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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Surely, this person would be like the others she had saved before, waking up and being grateful to her. She had gone against all odds to save him after all.

Thinking this, a smug smile appeared on Bai Tingting’s face.

She didn’t notice that the fingers of the person lying beside her twitched slightly, with a faint purple electric current flowing from his fingertips for a moment before quickly disappearing into the air, going completely unnoticed.

Sun Qing and Xu Feng told their teammates about the situation and the information they had gotten from scouting. Thus, the group put Bai Tingting out of their minds and began discussing the plan for after dawn tomorrow.

After an unknown amount of time, a scream suddenly erupted from the room where Bai Tingting was, followed by a loud bang.

As the sound rang out, the previously quiet surroundings also began to stir. The nearby zombies and mutated beasts surged forward, clawing and howling at the door.

Sun Qing and her group were startled and quickly went to investigate.

As they approached, they saw a corpse carelessly strewn on the ground—it was their teammate, Xiao Zhou.

Xiao Zhou’s body had already stiffened, with wisps of white smoke rising from it, his eyes wide open.

Meanwhile, the sound of Bai Tingting’s struggle continued to emanate from inside the room. “I… I saved you, you… you can’t… do this, you ungrateful…”

After Bai Tingting managed to utter these words with great difficulty, a low chuckle and a slightly hoarse male voice echoed from inside, “Who asked you to save me?”

If Song Jinchuan and his group had been there, they would have recognized this all too familiar voice—it was Zong Tao, the man who had fled in defeat after being defeated by Song Jinchuan.

Most of Zong Tao’s underlings had sacrificed themselves to cover his escape. He was severely injured and, exhausted, collapsed by the roadside, believing he was done for. Yet he never expected someone to save him.

It seemed that he, Zong Tao, was not destined to die just yet.

At this moment, he was venting all the anger and humiliation he had suffered at Song Jinchuan’s hands on the people before him.

The woman who had been incessantly noisy since he woke up was now in his grasp, her neck strangled by him until her face turned purple and she could no longer breathe. The man who had been monitoring the situation behind the door was struck dead by a bolt of lightning.

Now, with so many people standing at the door, their expressions wary and weapons aimed at him, Zong Tao’s lips curled into a slight smile. Ordinary people, huh? That made things easier.

Sun Qing and her group exchanged glances, all sensing the gravity of the situation. This man was likely a high-level ability user.

The battle was imminent. Zong Tao threw Bai Tingting to the ground as purple lightning crackled in his hands.

Although Sun Qing and her group were ordinary people, they were all seasoned in combat. They skillfully dodged his attacks while striking back with their weapons.

Bai Tingting cowered in the corner, nearly paralyzed with fear, her neck still throbbing with pain. She couldn’t understand why her good deed hadn’t been rewarded.

The fight between ordinary people and a survivor like Zong Tao was brutal, especially against a madman like him. His fighting style was reckless and ruthless, as if he was driven by a death wish. He coughed up blood several times but simply wiped it away and continued using his abilities.

Fortunately, Zong Tao had just been injured and hadn’t fully recovered yet. Despite his crazy frenzy, some of his vulnerabilities were still inevitably revealed.

Seizing the moment when Zong Tao exposed a weakness, Sun Qing and her group dealt him a heavy blow and quickly retreated with their remaining members.

Zong Tao, too exhausted to give chase, staggered a few steps before collapsing to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Yet, a terrifying smile still lingered on his face.

Only then did Bai Tingting, still in the corner, realize that they had left without her! What was she supposed to do now?!

In the darkness, Zong Tao spoke, his palm still crackling with purple lightning, his threat unmistakably clear. “You, go and collect all these body fragments.”

“Should I throw them away?” Bai Tingting was on the verge of tears, thinking that if she were sent out to dispose of the bodies, she might have a chance to escape this lunatic.

“Don’t throw them away, collect them. I need to recuperate here for the next few days, and they will provide me with the necessary nutrients.” Zong Tao’s lips curled into a sinister smile, revealing teeth stained with blood, like a demon.

At that moment, Bai Tingting truly regretted her decisions.

*

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, in the hotpot restaurant, Jiang Ci ordered two meals, planning to eat with Xiao Yu.

Seeing that there was food for him as well, Xiao Yu looked somewhat flustered and quickly said, “No need, I’ve already eaten so much earlier.”

Jiang Ci had ordered braised pork with tiger skin quail eggs, the deep red sauce drizzled over it made it look incredibly appetizing.

“But that was hours ago, aren’t you hungry now?” Jiang Ci opened the food container in front of her, the aroma immediately wafting out.

“I…” Xiao Yu was about to say he wasn’t hungry when his stomach let out a loud growl, causing his face to turn red.

“See, your stomach is protesting your own words. Eat up. You already owe me a favor, what difference does it make if you owe me a little more? If you feel really bad about it, you can come help me peel potatoes once you’re settled and have nothing else to do.” Jiang Ci said half-jokingly.

Looking at the meal placed before him, Xiao Yu finally accepted it.

Jiang Ci had saved him when he was in dire straits, found him a place to stay, and now was giving him such good food. Xiao Yu’s heart was filled with gratitude, wondering how he could ever repay Jiang Ci for her kindness.

The two sat by the wooden table near the window, eating while watching the sunset outside.

The sunset painted the sky in shades of gray and orange, the dilapidated city enveloped in its glow, exuding a sense of decaying beauty.

Xiao Yu was completely immersed in the bowl of braised pork rice in front of him. The pork was tender but not falling apart, melting in his mouth with a rich blend of meat and flavour from the sauce. Xiao Yu felt that he wouldn’t trade this bowl of rice for anything else.

After finishing the meal, Xiao Yu stood up and took the two food containers to throw them in the recycling bin outside the wooden cabin.

Jiang Ci stepped out of the hotpot restaurant’s wooden door, standing in the protected courtyard to stretch. Xiao Yu returned and stood beside her, gazing at the distant evening glow.

Soon, the sun completely set, and the lights outside the hotpot restaurant came on.

Tonight, Xiao Yu was to rest at the hotpot restaurant. Jiang Ci found a folding bed in the nearby warehouse and set it up for him to make do for a couple of days.

If it weren’t for encountering those two villains and realizing how well the system protected her, Jiang Ci wouldn’t have dared to let a survivor stay overnight in this post-apocalyptic world. But now, the system gave her enough confidence to do so.

After setting up the bed and lingering for a while, Jiang Ci felt that no one else would come, so she closed the wooden door.

She handed Xiao Yu a set of toiletries and told him to go to the outside restroom to wash up.

Just as they finished tidying up and were about to head to their respective rooms to sleep, the wooden door was suddenly knocked on.

Jiang Ci stood at the door, her hand still on the doorknob. Hearing the noise, she quickly went to open it. Lately, it seemed like she had unlocked some kind of ‘late-night visitor’ buff, as guests kept arriving in the middle of the night.

As soon as the wooden door opened, the survivor outside collapsed to the ground with a thud.

With the first person falling, the other exhausted survivors behind them also tumbled down in a chain reaction.

Jiang Ci exclaimed in surprise. After the system confirmed that none of the survivors had been bitten by zombies, she hurried forward to help them up. However, the survivors were all incredibly heavy, and she simply couldn’t manage to lift them on her own.

Xiao Yu, hearing the commotion, quickly came out from inside to assist.

The two of them exerted tremendous effort and finally managed to drag all eight people into the house.

Jiang Ci’s hands and clothes were stained with blood, and the room was now filled with the metallic smell of it. The eight survivors looked seriously injured, lying haphazardly on the floor.

It seemed that reaching this place had drained the last of their strength.

Jiang Ci was now at a loss. She didn’t have any medicine or bandages to treat their wounds. She couldn’t just stand by and watch these eight people die in front of her.

For now, all she could do was boil some water, hoping it might be useful later.

“Sister…” Xiao Yu’s voice came from the kitchen doorway as she was boiling the water. “One of them has woken up.”

Jiang Ci quickly turned off the stove and went out to check. She found that a woman had already sat up from the floor. Even with blood on her face, her complexion looked extremely pale.

“Thank you,” the woman said, her voice hoarse. “Can we rest here for a while? We’ll leave as soon as we regain some strength.”

“It’s fine. Rest her for as long as you need. I’ve boiled some water for you to clean your wounds later. How did you get so badly injured?”

At this, the woman’s eyes darkened. “We encountered a powerful enemy. There were fifteen of us originally, but only eight of us managed to escape.”

Jiang Ci fell silent. Losing seven companions in one night was something no one could easily come to terms with.

Perhaps it was because the light in the room felt so warm, but the woman suddenly felt the urge to confide in someone. “One of them was a close friend of mine for many years. We supported each other to reach this base, joined this team together, but she died right in front of me, her eyes still open. Another was my mentor, the one who taught me combat and how to use a gun…”

The woman recounted each loss, her voice trembling with emotion.

“My condolences,” Jiang Ci said, struggling to find the right words, only to end up settling on this dry remark.

The woman wiped her tears and looked up, her eyes slightly red. “I’m sorry for showing you something so unsightly.”

“It’s alright,” Jiang Ci replied, remembering the hot water in the kitchen. She quickly went in and brought out a large basin. “Here, use this water to clean your wounds.”

The woman, Sun Qing, who had previously engaged in a fierce battle with Zong Tao, was stunned when she saw so much clean water that could be directly consumed without any strange aftertaste.

“This… water is too precious. I… I can’t use it.”

“It’s fine, there’s plenty more. Go ahead and use it. I’ve also boiled some water. You can tend to their wounds first. Xiao Yu, can you lend her a hand?” Jiang Ci noticed that as long as Xiao Yu was helping with tasks, he felt less psychological burden and could prove he wasn’t useless. So, she kept Xiao Yu behind to assist Sun Qing.

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now i’m craving tiger skin quail eggs TAT

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

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Afterward, Jiang Ci went around to the back of the hotpot restaurant. There was also a fenced-off empty space here, with tall buildings blocking the view, making it the perfect spot to store the remaining mineral water.

Four hundred and fifty boxes of mineral water, even when stacked, completely filled up the empty space.

Seeing such a grand sight before her, Jiang Ci nodded in satisfaction. Mission accomplished.

After waiting for about an hour, the sound of a vehicle finally sounded from outside.

Jiang Ci went out to take a look. Wang Jun and the others had arrived in a truck. This time, Xu Yan, Gu Qi, and Zhou Lin didn’t come. Only Zhong Xiaofeng and Wang Jun were in the vehicle.

The truck backed into the courtyard of the hotpot restaurant. The rear door opened, revealing a spacious interior and ten survivors sitting inside.

The survivors were all tall and muscular, clearly called here to move the water.

“Boss, where’s the water?” Zhong Xiaofeng and Wang Jun got out of the truck as the ten survivors inside also began to disembark.

When they all stood at the entrance of the hotpot restaurant, Jiang Ci felt like half the sunlight was blocked by their height.

“There are fifty boxes in the warehouse, and another four hundred and fifty boxes in the empty space behind the hotpot restaurant,” Jiang Ci said. “You can send two people to the warehouse, and the rest can go to the back.”

Zhong Xiaofeng immediately clapped her hands. “Everyone, split up and get to work. Once we’re done, I’ll treat you all to hotpot!”

The ten survivors cheered and then dispersed, starting to load the water onto the truck, box by box.

Each box contained a hundred bottles, with each bottle holding 500ml. Jiang Ci had tried to lift a box earlier and found that she couldn’t even manage to lift one, while the ten survivors who came to help could carry a box in each hand with ease.

With the assistance of the ten survivors, the mountain of mineral water in the back gradually diminished until it finally disappeared.

Jiang Ci’s ability to prepare five hundred boxes of mineral water at once was no small feat, making her a unique presence in this post-apocalyptic world. Whether she had powerful backing or was formidable herself, she was someone the base had to befriend.

Not many people had discovered this place yet, so their base had the advantage of being the first ones to partner with her.

“You seemed quite interested in this bag earlier, so I brought one for you,” Zhong Xiaofeng handed Jiang Ci a beautiful grass-green bag.

The grass-green color was accented with a hint of red, like flowers blooming on a meadow. Jiang Ci fell in love with it at first sight.

