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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Since the medical team was still hard at work, Jiang Ci naturally took over the logistics.

She and Song Jinchuan set up a large pot in the open area and started cooking.

Before long, the aroma spread throughout the area. Survivors waiting outside caught the scent and stared longingly at the steaming pot in front of Jiang Ci.

“Don’t just stand there staring, there’s enough for everyone,” Jiang Ci said heartily.

At her words, the survivors cheered, though many felt a pang of emotion in their hearts. Their former base leader hadn’t cared whether they lived or died, abandoning them to their fate. Yet here was Boss Jiang, who had taken over this mess, not only organizing treatment for the sick, but even providing them with a hot meal.

Many of them hadn’t even felt this emotional when they learned they were infected, but when they held a bowl of steaming food in their hands, their eyes reddened with tears.

That night, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan set up tents to rest in the former quarantine zone. Jiang Ci released her black mist to swallow up all the remaining rubble, while the uninfected survivors helped clean up the smaller debris once the area was confirmed safe.

Jiang Ci had all the members of the medical team on the vehicle come down, put on protective suits, and first help deliver food to the doctors and nurses who were still working hard. Then, they took turns with the doctors in the tents to rest.

That night, they barely slept, all of them busy until dawn.

Jiang Ci herself only managed to sleep in the early morning, and before the sun had even risen, she was awake again, still thinking about the patients and the medical team.

After waking up, Jiang Ci washed up, put on her protective suit, and went to the other tent to check on the situation.

The medical team had been working in shifts under the bright lights all night. In the end, over five hundred people were confirmed to be infected, while just over a hundred remained uninfected.

This result was already quite devastating for a base, with the remaining people making up less than a third of the base’s population.

This base clearly needed more doctors than the last one, so Jiang Ci decided to leave several extra medical staff members behind before moving on to the next base.

At that moment, someone from the base called out to her, “Boss Jiang.”

Jiang Ci stopped and turned around, seeing several people approaching. The woman at the front was Xie Ling, the newly recommended leader of the leader.

“What is it?” Jiang Ci asked.

“Boss Jiang, we stayed up all night discussing and came to a decision. We wanted to ask if you’d be willing,” Xie Ling said, and after speaking, as if seemingly embarrassed by what she was about to say, continued, “We want to hand the base over to you. Would you be willing to be our base leader?”

“Huh?” Jiang Ci was completely stunned, never expecting that this was what the other party had sought her out to discuss.

“I actually prefer fighting on the battlefield,” Xie Ling explained earnestly. “When it comes to managing a base, I’ll admit I don’t have much experience. But I heard that Boss Jiang manages hundreds of employees under her restaurant group, so you must have some sort of experience for it. If you’re willing, we’re even ready to move our people to City C.”

Jiang Ci stood frozen, so shocked that she couldn’t speak for a long while.

“System, can I even become a base leader? That can’t be right, right?” Jiang Ci didn’t know what to say and could only communicate with the system in her mind.

[This depends entirely on your own will. As long as it doesn’t affect the progress of the gourmet city, I will stand by your side and provide everything you need,] the system replied, sounding especially gentle since Jiang Ci had been completing her tasks quite well recently.

After some thought, Jiang Ci could only say to Xie Ling, “I still have an important mission to finish. Let me think about this. When I return to pick up the doctors, I’ll give you a definite answer then.”

Xie Ling nodded. “Of course, Boss Jiang. Please don’t feel pressured. If you have any concerns, we’ll understand.”

To Xie Ling and the others, following Boss Jiang was clearly a far better choice than staying as they were. They were even willing to hand over control of their base to her, but they wouldn’t force her to accept it. They had already prepared for both outcomes.

After speaking, Jiang Ci continued on her way. She checked the red dots on the map, discussed a route with Song Jinchuan, and then sped up her pace.

The following journeys went much more smoothly. Over the next two months, Jiang Ci and her team visited every base marked with red on the map.

Most were cooperative—it was their own lives on the line after all.

“This should be the last base, right?” Jiang Ci said, checking her map. This one was in City A, a place she hadn’t visited before, apparently hosting the largest survivor base in the apocalypse.

They weren’t heading for that main base, of course, but rather a smaller one nearby. The main City A base likely had its own containment measures, but with so many smaller outposts around, some had inevitably been neglected.

Because of the long journey, some casualties were inevitable, with some people having died along their journey due to the virus.

When Jiang Ci arrived at the small base, she saw people outside in full protective gear, digging a large pit. They were pushing bodies into it, some holding burning torches. Clearly, they intended to cremate the dead to prevent further spread of infection.

Upon learning Jiang Ci’s purpose, the people at the base were still quite surprised. The further away from City C, the less they knew about There’s A Gourmet City. However, thanks to the gourmet city’s bizarre, viral advertisements that had caused quite a stir, most had at least heard of it.

Jiang Ci had already grown used to hearing the same exclamations everywhere she went, most of them something along the lines of, “So it’s you guys! The ones who used zombies in advertisements? How did you even manage to pull it off? It’s so bizarre.”

Every time she heard it, Jiang Ci wanted to drag the system out and make it explain why that of all things had been chosen as a marketing strategy.

After some polite exchanges, they got straight to business. The situation in this base wasn’t good. Of their original medical team, only five of them remained: three doctors and two nurses, all of whom were now assigned here full-time.

*

pls do not share this anywhere or u will always stub ur toe when u walk past a door frame !! this translation has been stolen from mioscorner.com, pls only read there i’m begging u :kneels:

News of Jiang Ci and her medical team’s relief efforts had already spread through nearby cities and bases.

At this moment, the news had also reached a base in City A.

“According to the information we’ve gathered, she’s currently at Five Blessings Base,” reported a man with a braid, addressing the man seated at the desk in a meticulously decorated study.

“What do you think…” the man in the swivel chair spoke slowly, “her goal is in making such a big fuss?”

The man with the braid hesitated before answering, “Maybe… she’s trying to play the savior? To gain the trust of the people?”

“If that’s the case, then her intentions are far from pure. Where would that leave us?” the man sneered. 

“If that’s the case, then her motives aren’t pure,” the seated man said with a sneer. “And what position would that leave us in? I’ve already heard our base leader is considering buying supplies from that so-called Gourmet City. But I refuse to bow my head to their whims. Who knows if those reports are even real? Could be nothing but smoke and mirrors. If you ask me, the base leader’s getting too old and naive.”

The man with a braid lowered his head, pretending not to hear these words. He was merely an underling; offending anyone here would practically amount to self-sabotage. The safest approach was to do more and speak less.

“Keep an eye on things for me. If there’s any movement, report it to me directly. I must find the flaw in all this. I refuse to believe that after ten years of the apocalypse, someone could suddenly conjure up genuine food and supplies like this. This must be a massive scam,” the man scoffed.

“Yes,” the man with the braid nodded slightly and responded.

Just as he reached the door, the man behind him added, “And one more thing—there’s another task I need you to handle.”

Unaware that her pure-hearted act of kindness had been so misunderstood and that someone was trying to find fault with her and “expose” her, Jiang Ci was currently brewing traditional Chinese medicine in an open space. Although her workload had increased with fewer hands available, the survivors in the base remained proactive in also lending a hand, highly motivated to help.

The survivors in this base were doing well in terms of prevention, with only a few dozen infected individuals currently in the quarantine zone.

So, although she didn’t have many people to rely on, she wasn’t overwhelmed.

The survivors were also very disciplined, lining up to receive the medicine.

Jiang Ci didn’t know what kind of people they had been before the apocalypse, but among all the survivors she’d met in different bases, most were decent and well-behaved, with her rarely encountering anyone being difficult.

Perhaps it was because these smaller bases lacked medication and had learned humility through hardship, or perhaps it was because they all knew that Jiang Ci was their last remaining hope.

In the treatment tents nearby, doctors and nurses continued to work methodically.

Once the medical work in this base was complete, Jiang Ci planned to revisit each previous base to retrieve her medical team and reclaim the tents.

These tents weren’t disposable. After Jiang Ci collected them, they would automatically clean and disinfect themselves, ready to be used again as if they were brand new.

They stayed at this base for a total of one week. On the final day, Jiang Ci suddenly noticed that some of the survivors in the base were looking at them with complex expressions, as if they wanted to say something but hesitated.

Jiang Ci wasn’t the kind of person who liked guessing. She went straight up to them and asked, “Why are you all looking at us like that?”

Jiang Ci was their savior, and the survivors didn’t want to hide anything from her. After exchanging glances, they stammered, “There are a lot of rumors circulating outside about you, Boss Jiang. They say you’re just putting on a show, and that your ultimate goal is to take over all the bases.”

Jiang Ci raised an eyebrow, baffled by how such an outrageous rumor could have spread. Take over all the bases? Give her a break. She was already overwhelmed managing just one gourmet city, to the point where she hadn’t even decided whether to accept the base that wanted to join her gourmet city.

“Boss Jiang, don’t worry, none of us believe it. The bases you’ve saved will always remember your kindness,” the survivors quickly added.

Soon, Jiang Ci thought of something and chuckled, “Looks like I’ve accidentally stepped on someone’s toes.”

Now that everyone knew There’s A Gourmet City had food and abundant supplies, and that she’d been earning a fortune of crystal cores, it was no surprise that some people couldn’t handle it anymore and felt threatened.

Still, Jiang Ci wasn’t angry. After all, in this entire apocalypse, her place was one of a kind. She was actually curious to see just how bold those people could be. Those waiting for her to lose her temper were bound to be sorely disappointed.

After the rumors spread and Jiang Ci didn’t react the way they’d expected, the people pulling strings behind the scenes couldn’t help but grow furious.

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tbh i’ve always wondered if she accepted that base, then what if every base wanted to be part of her gourmet city?? since ideally, she can provide the best resources + jobs ? what then lmao

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

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At that moment, a loud crash came from downstairs, and the building shook violently. Spiderweb-like cracks began to spread across the walls.

“Run!” was all Dong Damao managed to shout before the entire structure began to collapse.

With a deafening roar, the building crumbled, leaving only a pile of rubble in its wake.

Standing in front of the building was Jiang Ci. After the house collapsed, she deliberately released her black mist to engulf the dust, preventing it from affecting the progress of the medical team on the other side.

However, the commotion it caused was too loud, causing the survivors still standing outside to turn their heads in astonishment, their eyes wide with shock. If they weren’t mistaken, did a house just collapse over there?

“Boss… Boss Jiang is still there,” the survivor who had led the way earlier exclaimed in surprise.

“Have you ever considered that it might have been Boss Jiang who did it?” another survivor chimed in, his voice tinged with excitement. He was genuinely fed up with that pretentious Dong Damao, who always hid when trouble arose and had never done anything substantial for the base. The only thing he was good at was talking big.

After settling the survivors, Song Jinchuan quickly rushed over. He always felt uneasy when he wasn’t by Jiang Ci’s side.

By the time Song Jinchuan arrived, the bricks and wood on the ground were slowly being pushed up, debris falling in a shower as several survivors struggled to climb out from the ruins.

Jiang Ci was somewhat surprised. She hadn’t expected so many people to still be alive. But she finally understood the reason why when she saw one of the survivors retracting their metal ability.

It seemed the base leader had a few ability users under his command and were quite capable of saving lives—but only their own.

A mocking smile curled at the corner of Jiang Ci’s lips as she stood there, watching the people in the rubble slowly stand up.

