Chapter 113: Waiting for the Hare?

[Portable Temperature Controller x1: Effective within a one-kilometer radius horizontally and up to three meters in height. Temperature control range recommended from -1°C to 30°C; efficiency significantly decreases beyond 40°C.]

Jiang Huan’s eyes widened. Such a thing existed?

This wasn’t just cutting-edge technology—it was downright miraculous.

She narrowed her eyes and glanced at the remaining six boxes, then leaned against her younger brother’s back before opening them.

She didn’t want to risk testing her luck on the first box alone, afraid she might get a sweet surprise only to be handed a harsh blow next. Better to stay close to her brother for safety.

Jiang Xi tilted his head but continued drawing and writing quietly, offering no comment on his sister’s behavior.

Jiang Huan immediately opened the second and third boxes, one in each hand, eager to see what they contained.

“Oh my.”

[A cruise ship, capacity five thousand passengers, stocked with essentials for a three-day voyage.]

Not only was there a massive cruise ship, but it came fully equipped with necessities. She nearly swooned at the thought.

[Toxin Detector: Capable of detecting all known toxins on Earth.]

This was also an invaluable asset, though Jiang Huan’s excitement had somewhat dulled after the initial surprises.

Next, she opened the fourth, fifth, and sixth boxes.

Inside were two rocket launchers with sixty rounds of ammunition, a tank, and a thousand tons of crab.

Was this meant to be her personal arsenal?

With this equipment, combined with her unlimited-use electromagnetic gun and two pistols, she was more than equipped to take down a base.

When she reached the last box, Jiang Huan was stunned.

“Wait, is this because they knew the marine area was compromised and worried I wouldn’t have seafood to eat?”

From the box emerged a thousand tons of crabs, all alive and frozen in place as if they had been breathing one moment and flash-frozen the next—still fresh as ever.

Her mouth watered. She checked her stored banquet supplies and found all the crab dishes gone. Perfect timing to take her brother out for a fine meal.

They stepped out of the air-raid shelter, the temperature hovering around 45°C.

Well, that was just barely manageable to go outside now.

“Xiao Xi, let’s go out and eat crab.”

“Okay!” Jiang Xi had just finished coloring his sketchbook, got up, washed his hands, and obediently followed his sister.

On the way, they passed by others, and Jiang Huan casually said she was restless staying inside and wanted to stretch her legs.

They carried nothing else; no one else had thought to venture elsewhere.

Both empty-handed but dressed in temperature-regulating suits, they walked for over ten minutes without tiring. Spotting a relatively elevated area with a flat clearing of about twenty to thirty square meters, Jiang Huan said, “Let’s stop here.”

She had her brother step back a few paces while she summoned a luxury RV.

With ample fuel and electricity, cooking inside the vehicle was a simple matter.

They enjoyed steamed crab, crab hotpot, crab leg sushi, and crab rice cake soup, indulging until they were thoroughly satisfied, burping contentedly afterward.

Jiang Huan even prepared seven or eight portions of crab rice cake soup and steamed a dozen oversized crabs, storing them in the open-box space for easy access later—no need to go out again.

On the way back, they strolled slowly.

Suddenly, a dark figure darted toward them. Jiang Huan instinctively kicked it away.

A sharp squeal followed.

Turning on her high-powered flashlight, its sixty bulbs illuminated the area like daylight.

The screeching shadow was revealed clearly under the bright light.

Jiang Xi exclaimed, “Is that a rabbit??”

He added a question mark in disbelief because the rabbit had several patches of fur missing, likely shedding in the heat.

Startled by the intense light, the creature made a sudden leap to escape but slammed hard into a tree trunk.

Jiang Huan thought: This was a real-life version of the fable “Waiting by the Tree for a Rabbit.”

Jiang Xi caught on: “Sister, is this ‘waiting by the tree for a rabbit’?”

So that story wasn’t fictional but based on actual events.

Jiang Huan pulled out an electric baton and poked the unconscious rabbit, finding it still breathing but merely stunned. Suddenly, she recalled the items she had received today.

It was as if the experiments had been designed to deliver this right to her doorstep.

She summoned the detector and placed the rabbit inside.

[Composition analysis in progress: Amino acids, proteins...] After a series of terms and data, the results concluded that the skin and brain were inedible, causing symptoms like diarrhea; the claws carried bacteria and needed to be removed.

After some thought, Jiang Huan tied the rabbit’s four legs and secured its mouth before taking it back.

If there was one, there were likely more nearby. If so, this could be a new source of food.

When she returned with the rabbit, several people had come outside to get some fresh air. They were curious about the rabbit, gathering around to examine it.

“Oh wow, a patchy rabbit. I’ve only seen these in the kitchen.”

“Haha, this rabbit saves all the trouble of plucking fur. What a lucky catch.”

“Where did you get it? Are there more?”

“I’m more curious if it’s even edible.”

Amid the chatter, Xie Congzhou stepped forward and examined the rabbit.

“This rabbit has mutated. The skin is definitely unsuitable for consumption; the claws, blood, brain, and bone marrow are best avoided.”

Wow, he even pointed out things the detector hadn’t mentioned.

For a moment, Jiang Huan wondered if he was some kind of robot.

Xie Congzhou spoke with such certainty that, given his reputation for deep knowledge of flora and fauna, no one doubted him. They trusted his judgment and handed the rabbit over to the cooks, keeping only the safest meat portions.

Of course, one rabbit’s meat wasn’t enough for everyone, so they agreed to have a few men eat it first; if there were no problems, they’d try to catch more.

Jiang Huan described exactly where and how she had encountered the rabbit.

Someone else joked, “Waiting by the tree for a rabbit?”

“How do you even catch them? Bring a little stool, pick a random spot at night, and shine a flashlight on the poor bunny?”

“Anyone want to go search for more right now? Nighttime is the only time we can go out anyway.”

“I’m in.”

“Me too.”

When Xie Congzhou expressed his interest in joining the hunt, Jiang Huan didn’t stop anyone. Instead, she handed over her flashlight and reminded everyone to be cautious—the rabbit was aggressive.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

As she passed by Xie Congzhou, she stumbled slightly, nearly falling. He reacted immediately, as if sensing it, grabbing one of her arms and the opposite shoulder, effortlessly steadying her.

Once she was steady, he let go. “Watch where you’re walking.”

Jiang Huan withdrew her hand from his chest and nodded.

Xie Congzhou felt nothing unusual and turned to head out with a few others to catch rabbits.

Jiang Huan closed her hand into a loose fist, feeling the warmth and texture.

No mechanical shell—just flesh and bone.

In this heat, their suits were thin. When she had grabbed him earlier, her fingers had slightly pressed in, feeling no difference from human skin.

So, probably not a robot.

Her curiosity about Xie Congzhou’s true nature deepened.