“Our base has a few survivors who are very skilled at handicrafts. These bags are made by them. Once they’re finished, they take them to the free market to trade for other things. They’re not expensive, so just take it. Consider it a gift from me. After all, we’re partners now,” Zhong Xiaofeng added, seeing Jiang Ci hesitate.

In the end, Jiang Ci accepted it. Up close, the bag was even more exquisite and compact. The strap was just the right length to wear it crossbody, and the small bag felt comfortable to the touch, made from some kind of animal skin that was soft yet sturdy.

“As long as you like it. The gloves and scarves they make are also beautiful and go well with any outfit. When the cold season comes, I’ll bring you some,” Zhong Xiaofeng said.

As Zhong Xiaofeng finished speaking, Jiang Ci heard the system’s explanation in her mind.

Since the apocalypse, the weather in this world had also changed. The four seasons were now divided into only two, each lasting a period of six months. Currently, it was the warm season, with significant temperature fluctuations and only brief periods of stability. Rainy days were the most common, with the occasional pleasant sunny days and extreme heat. People could go about their daily lives as long as they protected themselves from the rain and sun. The cold season, however, would see temperatures plummet below zero, with snow and wind being the norm. Some places could even drop to tens of degrees below zero, and travel could become difficult due to blizzards.

With the changing weather, various pathogens also invaded, making human survival even more challenging.

After hearing this, Jiang Ci felt even more moved. Despite such hardships, humanity had still managed to survive.

Zhong Xiaofeng and Jiang Ci chatted about topics that girls generally enjoyed, quickly closing the distance between them.

Box by box, the mineral water was loaded onto the truck, gradually filling the cargo hold. Within an hour, all five hundred boxes had been loaded.

The once-empty cargo hold was now packed to the brim, leaving only a few spaces for people to sit.

The ten survivors, having worked up a sweat from moving the water, simply took off their short-sleeved shirts and muscle tanks.When Jiang Ci came out carrying the hotpot base and dishes, she was greeted by the sight of fresh, steaming bodies, each with eight distinct abdominal muscles, exuding raw masculine energy. Suddenly, she was reminded of the videos on a short video app her colleagues often dragged her to watch, majority of which was filled with half-naked men deliberately showing off. None of them could compare to the natural allure of the men before her. If her colleagues were here, they’d probably go crazy with excitement.

Jiang Ci cleared her throat lightly and, without a single flicker in her expression, placed the food in front of them.

While the survivors were eating, Wang Jun placed a fifth-level crystal core in Jiang Ci’s hand and then took back the fourth-level crystal core.

Jiang Ci put the crystal core into her new bag, and it instantly converted into points that flowed into her account.

After deducting the 5,000 points spent on purchasing 500 crates of mineral water, the balance in her account surged to 170,650.

The ten survivors were seated at two tables and had ordered additional dishes twice. Between the two tables, they consumed 200 plates of meat and five pots of rice. Even though the meat was sliced by a machine, Jiang Ci still felt like her hands were about to fall off. However, she received four fourth-level crystal cores and three third-level cores in return. When it came time to pay, Wang Jun’s face returned to its usual stern expression, while the survivors, who were about 70-80% full, chuckled sheepishly.

Jiang Ci also asked them to share their thoughts on the hotpot restaurant. The survivors all gave concise and positive feedback, instantly advancing the task progress by ten points, bringing it to 43/50.

With only seven more people needed to complete the task, Jiang Ci felt that it should be finished soon at this rate.

After finishing their meal, the survivors even took the initiative to help clean up the dishes and utensils on the table.

“Thank you. We need to hurry back to deliver the water, so we won’t stay longer. You’re welcome to visit our Crimson Base sometime,” Zhong Xiaofeng said.

Jiang Ci nodded and watched as they drove away with a truckload of water.

When she returned to the kitchen, Xiao Yu had already sliced dozens of plates of potatoes and had placed all the bowls and pots into the automatic dishwasher.

He had only watched Jiang Ci do it once yet had already learned how to do it.

Earlier, when Jiang Ci was too busy slicing meat to cut the potatoes, Xiao Yu had volunteered to take over the task.

Jiang Ci noticed that Xiao Yu had some natural talent for this—his potato slices were much better than her first attempts back then.

Jiang Ci fished all the potato slices out of the water, arranged them on plates, sealed them with plastic wrap, and placed them in the refrigerator.

“That’s enough. You don’t need to cut anymore,” Jiang Ci said to Xiao Yu, who was standing nearby. Only then did Xiao Yu put down the knife and silently stand to the side.

After tidying up the tables and chairs, the sun outside began to sink slowly in the west.

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, Sun Qing and Xu Feng, after killing a few zombies blocking their path, quickly returned to their hideout.

It was a five-storey shopping mall. The two of them circled to the back door, looked around cautiously, and then knocked lightly on one of the doors.

After a moment, a voice came from inside, “Who is it?”

“It’s us,” Sun Qing replied in a hushed tone.

After another pause, the door opened from the inside. Sun Qing and Xu Feng slipped in and quickly closed the door behind them.

The light inside came from a single candle, casting a dim glow that barely illuminated the room.

There were fifteen people in the room, including Sun Qing and Xu Feng, all of whom were teammates who had come out together this time.

“We went to scout the surrounding roads. We’ll head east at dawn tomorrow…” Sun Qing was speaking amidst the group when a sudden whiff of blood reached her nose. “Wait, what’s that smell? Is anyone injured?”

The teammates had split up to act separately and had agreed to meet here after they were done, so Sun Qing and Xu Feng remained unaware of whether anyone was injured.

“It’s not us. It’s Bai Tingting. She picked up an injured man from somewhere and insisted on keeping him,” said Jia Yu, a short-haired girl with strong combat skills and whose weapon was a knife on her arm.

“Why didn’t you just stop him from joining us? Didn’t we already discuss not to accept people of unknown origin earlier? Forget everything else; if he’s infected with the zombie virus, we’re all doomed,” Sun Qing frowned.

“The Young Miss’s savior complex kicked in again. She even guaranteed with her own life that he’s not a bad person and righteously accused us of being too cold-blooded. She even said she wouldn’t help us store supplies if we didn’t help. So, they went to a separate room over there to avoid our criticism,” Jia Yu pouted. “I asked Xiao Zhou to keep an eye on them and break in if anything goes wrong.”

Bai Tingting was a level three spatial ability user from the base, and made missions extremely convenient when she accompanied them. Her only flaw was her savior complex, which had even led to the death of survivors she teamed up with. Bolstered by her abilities, she had a bad temper and was extremely demanding, so survivors privately called her Young Miss behind her back.

“Forget it, let’s ignore her and continue talking,” Sun Qing said. If it weren’t for the fact that the mission’s target this time was too large and required the use of spatial abilities, and with all other spatial ability users in the base having been borrowed by other teams, they really wouldn’t have wanted to team up with Bai Tingting.

The room they were in had previously been used as a warehouse, and now the supplies inside had long been moved out, leaving only a few shelves. The space was still quite ample, and further inside, there were a few separate rooms. Bai Tingting and the man she had rescued were in one of them.

The man was severely injured, with traces of burns from a fire.

Bai Tingting frowned tightly and generously took out bandages and other medical supplies to use on the man.

After doing this, an indescribable sense of satisfaction welled up in her heart.

She was indeed a beautiful and kind-hearted woman—a breath of fresh air in this cold and callous apocalypse.

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wow a holy mother character!

also i don’t rlly remember if we’ve been introduced to SQ or XF before or if this is the author building up to the next chapter

also once again, any typos or broken links, pls lmk in the comments or in the discord server ◡̈

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

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“This is the logistics director and the deputy leader of our base. And this is the boss of the hotpot restaurant I told you about,” Xu Yan introduced them.

“Hello, come in and have a seat,” Jiang Ci smiled at them.

The captain of the Blaze Squad looked to be in her twenties, very beautiful, with a streak of red on her forehead, as if painted on, adding a touch of mystique to her pretty face.

“Hello, Boss. I’m Zhong Xiaofeng, the captain of the Blaze Squad and also deputy leader of Crimson Base,” the woman smiled back at Jiang Ci, very politely.

“I’m Wang Jun, the logistics director of Crimson Base,” the tall, muscular man with a stern face extended his hand to Jiang Ci.

“Earlier, we bought a few bottles of mineral water here. After taking them back, we happened to have them tested. The water is exceptionally clean, completely free of virus contamination, and even contains many minerals beneficial to the human body. After the base leader found out, he sent Sister Xiaofeng and Brother Jun with us to discuss the possibility of buying some mineral water to take back,” Zhou Lin explained.

“Sure, how much do you want to buy?” Jiang Ci didn’t hesitate at all when it came to opportunities to earn crystal cores.

“Can we buy it by the box? If so, how many bottles are in a box?” Wang Jun asked after some thought.

The system quickly answered the question in Jiang Ci’s mind after Wang Jun finished speaking.

So, Jiang Ci almost immediately replied, “Yes, one box contains a hundred bottles. Since we sell them at a very low price—two first-level crystal cores per bottle—there’s no discount for buying by the case.”

“Such cheap water. Boss, are you sure you won’t lose money?” Zhong Xiaofeng asked.

Jiang Ci shook her head, “No, it’s all about small profits with quick turnover.”

Zhong Xiaofeng gave her a thumbs-up. Water like this was something everyone would fight over. Even if the price were doubled or tripled, no one would complain.

She must have met a good person, Zhong Xiaofeng thought, her gaze toward Jiang Ci growing even softer.

“We’ll take five hundred boxes. How long will it take to prepare them? We’ll bring a larger truck to transport them,” Wang Jun calculated the price in his mind. Even without a discount, it was still very cheap.

“They’re ready anytime. Our inventory is ample,” Jiang Ci replied. As long as she had the points, she could provide not just five hundred boxes, but even fifty thousand boxes immediately.

Jiang Ci did the math in her head. Five hundred boxes would cost one fifth-level crystal core, which was equivalent to one hundred thousand points.

This was a big client. Jiang Ci felt pleased. Selling water was so profitable—she could definitely develop this business further in the future.

Hearing Jiang Ci’s words, Wang Jun’s serious face finally broke into a smile, “That’s great. Let’s go now.”

“What’s the rush? Let’s eat something. We’re at a hotpot restaurant, after all. I’ve heard Zhou Lin rave about it all the time, and now’s the perfect time to try it,” Zhong Xiaofeng said.

Seeing that Zhong Xiaofeng had already taken a seat, Wang Jun frowned and stood at the door for a while before reluctantly sitting down beside her.

Zhou Lin and the others were already eager to start, as they had spotted something they hadn’t seen before—slices of fatty beef and pork belly.

Ever since their first time eating hotpot, they had been asking Jiang Ci when there would be meat. Now, it was finally here. Just seeing the names of those ingredients made their mouths involuntarily water.

“There’s fatty beef and pork belly?!” Zhong Xiaofeng had thought the hotpot restaurant was already quite unique, but she hadn’t expected to see these long-lost ingredients.

“Before, there were only potato slices. Now, we finally have meat,” Gu Qi chimed in from the side.

“Order away. Today, we’re going all out. We’re doing work for the base, so the meal will be reimbursed by the base,” Zhong Xiaofeng declared with a wave of her hand.

Zhou Lin and the other two cheered, immediately ordering thirty plates of fatty beef and thirty plates of pork belly, along with ten plates of potato slices as a token gesture, and rice for five people.

Jiang Ci did the math. The total cost would be one fourth-level crystal core and four third-level crystal cores, amounting to fourteen thousand points.

With meat, vegetables, and rice, a meal costing one fourth-level crystal core and four third-level crystal cores was well worth it.

Zhong Xiaofeng glanced at Wang Jun, tilting her head slightly to signal him to pay. Without hesitation, Wang Jun reached into his bag and pulled out the crystal cores.

Jiang Ci noticed that the bags used by survivors in the apocalypse to carry crystal cores were quite special. They looked small but could hold a lot, and they weren’t heavy to carry.

The exterior had some natural patterns; apparently they were made from the hides of high-level mutated beasts.

