Lu Yuelan is a twenty-two-year-old kindergarten teacher and self-described homebody who lives a quiet, uneventful life raising her young nephew and elderly grandmother after being abandoned by her biological parents, who used her as a scapegoat for their failed marriage. Her world shatters when the Highway Survival Game descends upon Blue Star, forcibly transporting all inhabitants aged ten and above into a deadly interstellar highway where they must drive forward to survive. The game imposes strict rules: players cannot reverse, must meet daily mileage quotas or face execution, and must navigate dangerous roads filled with monsters, other players, and scarce resources. Lu Yuelan, driven by the urgent need to protect her vulnerable family members, frantically packs survival supplies before being pulled into the game.
Upon arrival in Zone 88, Division 888, Lu Yuelan discovers that her profession as a childcare instructor has activated a unique occupational class that allows her to feed, train, and transport magical cubs found along the road. This ability becomes her primary source of income and resources, granting her skill books, food, and vehicle upgrades. However, her initial vehicle lottery yields only a dilapidated, four-seat school bus with minimal storage, forcing her to rely on scavenging and strategic resource management. She quickly learns that fuel is a critical currency, and without a special occupation that allows free refueling, most players are left stranded. Lu Yuelan leverages her childcare role to secure free fuel during missions, while also picking up a second, seemingly useless profession as a Waste Recycling Worker, which later proves vital when she discovers a garbage station that offers free materials and high-quality loot.
The core conflict centers on Lu Yuelan’s struggle to survive in a hostile environment while maintaining her moral compass. Unlike many players who turn to ruthlessness, she chooses cooperation and kindness, exemplified when she helps a young, unlucky player named Earth Is Too Dangerous, I Want to Go Back to Mars, who possesses rare talismans but lacks fuel. In return, she receives valuable information and forms a bond that highlights the game’s social dynamics. Her past trauma with her biological family and the man who ruined her aunt’s life fuels her anger when she encounters a similar arrogant CEO figure online, leading her to publicly defend the child and expose the man’s exploitative behavior. This incident underscores the tension between human cruelty and compassion within the game.
Key turning points include Lu Yuelan’s successful completion of her first cub transport mission, which earns her a skill book granting healing and purification abilities, and her visit to the garbage station, where she befriends a monkey-faced worker who provides her with weapons and food. These events establish her as a capable survivor who uses her professions strategically rather than relying on combat strength. As she continues driving, she accumulates green-tier treasure chests, an anomaly that suggests her luck may be tied to hidden game mechanics. The narrative follows her gradual progression from a fearful newcomer to a resourceful player who balances survival with empathy, all while searching for a way to reunite with her family and secure parallel cards that would allow them to travel together. The story sets the stage for a longer journey where Lu Yuelan must navigate political alliances, monster encounters, and the evolving challenges of the highway game.
