The operation of the excavator was relatively simple, mainly involving two levers for propulsion and a control lever for the bucket. Zhang Yi found the fuel tank, took out a drum of diesel from his spatial storage, and poured it in. Then, he entered the control room and turned the key.
"Roar!"
Fortunately, the low temperature didn't have much impact on the new machinery, and the excavator operated normally. Zhang Yi manipulated the excavator, tossing the snow in front of it to the sides. Initially slow, his speed gradually increased. After half an hour, he had dug a three-meter-deep pit, and even the caterpillar tracks could move slowly.
Fortunately, it wasn't wheels underneath the excavator; Zhang Yi even thought that in special circumstances, this thing could be used as a transport vehicle. Although the speed was a bit slow, the excavator's tracks had no trouble moving on the snow. This thing could easily traverse muddy marshes; it was truly amazing!
With his unskilled skills, Zhang Yi worked for about two hours and finally dug to the solid structure. Delighted, he followed the building's edge and shoveled the snow to the side, gradually revealing the massive roof platform of the gas station.
Now that he had found the gas station's structure, the next step was to clear the accumulated snow along this structure.
Due to his lack of expertise, Zhang Yi worked for four to five hours before reaching the convenience store window of the gas station. Fortunately, it was the excavator doing the digging, not him, or he would have been exhausted.
Zhang Yi got off the excavator and stored it back in his spatial storage. Then, he broke the glass on the window and jumped inside. Upon entering the convenience store, he was taken aback.
The accumulated snow had burst through the door, filling most of the space.
Thankfully, he could still see the door at the back.
Trudging through the snow, Zhang Yi needed to find the place where the oil was stored. Gas station oil storage tanks were usually underground, minimizing the risk of being buried in snow.
Before long, Zhang Yi found the entrance to the oil storage room. Despite the gas station's large front area, the space at the back was quite small, making it relatively easy to find an entrance.
Zhang Yi used the crowbar to pry open the iron door and illuminated the space with a miner's lamp. The sight before him made him inhale sharply—four enormous oil tanks were placed in the storage room, containing about 200 cubic meters of oil.
At first glance, it was still quite spectacular.
After pondering for a moment, Zhang Yi silently stepped outside the door, removed static electricity from his body, and only then dared to enter.
The gas station had stopped operating by now, and it was pitch black inside. Zhang Yi opened the miner's lamp and sealed the oil pipes on top to prevent leakage. He then wrapped several layers of plastic sheets and plastic wrap around the pipe openings to further prevent any spills.
Finally, he stored all four massive tanks into his spatial storage.
Normally speaking, with these three gasoline tanks and one diesel tank, he wouldn't have to worry about refueling for a long time.
"Hmm? Wait a minute!"
Zhang Yi had a sudden realization and understood something crucial.
"If I can use the excavator to dig through the snow, does that mean I can also excavate other places buried in snow?"
"If that's the case, the whole world will become a massive treasure trove!"
"Even a treasure trove exclusively for me!"
Zhang Yi's mind expanded with this thought, and he felt ecstatic. Beneath the heavy snow, there were still many buried treasures waiting to be discovered.
"Good stuff, all good stuff!"
With a clear direction in mind, Zhang Yi no longer had to worry about shortages of any items. The vast world was at his disposal!
Climbing out of the path created by the excavator's tracks, Zhang Yi hopped onto his snowmobile. It was getting late, and he decided to conclude today's exploration.
He made another trip to the Wanda Mall's supermarket, bringing back two bags of junk food.
As soon as the motorcycle appeared outside the community, many people were peering through their windows, observing him. Zhang Yi drove the motorcycle to the back of the building, pretended to put it in the garage, and then carried the two bags of food back to Building 25.
Without his instructions, the neighbors had already gathered here.
However, Fang Yuqing did not come this time. It seemed she had realized that Zhang Yi wouldn't provide her with any more food.
On the other hand, Lin Caining remained persistent and intended to try again.
Zhang Yi didn't spare her a glance.
"Everyone worked hard dealing with those intruders yesterday! Today's food is a reward for you all, following the rules we agreed on earlier."
He distributed the food based on contributions. With limited supplies, those who did less work received less food.
In short, those who didn't contribute much shouldn't expect to eat much.
Due to the incident with the sniper rifle, the crowd held an increased level of awe towards Zhang Yi, not daring to say much. Besides, they knew Zhang Yi had killed the most enemies.
Li Chengbin and Jiang Lei, who didn't have night duty yesterday, only received a single portion of food each.
"Zhang Ge, should we just wait for them to come over? I don't know when that will happen. You've killed more than ten of them. Perhaps they won't dare to come over. At this rate, how can we earn rewards?" Li Chengbin expressed his concerns.
"Killing more than ten of them, and they probably won't dare to come over. But that doesn't mean you can only wait for them to attack," Zhang Yi responded with a faint smile. "I mentioned before that killing one enemy earns five portions of food as a reward. However, I didn't say you can only wait for them to attack."
Li Chengbin and Jiang Lei's eyes brightened.
"Are you suggesting we can take the initiative?"
"And if we kill people from other buildings, can we exchange them for rewards?"
The two were very excited. They urgently needed food, and there was also a desire for recognition among the group. They hoped to prove their strength and become Zhang Yi's trusted subordinates.
Zhang Yi contemplated.
So far, apart from the Tianhe Gang in Building 26, no one had made a move against Building 25. But who could guarantee what would happen in the future? Especially after Zhang Yi exposed his snowmobile, there would surely be more people in the community plotting against him.
The suggestions from Jiang Lei and Li Chengbin intrigued Zhang Yi.
These people were originally the cannon fodder he had recruited. If they wanted to take risks and die, he wouldn't stop them. After all, these junk food items weren't valuable to him.
He wore an approving smile and nodded, "Of course! Now, everyone outside is an enemy. Get rid of them, and you can ensure the safety of our group! Now, no matter which building, anyone except ours can be killed. Then, bring them back for rewards!"
Although he said so, considering the low temperature and heavy snow outside, they could only choose nearby buildings for action. The first target would naturally be the neighboring Building 26, occupied by the Tianhe Gang.
Li Chengbin and Jiang Lei cheered with excitement.
The expressions of others varied, pondering different thoughts. However, it was evident that some were tempted.
After all, who wouldn't want to get more food?