Because of the unique nature of the mutated beasts, which possessed abilities beyond those naturally found in the beast, such extraordinary bags could be crafted.

Seeing Jiang Ci’s keen interest, the system mentioned that if they encountered high-level mutated beasts in the future, it could help make even more beautiful bags.

Jiang Ci’s eyes immediately lit up. She could make a few more and take them back for her mother.

While Jiang Ci was cutting vegetables, she received the system’s assurance. By now, she had become quite skilled at slicing potatoes, with each piece nearly identical in size and thickness.

The pork belly, like the fatty beef, was frozen and then sliced to the appropriate thickness using a manual meat slicer.

The boy named Xiao Yu had been lingering at the kitchen door, wanting to help but unsure if he could enter.

When Jiang Ci noticed him, she waved him in to help peel potatoes. There were no secrets in the kitchen—the meat came from the freezer, and the potatoes were in a burlap sack.

Xiao Yu’s eyes brightened, and he entered, sitting on a small stool and diligently peeling potatoes without letting his eyes wander.

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 the ingredients were brought out one by one, Zhong Xiaofeng and Wang Jun couldn’t take their eyes off them, not even blinking.

“Boss, can we buy these ingredients?” Wang Jun couldn’t help but ask.

“Sorry, but we can’t sell ingredients in large quantities right now,” Jiang Ci replied without hesitation.

The system had already made it clear that everything else could be sold in bulk, but not the ingredients. After all, the hotpot restaurant relied on them to earn crystal cores. If the ingredients were sold off in large quantities, the restaurant would lose its purpose.

Wang Jun’s face showed clear disappointment, though it was somewhat expected.

“It’s cold! The fridge here still works? And how are the slices cut so thin?” Zhong Xiaofeng, who was usually glamorous and alluring, had now turned into a curious child, asking questions with every new item that was brought out.

As the hotpot broth began to boil, the aroma of the ingredients blended together, even drawing in Wang Jun, who had been focused on his mission.

“Let’s eat, the beef slices are ready,” Gu Qi called out, already reaching his chopsticks into the pot.

The dishes at the hotpot restaurant were generous—each slice of beef and pork belly was almost as big as a person’s face. Taking a bite was incredibly satisfying.

“Oh my god, this is so delicious,” Zhong Xiaofeng exclaimed with delight.

But no one chimed in; everyone was too focused on eating. Seeing the ingredients in the pot rapidly disappearing, Zhong Xiaofeng also stopped talking.

The sixty plates of meat were devoured in no time, and the five of them were clearly still craving more. However, remembering their mission, they decided to stop.

Just as Zhong Xiaofeng was about to get up and leave, she saw Wang Jun, who was usually rigid and only concerned about the base and his mission, suddenly pull out a few more crystal cores from his bag: “Boss, bring us twenty more plates of fatty beef and twenty plates of pork belly.”

Zhong Xiaofeng’s eyes widened as she looked at Wang Jun in surprise, as if seeing him for the first time.

Wang Jun glanced around, noticing the identical expressions on the other four faces, and raised an eyebrow slightly. “What? If we’re going to eat, we might as well enjoy to our heart’s content.”

Gu Qi, Xu Yan, and the others clapped enthusiastically, cheering, “Brother Jun, you’re the best!”

Zhong Xiaofeng propped her chin on her hand, looking at Wang Jun with a meaningful smile.

The moment their eyes met, Wang Jun’s dark complexion turned red as he stammered, “What are you looking at?”

“I didn’t expect even you to have this side,” she teased.

Wang Jun coughed and turned his face away, but the blush on his cheeks lingered.

By the time the five of them finished the first round of dishes, Jiang Ci had already received five compliments, with her task progress jumping to (33/50).

When the second round of dishes arrived, the survivors immediately dumped them all into the pot.

After a few dunks in the boiling broth, the meat had just changed color when the survivors eagerly reached in with their chopsticks.

“Boss, have you considered joining our Crimson Base? We could give you a private villa and crystal core subsidies,” Zhong Xiaofeng said to Jiang Ci, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Jiang Ci waved her hand. “No, I have this big restaurant to take care of. You’re welcome to come and eat anytime you want.”

Jiang Ci’s response was expected, so Zhong Xiaofeng wasn’t too disappointed. However, it gave her more motivation to earn crystal cores. She decided she would recommend the place to her friends and the base leader when she got back, so they could come together next time.

The remaining broth was divided among them, each taking a bowl of rice. They even finished the ginger slices and scallions, which, though not as flavorful, were still nostalgic flavours they hadn’t experienced in ten years.

After finishing their meal, they hurriedly left, as they still needed to return and bring the truck over. Before leaving, Wang Jun gave Jiang Ci a fourth-level crystal core as a deposit. They would exchange it for a fifth-level crystal core after receiving all the water.

Watching them leave, Jiang Ci went to the warehouse. The space here wasn’t large, probably only enough to hold about fifty boxes.

Jiang Ci closed the door and then opened her personal panel. On it, there was a small cart-like symbol, which was her supply channel.

After clicking on the cart symbol, a variety of agricultural products, meats, and other goods appeared before her. However, at the moment, she could only purchase the items unlocked in the hotpot restaurant.

Jiang Ci found the mineral water, priced at 10 points per box. Other items were also priced low, but the quality of the ingredients was the best Jiang Ci had ever seen.

The system told her that in the future, her hotpot restaurant in the real world could also use this channel for supplies.

This news was excellent for Jiang Ci, as it meant her startup costs would be much lower than others, and the financial pressure on her wouldn’t be as heavy.

So, even though she knew it was a clearly a tempting piece of bait, Jiang Ci still decided to latch onto it firmly.

She first exchanged for fifty boxes of mineral water, instantly filling the small warehouse to the brim.

---

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

---

The aroma of the food filled his nostrils, and his mouth watered incessantly. The potatoes in the pot had softened, and he fished out a slice, placing it in his bowl. Though soft, the flavor was still exceptional, soothing his hungry stomach.

In that moment, a warm current seemed to flow into the boy’s numb heart. He felt tears welling up in his eyes.

On the other side, Jiang Ci was facing a corpse and another survivor who was barely clinging to life, feeling a headache coming on. How was she supposed to get them out of here?

[Host, I remember there’s a cargo cart outside the cabin that can be used to transport the body,] the system reminded Jiang Ci in her mind.

Jiang Ci pushed the door open and looked outside. Sure enough, there was a dark blue, foldable cart by the entrance. Due to the recent rain, it was covered in a layer of dust.Jiang Ci finished cleaning the trolley and was about to drag it inside when a puzzled voice came from outside.

“Boss, what are you doing here?” A familiar female voice sounded from behind Jiang Ci.

Turning around, Jiang Ci saw Xu Ling, Fang Qing, and a few others who had visited the shop standing behind her.

Jiang Ci’s eyes lit up. “You came at the perfect time, come and give me a hand.”

“What kind of help? I’ll do it.” Out of trust in Jiang Ci, Captain Chen Cheng rolled up his sleeves without hesitation, ready to assist.

A few minutes later, everyone froze in place. It turned out that the help the boss was referring to was having them deal with a corpse.

The scene was undeniably horrifying, yet Jiang Ci blinked her big eyes, looking at them with anticipation.

“They came to the shop to cause trouble, not only trying to harass me but also to take over my restaurant. Naturally, I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.” Perhaps noticing the stiff expressions on everyone’s faces, Jiang Ci explained.

“I know this guy!” Er Niu, who was walking at the back of the group, suddenly said, “It’s Xu Feng from the Shadow Base. He was later expelled from the base for targeting the children there. This guy is disgusting.”

Er Niu, with his muscular build, frowned in disgust, creating quite a contrast.

“Good riddance then.” Xu Ling detested such people the most in the post-apocalyptic world, thinking that without the constraints of law, they could do as they pleased.

Yes, both of them were dead. Jiang Ci only discovered upon her return that the bald man, who had been barely alive, now had a dagger plunged into his chest, completely cutting off his breath. The boy who had been eating earlier had now hidden in the shadows of a corner upon hearing the noise.

After discovering the bald man’s death, Jiang Ci glanced at the boy, who was looking down, lost in thought. She didn’t expose him.

“So now, I’ll trouble you to lend a hand and help carry them out and throw them far away, or it’ll disrupt my business.”

Carrying two people was a breeze for Chen Cheng and his group, and without a second thought, they helped lift the bodies.

“No need for the trolley, we’ll just throw them out for you.” Er Niu and Chen Cheng each carried one, walking out without even using the trolley.

“Thanks.” Jiang Ci exhaled in relief, finally resolving the issue. She turned and went into the kitchen to fetch a mop to clean the bloodstains on the floor.

The cleaning agent in the hotpot restaurant was very strong. Spraying just a bit of it not only thoroughly cleaned the floor but also left no trace of any smell, only a faint fragrance.

“Take a seat first. You can decide what you want to eat first, then write it down in this notebook. I’ll go prepare it once I finish here.”

After the floor was cleaned, Chen Cheng and Er Niu came back in from outside.

“Threw them into the crack over there,” Er Niu said, “so as not to benefit those zombies and mutated beasts.”

The crack that still remained was from the last time the giant tortoise had appeared. Since the restaurant hadn’t been upgraded to the extent of repairing its surroundings yet, it remained exposed.

Jiang Ci nodded and handed each of them a bottle of mineral water as a token of gratitude.

The survivors were currently reconstructing their prior assumptions of Jiang Ci. She appeared to be a delicate woman with strength not even sufficient to truss up a chicken, yet she had directly killed two men whose combined weight was three to four times of hers, and they had both clearly been armed as well.

Chen Cheng and Er Niu, who were carrying the two corpses out to dispose of them, were the ones who saw the situation the most clearly. The man with the crew cut only had one fatal wound, caused by a bullet. Judging by the extent of the wound’s explosion, it was clearly a bullet fired from his own gun.

How the bullet that had been fired had ended up back in his own body was something Chen Cheng still couldn’t figure out.

The other bald man seemed to have a fatal knife wound in his chest, but before he had been stabbed, he had already suffered severe injuries.

Chen Cheng also caught a whiff of a burnt smell, as if from a powerful electric shock.

Their base also had a lightning ability user, and since they had fought together before, they were somewhat familiar with this smell.

In contrast, Jiang Ci, after severely injuring two burly men, was not only unharmed but didn’t even have a drop of blood on her.

At this moment, Jiang Ci’s image in their minds instantly soared to two meters tall. Previously, she was a mysterious person of uncertain strength; now, she was a boss whose strength they weren’t sure extended to what level.

“Finally, we have meat!” Xu Ling’s cheerful voice interrupted the survivors’ various thoughts.

“Meat? What kind of meat?” Er Niu’s eyes lit up as he strode over.

“Fatty beef! Pork belly! Both are my favorites!” Er Niu was instantly delighted and quickly asked Xu Ling, who was in charge of ordering, to add a bit more to the quantities they had already jotted down.

In the end, they ordered thirty plates of fatty beef, thirty plates of pork belly, ten plates of potato slices, and rice for five people.

Jiang Ci charged them one fourth-level crystal core, three third-level crystal cores, and five second-level crystal cores, totaling thirteen thousand five hundred points.

When Jiang Ci went in to prepare the food, Chen Cheng and the others also noticed the boy hiding in the corner.

The pot on the other table was still simmering on low heat, but the table was empty, which was quite puzzling. It seemed this boy was the customer from that table.

After Jiang Ci brought out all the food, she noticed Chen Cheng and the others’ gazes still fixed on the little boy in the corner.

“By the way, is your base still accepting people?” Jiang Ci asked after some thought.

“Boss, are you planning to open a shop at our base?” Fang Qing looked at Jiang Ci with surprise.

Under the expectant gazes of several people, Jiang Ci shook her head. “Not me, but this child. He was kidnapped by those two men just now, has no relatives left, and nowhere to go. I was wondering if you could take him back and give him a place to stay.”

Chen Cheng glanced at the boy, who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, with various wounds on his body. Even if Jiang Ci hadn’t mentioned it, they could roughly guess what had happened to him.

“We can, but we need to make a trip to City E. We’ll be back in three days at the earliest, so we’ll come to pick him up then,” Chen Cheng said.

