Chapter 242: Hubin Lake
Chapter 242: Hubin Lake
Yao Ran nodded at the building manager as an answer. Seeing this, his eyes lit up.
He licked his lips, coughed to clear his dried throat, and asked again, "Miss, could I go with you? I'm out of water, and my family urgently needs it."
Since she didn't know him well, Yao Ran didn't dare to bring him along. Although the building manager looked harmless and weak, she wouldn't let her guard down or underestimate him.
"I won't bring you with me." Yao Ran said as she calmly looked at him.
The building manager's eyes dimmed at her response, and he stood there for a moment before bowing slightly.
"I'm sorry to bother you." He turned and walked away, visibly disappointed.
Yao Ran thoughtfully watched him walk away for a moment and then called out, "I won't bring you with me, but I can sell you some water."
Hearing this, the building manager paused on his track, then turned around to look at her. His eyes were wide with disbelief as he asked, "Really? You will sell water to me?"
Yao Ran nodded and replied, "Yes. You can exchange other supplies for water."
The building manager looked thin and dirty, and Yao Ran guessed he might be short on food or water.
While she studied him, the building manager asked, "Do you accept gasoline?"
"Yes." Yao Ran replied, and he asked, "How much water can I get for one liter of gasoline?" "One liter of gasoline for one liter of water." She answered calmly.
When the building manager heard her answer, he was overjoyed since he hadn't expected such a fair rate.
He had been collecting gasoline from cars and gas stations recently, though he had no vehicle himself. Now, he could trade it for water. Perhaps, if given the opportunity in the future, he could even trade gasoline for food or clothing.
With that in mind, the building manager eagerly said, "I will go back and get the gasoline right now. Please wait for me, Miss."
Yao Ran nodded, and he hurried back home. Watching this scene from afar, other survivors approached Yao Ran as well.
Knowing what they want, she announced, "One liter of gasoline for one liter of water. I will wait for ten minutes."
Some survivors were excited and rushed off, while others were disappointed. Without gasoline, they couldn't exchange water with Yao Ran.
When the building manager returned with ten liters of gasoline, Yao Ran took out a notebook and pen from her backpack, registered his name, and had him sign beside his name.
"When I come back later, I will give you ten liters of water." Yao Ran told him.
"Thank you, Miss." He replied gratefully.
Seeing that she was serious about exchanging water with gasoline, others who had gasoline at home hurriedly went to get it while some asked, "Miss, can we trade other supplies for water?"
Yao Ran calmly replied, "I will accept other supplies, but I need to see them first. I will only take items I need, and we can negotiate the exchange rate directly."
Hearing this, the remaining survivors' eyes lit up, and they hurried back home to gather items to exchange.
When Long Yu and the others returned with more empty barrels and buckets, they found Yao Ran was busy registering names and negotiating with the survivors.
Long Yu walked up to her and asked, "Ran Ran, what are you doing?"
"They want to exchange water with supplies, so I'm registering their names and taking the supplies now. After we return, I will give them the water." Yao Ran explained while adding another name to her list.
It took her about fifteen minutes to finish the registrations and finalize exchange rates with the survivors.
After putting away her notebook, Yao Ran told them, "I will be back in two days at most. When I come back, remember to bring your own container to get the water."
As she finished talking, she and Long Yu got into the truck.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Shi Xuan, standing nearby, said, "Be careful on the road."
Long Yu nodded, waiting until Yao Ran fastened her seatbelt before driving away.
After they left, Shi Xuan and the others returned to the 20th floor to prepare for their own departure while the survivors watched the truck drive away with eyes filled with hope.
As they left the Ling Yuan apartment complex, Yao Ran noticed many vehicles on the road, some parked on the roadside. The tops and backs of the vehicles were piled with supplies, and most were packed with people whose faces were covered by sweat and dirt.
The road conditions were poor, and numerous abandoned vehicles blocked the way. Long Yu frequently had to stop and wait for those in front to clear obstacles before he could continue driving.
Once they leave the suburbs of Juncheng City, fewer vehicles and people can be seen on the
road.
Those who could drive shared a common destination: the Juncheng military base. Those without a car or gasoline were forced to travel on foot.
Yao Ran watched the survivors walk wearily along the road as Long Yu sped up.
To conserve fuel, they kept the windows open instead of using the air conditioner. However,
the dust was overwhelming, so Yao Ran quickly closed the windows.
She coughed a few times, looked at Long Yu, and asked, "Can you close the door?"
Long Yu nodded and closed the windows on his side. The temperature inside the truck increased after he did so.
Yao Ran didn't waste time and quickly took a small, solar-powered fan from her space and set it up on the dashboard. She then placed a bowl of ice in front of the fan to cool the air circulating inside the truck. With the temperature gradually decreasing, Yao Ran sighed in relief.
Since she wasn't driving, Yao Ran closed her eyes and sent her consciousness into her space, where she spent the time harvesting, replanting seeds, feeding animals, and producing more ice.
After three hours on the road, they finally exited Juncheng City and drove onto the highway.