A Grand Barbecue Feast

Chen Qingqing happily followed Jiang Chu out.

"Are there still fresh vegetables at a time like this?" Chen Qingqing asked.

Jiang Chu lowered her voice to explain, "Before the zombies besieged the city, a fleet of heavy trucks left the base every day to gather supplies. The safe zone is well-located; there are two food factories and a small cannery within a fifty-kilometer radius. Since the base itself was established by the official government, it wasn't difficult to stockpile the freshest ingredients before the apocalypse. There are also villages near the food factories where vegetables can be harvested, and they are easy to preserve in this extreme cold. Handing some out as compensation is perfectly reasonable."

Chen Qingqing nodded in understanding.

Such a large amount of food would definitely be delivered to their door in the dead of night. If other survivors saw it, it would cause unnecessary conflict.

There were seven people in the elevator, chatting excitedly. Seeing them come up from the second floor, they were a bit surprised, but most of them began to flatter and curry favor with Jiang Chu, the ice-type ability user.

Jiang Chu brushed it off with a faint smile and didn't say much.

Someone grumbled, "They only give us this little bit of food every day. I haven't had a full meal in nearly a month. I've lost almost thirty pounds. If this keeps up, I won't even look human anymore."

Right after, another woman sighed, "We should be grateful to even have this. In the outer zone, people fight over food every day, and their rations are far worse than ours."

"Look at your phones. On social media now, survivors have almost completely vanished. Some didn't die from zombie bites, but starved to death. I'm just afraid the base will stop giving us even this much."

Chen Qingqing couldn't help but nod in agreement, chiming in.

Jiang Chu swept her gaze over them. Everyone in the elevator was pale and emaciated from hunger. The prolonged malnutrition made them look listless, their eyes hollow and unfocused. Even Chen Qingqing's face had shrunk by a round.

Back in their room, it was time for a meal. Jiang Chu pulled a box of sliced beef belly, a pound of beef, half a pound of lettuce, a small box of enoki mushrooms, and a plate of chicken wings out of her space.

Seeing her mysteriously produce so many items in the room, Chen Qingqing's eyes widened in shock. "This is..."

Jiang Chu gestured for her to be quiet and placed the ingredients on the table.

"Don't ask anything. We'll have barbecue for lunch and hotpot for dinner. Don't go out today if you don't have to. Close the windows and doors tightly so the aroma doesn't drift out and attract unwanted attention."

Chen Qingqing was utterly astonished, guessing that since it was the apocalypse, all kinds of strange abilities were bound to appear. As for where this delicious food came from, if Jiang Chu didn't say, she wouldn't ask. Getting to eat it was what mattered most.

With a face full of pleasant surprise, she tightly shut the windows and checked them again, fearing they might be discovered.

She proactively took the ingredients into the kitchen to wash and slice them.

Since Chen Qingqing was tight-lipped, Jiang Chu felt at ease with her. She then brought out an electric grill.

Chen Qingqing brought out the sliced ingredients, staring in delight at the mouthwatering beef and sliced beef belly. She used to dislike vegetables, but now, in her eyes, they were as precious as a royal feast.

The two sat down and began to grill the meat.

The beef was fresh and juicy, making even Jiang Chu's mouth water. After brushing a bit of oil on the grill, she laid the meat down, adding some cumin and chili powder. The aroma burst forth instantly, satisfying their senses.

Chen Qingqing wrapped a piece of grilled meat in a lettuce leaf and popped it into her mouth. The combination of lettuce and grilled meat was a match made in heaven, so delicious she felt she could swallow her own tongue.

She chewed happily, so excited her words stumbled, "It's been so long since I've had such fragrant meat! One bite down, and my stomach feels so warm!"

Jiang Chu sipped some coconut water. "Finish all of this for lunch. I'm going out this afternoon."

With her mouth slick with grease, Chen Qingqing heard Jiang Chu say she was going out and said hesitantly, "I saw everyone forming teams today. The zombies outside the base are growing in number; we can even hear them from the transit station. If the defensive barrier fails and they breach it, we might have to risk fleeing into the mountains."

Jiang Chu nodded thoughtfully. "If that day really comes, the high-ranking officials and soldiers will definitely know before we do. I'll ask around when I go out this afternoon."

If a base was breached by zombies, it meant at least ninety percent of the humans inside would face death, and the zombie horde would expand because of it, leaving the survivors to face an even greater crisis.

This meal was exceptionally satisfying.

Jiang Chu and Chen Qingqing cleaned up the mess, washed off the smell of smoke, and went out fully armed.

The base was blanketed in white snow. Within a hundred meters of the transit station, there was a fence at a small fork in the road. After she stated her intention to visit Zhao Jingyao, the guarding soldiers received confirmation and opened the gate.

"Go forty meters inside and turn left. The first villa is the medical building."

Jiang Chu followed the paved stone path to the medical building, which was a white, Western-style villa.

Inside, people were coming and going in an orderly fashion. Jiang Chu asked around and found out that Zhao Jingyao was in the first room on the second floor, so she walked up unhurriedly.

This place had clearly been converted into a small hospital. Unlike the injured from the nearby villages in the scenic area, this place absolutely did not treat ordinary people.

She knocked three times.

A slightly deep, raspy male voice sounded, like gravel scraping together, "Come in."

Jiang Chu pushed the door open. It was a room of about thirty square meters, converted into a double ward. The bed closest to the door was empty, while Zhao Jingyao lay on the bed near the window. The doctor was checking his condition, giving a few instructions before walking out.

Zhao Jingyao's wounds seemed to be healing well. His arm was bandaged, and he wore hospital clothes. The heater was on in the room, and his eyes, usually sharp, held a trace of rare laziness. He leaned back and sat up, pointing to the empty chair next to him.

"Sit."

Jiang Chu withdrew her gaze, placed his voice recorder and crystal nuclei on the bed, and cleared her throat. "Officer Zhao looks to be in good shape, and the environment here isn't bad either—perfect for recovery."

Zhao Jingyao glanced at his bag of crystal nuclei and curled his lips into a soft smile, revealing a row of neat, white teeth. "Thanks to you, I managed to keep my life."

Jiang Chu smiled faintly, pausing for a few seconds to find a topic. "Is this place a dedicated hospital for military personnel and officials?"

Zhao Jingyao nodded gently, hesitated for a moment as if thinking of something, and said, "Yes, most of the patients are regular soldiers and injured survivors."

He quietly observed Jiang Chu, and after a moment, added, "The base won't be assigning new missions for a while, so you can train and rest in peace. By the way, I heard you met Dr. X?"

Their official statements didn't include the part where Jiang Chu revealed her ability.

Jiang Chu's trip was originally to gather information. Seeing Zhao Jingyao bring it up himself, she nodded politely. "I did. Dr. X initially wanted to use me for experiments, but the base riot forced him to stop. Is Dr. X alright?"

She had left so openly back then. Under normal circumstances, the base would definitely question her after the riot. The fact that no one had approached her yet was highly likely due to Qin Yan's people covering it up.