The sun had just risen from the east, and it was already close to six in the morning.
Su Chen closed the World Chat Group, feeling a bit exhausted, and decided to nap for a while.
Last night's events had truly worn him out. The issue with the RV, in particular, had been giving him a headache.
The RV wasn't very big. To put it nicely, it was an RV, but in reality, it was just a converted van.
It was surprisingly fragile. Last night, it had been breached effortlessly by a giant spider. Su Chen had initially thought it could hold up for a few more nights, but apparently, he had overestimated it.
Even Er Bao, who had stubbornly refused to sleep with Su Chen, had eventually crawled into his bed.
"Still sleeping? You've been sleeping for so long!"
Maybe the fright from last night had really gotten to the dog—it could have been the most terrifying experience of its life. Now it lay sprawled on the bed, all four legs stretched out.
"Er Bao, wake up! The sun's already up!"
No matter how much Su Chen called, the dog remained unresponsive. He sighed in exasperation.
"Looks like I'll have to use force."
With that, Su Chen yanked the blanket off and tossed it aside.
Only then did Er Bao slowly open its eyes, its clumsy little body scooting over to Su Chen's side.
"Master, I'm sorry~"
"I was too sleepy last night. That's why I woke up so late today. You're not mad at me, are you?"
Su Chen hadn't intended to blame the dog. He just wanted to wake it up for breakfast.
"Of course not. Hurry up and wake yourself up. I'm taking you out for a hike later."
Yesterday, Su Chen had spotted a mountain in the distance and thought it would be nice to take Er Bao there for a stroll. He could also see if there were any useful supplies on the mountain.
Hiking was physically demanding, and without sufficient food reserves, it wasn't something one could easily attempt. Fortunately, he now had some mixed seasonings and five large bags of fragrant rice.
He could stir-fry some vegetables and cook a pot of rice.
"Finally, I can have rice again."
In this place, Su Chen deeply craved rice—it was something he thought about constantly.
Using the luxurious hot pot set he had, Su Chen decided to make clay pot rice.
He was a decent cook, capable of preparing most home-style dishes. During the New Year, when the family was short on hands, he often helped his mother in the kitchen. Whenever he had the chance, he enjoyed playing the role of the chef.
If a dish turned out particularly well and earned his mother's praise, he'd brag about it to his classmates for days back when he was still in school.
And, as he had discovered, a bit of bragging now and then could actually strengthen friendships.
"Er Bao! Watch me cook like a good boy."
Su Chen washed the rice several times, then placed it into his luxurious hot pot.
The pot was incredibly versatile—you could cook just about anything in it. As long as you had the skills, three meals a day would be no problem.
Once the rice was cooked, Su Chen added some sliced meat and barbecue sauce, letting it simmer for a while longer. Finally, he finished it off with a sprinkle of aromatic seasoning.
"And voilà—a delicious bowl of clay pot rice is ready!"
Er Bao, sitting nearby, couldn't help but drool.
After finishing their simple breakfast, Su Chen got ready to take Er Bao on the hike.
In less than ten minutes, they arrived at the foot of the mountain. This was the first time Su Chen had seen a signpost in this place.
On the sign were three large characters: Six Peaks Mountain.
"This… why does this place feel so familiar?"
No matter how hard he tried, Su Chen couldn't recall why it seemed familiar, so he gave up.
"Forget it. Let's just get started!"
Carrying Er Bao, he began climbing the mountain. The trail was winding, and the steps were steep.
"This mountain is ridiculously tall," Su Chen muttered after climbing for a while, already out of breath. He had to stop and rest.
"I can't tell if I came here for fun or to scavenge supplies."
Suddenly, a realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
"Wait a second… isn't this the same mountain from The Hidden Corner, where Zhang Dongsheng…?"
Su Chen felt a shiver run down his spine. The mere thought of it made his whole body tingle with unease.
"I really don't want to stay here any longer."
Quickly, he turned to head back down the mountain but accidentally discovered a cave nearby.
"'Lovers' Cave'?"
Su Chen frowned. "What kind of weird name is this? It's so easy to misinterpret."
Holding Er Bao tightly, he cautiously entered the cave.
The entrance was narrow, just wide enough for one person to squeeze through.
At first, Su Chen could hear the sound of dripping water, but as he ventured further, the sound disappeared.
"This is incredible," Su Chen murmured in amazement.
Even Er Bao, who had been dozing off earlier, perked up and became fascinated by their surroundings.
Inside the cave, they discovered an iron mine filled with high-quality ore.
"This is such an unexpected treasure trove," Su Chen exclaimed as he began collecting the iron.
"Sometimes, life works in mysterious ways."
Since holding Er Bao made it difficult to carry the ore, Su Chen set the dog down.
"Be a good boy and walk on your own, okay? The stairs are steep, so be careful."
Su Chen then tied up the iron ore with some rope and hoisted it onto his back. The weight was manageable.
"This should be enough to upgrade the RV."
He wasn't a greedy person. No matter how much iron the cave held, he only took what he could carry and left the rest.
Just as he was preparing to leave, Er Bao suddenly darted back into the cave.
"Er Bao! Don't go in there—it's dangerous!" Su Chen shouted, worried.
But no matter how much he called, Er Bao pretended not to hear and ran deeper inside.
A moment later, the dog emerged carrying a small bundle of iron ore on its back. It looked ridiculously adorable.
"Master, I'm not just a freeloader anymore. I can help you with work now!"
Though Er Bao's load wasn't much, the sentiment touched Su Chen deeply.
Looking at the dog's earnest efforts, Su Chen silently vowed to treat it even better in the future.
With Su Chen leading the way and Er Bao trailing behind, carrying its little bundle of ore, the two made their way back to the RV. The scene was heartwarmingly cute.
By the time they returned, Su Chen was utterly exhausted. His stamina wasn't great to begin with.
Meanwhile, Er Bao was still full of energy, bouncing around the RV.
"What a hardworking little guy," Su Chen remarked with a smile.
After tallying up the haul, he found they had collected forty pieces of iron ore—enough to upgrade the RV.
This meant he could make more improvements and have more living space.
"How exciting!"
[Ding!… RV upgrade in progress. Estimated time: two hours.]
[Ding! Congratulations, Master, on successfully upgrading your RV.]
When Su Chen turned to look, he was stunned.
"This… is this really the same RV as before?"
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Happy merry Christmas 🎄 🎁