Chapter 380: Chapter 380

Jing Shu was most concerned about how much armed force the Underground black market was going to take away this time. To the Nobles, people like them—Chinese or even independent mercenaries—were as worthless as dogs selling their lives. Engaging in a fight-to-the-death contest was naturally the most cost-effective way to expend mercenaries, sparing their own armed forces.

When a team of independent mercenaries died, George didn’t even blink. But when two teams of his confidants died, George broke out in a cold sweat and even recovered all their equipment and weapons afterward.

Jing Shu and her group were also given a reward of 150,000 Black Market Coins, but what was the difference between this and an empty promise?

"This time was a bit rushed, limited only to the Nobles and their private bodyguards. Once we’re settled, we will welcome the others. After all, a regular citizen of Austin needs a ticket of 500 pounds of rice," George fibbed and promptly left.

Although he phrased it diplomatically, his meaning was clear: abandon everyone. This escape would involve only abundant resources and the Nobles’ private armed forces to seek refuge in Austin.

How much material did the Underground black market have? This was food stockpiled by a large group of grain merchants before the apocalypse. An annual production of 500 million tons from five million farmers—equivalent to the yearly yield of 700 million farmers in Huaxia. Container after container represented a ton of these supplies, which piled up across the entire dock.

As for the monopolistic tycoon’s supplies, they were even more plentiful. In the darkness, Jing Shu watched as hordes of slaves were crammed into the cargo holds, their status seemingly lower than that of the chickens, ducks, pigs, and cattle in their own storage compartments.

The cargo ships sank lower with the load, and they only stopped adding more when the water nearly reached deck level.

Boxes of salt, sugar, and even metal ores were loaded onto the massive cargo ships. One such ship was said to carry a hundred thousand tons of goods. Besides these, there were several tankers of oil. Ten-thousand-ton freighters, normally a rare sight, were common here. They were continuously being loaded, with various materials transported to them non-stop, making Jing Shu green with envy.

In total, over fifty large cargo ships and three cruise liners, carrying ninety percent of Sacramento’s resources, made their escape.

Jing Shu heard that one of them was a tycoon’s private luxury cruise liner. Limited-edition luxury cars were being loaded aboard, along with helicopters and all sorts of pre-apocalypse luxuries she dared not dream of. This wasn’t just a tycoon moving house; it was practically emptying a city!

Nevertheless, it was the first time in both her past and present lives that Jing Shu had boarded a five-star cruise liner. This vessel was designated for the Underground black market’s Nobles, their relatives, and bodyguards.

They were placed in a standard cabin on the first deck. The cruise liner had five decks: the fourth housed the dining area, and the fifth held a private amusement park. The second and third decks accommodated the Nobles.

There were over five hundred cabins on the cruise liner. Each had two small beds, an independent bathroom with a shower, and a private balcony, equipped similarly to a five-star hotel. Unfortunately, the standard cabins lacked electricity and running water; for flushing toilets or drinking, one would have to fetch water directly from the river.

It was worth mentioning that Jing Shu’s luggage alone filled the entire balcony and half the cabin. She regretted not having shipped the dried meat she had prepared back to Huaxia two days earlier; half of it was meat she had cooked during the competition.

However, Jing Shu hadn’t expected that her vast amount of food would be what saved the entire team, helping them survive for dozens of days without provisions.

While the Underground black market and city tycoons, along with their subordinates, were busy escaping and loading goods for departure, Jing Shu and her group discussed the feasibility of Yang Yang’s current plan.

The two teams hadn’t spoken since their initial meeting. After all, to maintain the charade for the entire plan, Jing Shu’s side simply had to passively follow Yang Yang’s orders. Chapters fırst released on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹~𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮~𝚗𝚎𝚝

Tan Ke held an encrypted phone and pointed at the message Yang Yang had sent:

"Tonight, your task is to control cargo ship number 24. Ensure it follows the normal route, passing through the Sacramento Canal by Glenn, and continuing on from Kolusa. You must delay it for more than six hours. Good luck. And remember, tonight your primary concern should be how to survive and escape their pursuit. We will regroup in Kolusa afterward."

Tan Ke scratched his head and questioned, "If the Underground black market’s plan already includes this route, then isn’t his instruction superfluous?"

Snake Spirit pointed at the map and said, "Old Yang’s team is responsible for leading the way. They will divert the foremost supply ships from Kolusa, turning them onto the Williams route, straight to the Grand Canal, and ship everything back to Huaxia. Our team will continue forward from Kolusa to provide cover as they secretly transport the goods."

So, my initial idea of just using a few people to raid the Americans’ materials and then pack them box by box onto the dock was utterly naïve! Jing Shu thought. An individual’s power is always limited. People like me are too easily satisfied; as long as my own space is full of resources, I’m content. However, after coming to the United States, I’ve realized that human desires can never be fully satisfied.

Looking at Yang Yang’s plan, it’s a massive undertaking—they’re aiming to snatch the resources of an entire city! I can already sense the tycoons’ rage when they find out, and what kind of storm we’ll have to face. Oh, and it won’t just be me; there will be hundreds of Nobles and their retainers in a life-or-death pursuit.

Jing Shu silently glanced at the War Armor beside her and felt much more at ease. The plan hasn’t even started, and I’m already thinking about how to escape.

After discussing the implementation plan in detail, everyone returned to their cabins to rest for four hours. Tonight was destined to be a sleepless one.

Only Jing Shu secretly slipped out of her cabin. Tonight is my last night on this luxurious cruise liner. Since arriving in the United States, I haven’t had the time or a suitable place to quietly stock up my personal space. Crucially, there hasn’t been an opportunity for me to use it.

But this cruise liner is a perfect opportunity. Today, I specifically observed that the Nobles’ valuable private belongings have all been brought aboard, including many ingredients and live creatures. My targets are these precious items.

I don’t lack rice or basic food supplies. What I need are precious ingredients that can be cultivated, live Domestic Poultry, or other living creatures. Besides, I’ve lived this long and have never tasted the various rare delicacies available in the United States. Even if there aren’t any precious ingredients, I can still search for treasures and see what else this cruise liner has. At the very least, there should be some firearms, right? Stealing a batch could fetch a high price back in Huaxia.

Jing Shu bypassed the first three decks and went straight to the fourth deck’s dining hall. The entire cruise liner was chaotic, with Nobles and servants still organizing their belongings. The dining hall on the fourth deck was also busy preparing food.