“Alright, let him stay with me for a couple of days first then.” After resolving this matter, Jiang Ci felt a bit more at ease.

The secret of the shop was quite significant, and given her current limited capabilities, it was best not to expose it to others. Therefore, it was temporarily unsuitable for her to live with anyone else.

As if he heard everyone talking about him, the boy silently walked behind Jiang Ci and tugged at the corner of her clothes, looking at her with dependence and trust in his eyes.

Jiang Ci had rescued him from the abyss, becoming his light in the darkness. For the extremely anxious boy, tightly holding onto this light was the only way to make him feel somewhat at ease.

“They are all good people. When the time comes, you can follow them back to the base. Living with other people will also be beneficial for you,” Jiang Ci reassured him. “My place is too small, with only one habitable room, so I can’t take you in.”

The boy remained silent for a while before finally nodding.

“Alright, go eat now. Quickly finish the rest of your food; it’s been overcooked now,” Jiang Ci patted his hand.

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 boy silently sat back down and began eating voraciously.

No matter how disappointed Chen Cheng and his companions were inwardly, they didn’t show it on their faces. Once the meat was served, they called everyone to start the meal.

As the fatty beef and pork belly entered their mouths, Chen Cheng and the others couldn’t help but stop talking. The potato slices already tasted great, but with the two types of meat, once it was cooked, it was even more delicious.

It was so fragrant that it could make one swallow their tongue. No wonder humans were often referred to as carnivores.

After so many years of not encountering meat, the deepest memories on their tongues were instantly awakened.

After finishing the hotpot, Chen Cheng and the others felt a surge of warmth in their bodies, as if they now had endless energy.

Jiang Ci still asked for feedback, and as expected, all were positive. Including the boy’s hesitant ‘delicious,’ Jiang Ci received a total of six compliments, and the task progress became (28/50).

After Chen Cheng and the others left, the boy helped Jiang Ci clean the table. After a long silence, he finally spoke, “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Jiang Ci raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing his words as she came out of the kitchen.

“That person…” the boy paused, “I killed him.”

Jiang Ci showed no surprise on her face. “If you killed him then you killed him. They harmed your family; isn’t it only right for you to seek revenge?”

“I thought…” the boy continued, “I thought you would think I’m despicable and cowardly, only daring to deal with someone who had already lost the ability to retaliate.”

Jiang Ci wiped the water droplets from her hands. She noticed that the boy seemed to have some psychological issues now.

“You’re not cowardly at all; in fact, you’re quite remarkable,” Jiang Ci’s tone carried a hint of surprise, as if she was puzzled why he would say such things about himself. “I can’t even imagine how powerless I would feel facing two people who killed my family all by myself. Not only have you endured until now, but you also found an opportunity to fight back and avenge your family.”

Listening to Jiang Ci’s praise, the boy felt the weight in his heart slowly lifting.

Just as the two were talking, more people arrived at the shop. This time, it was still familiar faces: Zhou Lin, Xu Yan, and Gu Qi.

But this time, they weren’t alone. There were two unfamiliar faces as well, a man and a woman. They had arrived in a vehicle—a long, reinforced van.

“Boss, we’re back again,” Zhou Lin waved at Jiang Ci.

---

i’m craving haidilao so bad rn it’s not even funny

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

---

At this moment, outside the hotpot restaurant, two tall and menacing-looking men stood at the entrance with a thin and delicate-looking boy. The boy didn’t seem very old.

“A hotpot restaurant? The lights are still on, so there must be someone inside. Let’s go in and take a look,” one of the men said, exchanging an unfriendly glance with the other.

The boy followed them, his eyes dull and empty.

Hearing footsteps, Jiang Ci looked up from behind the counter and saw three people walking in from outside.

The two men in front immediately lit up when they saw Jiang Ci’s face.

Their gaze wasn’t concealed at all, and before Jiang Ci could say anything, she felt a wave of undisguised malice wash over her.

Seeing the guns on their backs, Jiang Ci instantly became nervous. For some reason, her sixth sense seemed to have become sharper.

[This is an ability granted by the system to the host, allowing you to more keenly sense malice directed at you and the hotpot restaurant,] the system seemed to sense Jiang Ci’s confusion and explained directly.

At this moment, it felt like an alarm had been installed in Jiang Ci’s heart, beeping incessantly as the men approached.

“Is this a hotpot restaurant?” the man with a buzz cut stood by the counter, his eyes tightly fixed on Jiang Ci like a predator.

Jiang Ci felt goosebumps erupt all over her body and was frantically chattering to the system in her mind despite maintaining a calm expression on the surface.

“This guy is bad, definitely a bad guy. Why is he looking at me like that? So greasy. Does he think he’s being cool?”

This was one of Jiang Ci’s little quirks—when she got nervous, she liked to talk to herself non-stop.

Although Jiang Ci knew the system would protect her, she was now directly facing two tall, burly men carrying guns, who clearly harbored ill intentions.

The system patiently soothed Jiang Ci’s nerves, repeatedly assuring her that it would ensure her safety and not let the men lay a finger on her. Gradually, Jiang Ci’s panic subsided.

“Yes, this shop is A Hotpot Restaurant,” Jiang Ci responded.

Her face showed no smile, and her tone wasn’t particularly enthusiastic. However, since she was good-looking, the man across from her didn’t mind much. Instead, he chuckled as if he had heard something absurd. “What do you have to eat here?”

Jiang Ci tapped on the blackboard beside her, signaling him to look at it himself.

The man’s gaze shifted from Jiang Ci to the small blackboard nearby.

After a moment, the man raised an eyebrow, exchanged a glance with his companion, and shared a look of disbelief and amusement.

It had been ten years since the apocalypse. How could these things still exist?

As the two men began to sneer, Jiang Ci noticed the young boy who had entered last. He was still taller than the average person but unnaturally thin.

In theory, although resources were scarce in this world, the state had developed nutrient solutions that could provide the basic nutrients needed by the human body. It shouldn’t have been possible for someone to be this emaciated.

The boy kept his head down, not glancing around at all, as if he didn’t care about anything. His entire demeanor exuded a sense of despondency.

“Then bring ten portions of each ingredient,” the man with the crew cut said, seemingly in no hurry. He and his companion plopped down at the wooden table.

They were like cats toying with a mouse, ready to bare their fangs once they had had their fill of fun.

[Should we kick them out directly?] the system asked in her mind. [As the owner of the restaurant, it’s your basic right to decide whether to accept or expel customers.]

“Wait a bit. Didn’t they just order? Let’s get their crystal cores first,” Jiang Ci replied, feeling bolder with the system by her side.

Seeing Jiang Ci’s sudden change in attitude, the system couldn’t help but marvel that humans were indeed the most complex creatures in the world.

“That will be five third-level crystal cores and seven second-level crystal cores,” Jiang Ci said to the two men after calculating the bill.

The number of crystal cores wasn’t large, so the men didn’t hesitate for long before handing them over. Jiang Ci’s account was credited with 5,700 points.

While Jiang Ci went to the kitchen to prepare the food, the two men wandered around the room. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t open the door to Jiang Ci’s room. Afraid of alerting her, they decided to leave it alone for the time being.

Apart from that room, there was no sign of anyone else in the entire house. The two men felt slightly relieved.

They quietly discussed their plan. Dealing with a girl didn’t require much effort, and they even felt somewhat relaxed.

As the ingredients were brought out one plate at a time, the men’s expressions changed. They hadn’t expected there to be so many ingredients. Where had they been stockpiled?

Regardless of where they came from, the significance of this place immediately shifted for them. What had started as a desire for the person now turned into a desire to take control of the entire shop.

No matter what they were thinking, the two men eagerly dumped the food into the pot.

As they ate, they paid no attention to the boy nearby. The boy, seemingly accustomed to such scenes, didn’t sit at the table either. Instead, he sat on the floor with his knees hugged to his chest, as if he had automatically tuned out all external sounds.

The food was almost ready, and the air began to fill with an enticing aroma.

The two men went to serve themselves rice, and as they passed by Jiang Ci, the bald man behind the one with a crew-cut couldn’t resist reaching out to touch her fair and delicate face.

But the next second, an electric shock-like pain spread through his entire body starting from his fingertips. The bald man instantly stiffened, and his eyes rolled back.

A loud thud echoed noticeably in the hotpot restaurant, startling the man with a crew cut. He reacted swiftly, turning around while drawing the gun from his back and aiming it in Jiang Ci’s direction.

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:

“Da Niu! Da Niu! What’s wrong with you!” the man with a crew cut called out to his teammate twice, but his teammate seemed to still be unconscious from the pain and couldn’t respond.

“What did you do to him?” the crew-cut man’s voice tightened, completely different from the deliberately low tone he had used when speaking to Jiang Ci earlier.

“Nothing. He was the one who tried to touch my face,” Jiang Ci shrugged, looking innocent. She really hadn’t done anything; it was the system’s protection that had kicked in.

“Do you have lightning-based abilities?” The crew-cut man’s eyes grew tense. He had underestimated women, and this time, he had finally met someone formidable.

The two men weren’t usually this careless. It was all because the bald man had let his impulses get the better of him. Otherwise, they would have investigated their target before making a move.

Jiang Ci didn’t deny it and looked at the crew-cut man. “This is a hotpot restaurant. If you’re here to eat, then eat properly. Don’t get any funny ideas. Do you think I, a woman, would dare to open a shop here for no reason?”

Jiang Ci had now completely mastered the art of bluffing.

The man with a crew cut was a ruthless character, and since things had already come to this, he had no choice but to resort to force.

He quickly moved into position and pulled the trigger.

With a loud bang, Jiang Ci noticed that her ears felt as if they had been covered by earmuffs, isolating the deafening gunshot and preventing any harm to her hearing.

The bullet, too, seemed to hit something elastic about a meter away from her and instantly bounced back.

With a thud, the bullet that was meant for Jiang Ci ricocheted and struck the crew-cut man in the chest.

His gun had been modified, and the bullet wasn’t the traditional kind—it had been mixed with nails. Upon impact, it exploded in his chest.

The fatal wound meant there was no chance of survival. The crew-cut man had never imagined he would die by his own gun. His eyes still held a terrifying ferocity, but the light in them gradually faded. He let out a few gurgling sounds before collapsing to the ground, motionless.

Jiang Ci didn’t notice that Hui Hui, who had been quite calm earlier, slowly retracted her neck that had been stretched out in alarm after the crisis was over. The earthy yellow glow in her eyes also vanished in an instant.

Jiang Ci’s heart was pounding wildly. This was the first time since she arrived here that she had faced death head-on, and it had even almost been her own death.

But she wasn’t a saint either. The other party had intended to strike first. If she hadn’t taken the initiative and didn’t have the system’s protection, her fate would have been a hundred times worse.

The little boy huddled by the table seemed to be frightened, taking a while to react. However, he wasn’t afraid of Jiang Ci. Instead, he moved closer to the counter, his previously lifeless eyes now carrying a glimmer of hope as he looked at her.

The boy wasn’t too close to Jiang Ci, but he wasn’t far either. She finally got a clear look at him—his body was covered in bruises, both old and new, all of which appeared to be man-made.

Jiang Ci had already formed some suspicions in her heart, and her disgust for the two men lying on the ground grew even stronger.

After the two men lost consciousness, the incessant alarm that had been ringing in Jiang Ci’s mind finally stopped.

Having personally experienced the system’s protection, Jiang Ci felt her fear lessen significantly. She even started to feel like she could walk around without a care in the world.

“Were you forcibly taken by them? Which base were you originally from?” Jiang Ci asked, her voice soft.

The boy shook his head, his voice hoarse when he spoke, “My base was overrun by zombies. I escaped with my family, but along the way, my family was…”

At this point, his voice choked up. After a few minutes, he continued, “I’m the only one who survived.”

Though he survived, he had fallen into an even more terrifying abyss. Meeting Jiang Ci was his salvation.

Jiang Ci sympathized with his plight, but she herself hadn’t even established a firm footing in this world. She couldn’t send him to a new base.

After discussing with the system, they decided to let him stay at the hotpot restaurant temporarily, waiting for a survivor willing to take him in before letting him leave.

