Category: Running a Hotpot Restaurant in a Post-Apocalyptic World

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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As he spoke, the other survivors in the room pricked up their ears, eager to see if Wang Dong could get anything from Lin Fei and to find out what that delicious smell was.

After a moment, the door cracked open, and Wang Dong, overjoyed, quickly slipped inside.

About five minutes later, the door opened again, and Wang Dong emerged under the watchful eyes of everyone. The dim light made it hard to see his expression, but he seemed to be in a good mood.

“What was that woman eating? Did she share any with you?” one of the survivors couldn’t resist asking, curiosity getting the better of him.

“No, I just said a couple of words and came out. I didn’t see anything,” Wang Dong shook his head, making the other survivors unsure about whether he was telling the truth or not. At this moment, Wang Dong hadn’t yet realized that a deep rift had already formed in the trust between him and his teammates.

In the dead of night, the survivors fell asleep, overwhelmed by exhaustion.

At this time, Wang Dong silently got up from the team and walked out of the clinic building.

He was going to retrieve supplies. Earlier, he had entered Lin Fei’s room and poured out his feelings and longing to her. She seemed moved by his words as he painted himself as pitiful. Lin Fei had told him where she had hidden the supplies, instructing him to go and get something to eat.

Wang Dong was overjoyed. Naturally, he had no intention of sharing with his teammates, so he took a flashlight and sneaked out alone under the cover of night.

Lost in the excitement of soon obtaining the supplies, he didn’t notice the shadow following behind him.

The place Lin Fei had mentioned wasn’t far from the clinic—it was behind a hotel building, a former freezer that had once stored frozen food. After the power went out, the freezer had lost its original purpose, and was now in disarray

Wang Dong wasn’t completely reckless. He was extra cautious as he entered, but just as Lin Fei had said, the zombies and mutated beasts in the freezer had already been cleared out. In the corner, there were several boxes that looked out of place.

Those must be the supplies. Wang Dong happily walked toward them, but before he could get close, he was suddenly enveloped in a mass of water, leaving only his head exposed.

Wang Dong’s heart sank. Had he encountered a superhuman?

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:

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he saw a dark figure walk in through the door.

As the figure approached, he finally saw who it was—Lin Fei?! After all these years, she had become a superhuman.

Wang Dong’s impression of Lin Fei was still stuck to the lovely girl from years ago who always loved to laugh.

“Lin Fei, what are you doing?” Wang Dong’s voice grew tense involuntarily.

“What am I doing? Wang Dong, you really are a forgetful person,” Lin Fei sneered, placing the lamp beside her. She pulled a box over and sat down in front of Wang Dong.

“Let’s talk this out. Look, among the people we knew, only the two of us are left. Shouldn’t we rely on each other? I’ll take good care of you from now on,” Wang Dong said, a hint of fear creeping into his heart. At this moment, he finally remembered at such an inappropriate time, how he had once taken advantage of Lin Fei going out to search for supplies, ungratefully taking the food from her home without even a second thought for the elderly couple’s pleas. He even seemed to have kicked each of them once.

That kick had been heavy, and had hit them right in the chest. Wang Dong had heard their cries of pain, but hadn’t looked back. He grabbed the food and ran to the woman waiting for him outside.

He didn’t have any other choice. Lin Fei was too weak, and with two elderly parents at home, they would only hold him back.

What he didn’t know was that his two kicks had landed in vital spots, causing the two relatively healthy elders to suddenly fall ill and become bedridden. The pressure of caring for them then fell entirely on Lin Fei’s shoulders. With no supplies and her parents in critical condition, she had to suppress her own fear and venture out every day to search for supplies and medicine.

In a short period of time, Lin Fei had lost a significant amount of weight, becoming almost skin and bones.

The two elders watched this with pain in their hearts.

Then, one day, when Lin Fei went out again to search for supplies, she returned to find her parents had turned into zombies.

They were wandering aimlessly within the community, their eyes rolled back, unaware of their surroundings. Their bodies were stained with blood. Her father’s head had a gaping large hole, to the point where Lin Fei could almost see the brain matter inside. Her mother’s condition was even worse, with bite wounds all over her body.

At that moment, Lin Fei’s entire psyche seemed to split into two parts. One part was still clearly analyzing her parents’ wounds, while the other kept telling her that this wasn’t real, that this was just a nightmare.

It wasn’t until Lin Fei returned home and saw the letter her parents had left that she understood how, after she left, her parents had resolutely opened the door and gone downstairs, hoping to use this suicidal act to buy her a little hope for survival.

After reading the letter, Lin Fei collapsed to the ground and didn’t wake up until three days later. When she did, she was so hungry that she devoured the supplies she had brought back three days ago. Only then did she realize, belatedly, that she had gained abilities—dual abilities, in fact.

“You won’t gain anything from this. If my teammates find out I’m missing, they’ll definitely suspect you did it,” Wang Dong was still rambling on, but Lin Fei’s mind was entirely filled with the image of her parents’ lifeless faces after they died, their pupils white.

Her fingertips twitched slightly, and water instantly enveloped Wang Dong’s head.

Lin Fei’s eyes held a faint chill. “Couldn’t you tell what I was doing earlier? Do you think they’ll still save you now?”

In the post-apocalyptic world, unless it was forged through a life-and-death bond, trust between ordinary teammates is the most fragile. She was a lone wolf, and although she had abilities, she still feared bringing herself endless trouble. So she had devised a plan to sow discord among them, which seemed to have worked quite well.

It was unclear whether Wang Dong heard her words, as his face turned red from holding his breath underwater.

In the next moment, the once gentle water suddenly turned into sharp blades, slicing through Wang Dong’s flesh piece by piece.

Lin Fei sat on a crate, watching as Wang Dong struggled violently within her ability. The once clear water gradually turned deep red with blood. Eventually, Wang Dong’s frantic struggles ceased as he lay lifeless.

At that moment, Lin Fei felt as if the heavy stone pressing on her heart had been punctured, the long-accumulated hatred and tension slowly beginning to dissipate.

Early the next morning, the survivors noticed Wang Dong was missing, and after searching around, found no trace of him.

At that moment, Lin Fei emerged from her room, saying that some of her supplies were missing and asking if anyone had seen them.

The survivors quickly shook their heads, and upon hearing Lin Fei’s words, they immediately thought of the missing Wang Dong, immediately assuming that he really was despicable for stealing her supplies and running away.

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everybody type womp womp for wang dong

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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Whenever she thought about that time, Lin Fei’s heart would ache unbearably. One of the reasons she had clung so desperately to staying alive in this world was to find Wang Dong and avenge her parents.

But the world was vast, and after wandering alone for so long, she had never encountered him—until now, after ten long years.

Lin Fei’s fingers that were curled inside her sleeves, twitched slightly before she restrained herself and clenched them tightly. She took a deep breath, maintaining her composure. They had finally crossed paths.

Because her mask was soaked with sweat, she hadn’t been wearing it, allowing Wang Dong to recognize her so easily.

Due to her abilities, Lin Fei’s face hadn’t changed much, though it had darkened a bit from exposure to the elements, giving her a more heroic appearance.

In contrast, Wang Dong looked like the most ordinary survivor. His once somewhat handsome face was now distorted by bulging muscles, and it was clear from his clothes and the tattered, deflated backpack he carried that he hadn’t been living well.

Ten years had passed, and Wang Dong had almost forgotten about what he had done back then. Over the years, he had taken many lives, and his memories had long since become distorted. Naturally, he never imagined that Lin Fei would harbour thoughts of killing him.

“It really is you, Little Fei!” Wang Dong’s eyes welled up with tears as if he were seeing a long-lost relative.

Lin Fei’s guess had been quite accurate, as Wang Dong hadn’t been doing well. He was at the bottom of the hierarchy at his base, with weak abilities and little contribution. It was to the point where almost anyone could order him around.

“Wang Dong,” Lin Fei’s voice was hoarse, and Wang Dong failed to detect the hatred hidden within it.

Wang Dong was with a small team, which included an ability user. Their mission this time didn’t seem too difficult, so there hadn’t brought many people out.

Wang Dong quickly stepped forward to Lin Fei’s side, attempting to grab her hand, but Lin Fei dodged him swiftly.

“I never expected to see you here. I’ve been looking for you all these years. Which base are you at now?” Wang Dong fired off a series of questions, but none were answered.

His gaze lingered on Lin Fei, noticing that she was well-dressed and her backpack was full, indicating she was doing well. His eyes darted around calculatingly, but in truth, he had long forgotten about Lin Fei. Now, he was merely looking for someone to support him.

From his faint memories, he seemed to recall that the two of them had once been quite close.

“Wang Dong, is this your friend?” one of Wang Dong’s teammates asked, curious about the relationship between Wang Dong and Lin Fei.

After all, everyone knew that Wang Dong was one of Li Na’s acknowledged lovers in the base. Li Na was a superhuman and a heavyweight figure in the base. Despite her nearly 400-pound weight, many men were willing to follow her, with Wang Dong being one of them.

Li Na had a terrible temper. Although Wang Dong no longer held her favour, her possessiveness was strong. Once, one of her lovers had flirted with another woman in the base and was beaten to death by Li Na. If she found out her man was being affectionate with another woman outside, Wang Dong’s life would likely be in danger.

“She’s a friend, an old friend,” Wang Dong seemed to realize something, his tone shifting, and his eyes avoiding direct contact.

Lin Fei knew his character all too well. She let out a cold laugh and turned to walk into the clinic.

She wouldn’t act now; after all, she couldn’t let him die too easily.

“Can we join you?” a survivor called out to Lin Fei’s back. After all, Lin Fei had discovered this place first, and there was an unspoken rule of first come, first served.

“Sure,” Lin Fei’s tone was casual, as if it didn’t matter to her whether the survivors joined or not.

Wang Dong and his team were also looking for a place to stay. After some discussion, they followed Lin Fei inside.

Meanwhile, Wang Dong was already concocting a scenario in his mind where Lin Fei still loved him. He felt a mix of pride and hope. If Lin Fei was doing well, he could benefit from it and perhaps even escape the clutches of that morbidly obese woman with peculiar tastes in the base.

Lin Fei, preoccupied with the hidden thoughts in her heart, grew increasingly silent. After entering the clinic, she killed a few zombies lurking in the shadows, cleared out a room, and then locked herself inside.

The others, sensing her desire for solitude, instinctively avoided that room and searched for other spaces instead.

Everyone habitually began by scavenging for supplies in the rooms. Wang Dong, harbouring a bit of his own agenda, separated from the group and entered a room alone, which happened to be next to Lin Fei’s.

Inside, there were only a few dilapidated chairs and nothing else. Just then, a teammate outside asked if anyone had found anything. Wang Dong shouted back that he hadn’t.

But the next second, as his companions entered the room, several bottles of water suddenly appeared on the previously empty floor.

At that moment, the way his teammates looked at Wang Dong changed. He was at a loss for words—it had been empty just moments ago. Could he have been so distracted that he missed them?

Lin Fei, who had overheard everything from her room, curled her lips into a cold smile.

After that, bottles of nutrient solution, second-level crystal cores, and other small supplies kept appearing mysteriously around Wang Dong. After experiencing this several times, Wang Dong no longer dared to act alone, but his teammates had clearly already lost their trust in him.

Wang Dong racked his brain but couldn’t figure out what was going on. It was so strange, as if something supernatural was at play.

Lin Fei sat on the floor of her room, twirling a small knife between her fingers. Her gaze drifted out the window, lost in thought.

