I Am Cultivating in the Apocalypse

Chapter 702: Get Some ’Hulk

And Hulk, from now on, will replace fuel-burning vehicles to become the primary means of transport capable of navigating roads after the apocalypse. Moreover, it has very few specific conditions—practically none.

Insect cars or carts pulled by rotten mermaids have specific conditions. For instance, the roads must be good—they must at least be actual roads, right? Otherwise, it’s like a sled. It can become troublesome if it hits a pothole, encounters impassable roads, needs to descend or ascend steep inclines, or navigates any road full of obstacles.

If it encounters a marsh or a desert... Or, to use a closer example, if it’s a huge mountain with no road, insects can easily climb over. However, the insect cars being pulled will struggle to cross the mountain, as they are prone to flipping over and lack the necessary power. Even four-wheel drives find it difficult to traverse mountains.

But with Hulk, there was no such worry.

Because in her previous life, Jing Shu personally witnessed Hulk ’rolling’ along, crossing mountains as if they were flat ground. It could be said that under the harsh conditions of the apocalypse, having Hulk as a means of transport would make things considerably smoother.

Why say this?

Hulk’s special nature is due to its bacterial composition, which gives it a strong enveloping capability. It can swallow specially crafted vehicles whole into its stomach, then run, climb mountains, and traverse snow-covered roads.

Other insects carry cargo and pull carts. Hulk, on the other hand, eats the cargo and then sets off.

Wu City only has one main road, doesn’t it? All other roads had long been blocked by snow over two meters high. Once Hulk swallows its passengers, it can go wherever it pleases. As long as it reaches the destination, that’s fine.

It also has another advantage: it can be large or small, soft or hard, long or short—well, perhaps that’s an exaggeration. Regardless, it can not only carry people but also ingest goods into its stomach for storage before transporting them.

In the future, Jing Shu’s Insect Cakes and other food items could also be delivered to various places via Hulk.

Exceptionally considerate and remarkably dependable.

Jing Shu felt that there truly wasn’t any other insect as well-suited to be an apocalyptic means of transportation as Hulk. It was warmer, safer, wouldn’t result in traffic accidents, and even if it did flip over, it wouldn’t be a big problem, as passengers wouldn’t be thrown out, among other benefits.

Imagine: after the apocalypse, the streets will no longer be filled with cars, luxury vehicles, or buses. Instead, they will be teeming with green slime moving in all sorts of bizarre ways. They might crawl, hop, or even roll along on several wheels beneath their bellies...

Without exception, their stomachs all carry ’cargo’—be it living people or transported materials—and they wouldn’t fear robbers. Even if cut or shot, they would emerge unscathed and could even devour their attackers!

Even if someone can’t afford a ride, it’s not an issue. An apocalyptic version of a public bus could be established, costing only two Virtual Coins per person to reach a designated station. Although the speed might be slow, wouldn’t it be delightful to have the green slime shield you from the wind and rain in this frigid, snowy weather?

As for the experience aspect...

Jing Shu pictured a glob of green slime. The thought of crawling into its stomach for transport... What an incredible, yet admittedly creepy, experience that would be! Therefore, a batch of special ’carriages’ might need to be made to isolate people from the slime. Otherwise, a single touch... So sticky... That would truly ruin the experience.

Hulk’s speed was quite fast; Jing Shu estimated it to be at least 40 mph. However, she didn’t know how much this would be reduced after loading various items and cargo. But then again, it was the apocalypse, so one couldn’t be too demanding.

But the timing was somewhat awkward. According to her memory, only a few months remained before the migration. She didn’t know if it would be possible to cultivate a batch of Hulks before then. If it were possible, the Jing Family could take all their miscellaneous belongings on the road, without having to discard too much.

Lately, construction of the Underground City had been rushed, as had West Mountain Phase 3. The snowfall was getting heavier and the weather colder. If one didn’t dress warmly before going out, they would truly be frozen stiff. It wasn’t quite like in a movie where an extended hand would freeze instantly, but it was getting close.

The atmosphere throughout Wu City and the Northwest Three Provinces was extremely solemn, with frequent large meetings being held lately. Jing Shu hadn’t understood at first. Now that a part of the Underground City is completed, perhaps the migration won’t be necessary? But then she reconsidered. One underground city, excavated over such a long period, can only accommodate tens of thousands of people. What about the remaining millions? Are they supposed to brave the biting northwest winds?

So, unless something unexpected happened, the migration would proceed as scheduled.

The day after signing the contract, Jing Shu packed her things and left for ’the boundary’.

Jing Shu immediately put out an advertisement for the unlimited acquisition of rotten corpse insects. She set up ten collection centers in Wu City, from which the insects were then transported to the Insect Cake Factory. The insects were first subjected to simple processing and then stored. The remaining work would wait until her return. She had shared her idea of concentrating and compressing the rotten corpse insects with Jun Bao, requesting his technical support. Jun Bao had replied that he would assign personnel from a research department to develop the finished product.

The purchase price was set at 1,000 pounds of rotten corpse insects for one Virtual Coin. There were strict conditions: the insects must not contain any soil, melted snow, or other impurities. The Insect Cake Factory staff were veterans in this business; they knew how to handle the purchasing, supervision, and overall management of the process, including all associated responsibilities.

This might sound like they weren’t worth much, but considering how rampant the rotten corpse insects were, a single shovelful could unearth several plump ones. After their regular work shifts, people could dig a path to a collection center and easily gather thousands of pounds of rotten corpse insects. A hardworking individual could easily earn five or six Virtual Coins a day. If they had a bicycle or cart, earning several dozen Virtual Coins daily was effortless. This time, the collection was unlimited, almost like picking up money—even easier than collecting red earthworms had been in the past.

Jing Shu delegated other matters to her Uncle and Liu. The factory issues weren’t urgent; those would have to wait until she returned with the Hulk’s mucus.

After arranging these affairs, Jing Shu ignored the increasingly frenzied Wu City and set out through the tunnels they had dug in the last few days, heading toward ’the boundary’ with the insect woman Xiao Wei.

Xiao Wei was also eager to see the outside world. Protected by three of her kinsmen and hundreds of formidable combat insects, she sat comfortably within her ’Queen’s Car’, traversing the smooth tunnels without a care in the world. Primarily, it was because the meals Jing Shu cooked were truly delicious. Given the rare opportunity to be with Jing Shu, Xiao Wei naturally wanted to make the most of it.

Compared to before, Xiao Wei had become much more outgoing. She no longer dwelled on her transformed, ghastly appearance; instead, she felt some pride because Jing Shu had told her that over the years, her insects had sustained hundreds of thousands of people.

The tunnels were smooth, sloping gently downwards and then upwards, so the insects did not find pulling the carriage too strenuous. This insect-composed convoy reached ’the boundary’ in just two days.

As expected, all communication devices went dead. Yet, this place looked no different from any other.