What Jing Shu really cared about was how much armed power the underground black market would take with them this time. To those nobles, Chinese and freelance mercenaries were nothing more than disposable dogs. Letting them fight in life-and-death matches was the cheapest way to thin out their numbers, since none of the nobles wanted to waste their own forces.
When one group of wild mercenaries died, George didn't even blink. But when two of his trusted teams were wiped out, his face turned pale, sweat dripping down as he hurried to recover all the weapons and gear left behind.
Jing Shu's team was rewarded with 150,000 black market coins, but that was about as real as a pie drawn in the air.
"This time, things are a bit rushed," George said hastily. "Only nobles and their private guards can go for now. Once we're settled, we'll send for the others. After all, a ticket to Austin for a regular citizen costs 500 kilograms of rice." Then he made up some excuse and scurried off.
He didn't have to spell it out. Everyone understood what he meant: they were going to abandon everyone else. This evacuation would take only the nobles, their private forces, and as much material wealth as they could cram onto the ships to seek refuge in Austin.
And how much stock did the underground black market actually have? These were all the supplies hoarded by grain tycoons before the apocalypse. Five million farmers could produce five hundred million tons of grain a year, roughly equivalent to what seven hundred million farmers in China could grow in the same time. Each container on the dock represented another ton of goods, stacked one after another until the entire harbor was filled to bursting.
The monopolists' private stockpiles were even more terrifying. Under the dark sky, Jing Shu watched as ships loaded with slaves were packed into the cargo holds like sardines. Those people were treated worse than the pigs, chickens, and cows being shipped in separate containers.
The cargo ships sank deeper into the water with each load until the decks nearly touched the surface before the loading finally stopped.
Crates of salt, sugar, and even raw metal ore were loaded into massive cargo ships. Each vessel carried nearly a hundred thousand tons, and there were several ships loaded with crude oil as well. Massive tankers, the kind rarely seen even before the end times, were everywhere, constantly being filled with supplies that seemed endless. Watching it all made Jing Shu's hands itch.
More than fifty giant ships and three luxury cruise liners would carry away ninety percent of Sacramento's resources.
One of those cruise liners was said to belong to a major noble, a private yacht of ridiculous extravagance. Limited-edition luxury cars were hoisted onto the deck, along with helicopters and all kinds of pre-apocalypse luxuries Jing Shu could barely imagine. This wasn't relocation—it was a full-blown city evacuation.
Still, for all that, this was her first time ever boarding a five-star cruise ship. It was the vessel meant for all the underground nobles and their families, along with their bodyguards.
Her group was assigned to the lowest deck, the so-called "civilian rooms." The ship had five floors. The fourth was a restaurant, the fifth a private leisure deck, and the second and third floors were reserved for nobles.
The ship had more than five hundred rooms, each with two single beds, a private bathroom, a shower, and even a balcony. It felt like a five-star hotel, except for one thing: there was no running water or electricity. If anyone needed to flush the toilet or get a drink, they'd have to scoop it straight from the river.
Jing Shu's luggage alone filled half her room and spilled out onto the balcony. She regretted not having shipped her stockpile of dried meat back home earlier. Half of what she had now came from the cooked meat she'd prepared during the matches.
But ironically, that food would end up saving them all later, helping the team survive the coming weeks when they'd have nothing to eat.
While the city's black market bosses were busy fleeing with their cargo, Jing Shu's team was quietly reviewing Yang Yang's plan. After their last meeting, the two teams hadn't spoken again—they had to make the act look real. Jing Shu's side simply followed Yang Yang's encrypted instructions.
Tank held up his phone, showing the latest message. "Tonight, your mission is to control Cargo Ship No. 24 and follow the normal route. Move from the Sacramento Canal through Glen, then continue to Colusa. Delay the trip for at least six hours. Good luck. And remember, your top priority tonight is survival and getting away from pursuit. We'll regroup at Colusa."
Tank scratched his head. "But that's already the route the underground black market planned to use. Why give us the same instructions again?"
Snake Spirit pointed at the map. "Yang Yang's team will lead the convoy. Once they reach Colusa, they'll switch routes and head toward Williams, connect to the Grand Canal, and ship everything straight back to China. We'll keep going forward from Colusa to cover their escape."
So that was it. Jing Shu realized her earlier idea of stealing American supplies one box at a time was laughably naive. Individual effort was nothing. People like her were easy to satisfy—fill her Rubik's Cube Space with enough food and she'd be happy. But in America, she'd learned that human greed truly had no limit.
Yang Yang's plan was massive. He wasn't just stealing a few supplies; he was about to rob an entire city blind. Jing Shu could already imagine the rage of the nobles when they found out. What came next would be a storm of blood and vengeance—and not just from one person, but from hundreds of powerful nobles.
She quietly glanced at her battle armor, feeling a bit calmer. The operation hadn't even begun, and she was already thinking about how to run when it all went south.
After discussing the plan in detail, everyone returned to their rooms to rest for four hours. Tonight was destined to be a sleepless one.
Except for Jing Shu.
Once everyone else was asleep, she slipped out of her room. This would be her last night aboard this luxurious cruise ship, and she wasn't about to waste it. Since arriving in America, she hadn't found a good chance to secretly fill her Cube Space—and this ship was the perfect opportunity.
She'd already observed everything earlier. The nobles had brought up all their most valuable possessions: luxury items, exotic foods, even live animals. Those were exactly what Jing Shu wanted.
She didn't need more rice or grain. What she lacked were rare ingredients—live poultry, livestock, and other things that could be bred later. Plus, she'd never had a chance to taste some of America's finest delicacies. Even if there weren't many of those, there'd definitely be weapons or gear aboard. Stealing a few of those would fetch a huge price back home.
Skipping the first three floors, Jing Shu went straight to the fourth, the restaurant deck. The entire cruise ship was in chaos, nobles and servants rushing everywhere to pack their things. The restaurant was bustling, staff preparing late-night meals for their masters.
And Jing Shu's hunt had just begun.