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:

After tidying up a room, the group settled down to rest not far from Lin Fei.

Wang Dong kept trying to talk to Lin Fei, but received no response. The room remained completely silent from start to finish.

As the sky grew darker, just as they were about to consume their nutrient solutions to fill their stomachs, a rich, tantalizing aroma of food suddenly began to permeate the clinic.

Spicy, savory, and mouthwatering—the smell was both unfamiliar and familiar. It took the survivors a while to realize that it resembled the scent of hotpot.

They looked around, searching for the source, and eventually traced the aroma to the room where Lin Fei was staying. What on earth was she eating that smelled so incredible?

The survivors exchanged glances, swallowing their saliva. Several times, they were tempted to knock on the door, but it was clear that Lin Fei wanted nothing to do with them. In the end, they could only leave with regret.

Only Wang Dong remained at the door, his eyes filled with delight. It was just as he had suspected—Lin Fei was clearly doing very well.

Wang Dong deliberately lowered his voice and knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” Lin Fei’s slightly hoarse voice came through the door.

“It’s me. I wanted to talk. After all, it’s been so many years since we last met, hasn’t it?” Wang Dong replied.

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dog man!

i’ve been so unproductive i was supposed to finish translating the whole novel by end of september but i took a week off and QAQ still on chapter 90

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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“I saw it with my own eyes, that warehouse is piled high with water, and the survivors came with trucks to move it!” one of the bald men said excitedly to his teammates.

“Is the warehouse also part of the hotpot restaurant? This boss is really something, able to get so many supplies. Could she have some sort of powerful backing?” 

“That’s why the boss sent our Shark Squad to scout the area,” said a survivor with hair so long it covered his eyes. His fingers moved slightly, and an invisible night breeze wrapped around his fingertips.

With a flick, a small whirlwind formed at his fingertips and moved forward, carving a trench in the road, demonstrating its power.

“Third Brother, see if you can use your psychic ability to check out the situation over there,” the bald man said to the survivor beside him.

The crew-cut man next to the bald man closed his eyes, seemingly sensing something. After a while, he raised his head, his face pale. “No, it seems there’s a more powerful psychic ability user over there blocking me.”

Hearing this, the group’s expressions grew more serious. The crew-cut man was almost a level seven psychic ability user and rarely encountered opponents that could be his match during missions. But now, there was someone so much stronger than him.

Not only could they block his investigation, but they also seemed to have caused him to trigger some sort of backlash.

Although they had assumed that such a force must be formidable, they hadn’t expected it to be this complicated. Despite the Black Eagle Base even dispatching their omnipotent abilities squad, they still found it this challenging.

“Let’s check out the warehouse first and leave the hotpot restaurant for later,” they decided. Since the hotpot restaurant was so mysterious, they didn’t dare to act rashly.

The crew-cut guy used his psychic ability to scan the area for a moment and found that it was just an ordinary warehouse, seemingly with nothing special.

After informing the other survivors in the team, they unanimously decided to head to the warehouse. Even if they couldn’t get any food supplies, fetching some water to report back would still be a decent outcome.

The group stealthily moved towards the warehouse.

The crew-cut guy enveloped his teammates with his psychic ability, reducing their presence.

“It’s strange how there’s no zombies or mutated beasts around this hotpot restaurant,” the bald guy remarked.

“Let’s be careful. Whoever’s able to run a hotpot restaurant here is clearly no ordinary person,” the bald team captain, emphasized.

When they reached the warehouse, they prepared to use their abilities to open the warehouse door.

The moment they approached, Jiang Ci was awakened by the system, which alerted her to the fact that there were intruders near the warehouse.

Jiang Ci opened the newly added warehouse section on her personal panel, and the live feed from the warehouse was immediately transmitted to her.

The warehouse door was glowing with various colors as the survivors at the door attempted to use their abilities to open it.

But despite their efforts, they couldn’t even leave a single scratch on it. What seemed like an ordinary iron door to the survivors turned out to be inexplicably impenetrable.

Jiang Ci remained completely calm, watching them struggle in vain for half an hour.

After watching for a while and finding it rather uninteresting, Jiang Ci finally activated the voice chat feature.

The sudden voice startled the ability-users, putting them on high alert from their head to their toes. However, they couldn’t figure out where the voice was coming from.

Given the limited electricity resources post-apocalypse, they hadn’t even considered the possibility of a voice system.

Realizing they had been discovered and seeing no one around, they naturally chose to flee the scene.

It was the first time since the formation of this omnipotent team of ability users that they had been in such a sorry state.

However, the reason they had survived this long in the apocalypse was that they weren’t completely reckless or inflexible.

After the ability users left, Jiang Ci watched the live feed for a while longer. Seeing no further movement, she closed her personal panel and went back to sleep.

*

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at Li Qiang’s base was grim. While other bases returned fully loaded with thousands of boxes of mineral water, they had come back empty-handed.

A rival base which had always been at odds with them, drove several fully loaded trucks around their base entrance, making their mockery particularly obvious.

The base leader was furious, his face turning green with anger as he vented all his rage on Li Qiang. Normally, he turned a blind eye to Li Qiang’s bullying for the sake of his wife, but to think that now such an important matter had been botched by him!

Li Qiang was severely scolded, with all his authority and privileges stripped away. The villa he had been living in was taken back, and he was assigned a small room that was to be shared with over a dozen people.

Those who had been bullied by Li Qiang naturally took the opportunity to vent their anger now that he had fallen from grace.

Seeing her brother suffer, Li Juan, the base leader’s wife, couldn’t bear it and tried to plead with her husband. But this time, no amount of pleading would work.

The base leader was still racking his brains over how to restore relations with the hotpot restaurant, having no time to attend to his wife’s feelings.

Li Qiang had been beaten up badly, his body aching all over. His woman and his lackeys had all deserted him. Although he was filled with regret, there was already no turning back now.

*

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:

Jiang Ci slept straight through until dawn. She had been so exhausted yesterday that her wrists were still sore when she woke up.

“When can we hire an employee?” Jiang Ci got up early to prepare the ingredients, once again going through the tedious, repetitive, and monotonous process.

[Maybe after the host completes the mission, there might be an option for an employee in the lottery wheel. Keep it up, host,] the system dangled a piece of bait in front of Jiang Ci, and for the time being, she had no choice but to latch onto it firmly.

After cleaning up and slicing a few plates of fatty beef and potatoes, survivors started arriving. Jiang Ci spotted an old acquaintance, Chen Xiaoyu, the healing ability user she had met before.

This time, it seemed Chen Xiaoyu had joined a different team. She wasn’t the only healer in the group; there was also another woman in a red dress who appeared quite flamboyant and was also an ability user.

Compared to the quiet Chen Xiaoyu, the woman named Ai Lin was clearly much more hot-tempered, her words exuding a hint of arrogance. However, she seemed quite different from the impression Jiang Ci had overheard about her.

“I don’t want to eat at the same table as you all. You go over there. I’ll sit by myself,” Ai Lin said haughtily to the survivors as soon as she entered. “Xiaoyu, come sit with me.”

Chen Xiaoyu nodded and went to sit next to Ai Lin.

When Jiang Ci brought over the dishes, she overheard Ai Lin saying to Chen Xiaoyu, “You healed her just because she asked you to? Was that small injury even worth wasting your ability on? You’re too soft-hearted. Don’t forget, you’re an ability user. From now on, you stick with me. Don’t be such a pushover, like a lump of dough.”

Chen Xiaoyu’s face turned red as she nodded.

Although Jiang Ci didn’t know what had happened, she felt that Ai Lin seemed quite different from the impression described by the survivors.

Soon, the restaurant was packed full.

Jiang Ci hadn’t expected that among the first group of survivors today, the only two who helped her complete the task mission were Chen Xiaoyu and Ai Lin.

Although both of them looked delicate and frail, they actually ate quite a lot. In the end, they even packed some to take back for their friends and family. Together, they spent a total of 100,000 points.

Jiang Ci’s mission was finally half-complete.

This first group of survivors seemed to act as a trigger, as more and more survivors gathered outside the restaurant. Some even started arguing over who would get in first.

Jiang Ci had to put down her work and go out to intervene. Fortunately, the survivors still gave Jiang Ci some face, and when they were arguing, they suddenly felt an immense pressure—real pressure that made it hard for them to breathe.

Seeing their state, Jiang Ci’s gaze immediately fell on the closed bedroom door. The system had said the hotpot restaurant didn’t have this function, so it must have been Hui Hui’s doing.

She no longer felt any of her initial fear towards Hui Hui and was even grateful that she had accepted Hui Hui and her children back then. This was no terrifying mutated beast; it was a warm and considerate companion.

After the external conflicts were resolved, Jiang Ci returned to the kitchen.

These past two days, Jiang Ci had been eagerly anticipating having a helper in the shop. The booming business had become a source of worry for her.

The survivors outside had initially been on edge, constantly vigilant, fearing the appearance of zombies and mutated beasts. However, after staying here for so long, it was eerily safe. Not even the most common level one zombies or mutated beasts had shown up.

In the afternoon, some survivors who had just completed their tasks and looked utterly exhausted began to arrive.

Any survivor who had been to the hotpot restaurant was well aware of its hidden function, but everyone tacitly agreed not to spread the word. In this world, bases like the Black Eagle Base weren’t hard to find.

Part of it was also out of self-interest as well. After all, with so many people already here, if word got out about the hotpot’s effects, it would be even more impossible to get a seat, even after waiting a full day and night.

Some survivors even drove their cars over, sitting inside and enduring the agonizing wait outside the hotpot restaurant.

*

Meanwhile, Lin Fei was already in another city hundreds of kilometers away from City C. Her clothes were soaked in blood—not just hers, but also that of the mutated beasts and zombies she had encountered.

The sun was about to set, and she desperately needed to find a place to rest and change out of her bloodied clothes, or else she would attract the keen noses of mutated beasts at night.

In truth, the large mutated beasts weren’t the most terrifying, it was the small ones that were.

For example, rat beasts or ant beasts that were only the size of a fist. Once these little creatures targeted a human, they would devour them until nothing remained.

After walking a bit further, Lin Fei spotted a standalone clinic. The door was wide open, but it didn’t seem to have been damaged and looked quite sturdy.

After surveying the surrounding terrain, she decided to rest here.

“Lin Fei?” A voice tinged with uncertainty called out.

Lin Fei turned around and saw a very familiar face. It was Wang Dong, her once intimate lover who, after the apocalypse struck, had stolen the last of her family’s food and run away, indirectly causing the death of her parents.

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yeah i think i’d rather face a mutant snake over a swarm of mutant ants or rats

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

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Ten thousand boxes were naturally not a problem for Jiang Ci. The real challenge was where to store them.

[Host, a warehouse has been detected near the hotpot store. You can spend ten thousand points to turn it into your warehouse. Future transactions like this can be conducted there,] the system suddenly spoke up.

Jiang Ci nodded. “That seems to be my only option. Let’s exchange it then.”

After the system deducted ten thousand points from Jiang Ci, she gained some information about the warehouse in her mind along with its specific location.

Seeing that the survivors in the hotpot store were still eating, Jiang Ci asked Sun Yong and his group to wait for a while. She then went to the warehouse assigned to her by the system.

The warehouse was indeed not too far away, just a few minutes walk. The inside appeared to have been cleaned out with nothing left behind.

Jiang Ci exchanged ten thousand boxes of mineral water from the shop, instantly filling a corner of the warehouse.

It seemed the space was quite large; it could probably hold even more if she wanted to.

