Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Hualai City Safe Zone

Chen Xing didn’t want to make a choice right now.

If she made a choice, it would mean having to kill all these people.

It wouldn’t be difficult, but she wasn’t the type to kill indiscriminately.

At the very least, they didn’t seem to have any ill intentions at the moment, nor were they being forceful enough to demand she follow them to the safe zone.

If she tried to leave by force and they decided to kill her, well, that would be a different story.

The biker gang might be watching her home tonight anyway, so it was just as well not to go back.

’Why not just follow them to the safe zone? I can see if there’s anything good to swipe.’

As for the possibility of the safe zone being besieged by zombies, it would be a hassle, but she was fully confident in her ability to protect herself.

About an hour later, Chen Xing arrived at the Hualai City Safe Zone with the convoy.

The Hualai City Safe Zone was located quite a distance from Hualai City proper. It had been established by commandeering and modifying a High Level sanatorium.

The "modification" was little more than a two-meter-high iron fence, and people lived inside it.

This fence didn’t even look as sturdy as the one the biker gang had put up.

They clearly hadn’t encountered a horde of zombies yet.

If a horde ever set its sights on this place, it would become an all-you-can-eat buffet for the zombies.

Although soldiers guarded the safe zone, they couldn’t make up for the large number of elderly, weak, sick, and disabled residents. Besides, most of the soldiers were sent out on missions, so the actual force left to protect the people wasn’t very strong.

Furthermore, these soldiers assumed the zombies were all in the city, so their guard was lax. If they ever faced a real threat, they would be completely wiped out.

Chen Xing had never been one to meddle in others’ affairs, so she simply complied and entered the residential area for ordinary people.

’In a situation like this, even if I told them now, they couldn’t reinforce security immediately. Besides, who would listen to a little girl like me?’

After a simple registration process, she was assigned to a sixteen-person room on the third floor.

There were wooden bunk beds, each with a single sheet.

It was early summer, so it wasn’t too cold without a blanket.

Inside the room, aside from two elderly women, the residents were mostly middle-aged. In the innermost bunk, there was a girl who looked to be around twenty.

Perhaps seeing that Chen Xing was about her age, the girl came over to cozy up to her after a short while.

"You’re new here?" Her voice was pleasant, but it didn’t feel entirely sincere.

Chen Xing just glanced at her, which served as an answer.

"I’ve been here for two days. It’s pretty good!" the girl started talking on her own. "I heard there are zombies everywhere outside, and food is scarce. Being out there is basically like waiting to die. It’s a good thing they were kind enough to bring you back; otherwise, it would be so dangerous."

Chen Xing didn’t respond.

’It was dangerous outside, but by the same token, supplies were also abundant.’

’As long as you were extra careful, you didn’t have to worry about starving to death.’

’In the safe zone, on the other hand, food was rationed. Anyone with a large appetite was bound to go hungry.’

"Look at this room—it’s all middle-aged women and grandmas, and all they talk about is old-fashioned stuff. I was dying of boredom. I’m so glad you’re here!" The girl chattered on, completely oblivious to the fact that Chen Xing disliked socializing. "My name is Yan Caini. You can just call me Caini, or Nini is fine too."

Although Chen Xing couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong with Yan Caini, she didn’t have a good feeling about her either, so she just lowered her head and started arranging her bedding.

Just then, the door opened and someone shouted, "Chen Xing, the captain wants to see you at headquarters!"

Chen Xing got up.

’Time for my ideological education lesson!’

"So your name is Chen Xing..." Yan Caini still wouldn’t give up, following her to the door. "Come back quickly, we can have dinner together..."

Only after Chen Xing was out of sight did Yan Caini purse her lips and start complaining to a middle-aged woman next to her. "Who does that Chen Xing think she is, so stuck-up? Once you’re here, it doesn’t matter if you’re the child of a billionaire; everyone gets the same treatment. I said so much to her, and she didn’t even make a peep. So rude! Ma’am... you be the judge..."

Chen Xing was actually quite grateful to the headquarters.

Even listening to the captain’s nagging seemed better than dealing with Yan Caini.

The headquarters was a small room to the left of the entrance on the first floor, just big enough for a single desk.

Before the apocalypse, it was probably a guardhouse or something similar.

Inside, Captain Chen was looking down at Chen Xing’s registration form.

It listed her name and age, as well as her parents’ names.

Of course, Chen Xing had filled it out with random information.

God knows who her parents were.

Hearing the door, the captain looked up and gestured for Chen Xing to sit across from him. Once she was seated, he asked, "You’re Chen Xing?"

Chen Xing nodded.

The captain looked back down at the form. "Your father’s name is Chen ErYang?"

Chen Xing nodded again.

’That was just a name she’d made up on the spot.’

The captain didn’t bother to verify if what she wrote was true or not. He closed the form, his expression turning serious as he began his lecture. "Today, you saw us transporting goods. That was to ensure the people of our country can live better lives and to protect our few remaining resources. Serving the people and protecting national property is our duty as soldiers..."

"Oh?" Chen Xing feigned incomprehension. "So you soldiers were protecting our property..."

Captain Chen: "..." ’This kid doesn’t seem very bright!’

Judging by her innocent expression, she had no idea what they had been doing.

"What exactly did you see?" Since the girl didn’t seem to know anything, he saw no need to say more. It was better to first probe and see how much she knew.

Chen Xing put on a serious face and played dumb. "I just saw a few vehicles parked. That soldier called out to me and kept telling me how great the safe zone is, so I figured you all specialized in taking in refugees and just came along obediently."

Seeing that Chen Xing truly seemed clueless, the captain’s worries were put to rest. "The safe zone is here to protect the people, so you did the right thing by coming. Just cooperate with our work from now on, and we will naturally do everything in our power to protect you!" ’Even if she’s just playing dumb, it’s not a problem. It proves she knows what not to say.’

Chen Xing nodded obediently.

’If she could get by playing dumb, there was no need to get into a direct confrontation.’

Seeing there was nothing more to worry about, the captain said a few more words—a mix of coaxing and threats—before letting her go.

To avoid getting tangled up with Yan Caini, Chen Xing decided not to go back to her room. Instead, she wandered around the building.

This was something she had to do every time she arrived at a new place.

She needed to be familiar with her surroundings to make the most advantageous decisions when danger arose.

The first floor was the soldiers’ rest area, while the second to fifth floors were where the ordinary civilians lived. Nearly every room was full.

Due to the shortage of rooms, the floors weren’t segregated by gender, only the rooms themselves.

In the hallways, there were people chatting, arguing, and even the sounds of men and women flirting.

The first impression was one of utter chaos.

’This environment wasn’t just chaotic; it was the perfect setting for a melodramatic soap opera.’

While Chen Xing’s features weren’t stunning on their own, they came together exquisitely. Coupled with her exceptionally fair skin and well-proportioned figure, she had a graceful and elegant bearing.

Moreover, several days into the apocalypse, most people’s clothes were somewhat tattered, and their makeup-free faces showed signs of malnutrition.

She, on the other hand, was spotless, making her stand out conspicuously in a crowd.

And just like that, Captain Lu spotted her the moment he stepped out of the soldiers’ quarters. "Chen Xing?" Not quite believing his eyes, he quickened his pace and walked up to her.

It really was Chen Xing, which made him suspicious.

’Knowing Chen Xing’s way of doing things, there was no way she would come to a safe zone.’