She had just used her black orb ability. Compressed, it turned out to be even sturdier than the building itself. However, since she hadn’t practiced this skill before, this building would now serve as it perfectly as a test subject.

Before the survivor guiding them had left, Jiang Ci had asked him whether he wanted the building to remain standing or if he preferred it to be destroyed.

The survivor looked at the building with a complicated expression, hesitating for a while before finally saying, “Although this building was built by all of us, we’d rather see it destroyed. It’s too painful to look at.”

So Jiang Ci carried out the sentiment—it was better to destroy it.

Song Jinchuan stood by Jiang Ci’s side, his palms slightly warm, a gentle breeze swirling around him. He had both of his abilities on standby, prepared to strike at any moment.

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:

“Who the f*ck…” The curse was cut short as they saw the figures standing before them.

Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan, both of whom were easily recognizable. One was the formidable boss of the gourmet city, and the other was a top-tier ability user.

The group instantly fell into silence. Neither of them was someone they could afford to provoke.

“Boss Jiang, what’s the meaning of this? Did you come to my base just to tear down my building?” Dong Damao, however, couldn’t hold back his anger any longer. He pushed aside the subordinate blocking his way and barked out those words without a shred of restraint.

“Oh, I heard there was a turtle hiding in its shell around here. I’ve never seen one before, so I thought I’d come take a look,” Jiang Ci said with a voice dripping in sarcasm. Her tone cut him sharply, causing Dong Damao’s face to darken at once.

“I’ve already explained to everyone in the base. We had something very important to attend to, which is why we’ve been staying indoors,” Dong Damao growled out through gritted teeth.

“Important matters? Then why don’t you share what those important matters were with everyone? Your base is crawling with people who are infected with the virus, yet instead of isolating and treating them, you hid away. I’d really like to hear your excuse on what’s more important than the lives of hundreds of people,” Jiang Ci said with a faint smile, though her eyes were cold.

Perhaps her words wiped the smirk off his face and had finally provoked the other party into a fit of rage. Dong Damao, covered in dust and blood, cast a gloomy glance at Jiang Ci, then signaled to the people behind him with a look.

One of them caught the signal immediately. His fingers twitched, and suddenly a wall of wind surged up behind Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan, blocking the other survivors’ view entirely.

Dong Damao’s posture relaxed, his pretense of composure slipping into something far more like that of a thug.

With a flick of his wrist, a compact shoulder-mounted rocket launcher appeared in his hand. So, he was a spatial-type ability user.

Dong Damao hoisted the rocket launcher onto his shoulder, grinning broadly, as if certain that Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan had no chance of fighting back.

The ability users behind him glowed with bursting energy, clearly prepared to silently eliminate the two of them right there.

Seeing that the other side had taken the initiative to attack, Jiang Ci didn’t waste anymore words on them. A swirl of black mist appeared before her, appearing somewhat eerie and stagnant, floating there quietly as though it had no attack power at all.

Dong Damao sneered. He firmly believed that no matter what kind of supernatural trick it was, nothing could possibly remain standing against the onslaught of modern firepower.

Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, barking out, “Don’t blame me for this. A woman’s place is at home, raising kids and serving her man. Who told you to run around in front of us, acting tough? Did you really think I, Dong Damao, was just some kind of pushover?”

The rocket launcher fired, but before the smile could fade from Dong Damao’s face, he noticed that the projectile disappeared upon nearing the black mist without even causing a ripple.

“Impossible! What kind of sorcery is that?!” Dong Damao exclaimed, pulling the trigger again, only to find the result exactly the same as before.

He instinctively took a step back but tripped over a protruding stone, landing hard onto the rubble.

The ability users behind him were also panicking, their nerves fraying, but there was no turning back now. They could only fling their abilities forward desperately with all their might.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ci paid no attention to Dong Damao, who was questioning his life choices, and instead continued discussing with Song Jinchuan, “Hold off on attacking for now. I want to collect a few more abilities and see what it takes for it to spit them out.”

Song Jinchuan nodded obediently, dispersing the energy he had gathered in his palm.

Every blast the ability users hurled out were all absorbed into the black mist. Jiang Ci still hadn’t figured out the principle behind this black mist—it was like a bottomless black hole, capable of devouring anything.

But what triggered it to spit something out? That part, she hadn’t figured out yet.

As they all began to retreat, trying to escape, Jiang Ci manipulated the black mist to engulf them directly.

After the black mist had swallowed several ability users, it suddenly spat out a few small stones with a sputter, each glowing with different colors.

Jiang Ci was somewhat surprised and instructed Song Jinchuan to restrain Dong Damao while she went forward to pick up the stones.

After picking it up, Jiang Ci realized that the material didn’t resemble the dull, grayish stones she’d seen before. It was semi-transparent, with various colors slowly swirling inside it.

However, she still had a mission to complete and couldn’t delve into studying what this was, so she decided to store it away for now.

On the other side, Dong Damao, now without his subordinates, had been tightly bound by Song Jinchuan. Without any combat-type ability users by his side and his weapons confiscated, Dong Damao’s arrogance had completely vanished.

“He’s still the leader of the base, so let’s leave his judgment to the people,” Jiang Ci said, before heading out together with Song Jinchuan.

After the survivors had been engulfed by Jiang Ci’s black mist, the entire scene reappeared before the others’ eyes, allowing them to see Dong Damao’s true nature.

Several batches of survivors had already been confirmed as infected and were subsequently sent to isolated quarantine tents.

A fortunate few who were not infected were given a bowl of preventive herbal medicine before being sent home to self-isolate.

As for how to deal with Dong Damao, the survivors unanimously agreed to leave the decision to Jiang Ci. This was especially the case after they learned that he had also been responsible for the death of their former base leader, their anger growing even stronger, with many even shouting that he deserved to die.

Under the scorching flames beside Song Jinchuan, Dong Damao essentially “confessed under duress,” trembling as he revealed everything he had done.

Initially, Jiang Ci had only wanted him to admit that he’d hidden away to avoid responsibility, but she hadn’t expected to gain even more useful information.

Since everyone already agreed on his fate, Jiang Ci saw no need for her to show mercy. She dragged him to a corner and used her black mist to consume him completely.

According to his own confession, each of his subordinates had taken multiple lives, so none of them deserved to live.

After the black mist devoured the terrified Dong Damao, it spat out a small green orb.

“What do you think this is? A soul bead?” Jiang Ci held the orb under the flashlight’s beam. Under the light, the green flowing inside the orb appeared even more dazzling and beautiful, like a radiant gem.

Song Jinchuan looked at these small orbs of various colors and suddenly thought of something, “I think these might be their abilities.”

[Ding, congratulations, host. You’ve discovered an ability orb.] Just as Song Jinchuan finished speaking, the system’s voice echoed in Jiang Ci’s mind.

The system rarely provided explanations unrelated to food and drinks, usually leaving Jiang Ci to figure things out on her own. This was one of the exceptionally rare instances it voluntarily provided information that had nothing to do with cooking.

“What’s the use of an ability orb?” Jiang Ci seized the opportunity to ask.

[When consumed by an ordinary survivor, it grants the corresponding ability. If an ability user consumes it, their power will increase by one level. This is only effective within this world,] the system explained clearly. [However, it will have no effect on you, host.]

Even though she couldn’t use it herself, Jiang Ci was still delighted. She hadn’t expected the black mist to be capable of stripping abilities from others.

If she’d known earlier, she wouldn’t have wasted all those ability orbs by using her water attacks in previous fights.

However, this world surely had more than just these few villains. Thinking of this, Jiang Ci’s eyes lit up.

“Here, these are good stuff. Consuming them will allow you upgrade your abilities. I’ll give you two,” Jiang Ci said, taking out a blue water ability orb and a red fire ability orb, placing them in Song Jinchuan’s hand.

Song Jinchuan shook his head. “No need. The well water in the courtyard is also very beneficial for my abilities. Both of my abilities have already reached the highest level, so this is no longer useful to me.”

Seeing this, Jiang Ci didn’t press further. She simply took the orbs back and stored it in her space.

They had arrived at dusk, and after all this commotion, night had already fallen.

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the translator has nothing to add ◡̈

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

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Xu Cong felt like he’d just lost face for the second time today. His fists clenched tight, veins bulging, while his toes curled so hard inside his shoes it felt like he’d carved out a whole three-bedroom apartment in there.

“Stay,” Jiang Ci said bluntly. “Our medical team needs to eat before we head over anyway. You eat something too, and while you’re at it, tell us more about what’s happening in the quarantine zone.” She shoved a lunchbox into Xu Cong’s hands without giving him room to refuse.

Red-faced, Xu Cong could only accept the food and sit back down.

Over the course of the meal, everyone got a general understanding of the situation in the base.

This was a small base, with only a few hundred survivors, all living together like one big family. No wonder Xu Cong was so stricken.

The virus in their base had been brought back by someone who went out, and it began to spread at an alarming rate upon their return.

Normally, after survivors’ bodies had undergone evolution, even catching a cold was rare. But after that one person came back, a wave of coughing and fevers erupted. Even the original base leader was infected. The remaining healthy survivors had hurried to move the sick into quarantine and called on the base doctors for treatment.

But with no access to the most critical medicines, the doctors couldn’t make progress. Patients only worsened by the day. In desperation, when There’s A Gourmet City had sent out word, Xu Cong, who had always trusted Jiang Ci, had chosen to reach out to her for help.

Waiting for her to arrive had been agonizing, and when he finally saw her just now, he hadn’t been able to hold back his emotions—crying out loud like that. Although it was humiliating, in that moment, Jiang Ci felt even more precious to him than family.

After the meal, Jiang Ci had everyone change into protective suits and pick up their medical kits to enter the base together.

Xu Cong led them straight to the quarantine zone. When he wanted to proceed further, Jiang Ci stopped him, “We’ve got protective suits. You don’t. If you go in, you’ll risk infection—and right now your base can’t afford to lose you.”

Though he was clearly anxious, Xu Cong could only nod at her words and stop where he was. “Boss Jiang… I’ll be counting on you.”

Jiang Ci nodded steadily and, along with the others, entered the quarantine area.

The base’s doctors and helpers, wearing masks and bulky protective suits, were overwhelmed as they looked at the little boy who had fallen into a coma due to fever.

Watching the child’s life force slowly ebb away, they had done everything they could but still couldn’t save his life. A sense of helplessness swept over them.

At that moment, a series of hurried footsteps was heard.

Startled, the doctor turned toward the quarantine gate. She was certain it had been sealed, so who could be coming in now? Another case, maybe?

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind, until she saw a group of people in lightweight protective suits stride in. Each one carried a medical kit, and without hesitation, they began opening them with practiced hands, splitting off to check patients in every room.

The doctor was stunned, unable to comprehend what was happening.

“Doctor Jiang, hello.” Jiang Ci stepped forward. “I’m Boss Jiang from There’s A Gourmet City. We received your distress call, so I’ve brought a medical team. These are the highly skilled Chinese medicine practitioners our team has handpicked. I’ve also provided the herbs that can stabilize the patients soon.”

Doctor Jiang rose, wanting to shake her hand, but when she glanced at her own gloves, contaminated by contact with the virus, she had no choice but to hold back.

The child in her arms was carefully taken away by one of the newcomers. Outside the quarantine area, others from the medical team, with Song Jinchuan’s help, had already set up large cauldrons over open fires. Before long, the thick, earthy fragrance of boiling Chinese herbal medicine spread throughout the base.