The system informed Jiang Ci that the warehouse could be set to limit the quantity of items taken each time. Anything beyond that limit couldn’t be removed from the warehouse. It could also be controlled remotely via Jiang Ci’s personal panel, eliminating the need for her to personally oversee it every time.

This was incredibly convenient—the ten thousand points were truly well spent. Thinking there might be more survivors coming to buy water, Jiang Ci took out another fifty thousand boxes of mineral water and also placed them in the warehouse.

Looking at the stacked cases of mineral water in the warehouse, Jiang Ci clapped her hands in satisfaction and then turned to leave.

The warehouse door could be unlocked either with Jiang Ci’s facial recognition or remotely via her personal panel. She wouldn’t need to fear anyone picking the lock, as the warehouse, modified by the system, was as impenetrable as the hotpot store.

Returning to the hotpot store, she noticed that some survivors had finished eating. Jiang Ci went to clear the table, taking the bowls, chopsticks, and pot to the dishwasher in the kitchen.

Survivors waiting in line outside quickly entered the store to grab a seat as soon as a table was cleared.

Apart from a young survivor who was a bit fussy and complained a bit, the others were particularly patient, waiting for Jiang Ci to finish her tasks.

“Boss Jiang, do you need any help? Our base can always send survivors to work in your shop for free,” Sun Yong offered as Jiang Ci finished her work.

Jiang Ci waved her hand. “No need, thank you for your kindness but I can manage on my own.”

Sun Yong felt a bit regretful. This could have been a way to quickly strengthen the relationship between their base and the hotpot store. However, after Jiang Ci’s refusal, he didn’t pursue the topic any further.

“The ten thousand boxes of mineral water are ready in the warehouse over there. You can take your people there now. There’s also a timer at the door; just move the amount you’ve purchased as usual,” Jiang Ci said.

After agreeing, Sun Yong and his group handed over two seventh-level crystal cores and then led the survivors from their base to the warehouse Jiang Ci had pointed out.

Jiang Ci went back to the kitchen to continue chopping vegetables, though her mind was far from calm. After all, this was the first time she had received a seventh-level crystal core, which could then be converted into millions of points.

Had she suddenly become a millionaire?

“By the way, system, can these points count toward the mission? There are nine of them in total, averaging over two million points per person.” Compared to the points required for the mission, this purchase had already far exceeded the target.

Jiang Ci waited expectantly for the system’s response. After all, survivors like Lin Fei, who casually spent tens of thousands of points yesterday, were quite rare. Today, despite serving so many tables, none had reached the goal.

The system seemed to ponder for a moment before replying, [Sorry, Host, these points cannot be counted toward the mission. Only points earned from eating hotpot can be counted toward the ‘Big Eater’ mission.]

Jiang Ci sighed, despite the outcome seeming to be within her expectations.

Meanwhile, Sun Yong led the survivors to the warehouse. The warehouse door opened slowly under Jiang Ci’s remote operation.

Seeing the large stockpile of bottled water inside, Sun Yong and his group were overjoyed and immediately began directing the survivors to start moving the supplies.

“Let’s take only what we’ve paid for. We can’t betray Boss Jiang’s trust.” After all, they still needed to cooperate long term with the hotpot restaurant in the future. Growing greedy over small gains wouldn’t be worth it. Sun Yong, despite being the deputy leader of the base, knew when to yield and use force.

As they were moving the supplies, Li Qiang, the male survivor who was with a young woman earlier, walked in through the door. His eyes gleamed with greed at the sight of the warehouse full of water.

If he could sell these at a higher price, he would definitely make a fortune.

Originally, this task of purchasing water wasn’t assigned to Li Qiang. The base had appointed a capable survivor from their logistics department to handle the matter. But Li Qiang’s uncle was the base leader, so he had quietly taken over the task.

Besides wanting to achieve something, Li Qiang also hoped to skim some profits. However, being pampered in the base had dulled his wits, so this trip was destined to be fruitless for him.

However, Li Qiang was unaware of this. He was still fantasising about how he would spend the crystal cores he would earn from selling the water.

Sun Yong glanced at him warily. If he remembered correctly, this man had been quite rude to Boss Jiang earlier. He wondered what Li Qiang was up to now.

“What are you looking at? I also just paid with crystal cores. I’m here to move the water,” Li Qiang said aggressively.

With that, he waved to the survivors behind him, signaling them to come in and start moving the supplies.

A few of the survivors exchanged glances. They seemed to recall that Li Qiang hadn’t handed over any crystal cores. Was he planning to take the water for free? But the base’s mission was clearly to establish a good relationship with the boss of the hotpot restaurant.

Although some hesitated, Li Qiang had brought along his own lackeys, who quickly followed his orders and rushed into the warehouse to start moving the bottled water.

Li Qiang watched his lackeys carrying large boxes of mineral water, ready to move them out, and sneered at Jiang Ci in his heart. She really had no brains, having no precautions at all. It served her right to have all these supplies stolen.

Sun Yong sensed something was amiss and quietly instructed his fellow survivors before preparing to inform Jiang Ci about the situation.

But the next second, a survivor carrying mineral water collapsed at the entrance with a loud thud.

Sun Yong was startled. The survivor was foaming at the mouth, eyes rolled back, seemingly unconscious.

“What’s going on?” Li Qiang pushed the woman in his arms aside and drew his handgun. “Who did this?”

The people around him looked at each other in confusion. Everything had happened too fast so no one had seen who was responsible.

Both sides drew their handguns, ready for a confrontation. Just as tensions were about to escalate, another survivor carrying water collapsed to the ground, exhibiting the same symptoms as the first.

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:

Now, all the survivors present saw it clearly. No one had acted; it was as if they had been attacked out of thin air.

Sun Yong suddenly remembered Jiang Ci’s earlier words: there was a timer at the entrance, and only the amount they had purchased could be moved.

He suddenly understood; no wonder Boss Jiang had allowed them to freely enter and exit the warehouse filled with so many supplies and let them carry the items themselves. It turned out that without the crystal cores, moving any extra water from the warehouse was impossible.

Li Qiang and his group were clearly frightened. Amid a string of curses, they seemed to grasp the key point and quickly retreated from the eerie warehouse.

They wanted to go back to Jiang Ci to hand over the crystal cores but were informed they had been blacklisted and could no longer trade with the hotpot restaurant.

Jiang Ci was alerted by the system that there was someone causing trouble, but was also told not to worry as the warehouse’s security system would handle it.

So Jiang Ci watched the entire ‘incident’ remotely.

It wasn’t even much of an incident since had been perfectly resolved by the warehouse before it could escalate.

But it was obvious now that this group had been clearly categorised by Jiang Ci as uncooperative, especially Li Qiang, who seemed to have left his brains at home.

The survivors who had followed Li Qiang from the base now had a look of despair in their eyes. It was over; the hope that they had been given was completely ruined by Li Qiang.

In the end, Li Qiang and his team could only slink away under the gaze of other survivors who looked at them like they were fools.

Sun Yong, on the other hand, successfully loaded ten thousand boxes of mineral water. Seeing the survivors drenched in sweat, he opened a box and handed out bottles of water for them to drink.

After finishing the loading, Sun Yong didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he returned to the hotpot restaurant with the survivors and they had a meal together. Seeing Jiang Ci still busy, they only expressed their gratitude on behalf of the base before driving away.

With several vehicles carrying ten thousand boxes of water, they felt uneasy leaving them outside.

The remaining survivors from another base didn’t have such large vehicles and only bought five thousand boxes, giving Jiang Ci a seventh-level crystal core, adding another ten million to her account.

The survivors at this base had witnessed the scheme of Li Qiang and his group. They never had any ill intentions in the first place, and now they were even more obedient. After moving the quantities they had purchased, they said a word of thanks to Jiang Ci before hurriedly leaving.

Today had been a busy day, with income being quite substantial. However, Jiang Ci had only completed three-tenths of her task.

Only three people had met the standard of spending 50,000 points, but Jiang Ci wasn’t too concerned. She now had a deposit of over ten million.

Before going to bed at night, Jiang Ci repeatedly checked the numbers on her panel, counting them one by one, feeling particularly satisfied.

Hui Hui had now moved into Jiang Ci’s bedroom. The bedroom was slightly larger than when they first arrived, and Hui Hui still occupied a corner, quiet and unobtrusive. She would eat when given food and sleep when not. The three tortoise eggs beneath her still showed no signs of movement, so well-behaved that they almost went unnoticed.

Jiang Ci couldn’t find anyone to share her joy with, so she simply squatted beside Hui Hui’s nest and chattered on for a long time.

While Jiang Ci was talking, Hui Hui raised her head, her beady eyes unblinkingly fixed on her, occasionally nodding gently. Whether she understood or not, she provided her with enough emotional support.

When Jiang Ci went to sleep, a faint smile still lingered on her lips.

But in the dead of night, Jiang Ci didn’t notice that several figures had silently approached the vicinity of the hotpot restaurant.

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[ start typing here ]

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

Jiang Ci did the math. Five fourth-level crystals per person meant 50,000 points, two hundred and fifty servings of meat, and a thousand servings of vegetables, not even counting the rice and soup base. Her smile froze on her face. Could there really be people who could eat that much?

“What if multiple people come to eat together?” Jiang Ci asked.

[As long as the average consumption per person reaches 50,000 points, it counts,] the system replied, offering a relatively lenient condition. However, Jiang Ci still found the number daunting.

Just as Jiang Ci was talking to the system, a survivor came in from outside. Pausing at the doorway, they hesitated before stepping inside.

“I passed by during the day and knocked on the door, but no one answered. I thought it was an abandoned store, but I didn’t expect you to still be open,” the survivor said, wearing a hat and mask. After removing them, Jiang Ci realized the person in front of her was a woman—a short-haired woman with a striking and heroic face.

“I had some business to attend to during the day,” Jiang Ci explained briefly. “What would you like to eat? Here’s the menu, feel free to take a look.”

The woman nodded, her gaze falling on the small blackboard. The dishes listed were things she had never heard of since the apocalypse started.

The woman frowned slightly. Could this be a shady establishment? She glanced at Jiang Ci again. The other woman didn’t seem like a bad person at all. Plus, the warm, bright lighting in the room made her almost instinctively feel at ease.

Earlier that day, she had also encountered another group of survivors waiting outside the shop. They were regulars, having eaten here several times. They described the food as heavenly, something out of this world, making everyone present feel hungry just listening to them talk.

The woman got up and took a look at the condiment station. Although it had been years since she last smelled them, she recognized the distinct smell of soy sauce, vinegar, and chili sauce.

She sat back down and ordered a spicy hotpot base, a plate of egg fried rice, ten plates of fatty beef, and ten plates of potato slices.

Still cautious, the woman didn’t order too much, wanting to test the waters first. Jiang Ci calculated the total: five third-level crystal cores and six second-level crystal cores.

Jiang Ci went to the kitchen to prepare the food while the woman waited at the table.

Soon, the aroma wafted over, causing the woman’s stomach to growl uncontrollably. She swallowed, her usually calm eyes showing a rare hint of anticipation.

After the hotpot base and ingredients were served, Jiang Ci started preparing the fried rice. All the seasonings were already pre-prepared, with Jiang Ci only needing to cook it.

Fortunately, the system had already measured out the seasoning amounts. Otherwise, with Jiang Ci’s lack of cooking skills, the result would have scared customers away.

When Jiang Ci brought out the fried rice, she noticed that all the previously served food had already been put into the pot, the woman dipping it in chili sauce.

