Chapter 527: Chapter 527

"But really, I hope we get along," Jing Shu mused. "If we don’t get along on this journey... well, we can always part ways."

Just as she was thinking this, she heard someone boarding the vehicle. Jing Shu quickly put away her phone and sat back properly on the bed. Fat Chicken neatly arranged its shoes under the bed and snuggled quietly beside her. It had just surveyed its master’s territory for threats. Though small, the space would have to do—one couldn’t be too picky when traveling. There was no help for it; whatever its master didn’t fret about, it had to.

Jing Shu watched as the young man walking ahead took off his muddy shoe covers. He revealed white clothes tailor-made for him, a white cloak, and a warm mink wrap. He casually held a hot hand warmer and yawned lazily. His eyes lit up upon seeing Jing Shu, and he even waved at her. As beautiful as if he’d stepped right out of a painting...

Jing Shu waved back in greeting; the man seemed to recognize her.

Jing Shu whispered, "I bet five points that white outfit won’t stay white for more than a day."

"I’ll bet on two days," Yang Yang said.

"’Hong Bin, let’s get going. Jing Shu has arrived," said one of the men who followed them in.

Huh, this person seemed to know her too. Of course, they must have already known about her.

The minibus door slowly closed, and the vehicle started up. The bus was equipped with a top-of-the-line suspension system, just like Jing Shu’s RV, the German MAN. When it encountered obstacles, its wheels could climb over them while the vehicle’s body remained stable. Therefore, even driving through mud felt as smooth and comfortable as riding a high-speed train.

Once everyone was present, they held a brief meeting. Even Hao Yunlai was called over. Still groggy, Hao Yunlai greeted Jing Shu with a grin. His first words were, "My entire family sends their hellos, on my behalf."

Jing Shu shivered. Hao Yunlai’s entire family were ghosts! What kind of greeting was that? Still, thinking that his ghostly family might all be watching her, she could only smile and reply, "Please send them my regards as well."

"This is Jing Shu," Yang Yang formally introduced her to everyone.

Several people greeted Jing Shu and nodded knowingly, as if matching her to the information they had.

Yang Yang then introduced Jing Shu to the operation’s leader: "This is Jun Bao."

"Jun Bao, as in the ’Bao’ for treasure?" Isn’t he a bit old for a name like that? Isn’t he embarrassed?

"’My ’Jun’ is from a line about a lord’s literary skill, and ’Bao’ from a line about praise for interpreting poetry," the young man explained gently.

Jing Shu blinked, completely puzzled. As a poor student, she had once been scorned by a six-year-old Niu Yanben for not even being able to read characters. Now, this explanation was even more confusing than no explanation at all.

Jun Bao explained further, "’Bao’ as in a commendatory term."

Jing Shu had an epiphany. He should have started with such a simple explanation! Why make things so difficult?

Yang Yang then introduced Lu Liu, the operation’s planner. This implied that Lu Liu was responsible for all planning and operational matters. As for the leader, Jun Bao... it seemed he wasn’t responsible for much, just a figurehead who nodded in agreement.

Lu Liu pulled out the itinerary. "We’ll head directly to this location a hundred kilometers away. This is the last known position of the fleet, sent a few days ago. We’ll then start searching from there, using it as our center. Although it’s close, the road conditions are poor. If things go well, we expect to arrive by tomorrow. The plan is to find the fleet within two days. Of course, I’ve also listed over a dozen possible scenarios and plans. These are all detailed on the planning sheet for everyone to review."

She’s a capable manager, Jing Shu thought.

Lu Liu continued, "Let’s rest in the vehicle tonight. To accommodate more gasoline, the minibus’s restroom has been converted. If anyone needs to use the toilet, just tell Hong Bin to stop the vehicle. Don’t be embarrassed."

Jing Shu initially thought Jun Bao was interested in her, which put her on high alert. Did he have ulterior motives?

However, as Lu Liu elaborated on the plans, Jun Bao, still holding his hand warmer, squatted down to observe Fat Chicken with great interest. Only then did Jing Shu realize he was probably more interested in her chicken. Perhaps his earlier enthusiastic greeting wasn’t even for her.

The two pairs of eyes—one large, one small—stared at each other.

Fat Chicken, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, seemed to even have trouble laying an egg. It twisted its plump body, presenting its rear to Jun Bao. Jun Bao, however, remained highly interested in Fat Chicken. If he couldn’t see the front, he could study the back, right? he seemed to think.

Jing Shu coughed pointedly, but Jun Bao remained oblivious.

It wasn’t until Lu Liu wheeled out a portable electric soaking tub from the luggage compartment and plugged it in. Soon, steam began to rise from it, carrying a faint scent of medicinal herbs. Lu Liu urged Jun Bao, "You must be cold after that walk outside, right? Come and take a bath." Only then did Jun Bao relent, standing up with some reluctance.

What happened to the agreed standard of 1 liter of water per person per day? This must be hundreds of liters!

As if sensing Jing Shu and Yang Yang’s thoughts, Lu Liu explained with a smile, "This soaking tub and the water are ours. It’s a medicinal bath with an automatic filtration system, so it can be reused and isn’t wasteful."

Carrying a portable soaking tub around? Isn’t that a bit excessive? Is it really necessary?

The water in the soaking tub gurgled and swirled—it even had a massage function!

Soaking in a hot bath in the dead of winter, sipping coffee, and watching a show... Jing Shu felt this was the pinnacle of life in the apocalypse.

Jing Shu watched with envy as Lu Liu pulled a screen across, completely obscuring the view. She realized her understanding of luxury was still rather superficial. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝓷𝓮𝓽

It was like a peasant imagining the Emperor’s life consisted of eating many pancakes every day. But then again, she was just an ordinary person; why aspire to an Emperor’s lifestyle?

Unfortunately, her RV only had a shower, not a bathtub. That was a definite regret.

Lu Liu then placed the recharged hand warmer inside the Quilt in the ’space capsule’ bed, brought over a cup of goji berry and red date tea, and a plate of white pastries.

So Lu Liu was essentially a personal attendant.

But Jing Shu still couldn’t quite figure out what kind of person Jun Bao was. He seemed gentle and approachable, yet he would stare at her chicken for ages, oblivious to any hints. His temperament wasn’t cold like Zhen Nantian’s, nor affable like Jin Tianci’s, nor cunning like Jun Jia’s. He was truly hard to describe.

The atmosphere in the vehicle returned to tranquility. Hao Yunlai had already fallen asleep, snoring heavily. Jun Bao was comfortably soaking in his bath, likely to soon retreat to the ’space capsule’ to relax. Lu Liu meticulously tended to Jun Bao’s clothes, cleaning off a few specks of mud and ironing them until not a single wrinkle remained before hanging them up.

Jing Shu felt she was going to lose her bet... Oh well. It was getting late, time for dinner and then an early night. Things were relatively peaceful now, but who knew what new problems tomorrow might bring?

Jing Shu decided to eat something simple and retreated into her tent to eat quietly. After all, hadn’t she seen Jun Bao, a man of such luxury, only nibbling on pastries? If she had a big, meaty meal, wouldn’t that be a bit much?