“Go ahead and eat some hotpot. I’ll clean up the place,” Jiang Ci told the boy, waving her hand to signal him to sit at the table where the bald man and his companion had been eating.

Seeing how thin he was, it was clear he hadn’t been eating much.

“Let me help,” the boy said, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the kindness.

“No need. Eat something first. You look like a gust of wind could knock you over. Once you’re full and have some strength, there’ll be plenty of opportunities for you to help,” Jiang Ci waved her hand dismissively. “Besides, they already paid for this table with crystal cores. It’d be a waste not to eat it, and I’m not giving any refunds.”

The boy hesitated for a moment but eventually sat down at the wooden table.

---

this is also why i think the apocalypse would be super dangerous, i feel like without the constraints of the law and government, you’re just testing how dark human nature can get

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

---

The tension in Zhou Xiong and his group immediately eased, and faint smiles appeared on their faces. “It’s you guys. Are you all okay? Thank you so much for earlier.”

The newcomers were none other than the Cheetah Squad led by Song Jinchuan, who had saved Zhou Xiong and his group. Despite having just gone through two battles, Song Jinchuan and his team looked no different from before.

“Can we come in to take shelter from the rain? It’s pouring outside.” 

Jiang Ci glanced up at the pitch-black night sky. The sound of the rain had grown louder since Zhou Xiong arrived, resembling someone pouring water from a bucket overhead.

Jiang Ci quickly stepped back and moved aside to let Song Jinchuan and his team in. “Come in, hurry.”

The warm yellow light inside the small hotpot restaurant made the place feel cozy, but as soon as everyone entered, the already cramped space became even more crowded. Zhou Xiong and his group, who had already finished their meal, moved to sit on the floor in an open area.

It was only then that Jiang Ci noticed the squad consisted of eight people—two women and six men—all of whom looked highly capable.

The man who had locked eyes with Jiang Ci at the door was none other than the squad leader, Song Jinchuan. He was tall and well-built, but unlike the exaggerated muscles of most ability users, his physique was lean and athletic. His face had a wild handsomeness, somewhat resembling a male celebrity Jiang Ci had once liked, so she couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.

Song Jinchuan caught Jiang Ci’s gaze, raised an eyebrow slightly, and then nodded politely at her.

At that moment, Zhou Xiong and his group were still savoring the aftertaste of their hotpot meal. The pots hadn’t been cleared yet, so the aroma of food still naturally lingered in the air.

One of the survivors sniffed the air and couldn’t help but swallow hard.

“What’s that? And why does it smell like hotpot?” a male member of the squad with a baby-face said, looking puzzled.

The man with a baby-face seemed lively, but the weapon he carried—a spiked spherical hammer—contrasted sharply with his youthful appearance, creating a sense of dissonance.

“We were eating hotpot. This is a hotpot restaurant,” Zhou Xiong replied.

The survivors glanced at the two pots, which were now completely empty, leaving no clue as to what kind of hotpot had been served.

“That’s the boss,” someone said.

In the next moment, Jiang Ci could feel more than half the eyes in the room turn toward her. After all, she was the most distinctive person in the room. Jiang Ci had recently grown accustomed to being stared at like an exhibit in a zoo, so she simply smiled and pointed to the small blackboard beside her, indicating they should check the price list.

“Brother Chuan, I’m hungry,” the baby-faced man said after looking at the menu, turning to Song Jinchuan with an expectant expression.

“Order whatever you want. I’ll cover the crystal cores,” Zhou Xiong quickly offered.

“No, we’ll pay for ourselves,” a square-faced man firmly refused.

“You saved so many of us. A few crystal cores can’t even begin to repay you. We’ll feel better if you accept,” Zhou Xiong’s survivors nodded in agreement, clearly sharing their leader’s sentiment.

“Alright,” Song Jinchuan nodded. “Everyone, go ahead and order.”

With his approval, the members of the Cheetah Squad began to order their favorite dishes.

Jiang Ci had just cleared the hotpot bases from the two tables into the kitchen dishwasher. Now, she was holding a notebook, jotting down their orders.

Twenty plates of fatty beef, twenty plates of pork belly, five plates of potato slices, and rice for eight people.

In their team, there was a melancholic young man with long hair covering his eyes, who was a water-type ability user. Since they usually didn’t lack drinking water, they didn’t buy any mineral water.

“Pork belly? It wasn’t available when we ordered earlier,” Zhou Xiong and others said with some regret.

“It just arrived from the back, so I added it to the menu,” Jiang Ci explained truthfully, as it had indeed been unlocked after completing a recent task.

The pork belly slices looked fresh, with a perfect balance of fat and lean meat, classic three-layered pork belly, coated in a fragrant sauce that made the survivors’ mouths water.

Survivors who hadn’t tasted meat in a long time couldn’t take their eyes off the fatty pork. If they weren’t already full, Zhou Xiong and the others would have ordered another hot pot base to try the pork belly.

“Why isn’t there a spicy soup base? I really want something spicy,” a short-haired girl muttered.

“Come on, having hotpot is already great. Don’t be so picky. Where else can you get hot pot?” the baby-faced man retorted.

“Next time you come, there should be a spicy soup base,” Jiang Ci said as she placed the hotpot base on their table. She thought that by the next time they visited, the task would be completed, and she explained this, successfully seeing the short-haired girl’s eyes light up.

“Really? Will it be beef tallow soup base? Beef tallow soup base is so fragrant.”

“Yes, it’ll be a beef tallow soup base, and it will definitely taste great. Everyone can come and try it then,” Jiang Ci said with a smile.

The group’s excitement grew a bit more. Although they didn’t know what the next visit would be like, having such a connection was still nice.

Song Jinchuan looked up, his gaze passing through the crowd to Jiang Ci, who was smiling sweetly. He thought that this shop and its boss were quite special.

As the hotpot base boiled, the ingredients inside continued to float and sink in the pot, releasing a rich aroma of food.

The survivors couldn’t be bothered with talking anymore and immediately dug in.

While Song Jinchuan and the others were eating hotpot, Zhou Xiong and his team sat on the ground nearby, resting.

“Captain Zhou, have you noticed that after eating the hotpot, our stamina has recovered quite a bit?” a survivor sitting next to Zhou Xiong whispered.

Zhou Xiong moved his body around and indeed felt much lighter than when they first arrived.

Normally, after several fights, injuries, and the exhausting of their stamina, it would take at least a day of rest at the base to recover. But today, they had recovered about seventy to eighty percent in such a short time.

Zhou Xiong pondered for a moment before speaking calmly, “Since the Boss hasn’t mentioned this effect, let’s just act as if we don’t know about it. We shouldn’t cause any trouble for others.”

The survivor also nodded, feeling quite moved. He never expected the hotpot here to have such an effect. If those various bases found out, this place would likely be swarmed with people.

After finishing their first round of dishes, Song Jinchuan and his group ordered ten more plates of fatty beef and ten plates of pork belly, indulging themselves to the fullest.

In the end, they spent one level-four crystal core, three level-three crystal cores, and five level-one crystal cores at Jiang Ci’s place, totaling 13,050 points.

Jiang Ci’s points surged significantly, reaching 34,450.

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 Song Jinchuan and his group finished their meal, Jiang Ci asked for their feedback on the hotpot restaurant.

The eight of them were very cooperative, understanding Jiang Ci’s intention, and took turns praising the hotpot restaurant in various ways.

With their compliments, Jiang Ci’s task progress instantly jumped to (22/50).

After the meal, they even helped Jiang Ci clean up the tables before sitting together to chat and wait for the rain to stop.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the relatively quiet woman from the Cheetah Squad used her healing ability to treat everyone.

After healing her own team, she also treated two severely injured survivors from Zhou Xiong’s squad.

The two teams got along exceptionally well and learned about the conflict between Song Jinchuan and Zong Tao.

Their conflict had actually started before the apocalypse. Zong Tao was a vicious criminal back then, and it was Song Jinchuan who had captured him. So, after the apocalypse began, the moment Zong Tao saw Song Jinchuan, he wanted to kill him for revenge.

But he hadn’t expected Song Jinchuan to be so strong. Although their battles had mostly ended in draws, Zong Tao could feel the increasing pressure.

That’s why he had gone to blow up the giant tortoise’s lair, hoping to quickly enhance his abilities.

“So, who won in the end?” one of the survivors from Zhou Xiong’s squad couldn’t help but ask, curious about the outcome.

“I won narrowly. He was injured and escaped with the help of his teammates,” Song Jinchuan replied in his usual steady tone, neither boasting nor expressing regret.

Zhou Xiong gave him a thumbs-up. Being able to injure Zong Tao was already quite an achievement.

Zong Tao not only was an ability user, but also carried small weapons hidden all over his body, making his attacks unpredictable and cunning.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ci absorbed all the information and details from their conversation.

As dawn approached, the rain outside finally stopped.

Jiang Ci, unable to stay awake any longer, had already fallen asleep on the table. The hotpot restaurant was now silent, with everyone else also sleeping deeply.

When Jiang Ci opened her eyes, she saw Song Jinchuan sitting across the counter. He hadn’t slept and was staring out the window, deftly twirling a small black knife between his fingers.

Jiang Ci pushed open the window, and the post-rain air rushed in, fresh and cool with a faint hint of bitterness.

“Would you like some hot water?” Jiang Ci asked.

This was the first time survivors had spent the night in her shop, and for Jiang Ci, it felt quite novel.

“No need to trouble yourself. We’ll be leaving soon. Thank you for yesterday. Our Cheetah Squad owes you a favor. If you ever need anything, come find me at Bright Base. Just mention my name,” Song Jinchuan said.

Jiang Ci waved her hand, “It was nothing. If you really want to thank me, just bring more people here for hotpot in the future.”

As they spoke, the survivors gradually woke up.

It had been a long time since the survivors had slept so soundly. The hotpot restaurant offered a rare warmth and tranquility. Except for the slightly hard floor, everything else was perfect.

After bidding farewell to Jiang Ci, the Cheetah Squad and Zhou Xiong’s team left together.

Only after they had traveled a considerable distance from the hotpot restaurant did zombies and mutated beasts begin to swarm in. At this moment, the miraculous nature of the hotpot restaurant became even more vivid and tangible in everyone’s eyes.

The survivors glanced back; under the grey and gloomy sky, the hotpot restaurant seemed to be their only sanctuary in this apocalyptic world.

After seeing off the survivors, Jiang Ci yawned and rubbed her sore neck. Sleeping like that for a night was really unbearable. Although she was awake now, her spirits were not high.

After washing up, Jiang Ci ordered herself a bowl of twice-cooked pork noodles.

The noodles were firm and smooth, and the twice-cooked pork was fatty but not greasy. Due to the special cooking method, it also had a slightly crispy and tender texture.

After finishing the bowl of noodles, Jiang Ci felt like she had come back to life.

---

the translator has nothing to say ◡̈

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

---

Jiang Ci quickly threw on a coat and slipped into her slippers to answer the door.

To prepare for such emergencies, Jiang Ci now slept in comfortable loungewear that wasn’t too revealing, allowing her to move quickly to greet customers.

She turned on the soft overhead light in the hall, eyes squinting slightly at the sudden glare.

Seeing the light inside, the knocking outside became even more urgent.

Jiang Ci opened the wooden door to find several people standing outside. It had started raining again, and the wind carried a chill.

It was Zhou Xiong and his group, all injured. They had barely escaped with the help of Song Jinchuan’s Cheetah Squad and now were facing the rain.

Normally, a little rain wouldn’t have been a problem, but with some team members severely injured, the virus in the rainwater could be the final blow. They urgently needed a safe place to take shelter.

“S-Sorry to disturb you,” even the usually composed leader Zhou Xiong stammered upon seeing Jiang Ci.

They had actually imagined many scenarios, but they didn’t expect the person who opened the door to be such a young, beautiful, and seemingly fragile girl.

Jiang Ci didn’t pay attention to the tone of the other party, her gaze falling on the survivors outside. Many of their clothes were half-stained with blood, and their wounds were mixed with dust and dirt, making them look particularly disheveled.