The woman ate quickly, though not ravenously. Instead, there was a sense of efficiency and satisfaction to the way she ate.

The portion of fried rice was indeed large—enough to feed five or six people in Jiang Ci’s world.

The fried rice was fragrant, with plenty of eggs and scallions to enhance its flavor. Just the smell of it was enough to whet your appetite.

The woman silently and swiftly finished all the dishes and the large bowl of rice, turning her gaze to Jiang Ci.

“Finished eating?” Jiang Ci asked, noticing the woman’s look.

The woman shook her head, her eyes now much more sincere than before. “I’d like to order more.”

Under Jiang Ci’s expectant gaze, the woman ordered fifty more plates of fatty beef, thirty plates of pork belly, and another plate of fried rice.

Jiang Ci noted down the order, asking the woman to wait before returning to the kitchen to prepare the food.

As Jiang Ci chopped vegetables in the kitchen, she calculated the points she had earned this time: two fourth-level crystal cores, one third-level crystal core, and seven second-level crystal cores, totaling 21,700 points. She was still 28,300 points short.

Jiang Ci sighed as she finished her calculations. This task was indeed something that couldn’t be easily accomplished.

The dishes were gradually being served as the woman ate heartily, a smile gradually spreading across her face.

After finishing all the dishes she had just ordered, the woman asked for twenty bottles of mineral water, stuffing them all into her backpack.

However, Jiang Ci found the backpack rather peculiar. No matter how many bottles were stuffed inside, it remained the same size, showing no signs of reaching capacity.

“I’m a spatial ability user,” the woman said openly, not trying to hide it upon noticing Jiang Ci’s curious gaze at her backpack. 

Jiang Ci nodded in understanding. The backpack was likely a smokescreen used to conceal her spatial ability.

“Can I take some to-go?” the woman asked after organizing her backpack, looking at the half-finished hotpot in front of her. “I’m heading somewhere far away this time, and I might not be able to return to this city for a while.”

“Of course,” Jiang Ci quickly nodded, asking how much she needed.

“A hundred portions of fatty beef, a hundred portions of pork belly, fifty portions of potato slices, and fifty portions of egg fried rice,” the woman listed, then paused. “Is that too much?”

“Not at all,” Jiang Ci replied, gritting her teeth. She had already calculated that with these additions, the total income from this meal would be 66,700 points. Completing one-tenth of the task was worth the extra effort.

However, the ‘extra effort’ Jiang Ci had imagined turned out to be far more exhausting than she expected. Her arms were nearly numb after slicing two hundred portions of meat and frying fifty portions of egg fried rice.

It was unclear where the woman had gotten so many containers from her spatial storage, but she managed to pack all the egg fried rice into her space. The raw meat slices and potato slices were cooked in the hotpot before being packed, with the remaining broth poured over the meat.

Watching the process of the woman storing the food methodically satisfied Jiang Ci’s slight obsessive compulsive streak.

After packing all the food into her spatial storage, the woman stepped into the night without looking back, leaving only her name—Lin Fei—and a wave of her hand as she walked away.

Jiang Ci had chatted with Lin Fei briefly and couldn’t help but admire her. She thought it was incredibly brave for a woman to travel alone in the apocalypse with just a large backpack on her.

Watching Lin Fei’s figure disappear into the distance, Jiang Ci returned to the hotpot restaurant.

She glanced at the time and realized it was almost one o’clock in the morning. Jiang Ci closed the restaurant’s door and went back to her room to wash up and prepare for bed.

The recent upgrade had expanded her bedroom slightly, but it was still cozy and comfortable, just the way she liked it.

Jiang Ci changed into her pajamas and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She had several nonsensical dreams throughout the night, most of which were set in her hometown.

Jiang Ci realized she was feeling a bit homesick. When she woke up in the morning, she roughly guessed the time over there and called her mother.

Hearing the familiar voice on the other end of the line, Jiang Ci’s nose grew sour with emotion. However, her mother sounded puzzled, “What’s wrong, baby? Didn’t we just talk last night?”

Jiang Ci snapped back to reality, remembering that one month here was equivalent to just one day in the real world. To her mother, it really had only been one night since they last spoke.

Jiang Ci quickly changed the subject, exchanged a few pleasantries with her parents, and then excused herself by saying she had to go to work before hanging up.

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Ci let out a deep sigh. The bustle here had truly made her lose track of time.

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:

Today, a light drizzle fell outside, with the wind carrying a bitter taste as it howled.

However, the rain didn’t dampen the survivors’ enthusiasm for coming to eat hotpot.

Most of the people who came to the store today were those who had received flyers from the Crimson Base, along with some survivors who happened to pass by.

The business in the shop seemed to have suddenly picked up. From having one or two tables a day or even only one or two tables over several days, it had now reached a point where all eight tables and chairs in the shop were fully occupied, with several groups of survivors waiting for a seat in the courtyard outside.

Jiang Ci had been busy in the kitchen all day, chopping vegetables and meat. It wasn’t until she had a moment to step out that she noticed the leaders of three different bases had come to buy bottled water.

Taking advantage of the fact that the survivors were still eating, Jiang Ci inquired about the quantities each base needed to purchase.

Perhaps having already learned the process from the Crimson Base, they had directly driven several large trucks over.

“Sorry to keep you all waiting,” Jiang Ci said, shaking the remaining water droplets off her hands as she addressed the survivors in front of her.

“No problem, no problem. Boss Jiang, take your time. It’s fine for us to wat a bit longer,” said the deputy leader of the Red Sun Base. He had brought eight survivors with him and driven over two large trucks, an indication of their plan to purchase a significant amount.

“I can take a break now. Please let me know the quantities you need, and I’ll prepare them shortly,” Jiang Ci said. “But we’ll have everyone come in one base at a time. The space here is quite small so we might not be able to accommodate everyone at once.”

“Of course, of course,” the deputy leader of the Red Sun Base quickly replied.

From the crowd, a man let out a disdainful snort. She was just a little girl, looking so frail that a gust of wind could knock her over. Why bother even being so polite to her?

Hearing the sound, Jiang Ci glanced up and saw a young man standing at the back of the crowd, accompanied by a woman.

Coming out to handle base business but bringing his woman along—his casual demeanor made it clear he wasn’t someone who had a serious attitude toward things.

Jiang Ci wasn’t without a temper either. Seeing this, she didn’t feel like engaging with him and turned back to continue speaking with Sun Yong, the deputy leader of the Red Sun Base.

“Brother Sun, you can start first,” Jiang Ci said to the man in front of her.

Sun Yong felt a warm sense of relief. Usually, people who controlled resources acted arrogantly, and regardless whether you were a base leader or deputy leader, you still had to flatter and ingratiate them before getting anything. To be honest, he had been sweating bullets before coming here, thinking he might even have to resort to grovelling this time, but he hadn’t expected such a pleasant and welcoming interaction.

The hotpot store was indeed busy, but those waiting to buy water were also well taken care of. Not only were there chairs to sit on, but they were also provided with warm water.

“Just call me Little Sun, Boss Jiang,” Sun Yong said with a cheerful smile.

Jiang Ci looked at the tall man who was half a head taller than her and found it hard to address him as ‘Little Sun.’ She quickly changed the subject, “So, how many boxes of mineral water does your base need?”

“After discussion, we would like to purchase ten thousand boxes first,” Sun Yong carefully stated the number, feeling somewhat uneasy. After all, the Crimson Base had only bought five hundred cases. Could the hotpot shop really provide ten thousand?

---

bringing a woman out isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the subtext referring to that guy is that he’s out doing a serious job for the base, yet he’s brought his woman along that has nothing to do with his work—furthermore, he judges people at face value and looks down on others—clearly a frivolous person

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

The base was vast, resembling a comprehensive small town. Rows of neatly arranged houses came into view, including single-story homes, two-story buildings, and small villas, evenly distributed throughout the area. The survivors each had their roles, some hurrying about, others leisurely moving through the streets.

It had to be said—for humans to have the ability to establish such a base was truly remarkable.

Along the way, Zhong Xiaofeng introduced the entirety of the Crimson Base to Jiang Ci, pointing out the residential areas, the marketplace, the mission hall, and other facilities, all of which were well-developed and interconnected.

Standing from a high vantage point, Jiang Ci couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

She was now in Zhong Xiaofeng’s personal residence, which also served as the meeting place for the Blaze Squad. The third floor was Zhong Xiaofeng’s private bedroom, the entire second floor had been converted into a training room, and the first floor was a living room and kitchen.

“The base leader isn’t at the base right now and won’t be back until tomorrow,” Zhong Xiaofeng said, assuming that was the purpose of Jiang Ci’s visit.

“No problem, I’m just here to distribute flyers,” Jiang Ci said without concealing anything, directly pulling out a thick stack of flyers from her backpack. “It’s also a good chance for me to go out for a walk.”

In the entire post-apocalyptic world, perhaps only Jiang Ci could make going out sound as casual as taking a stroll.

Zhong Xiaofeng took the flyers from Jiang Ci and glanced at them, immediately saying, “Simple, I’ll have someone distribute them for you. If you want to go to other bases to hand them out, I can take you there too.”

“No need, let’s just do it at the Crimson Base for now. I’ll visit the other bases next time,” Jiang Ci replied. There was still plenty of time, and the hotpot shop couldn’t be left unattended for so long. She would visit other bases when she had another mission.

Zhong Xiaofeng nodded, then asked Jiang Ci to sit for a while before stepping out, taking the flyers from Jiang Ci’s hands with her.

When she returned, the flyers were nowhere to be seen.

“I had someone help distribute them. Are you hungry? I’ll go get some nutrient solutions for you to try,” Zhong Xiaofeng said, already heading for the door.

“I’ll go with you,” Jiang Ci stood up and followed Zhong Xiaofeng out of the villa.

The survivors were somewhat curious about Jiang Ci, and some who had been to the hotpot store recognized her, greeting her with excitement.

Jiang Ci turned and saw Zhou Lin, Xu Yan, and Gu Qi approaching from the direction of the gate, likely having just returned from outside.

“Boss, what brings you to our base? Is the shop not open today?” The three of them were clearly delighted.

Seeing them, Jiang Ci also smiled. After all, they were store’s very first customers and had visited several times, making them familiar faces. She felt quite warm seeing them again.

“I’m here to promote the hotpot store,” Jiang Ci explained briefly.

“You didn’t have to come personally. We could’ve spread the word, and I’m sure many would’ve rushed to visit,” Zhou Lin said. He had actually thought about helping Jiang Ci promote the shop before but wasn’t sure if she’d approve, so he held off on the idea. Later, he got tied up with missions.

“It’s fine. I thought I’d come and take a look,” Jiang Ci replied, though in her mind, she thought, I have no choice. The system’s task forced me to come.

“That’s true. Staying in the hotpot store every day must get boring. Stay at the base for a couple of days and have some fun. We’ll go turn in our mission and then come find you,” Zhou Lin said without waiting for Jiang Ci’s response, hurrying off with the other two. They carried large, bulging backpacks, likely filled with items from their mission.

“They’re always so lively,” Zhong Xiaofeng said with a laugh. “Let’s go, we’ll head to the cafeteria first.”

As they walked, Zhong Xiaofeng chatted with Jiang Ci, her tone friendly but not overly ingratiating. Jiang Ci enjoyed talking with her.

Although it was called a cafeteria, the area wasn’t very large, with only three windows. Previously, each window sold nutrient solutions, but now they also offered the mineral water purchased from Jiang Ci’s shop, priced at one third-level crystal per bottle. It wasn’t too expensive.