Jiang Ci had Xu Cong organize the uninfected survivors, making sure each one received a bowl of preventative decoction.

As the survivors gathered in the open space, Jiang Ci finally realized just how few of them were left—barely a hundred. It was fewer than the daily customers at There’s A Gourmet City.

Xu Cong still held considerable authority in the base, and with a few words, he had everyone line up.

“The situation in the quarantine zone is under control for now,” Jiang Ci announced. “Don’t worry too much about your relatives and friends inside. After drinking this medicine, I want everyone to stay at home. Don’t go out for the time being. Food will be delivered to your doors.”

It wasn’t just about treating the sick. The most important thing to do now was cutting the problem off at its root.

They had already discussed this with Xu Cong before. If they could completely wipe out the virus in the base, then for Xu Cong, this was a duty he could not shirk.

The survivors also expressed that they would not go out and would wait for this wave of the virus to pass.

Meanwhile, in the quarantine zone, Doctor Jiang was taking care of and treating patients along with the medical team, who were diagnosing by taking their pulse and then prescribing medicine, all in one go.

It was the same method and demeanor that Doctor Jiang had seen from those renowned traditional Chinese medicine masters.

For a moment, Doctor Jiang felt a surge of emotion. Even in the apocalypse, this legacy had not been forgotten and erased by time.

Because there were few people in this base, the medical team of several dozen people had already managed to control the worsening condition within a day.

The survivors who had been suffering from high fevers were slowly recovering, and the conditions of everyone was slowly improving. Seeing this, Doctor Jiang’s exhaustion melted into tears of relief.

When she had cradled that feverish child earlier, she had truly believed another tragedy like the one years ago was about to repeat itself.

Fortunately, with Boss Jiang and her team here, everything was turning for the better.

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 leaving behind a doctor and nurse to continue caring for the survivors, Jiang Ci led the rest of the team to another base.

This wave of the virus was spreading fast, having already swept across several cities. On Jiang Ci’s mission map, urgent red dots were popping up everywhere.

The second base was in the same city as the previous one, taking them less than an hour to get there.

Although this city was larger than the previous base, their sense of prevention was nowhere near as good.

The infected survivors hadn’t even entered the quarantine zone and were still walking around outside as if nothing was wrong.

Jiang Ci’s brows furrowed tightly. As she entered with her medical team, some of the survivors even had the nerve to ask her what she was doing there.

“Didn’t your base leader tell you that the epidemic was spreading everywhere and that some of you were already infected?”

In fact, this base had never reached out for help. But since a red dot had appeared on her map, Jiang Ci thought she might as well lend a hand. She hadn’t expected the people here to be completely oblivious.

“We don’t know anything!” the survivors suddenly panicked. After all, even if they hadn’t experienced the disaster from a few years ago, they had still heard of how terrifying it had been.

“They only told us it was a flu! But I said, how could everyone be that sick if it was just the flu?”

As the crowd grew more restless, Jiang Ci raised a hand to calm them down. “Don’t panic. We’re here to help you. Our medical team is very professional. We’ll treat you, but you need to follow their instructions.”

Her words gradually calmed the frightened survivors, though many still muttered curses at their useless base leader.

Because this base was so chaotic, the workload of the doctors had increased significantly.

Only after truly delving deeper into the situation did Jiang Ci realize that it wasn’t just the epidemic that was the problem here—it seemed like all other aspects were also in disarray. Even the quarantine zone had been turned into a two-storey building far more luxurious than any other buildings.

According to the survivors, the base leader had built it, claiming it was a public facility. But in reality, he was the only one who ever used it. The doors were always shut tight, with no one else allowed inside.

“Anyone who had anywhere else to go has already left this base. The ones with nowhere else to go had no choice but to stay. Even if we know the base leader’s useless, what can we do?” one survivor guiding Jiang Ci explained bitterly.

“Is the base leader living there now?” Jiang Ci asked.

The survivor nodded. “Ever since the virus started spreading in the base, he immediately holed up in there with his men.”

Jiang Ci felt a surge of anger but maintained a polite smile. “Thank you for guiding us. Please go over there and let the medical team examine you.”

The survivor nodded and walked away.

Now only Jiang Ci remained. She had sent Song Jinchuan to help the medical team set up temporary tents.

The tents were exchanged by Jiang Ci from the system. They looked small from the outside, but stepping inside revealed a much larger space.

Soon, tents began to rise from the ground one after another. The medical team filed in, and the remaining survivors were brought in batches.

Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner. Meanwhile, in the building within the quarantine zone, a telescope was retracted from the window.

“Brother Mao, people really did come. A whole bunch of doctors just showed up,” said a bald man, lowering the telescope and turning toward a heavily tattooed man in the room.

The tattooed man was none other than the base leader, Dong Damao. He had taken over the base just a few years ago, claiming that the previous leader had died suddenly. In reality, he and his men had killed him, unwilling to live under someone else’s thumb. However, building a base required too many resources that he was unable to obtain, so he could only resort to stealing one.

Though a villain, Dong Damao was skilled at deception, and the survivors had fallen for his act.

Still, even the best lies eventually unravel. After this incident, many would likely hold grudges and turn against him.

Now, with no outsiders around, Dong Damao finally revealed his true nature, his mouth curling into a cold smile. “I told you, sooner or later there’d be some righteous fool showing up.”

His tone even carried a hint of regret. “What a pity… not enough people have died yet.”

“Should we go out?” the bald man asked.

“No. We’ll wait until it’s mostly over. Then we’ll pretend we were sick too, say a few nice words, and we’ll be fine.” Dong Damao sneered, his tone devoid of emotion, filled only with absolute confidence in his own acting.

---

i changed the translation for the a restaurant city to there’s a gourmet city! by the time you’re seeing this on my website, i should’ve probably alr finished publishing the complete ebook and probably changed the rest of the earlier translations too!

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

---

After Lu Dongmei returned, the clinic gradually became busier, resuming its usual operations. In her spare time, Lu Dongmei continued making the pills Jiang Ci needed.

Jiang Ci had heard from the system that not only was the virus spreading in Sunrise Base, but it was also beginning to appear in other bases too.

The survivors were in a state of panic, as if they had been transported back to the days when the virus had completely dominated them years ago, with even the number of people coming to the dining city decreasing over the next few days.

However, they soon noticed that the dining city had set up tables and chairs at the entrance, along with a huge iron barrel, similar in size to the ones used for milk tea in the store. Jiang Ci, Song Jinchuan, and Huang Yue stood behind the table, handing out free bowls of preventative medicine to each person.

In a peaceful world with advanced medicine, such an infectious disease wouldn’t be considered a major illness. The difficulty now lay in the lack of medical resources in this era. However, since they now had everything they needed, Jiang Ci naturally wouldn’t allow the situation to escalate into the kind of mass devastation they had seen years ago.

Meanwhile, Lu Dongmei was still in the clinic brewing the second batch of medicine. They had anticipated that there would be an unusually large number of survivors today.

Sure enough, upon hearing the news, a dense crowd soon gathered at the entrance of the dining city. They came since they both trusted the dining city and trusted Boss Jiang.

The survivors lined up in three queues. Each uninfected survivor could receive a cup of the medicine and then choose to either enter the dining city or leave.

Over the next few days, Jiang Ci and the others continued distributing the preventive herbal medicine.

Survivors from other regions soon heard the news and came in droves to collect the preventive medicine.

Some bases even reached out to Jiang Ci for help, as their bases were too far away for everyone to come in person, with some survivors already infected with the virus.

While receiving these requests for help, Jiang Ci also completed her task of making ten thousand preventative virus pills. The train as well as the train tracks were soon unlocked, but due to the sheer scale of the mega project, it would take some time before the finished product could be seen.

At the same time, she received a new task, which was precisely to assist these bases that had reached out for help.

Upon completing the task, a fast food restaurant would be unlocked.

When Jiang Ci thought of a fast food restaurant, she imagined fried chicken and hamburgers, which was indeed what the system promised her, along with some convenient boxed meals.

Looking at the 3D model of the store, it was clear that it was going to be both spacious and grand.

Part of the road outside had already been cordoned off, and the sound of hammering and construction could be heard from within. When survivors asked about it, Jiang Ci gave vague answers, but that didn’t stop their curiosity from skyrocketing. They circled the construction barriers that were made of cloth, but failed to see anything inside.

Jiang Ci didn’t have time to deal with these “curious cats.” Instead, she posted a recruitment notice, aiming to assemble a traditional Chinese medicine team.

The survivors eagerly gathered around, but many left disappointed after reading the job requirements, which were too specialized.

The interview panel shifted from including Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan to Lu Dongmei and Huang Yue.

After her recent visit to the Sunrise Base, Jiang Ci truly realized the scarcity of available doctors in her own team. The only one that was qualified was Lu Dongmei, and although Huang Yue had studied under her before, her primary skills were in identifying medicinal herbs and precise measuring of prescriptions, while her grasp of deeper medical expertise was still limited.

Despite the stringent professional criteria filtering out many survivors, a significant number still remained.

Among them were elderly individuals who had practiced medicine their entire lives, as well as young people with generations of family rooted in medicine and were exceptionally confident in their medical skills.

In the later stages of the apocalypse, traditional Chinese medicine wasn’t particularly popular. Most doctors that were recruited into bases practiced Western medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners were rare and often left feeling underappreciated.

After all, their once-proud skills became largely irrelevant after the apocalypse as they couldn’t earn crystal cores, nor could they effectively combat zombies or mutated beasts.

Survivors seemed to place more trust in Western medicine, and with the scarcity of medicinal herbs in the environment, many thought they would never have the chance to practice traditional Chinese medicine again. But who would have thought that Boss Jiang had now cultivated Chinese herbs and was openly recruiting traditional Chinese medicine practitioners?

The survivors lining up for interviews were thrilled, with some even feeling somewhat emotional.

Lu Dongmei was quite renowned in the traditional Chinese medicine community, and many that were here applying for the job knew of her, so they were all eager to earn her approval.

Though the crowd wasn’t large, the atmosphere was unexpectedly lively.

These were all former experts and scholars in traditional Chinese medicine. Once gathered together, their conversations naturally drifted into academic discussions, leaving Jiang Ci confused, but deeply impressed nonetheless.

Finally, even Lu Dongmei sighed, “Boss Jiang, I really can’t decide. They’re all highly skilled traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, and the nurses applying are also very professional. After ten years, their professionalism has only become a bit rusty, but that’s all.”

After some thought, Jiang Ci made the decision, “Then let’s keep them all! We’ll form a professional team!”

Whenever Jiang Ci fell ill, starting from when she was young, her parents would never fail to take her to the nearby traditional Chinese medicine clinic. 

The elderly, white-bearded traditional Chinese medicine doctor was highly skilled, often achieving results within just one prescription, though his business was always slow.

Back then, seeing that Jiang Ci was young, he would play with her during his free time, teaching her to recognize medicinal herbs. She liked the old man very much, but later, the clinic closed down without her knowing, and she never saw him again. For Jiang Ci, Chinese medicine wasn’t just trustworthy—it was something she was truly fond of.

In the end, all the traditional Chinese medicine practitioners who passed Lu Dongmei’s tests were retained, along with the nurses, forming a medical team of over a hundred people.

With so many people, the space in the clinic was no longer sufficient.