She quickly stepped aside and gestured for the survivors to come in first. “Please come in and rest for a while. It doesn’t look like the rain will stop anytime soon.”

“Thank you,” Zhou Xiong thought he would have to do some convincing, but he didn’t expect Jiang Ci to be so straightforward.

The group of people swarmed into the hotpot restaurant, and the place instantly became crowded.

As they stepped into the hotpot restaurant, a warm feeling enveloped the survivors. Knowing they were dirty, they didn’t sit on the chairs but instead sat on the floor.

Jiang Ci went to the kitchen to boil several pots of water, then poured it into a large basin before bringing it out for the survivors to clean their bodies and wounds.

Originally, Zhou Xiong and the others were just grateful to have a place to shelter from the rain, but they hadn’t expected Jiang Ci to go out of her way to help them and even bring them clear, clean water.

Such precious water yet it was only meant for cleaning their wounds.

The survivors couldn’t resist and took a sip with their hands. It had no bitter taste, only a hint of sweetness.

They exchanged glances, each seeing the shock in the other’s eyes.

However, two of the survivors were severely injured. After a brief moment of astonishment, they didn’t hesitate any longer and quickly used the water to clean their wounds before applying medicine and bandaging them.

Because they were constantly on the move, they always carried medical supplies in their bags.

“Did you run into a group of zombies or mutated animals? How did you get so badly injured?” Jiang Ci noticed that some of the wounds had blackened, as if they had been burned by something, and asked curiously.

Zhou Xiong shook his head. “It was Zong Tao from the Black Eagle Base. We were almost certainly going to die, but then we encountered the Cheetah Squad, who saved our lives.”

In the post-apocalyptic world, these two names should be well-known to everyone.

But to completely unfamiliar Jiang Ci, apart from the name Zong Tao that seemed somewhat familiar, as if she had heard it from somewhere before—she was completely clueless.

[Previously, the one who bombed Hui Hui’s lair was Zong Tao,] the system dutifully explained, sensing Jiang Ci’s confusion.

Jiang Ci suddenly understood why the name sounded so familiar—she had heard it mentioned by the other survivors before.

She hadn’t expected Zong Tao to be so ruthless, inflicting such severe harm on fellow human survivors. One of the survivors had a wound so deep that the bone was visible, while another had lost an arm.

It made Jiang Ci’s heart race with fear. It seemed that only now did she truly understand the cruelty of the post-apocalyptic world.

After all the wounds were bandaged and the survivors leaned back wearily on the ground, the feeling of hunger gradually emerged.

They rummaged through their bags and pulled out a few nutrient solutions, but the quantity was clearly insufficient.

Zhou Xiong frowned slightly, “Let’s share them, prioritizing the heavily injured members. Once the rain stops and we return to the base, we can get more nutrient solutions.”

“Not enough food?” Jiang Ci spoke up at this moment, sensing the heavy atmosphere. “How about having hotpot? I run a hotpot shop here. Although the menu isn’t very extensive at the moment, there’s definitely enough rice to go around.”

“Hotpot?” Zhou Xiong’s frown deepened. After confirming that she wasn’t joking, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

In the end, they couldn’t resist the temptation of good food. With so many people, they ordered two pots of broth, ten plates of fatty beef, ten plates of potato slices, and rice for fourteen people.

They paid a total of five third-level crystal cores and nine second-level crystal cores.

Seeing that there was mineral water, Zhou Xiong made a decision and bought fourteen bottles, one for each person, paying another two second-level crystal cores and eight first-level crystal cores.

After all, Jiang Ci had been so kind as to let them in to take shelter from the rain and even provided them with precious water resources. Zhou Xiong felt that spending these crystal cores was worth it.

Jiang Ci, on the other hand, was beaming with excitement. This single transaction not only allowed her to complete her task directly but also consumed a large amount of points.

The food and mineral water totaled 6,180 points, and when added to her previous points, it amounted to 21,400 points.

“This night shift is really worth it,” Jiang Ci thought to herself as she chopped vegetables with dark circles under her eyes.

While Jiang Ci went to the kitchen to prepare the dishes, Zhou Xiong and his group went to the restroom to wash their hands and faces briefly, brushing off the dust from their clothes.

By the time they returned, the small table beside the main table was already filled with dishes.

Soon after, Jiang Ci came out carrying a pot of clear broth, and the aroma instantly captivated Zhou Xiong and his group. Fourteen pairs of eyes involuntarily followed Jiang Ci’s movements.

“It really is hotpot…” one of the teammates murmured.

“You… you run a hotpot restaurant here? What about the zombies and mutated beasts?” another survivor asked incredulously, genuinely finding the situation unbelievable.

“Zombies and mutated beasts can’t get close to my restaurant, so it doesn’t affect my business or the customers enjoying their hotpot,” Jiang Ci replied with a smile.

It was only then that the survivors realized they hadn’t heard any sounds of zombies or mutated animals outside since they arrived.

Naturally, the survivors were surprised by this explanation and began to speculate in their minds. Could Jiang Ci be raising a high-level mutated beast cub? Or was there a high-level zombie or advanced mutated beast nearby that they didn’t know about?

But how could high-level zombies and mutated beasts be so docile as to allow humans to use them? If such monsters existed, this wooden cabin would have been flattened long ago.

No matter how much they thought about it, they couldn’t figure it out.

However, since Jiang Ci didn’t elaborate, they didn’t press further. Knowing too much wouldn’t necessarily benefit them.

Now, with delicious food right in front of them, the survivors couldn’t be bothered to think too much and started eating heartily with the warm rice.

The steaming hot rice, broth, and ingredients soothed the survivors’ hungry stomachs and, unbeknownst to them, were also slowly replenishing their body’s energy.

During the meal, the entire hotpot restaurant became very quiet, with only the sounds of chopsticks and bowls clinking, and the sounds of chewing and swallowing food.

Jiang Ci sat at the counter, using the computer as a cover, and opened her personal panel to take a look. The third task, selling twenty portions of fatty beef, was indeed already marked as completed, with the fourth task already appearing in her task list.

Jiang Ci focused her gaze and saw that the fourth task read: [Receive fifty sincere compliments from customers to unlock the beef tallow soup base.]

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:

Beef tallow soup base! The last bit of drowsiness in Jiang Ci vanished upon seeing these words. In that instant, it felt as if the air was filled with the spicy, fragrant aroma.

It had been a long time since she had eaten beef tallow soup base. Although there were hotpot restaurants in the city where she worked, the taste was never authentic.

As a native of City C, eating hotpot was truly satisfying only when it was spicy.

“Does the fifty sincere compliments have to be spoken out loud in the store, or do compliments in the heart count? Can the same person compliment twice and have it count?” Jiang Ci asked in her heart.

[The compliments must be spoken out loud in the store. The system will determine if they are sincere. Each person can only compliment once; repeated compliments will not count toward the task,] the system answered one by one.

Jiang Ci looked up and saw that there were fourteen people right in front of her. She should be able to complete nearly a third of the task soon.

After the survivors finished eating the hotpot, Jiang Ci somewhat shyly made her request, “Could I trouble each of you to share your thoughts about our store?”

Although she used the word ‘thoughts,’ the hopeful gleam in Jiang Ci’s eyes clearly indicated that she wanted them to say something nice.

The survivors, now full and with their energy restored, were happy to put in a little effort, and compliments began to pour out one after another.

“Delicious.” 

“So good.” 

“This hotpot restaurant is my favorite place in the apocalypse.”

…

Jiang Ci listened to a total of fourteen compliments, and the task progress bar quickly rose, stopping at (14/50).

Jiang Ci, who was naturally thin-skinned, felt her cheeks flush with a hint of pink, even though the compliments were about the hotpot.

Just as the atmosphere was warm and harmonious, the wooden door was knocked on again.

Since it was very late, Jiang Ci had closed the door after the survivors entered to prevent the cold wind from coming in.

Hearing the knock, she was somewhat surprised. It was already past three o’clock in the morning—who else could be wandering outside at this hour?

Zhou Xiong and the others immediately became alert. They knew they weren’t bad people, but there were always those who would covet this hotpot restaurant, like Zong Tao and his group.

Having received the owner’s kindness, they felt that no matter what happened, they had to protect her.

The door swung open, and Jiang Ci found herself staring into a pair of exceptionally dark and profound eyes.

Upon seeing Jiang Ci and the people behind her, the man raised his thick eyebrows slightly. “Quite lively here, huh?”

---

only beef tallow soup base and tomato soup base r acceptable answers for hotpot!!!

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

---

Meanwhile, in a building half a city away from the hotpot restaurant, a group of people were taking refuge, avoiding the dense hordes of zombies outside.

Since the building was pitch black, the leader of the group turned on his flashlight to see their surroundings better.

Outside the closed doors of the building, zombies that had caught the scent were still gathering, unwilling to leave, growling and scratching at the doors. The survivors cautiously followed the flashlight’s beam as they moved further inside. Staying in the building wasn’t necessarily safe either; the zombies outside could break in at any moment, and there were unknown dangers lurking within the building.

But there was no other choice. Not entering meant certain death, while entering offered a slim chance of survival.

However, after climbing several floors, they didn’t encounter any zombies or mutated animals, only a floor littered with shattered corpses.

“Someone’s been here,” one of them said, their expressions not relaxing at the sight of the eerily quiet building. Instead, they all looked grave, and their footsteps instinctively became lighter.

In the post-apocalyptic world, sometimes human hearts were even more terrifying than monsters.

Most humans tended to stick together, but there were always those who took pleasure in torturing and killing their own kind. Without the constraints of law, heinous acts like murder, cannibalism, and looting were rampant, left unchecked.

The sight of these shattered zombie corpses, seemingly impossible to piece back together, cast a shadow over their hearts.

Normal survivors only needed to destroy the heads of zombies to kill them. Such brutal methods clearly weren’t the work of ordinary humans.

With the menacing zombies behind them and unknown dangers ahead, the survivors had no choice but to press on. They needed to find another way out or wait for the zombies blocking the doors to leave.

But with the presence of unknown humans in the building, their original plans would have to be adjusted.

While the survivors were on high alert, those on the top floor also heard the noise and cautiously checked the stairwell.

“Boss, it seems like there are people downstairs,” one of them returned to the rooftop and reported to a tall, burly man sitting on a section of a concrete pipe.

The bald man, referred to as ‘Boss’, had a fierce appearance, his body covered in tattoos, his eyes exuding indifference and a hint of cruelty. It was clear at a glance that he was not someone to be trifled with.

The man rested his elbows on his knees, his palms pressed together. After a moment, a deep purple electric ball appeared in the space between his hands, crackling with tiny electric currents.

“So what if people are coming? Isn’t that a good thing?” the man chuckled, the electric ball spinning smoothly in his palm.

“Our Brother Tao is a level five lightning master. What’s there to fear if people come? It’s a perfect opportunity to get some supplies and crystal cores,” one of his subordinates said without a hint of worry, even joking with a smile, showing their usual confidence in the man’s strength.

The others shared the same attitude, laughing and joking around, clearly not taking the survivors downstairs seriously.

“Enough. There’s always someone stronger, and the sky is vast,” the man who had been silent until now slowly stood up. His tone sounded humble, but his movements revealed a sense of arrogance. “Don’t get careless. Let’s go down and meet them.”

The man’s followers cheered and followed him in a swarm toward the stairwell.

Meanwhile, the other group of survivors had just reached the second floor, where they encountered a few remaining zombies. After dealing with them, they decided to temporarily settle in a conference room on that floor.

The conference room was in chaos, with evidence that people had hidden there during the initial outbreak of the apocalypse. The windows were covered with paper.

Captain Zhou Xiong tore off a piece of newspaper, but instead of seeing the outside view, he was met with complete darkness.

Even if it were night, it shouldn’t be this dark. What was going on? A sense of unease began to creep into the survivors’ hearts.

Just then, Zhou Xiong noticed that the darkness outside seemed to shift, revealing a furry, slender leg. The survivors’ worst fears were confirmed.

What was clinging to the window was likely a mutated beast, and judging by its shape and that furry leg, it was a highly dangerous mutated spider.

Mutated spiders were not only agile but also possessed silk that could entangle and kill, difficult to cut even with a knife. They were a nightmare for survivors.

