The Apocalypse Took Everything, This Time I Hoard It All First

Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Attending the Banquet

The group followed Kyle Keith, filing into the exclusive elevator.

The elevator was spacious, easily accommodating over a dozen people.

Upon arriving at the 91st floor, they stepped out into the corridor of the revolving restaurant. Vintage oil paintings lined both sides of the hallway, and a thick carpet covered the floor, muffling all background noise.

A lean, capable-looking man in a black casual suit stood outside the private dining room. Seeing the group, he immediately stepped forward to greet them with a respectful tone. "Please come in, everyone. I’m Clayton Churchill, vice-captain of Endless Squad. I’ve been waiting here specifically for you."

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Clayton, the group entered the private room. The interior design was a seamless blend of modern luxury and natural, traditional charm. A light gray leather sofa encircled a round lounge area, and an antique tea table sat to the side, exuding classical elegance from every detail.

In the center of the room sat a lavish, deep black dining table. Its surface, polished to a mirror finish from a single solid slab of marble, was surrounded by ornately carved dining chairs capable of seating at least twenty people at once.

Kyle exchanged a few hushed words with the hotel manager, instructing him to arrange for the food to be served as soon as possible.

The manager nodded in compliance and bowed as he backed out of the room, his movements both respectful and brisk.

A beautiful and elegant waitress poured tea for everyone. The tea was clear, and curling tendrils of steam rose off its surface, releasing a faint, refreshing orchid fragrance that lifted their spirits.

Vanessa Stone, who stood beside Kyle, spoke up first. She offered the group a gentle smile and said, "Hello everyone, I’m Vanessa Stone, a member of Endless Squad with a Second Order Healing Ability. It’s a pleasure to meet you all."

As she spoke, she purposefully directed a friendly gaze at Luna Dawson. However, hidden deep within that gaze was a faint, imperceptible trace of scrutiny.

Miles Dawson’s eyes shifted slightly, and he discreetly glanced at Evan Olson.

The two exchanged a meaningful look, both seeing a glint of realization in the other’s eyes. This was the same woman who had come over to strike up a conversation with them back at the water plant.

Kyle smilingly took over the conversation, his tone mild. "When I was chatting with Captain Dawson on WeChat earlier, I learned that most of your squad members are from the south. I’ve already ordered some local specialties and a few southern-style dishes in advance, but I’m not sure if they will suit everyone’s tastes.

"Please hand out the menus," he said, waving over the waitress. "Everyone, take a look and feel free to add whatever you’d like to eat."

The waitress immediately stepped forward, distributing a tablet to each person.

Luna looked at the prices on the menu and was so shocked that she couldn’t help but wonder, "If Mom and Uncle Wayne opened a restaurant like this, wouldn’t we make an absolute killing?!"

A small cold dish of sliced beef and ox tongue in chili sauce cost a whopping one thousand points. Good heavens, a single portion of her favorite roast goose was five thousand points!

That was equivalent to half a month’s property management fee for her family!

The meat dishes were outrageously expensive, but the fruits were even worse. Looking at the pictures, it was obvious they weren’t even very fresh, yet a single tangerine cost three thousand points?!

Calculating based on the bounty for Second-tier Zombies, if Miles took a slightly larger bite, he would be eating an entire Second-tier Zombie’s worth of points in one mouthful!

It was true; no matter the era, the gap between social classes was an insurmountable chasm.

Those struggling at the bottom would always be ordinary people.

Mrs. Dawson and Rhonda Dawson huddled together, swiping through the menu in absolute awe. Kevin Keane and the other men exchanged quiet glances, then looked over at Luna, who was currently lost in a daydream about striking it rich.

Realizing that the meals they normally ate at home were actually so precious, the men—all of whom had massive appetites—suddenly felt a bizarre wave of embarrassment, as if they were giant, money-devouring bottomless pits. It seemed it really wasn’t easy for Luna to provide for their entire household!

Those burning gazes almost bore holes into Luna’s forehead. Unable to ignore them, she looked up at her team members and instantly understood!