“We’ve stocked some in the cafeteria, with a limit of one bottle per person. The sales numbers have been looking great. We’ll probably need to restock from your shop soon,” Zhong Xiaofeng said.

Regarding the price increase, Zhong Xiaofeng was quite straightforward. Zhong Chu managed the entire base and wasn’t running a charity, so she needed the crystal cores to maintain operations. Plus, the markup wasn’t excessive either.

Nutrient solutions also varied in price. The expensive ones came in different flavors, such as apple, banana, and rose, while the cheaper ones had only one flavor.

Seeing Jiang Ci’s curiosity, Zhong Xiaofeng bought her a bottle of each flavor.

The nutrient solutions were stored in small glass bottles, appearing thick and viscous. Different flavors were tinted with corresponding colors, making it hard for Jiang Ci to imagine their taste.

Taking the apple flavored solution, she first brought it to her nose and sniffed, confirming there wasn’t any strange odor.

After the system confirmed it would have no adverse effects on her body, she finally took a sip from the glass bottle.

As soon as the nutrient solution entered her mouth, Jiang Ci’s face scrunched up. How should she describe it? This apple flavored nutrient solution had nothing to do with apples. The texture was like thick phlegm or snot, and Jiang Ci couldn’t quite put her experience into words. All she knew was that it was incredibly hard to drink, with an inexplicable fragrance, as if some out-of-place perfume had been mixed in.

Seeing Jiang Ci’s delicate face contort, Zhong Xiaofeng laughed. She opened a bottle of rose flavored nutrient solution and downed it in one go. It used to be her favorite flavor, but perhaps because they had just enjoyed a hotpot meal with fresh and delicious ingredients, this nutrient solution—which they had grown accustomed to—now tasted unpleasant.

Jiang Ci recapped the bottle after taking a sip. As someone from another world with normal eating habits, she simply couldn’t accept this strange taste.

Seeing this, Zhong Xiaofeng directly took the bottle from her hand. “If you can’t get used to it, don’t force yourself. I’ll keep it as a midnight snack.”

“But I already drank from it,” Jiang Ci said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“What’s the big deal? At a time like this, who cares about such things?” Zhong Xiaofeng waved her hand, completely unfazed.

After leaving the cafeteria, Zhong Xiaofeng took Jiang Ci to the nearby mission hall.

The mission hall was a two-story building. Accepting and turning in missions were handled in separate areas. There were quite a few people inside, and Jiang Ci even spotted Zhou Lin and his two companions among the crowd.

Jiang Ci also took a look at the mission acceptance area. There was a large whiteboard with rows of locations and mission details written on it.

Next to it was a hand-drawn map, much rougher than the one the system had given Jiang Ci, but still recognizable as a map of this world.

When someone accepted a mission, its details would be erased and replaced with new content.

Some missions were issued by the base authorities, while others were posted by individuals, with private missions clearly marked.

Survivors gathered around the whiteboard, discussing with their teammates which missions to take. The rewards varied widely, ranging from crystal cores to food, medical supplies, and more.

Everything seemed new and fascinating to Jiang Ci, her eyes filled with curiosity.

The survivors on the mission completion side looked much more disheveled, many of them injured, but their expressions were noticeably more relaxed.

After Zhou Lin and his two companions completed their mission, they joined Jiang Ci and Zhong Xiaofeng. The four of them took Jiang Ci on a tour of the base. The mission had been completed early, and by evening, Jiang Ci bid them farewell, ready to return to the hotpot restaurant.

Zhong Xiaofeng wanted her to stay the night, but Jiang Ci declined. She had had enough fun outside, and since the mission was done, it was time to go back. Earning money still made her feel more secure.

Zhong Xiaofeng and Zhou Lin’s group escorted Jiang Ci all the way to the gate. They watched as she took a foldable electric scooter out of her backpack, waved at them, and rode off into the distance.

It took Zhou Lin and the other two a while to regain their composure. “Sister Zhong, what kind of person is the Boss? She’s like Doraemon, always having all sorts of strange and wonderful things.”

In truth, Zhong Xiaofeng was also very curious about this question, but she simply waved her hand. “Don’t ask. Just remember not to offend her and try to win her over. Who knows, we might just be able to buy other things from Boss Jiang in the future.”

Having completed her task and spent a day out, Jiang Ci walked contentedly towards the hotpot restaurant.

*

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:

Meanwhile, at the Black Eagle Base on the other side of the city, news of Zong Tao’s death had spread quickly throughout the base that day.

Since Zong Tao had left the base many days ago without any news, his brother Zong Hai had temporarily taken over as base leader.

When Zong Hai learned that Zong Tao had died in front of a hotpot restaurant, his mind immediately started working.

In fact, Zong Tao’s death was good news for Zong Hai. Everyone wanted to be the base leader, and if it weren’t for Zong Tao’s superior combat skills and extreme, crazy personality, Zong Hai wouldn’t have been content to remain as a mere subordinate. But now that Zong Tao was dead, it was finally Zong Hai’s time to rise.

However, on the surface, he was still full of anger and sorrow, preparing to gather other survivors to go to the hotpot restaurant to avenge Zong Tao.

At face value, it was about revenge, but privately, someone had already informed Zong Hai that the hotpot at that restaurant was delicious and the ingredients were all fresh. With so many resources, seizing them would give him more authority in the Black Eagle Base.

While Zong Hai was busy scheming, Jiang Ci finally arrived at the hotpot restaurant as night fell.

Looking at the house with white walls and green windows, Jiang Ci felt a sense of belonging that came from having a home in her heart. She was finally back.

Upon opening the door, the interior was just as she had left it.

After putting away her things, Jiang Ci opened the doors of the hotpot restaurant. It was still early, not yet eight o’clock, so there still might be some people coming for hotpot. She didn’t return to her room but stayed at the counter.

Jiang Ci opened the task panel and saw that the task of distributing a hundred flyers was already marked as completed. She had also received the task reward: egg fried rice

The egg fried rice was priced at one second-level crystal per bowl, and according to the portion size given by the system, a bowl of it was definitely not small.

This task must have been the fastest for her to complete, and she didn’t even have to do it personally herself.

Just as Jiang Ci was feeling pleased, the system issued her the sixth task: to serve ten big eaters in the restaurant, with a minimum consumption of five fourth-level crystals per person in order to unlock the vegetable platter.

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this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

“Not eating anymore,” Zong Tao glanced at her, the previous smile on his face vanished, replaced by a look of wariness.

Zong Tao walked quickly, not caring about whether Bai Tingting could keep up with him or not.

Not long after they left, just as Jiang Ci was about to go out and take a look, she heard the sounds of fighting.

Engaged in combat with Zong Tao was Song Jinchuan’s team, who had previously visited the shop. The two groups clashed like ignited bombs, with the battle erupting instantly.

This was the first time Jiang Ci had seen superpowered individuals fight. Orange flames and purple lightning collided in the air, to the point where even Jiang Ci from where she stood could feel the wave of heat.

Soon, the purple lightning was completely suppressed, leaving only the orange flames remaining in the sky, burning so fiercely that they almost dyed half the sky red.

The battle ended not long after that. Clearly, Song Jinchuan’s team had won. This time, Zong Tao did not escape through sheer luck; he finally died at Song Jinchuan’s hands.

When Jiang Ci went out, she saw the deranged woman who had likely been used as a human shield by Zong Tao. Her chest had been torn open with a large hole, already lifeless.

Zong Tao lay not far away, drenched in blood, his eyes wide open as if he couldn’t rest in peace.

As Song Jinchuan and his team approached, Jiang Ci finally realized that this man was the infamous Zong Tao they had spoken of, a nightmare and public enemy to many survivors.

It was said that he was the leader of a base, but in the end, only this deranged woman was by his side.

Jiang Ci pieced together what Sun Qing and the others had said, and with that information, the woman’s identity became easy to guess—it was Bai Tingting, the spatial ability user.

“He just came to your shop to eat something?” Song Jinchuan inferred from the direction Zong Tao had come from and the lingering aroma of food in the shop.

Jiang Ci nodded, “Yes, he just finished eating and left. Turns out that was Zong Tao…”

Looking at the unscathed Jiang Ci and the undamaged hotpot shop, everyone felt a sense of incredulity. After all, that was Zong Tao. Seeing a shop with so many supplies, why hadn’t he just taken over it?

But the reality was that not only did he not take it over—he had even peacefully eaten his meal and left.

This situation could only mean one thing—there had been something in this store more terrifying than Zong Tao.

Song Jinchuan’s gaze fell on Jiang Ci, still finding it peculiar. A seemingly delicate and beautiful girl could actually intimidate such a villain.

“It’s a pity about that girl though. Zong Tao moved too fast and I couldn’t hold back,” said a curly-haired young man standing next to Song Jinchuan.

“Not a pity. I’ve had enough of her for a while already,” one of the survivors, who clearly knew Bai Tingting, recounted all her misdeeds.

Bai Tingting had caused the deaths of many with her hypocrisy. Not long ago, Sun Qing and the others had lost half their team because of her. Now that she was dead, no one would mourn her; it had all been her own doing after all. 

Bai Tingting was a spatial ability user. After her death, the items stored in her space exploded all over the place. Nutrient solutions, some mutated beast corpses, and stored water were scattered around Bai Tingting’s body.

The survivors from Song Jinchuan’s team collected all these supplies. Although they wanted to leave a portion for Jiang Ci, she refused.

They were originally just passing through the area, but since they had already entered the hotpot restaurant, they decided they might as well have a meal before leaving.

Jiang Ci listened to them discussing the location of their mission at the dining table. It seemed to be quite a distance from the city. There was an eighth-level zombie king there, who had been relatively docile before, but for some reason, had recently been causing frequent riots. The surrounding bases had all suffered. Their mission was not only to deal with this zombie king but also to see if there were any survivors still alive there.

When discussing serious matters, their expressions became very solemn. They all knew how challenging this mission would be.

However, once the food was served, everyone temporarily forgot about the mission and started eating heartily. After trying it once, they found it hard to resist the food at the hotpot restaurant.

For this meal, the survivors from the Cheetah Squad spent a total of eight fourth-level crystal cores and three third-level crystal cores, amounting to 84,000 points.

Jiang Ci watched them leave as they stepped into the night.

The day’s business finally came to an end. After closing up shop, washing up, and getting into bed, Jiang Ci fell asleep almost instantly.

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:

The next day, Jiang Ci slept in for a rare change. After getting enough sleep, she felt exceptionally refreshed and full of energy.

She planned to go out and distribute flyers today, and the ‘Closed’ sign had already been hung up early at the entrance.

The system fully supported her outdoor mission and even provided her with a free means of transportation.

Just as Jiang Ci was fully anticipating her mode of transport, a particularly compact foldable electric scooter suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of her.

Jiang Ci was stunned for a moment. She had expected at least a small car to somewhat enclose her; she hadn’t expected it to be so down-to-earth.

[Host, don’t underestimate this vehicle. It’s a smart electric scooter powered by crystal energy, capable of exceeding the speed of a small car. It also has navigation functions,] the system explained, seemingly sensing Jiang Ci’s speechlessness.

Jiang Ci nodded and slung a small backpack over her shoulders. In reality, all her belongings were stored in the necklace she wore around her neck.

This was also the space the system had promised her, originally intended for storing her luggage when she returned to the real world, but it had already come in handy now.

Jiang Ci selected a lot of portable dry rations and boxed meals from the restaurant’s ordering system and packed plenty of mineral water.