Jiang Ci spent a large sum of points to upgrade the clinic several storeys, expanding it into a full-scale hospital.

The hospital was completed overnight. When the traditional Chinese medicine practitioners who had joined the dining city saw the towering, ten storey hospital with the prominent sign, A Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, their eyes reddened, and an overwhelming surge of emotion welled up in their chests.

After receiving the system’s next task, Jiang Ci began to persistently coax it into helping her exchange for a vehicle.

Her task required her to take a group of doctors to various bases. After all, she didn’t understand medicine, and professional tasks should be indeed be left to the professionals to handle.

Besides, with the icy winter and incoming snowstorms approaching, riding a small electric scooter would likely freeze her to death.

The system didn’t remain stubborn for long. After all, Jiang Ci was doing this for the sake of completing its tasks, so it eventually had to compromise.

Besides, this host it had was hardly ever a cause for concern. Other than the initial effort required to coax her into crossing over into this world, she had still performed quite well afterward.

Thus, with a two parts forced, six parts willing, and two parts reward mentality, the system granted Jiang Ci a luxurious bus.

It came with spacious seats, comfortable chairs, and even its own restroom.

Most importantly, its speed far outmatched her little scooter. What used to take an entire day’s journey could now be covered in half.

Now Jiang Ci was satisfied. She would use the bus for group outings and the scooter for solo missions.

Before Jiang Ci’s departure, she convened a late-night meeting with the thirty-member medical team she was taking with her as well as Lu Dongmei.

Not only did they discuss the optimisation of the antiviral potion, but they also came up with several other treatment plans. While a single brilliant mind is useful, a group of brilliant minds—that was the real trump card.

During Jiang Ci’s absence, she entrusted the food in the shop to veteran employees like Mao Qianqian, with the hospital being temporarily entrusted to Lu Dongmei. Jiang Ci also informed Zhao Ping and others at the farm, telling them to focus on their own tasks during this period.

After arranging all her affairs and packing essential items, Jiang Ci set off with her medical team in the bus.

The newly hired doctors and nurses had only just moved in and settled their families before boarding the bus with Jiang Ci.

Before boarding, Jiang Ci told the doctors and nurses that they didn’t need to bring anything, as each would be provided with a medical kit and a protective suit.

Everyone was quite excited. The survivors, with an average age of thirty to forty, felt like students that were heading out on a spring excursion, finding everything new and intriguing.

But that excitement only lasted through boarding. Soon, professional discussions filled the bus. After all, most of them hadn’t worked together before, and it would take time for them to adjust to one another’s pace.

Jiang Ci also shared her observations from her previous visit to the Sunrise Base, warning them that the environment and the attitudes of the survivors there might pose challenges.

Hearing about the tragic conditions as medical professionals, they couldn’t help but feel compassion and frown.

Before they reached the first base in need of assistance, Jiang Ci stopped the bus and handed out boxed meals to everyone, ensuring they were well-fed before starting work.

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 place where the bus stopped was quite conspicuous, and it didn’t take long before survivors from the base began to approach and ask questions.

The survivor recognized Jiang Ci, and as he approached, he could clearly see the logo of A Restaurant on the bus.

Jiang Ci heard the door being knocked on and opened it to see a somewhat familiar face. The moment the survivor outside saw Jiang Ci, tears instantly streamed down his face.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Ci was stunned. “Come on, come in and sit down.”

Jiang Ci welcomed him inside and settled him in the seat in the front row. She felt unusually flustered, as it was the first time she had seen such a burly man burst into tears in front of her.

The man in front of her was at least two meters tall, with a muscular build, yet here he was, sobbing uncontrollably in front of her.

After boarding, the survivor finally managed to calm himself down. But the moment he lifted his head, he realized there were dozens of eyes staring back at him. At that moment, he instantly wished he could crawl into a hole and disappear.

“I’m the acting base leader here. My name is Xu Cong,” he said, voice hoarse. “Our original leader got infected with the virus… Right now, more than half the people in our base are in quarantine.” As he spoke, Xu Cong’s eyes reddened again. “We had no other choice but to beg for your help.”

“Alright,” Jiang Ci nodded firmly. “We’ll do everything we can to save your survivors.” To her, a leader who truly cared about his people was someone worth respecting—and it earned him extra points in her book.

“Would you like something to eat?” Jiang Ci asked. His eyes were still rimmed red, the sorrow clinging to him, so she instinctively tried to ease it.

Xu Cong quickly shook his head. “No, no, I’ll get off the bus and wait for you.”

He scrambled to his feet, ready to leave the bus, when suddenly, his stomach let out a loud, drawn-out growl. Although no one knew how long it had been since he’d eaten, the sound was embarrassingly clear.

---

damn, i guess song jinchuan just disappeared in this chapter QAQ WHERES MY GOAT AT ????

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

---

After everyone had settled into the farm, Jiang Ci went to visit the “daycare.” The number of children in the open area had increased significantly. Jiang Ci immediately spotted Zhao Ping’s eight children, with even the youngest one holding a plastic bag and filling it with vegetables.

Jiang Ci walked over to greet them, speaking softly before leaving to visit the food processing factory.

The three new products she had previously launched were already on sale, and every time they were released for sale, they would sell out in seconds.

Someone who was very familiar with Jiang Ci secretly told her that it was because the food in her store had a slight effect in restoring the energy of survivors, so they would bring the instant food bought here on missions. Not only did it fill their stomachs, but when they were tired, taking a bite would make their bodies feel as comfortable as soaking in a hot spring.

Although Jiang Ci had always known about the food’s energy-restoring effect, she had never admitted it. When asked directly, she would just play dumb, “Huh? Really? I didn’t know that. You must be imagining it.”

She couldn’t outright state the effect so definitively. What if someone shamelessly tried to accuse her, saying there was no such effect, and insisted on causing trouble? She wasn’t afraid of the trouble, but it would still be annoying. So, she simply refused to admit it.

Since Jiang Ci didn’t talk about it, the survivors merely treated it as an open secret.

However, seeing the instant food sell well and her points steadily increasing, Jiang Ci felt quite pleased.

The employees at the food processing factory were now all very experienced. Even without supervision, they didn’t slack off at all.

Jiang Ci checked on the computer in the main control room. Many more items had been unlocked, and there were now more combinations available.

“Do you have any favorite flavors?” Jiang Ci, who struggled with choices, turned to Song Jinchuan behind her for advice.

He thought seriously for a moment before replying, “Not particularly. As long as it’s meat, it’s fine.”

This answer didn’t satisfy Jiang Ci. She pursed her lips but still opened the meat section, selecting a few meatballs with flavors that paired well together. Then she chose some meat slices and combined them with noodles to make another instant food combination.

She also made some instant foods that were purely vegan.

Jiang Ci also brought in some fresh vegetables, asking the employees to try making dried vegetables.

The potatoes, which were the most abundant, were sent over to be made into several flavors of potato chips, which could later be sold in the convenience store.

After such a busy day, the sky outside had gradually darkened without her noticing.

*

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:

Zhao Ping was so immersed in his work at the farm that he only realized it was time to leave when someone beside him reminded him that the sky had darkened.

Thinking of his eight children, he quickly took off his apron and left the farm. He was the last one out, making sure to lock the door before leaving through the main gate.

By the time he arrived at the open space outside the employee dormitory, the streetlights had already been switched on, illuminating the entire area.

His eight children were sitting in a circle, listening to a survivor named Jiang Meng tell them stories.

Of course, Jiang Ci wouldn’t let the children continue working all the time. In fact, their working hours weren’t actually that long. During the rest of their time there, she had the patient survivor Jiang Meng tell them stories, sing songs, or teach them some new words.

As the number of children increased, she really began to consider whether to open up a school so these children could learn what they would from compulsory education.

Jiang Meng’s gentle voice carried through the night breeze. Zhao Ping immediately spotted his eight children, who had propped their chins in their hands, listening intently to Jiang Meng as she spoke.

His steps naturally slowed down, and his heart felt an unprecedented sense of ease. This time when he returned home, he didn’t see any of his children being bullied, no disdainful glances from neighbors, and no filthy or stinking living environment. Everything was gradually improving for the better.

“Your parents are here to pick you up. Everyone, head home now.” Seeing the parents who had just finished work gradually gathering around, Jiang Meng clapped her hands and ended today’s storytelling session.

Before the apocalypse, she had been a student at a teacher training college. But before she could step onto the teaching podium, the apocalypse suddenly erupted. So, having been able to grasp this opportunity now made her very happy, as being with the children brought her a special kind of relaxation.

Zhao Ping took his children to the cafeteria. It was his first time going there, and he found it much cleaner and brighter than he had imagined it would be.

It was mealtime, so the cafeteria was quite crowded. A kind-hearted employee even taught Zhao Ping how to order and pick up his food.

After thanking the employee, Zhao Ping turned his attention to the menu.

The cafeteria’s menu had become increasingly diverse, and the array of dishes before him almost dazzled his eyes.

Zhao Ping wasn’t sure how much meal allowance was on his card yet, so although all the dishes seemed affordable, he still only ordered the three with the largest portions.

When he swiped his card on the machine, he was surprised to find that the balance on his card was unexpectedly high, with more than enough for him and his eight children to eat heartily for the entire month.

He had heard other survivors talk about the meal allowances provided by Boss Jiang, but none of them had mentioned it being this generous.

Looking at his eight hungry children, Zhao Ping felt a warmth threaten to seep out of his eyes. He adjusted the brim of his hat and said to the children, “Let’s add two more dishes.”

The children let out a soft cheer, then glanced around nervously, afraid they might be scolded. It had already become a conditioned reflex for them.

They still remembered a woman in their base who would scream and curse at them whenever they spoke, accusing them of being noisy, even though they had only whispered a few words—far quieter than her shouting.

Now, even the little sister that was five years old knew not to speak loudly, or better yet, not to speak at all.

“It’s okay. Here, you can talk, as long as you don’t make too much noise and disturb others,” Zhao Ping said, noticing the children’s cautious expressions.

The children immediately smiled, and the youngest little girl tugged shyly at Zhao Ping’s sleeve. “Dad, I really like it here.”

Several large plates of food were placed on the table, with each child also holding a bowl of gleaming white rice. This was the most luxurious meal they had eaten in all the years since the apocalypse.

Among the dishes on the table, one was vegetables, while the rest were meat.

Although the children were drooling over the food, they still waited obediently for Zhao Ping to start the meal. Only after he said they could eat did they pick up their chopsticks and start eating.

Having not used chopsticks for years, with some never having used them at all, they were all a bit clumsy at first.

But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that the food was incredibly delicious—so delicious that they couldn’t stop eating.

Just as Zhao Ping’s family was gradually adapting to life in the dining city, it was finally time for Jiang Ci to go pick up Lu Dongmei.

When Jiang Ci rode her electric scooter to the Sunrise Base, she noticed that the atmosphere there had undergone a complete transformation.

As soon as the base leader heard that Jiang Ci had arrived, he immediately put down his busy tasks and came out to greet her.

“Doctor Lu is still in the quarantine zone. She’s really worked hard these past few days, and all the patients that had been infected by the virus have now fully recovered,” the base leader said as he walked alongside Jiang Ci. “It’s a rare chance for our base to have such a skilled doctor here, so many survivors have been lining up to see Doctor Lu for a consultation, but I was worried she might get too exhausted, so I turned away those with less severe conditions and only let her see those that were the most urgent.”