They were probably too embarrassed to order because it was too expensive. In that case, she would do it!

"We’ll have a king crab, a roast goose, and a whole roasted lamb. Captain Kessler has already ordered other dishes, so let’s stick with this for now," Luna said casually, instantly elevating the total cost of the meal to a whole new level.

She was giving them plenty of face, anyway. Since they insisted on treating her and invited her to order, she couldn’t very well refuse their good intentions.

Vanessa saw that Luna actually dared to place such an order. A single king crab cost tens of thousands of points—more than what many squads could earn in a year. A trace of resentment inevitably crept into her eyes.

The waitress’s eyes lit up upon hearing the order. She thought, "This lady is awesome!"

With an order like this, the servers would make a hefty commission from this private room!

Soon, the servers happily began bringing out the food. The dishes were rich in variety, perfect in color, aroma, and taste, filling the entire table. It was clear that Kyle was indeed showing utmost sincerity.

"Please, everyone, make yourselves at home," Kyle said with a smile, deliberately placing a piece of Typhoon Shelter-style crab leg onto Luna’s plate.

Luna thanked him, picked it up, and took a bite. "Mhm! This is really good. It’s just as delicious as the ones Uncle Wayne makes," she praised sincerely.

Suddenly put on the spot, Wayne Dawson couldn’t help but cough awkwardly. "This was made by a five-star chef. How could I possibly compare?"

"Grandpa makes the best food in the world," Hector chimed in, continuing to shower him with flattery.

"Oh? Uncle Dawson is also a chef?" Kyle asked, casually picking up some food as he joined the conversation.

Luna swallowed the meat in her mouth and turned to look into Kyle’s eyes behind his glasses, her own eyes full of smiles. "Yes, my uncle has been a chef for decades."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the menus on the table. Tapping her fingertips absently against the tabletop, she asked with a hint of probing in her tone, "Captain Kessler, the prices for fruits on this menu are quite steep. Does the base currently have any plans to cultivate edible fruits and vegetables?"

In her previous life, she had witnessed firsthand the frantic mutation of flora and fauna during the apocalypse. Ordinary fruits and vegetables had long since gone extinct, and the mutated varieties one occasionally encountered were mostly highly toxic. Getting a bite of pure, untainted fruit had been harder than scaling the heavens, which made her genuinely curious about the base’s cultivation progress.

"Currently, the base’s cultivation research is focused on a type of mutated red pomelo," Kyle said, his voice lowering and taking on a more solemn tone. "Speaking of which, the folks over at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences aren’t having an easy time either. The mutations of plants and animals in the apocalypse follow no discernible patterns. After the snowfall that marked the beginning of the apocalypse, all the seeds and samples were infected with the virus to varying degrees. Screening, cultivating, and verifying their safety—every step feels like walking on thin ice.

"The base has to consider its long-term development; we can’t keep relying on scavenging for supplies outside forever," he added, raising a hand to push up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose as the lenses caught the dim light in the room. "The higher-ups are pushing hard, and that pressure trickles down through the ranks. Many people at the bottom can’t handle it, so naturally, there’s quite a bit of complaining."

"That sounds exhausting," Luna replied in a gentle voice, her eyes reflecting genuine agreement. "Every bit of effort your official teams put in isn’t wasted. I believe it won’t be long before you successfully screen out more edible varieties of fruits and vegetables."

"Thank you for understanding, Captain Dawson," Kyle said, the corners of his lips curving upward.

He thought to himself that this captain of the top-ranked squad couldn’t possibly be as simple and easy-going as she seemed.

With these thoughts in mind, the smile Kyle directed at Luna grew even brighter.

"Yikes!" Luna thought.

Looking at the handsome face smiling ever more gently at her, she felt a sudden chill in her heart. He looked so fake. Why did he seem so much like a refined scumbag?

Her gaze couldn’t help but drift toward Vanessa, who was sitting beside Kyle. Picking up some food, Vanessa caught Luna’s glance and somehow detected a tiny hint of pity in it...

She wondered, "Why is she pitying me?"