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There was also a backyard here, and judging by the decor, it seemed to be specifically designed for raising chickens or other poultry.
As Jiang Ci looked around, she estimated how many people she would need to bring here. After returning, she chose a quieter time to hold a staff meeting and selected a few skilled bakers and cooks to be assigned to the two new shops.
The newly opened shops naturally caught the attention of the survivors, especially the soft, pink cake shop.
As soon as the survivors saw it and caught the scent wafting from inside, they couldn’t resist stopping by.
Upon entering the cake shop, the survivors saw all the glass display cases filled with freshly baked cakes and bread.
Coffee was brewing at the counter, and the air was filled with the delightful aroma of coffee and milk tea.
As soon as they entered, the survivors couldn’t resist just looking without buying a single one of the goods. In times like these, a single slice of cake and a cup of coffee could bring them joy for most of the day.
After leaving the cake shop, the aroma from next door aggressively invaded their noses.
A small slice of cake and coffee couldn’t possibly fill their stomachs; it whetted their appetites instead. At this point, a bit of savory and tasty firewood chicken would be perfect.
Several days had passed since Jiang Ci had finished setting up the new store.
She finally had some free time to visit Shen Tao and the others.
A few days should have been enough for the people from their village to familiarize themselves with the base. When Jiang Ci arrived, she saw Shen Tao and Cai Qiang standing by the residential building, talking about something.
Seeing Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan, Shen Tao and the others came forward to greet them. Song Jinchuan, who was standing beside her, subtly took Jiang Ci’s hand in his.
“How have you been adapting these past few days?” Jiang Ci asked.
“It’s been great! Before coming here, my sister and I were worried, but now those worries seem completely unnecessary. Life here is very convenient, you can buy anything you want here,” Cai Qiang chimed in before Shen Tao could speak.
Judging by the expressions of the others, they clearly agreed with this sentiment.
“That’s good to hear,” Jiang Ci smiled.
Jiang Ci had come specifically to discuss arrangements for the villagers. For example, the ability user who was particularly skilled at farming could work in the farm, while the survivor with the ability to make clothes could join the cotton factory.
In short, every talented survivor could find a well-paying job through Jiang Ci.
Over the past few days, they had already talked to survivors working in the base or Gourmet City, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Many were starting to feel tempted.
If Jiang Ci hadn’t come to them today, they would have gone to find her first.
After making arrangements for them, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan left the base. The road from the base to the Gourmet City was bustling with survivors, either coming to or from Gourmet City.
The train station had also brought in many survivors from other cities.
Seeing such a lively scene, Jiang Ci couldn’t help but feel deeply moved. She remembered when there had only been a small hotpot shop here, yet now it had grown into such a large, well-planned Gourmet City.
As days went by, Gourmet City expanded, and the shops became more spacious. During this time, Jiang Ci went back to her world once without Song Jinchuan, just to check the store’s accounts and handle a few trivial matters. She returned to the apocalypse after a week.
Back in the apocalypse, she embarked on a new mission. The severe cold front was gradually receding, but before it completely disappeared, a massive blizzard struck. Jiang Ci stood by the window, watching the snow that almost completely obscured her view. Song Jinchuan hugged her from behind.
Because of the blizzard, she had given Gourmet City a break, so now they both had some rare leisure time. The two lovebirds, both experiencing their first relationship, became inseparable, spending almost every day together.
Jiang Ci even suspected that Song Jinchuan had some sort of skin hunger disorder, needing to be close to her at all times.
The once serious and steady man had turned into a little puppy who constantly sought her for hugs and kisses, though Jiang Ci quite liked this transformation.
In the base, there were many survivors, and some bold ones had tried to pursue her before. Previously, Song Jinchuan felt as if he had no standing to stop them, so he could only silently exude an icy aura. But now, before those people could even get close to Jiang Ci, a single frigid glare from Song Jinchuan would now send them packing.
Whenever they went out, he would grip her hand tightly, as if that would make sure everyone knew she was his. Gradually, those bold suitors disappeared, and Song Jinchuan was quite satisfied with this outcome.
pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:
It was during this heavy snowfall that the system assigned Jiang Ci a mission: to rescue trapped survivors from a base in the east. Upon completing this mission, the system would reward her with a park—and not just any park, but a completely toxin-free park with fresh air.
Not only could people breathe fresh air there, but they could also exercise. However, the usual fitness equipment would be replaced with more intense training facilities. Furthermore, this park would be freely open to all survivors.
Jiang Ci sighed and had no choice but to set out with Song Jinchuan.
After getting into the bus, Jiang Ci learned the general information about the base that they were heading to from the system.