Just as Jiang Ci was about to leave, Hui Hui, who had been staying in the box, somehow emerged and walked over to Jiang Ci, gently tugging at her pant leg.

Jiang Ci looked at her in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

Hui Hui looked up at her, then glanced outside the house.

“Do you want to go out with me?” as if a light bulb had gone off in her head, Jiang Ci suddenly understood what Hui Hui meant.

Hui Hui’s head bobbed up and down twice, actually nodding at her.

This human-like gesture surprised Jiang Ci, and she hesitated for a moment. Just then, the system suddenly spoke in her mind: [Host, you can actually bring the level nine giant tortoise with you. It can scare off many low-level zombies and mutated beasts, providing you greater safety.]

“Alright, I’ll take you with me,” Jiang Ci finally nodded. She had to admit, the system had hit the nail on the head.

She picked up Hui Hui and placed her in the basket at the front of the electric scooter.

The basket wasn’t the traditional type that was hard and stiff, but had some elasticity to it and was of good quality, able to hold Hui Hui comfortably. Only her head was visible, swiveling slowly as if she was surveying the surroundings.

After closing the door of the hotpot restaurant, Jiang Ci slung her backpack over her shoulders and sat astride the electric scooter.

Before leaving, Jiang Ci glanced back. This somewhat simple house had always given her an infinite sense of security.

At this moment, her heart was filled with both curiosity about this new world, yet also a hint of unease. Although she had spent points to exchange for a protective film, she was still about to enter a completely unfamiliar and dangerous world, with no one knowing what she might encounter.

Jiang Ci took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, her gaze gradually becoming resolute. She then cranked the throttle of the electric scooter, and with a small hum, the vehicle smoothly carried her away from the hotpot restaurant.

Before setting off, Jiang Ci had already input her destination into the navigation system. Her first stop was the Crimson Base, the only base she had ever traded with.

She had heard about it many times from Zhou Lin and Zhong Xiaofeng, and she had always been quite curious about it.

The electric scooter clattered along the road. As she left the hotpot restaurant and truly faced the world, Jiang Ci felt more acutely the near-destructive disaster that the apocalypse had brought to this world.

Turning into the city, the surroundings were still filled with tall buildings, but they were dilapidated and gray, with cracked and tilted walls. Some had even collapsed, turning into piles of rubble.

Jiang Ci’s electric scooter could accurately help her avoid the fissures in the ground, the rubble, and the zombies walking towards her, even when she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings.

This was the first time she had seen zombies up close. Beyond the shock upon seeing their appearance, the stench emanating from them was even more unbearable.

However, thanks to Hui Hui and the protective film on her body, these zombies didn’t attack her and seemed to want to avoid her.

Not far along, Jiang Ci saw a large black snake coiled in the middle of the road, exactly like the one she had seen at the hotpot restaurant. She couldn’t help but get goosebumps. Without waiting for the snake to be intimidated by Hui Hui’s presence and move aside, she took the initiative to detour around that section of the road with Hui Hui.

The vehicle moved through the city, occasionally taking a detour, but it continued steadily and smoothly towards her destination.

Along the way, thanks to Hui Hui in the basket, she didn’t encounter any mutated beasts or zombies.

Jiang Ci gradually relaxed from her initial tense vigilance, feeling that sitting on the electric scooter with the breeze gently brushing her face was actually quite relaxing.

The sunlight cast their beams on the surrounding buildings, creating a strange, fragmented beauty.

On the way, Jiang Ci stopped to eat a boxed meal. Since time was frozen in her space, the food was still piping hot. After finishing her meal, she continued on her journey.

After several hours of riding her electric scooter, Jiang Ci finally saw the gates of the Crimson Base.

The base’s gates and the surrounding walls were tall and imposing, matching what she had imagined of it. Standing outside, she could feel a sense of oppression emanating from them.

A dedicated checkpoint was set up at the entrance, and the inspection was very strict. Normally, new survivors would have to wait in an isolation room for twenty-four hours before being allowed to enter, but Jiang Ci mentioned Zhong Xiaofeng’s name.

The survivors manning the checkpoint didn’t dare make a decision on their own and immediately sent someone to fetch Zhong Xiaofeng.

They didn’t expect Zhong Xiaofeng to personally come out to greet Jiang Ci. Zhong Xiaofeng’s status in the base was second only to Zhong Chu. She usually appeared cheerful and smiling, but in reality, she was decisive and efficient. Aside from the few companions who had fought alongside her through life and death, she didn’t trust anyone else.

“Boss Jiang, you really came. Come in quickly. Boss Jiang is a distinguished guest of our base. From now on, let her pass through directly when you see her,” Zhong Xiaofeng said after exchanging pleasantries with Jiang Ci, turning to the checkpoint and issuing the order.

The checkpoint guards acknowledged the order but still cast curious glances at Jiang Ci.

---

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

“Business is booming, Boss,” said a survivor waiting outside, as he took a stool and sat over at the door, eagerly watching those who were already eating.

A strong, spicy aroma wafted out from inside, making their mouths water. But they had no choice; there were no seats available for now, so they could only crane their necks to watch others eat.

The restaurant had never had so many people at once before, and Jiang Ci was truly a bit overwhelmed.

After finally serving all the hotpot bases and dishes, her back already was soaked with sweat.

The ingredients rolled in the boiling pot, gradually changing color in the bright red, translucent spicy oil, making one’s mouth water.

There was an additional chilli sauce in the condiments section. It was made from mashing chilli peppers into a paste and stir-frying them, then adding peanuts, sesame, salt, and other seasonings. It was very fragrant and well-loved by the survivors.

Seeing the situation, Zhong Xiaofeng called out to Zhong Chu beside her, “Hurry up and eat, this tastes really good. Last time we came, they didn’t even have the spicy hotpot yet.”

Seeing her enthusiastic recommendation, Zhong Chu nodded and also picked up her chopsticks.

Zhong Xiaofeng served her a slice of fatty beef and eagerly took a bite herself.

Fresh, fragrant, and spicy flavor profiles were fully displayed in this pot. The survivors who had been chatting earlier gradually fell silent, leaving only the sound of bowls and chopsticks clinking.

“I finally understand why you couldn’t stop talking about it after coming here once,” Zhong Chu remarked with some emotion. Ever since Zhong Xiaofeng, representing the Crimson Base, had visited the hotpot restaurant last time, she had been constantly chattering about it.

As a result, Zhong Chu had finally put aside her busy tasks and followed Zhong Xiaofeng for a visit, unable to resist her persistent urging.

“Right? You should also take a break and relax occasionally,” Zhong Xiaofeng said to Zhong Chu.

As they chatted and feasted on the hotpot, Zhong Chu truly experienced an unprecedented sense of relaxation and joy.

After waiting for an hour, one table finally finished their meal. The swept-clean plates beside them had almost stacked into a small mountain, along with the additional dishes they had ordered twice more before reluctantly putting down their chopsticks.

Seeing this, the survivors outside quickly came in to take the seats. During the hour they had been eating, another group of survivors had arrived outside.

Perhaps drawn in by the lively atmosphere and lack of danger around, they came over to see what was happening. But once they arrived, they too were captivated by the enticing aroma inside the store. There was no helping it; the smell was simply irresistible.

“Brother, what is this place? Why does it smell so good?”

“Didn’t you see the sign? It’s a hotpot restaurant. It smells amazing, but there are too many people. We’ve been waiting for almost an hour,” said a survivor sitting by the door.

Jiang Ci had just finished cleaning up the table when the survivors quickly sat down, even taking the initiative to use the notepad to write down what they needed. They had already seen other customers do it, so they were particularly adept at the process now.

She was busy until evening before she finally saw off all the survivors.

Zhong Chu deliberately waited until Jiang Ci was done before approaching her to speak, “Thank you, Boss, for providing us with mineral water. Each bottle is of excellent quality and has solved a major problem for our base.”

“It’s nothing, no need to be so polite,” Jiang Ci waved her hand. She had earned crystal cores, and the other party had obtained precious water—it was merely a mutually beneficial arrangement.

“Several bases close to us have also learned about this. They’ve been inquiring about where we got our water from. Should we tell them?” Zhong Chu asked, showing her respect for Jiang Ci by asking her opinion first

Jiang Ci nodded, “Sure, the more people who come to buy, the better. I have plenty of stock here, and you can also recommend more survivors to come and have hotpot.”

Hearing this, Zhong Chu nodded to indicate she understood. Then, noticing the fatigue on Jiang Ci’s face, the two of them left.

The shop was completely empty now. Jiang Ci slowly exhaled, massaging her sore arms. Although she was tired, the income was quite substantial—she had earned a total of 186,820 points.

The shop’s inventory was also completely depleted, and points were being deducted to restock. Now, Jiang Ci’s account had 445,680 points left.

Converted to Chinese currency, that was over 400,000 yuan.

Jiang Ci looked at this string of numbers with delight. She hadn’t expected to save up so much money in less than a month.

Although she wouldn’t withdraw all of it, just seeing the total amount gave her a sense of security.

After sitting at the counter for a while and seeing no one come in, she decided to go back to her room to take a shower and change out of her clothes.

She’d been busy all day and hadn’t had the chance to check on any of the new tasks issued by the system.

[Now releasing a new task: distribute 100 store flyers to unlock egg fried rice,] the system’s voice echoed in her mind.

“Distribute flyers? How am I supposed to do that?” Jiang Ci asked, puzzled.

[The host can either leave the hotpot shop and go to human settlements herself, or find survivors to help distribute them,] the system replied.

As soon as the system finished speaking, a thick stack of paper flyers appeared in front of Jiang Ci. On the front was a drawing of a hotpot, very similar to the icon she had seen on her phone before arriving here—a pot with some ingredients. The hotpot was drawn so realistically that it almost seemed like you could smell the aroma.

On the back was a detailed map of the hotpot shop, so clear that even someone who was terrible with maps could understand it. The title read: “Welcome to A Hotpot Restaurant.”

Jiang Ci stared at the stack of flyers, deep in thought. Recently, the hotpot restaurant had been doing well, so finding people to help distribute the flyers shouldn’t be a problem. But hearing the system say that she could also go out made her itch with curiosity. She could spend 100 points to exchange for the protective film to going outside. The system’s words made her eager—she had been here for almost a month and hadn’t even left the hotpot restaurant once. With the system’s air-tight protection, going out once shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

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:

Just as she was thinking this, there was a noise at the door. Jiang Ci looked up and saw a man and a woman entering from outside.

The man was tall and had a sinister expression. The woman behind him had messy hair, tattered clothes, and looked mentally unwell, as if she had been through some kind of trauma, her gaze unfocused.

Seeing these two, the alarm in Jiang Ci’s heart started beeping incessantly.

She didn’t know who these two were, but the alarm going off meant they weren’t good people.

The man walked around the room, his eyes scanning everything, before finally settling his gaze on Jiang Ci.

“Is this a hotpot store? Can we still eat here?” Because so many people had come today, a lingering aroma of food still filled the shop.

“Of course, what would you like to order?” Although Jiang Ci didn’t smile, she also wasn’t as nervous as she had been the last time the alarm went off.

“Let me see,” the man said slowly, walking over to the small blackboard and actually studying it carefully.

“Do you actually have all these ingredients in the shop? How did you get them?” The man seemed genuinely curious.

“Yes, we have everything in the shop. You can let me know what you want once you’ve made up your mind,” Jiang Ci replied, avoiding his second question. But the man didn’t seem upset and instead started ordering.

He ordered a beef tallow hotpot base, one serving of rice, and fifty portions each of fatty beef slices and pork belly slices.

