Chapter 151: The Little Cutie Raised on Ice Cream

The area above the disc of the Iron City is known as the Upper District.

Correspondingly, the area below is called the Lower District.

At this moment, Chen Pingkui's convoy had come to a steady halt before the South Gate of the Iron City, lined up in a single file.

Their destination was the Energy City, located in the southern part of the continent.

Chen Pingkui stepped out of the vehicle and handed the travel permit given to him by the man in the suit to the heavily armed guards stationed at the gate.

The tactical goggles worn by the guards were equipped with a function to verify the authenticity of such documents.

After checking and confirming everything was in order, the guard returned the permit without a word and gestured to his comrades inside the guard post.

Accompanied by an electronic chime, a heavy gate—just wide enough for a truck to pass through—was slowly raised.

As the convoy drove away, a guard muttered softly:

"What the hell kind of convoy is this, to actually get a personal signature from the Director-General of the Land Transport Bureau? Extraordinary!"

Originally, there were seven vehicles scheduled for this trip, but now the number had increased to ten.

The three newly joined vehicles were placed in the middle of the convoy.

At the very front was an off-road vehicle driven by Chen Pingkui himself, serving as the lead vehicle responsible for navigation and scouting.

On the hood, the roof, and both side doors, a large Chinese character representing his surname was painted in reflective lacquer.

Beneath this character was a string of identification numbers, symbolizing the convoy's registry.

Four high-power searchlights were additionally mounted on the front bumper, and another four were installed on the roof.

The tires were extremely thick, elevating the off-road vehicle's chassis a full meter off the ground.

The rest were uniform semi-trailers, including the three newly added ones, which matched the existing models down to the very type.

Sturdy collision devices were fitted to the front of all trailer tractors, and iron mesh screens covered the window glass. Massive energy-core power units were installed right behind the cabs.

When it came to safety coefficients, vehicles produced in the Iron City were second to none across the entire continent.

As the convoy rolled forward, Chen Pingkui, sitting in the lead vehicle, was in exceptionally high spirits.

Humming a little tune, he held an electric shaver and shaved his beard in the rearview mirror, puckering his lips from time to time to ensure the trim was neat and uniform.

The initial stretch of road just outside the Iron City was relatively flat and straightforward, requiring nothing more than driving straight ahead without demanding much attention from him.

The driver beside him was also a seasoned veteran, though his originally robust right arm had been replaced with a prosthetic metallic limb.

It looked like a knotted mass of steel muscle, rugged and aggressive.

His metallic fingers gripped the steering wheel steadily, and occasionally, the clicking sound of mechanical parts turning could be heard as his hand flexed.

For a convoy captain like Chen Pingkui, his greatest asset was the valuable driving experience accumulated over many years.

An experienced captain could make accurate judgments regarding all sorts of emergencies and devise the optimal response strategies.

Therefore, in the convoy, there could only be one voice.

Wilderness hunters like Ye Chen operated at best around the periphery of the capital cities.

Convoys, however, were the ones that truly ventured deep into the heart of the wilderness.

The perilous situations a convoy might encounter could hardly be predicted far in advance.

For instance, he had previously encountered sieges by packs of wild beasts in the wilderness, or roads that were previously unobstructed suddenly being flooded by standing water.

Yet to Chen Pingkui, these were already considered trivial matters.

Not to mention, even undiscovered pre-human ruins might occasionally be encountered along the way.

His father had once told him to remain calm and wise, to block blows with a shield when weapons came and to floodwater with earth when torrents arrived.

When necessary, he even had to make difficult choices regarding the survival of the convoy itself.

...

As evening approached, the convoy halted by a small stream to rest and repair, and the members washed their faces with the icy stream water.

Mixed with melting snow, the stream water was biting cold and possessed an excellent refreshing effect.

Afterward, everyone began fetching water, lighting fires, and preparing meals.

Meanwhile, the occupants of the three newly joined vehicles formed a tight-knit clique of their own, sitting together and refusing to converse with anyone from Chen Pingkui's convoy.

Even so, with his sharp eyes, he noticed that these individuals possessed extremely proficient camping techniques.

They displayed strict discipline, sullen gazes, and an unsmiling demeanor, taking the suit-wearing man as their absolute leader.

At the same time, he made another discovery.

Among the three new vehicles, particularly the one in the middle, the ruts left on the ground were noticeably shallower.

"Could it be... an empty truck?"

Chen Pingkui smiled self-deprecatingly, shook his head, and buried his curiosity deep within his heart.

There was no need to invite trouble by prying into matters that didn't concern him; completing this trip safely and cashing in his payment was what mattered most.

Yet, precisely inside the rear cargo compartment of this very vehicle, a completely different world existed...

The interior was fitted out as an exquisitely decorated single-apartment, partitioned into a functional living room, a small bedroom, and a washroom.

They had actually converted a freight truck into a luxurious mobile home.

Inside the room were two young women.

One of them wore delicate makeup and sported short hair cut right at the ears.

Though young, her large eyes already held a tender allure, charming and vivacious.

Her face was rounded with graceful lines, and her lips, painted bright red, carried a hint of a mischievous smile.

Dressed entirely in Lolita fashion, she looked like a princess who had stepped right out of a fairy tale.

Instead of leather shoes, the girl wore a pair of fluffy slippers.

At that moment, she was sitting on a stool, idly toying with a makeup pen while her lower legs swung aimlessly in the air.

Finding it boring after a moment, she placed the makeup pen back into a cosmetic case before her and lazily stretched her waist.

Looking around the room, a large rack was lined entirely with Lolita-style dresses.

Various styles of small leather shoes were neatly stacked in individual transparent boxes, forming a towering pile.

Had the knowledgeable Captain Chen Pingkui known that his convoy was hauling such a magical compartment, his jaw would have dropped without a shred of hesitation.

The other girl in the room had