Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: Apocalyptic Trade

The two men and five women were all dumbfounded.

A secret room within a secret room... that was the kind of thing they’d only ever seen on TV.

To think such a place was hidden inside an unassuming factory building.

The residential area of the factory still had bedding and other necessities. It would be hard to find a better place than this.

"In the building where I used to live, I have a lot of supplies stashed away. It’s enough to feed all of us for a good long while!"

Brother Xiao’s original plan had been to find a safe place and then retrieve his supplies.

Since this place was good, he wanted to bring them back as soon as possible.

That way, no one would have to go hungry anymore.

"You all can settle in here. I have to make a trip to the North Sea this afternoon."

Everyone was speechless. ’The North Sea?’

That was on the very edge of the country, nearly two thousand kilometers away!

"There are zombies everywhere now. It’s dangerous no matter where you go, so why take such a risk?" Sister Feng was a little worried, and also reluctant to see Chen Xing go.

For some reason, she felt particularly at ease whenever Chen Xing was around.

"A friend from the Capital City has business there. I’m going to help. It might take a few days."

"Take me with you, please?" Qiao Qiao had already grown attached to Chen Xing.

"This mission is a bit dangerous. Maybe next time." Chen Xing wasn’t good at dealing with people and found Qiao Qiao’s enthusiasm a little overwhelming.

"Oh, okay then," Qiao Qiao said, reluctantly giving up.

The kitchen still had some rice, flour, and wilted vegetables.

They made some simple congee to fill their stomachs, then started cleaning the bedrooms.

For safety, they chose the bedroom closest to the warehouse so they could quickly hide in the secret room if danger arose.

After everyone had gone to rest for the afternoon, only Chen Xing and Brother Xiao remained.

Chen Xing didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point. "Brother Xiao, are you interested in doing business?"

Brother Xiao was speechless. ’Business? What kind of business can you do in the apocalypse?’

It was already a feat just to find food and stay alive.

"With the world like this, can we really do business? Besides, I don’t have the people or the capital. How would I even start?"

"I’ve killed zombies before and found a kind of soft little gem inside their heads. Eating them can enhance your superpower."

"Superpower?" Brother Xiao asked doubtfully, holding out his palm. As he opened his hand, a stream of water appeared in its center. "You mean this kind of thing?"

"You already have a superpower?" This came as a surprise to Chen Xing.

She thought Brother Xiao was just smart and had leadership skills; she hadn’t expected his Combat Power to be high as well.

Brother Xiao nodded. "For a few days now. I was worried I was turning into a monster. So it’s not a sickness?"

"It’s not a sickness! Your superpower has awakened. The stronger your superpower, the easier it is to kill zombies." Chen Xing didn’t explain how she knew this. "The Crystal Cores in the zombies’ heads are specifically for enhancing human superpowers. But you can only eat one a day; eating more is useless. Before most people find out how valuable Crystal Cores are, you can sell them at a high price!"

Brother Xiao was silent.

He felt slightly embarrassed. "I haven’t even seen one yet..." The implication was clear: ’What do I have to sell?’

Zombies?

He would fight a zombie to save his life, but normally, he wouldn’t dare to go looking for trouble with them.

"I have quite a few Crystal Cores on hand that I’ve saved up from killing zombies. If you agree to get into the Crystal Core business, I can give you priority supply. Once you sell them, you can give me a cut. We can split it fifty-fifty..."

"Wouldn’t you be at a disadvantage then?"

"I’ll only provide the Crystal Cores. All the logistics and connections will be up to you!"

Brother Xiao’s brow unfurrowed.

For him, this was a deal he definitely couldn’t lose.

He would be like a middleman, taking no risks himself, just needing enough people to handle the transactions.

"Can I really do it?" He sounded as if he were doubting his own abilities, but his expression was already full of confidence.

"It’s the apocalypse. Even if you have food, you’ll eventually run out if you just live off your reserves. The only way to live in peace is to find a way to earn more. Or do you want to spend the rest of your life being hunted? Only when you are strong will others not dare to provoke you. Believe me, this business is a sure thing! But... there’s one condition. I don’t want anyone other than you to know that I’m the one supplying the Crystal Cores."

"That’s no problem... As for starting capital, I still have some. I have several rooms full of supplies in my old building, so using some for turnover won’t be an issue. But... good people are really hard to find."

The Migratory Clan had been careless. When they captured him and Ding Yiyu, they never imagined they had so much hidden away and only took the things on the same floor.

"You have to find trustworthy people, or you’ll just be inviting disaster." Chen Xing felt this couldn’t be rushed. "Take your time finding them. My trip to the North Sea will take a few days anyway."

"Okay!" Brother Xiao’s mind was already spinning.

If this business succeeded, they could establish a foothold in the apocalypse.

However, protecting what they had would be even harder than building it up. He had to find a group of people who were both capable and trustworthy.

With the preliminary agreement settled, Chen Xing headed to the designated airport with her mind at ease.

On the way, she heard a phone ring.

It was Boss Qi’s phone, which had been silent for several days.

After confiscating Boss Qi’s phone last time, she hadn’t thrown it away, feeling it might be useful.

She immediately pressed the answer key.

She had expected the other party to speak first, but the line was completely silent.

Half a minute of silence passed.

"Boss Qi is already dead..." Chen Xing knew the other party wasn’t going to speak first, so she spoke coolly.

An ethereal electronic voice replied, "I figured as much."

Chen Xing’s brow twitched. ’The Research Institute again, as expected.’

The electronic voice was identical to the one from He Yu’an’s phone call. Although both were digitally altered, the intonation was the same.

Chen Xing raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery on her delicate face as she asked, "You figured as much, but you still called? Are you trying to tell me you’re from the Research Institute?"

"..."

Although she couldn’t see the person on the other end, Chen Xing could clearly sense a flicker of surprise.

After a long pause, the voice finally spoke. "How did you know Boss Qi was connected to the Research Institute?"

"Because the security measures at Boss Qi’s factory were specifically designed to prevent a zombie outbreak! And the only ones who could have known about the zombie virus in advance would be you, the Research Institute!"

Thinking of how the Research Institute had once used her as a lab rat, Chen Xing’s eyes turned icy. "I’ve answered your question. Now it’s your turn to answer mine. What does ’00007’ mean?"

"Your designation number."

Chen Xing was speechless. ’So cunning!’

’That was a stupid question to ask.’

But it was too late for regrets. The other party had no intention of giving her another chance. "I hear you’re going to the North Sea. I hope you make it back in one piece." With that, they hung up.

For some reason, Chen Xing detected a hint of excitement in the electronic voice, as if they were waiting for a good show to start.