Chapter 202: The Best Tool
Just like that, Zhang Yi and Fatty Xu unexpectedly became partners. Zhang Yi naturally liked Fatty Xu because this harmless little fatty seemed easy to handle. Being around someone without any scheming always gave a sense of security, much like having a pet cat or dog. Of course, the main reason Zhang Yi took him in was his powerful ice ability. If Fatty Xu grew stronger, he would become a valuable asset under Zhang Yi’s command.
And for Fatty Xu? As an adult man who loved anime but was misunderstood by those around him, it had always been a source of pain. Meeting someone like-minded in Zhang Yi made him instantly feel close.
"Zhang Yi, let’s add each other on WeChat! Then we can talk about anime more often, hehe!" he said, sidling up to Zhang Yi. "I’ve got 100TB of great stuff! Some limited editions from Japan you can’t find here!"
Zhang Yi’s expression twisted a bit. "Actually… I have a girlfriend."
Fatty Xu's face stiffened, then he bitterly retorted, "Three-dimensional women are so boring!"
Zhang Yi ruthlessly replied, "You only say that because no real woman likes you, right?"
Fatty Xu's face turned pale, and he stepped back, looking at Zhang Yi in horror. "How did you know? Why did you have to say it out loud?"
"And it's not true that no one likes me. Hmph, there’s a pretty girl chasing after me right now, and I’m just thinking about whether to accept her or not!" he added stubbornly.
"But since you’re here, I need a favor," Zhang Yi said as an idea popped into his head.
Fatty Xu blinked, "What favor?"
"Follow me, and you’ll see!" Zhang Yi replied, pulling out a snowmobile from thin air.
This display of pulling objects from thin air made Fatty Xu even more envious and awestruck. "Time can’t compare, space is king! Brother Zhang, your ability is unique in the whole world!"
Zhang Yi opened the car door and got in, curious, "Where do you get these theories? They’re quite elaborate."
Fatty Xu chuckled, "It’s from our anime circle."
Zhang Yi sneered, "Time is hidding, space is king?" He suddenly thought of something about himself. When he was on the brink of death, he had traveled back to the time before the apocalypse—wasn't that a form of time travel?
"Could it be that I have a time-related ability that hasn’t been developed yet?" Zhang Yi had always suspected this. His rebirth, or time reversal, might be linked to his awakened powers. But so far, he hadn’t found any signs of such abilities.
"No matter. My abilities are just in their early stages. Maybe I'll discover higher-level uses with more practice and refinement," he thought.
Fatty Xu excitedly sat in the passenger seat, looking around curiously after fastening his seatbelt. "It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a car! The last time was two years ago when I visited my dad in the hospital."
Zhang Yi glanced at him, "You don’t go out often?"
Fatty Xu nonchalantly replied, "I rarely go out unless my mom forces me to go downstairs for some activity."
Zhang Yi nodded, "Oh, your mom forced you."
Fatty Xu nodded, "Yeah, my mom forced me."
As they chatted, Fatty Xu slowly realized something was off. "Wait, why does it feel like I’ve been insulted?"
Zhang Yi held back his laughter and started the car, driving away.
"Brother Zhang, where are we going?" Fatty Xu asked.
"Taking you to find something good!" Zhang Yi replied, heading towards a large gas station ten kilometers away.
The shelter consumed a lot of energy; with his current reserves, it would only last about five years. Cautiously, Zhang Yi wanted to stockpile more. However, if he had to do it himself, he would have to use a digging machine, which would be time-consuming. That’s why he hadn't rushed to do it yet.
But with Fatty Xu, the perfect ice-based tool, Zhang Yi first thought of using his ability to excavate the resources buried under the snow!
They stopped in a vast, snowy expanse. Zhang Yi checked the surrounding buildings to confirm the location, then told Fatty Xu, "Help me clear out this snow!"
Fatty Xu didn’t know what Zhang Yi was planning, but since he had acknowledged Zhang Yi as his leader, he obediently complied. He walked over, extended his hands towards the snowy ground, and his eyes glowed an icy blue.
Zhang Yi felt a familiar surge of power from Fatty Xu, similar to the one he felt when he used his precision shooting skills.
Quickly, the snowy ground began to tremble violently. The accumulated snow, compacted into a solid layer like ice, started to crack, making a deep rumbling noise.
The ground cracked like a dense spiderweb, and then large chunks of ice and snow floated up and were thrown to the sides.
Zhang Yi observed Fatty Xu closely. Although Fatty Xu had surrendered and became his subordinate, Zhang Yi still needed to understand his skills. As the saying goes, "Never drop your guard."
Fatty Xu’s expression was relaxed initially, but as he cleared more snow, he began to strain. After five minutes, he had cleared a ten-meter-wide pit, revealing the gas station buried underneath.
"Huff—" Fatty Xu withdrew his power and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. "Brother Zhang, is this good?"
Zhang Yi nodded, maintaining a calm exterior but feeling ecstatic inside. With Fatty Xu as a top-tier tool, acquiring resources would be so much easier in the future!
He handed Fatty Xu two chocolate bars. "Eat something to replenish your energy!"
Fatty Xu’s eyes lit up at the sight of the chocolate bars. They were his favorite, but he hadn’t had any in a long time. "Thank you, Brother Zhang!"
He took the chocolate bars, tore open the wrappers, and stuffed them into his mouth. The rich cocoa flavor melted in his mouth, and he felt like crying with happiness.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yi slid down the edge of the snow pit and collected the fuel stored in the gas station’s underground tanks.