You win some, you lose some.
Of the five large bags of Soul Sand Ore Crystals, one and a half belonged to Su Chen himself. He was also carrying another large bag in his hiking backpack, and after reaching the RV, he stored them all in the vehicle’s side compartment.
"There’s something I have to tell you. Before Yuan Haotian left, he left his RV for you too."
Just then, Liao Dahai, who had been staying behind at the camp, walked over with a car key in his hand.
Only seven RVs remained at the camp. Three had been dismantled from the inside out, their rooftop solar panels taken along with the controllers and storage batteries inside.
As for Yuan Haotian’s and Yang Hongyu’s RVs, they were both undamaged. However, Yuan Haotian had specifically mentioned that there wasn’t much diesel left in his, though this wouldn’t affect the use of the appliances inside.
With this, Su Chen now owned three RVs.
"They have power."
Pang Peng and the others naturally overheard them. The prospect of electricity was an undeniable temptation. The towns were densely populated, but their power grids had yet to be restored.
Whether one could live comfortably—or even with a modicum of civilization—all came down to having electricity.
Furthermore, the entire campground was now deserted. With so much unused space, there was ample room for modifications.
Except for the danger...
But everything was high risk, high reward. Besides, Pang Peng had to admit that the conviction Su Chen projected was incredibly powerful. ’It isn’t arrogance, nor is it recklessness, but a kind of personal charisma that seems rooted in his very marrow.’
It was as if he could overcome any hardship with ease.
A short while later, the eight-person group from Jingcheng University had finished their internal vote.
Four in favor, two abstentions, and two against.
The minority would defer to the majority.
In the end, they accepted Su Chen’s invitation. They decided that after they changed their classes at the Sanctuary, they would immediately return here to build a new home.
"We’ll be counting on you from now on," Yan Ziqian said softly, extending his hand for a shake.
There were noticeable thick calluses on three fingers of his right hand. Su Chen had noticed them during their first meeting at the bonfire general store, and the thought of a Mediterranean-style string grip had crossed his mind even then.
It was a partnership born of circumstance. They didn’t exactly share common ideals or beliefs, but their values were compatible, their past collaborations had been comfortable, and their interests were now aligned. Forming a partnership was the logical next step.
"Does your group of young people have room for a middle-aged couple?" Liao Dahai asked, looking over.
Unconsciously, as the group’s center of gravity shifted, Pang Peng and the others found their eyes drawn to Su Chen.
"Of course." Su Chen had a good impression of the reliable middle-aged man. His strength would make him a pillar of the group, so there was no reason to refuse.
And so, against the backdrop of the great retreat from the parasitic swarm, a brand-new little team was officially formed.
This parking area would obviously have to be abandoned.
The first order of business was to choose a new location and establish a new camp.
There weren’t many options.
With their severe lack of manpower, their only choice was a strategic consolidation. They settled on the public service area at the far end of the campground.
Within that area, however, there were quite a few choices.
The clubhouse and the guesthouse hotel were occupied by members of the Trunk Line Club. Unable to leave, they had simply claimed the area as their own base of operations.
Su Chen settled on a three-story, camp-operated store as their foothold.
The building’s structure was square and sturdy. Though its outer walls showed signs of wind erosion and were covered in climbing vines, the main structure was intact. Most importantly, it had large roll-up doors at both the front and back, nearly four meters wide and tall enough for an RV to drive straight inside.
After charging up on solar power during the day, they could drive the RVs inside.
In addition, although the camping store had been looted multiple times, a fair amount of supplies remained. On the first floor alone, there were several extra-thick, cold-proof tents, as well as a few boxes of water filter cartridges and some integrated outdoor cooking stoves still on the shelves.
Most importantly, in the first-floor warehouse, they found a good amount of charcoal and a cumbersome solar panel.
This was a huge help.
It wasn’t that others had overlooked these things; they were simply too difficult for anyone who found them to carry away.

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