Chapter 743: A Beast of a Deal

Yue Haiying explained, “This vehicle took a serious hit. Not just the body shell—the undercarriage and the main frame got twisted too. After getting hauled back and fixed up, its safety and performance didn’t meet military standards, so it was retired. But inside the Safe Zone and in our territory, there’s nothing wrong with using it.”

“So basically, this car can’t leave human settlements? Then is it even really an off-road vehicle?”

Tang Huai chimed in with a jab, “Brother Yue, a car with a warped frame? That’s not a used car, that’s a salvage job. Structural damage messes up the mechanics. That’s why it’s so much cheaper than normal second-hand rides. Xia Qing, you’re paying thirty thousand for this heap? Wouldn’t it be better to cough up another thirty or fifty grand and get yourself a decent civilian pickup?”

Zhu Li didn’t really know much about vehicles, but what Tang Huai said made sense. She wanted to speak up on the walkie-talkie and add her two cents, only for Kuang Qingwei to hold her back. “Brother Yue’s not clueless, and Xia Qing’s no fool either. If we don’t know the whole story, let’s not interfere and just confuse things more.”

Yue Haiying kept at it. “Even after repairs, this ride’s still better than your average used civilian pickup.”

“Military off-roaders have fallen so far they get compared to used pickups now? What’s the point anymore?” Tang Huai was just about to hit the button and call Xia Qing out. Don’t get blinded just because it’s labelled ‘military.’

Thankfully, Tang Heng stopped his brother. “Let’s just hear him out, bro.”

Worried that Xia Qing would end up wasting her hard-earned cash, Huo Lei joined in. “Brother Yue, mind if I ask the specifics about the vehicle?”

Yue Haiying answered, “Go ahead.”

Huo Lei didn’t hold back—his questions were sharp and precise. “If I recall, back in year nine of the Catastrophe, our base bought both pure gasoline and hybrid military off-roaders. Which type is this? Is the frame damage on the crossbeam or the main rail? Who handled the repairs, and did they use hammering, cutting and welding, or heat to fix the frame? Is the engine original or was the core swapped out?”

“Yeah, exactly! Huo is the real deal.” Tang Huai, who was having lunch with his brother over in Territory Twelve, couldn’t agree more.

Zhao Ze also piped up to warn Xia Qing, “If the frame got bent, the engine must’ve had parts swapped too. Even if Huo can fix it, finding the right spares in our territory might be tricky.”

Yue Haiying replied calmly, “All I know is that it’s a gas-powered car. Didn’t get specifics yet. The seller’s an old friend of mine and he swore it’s perfect for civilian use. I remembered Xia Qing was looking for a ride, so I figured I’d ask.”

Lord Wen Nengjie, from Territory Seventeen, joined the channel. “Brother Yue means well, and I trust his judgment. His friend’s probably solid too. Our roads here aren’t rough, so if you can get a usable car for thirty grand, no need to spend eighty or ninety. But it’s still a big purchase, so everything Huo mentioned should be checked, Sister Qing. How about this: Invite Huo over for the inspection. If it’s good, buy it. If not, maybe Yue’s friend has another option. What do you all think?”

Over in Territory Six, Kuang Qingwei started to feel the pressure. Wen Nengjie was just too smooth with words. If he ever joined the Alliance, Kuang would have serious competition for jobs.

Summer Qing, who’d stayed out of the debate, finally hit her walkie-talkie button. “Brother Yue, let’s go with Jie’s plan. Is that alright with you?”

Yue Haiying gave a composed answer. “Of course. My friend’s wanted to swing by my place anyway. I’ll call him and have him bring the car this afternoon, go over everything in detail. Huo, could I trouble you to help check it over too?”

Tang Huai jumped right in. “Brother Yue, mind if I come along to have a look as well?”

“Of course.” Before anyone else could say anything, Yue Haiying logged off to make a call.

But he didn’t call his friend. He called Xia Qing. “Xia Qing, the car I’ve lined up is one of the ‘Beast Fourth Generation’ models our base picked up during Catastrophe Year Nine. You remember those?”

Xia Qing’s eyes flew open. “I do! Luo’s car is one. You drove that thing for missions before you left the service.”

She’d not only seen it, she’d ridden in one—most recently at the start of this year. For that mission, she used the identity of Yan Ning to help take out the Sufeng Squad’s elite. When she rode back to the Safe Zone from the old headquarters, she’d been crammed into just such a beast.

