Chapter 271: A Hard Journey? Not at All
Hearing Su Tao’s voice, Qian Lin and the others were stunned.
Her tone hadn’t changed much, yet it sounded like heavenly music—who wouldn’t be enchanted by it?
Cen Tianjiao and the others were indeed dazed but quickly snapped back to reality when Shi Zijin shot them a sharp glare, immediately putting on a composed and indifferent demeanor.
Mu An’an, however, was the most excited, looking at Su Tao with anticipation.
“Can you still hold on?” Su Tao asked her.
Mu An’an nodded. “I can suppress her for now, but only for about two hours. I haven’t slept in days, and I feel mentally exhausted. Once I fall asleep, she’ll take over.”
Su Tao had Jiang Yu loosen her restraints for the time being and then called everyone over for a meal.
Lin Fangzhi immediately pulled out a large white table from his storage space, laying out an assortment of instant noodles, bento boxes, steaming cold drinks, and several pre-cooked frozen dishes prepared by Chef Qin, which only needed to be reheated in the RV’s microwave.
As if that weren’t enough, he even brought out three baskets of white strawberries for dessert.
Raising his voice slightly, Lin Fangzhi announced, “Take whatever you want, just don’t waste anything.”
Qian Lin and her group were already accustomed to this level of treatment, so they weren’t surprised.
But Cen Tianjiao and his team, who had followed Shi Zijin, were once again amazed. As expected, traveling with Boss Su meant never suffering.
Mu An’an, the least prepared for such luxury, was completely dumbfounded at the sight of so much freely available food and drink, her eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.
Even Xu Qi, Nie Sibai, and the others were momentarily stunned.
Was all of this really for them?
Back when they traveled with Tan Yong, food and water were strictly rationed. They never got to choose what they ate, let alone have unlimited portions.
Su Tao wasn’t done yet. Unable to tolerate the sweltering heat, she even set up a standing air conditioner, plugging it into the RV’s power supply, sending cool air flowing over everyone.
To top it off, she put up a giant sun umbrella.
With that setup, even the harshest sun had to give in.
Mu An’an, feeling the cool breeze, was reminded of her childhood days on the run. It all felt like a dream.
Su Tao patted her shoulder. “Don’t zone out. Eat up. You’ll need the energy to deal with her.”
Mu An’an took a deep breath and whispered, “Boss Su, thank you.”
Su Tao smiled. “Go on.”
Eighteen people lined up like they were at a buffet, picking their meals before settling into foldable chairs from Lin Fangzhi’s storage space. They enjoyed their food in the cool breeze, drinking ice-cold refreshments—it was pure bliss.
Meanwhile, Black Sesame, the little scout, patrolled within a one-kilometer radius.
With it on guard, no one worried about unexpected attacks or food thieves. Safety was assured.
After everyone had eaten their fill, they helped clean up.
*
Meanwhile, Five Kilometers Away
On another road heading toward Xindu, Wei Xiang’s group was struggling under the scorching sun, chewing on dry, hard bread.
Boss Deng Chengye from the Luonan Base was sitting in his car with his wife and children, enjoying air-conditioned comfort and dried meat.
Wei Xiang swallowed his food with difficulty, feeling it stick in his throat. He pulled out his water bottle and took small sips, careful not to drink too much.
Their boss only issued one bottle of water per person for three days—any more, and they wouldn’t last in this heat.
Still, Wei Xiang had no complaints.
Water and food were rare resources now. Getting one bottle every three days already made their boss seem generous.
If they had been traveling with Tan Yong before, they probably would’ve had to scavenge for supplies themselves.
Tang Le, another old companion from the Old Station, wiped the sweat from his forehead. “It’s almost October, but it’s still this hot. Traveling in this weather is brutal.”
Wei Xiang shot him a glance. “What, regretting coming along?”
Tang Le hesitated to answer, but deep down, he did feel a bit of regret.
The first day had been tolerable, but after three days, he was starting to break down.
The endless barren landscape offered no shade, and the relentless sun was scorching his skin. The thought of enduring this for another three to four days made him feel like he was drying up. His skin even started to sting.
Wei Xiang scoffed. “What, you wanted to stay at the Old Station and follow that Su woman? If you did, you’d probably regret it even more. Last time I called Nie Sibai, that coward was hesitant to talk, meaning he’s not doing well under Su Tao.”
Tang Le thought about it and agreed. Staying at the Old Station probably wouldn’t have been any better.
At least with Luonan’s boss, they got paid and had food and water—even if it wasn’t much, it was still something.
And by the end of this trip, they would earn a decent amount. Effort equals reward.
As for Nie Sibai? He was probably starving by now.
And that guy Xu Qi—he must regret not coming with them.
Su Tao was ruthless. She wouldn’t tolerate them for long. Before long, they’d probably be reaching out to Wei Xiang, begging for help.
With that thought, the others stopped complaining and focused on their task, ensuring the bosses arrived safely.
*
Back at Su Tao’s Group
Everyone packed up, and Lin Fangzhi handed out small supply bags to each person, filled with extra food and water for the road.
The weight of the bags brought warmth and reassurance to everyone’s hearts.
With plenty of supplies—enough for two full meals each way—Su Tao didn’t hold back, encouraging everyone to eat and drink freely.
Before setting off, she brought Mu An’an into her RV.
“Feeling sleepy? Get some rest. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Now full, Mu An’an’s eyelids were growing heavy. She gave Su Tao a grateful smile before tying up her own hands.
Jiang Yu helped secure her feet as well—just in case that crazy woman took over and started thrashing around.
Shi Zijin called Cen Tianjiao over to temporarily take over driving, while he stood next to Su Tao, ready to eliminate any potential threats.
Even Xuedao, as if sensing the situation, stayed on alert, ears perked up instead of sleeping.
Mu An’an was utterly exhausted. With so many pairs of eyes watching her, she ended up falling asleep on the couch in less than two minutes.
The moment she drifted off, however, her body suddenly shot upright.
Qu Jingwen’s gaze landed on Su Tao, her expression tinged with panic.
“What are you all trying to do?! This body is mine—she’s just a parasite!”
She was fully aware of the deal between Mu An’an and Su Tao!
But back then, Mu An’an had been suppressing her, leaving her powerless to take back control of the body. She could only watch helplessly as Mu An’an succeeded.
Su Tao looked at her calmly.
“A life for a life. You were the one who killed her. Giving her back a body is only fair.”
Qu Jingwen’s eyes widened.
“I only wanted to teach her a lesson back then! She brought it on herself—she was the one who tried to escape—”
Su Tao ignored her. She parted her lips and began to sing a soft, melodious tune—one that only she could hear.