A wave of despair washed over the survivors. Were they really going to meet their end here today?

At that moment, a noise came from upstairs, and the mutated spider, which had been lurking on the outer wall, quickly scurried up toward the sound.

Only then did the survivors get a clear view of just how massive the mutated spider was—it loomed over them like a black mountain.

After it left, the outside returned to a visible state, revealing that the street was still filled with zombies, many of them forming small groups and roaring as they headed toward the building.

Just then, a burst of fire erupted in the night, blowing apart the zombies blocking the road and forcefully clearing a path.

The survivors pressed against the window, their eyes fixed on the area still burning with flames.

Soon, a few people emerged, walking through the charred remains of the zombies.They stopped some distance away from the building, looking up at its facade—or rather, at the mutated spider that had just climbed up it.

The man at the forefront didn’t hesitate. With a wave of his hand, a massive fireball roared toward the mutated spider on the building. The survivors near the windows couldn’t help but feel an intense wave of heat, instantly turning the conference room into a steamer.

The survivors quickly fled the room they were hiding in to avoid being roasted.

Not far from where they exited, they ran into the tattooed man and his group descending from upstairs. They didn’t look as disheveled as when they had come down from the rooftop, but several of them were injured, likely from a close encounter with the mutated spider.

The bald tattooed man in the middle had a dark expression, whether from encountering the mutated spider or something else.

When Zhou Xiong got a clear look at the man in front of him, his heart skipped a beat. Wasn’t this Zong Tao? The leader of the Black Eagle Base. After the apocalypse, he had led a group of followers to seize weapons from a prison and established his own base.

Zong Tao and his gang were notorious for their cruelty, committing every imaginable atrocity—arson, murder, and plunder. It seemed unjust that someone like him had become an ability user. After gaining his powers, Zong Tao had gone even more insane. It was rumored that he was behind the explosion that had destroyed the giant tortoise’s lair.

When the two groups met, Zong Tao wasted no time on words, and a fight broke out immediately.

Small bolts of lightning flickered in the air. Due to the confined space and difficulty in dodging, Zhou Xiong’s group, which had no ability users, was at a complete disadvantage.

In the end, Zhou Xiong gritted his teeth and charged at Zong Tao alone, signaling his teammates to take the opportunity to escape.

He knew all too well what the outcome would be for an ordinary person like him facing a level five lightning ability user. But this team was his responsibility, and he couldn’t stand by and watch them die here.

His teammates were shaken to the core. When they realized what their captain was about to do, they were overwhelmed with grief. But they had no strength left to fight back. They could only honor their captain’s sacrifice by desperately pushing forward.

Just then, the sound of flames erupting came from outside again, this time much closer, as if right beside their ears.

Everyone turned to see a dark figure crashing through a second-floor window, traces of flames still burning on his body, followed by a wave of heat.

“Quite the commotion,” a man’s voice rang out in the room, carrying a hint of slight laughter.

“Song Jinchuan!”

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:

Zhou Xiong heard Zong Tao’s voice, filled with gnashing teeth, before he was thrown to the ground.

The name Song Jinchuan was not unfamiliar to Zhou Xiong and his group. Although he was a level six fire ability user from Bright Base and the captain of the Cheetah Squad, his abilities far surpassed what a level six user should possess.

Whatever old grudges or new conflicts existed between the two, Zong Tao was now completely focused on Song Jinchuan, leaving Zhou Xiong and his team behind as the two engaged in a fierce battle.

“You guys leave first, the zombies at the back door have already been cleared.” Zhou Xiong heard Song Jinchuan’s voice in his ear.

Zhou Xiong thanked him gratefully, feeling somewhat surprised. As the battle between the two ability users was about to erupt, they quickly left the scene.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to help, but more that they simply couldn’t.

When they reached the first floor, they saw Song Jinchuan’s companions clearing out the zombies that had broken through the door. Their team had more than one superhuman; there was also a cool-looking short-haired girl with healing abilities and a water-based superhuman.

Each member of their team had their own role, and it seemed like they had known each other for a long time, cooperating seamlessly.

Upon seeing Zhou Xiong and his group, Song Jinchuan’s team covered their escape and incidentally dealt with Zong Tao’s henchmen.

“Thank you,” Zhou Xiong and his group sincerely expressed their gratitude once more.

Just as they exited through the back door, Zhou Xiong and his team saw the enormous spider lying on the ground, charred black and emitting a foul, burnt odor.

Such a large mutated spider had been turned into a charcoal-grilled spider by Song Jinchuan. From the time they left the window to their confrontation with Zong Tao’s group, it couldn’t have been more than half an hour.

The spider’s incredibly hard shell had been cracked open, and the crystal core inside had been extracted.

In such a short time, they had managed to kill such a massive mutated beast. Indeed, Song Jinchuan’s strength far exceeded what everyone knew.

After escaping with his teammates, Zhou Xiong glanced back. The second-floor window was completely shattered, with alternating orange and purple lights flickering through the broken panes. The orange flames clearly overpowered the purple lightning, indicating that the battle was still intense.

Knowing they couldn’t be of any help, Zhou Xiong and his team turned and left, quickly disappearing into the thick night.

Jiang Ci was sleeping soundly, enjoying a rare moment of leisure without pressure or anxiety. With her health improving, her sleep had been much better lately, allowing her to sleep through the night.

But today was an exception. In the middle of the night, urgent knocking woke her up. Jiang Ci thought it was already morning, but outside the window, the night was still as dark as ink.

---

appearance of the male lead!

also i feel like if there were an apocalypse i probably wouldn’t survive. i’m alr blind with a horrendous prescription, imagine if my glasses broke in the apocalypse, i’d end up blind as a bat TAT

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

---

The soup base packet was torn open and mixed into the boiling water. Soon, a rich aroma began to waft from the kitchen, filling the entire wooden cabin.

The long-haired girl, Wei Yue, sniffed the air and blurted out, “What smells so good?”

“Oh, it’s our hotpot base,” Jiang Ci happened to come out of the kitchen and responded.

The aroma continuously seeped into the noses of the three, making their already hungry stomachs growl.

They silently cursed the proprietress for being too cunning, using such a fragrant bomb—who could resist it?

Even though they knew it was a beautifully packaged hook designed to tempt them, they couldn’t help but bite the bait. After all, the smell was just too enticing, too nostalgic.

In the end, the three gritted their teeth, took out their crystal cores, placed them on the table, and ordered the hotpot base and some dishes.

One plate of potato slices, three plates of fatty beef slices, and rice for the three of them, totaling nine second-level crystal cores, five first-level crystal cores, and one third-level crystal core.

Compared to vegetables, survivors naturally preferred meat. The fatty beef slices prominently displayed on the blackboard made the survivors order three portions without hesitation.

After placing their orders, the three were still a bit anxious. If this shop turned out to be a scam, their crystal cores would be wasted.

But their worries didn’t come true. Jiang Ci quickly brought the hotpot base and bowls to their table.

Next came the uniformly sliced potatoes and the beautifully marbled fatty beef slices.

The unique aroma of fresh food continuously challenged their previous perceptions. They stood there in shock, and it took them a while to react before they got up to get sauces and rice from the sauce station.

Now, the sauce station had soy sauce and vinegar, both of which had become extinct in the apocalypse. Even if a small amount existed, it was often sold at exorbitant prices.

Each of them took a bowl of soy sauce, a bowl of vinegar, and a large bowl of rice.

While waiting for the food to cook, the survivors dipped their chopsticks into the sauce and tasted them. The soy sauce was fresh, and the vinegar was authentically sour with a hint of sweetness, making them nod in approval.

The bright red fatty beef slices were placed into the hot pot base, and within seconds, they turned a light brown with white streaks, emitting an irresistible aroma.

Each plate of fatty beef slices had about ten pieces, each quite large, providing a substantial portion.

The survivors hadn’t eaten such normal food in ten years, and they were already eager to dig in even before the beef was fully cooked.

The ingredients were devoured clean, but the three still felt unsatisfied. In the end, they asked Jiang Ci to pack up the remaining soup base.

The shop always had takeout boxes ready, made of a material Jiang Ci had never seen before—lightweight, convenient, and capable of retaining heat and insulation.

Not long after the three left, two more groups arrived at the hotpot restaurant.

Everyone looked disheveled, with tattered clothes and a mix of dust and blood on their bodies, resembling refugees fleeing from disaster.

There were two teams in total, one with three people and the other with five.

Upon seeing the hotpot restaurant and Jiang Ci, the reactions of the survivors were quite similar. As everyone stood there in shock and disbelief, a tall, thin man suddenly clapped his hands, breaking the silence. “I’ve heard about this hotpot restaurant! A friend told me there’s a rather magical hotpot place in the city center of City C, with great flavors and unlimited rice!”

As he spoke, the tall, thin man’s gaze towards Jiang Ci became fervent.

If it weren’t for the fact that they had fought their way here together, the other survivors might have thought he was an accomplice of this hotpot restaurant. How could such a place exist? They hadn’t seen normal food in years. Every city, village, and even the supplies in residents’ homes had long been emptied.

But when they stepped into the hotpot restaurant, smelled the lingering aroma of hotpot, and saw the bottled water in the fridge by the entrance, their certainty wavered.

Could this really be a hotpot restaurant?

A significant reason they chose to stay here was because it was safe. For some reason, zombies and mutated plants and animals didn’t come near.

However, everyone remained cautious, as the ability to repel these creatures itself was already an incredible feat.

“Can we just rest here without eating hotpot?” one of the survivors, Jiang He, asked warily.

“Of course, you can rest as long as you need before leaving,” Jiang Ci replied without much hesitation. Since the apocalypse began, the restaurant had at most two tables occupied daily, so letting them sit for a while wouldn’t make much difference.

“We can’t hold on any longer. We ran out of rations yesterday. If we don’t eat something soon, we’ll starve. We’ll have a clear soup base, two plates of fatty beef, three plates of potato slices, and rice for three people,” said Peng Yu, the tall, thin man who had mentioned knowing about the restaurant.

He slapped a third-level crystal core, eight second-level cores, and five first-level cores on the table.

Jiang Ci collected the cores and headed to the kitchen.

The group of five at the next table had been observing, waiting to see if it was real before deciding whether to order.

As they waited, they began to chat. All of them had made their way through the dense hordes of zombies in the city, and their conversation was filled with obvious confusion.

“There were never so many zombies here before because of the Level 9 Giant Tortoise that used to dominate this area. The high-level zombies and mutated plants and animals all have their own territories. This area has always been the giant tortoise’s domain. Its high level and lack of malice towards humans made this a relatively safe place.”

“Didn’t we hear that the giant tortoise’s lair was blown up? Maybe that’s why things have changed.”

In the kitchen, Jiang Ci overheard the survivors’ conversation and couldn’t help but glance at the box in the corner. Inside, Hui Hui seemed to sense Jiang Ci’s gaze and slightly raised its head.

“Whoa, you scared me! Why is there a tortoise here?” One of the survivors, a tall and thin man, happened to be facing the counter. His gaze swept past and he was startled by Hui Hui beside him.

The attention of the others was drawn over, all landing on Hui Hui.

“Don’t be scared, Hui Hui isn’t a mutated animal. She’s very gentle,” Jiang Ci called out from the kitchen.

They weren’t exactly afraid; Hui Hui’s size clearly didn’t fit the profile of a mutated animal. But there was something eerily familiar about this turtle.

Just then, the aroma suddenly intensified, pulling everyone’s attention back. They all fell silent in unison, their eager eyes fixed on the direction of the kitchen.

Soon, Jiang Ci emerged carrying the hotpot base. As she approached, the fragrance became even more pronounced, and the ingredients floating in the pot looked particularly enticing.

Everyone involuntarily swallowed their saliva.

After setting down the hotpot base, Jiang Ci brought over the dishes they had ordered, placing them on the nearby dish rack.

The five people at the next table were practically gawking. They hadn’t expected the food to actually be served.

One of them almost leaned over their fatty beef, but Peng Yu blocked him with his hand.

“Be careful, don’t let your drool drip on my fatty beef.”

