I am predicting that Qi Sheng will either become the most hated or the most loved character in the later arcs. Right now, he is a loveable rogue. He steals, he min-maxes, he abandons side characters. If he takes this ruthlessness too far into the Big Dipper arcs (where the original characters have parents and love interests), he might lose the audience. The line between "pragmatic" and "scumbag" is very thin. So far he is walking it perfectly.
The battle between Ragnar and Olaf was brutal and messy. No heroic last words, just two desperate men trying to kill each other. Felt very authentic.
Old Liu's voice crackling over the phone with that exhausted tone about fuel costs and highway blockades was such a human touch. I could practically hear the desperation in the delivery driver's voice. The author didn't need to explain the situation with big dramatic words. Just two sentences about military vehicles forcing people off the road and I'm already picturing the whole messed up scene. That's good writing when you can feel a character's burnout through a phone call.
The "Zha Jiang Mian" running gag is perfectly done. It’s not overused, but it perfectly encapsulates Xing Shi’s character. His joy is simple and pure, and it acts as a wonderful counterpoint to the system’s dramatic, world-ending threats. Every time he talks about food, I can almost taste the satisfaction myself.