of the community.