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:

With that, Peng Yu dumped the entire plate of fatty beef into the bubbling pot, as if afraid someone would snatch it away.

The slices of beef rolled around in the pot, changing color.

The man awkwardly pulled his head back, instinctively wiping the corner of his mouth. It wasn’t his fault for being tempted; the aroma was simply irresistible.

The other four clearly couldn’t withstand this olfactory assault either. The five of them huddled together, whispering for a moment, and finally ordered five plates of fatty beef and two plates of potato slices. After spotting the bottled water in the fridge by the entrance, they each grabbed one.

Including the hotpot base and rice, they needed to pay two third-level crystal cores and seven second-level crystal cores.

While preparing the food, Jiang Ci took a moment to check her points, which had already reached 15,220.

The task of selling twenty plates of fatty beef was also half complete, lifting Jiang Ci’s spirits considerably.

By now, the food at Peng Yu’s table was ready. The three of them each scooped a large bowl of rice, heaping it high before beginning to eat the fragrant ingredients from the pot. A bite of marbled beef, a mouthful of rice, a slice of potato, and then another mouthful of rice.

Jiang Ci came out quickly this time. She had previously sliced extra plates of fatty beef as backup, and sure enough, they came in handy.

The five eagerly dumped their dishes into the pot, then went to prepare their dipping sauces and scoop rice. By the time they returned, the pot was already bubbling away.

The two tables were silent, each group focused on their own pot, devouring the food with such intensity that they almost wanted to cry. But there was no time for tears; their hands and mouths worked in perfect harmony, barely stopping.

When they finally came to their senses from the culinary impact, the pot in front of them was empty.

They set down their bowls and chopsticks, momentarily speechless, clearly still processing the shock.

The group next to them, including Peng Yu, had also finished eating. They couldn’t stop praising the hotpot restaurant, “No wonder my friend kept raving about it. It’s truly amazing. They managed to get all these ingredients, and they still taste incredibly fresh.”

The others chimed in with agreement.

As everyone was enjoying the hot pot, the commotion outside gradually subsided. The hordes of zombies, having lost track of the humans, slowly retreated.

The survivors mentioned that they had received a mission from the base, which stated that there was significant activity of zombies and mutated animals in this area. Other bases must have also received this information. The recent calm in the city meant that Jiang Ci’s business would likely soon be thriving.

After the survivors left one by one, no other survivors appeared that day. However, Jiang Ci did hear sounds of fighting, emanating from different locations at different times, some near and some far, creating quite a lively atmosphere.

Jiang Ci was eager to see what was happening, but she couldn’t see anything. The area around the hotpot restaurant was unusually quiet, not just because of the system, but also due to the intimidating presence of the giant tortoise.

Although Hui Hui had little presence in the hotpot restaurant, she was still a high-level mutated beast that struck fear into the hearts of many in the post-apocalyptic world.

Only in front of Jiang Ci and the system did she behave like a harmless little animal.

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

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After breakfast, Jiang Ci cooked some rice and tried slicing a plate of fatty beef. With the machine, it wasn’t too strenuous, saving her a lot of effort.

The unique aroma of beef lingered near her nose, and Jiang Ci suddenly found a bit of joy in this job.

With a salary and her own hotpot restaurant, Jiang Ci was even more motivated. Even the zombies and the mountain-sized giant tortoise seemed surmountable.

However, just a few hours later, Jiang Ci was proven wrong. She hid behind the wooden door, looking at the giant tortoise that was now within arm’s reach, feeling that it was even more terrifying up close.

The giant tortoise was slowly making its way towards the hotpot restaurant, each step feeling like an earthquake. The buildings on its back had disappeared at some point, leaving only a pockmarked shell. Although the system had repeatedly assured Jiang Ci that she wouldn’t be harmed, the sight of this colossal creature still triggered her megalophobia.

[Don’t worry, host. I don’t sense any malice from this giant tortoise,] the system added.

Jiang Ci nodded, though her expression remained tense. She understood the logic, but that didn’t stop her from feeling afraid. After all, before the apocalypse, she had been just an ordinary human.

The giant tortoise came to a halt in front of the hotpot restaurant, its small eyes fixed directly on Jiang Ci.

A question arose in Jiang Ci’s mind, “Shouldn’t these mutated creatures and zombies be unable to see this hotpot restaurant?”

[This is a Level 9 Giant Tortoise. It’s inherently intelligent, has never eaten humans, and its mind is pure. Perhaps it has sensed something that other creatures can’t,] the system explained. After a brief pause, it added, [I detected a trace of energy from it that doesn’t belong to this world. It might have encountered some kind of opportunity—it’s hard to say.]

“Energy that doesn’t belong to this world?” Jiang Ci asked, puzzled.

[Yes, host. For example, the virus that nearly destroyed this world also didn’t originate here. It slipped through a rift in this world.]

Jiang Ci listened, still somewhat confused, but she grasped the general idea. A rift had appeared in the world, leading to this catastrophic disaster that nearly wiped out humanity.

The giant tortoise stood still, lowering its head and slowly moving closer to Jiang Ci.

Then, under Jiang Ci’s terrified gaze, it slowly spat out three smooth, oval, white objects from its mouth.

Jiang Ci looked closer—were these eggs? Could they be the giant tortoise’s eggs? Why had it brought them here?

[Host, the giant tortoise is asking for your help in protecting its eggs,] the system translated.

“It wants me to protect them?” Jiang Ci was astonished. She knew her own limitations well—she lacked physical fitness, having spent years working in an office. Without the system’s protection, even climbing five floors would be a struggle.

[Earlier, those people provoked the giant tortoise because they were after these eggs. Some survivors capture and tame the young of mutated creatures, and the eggs of these creatures contain significant energy reserves. Some survivors even consume them to enhance their abilities. By leaving the eggs in our restaurant, their safety is guaranteed,] the system explained.

When Jiang Ci had overheard Zhou Lin and the others talking earlier, she had been puzzled. Now, she finally had an answer.

“So, we’re going to help it raise its offspring?” Jiang Ci’s voice still trembled slightly. Outside, the giant tortoise had lowered its head almost to the ground, appearing completely non-threatening, as if sincerely pleading her.

[It’s up to you, host. Aside from tasks within the hotpot restaurant, I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do.]

Jiang Ci hesitated for a moment, but eventually, her heart softened, and she nodded. Then, with a hint of worry, she asked, “If they hatch, what will they eat? Every animal I’ve ever raised didn’t survive more than a month.”

[Host, there’s no need to worry. The giant tortoise can hatch and raise its young on its own,] the system added.

Jiang Ci’s eyes widened as she glanced at the giant tortoise and then at the hotpot restaurant, which wasn’t even half the size of the tortoise’s shell.

[Once inside the hotpot restaurant, the giant tortoise will be suppressed by the restaurant’s rules, shrinking to the size of an ordinary tortoise, and its strength will also be restrained, ensuring it won’t harm the host,] the system explained. [If the system accepts them, you can form a contract with the giant tortoise. Once the contract is established, the tortoise will be bound by it, not only refraining from harming you but also protecting you in times of danger. Additionally, nearby mutated creatures of a lower level than the tortoise will avoid the vicinity of the hotpot restaurant, effectively providing you with double protection.]

[This type of contract is used on my planet to control powerful interstellar beasts, so the host need not worry about the contract’s efficacy.]

Hearing this, Jiang Ci felt reassured. She cautiously moved out, picked up the three tortoise eggs scattered on the ground, and carried them into the hotpot restaurant.

She found a box in the kitchen, lined it with one of her own clothes, and carefully placed the three eggs inside.

Just as Jiang Ci had settled the three eggs, she noticed a large tortoise slowly entering through the main door.

Compared to its earlier mountain-like size, the tortoise now appeared much smaller, though it was still several times larger than an ordinary tortoise, resembling a medium-sized dog.

Seeing it approach, Jiang Ci instinctively took a step back.

As if sensing her fear, the tortoise stopped in its tracks, turned around, and slowly made its way to the box in the corner, climbing inside with deliberately cautious movements.

Jiang Ci stood still for a while, observing the tortoise. When it showed no further movement, she returned to the counter.

The counter was separated from the box in the corner by only a wooden partition, allowing Jiang Ci to easily peek at the tortoise and its eggs.

The system, acting as an intermediary, helped Jiang Ci and the giant tortoise form a contract. Although Jiang Ci didn’t see the contract itself, she felt a warm sensation slowly flowing through her body. The moment the contract was successfully established, she noticed her body felt lighter, her senses sharper, somewhat similar to when she had first bound with the system.

[This is because the giant tortoise’s power has been reflected onto the host. While you won’t possess its astonishing destructive capabilities, your physical condition will improve,] the system explained.

Jiang Ci raised an eyebrow, surprised by this unexpected benefit.

She glanced at the giant tortoise and suddenly found its face oddly endearing.

After a few days of cohabitation with the tortoise and its three eggs, Jiang Ci discovered that the tortoise was remarkably intelligent and quiet. Knowing she feared it, it rarely made any noise.

Initially, Jiang Ci had resolved to keep her distance, as the tortoise’s earlier imposing image was hard to shake. However, after spending these days together, she realized the tortoise had an exceptionally calm temperament. It could lie still for an entire day, and even when Jiang Ci accidentally kicked its box, it would simply shift slightly before settling back down.

The system had mentioned that the tortoise was already a level nine mutated creature, capable of sustaining its life without food. Thus, Jiang Ci didn’t feed it anything, and the tortoise seemed indifferent—whether fed or not, it remained eerily stable in its demeanor.

Every day when Jiang Ci had her meals, she noticed the tortoise would glance her way. So one day, she decided to scoop a bit of her own food into a small bowl and placed it in front of the tortoise, which slowly ate it all up.

Thus, Jiang Ci found a new pastime when there were no customers at the hotpot restaurant—feeding the tortoise. She even gave it a name: ‘Hui Hui¹,’ because its skin and shell had a greenish-gray hue.

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 a few quiet days, the hotpot restaurant suddenly became lively again.

On this particular day, before Jiang Ci had even gotten out of bed, someone started knocking on the door.

Jiang Ci quickly dressed and unlocked the wooden door to find several people covered in dust and blood, supporting each other at the entrance. A strong smell of blood wafted in with the wind, indicating they were injured.

As the wooden door opened, the survivors outside were startled to see a girl with soft, long hair, fair skin, and a delicate appearance standing before them in her pajamas.

The three people outside were momentarily speechless, their expressions almost identical.

“Good morning,” Jiang Ci greeted them with her business smile. “Are you here for some hotpot?”

“Is this… really a hotpot restaurant?” one of the girls with long hair asked hesitantly after a long pause.

Jiang Ci looked clean, spoke coherently, smiled appropriately, and seemed mentally sound—but in the apocalypse, this was the most abnormal thing.

“Why don’t you come in and rest for a bit?” Jiang Ci suggested, noticing how they were struggling to stand and still looked shocked. She pushed the door open wider.

The group glanced back. They had just escaped from a massive horde of zombies that had taken over most of the area. This hotpot restaurant seemed to be the only safe haven.

It was this strange phenomenon that had driven them to flee here, hoping to hide in the wooden hut. However, the seemingly fragile wooden door was surprisingly sturdy, forcing them to knock instead of just breaking it down.

They had seen the hotpot restaurant’s sign, but none of them actually believed it was a real hotpot restaurant.

Eventually, they stepped inside and cautiously took seats.

Their eyes wandered around the room, briefly landing on the tortoise in the corner, which had lifted its head. It felt vaguely familiar—normal animals were rare in the apocalypse, unmutated and non-threatening to humans. But they didn’t linger on it for long.

Finally, their gaze settled on a blackboard next to the counter. Jiang Ci had found it in the kitchen corner the day before while bored and had written the menu and prices on it, making everything clear at a glance.

Potato slices: five first-level crystal cores. Fatty beef slices: two second-level crystal cores. Rice: one second-level crystal core per person.

After the three of them entered, they began to clean and bandage their injured areas, skillfully taking out gauze and other items from their backpacks.

Jiang Ci didn’t rush to promote her business either; instead, she quietly started preparing the hotpot soup base.

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1.  Literally ‘Grey Grey’ ↩︎