Jiang Ci calculated the price; all of this would require two fourth-level crystal cores, one third-level crystal core, and one second-level crystal core.

The man seemed surprised that he had to pay with crystal cores before eating, but after a moment of hesitation, he pulled out a fifth-level crystal core from his pocket. “Is this enough to cover the bill?”

Jiang Ci didn’t refuse and pocketed the crystal core. “It’s enough. Just one portion of rice?”

As she spoke, she glanced at the woman beside him, her question clear.

“Yes, just one portion for me,” the man replied without hesitation, not even sparing a glance at the woman crouching at his feet.

Jiang Ci didn’t know the relationship between the two and didn’t probe further. Instead, she returned to the kitchen.

Soon, the sound of chopping vegetables came from the kitchen. The man sat for a while, then stood up and silently walked toward the kitchen. If one looked closely, they could see faint purple lightning crackling around his fingertips.

If Sun Qing had been here, she would have identified this man as Zong Tao, the one who had caused her to lose half their team. And the deranged woman beside him was Bai Tingting, the spatial ability user.

Zong Tao walked to the counter where he could see everything in the kitchen. Indeed, there were plenty of supplies—a sack of potatoes spilled on the floor, along with the meat Jiang Ci was cutting.

A glint of greed and determination flashed in Zong Tao’s eyes. He circled the hotpot restaurant once more. Apart from the locked door that bothered him, there was no one else around.

As an ability user, Zong Tao’s senses were sharper than an ordinary person’s. He was almost certain there was no one else here.

So, he leisurely walked toward the kitchen, a crackling ball of electricity already forming in his palm.

But he didn’t let his guard down completely. As he walked, he remained alert to his surroundings. After all, anyone who could run a shop here must have some formidable strength.

Just as he approached the kitchen, an extremely dangerous aura suddenly made the hairs on his body stand on end. Zong Tao’s expression changed slightly, and he quickly retreated a few steps. Before Jiang Ci could come out, he hurried back to his seat.

The moment he sat down, he realized his back was soaked with sweat. His already pale complexion, due to his injuries, turned even paler in that instant.

There must be something high-level in this house.

As he thought this, a surge of blood suddenly rose in his throat. He forced it down, pretending nothing had happened, but he didn’t dare act recklessly anymore.

This was the first time he had stumbled across a place that made him fear for his life.

When Jiang Ci came out with the food and the hotpot base, she saw Zong Tao sitting obediently in his seat.

The alarm bells in Jiang Ci’s mind also subsided a little. She didn’t know what had happened and was somewhat puzzled, but she still remained vigilant.

Zong Tao had been eating voraciously, and after finishing, he promptly prepared to leave. The woman who had been crouching at his feet also stood up, staggering as she followed behind him.

“Not eating anymore? There’s still more food,” Jiang Ci was somewhat bewildered. Why wasn’t he following the usual script? She had been on full alert, yet it seemed the other party wasn’t planning to make any moves.

---

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

Er Niu sat by the wooden table, inhaling the faint aroma of food wafting from the hotpot restaurant. “I’ve missed this flavor so much, Captain. Hurry up, let’s order!”

“By the way, we have spicy hotpot now,” Jiang Ci mentioned. After completing the previous mission, the spicy beef tallow soup base had been unlocked. Earlier that morning, Jiang Ci had gone to the kitchen and found the spicy soup base sitting right next to the clear soup base.

“Spicy hotpot?! Finally, we have spicy hotpot?” The survivors’ eyes lit up instantly, and without hesitation, they ordered the beef tallow soup base, along with forty servings of meat and five servings of potato slices.

The total cost was nine third-level crystals, seven second-level crystals, and five first-level crystals.

As soon as the spicy broth was poured into the pot and mixed with water, the rich, pungent aroma of spiciness began to fill the wooden cabin.

The survivors inhaled deeply, feeling as if all their memories and taste buds had come rushing back.

This flavor was far more intense and robust than the milder clear soup broth they had before. The air was thick with the scent of spice and the savory richness of beef tallow.

Er Niu didn’t wait for Jiang Ci to bring the pot over. Instead, he went over to help carry it, while the others pitched in to help bring over the dishes.

By now, they were so familiar with the place that they felt completely at ease in the hotpot restaurant—even serving themselves.

Once the pot was set up, they invited Xiao Yu, who was standing nearby, to join them.

Xiao Yu waved his hand, speaking softly, “No, thank you. Sister already fed me earlier.”

After saying this, he lowered his head again, seemingly uncomfortable around strangers. For now, Jiang Ci was the only person he truly trusted.

Chen Cheng and the others didn’t press Xiao Yu. They just asked him once and then left him alone, giving him the space he needed. After all, he would be leaving with them soon anyway.

All the meat and potato slices cooked in the spicy hotpot had a completely different texture and flavor compared to those cooked in the clear broth. The taste was more intense, with a rich blend of spiciness, fragrant aroma, and the distinct flavor of beef tallow.

The survivors’ lips turned red from the spiciness, but they couldn’t stop eating, feeling that the flavor was incredibly delicious, striking them deep in their souls.

After finishing the meal, the survivors felt exceptionally satisfied despite their lips still throbbing from the spice.

After resting for a while, they prepared to head back since they still needed to exchange the mutated black ox for crystal cores.

Xiao Yu also had to leave with them. Although he was filled with reluctance and unease, he knew he had to adapt to avoid causing trouble for Jiang Ci.

He didn’t have much to pack, having arrived with nothing but the clothes on his back. However, Jiang Ci gave him a backpack she found in her wardrobe. Inside were a few sets of clothes, pants, and some potatoes.

“No need…” Xiao Yu awkwardly held the somewhat heavy backpack. The items inside were particularly valuable in this post-apocalyptic world. He wanted to return it to Jiang Ci, but she insisted on handing it to him.

“Since you call me ‘sister,’ I should take care of you a bit more. My place is too small right now, and I can’t let you stay here permanently. You need to live with the others, but you can come over anytime during the day,” Jiang Ci said calmly, her words bringing tears to Xiao Yu’s eyes.

Xiao Yu left with frequent backward glances, while Jiang Ci stood in place, watching them until their figures faded into the faraway distance before turning back to the cabin.

Once again, the shop was left with only her, the almost invisible Hui Hui, and three tortoise eggs.

Jiang Ci remembered that normal tortoise eggs took about two months to hatch, but she wasn’t sure how long it would take since these were the eggs of mutated beasts.

[Detecting no outside humans in the restaurant, the store will now begin upgrading. Please proceed to your room and wait,] the system’s voice announced.

As Jiang Ci turned to leave, she noticed Hui Hui. She walked over, intending to carry it, but she hadn’t expected the box with the tortoise eggs and Hui Hui itself to be so heavy.

She was momentarily at a loss when Hui Hui seemed to sense her dilemma. It actively stepped out of the box and began walking toward Jiang Ci’s room on its four short legs.

“It really has become sentient,” Jiang Ci marveled.

[A level nine mutated creature is almost like a sentient being. They can understand human speech and sense human emotions,] the system explained.

Hui Hui made its way to her room, with Jiang Ci following behind, carrying the cardboard box.

Once inside the room, Jiang Ci closed the door and placed the box by the wall. Hui Hui slowly crawled in after her, leaving her free of any other worries.

As the door closed, the lights outside were turned off, and the main door shut tightly. The upgrade had begun.

[Alright, host, the fourth task has been successfully completed. Please draw your reward,] the system’s voice sounded again.

The large lucky wheel appeared before Jiang Ci once more, just like before, with twenty two green options, twelve blue options, and one orange option.

However, the contents were different from last time. The system explained that the wheel refreshed every seventy two hours, or every three days.

“So, does that mean if I miss out on something, it won’t come back?” Jiang Ci asked. She had quite liked the automatic vegetable cutter from last time.

[There’s a chance it may reappear in the lucky wheel in the future,] the system said.

Hearing this, Jiang Ci felt reassured.

This time, the orange item was a cleaning robot that could thoroughly clean all visible surfaces, including both floors and walls.

Jiang Ci also liked this household appliance, but being self aware of her own luck, she pressed the button with a slight glimmer of hope.

The roulette wheel began to spin, starting slowly, speeding up, and then gradually slowing down. The pointer slid slowly and eventually stopped on the green option once again.

Jiang Ci’s heart, which hadn’t fully risen, quickly sank back down. After all, she had expected this outcome.

This time, she drew chili sauce, adding another condiment to her sauce station. She could only console herself by thinking that the chili sauce in the picture looked quite delicious.

This upgrade took longer than the previous one. Jiang Ci finished watching two movies in her room before it was finally completed.

When she stepped out, an involuntary ‘wow’ escaped her lips.

The original wooden cabin had transformed into a brick-and-tile house reminiscent of the 1980s and 1990s. The four tables in the main hall had increased to eight, and the space had expanded significantly.

After looking around inside, she decided to check outside the shop. Since the interior had changed, the exterior must have also transformed from the previous hunter’s cabin.

The wooden door had been replaced with a sturdier iron one. As Jiang Ci opened the door, the entire hotpot restaurant came to life, with the lights flickering on once more.

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:

As soon as the door opened, Jiang Ci heard voices. Looking up, she saw a group of survivors standing outside the hotpot restaurant.

“Boss!” A voice from the crowd interrupted their chatter, and they all turned to look in unison.

Jiang Ci recognized a few familiar faces, but most were strangers. Among them was Zhong Xiaofeng, who had visited before. This time, she was accompanied by a woman.

“You finally opened, Boss! We knocked earlier, but there was no response, and the lights were off. We thought you had closed for good,” a regular customer said from the crowd.

“Sorry, the shop was under renovation, so I didn’t hear anything,” Jiang Ci quickly opened the door and let the survivors in.

“Renovation?! You can still do renovations now?” The survivors seemed to find this an incredible notion.

However, when they saw the interior of the hotpot restaurant, they were stunned. It had indeed been renovated and was now at least twice as large as before.

“Hey, Boss, I’m back, and I brought a friend. This is Zhong Chu, the leader of the Crimson Base,” Zhong Xiaofeng introduced.

Zhong Chu nodded at Jiang Ci, who noticed that even though Zhong Chu was dressed simply and smiled warmly, she exuded the aura that came from someone in a position of authority—quite fitting for the leader of a base.

“Welcome, please come in and have a seat,” Jiang Ci smiled back at Zhong Chu.

In fact, she was still a bit dazed, not understanding why so many customers had suddenly arrived.

Upon asking, she found out that they had all heard about it from friends, relatives, or other survivors from various bases.

If only one person had mentioned it, they might have still doubted the reliability of the news, but since everyone was talking about it, it proved that the matter was indeed true.

“The leader of our base is currently having discussions on coming to buy water. I heard that the Crimson Base bought a hundred boxes, which made us really envious,” said a straightforward survivor.

Under usual circumstances, it was already difficult for their base leaders to meet other base leaders, let alone ordinary survivors, so they didn’t recognize that the person with Zhong Xiaofeng was actually the base leader of the Crimson Base.

Zhong Chu just smiled and didn’t respond. They indeed had quite the foresight, being the first base to establish a connection with the hotpot restaurant.

“Boss, your renovation is quite grand, and the space has been expanded so much,” Zhong Xiaofeng said, feeling amazed. This sort of capability was already beyond their comprehension.

“Yes, we’ll expand further in the future, otherwise, there won’t be enough seats when more people come,” Jiang Ci replied.

With the amount of people now, they could just barely squeeze everyone in, but if there were any more, this small space really wouldn’t work. So expansion was definitely necessary.