The people of that base were utterly wicked, surviving on robbery and cannibalism. The base had originally been converted from a prison, covering a large area with a complex layout.
The system also provided Jiang Ci with a map of the terrain. After a quick glance, she realized just how complicated it was—multiple buildings, underground levels, with the topography itself looking quite intricate.
The prison walls were built very high, with sharp shards of glass embedded in them as well as an electric fence. Although the fence was likely no longer functional, the shards of glass were still a significant hindrance to their entrance.
Moreover, this base was unlike any Jiang Ci had encountered before. It was strictly managed, with patrols coming in waves almost without interruption.
Sneaking in seemed like a daunting task. Jiang Ci glanced at the map again and saw that the survivors were being held in several underground cells, meaning they would have to get inside to reach them.
After studying the map for a while, Jiang Ci only realized it was already noon when the bus came to a stop.
When she closed the map, Song Jinchuan had already laid out the food, “Come and eat before it gets cold.”
Jiang Ci nodded and sat down beside him to eat. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn’t serve herself any food. Seeing this, Song Jinchuan focused on serving her, barely eating himself.
Only after Jiang Ci had eaten her fill did he finish the now slightly cold meal.
The bus continued on its way, moving slowly due to the heavy snow. As night fell, Jiang Ci decided to set up a tent on a small patch of open ground behind the vehicle. Since it couldn’t be fully extended, the space inside was quite cramped.
Song Jinchuan didn’t mind at all. He simply held Jiang Ci as they slept through the night, waking up refreshed the next morning to continue driving.
By the afternoon of the second day, they finally arrived near the mission location.
Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan parked their car a fair distance away and observed the surroundings. Although the heavy snowfall was obstructing their vision, they could still make out the figures of survivors patrolling atop the walls.
“Let’s enter from here. I just observed that this is a blind spot, and with such heavy snow, they probably wouldn’t expect anyone to sneak in from here,” Song Jinchuan suggested. His practical experience far surpassed Jiang Ci’s, and he quickly identified the best point of entry.
Jiang Ci glanced in the direction he pointed, then studied the map before deciding to proceed from that spot.
Before they got out of the bus, Song Jinchuan carefully wrapped a scarf around her, adjusted her mask, and fitted a hat on her head. Only then did he take her hand and lead her out of the vehicle.
Even despite being fully bundled up and equipped with winter gear, Jiang Ci still felt the biting cold of the wind as soon as they stepped outside, making her reluctant to speak.
Song Jinchuan walked ahead of her, shielding her from as much of the wind as possible. Using the snowstorm and various obstacles for cover, they quickly reached their designated location.
Jiang Ci looked up at the towering wall before them. Entering now would likely alert the survivors, so they decided to wait until nightfall. Sitting in the bus would make them too conspicuous, so she took out a tent and set it up at the base of the wall. She and Song Jinchuan then crawled inside.
Once inside the tent, the harsh wind was completely blocked out. Jiang Ci shook off the snow and finally relaxed.
Song Jinchuan had already fetched warm water from the restroom for her to wash her hands and face. Although he had always been considerate, now that they were together, he had somehow become even more attentive. Jiang Ci half-joked that if he could, he’d probably even help her use the restroom so she wouldn’t have to go herself.
Still, she thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of being pampered by her boyfriend.
Seeing her obediently close her eyes as he wiped her face, Song Jinchuan’s heart softened into a puddle. He leaned down and kissed her gently.
The two slept in the tent, had dinner, and finally waited for nightfall.
When they emerged from the tent, Jiang Ci packed it up and used her black mist to create an opening in the prison gate.
As expected, this was a blind spot. There was no one around, and the fallen debris provided additional cover for them. However, while they were hidden behind the debris, they would occasionally hear the sound of footsteps and voices.
Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan hid for a while, waiting for the patrol to pass before continuing forward.
After finally reaching the first prison building, Jiang Ci used her black mist to engulf a few survivors that were standing guard, allowing them to enter.
Unlike the residential areas outside, this place exuded a sense of gloom and mould. Although the walls, which were already cracked from age, had been patched up, the decay of the place was evident.
The narrow corridor led them to an open area surrounded by circular prison cells, each with an iron door.
Judging by the disarray, it seemed the survivors had been living in these cells.
There was a faint light up ahead, indicating that electricity was still available.
With quite a few people around, they couldn’t simply walk out in the open. Song Jinchuan threw a fireball into the area, causing chaos, and they took advantage of the confusion to slip inside.
The entrance to the basement was at the end of the corridor ahead, behind a door. As they walked down the hallway, Jiang Ci noticed many survivors running toward them. The narrow corridor left no room for them on either side to hide.
the translator has nothing to add ◡̈