Yue Haiying clarified, “This one looks fine on the outside. Only reason it was retired: the engine was completely shot. My buddy got hold of all-new matching parts and fixed it up. The performance is rock solid, even if the price is a bit high and doesn’t quite match your wish list. But it’s a rare find, so I had him drive it over for you to see first.”

What Xia Qing actually wanted was a tough, durable military sedan—something beat up and nondescript that’d let her blend in for errands within the Safe Zone. Instead, Yue Haiying got her a high-mobility, multi-purpose wheeled vehicle—the kind nicknamed Iron Horse of Steel and Roaring Beast.

The only thing this car had in common with her original plan: it had four wheels too.

It was like trying to buy a homemade shotgun for self-defense and instead, the seller plopped down a brand new CM82 heavy sniper and asked if you wanted that.

Does this vehicle stand out? Absolutely.

Does Xia Qing want it? Only a fool wouldn’t.

With this machine, if another disaster hit and she had to abandon her territory and run for her life, Xia Qing just bought herself—and Old Goat—two extra lives.

One for her. One for Old Goat. When the time came, she could load up this ride with supplies and food, take Old Goat and escape to safety, start anew, build a house and rebuild from scratch.

Trying to steady her excitement, Xia Qing asked calmly, “Brother Yue, how much for the car?”

Yue Haiying replied, “Three hundred sixty thousand. If you like it this afternoon but don’t have enough credits right away, you can use mine or pay in installments.”

“That works out perfectly. Thanks for going through all this trouble, Brother Yue. I’ll bring my card with three hundred fifty-two thousand credits over this afternoon.” That’s what Xia Qing had left after swapping a Devastation Element Antidote with Zhang Hongda.

After running to the Safe Zone four times and calling in a mountain of favors, Yue Haiying smiled. “Great. Let Huo know—he knows his stuff. Just make sure nothing slips through the cracks.”

What about Tang Huai? No need to warn him. Letting him tag along was the best way to prove Xia Qing didn’t make a rash decision to buy a junker for thirty grand.

At three in the afternoon, one of Yue Haiying’s old squadmates drove the car all the way to Section One of the North.

Aside from the Alliance friends, Xia Qing’s ‘boyfriend’ Hu Zifeng, the ever-generous Wen Nengjie, and several territory lords that liked to gossip in Tang Huai’s group chat all showed up to watch.

At first glance, when a rugged vehicle rolled through the East Gate, most folks just gave it a look before glancing away. But the minute they saw Yue Haiying hopping aboard, every lord nearby froze and stared.

No way… right?!

“Holy—!” Tang Huai blurted out a string of curses. “Damn! Is that a real Beast Fourth Gen?! Yue Haiying actually bagged himself a damn Beast Fourth Gen! That’s not one of those Safe Zone patrol trucks!”

Huo Lei’s eyes were just as wide. He leaned in to quietly warn Xia Qing, “Never mind the rest—even with patched-up armor, the all-steel shell alone is worth three or four thousand credits. If they’re selling it this cheap, something big must’ve gone wrong. Let’s grill them about it.”

For once, Tang Huai disagreed. “Huo—Even if something’s seriously wrong and it breaks in a week, you could part it out and still come close to breaking even.”

Huo Lei said nothing.

Hu Zifeng kept his voice low as he asked Xia Qing, “What do you think?”

Xia Qing nodded, eyes shining. “I love it. Tang Huai’s right—if it breaks down, I’ll just strip it for parts and make myself a mountain of farm tools.”

Everyone else just stared.

Are you buying a car… or just shopping for scrap metal?

Without missing a beat, Zhu Li jumped in to back her up. “Sister Qing’s right—this ride’s a bargain at thirty grand.”

Shi Du nodded in agreement. “I used to dream of unearthing some high-tier Evolved Plants so I could trade them in for a car like this—back when I had to haul hundreds of pounds of gear on missions, step by step.”

Both of them knew that struggle: as support staff and Strength Evolvers, Xia Qing and Shi Du had both fought exhaustion to lug heavy cargo back to the Safe Zone, swallowing dust as armored trucks roared past, wishing they could roll home in one themselves.

But when Yue Haiying’s squadmate, Duan Wanbo, parked the vehicle at the Northern Gate of Territory Fifteen and brought out his phone to show everyone photos of the damage and the repairs they’d done—even the usually outspoken Tang Huai was dead silent.