Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: A Big Score

The supermarket was unlit and pitch-black, but Chen Xing immediately spotted the boxes neatly arranged in the middle.

On top of the boxes was a brand-new white phone.

Picking up the phone, she saw a note: "This will make it easier to stay in touch!"

She turned it on and saw it had a SIM card.

Chen Xing hadn’t expected Song Yiguo to be so thoughtful, but having a number was good.

After tucking the phone into her pocket, she touched each box in turn, and their contents became crystal clear to her.

’This is a huge score!’

It might not have looked like a lot, but most of it was stuff that money couldn’t easily buy.

After the apocalypse began, certain high-end foods quickly vanished from the reach of common people.

They became delicacies only the true elites could enjoy.

Foie gras, Kobe beef, caviar... Chen Xing had only ever seen these things online.

In her previous life, she hadn’t even seen them in person, let alone eaten them.

There were also two whole boxes of assorted sashimi, all pre-prepared. They had been transported in insulated containers, and the ice inside hadn’t even melted.

A box of roasted leg of lamb, a box of large hams, a box of roast duck, a box of roast chicken, a box of lamb chops, a box of smoked pork chops, a box of LA-style galbi...

After putting everything into her space, she realized she was short on seafood.

Although the seafood and freshwater fish she’d put in her space’s small river had already multiplied several times over, the variety was too limited.

’I need to get another batch into my space before everything becomes contaminated.’

Having made her plan, Chen Xing left the supermarket. When she reached the first-floor lobby, her brow tightened.

Two women were standing in the lobby.

One was a young woman in her early twenties with a reasonably pretty face.

The other looked to be around forty. Although her skin was good, she’d had work done on her eyelids and fillers in her forehead, giving her an unsettling appearance.

When they saw Chen Xing, they both looked over at the same time.

The older one spoke up. "Hello, we’re new residents. We used to live on Changyuan Avenue, a few streets away from here."

When Chen Xing didn’t say anything, both of them frowned again. "We heard you have a lot of empty apartments and good facilities, so we came over."

Chen Xing shot them a glance and, without pausing, walked straight to the elevator.

’This excuse is too flimsy.’

The entire Hualai City was full of empty apartments, and places with good facilities were everywhere.

’These two were most likely brought here by Hao Wenli. Or... maybe the mysterious people from the Research Institute saw that Hao Wenli failed to get close to me and sent someone else instead.’

’But, judging by their appearance, it’s probably the former.’

Before she could get into the elevator, Hao Wenli came running down. "My name is Hao Wenli. Sorry, I’m late!"

Only then did the two women realize it wasn’t the stone-faced Chen Xing who had invited them. "It’s alright, it’s alright!" Finally meeting someone friendly, He Laiyu warmed up and shook Hao Wenli’s hand.

Then, she gestured with her eyes toward Chen Xing. "Why is that person so rude? She doesn’t even answer when you talk to her. It’s like someone owes her money."

Hao Wenli desperately wanted to agree.

’Rude? Chen Xing is more than just rude! She’s completely arrogant and insufferable, acting like the whole world revolves around her.’

But since Chen Xing hadn’t entered the elevator yet, she quickly made an excuse for her. "She’s just a bit introverted. Please don’t mind her!"

Chen Xing scoffed and stepped into the elevator, leaving Hao Wenli feeling a little awkward.

"What’s with her?" He Laiyu didn’t want a neighbor like that. "I thought there would be fewer zombies here and that the people would be easier to get along with. That’s why I risked bringing my niece over. I never expected to meet such a rude neighbor. Anan, let’s just go back!"

"Auntie..." He Yu’an clung to He Laiyu, hesitating.

"Oh, don’t go!" Hao Wenli quickly tried to persuade them. "She’s just a bit cold, but she doesn’t mean any harm. Besides, you still have me, right? I’m very easy to get along with. And I can tell you’re a real warm-hearted person, just like me, right? It would be great if you stayed so we could help each other out."

He Laiyu was completely won over by the flattery. "Oh, stop. I’m almost fifty. But... you, my dear, I liked you the moment I saw you."

Hao Wenli knew exactly what this type of woman loved to hear—praise about how young and beautiful they looked. It made everything easier. "Wow, you look so young! You’ve taken such good care of yourself. I could never bring myself to call you ’Auntie.’ It just wouldn’t feel right."

The praise left He Laiyu overjoyed, and naturally, she decided to stay.

He Yu’an had no objections either.

Up on the top floor, Chen Xing entered the kitchen and took out some cookware from her space, planning to make a meal. But then, her phone rang.

She thought it was Song Yiguo and answered. Instead, it was Captain Lu. "Chen Xing, I heard from Young Master Song that you wiped out Boss Qi’s group, the ones who robbed the sanatorium?" He had just arrived in the Capital City when he heard the news and immediately contacted Chen Xing.

Chen Xing fell silent. ’Song Yiguo was the one who wiped out Boss Qi. I just helped out a bit.’

"I guess so..."

"Good riddance! Good riddance! You’ve finally avenged the innocent people at the sanatorium!"

Chen Xing frowned slightly.

"After I left you last night, I went back to the sanatorium first, and... damn it..." Captain Lu was clearly trying to suppress his rage. "The people hiding in the underground storeroom... they’re all dead..."

He couldn’t describe the horrific scene he had witnessed—bodies everywhere.

He simply couldn’t understand those thugs. They had already taken everything, so why did they have to slaughter everyone? They were all elderly people, completely defenseless.

At that moment, he had sworn to track down the thugs and avenge the people of the sanatorium.

Who would have thought that in just one night, the robbers would be completely wiped out.

Chen Xing’s heart sank.

She never expected Boss Qi’s men to treat the people hiding in the basement kindly, but she also never imagined they would be so depraved as to kill every single one of them.

’If I had known, I wouldn’t have let Boss Qi die so easily. It was too good for him.’

"On behalf of the dead from the sanatorium, thank you!" Captain Lu’s gratitude was sincere. "When the Military Brigade Commander heard about this, he also specifically told me to thank you properly!"

Chen Xing fell silent. ’The Military Brigade Commander!’

She had almost forgotten about him.

"Are you alright over there?" She was a little worried about Captain Lu.

’If the Military Brigade Commander is a traitor working with Boss Qi’s group, then he would have known the sanatorium was going to be annihilated. He deliberately left Captain Lu there to guard it, probably never intending for him to make it back alive.’

Captain Lu was a bit surprised, not quite understanding her question. "I’m fine... Why would anything be wrong with me? But... I did receive a new mission: to lead a team to the North Sea to rescue someone." He thought the Military Brigade Commander was giving him a chance to redeem himself and was determined to complete the mission.

"A mission from the Military Brigade Commander?"

"Yes!" The more Captain Lu listened, the stranger Chen Xing’s questions seemed, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong.

Chen Xing asked again, "When do you leave?"

Captain Lu didn’t think much of it and answered directly, "The Military Brigade Commander told me to prepare and leave in three days!"