Seeing Jiang Ci’s gaze, the base leader added, “Of course, they all paid with crystal cores. I obviously wouldn’t let Doctor Lu suffer any losses.”

Jiang Ci nodded, finally satisfied.

When Jiang Ci and the base leader arrived at the quarantine area, they noticed significant changes compared to when Jiang Ci had first arrived. The place had been tidied up, the buildings renovated, and the living conditions had improved considerably. It was much cleaner, with Jiang Ci even able to pick up the smell of disinfectant.

There were still a few survivors waiting in line in front of Lu Dongmei’s desk, all hoping to get a consultation while the doctor was still there.

One of the patients turned out to be someone who had once traveled thousands of miles with their family in search of treatment. Jiang Ci could clearly see Lu Dongmei’s eyes light up at the sight of them.

Upon hearing that the patient’s family member had passed away, Lu Dongmei’s eyes welled up with tears, lamenting at the unpredictability of life.

Jiang Ci approached her when her consultation finally came to an end. Although Lu Dongmei looked tired, it was clear that her work brought her genuine joy.

“Boss Jiang,” Lu Dongmei smiled when she saw Jiang Ci.

Jiang Ci set down the set meal she was carrying. “You must not have eaten well these past few days. I brought you some food from the shop, quick, eat it while it’s hot.”

Lu Dongmei didn’t stand on ceremony. She took the set meal and opened it to find her favorite beef with scrambled eggs over rice. The nearly fifty year old Lu Dongmei smiled like a little girl who had just received candy. “Thank you, I’ve been craving this for a while.”

“Have you got everything with you?” After eating, the two began packing up. There wasn’t much to pack, just the medicine Lu Dongmei had brought with her and some personal items Jiang Ci had left for her.

Lu Dongmei glanced back. “Yes, that’s everything. Let’s go.”

As they left, the base leader, the newly rotated base executives, as well as many survivors who had benefited from Jiang Ci and Lu Dongmei’s help came out to see them off.

In the crowd, Jiang Ci spotted Tan Ziyi and his parents. Somehow, they had found out that Jiang Ci had a preference for jewelry and had gathered a few more exquisite pieces, stuffing them into a bag and handing it to her.

When Jiang Ci returned and opened the bag, she was stunned to find a necklace with a dazzling blue sapphire the size of a pigeon’s egg. It was so conspicuous that Jiang Ci didn’t even dare to wear it outside. A necklace of this grandeur seemed more suited to a celebrity dressed for a red carpet event. Wearing it out would simply be too extravagant.

She stored all these items in her space, finding the corner that she specifically used for storing the gold and silver. Her collection had already grown to a substantial size by now.

On the way back, Lu Dongmei wanted to had the crystal cores she had earned back to Jiang Ci, but Jiang Ci refused, telling her to keep them herself, “These are what you earned with your own skills. Why give them to me? Consider it your bonus for going on this mission.”

Lu Dongmei wanted to say more, but Jiang Ci had already changed the subject, so she had no choice but to let the topic go.

When they returned to the clinic, Lu Dongmei felt as if she had finally returned home. Although she hadn’t been here for long, this place already gave her a deep sense of belonging.

Huang Yue was just as overjoyed, her big eyes nearly welling up with tears. She and Doctor Lu had never been apart for so long before.

---

the translator has nothing to add ◡̈

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

---

“You have so many children?” Jiang Ci couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. This was the largest family she had seen in the apocalypse.

“Yes,” Zhao Ping replied, carrying a large bundle. When he saw Jiang Ci, he set it down. “They’re all well-behaved and won’t cause any trouble.”

“It’s fine. Our staff dormitories are quite soundproof. Besides, with so many children, the older ones can help with packing vegetables and earn points every day,” Jiang Ci said, looking at the girl that was five years old. Though she appeared thin and small, she was clean and tidy.

This level of care showed just how much effort Zhao Ping had put into raising them.

“I can help. I’m very strong,” the oldest girl quickly stepped forward and said.

Jiang Ci nodded. “Alright, then I’ll make arrangements for you. I won’t keep you from moving in any longer. Go get settled, and then come find me later to handle your identity cards.”

Zhao Ping nodded, picked up his large bundle again, and continued leading the eight children forward.

It was still early, and some of the staff who were still in the dormitory buildings proceeded to greet Zhao Ping and his group warmly.

The atmosphere here was much better than in their previous base.

In their previous base, dozens of people had to share a large communal sleeping area, and with such a large group, it was a given that not everyone would get along. Because Zhao Ping had so many children with him and as a result, occupied two sleeping spots, they often faced harsh words from those who disapproved.

But here it was different, and they were often met with smiles, kindness, and a warm welcome.

“Need any help?” A kind-hearted survivor stepped forward to offer their assistance, not waiting for Zhao Ping’s response before taking the packages from the children’s hands and heading upstairs.

Now, not only could the eight children stop their smiles, but even Zhao Ping eventually gave in, smiling bashfully.

Their home was on the third floor and was the unit at the very end. As soon as the door opened, the morning sunlight streamed in through the window.

The children cheered and ran towards the large window.

The youngest child turned to Zhao Ping, eyes full of anticipation, and asked, “Is this our own house? Will anyone else live here? Will they call Little Eight a burden anymore?”

Hearing Little Eight’s string of questions, Zhao Ping’s heart ached. He stepped forward and gently patted Little Eight’s head, “From now on, we’ll be the only ones living here. No one will ever bully Little Eight again.”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t protect you well enough,” Zhao Ping said as he crouched down to Little Eight’s level.

He had to earn crystal cores to support so many children and couldn’t always stay at home, so it was inevitable that he couldn’t keep an eye on everything all the time.

Little Eight shook his head, speaking with utmost seriousness, “No, Dad is the best dad.”

Zhao Ping’s eyes reddened as he gingerly hugged Little Eight.

The children were quite interested in the work could earn them points which Jiang Ci had mentioned. Although they didn’t yet know what points were, Jiang Ci had said they could be exchanged for food and supplies.

“Stay home and tidy up. I’ll go downstairs to handle the identity registration first, and then we’ll talk about the work,” Zhao Ping said before heading downstairs.

On the way, he encountered other employees, already dressed in their uniforms and ready to start work.

“My daughter is over there packing vegetables. There are several other kids there too, and it’s completely safe with another employee looking after them. Honestly, these jobs don’t really need our kids, but Boss Jiang has a kind heart. It’s like she’s given us a temporary place to entrust our children, so we can work with peace of mind,” said a survivor who had seen Zhao Ping and his eight children on the way, unable to resist sharing about his own child as well.

Zhao Ping was also quite moved. Boss Jiang was indeed a great boss, no wonder everyone was eager to be accepted into this workplace.

“Right, Boss Jiang even pays the kids, haha, they’re even earning their own keep.”

The atmosphere was relaxed and natural, with everyone talking about their children and their work, making Zhao Ping feel as if he had returned to the days before the apocalypse. Then, despite usually being a man of few words, he joined in the conversation.

Today he wore a mask but no hat, so the scars on his face were still visible, yet no one looked at him strangely, or rather, their gazes didn’t linger on his face at all.

This was a suggestion made by his teammate yesterday. Since he was going to work here for a long time, he couldn’t keep hiding his appearance forever.

“You can take it slow, start by taking off your hat.”

Soon, Zhao Ping understood why everyone’s gazes were unsurprised. A girl whose legs were amputated and was sitting in a wheelchair suddenly appeared before him.

She maneuvered the wheelchair with ease, and some even joked about racing her, their tones devoid of any awkwardness or pity, treating her just like any other normal survivor.

This was the unique thoughtfulness and kindness of the good-hearted people here. At that moment, Zhao Ping felt especially grateful for joining the dining city.

He found Jiang Ci outside the shop. Several newly recruited farm employees had also arrived and were waiting for Jiang Ci to finish her tasks.

Jiang Ci was busy neatly arranging the pre-packaged vegetables. Seeing this, a few survivors quickly stepped in to help.

Jiang Ci didn’t stand on ceremony with them. After instructing them on how to arrange the vegetables, she began selling the day’s vegetable packs.

These vegetable packs were prepared by the children of the dining city’s staff. Though they were just kids, it was clear they were meticulous, and each bag had an appropriate variety of vegetables.

Though of course, the most common item was potatoes—not that the survivors minded, rather they loved them too, as potatoes were delicious even with minimal seasoning.

Now that the convenience store had started selling condiments, the currency for exchanging supplies within it had shifted from gold and silver jewelry back to points.

Jiang Ci felt she had collected enough gold now. Even if she took it all to her own world, there was simply no way for her to exchange so much all for money, so when the time was right, she decisively switched the trading currency.

The survivors who had missed out on the cheaper goods were so filled with regret that their guts turned green with envy, yet they didn’t dare complain and continued to quietly bring their crystal cores to trade for supplies.

For now, the store only sold the most basic items like salt, MSG, and broad bean chilli sauce, which Jiang Ci had only recently started stocking.

This drove the survivors, who hadn’t tasted seasoning in nearly a decade, almost to madness. The condiments were snapped up almost instantly on the first day.

That day, many survivors savored the long-forgotten taste of seasoning. Paired with the vegetable packs they bought from Jiang Ci, even the simplest dishes that had been seasoned with just salt were devoured with relish, leaving not even a drop of soup behind.

Because Jiang Ci kept bringing out new goods from time to time, the people keeping an eye on her couldn’t figure her out and were left puzzled. Not only could they not trace the source of her supplies, but no one could guess when exactly that hotpot restaurant of hers had even first opened.

Survivors who harbored ulterior motives found no way in, and in the end, all they could do was try to build a good relationship with Jiang Ci.

*

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 vegetable packs sold out as always. Those who arrived early left satisfied, each with a bag in hand, while those who missed out sighed, vowing to come earlier the next day.

Only after Jiang Ci packed up the small table did she begin processing the identity information for the new employees.

“The points your children earn will also be credited to this card, and there will also be a monthly meal subsidy…” Jiang Ci patiently explained the key details to the survivors.

“If your children want to help pack vegetables with the others, just let me know. There are employees there, as well as older children, and everyone keeps an eye out for each other,” Jiang Ci said.

By now, her vegetable packing area had practically turned into a dedicated daycare. The younger children all helped out there, watched over by a particularly patient employee she had hired. This was part of the staff perks Jiang Ci offered, ensuring her staff could focus on their tasks with peace of mind.

The meal subsidies for the new employees had already been deposited into their cards in advance, ensuring they could afford meals for the month.

Afterward, Jiang Ci took them to the farm.

As soon as they entered the farm, the survivors were astonished. The lush green grass, the rows of vibrant vegetables growing healthily, and the lively livestock all caught their attention.

After recruiting the new employees, Jiang Ci had filled the pens with chickens, ducks, geese, piglets, calves, and lambs. She had even spent points overnight to exchange for a fish pond and bought fish fry to fill it, making the farm bustling with life.

The warehouse was stocked with plenty of feed and hay. Jiang Ci temporarily entrusted the key to Zhao Ping, who appeared to be the oldest and most composed among them.

She suddenly understood why teachers in school tended to favor students with good grades. With Zhao Ping’s deep knowledge of agriculture, her trust in him had grown significantly.

On top of that, Song Jinchuan had told her that Zhao Ping’s facial scar looked like burns, and his patched-up old uniform still bore traces of its former glory. He surmised that Zhao Ping had probably been a firefighter before the apocalypse.

