Chapter 86: Dinner

“@e, Big Bro, the water’s over here! Everyone come quickly and have some water.”

R Si Yu poured water into the cups for everyone. Xia Han took a big gulp and sighed in satisfaction, “Ah, that’s good! Can we really drink as much as we want?”

“I just went to check the kitchen. I don’t know where the water’s connected to, but as soon as you turn on the tap, water comes out. There doesn’t seem to be any restrictions, so yeah, drink as much as you want!”

Hearing this, the group started chattering excitedly. Drinking water was a real luxury in the apocalypse. Except for water-ability users, everyone’s daily ration was strictly limited—just enough to keep from dying of thirst.

But now, right in front of them, there was a huge pot of water, and they could drink as much as they liked. It felt almost unreal.

W Yu said, “Let’s finish off this pot, everyone! Drink up while you can!”

The water tasted different from what ability users could create, so there must be a clean water source in the base. Since the boss said they could drink as much as they wanted, that meant he saw them as his own people.

Maybe that’s why the boss cared so much about the base’s security.

R Ya Ru nudged her younger brother and said, “Xiao Yu, after you put your things down, head back for now. Go see if there’s anything else you can help with in the kitchen. Since Sister Sang asked me to take over washing the vegetables, I’m sure there’s plenty to do.”

R Si Yu nodded quickly, “Okay, Sis, I’ll go. You take care of yourself, okay? There’s a lot of meat and vegetables in the kitchen. I don’t know if they’re for us, but I don’t think the boss would treat us badly.”

He was thrilled—there was food, and meat!

There weren’t many people in the base yet, so he wondered if, as long as he did his part, he’d get a share of all this food.

Gao Qiu said, “Your name’s Xiao Yu, right? I’m Gao Qiu, from Shangjing. Could you show my younger brother the way to the kitchen? Before the apocalypse, he was a chef, so he’s good at cooking!”

R Si Yu nodded, “Sure, no problem! I’ll take him over. Big Bro, do you need me to help with anything else?”

W Yu said, “I’ll go too. My name’s W Yu. I’ll help out in the kitchen as well. I’m not a chef, but I can lend a hand.”

“Me too!”

“Alright, let’s go!”

After memorizing their names, R Si Yu led the group toward the kitchen.

W Yu was already feeling full just from drinking water.

Originally, Sang Chu had planned to help out in the kitchen, but she hadn’t expected that these people would be so eager to pitch in.

Watching her family members drag a certain ability user back to sit at the table, his eyes glued to the food, Sang Chu couldn’t help but laugh.

Even though she was anxious, it seemed she couldn’t do much for him, so after handing things over, she finally relaxed. She hadn’t expected everyone to be so generous!

Looking at him, slumped and listless but with eyes shining at the food, Grandma Lin smiled and said, “Alright, let’s eat! Is everyone here?”

R Si Yu had already gotten to know almost everyone. He checked the rooms and, after making sure everyone was accounted for, said, “Grandma, Yi-ge and his brother are still in their room. Yi-ge said to go ahead and eat.”

Sang Jingwen said, “Then let’s start eating. I’ll take some food to A-Yi later. Auntie isn’t feeling well, so…”

Before he could finish, Yu and Yi had already helped Aunt Xiu Ying over. “Sorry to keep everyone waiting.”

Sang Jingwen asked, “Auntie, are you feeling better?”

She only remembered sleeping for a long time, and seeing Sang Jingwen’s concern, she smiled weakly, “Much better, thank you for worrying. Don’t keep everyone waiting—let’s eat.”

She sat down next to Sang Jingwen, feeling a little embarrassed as everyone looked at her.

R Si Yu said, “Auntie, we’re all family here, no need to be polite. There’s plenty for everyone. Please, sit!”

He was clearly trying to curry favor, which Xia Han noticed and secretly despised, thinking he was just a bootlicker. But she kept her head down, and the emotion in her eyes was fleeting.

Xia Ru’s personality matched his name—gentle and refined. Even though his clothes were ragged and he looked a bit disheveled, he still maintained his composure:

“What Xiao Yu said just now was a bit much, but he spoke my mind. Since the apocalypse, what we all want most is a sense of belonging and security. I may not have any abilities, but at least I’m healthy. Maybe I can’t contribute much, but I truly want to make this place my home. The boss is really generous. When people are of one mind, anything is possible. Sang Chu, thank you for letting me join this family.”

Xia Ru’s voice was pleasant, a bit hoarse but magnetic, making people feel at ease.

Sang Chu said, “No need to be so polite. As long as everyone follows the rules, Taoyuan Base will always welcome you.”

Sang Jingwen added, “I’ll go over the base rules with everyone later. For now, let’s eat—don’t let the food get cold!”

Grandma said, “Yes, yes, let’s eat! All this was cooked by A-Zhe and his wife. He’s a real chef, so it’s delicious. Xiao Qi, eat more meat!”

Bai Yuqi sat next to Grandma, holding a big drumstick, his mouth covered in oil.

Seeing him sneak bites, Grandma paused, then put more meat in his bowl, “Eat up, don’t worry. There’s plenty more for you.”

“Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!”

He’d been caught sneaking food and was a little embarrassed, but after Grandma’s encouragement, he grinned and dug in. Luckily, there was plenty of meat, so he could eat his fill.

……

Meeting Room Upstairs

Sang Chu, Sang Jingwen, and the five other ability users were all present.

Lu Min handed out the base’s rules and regulations. Sitting at the head of the table, Sang Chu spoke first:

“Everyone, I don’t want to be harsh, but without rules, nothing can be accomplished. If we want the base to develop long-term, we need to follow certain rules. You’ve probably already noticed that our base is different from others.”

W Yu asked, “Boss, does the base really have a clean water source?”

That was what he wanted to know most. Sang Chu nodded, “Yes, but not much. In the future, I’ll need to recruit some water-ability users. Of course, we need other abilities too. If you have any recommendations, let me know, but make sure they’re trustworthy.”

She tapped the table, “Ability users need to manage their own family and personal matters. If anyone is found to be disloyal, or has suspicious contact with outsiders, they’ll be expelled—ability user or not. If your family is involved, they’ll be expelled too. No exceptions!”"