Zhong Xiaofeng and Zhong Chu exchanged glances, becoming even more determined in their mind.

The hotpot restaurant was bustling with noise as everyone was very interested in the menu on the small blackboard, discussing whether the meat was really beef and pork.

“I’ve heard from them that it’s real, and it tastes really good,” one survivor said. “I want to eat meat. It’s been almost ten years since I last had any.”

“I want to eat potatoes. They were my favorite before, but unfortunately, they couldn’t be grown after the apocalypse.”

Everyone discussed and then wrote down what they wanted to order on the notepads. Survivors her for the first time ordered conservatively, usually around twenty plates of meat, while regular customers directly started with sixty plates.

Seeing the availability of beef tallow hotpot, the survivors were very happy. Although the clear soup was delicious, the more stimulating flavor of the beef tallow hotpot left a stronger impression on the survivors.

So all eight tables ordered the spicy soup base, with Jiang Ci in the kitchen, her knife almost sparking from the speed of her chopping.

One by one, the hotpot bases and ingredients were served. When she came out, she noticed a few more survivors had arrived at the door.

There were no more seats left in the restaurant, so they had to wait outside. Jiang Ci found some stools from the warehouse and let them sit for a while.

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[ start typing here ]

this chapter is brought to you by mio
as translator, proofreader and editor!

---

Xiao Yu agreed readily and started to help Sun Qing clean the dirt from the wounds of these people.

When Jiang Ci came out with a kettle of boiled water, she happened to see one of the men’s sleeves being cut open by Sun Qing, revealing a charred arm.

The entire arm looked as if it had been burned. Sun Qing knew the arm was beyond saving, so she calmly tied off the main artery with a rope, then swiftly severed the entire arm with a knife.

Seeing this, Jiang Ci was startled, not expecting such decisiveness from the seemingly delicate girl.

However, having already witnessed death, Jiang Ci’s mindset had undergone a significant shift. She was only momentarily surprised before returning back to normal.

“Was this caused by fire or electrocution?” Jiang Ci frowned, squatting beside Sun Qing as she watched her attentively bandage the wound.

“Electrocution,” Sun Qing replied. Because Jiang Ci had provided so much help, Sun Qing had already decided in her heart that she was a good person and didn’t mind sharing about their situation.

The more Jiang Ci listened, the more familiar this person seemed, somewhat like the survivor named Zong Tao that Song Jinchuan and others had mentioned, who was also injured and used lightning abilities, attacking fellow human survivors.

“A customer who came to my restaurant before seemed to have also fought with this person, apparently they’re ruthless with formidable abilities. You guys are quite unlucky to have such a teammate,” Jiang Ci sighed, knowing that in the apocalypse, being too much of a holy mother¹ was most taboo.

Sun Qing’s expression darkened at the mention of Bai Tingting. She hoped Bai Tingting had died at the hands of that ability user; otherwise, she would definitely personally go after her to avenge her teammates!

The mutated beast corpses and other items from Sun Qing’s mission were all in Bai Tingting’s space. Fortunately, more important personal items were on their own persons, and medical supplies were mostly split amongst them, allowing her to bandage everyone up.

After all her teammates had been bandaged, Sun Qing was nearly exhausted. Her own wounds hadn’t even been treated yet, her clothes and flesh sticking together. In the end, Jiang Ci helped cut open her clothes, then cleaned and bandaged her.

Sun Qing pressed a sixth-level crystal core into Jiang Ci’s hand, struggling to keep her heavy eyelids open, “Thank you. Could you prepare some food for us, nutrient solution, anything. If it’s not enough, I’ll give you more when I wake up.”

After saying this, Sun Qing immediately fell into a deep sleep.

She also knew that in the apocalypse, one couldn’t trust strangers too much, but there was no other choice now. She could only take a gamble.

The eight of them slept on the floor of the hotpot restaurant for nearly a day and night, not waking until dusk the next day. Fortunately, there were no customers came that day, or seeing eight people lying there in a row, with blood on their clothes, might have made them think this was some sort of shady establishment.

The first to wake up was Xu Feng. Seeing the unfamiliar surroundings, he immediately became alert. The pain in his body brought him back to reality, and his memories gradually returned. After escaping from the mall, they had encountered another group of zombies and barely managed to flee from them. Finally, when they saw a faint light in the distance, they mustered the last of their willpower to move toward it before losing consciousness.

At that moment, Xiao Yu emerged from the kitchen and their eyes met. Instead of speaking, Xiao Yu turned and ran away. Xu Feng heard Xiao Yu’s hushed voice, as if calling out to someone.

Soon after, footsteps approached. Xu Feng felt a sudden brightness as the lights were turned on, and a beautiful girl leaned in closer to examine him, asking with concern, “You’re awake? How are you feeling?”

Xu Feng propped himself up to sit. His shirt had been removed, and almost his entire chest was wrapped in bandages.

“Where is this…?” Xu Feng inquired.

“This is my hotpot restaurant. Yesterday, all of you collapsed at my doorstep. Later, that girl woke up and bandaged your wounds,” Jiang Ci explained. Xu Feng glanced over and saw that Jiang Ci was referring to Sun Qing.

Seeing that his companions were still alive, Xu Feng breathed a sigh of relief, and the tension in his nerves eased slightly. He realized that the person before him was their savior and expressed his gratitude once more.

Soon, the others began to wake up one by one. Through Xu Feng and Sun Qing’s explanations, they learned where they were and how they had miraculously survived.

The sticky feeling on their bodies was gone, likely because they had been cleaned. According to Sun Qing, they had used quite a bit of Jiang Ci’s water. It was quite unexpected for them to encounter such a kind-hearted person in the apocalypse.

As they spoke, the aroma of food gradually filled the wooden cabin.

The voices in the room fell silent almost simultaneously. Having not eaten for a day, their stomachs began to protest loudly.

Jiang Ci emerged from the kitchen carrying two hotpot bases, followed by Xiao Yu, who held plates of meat and potato slices.

“Since everyone’s awake, let’s eat something first,” Jiang Ci said as she set down the hotpot bases and handed each person a bottle of mineral water. “Feel free to eat your fill. I’ve already taken your crystal cores, so I’ll make sure you all leave satisfied.”

The survivors now saw clearly that what lay before them was a hotpot meal! The ingredients beside it included not only potatoes but also meat.

Sun Qing handed over the crystal cores to Jiang Ci, never expecting to enjoy such a feast. She had thought a few bottles of nutrient solution would be the best they could hope for.

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:

Somewhat dazed, everyone sat down at the wooden table. The ingredients were already in the pot, and Jiang Ci instructed them to help themselves to the condiment station and rice.

For the eight of them, Jiang Ci had prepared two hotpot bases. For the first round of dishes, she served sixty plates of meat—thirty plates of pork belly and thirty plates of fatty beef—along with ten plates of potato slices.

All of this had only cost two fourth-level crystal cores, seven third-level crystal cores, nine second-level crystal cores, and six first-level crystal cores, totaling 27,960 points.

Sun Qing had given Jiang Ci a sixth-level crystal core, worth one million points, which was enough for them to eat dozens of meals. Jiang Ci decided to settle the final bill later and let Sun Qing pay with those crystal cores again when that time came.

The survivors were still completely unaware of the situation until the meat in the pot changed color. Someone started reaching for their chopsticks, and soon everyone joined in.

The taste of the hotpot briefly allowed them to forget their sorrow and pain, as they kept taking bite after bite.

The meat was delicious, and so were the potatoes. Each table ordered an additional thirty servings of meat and five servings of potatoes, totaling one fourth-level crystal core, two third-level crystal cores, and five second-level crystal cores.

After finishing the food, the survivors were completely satiated, and their exhausted bodies seemed to be re-energized in that moment.

Jiang Ci recalculated the price and returned the sixth-level crystal core to Sun Qing, asking her to take out a few lower-level crystal cores instead.

Sun Qing was somewhat anxious. She had originally thought that her sixth-level crystal core wouldn’t be enough and had even considered using an eighth-level crystal core from her bag to pay for the meal.

To her surprise, the sixth-level crystal core wasn’t even needed, as the highest level used was a fourth-level crystal core.

“Isn’t this too little? We also used so much water. Maybe you should just take the sixth-level crystal core,” Sun Qing said.

Jiang Ci waved her hand dismissively. “I run a hotpot restaurant, not some shady business. The prices are fair and clearly displayed. We only charge what’s due.”

Jiang Ci asked each of them to say a word of praise for the hotpot restaurant, and thus, the task was completed exceeding its target.

However, since the restaurant was too crowded at the moment, she only claimed the reward and didn’t do anything else for now. Moreover, with two more tasks completed, the system notified her that it was time for another lucky wheel spin and upgrade.

The sky had already darkened, and the survivors were almost all injured. It was impossible for them to leave now, given the great danger outside, so Jiang Ci let them stay for another night.

The survivors were already quite accustomed to the hardness of the wooden floor. The place was warm, safe, and provided food and drink—far better than anywhere else.

Jiang Ci had stayed up late the previous night and spent the day looking after the survivors. Now, she was truly exhausted.

After leaving a small lamp for the survivors, Jiang Ci went to her room to rest. Xiao Yu initially wanted to stay and keep watch for her, but Jiang Ci insisted he didn’t need to and sent him back to sleep. Xiao Yu had no choice but to return to his storage room.

Everyone was well-behaved, and didn’t wander around even if they were curious, staying quietly where they were.

Jiang Ci fell asleep quickly and slept soundly through the night without any dreams.

The next day, she woke up early. After a good night’s sleep, she felt much more refreshed.

When she stepped out of her room, she noticed that the eight survivors were already awake and standing in the courtyard, seemingly puzzled as to why there were no zombies or mutated beasts around the hotpot restaurant.

The survivors looked much better, which didn’t match up to their usual state after being injured, feeling as if the food at the hotpot restaurant might have something to do with it.

Resting at the hotpot restaurant for two days felt better than recuperating in the base for several days.

When they saw Jiang Ci, Sun Qing and the others were preparing to leave. Expressing their gratitude, they knew words couldn’t fully describe it; they would remember this in their hearts.

They needed to hurry back to the base to report the situation since Bai Tingting might have already died at the hands of Zong Tao. The death of an ability user was significant for a base, and they also needed to inform their teammates’ families of their deaths.

Jiang Ci escorted the guests to the door, waving goodbye and inviting them to return for hotpot whenever they had the chance.

Shortly after Sun Qing and the others left, Chen Cheng, Xu Ling, and their team returned. They had sustained some minor injuries, but nothing serious, and it seemed they had successfully completed their mission.

They were dragging a massive black mutated beast with sharp, curved horns and coarse, tough fur. It looked somewhat familiar yet terrifying at the same time.

“This is a mutated black ox. Our mission target was its horns, fur, and hide. The bones are also valuable, so we decided to bring the whole thing back,” Chen Cheng explained, noticing Jiang Ci’s gaze fixed on the beast.

Jiang Ci nodded. So it was an ox—no wonder it looked somewhat familiar. “Are you going to eat the beef from this?”

Chen Cheng shook his head. “No, the meat of mutated beasts is toxic and tastes terrible. Once, a survivor who was on the verge of starvation tried it, and even in such a desperate state, found it nearly impossible to swallow. What’s worse, they died just three days after eating it.”

Jiang Ci instinctively took a step back, putting more distance between herself and the mutated black ox.

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1.  圣母 in particular is used to describe someone with excessive compassion but with a condemning attitude towards people with a different view from his/her own. ↩︎