Survivors from professions like his naturally earned Jiang Ci’s goodwill. But she wasn’t naive. With the whole dining city under the system’s surveillance, if anything went wrong, the system would be more anxious than she was. So Jiang Ci wasn’t overly concerned.

Zhao Ping took the key, recognising its importance, and carefully placed it in his pocket.

Besides feed, the warehouse also contained farming tools.

“All of this you’re free to use,” Jiang Ci told them, “but nothing can be wasted, nothing leaves the farm, and nothing can be traded. If anyone breaks these rules, they’ll be blacklisted from the dining city permanently.”

The farm employees nodded eagerly. With such good conditions, only a fool would think of causing trouble.

It was their first day, so Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan worked alongside the employees on the farm, observing their practical skills.

As expected, everyone was quite skilled at farming. Today happened to be the day the vegetables were ready for harvest.

Jiang Ci had already informed them that the seeds in the farm were different from those before the apocalypse, with a much shorter growth cycle. The employees didn’t ask further questions, simply nodding and committing it to memory.

Once the vegetables were harvested, the employees would store them in the warehouse. Jiang Ci would collect them every few days and take them to a designated area in front of the employee dormitory, where the children would weigh and bag them into vegetable packs.

And just like that, the entire production chain was complete.

---

the translator has nothing to add ◡̈

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

---

Hearing the word “supplies,” Jiang Ci paused and took a few steps back. “Oh right, lately the potatoes at the restaurant city have been selling really well as they’re both filling and tasty. You could buy more when the time comes.”

Before Jiang Ci left, Tan Ziyi hurried over to express his gratitude once again. At the time, his mind had already been muddled, only instinctively seeking help.

If it hadn’t been for Jiang Ci, not only would he have died, but his parents and friends would have also silently perished in this man-made disaster.

Since the patients here hadn’t fully recovered yet, Lu Dongmei volunteered to stay behind. Jiang Ci had a pile of matters to attend to at her shop, so she had to head back first. She discussed with Lu Dongmei and planned to pick her up in a few days.

When she returned to the base, it was still early. As Jiang Ci walked through the gate, she saw Song Jinchuan urgently making his way through the crowd toward her. The survivors nearby knew that Boss Jiang had returned when they noticed the ice on Song Jinchuan’s face melting away.

Song Jinchuan’s eyes swept over her, as if making sure she hadn’t been injured during her trip, before he finally let out a slight sigh of relief.

“Did anything happen at the shop?” Jiang Ci asked.

“Nothing happened,” Song Jinchuan’s expression softened a bit. “Everything’s been fine at the shop these past few days, except that there’s a new open space in the backyard. I went to check it out, and it seems to be a farm, with a few livestock pens marked out.”

Jiang Ci also habitually shared her experiences from this trip, the people she met, and Lu Dongmei, who stayed behind at the Sunrise Base.

“Luckily, Sister Dongmei left some basic medicine here. We’ll be relying on Huang Yue to keep an eye on things during this time.”

As Song Jinchuan listened to the voice beside him, his heart finally seemed to settle and take root in the ground.

The members of the Cheetah Squad that were sitting not too far away didn’t miss a single expression on Song Jinchuan’s face. Huang Mao clicked his tongue a few times, “Look, doesn’t it seem like a tail is wagging behind our captain?”

The other squad members burst into laughter, teasing, “You better watch out, or the captain might just give you a beating.”

Jiang Ci greeted her employees and then headed to the backyard, unable to wait any longer to see her farm.

Back when she had been obsessed with TV dramas, she had always dreamed of being a farm owner, to be surrounded by little animals, with blue skies and white clouds above her, every scene looking like it had been processed through a filter.

Sure enough, the small yard had already been partitioned off, with a wall erected between the two. However, there was a small gate in the wall, making it convenient for Jiang Ci to come and go.

Entering through the small gate, the first thing that caught her eye was an expansive lawn, with the occasional flower dotted sparsely amongst it.

The scent of soil and fresh grass filled the air. If there were any other survivors here, they would likely be astonished by the vibrant vitality of this land as it was in stark contrast to the lifeless terrain of the post-apocalyptic world.

Half of the farm was fields, currently lush with green vegetables, while the other half comprised of various livestock pens.

Jiang Ci had no prior experience with these, so she wasn’t particularly familiar with which animals these pens belonged to.

In her store, alongside various seeds, there were also a large number of young livestock available.

Since Jiang Ci wasn’t confident that she could raise them well, she first bought ten chicks and ten piglets.

After the purchase, the pens were soon filled with ten fluffy chicks and ten chubby, white piglets.

Although Jiang Ci had to admit that the meat from these animals was indeed delicious, she couldn’t deny the fact that they were incredibly cute when young, almost melting her heart.

Jiang Ci also bought feed for them from the store. Because they were still so young, she had to mix the feed with water to create a paste before feeding them.

Watching the chirping chicks and snorting piglets start to eat the feed, Jiang Ci felt a strange sense of satisfaction, as if she were in a childrearing simulation game.

At the front of the farm, there was another gate that served as the main entrance, which was wide enough for a large truck to drive through.

After ensuring that the piglets and chicks had settled in, Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan went to the fields to water and harvest the crops.

The well was located in the small courtyard, and there were dedicated faucets here for watering. Jiang Ci sometimes used her own abilities as well.

After finishing all this, Jiang Ci rubbed her waist and said, “Let’s hire a few people to manage the farm.”

Previously, they hadn’t hired anyone because the fields had been situated in the small courtyard, and Jiang Ci didn’t want too many people entering her private space. But now that it was separated, it was completely feasible for her to hire help.

Song Jinchuan nodded, “Alright, I’ll help with the screening.”

Jiang Ci held an immense trust in Song Jinchuan’s judgment. After all, the employees he selected were always of good character and diligent in their work.

*

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:

Zhao Ping and his teammates arrived at the hotpot city. Their base wasn’t far from City C, so the journey wasn’t particularly long. They had witnessed the hotpot city being built step by step, all the way to its current state today.

“The hotpot city has more and more employees now. I’m telling you, Zhao Ping, you should really try applying next time. Boss Jiang isn’t the type to judge by appearance,” a teammate remarked, looking at the increasingly orderly shops and the busy employees inside.

Zhao Ping adjusted the brim of his hat downward to cover his face. The areas that were uncovered were clearly visible, with scars crisscrossing on his face and even his neck.

“Better not. My appearance might scare away the customers,” Zhao Ping said with a self-deprecating smile.

Before the apocalypse, Zhao Ping had been a firefighter. The scars on his body had been branded by saving lives. Even in the post-apocalyptic world, those prejudiced looks toward him didn’t diminish in the slightest. Despite having the responsibility to support eight children and the constant urging from those around him, Zhao Ping never considered applying for a job at A Restaurant City to make his life easier since he didn’t want to take advantage of others’ sympathy for him.

“Hey, everyone, look! Boss Jiang is out putting up notices again. Is she hiring again?”

Zhao Ping, surrounded by the crowd, also made his way to the front of the recruitment notice.

“Boss Jiang, which store are you hiring for this time?” a survivor inquired.

After posting the notice, Jiang Ci turned to face the survivors who had gathered around her in layers, shaking her head, “Not this time. This recruitment is for hiring help needed at the farm. Those with experience in farming and raising poultry will be prioritized.”

“Zhao Ping, didn’t you grow up in the fields as a kid?” a teammate patted Zhao Ping on the shoulder, speaking with evident joy.

Zhao Ping and his teammates had been companions for many years and genuinely looked out for each other. Seeing a job that seemed almost tailor-made for Zhao Ping, they all urged him to give it a try.

“Go for it, Brother Ping. This job means you won’t have to deal with customers in the restaurant. Look, the salary and benefits are good, and you’ll even be allocated your own housing unit. You can bring Xiao Le and the others over, and you won’t have to squeeze into a large bunk with dozens of people anymore. That way, it won’t be as hard on you.”

Looking at the contents of the recruitment notice, Zhao Ping felt a stirring of longing in his heart.

He adjusted the brim of his hat and finally made up his mind, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

This recruitment involved Jiang Ci posing several questions to test their familiarity with crops and livestock.

These questions were quite simple for Zhao Ping, and he promptly finished answering and handed in his paper.

As expected, he passed the first round of the written test. By the second round of interviews, more than half of the candidates had already been eliminated.

When it was Zhao Ping’s turn, his steady voice and calm responses to the questions left both Jiang Ci and Song Jinchuan quite satisfied with him. Zhao Ping had also been the only one who had scored full marks on the written test earlier.

“Can you take off your mask?” Jiang Ci asked, because although she was very satisfied with this survivor named Zhao Ping, he had been wearing a hat and mask the entire time, and she still needed to confirm his identity.

Zhao Ping was taken aback but slowly removed his hat and mask.

Jiang Ci hadn’t expected the face beneath the mask, but she didn’t let any other emotion show through on her face and just nodded calmly, “Alright, please wait outside for the results.”

Zhao Ping hadn’t expected that the other party to not show any pity or disgust like others had. Her calmness almost made him think he was a normal person.

He walked dazedly to the open area on the other side and only snapped out of it when he heard his name called again.

“I… I passed?” Zhao Ping was still in disbelief as he looked at the work uniform that was being handed to him.

“That’s great!” Although Zhao Ping was more reserved and rarely showed his emotions, his friend beside him didn’t hold back and started to cheer outright.

The noise attracted the attention of the nearby survivors, and when they saw the survivor who had been selected, their eyes were filled with either envy or jealousy.

Zhao Ping quickly composed himself and then followed the other survivors to apply for their own staff dormitories.

After filling out his information and receiving the set of keys, Zhao Ping returned to the base with his teammates.

This trip was originally meant to serve as a break for them after completing their mission, but Zhao Ping unexpectedly encountered such a windfall from today.

Over the years, his teammates had witnessed how Zhao Ping lived. His clothes were patched up, and he was reluctant to replace them. The crystal cores he earned through his tightrope between life and death were all spent on raising the eight children.

In fact, none of the eight children were his own. They had all been either picked up by him over the years or orphans of his fallen comrades that he had specifically sought out from orphanages after the disaster had struck.

Although it’s hard to say whether he was overly kind-hearted or just plain stubborn, at the very least, he was a person who had his heart in the right place.

“When you have time off in the future, come out on missions with us again,” his teammates chattered, all genuinely happy for him.

“Sorry,” Zhao Ping’s voice softened at the thought, “I might not be able to participate much in the team’s missions anymore.”

“Come on, what’s the big deal? Seeing you getting better is what really makes us happy. Old Zhao, you’re capable and skilled—no need to live so cautiously. It’s the apocalypse now! If anyone’s got a problem with you, we’ll just deal with them. That scar of yours? That’s your medal as a hero,” one of his teammates said.

Zhao Ping smiled, a sense of relief peeking through in his expression.

The next day, when Zhao Ping moved in with the children, it attracted quite a bit of attention. Perhaps it was because no one had ever seen a group of eight children together with one adult before.

The oldest was already sixteen, while the youngest was only five, clutching a small bundle and stumbling along behind Zhao Ping.

---

the translator has nothing to add ◡̈

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

---

However, before his ice could reach the survivors, it was intercepted by Jiang Ci’s black mist.

Qi Lin turned to look at Jiang Ci, his eyes filled with hatred as he decided to vent all his anger on her alone.

Just as Jiang Ci was about to retract the black mist and switch to another ability, she saw the black mist in front of her, let out a burp, as if it were full. Then, a string of fiery dragons emerged from the mist, directly evaporating Qi Lin’s ice ability.

This move stunned even Jiang Ci herself. What did this mean? Could it spit out what it had consumed? After all, her black mist had consumed quite a few abilities.

Unable to dodge in time, Qi Lin ended up being hit directly in the face by the fiery dragons, his entire face scorched black, and his clothes torn to shreds.

Never in all his time ever since the apocalypse—whether before or after he was elected as base leader—had he ever been in such a wretched state. He threw his head back and let out a loud laugh, whether it was because he had suddenly gone mad from shock or because he was preparing some big move.

Not to mention most survivors, but even Qi Lin’s subordinates began to slowly retreat, distancing themselves from this man.

But before he could make another move, he was directly engulfed in Jiang Ci’s massive blue water sphere in the next second.

“So noisy,” Jiang Ci muttered indifferently. She was still mulling over the situation with the black mist when this man started laughing all of a sudden, interrupting her train of thought.

With the final villainous boss now under Jiang Ci’s control, his lackeys, having no one to rally under, naturally chose to lay down their arms and surrender.

The survivors, who were still immersed in the shock of discovering how evil their base leader was, took a while to come to terms with it.

This time, Jiang Ci didn’t resort to sarcasm. Instead, she informed the survivors of everything she had witnessed, making sure not to leave out Tan Ziyi’s severe injuries, the bodies left to rot in hidden corners, the survivors left to fend for themselves in the courtyard, and those who were sent in despite not being infected.

The survivors were initially confused, but as they listened to each account, their confusion gradually turned to anger. They realized that in places they couldn’t reach, their family and friends were still suffering. They had held onto the hope that their loved ones were receiving good medical care and might even recover soon.

“Everyone, don’t worry. Those who know me are all aware that I have a medical clinic in my Restaurant City. The doctor there is Lu Dongmei, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner from before the apocalypse. She is currently treating the survivors inside, and it won’t be long before everyone recovers. Now, I need a few volunteers to help handle the bodies in the courtyard and assist Doctor Lu. Don’t worry, I’ll also provide protective suits and supper,” Jiang Ci added.

“It’s not a solution for us to leave the bodies lying there. Let’s give them a proper burial.”

Initially, there was some hesitation about the task, but upon hearing about the protective suits and supper, the survivors began to stir, especially those who had been to City C and tasted the hotpot.

Soon, Jiang Ci had gathered enough volunteers, each issued with a disposable protective suit.

These suits were somewhat different from what Jiang Ci and her team wore. When taken out, they resembled transparent bubbles. Once put on a person, the bubble would snap shut and fit snugly around them, wrapping the survivor tightly.

[This is the latest protective suit. If approved, it can be listed for sale in the convenience store,] the system’s voice chimed in at the right moment.

Jiang Ci noticed the survivors’ expressions of curiosity and knew that this item would very likely have a market as well.

Since the gate had been locked by the base leader and his people, Jiang Ci simply created a ladder for the volunteers, allowing them to climb over the wall.

The remaining survivors were still standing nearby, seemingly wanting to come over and take a look, but Jiang Ci stopped them, “Everyone, please go back for now. It’s still relatively dangerous here. It won’t be worth it in the long run if you get infected with the virus.”

After saying this, Jiang Ci approached a few survivors who looked strong and had clear eyes, “Could you please help me pick up someone? They’re a survivor from your base who’s unconscious and seriously injured. They’re not far from here. I’ll draw you a map. There’s also a turtle there, please bring it back with you.”

The survivors who were called upon quickly nodded and set off with their teammates.

After arranging everything, Jiang Ci returned to the courtyard. Lu Dongmei already had a few survivors helping her, and in another corner, some survivors were placing the bodies into bags, preparing to take them outside for burial.

Jiang Ci slowly let out a sigh of relief as the system mind informed her mentally, [Task complete. The farm reward has been issued and placed next to the farmland. The host’s courtyard and the farmland have now been separated. Two doors have been added to the courtyard and the main gate for easier access.]

Jiang Ci thought about the general layout in her mind and nodded. This arrangement indeed made things much more spacious.

When the survivors brought Tan Ziyi and Hui Hui back, Tan Ziyi was still unconscious, but the blood on his face had been cleaned, revealing his original features.

Hui Hui was handed back to Jiang Ci, who held the tortoise and gently touched its shell before thanking the survivors.

The tall man at the front waved his hand, “No problem. This person is from our base anyway, it was just a small effort. This tortoise seems quite impressive. The mutated beasts and zombies only watched from afar and didn’t dare to approach.”

Jiang Ci nodded, “Yes, that’s why I left it there to guard the area.”

Jiang Ci openly acknowledged Hui Hui’s abilities but didn’t specify that it was a mutated beast, as people in this world still harbored a lot of hatred toward such creatures.

The survivors also simply regarded Hui Hui as a pet with special abilities and didn’t think of it as a mutated beast.

Unlike the survivors in City C who were more familiar with Hui Hui, even if they suspected something, seeing Hui Hui’s current form and how much it had helped Jiang Ci, they wouldn’t voluntarily expose it.

When everyone was almost done with their tasks, Jiang Ci set up her pot in an open space some distance away from the quarantine zone. She cooked a variety of hotpot ingredients, served everyone a cup of milk tea, and brought out a large plate of braised dishes.

In an instant, the aroma of food filled the air.

“This is the smell!” one survivor exclaimed, nearly brought to tears by the familiar scent of food.

Due to the distance, they couldn’t go to City C often just to have hotpot.

Jiang Ci also called over the survivors who had previously helped bring Hui Hui and Tan Ziyi back.

The leader of the group, who was a burly man, was quite shy. When he learned that Jiang Ci had invited them over for food, he immediately declined. Although they hadn’t been there before, they had heard that the ingredients were already extinct in this post-apocalyptic world and must be extremely precious. They hadn’t done much, so how could they just freeload off of her food?

However, under Jiang Ci’s insistence, they eventually sat down by the large pot. Before they knew it, each of them was holding a bowl of hotpot stew that was topped with a braised chicken leg, and a cup of milk tea with floating pearls visible through the transparent cup.

The burly man exchanged a glance with his teammates, and they all swallowed hard at the same time. This was way too good of a meal.

These once-exhausted survivors became energized in no time, with the small clearing gradually becoming more and more lively.

Survivors from the neighboring residential building, poked their heads out to join in the excitement, unable to sleep due to the enticing aroma.

This lively atmosphere lasted until dawn.

Lu Dongmei sat among the crowd, holding a cup of milk tea that was still warm, a smile on her lips as she watched the bustling scene.

She hadn’t been able to indulge in such a relaxing moment for a long time, and the fatigue from treating patients made her savor it even more.

Jiang Ci also took the opportunity to distribute flyers for the dining city within the 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:

After dawn broke, Tan Ziyi, who had been unconscious, finally woke up. When he opened his eyes, his last memories were still stuck on being discovered by the base’s people and then beaten half to death.

As he recalled this, he suddenly sat up from the bed, the sudden movement making him dizzy due to excessive blood loss, almost causing him to pass out again.

“Hey, what are you doing? You’ve lost so much blood, don’t get up so quickly,” said Tan Ziyi’s teammate, who was holding a cup of water for him.

After regaining his composure, Tan Ziyi realized that almost his entire body was wrapped in bandages, confirming that he wasn’t in a dream.

He grabbed his teammate’s arm tightly. “Quick… quick, save the people in the quarantine zone! The base leader is going to burn them alive!”

His teammate winced as his arm was gripped tightly. “Alright, alright, just let go of me first.”

Although Tan Ziyi’s head was still foggy, all he could think about was that he had to save them, or else his parents and friends would all be burned to death.

“Don’t panic,” his teammate said, waiting for Tan Ziyi to calm down before revealing the truth. “The people in the quarantine zone were all saved by Boss Jiang from City C. Qi Lin was also killed by her. Your parents’ infection wasn’t severe, and after taking the medicine, they’ll be able to go home in three days.”

“It was you who stopped Boss Jiang and asked her to save them. Don’t you remember?”

His teammate recounted everything he had heard.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Tan Ziyi seemed to deflate all at once, collapsing back onto the bed and finally daring to let out a deep breath.

His memories gradually returned. In his dazed state, he had indeed pleaded with someone for help. So it turns out that was Boss Jiang from City C?

When the leader of Sunrise Base was finally brought to justice, it ended up implicating many high-ranking officials within the base hierarchy, who were then overthrown by a coalition made up of the base’s ability users and ordinary survivors.

They then quickly elected a powerful and widely respected survivor to take over as the new base leader.

After the new leader was chosen, he immediately sought out Jiang Ci to apologize for the recent turmoil in the base and express his gratitude.

His purpose was to bridge the gap between the base and Jiang Ci, ensuring that she wouldn’t hold any grudges against their base because of this incident.

“Don’t worry, I’m not the type to punish the collective just because of one person’s actions. Besides, as a business owner, I naturally welcome everyone to come and support my business,” Jiang Ci said straightforwardly, addressing their concern directly.

Seeing this, the new base leader finally felt at ease and made an appointment with Jiang Ci to purchase mineral water and supplies at the dining city in a few days.

---

timestamping this chapter as translated on 04/10/2025! this is chapter 91/128! AHhHHHH almost done and then i’ll write the ebook and this novel will be done HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHA <— that was evil laughter btw

support the kofi if u can ^^

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

---

As they descended the stairs, the woman instinctively took a step back, seemingly worried about infecting Jiang Ci and Lu Dongmei.

As soon as Lu Dongmei stepped down, her expression turned serious. The environment and the way these patients were being managed was completely unacceptable to her. It was as if they had been left to fend for themselves.

But she couldn’t dwell on that now. The most important thing for her to do was to diagnose and finish treating all these patients.

The gloves of the protective suit were as thin as cicada wings, adhering tightly to the skin, and didn’t hinder Lu Dongmei’s ability to take pulses at all.

Lu Dongmei first took the pulse of the woman who had spoken to them, but her infection didn’t seem severe at all.

“How long have you been here? Your symptoms suggest you were only infected a few days ago,” Lu Dongmei frowned.

The woman was equally confused. “I’ve been here for almost half a month now. I was sent in here because I was infected with the virus.” The woman was so shocked that she momentarily forgot about the required social distancing between them and quickly stepped forward.

“No, but your pulse doesn’t indicate that though,” Lu Dongmei had full confidence in her medical skills.

“Were you perhaps sent here before you were even infected?” Jiang Ci raised an eyebrow, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

Lu Dongmei’s expression grew increasingly serious, but before she could say anything else, the sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from outside. Immediately after, dry wooden sticks that were highly flammable were lit and thrown into the courtyard.

Most of the houses here were made of wood, and coupled with the dry weather lately, they were almost instantly set ablaze. Thick, billowing smoke began to spread throughout the small courtyard.

“You continue with the diagnosis and treatment, I’ll handle this,” Jiang Ci said, stepping in front of Lu Dongmei and the others. A faint blue light flickered from her hand, and a massive blue sphere of water suddenly appeared before everyone. Slowly, the sphere began to leak water like a sieve. As the water fell onto the flames below, the fire was extinguished with a hiss.

The survivors outside, who were still throwing in more flaming sticks, were stunned. What was this? A water attribute ability? But they had never seen anything like it before.

Because of the water sphere, the sticks they threw in were immediately extinguished, and the ones that landed in the courtyard ended up just being pieces of drenched wood.

Meanwhile, the woman and Lu Dongmei had gone into the various houses to call out the survivors who had been infected with the virus.

Gradually, whether their conditions were severe or not, all the survivors that had been quarantined gathered in the courtyard. Lu Dongmei opened her medical kit and began treating them one by one.

The survivors outside slowly stopped throwing the flaming piles of wood inside, with those on the periphery running off to inform the base leader of the sudden turn of events.

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 massive water sphere and the brief wildfire had also awakened many survivors in the base. They quickly flocked to the quarantine zone, eager to see what was happening.

In the post-apocalyptic world, every single thing was directly related to their own survival, so it didn’t take long for a crowd of survivors to gather outside the quarantine zone. After a while, the base leader hurriedly arrived at the scene as well.

“What’s going on?” the base leader asked, his voice tinged with irritation. This plan was supposed to be  foolproof, so how could such a major commotion have occurred?

The survivors guarding the outside had already thrown their pieces of dry wood aside when they saw the base leader arrive, trying to pretend as if nothing had happened.

After hearing the report from his subordinates, the base leader’s face darkened. Who could have possibly interfered with his plans? Could they be working with that reckless young man from earlier?

At the same time, the survivors outside of the quarantine zone were also filled with confusion. Seeing the base leader arrive, they crowded around him, demanding to know what was happening.

The base leader could only try to calm them down. “I just got here myself. Perhaps there’s some trouble in the quarantine zone. Everyone, please head back inside first. I’ll handle this myself to avoid any possible risk of infection.”

Some of the survivors had family members in the quarantine zone, so they were far from reassured. They pressed the base leader for updates on the situation in the quarantine zone.

The base leader reassured them, “Everything is moving in a positive direction. Under the care of the base doctors, there have been no fatalities among the survivors in the quarantine zone. It’s possible that you’ll be reunited with your loved ones soon.”

Hearing this, the survivors finally felt some relief. The base leader had always been known for his good character and consideration for everyone, so many of those around him trusted his words.

At that moment, a soft yet crisp sound of clapping cut through the air. Amidst their conversation, the sound was particularly sharp.

Everyone turned their gaze toward the source of the sound and saw a person sitting leisurely on the wall of the quarantine zone, clapping her hands as if she were in her own backyard.

“This base leader sure has a silver tongue, having the ability to spin lies so smoothly,” Jiang Ci sneered, her eyes fixed on the hypocritical man.

“Who are you? What do you want?” The lights in the base were still on, so everyone could clearly see that the person mocking their base leader was a woman. Could she be the troublemaker the base leader had mentioned earlier?

The base leader’s heart tightened after asking that question. He was afraid Jiang Ci would expose the truth, so he immediately signaled for his subordinates to find a way to get her down.

At the same time, he addressed the survivors, “Everyone, hurry back inside! Lock your doors and windows! The infected survivors have found a way to escape the quarantine zone. To prevent a large-scale outbreak, please evacuate this area immediately!”

“No need to rush. The virus has already been controlled by the doctors from my clinic. Though I must say, you just said you had doctors inside treating people, but how come I didn’t see any?” Jiang Ci asked with a smile. She was determined not to let the base leader have his way. Today, she would rip off his mask of benevolence once and for all.

“Wait… aren’t you Boss Jiang from City C?” someone in the crowd exclaimed.

Jiang Ci didn’t deny it. Instead, she waved in their direction, “Hello! You’re all welcome to visit my restaurant.”

“Who is she?” an uninformed survivor asked curiously.

“She’s the owner of that restaurant in City C. But I heard from a friend who went there recently that it’s been converted to a restaurant city, and they sell all kinds of supplies now,” another survivor explained excitedly to those around them.

The base leader who had been standing nearby, naturally overheard this. The first thought that flashed through his mind was that he was doomed.

Someone with such immense influence was the last person he wanted to offend. However, he had already thoroughly antagonized her earlier when he hadn’t known who she was.

“Boss Jiang, why are you here in our base? And in the quarantine zone at that?” a survivor asked directly.

“I’m just an ordinary person who can’t stand injustice and had to step in to help. On my way here, I met a young man who had been beaten half to death and then driven out by survivors from your base. He asked me to save the people in this quarantine zone, so here I am,” Jiang Ci explained calmly, her voice steady and compelling. The survivors listened intently.

“And then I discovered that your quarantine zone treats survivors like they’re not even human. Not only is there no doctor, but the deceased are just left in a corner without any proper safety measures. Bacteria breeds more bacteria, so of course the situation inside worsens. And the funny thing is, guess what? Some survivors who weren’t even infected were thrown in there and only ended up being infected by the virus because of it.”

The survivors exchanged uneasy glances. Was this true? Their base leader had just told them something completely different earlier.

However, those who knew Jiang Ci were well aware of her capabilities. They also knew that the store sold a significant amount of mineral water and vegetables to various bases every day, and that most base leaders respected her. There was no reason for someone to come all this way just to frame another base leader.

Everyone’s gaze involuntarily fell on the base leader.

The base leader’s face turned red with frustration. He didn’t want to offend Jiang Ci because he had also visited her store to purchase supplies and knew just how valuable and high-quality those items were. But now, it seemed he had no choice.

“Everyone, don’t trust what she says! I’ve met Boss Jiang before, and she’s always too busy at her store to come here. This must be an imposter! She’s just trying to sow discord among us, don’t fall for it!” the base leader declared with righteous indignation.

Jiang Ci watched him spin his tall tale with a smile, as if she were just watching a stand-up comedy show. Although his performance wasn’t great, it was entertaining enough for her to use to pass the time.

“You, go and arrest her! We must stop her from further disrupting the unity of our base!” the base leader ordered, seeing that everyone was still standing around and watching the spectacle. He had no choice but to take charge.

The armed survivors put on their masks and moved to the base of the wall. The ability users began unleashing their powers toward Jiang Ci, while the ordinary survivors brandished their weapons.

Jiang Ci summoned a black barrier, effortlessly absorbing everything that came her way.

Everyone watched as their attacks from the abilities and weapons were all swallowed up by a cloud of black mist. Once she had finished absorbing everything, Jiang Ci retracted the mist.

“Oh, are you getting angry out of embarrassment?” Jiang Ci looked at the base leader.

“Boss Jiang is right!” At that moment, a voice shouted from the quarantine zone. “Here, we only get one serving of nutrient solution a day. There are no doctors, and even the bed planks are moldy! They’re just leaving us here to die!”

“That’s right! My brother is already dead, left lying there until there were maggots in his eyes!” another voice choked out with sobs following it.

“It was Boss Jiang who brought doctors to treat us! Just now, the base leader ordered people to burn us alive. The courtyard is still full of the flammable wood they threw in. If it weren’t for Boss Jiang, we’d already be dead!”

“We support Boss Jiang! Qi Lin is nothing but a deceitful and sinister villain!”

Qi Lin was the base leader’s name. At this moment, his eyes were filled with both the shame of being exposed as well as a murderous intent. He regretted being too soft-hearted; he should have killed them all the day they had been rounded up!

Hearing these words, the survivors instinctively took a step back, distancing themselves from Qi Lin. They never imagined that the base leader, who always seemed like such a kind and gentle man, could be so ruthless behind the scenes!

Qi Lin himself was also an ability user with powerful abilities, which was one of the reason why he had stood out among other candidates and been elected as the base leader.

In a fit of desperation, he unleashed his ability against the survivors—a frosty, ice-blue power that instantly lowered the temperature in the air.

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the translator has nothing to add ◡̈

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

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Song Jinchuan would occasionally glance over to ensure Jiang Ci remained within his sight.

“Are those… vegetables being grown?” After a while, Zheng Wan’s voice sounded a bit hoarse.

Jiang Ci nodded, “Yes, they’re all vegetables. When there’s extra, we sell them in limited quantities to other survivors.”

At this moment, Zheng Wan gained a deeper understanding of Jiang Ci’s capabilities. Growing food in the post-apocalyptic world was something even expert teams had struggled to achieve for a decade.

“Take a couple of potatoes with you later to try,” Jiang Ci said with a smile.

Although the potato cultivation had been paused for a while, potatoes were delicious and filling, making them a highly sought-after vegetable whenever they were sold here.

So Jiang Ci started growing them again. This time, she used her water attribute ability to irrigate them, resulting in an even better yield than before. The harvest from the potatoes this time was truly astonishing.

Now, more than half of the newly unlocked warehouse was filled with potatoes.

Thus, Jiang Ci began promoting her potatoes to everyone she met, even giving a few to close friends.

But for Zheng Wan and his wife, this was actual food—an extremely precious item, so they hurriedly declined.

After sitting for a while, Chen Rong took out a beautiful wooden box from her bag. Her voice was gentle, “I heard Boss Jiang likes these kinds of things. This was left by my family. Please accept it as our token of gratitude.”

Jiang Ci took the box and opened the lid. Inside was a set of emerald green jade jewellery—bracelets, earrings, and a necklace.

The jade’s hue of green was as if it had been extracted from the clearest drop of dew from a leaf.

Both the design and the quality of the jade were exquisite. If this were in Jiang Ci’s world, it would undoubtedly fetch a high price.

Although it was very valuable to Jiang Ci, for the survivors here, these items weren’t even as precious as a first-level crystal core. So, in the end, Jiang Ci accepted it.

As a gesture of gratitude, she insisted on giving the couple a large bag of potatoes. In the end, Zheng Wan left carrying the potatoes on his back.

Just as Jiang Ci had completed half of her previous task, she suddenly received an urgent task. Having two tasks overlapping like this was something Jiang Ci had never encountered before.

After listening to the system’s description, Jiang Ci realized that this truly was an extremely urgent situation.

A group of survivors infected with the virus was about to be secretly burned to death by the leaders of the base.

When the system told Jiang Ci the number of people to be killed, she fell into an uncharacteristically long silence. It wasn’t just a few people—it was over two hundred. How could these so-called leaders dare to treat human lives as if they were worthless?

The thought alone filled Jiang Ci with intense anger.

Even the task reward of gaining a farm couldn’t lift Jiang Ci’s spirits.

She packed up her things as quickly as possible, picked up Hui Hui, and hopped onto her electric scooter.

She didn’t bring Song Jinchuan along this time, but took Lu Dongmei, a doctor, to the mission location instead.

Upon hearing what Jiang Ci was about to do, Lu Dongmei didn’t hesitate at all. She grabbed her medical kit and hopped onto the back of the electric scooter.

Jiang Ci stored Lu Dongmei’s medical kit in her space. Then, urged by the system, she cranked the throttle to the max as the electric scooter sped off at an unprecedented speed. If anyone had been watching them, they would have only caught a blur passing by them.

Before they even got close to Sunrise Base, Jiang Ci spotted a man covered in blood blocking their path halfway.

The man was literally drenched in blood from head to toe. He looked extremely weak, barely able to stand, yet he stubbornly remained in their way.

Jiang Ci and Lu Dongmei exchanged a glance before getting off the scooter. They stopped a safe distance away from the bloodied man. “Why are you blocking us?” Jiang Ci asked.

“Please… save… the survivors of Sunrise Base,” the man stammered, his voice pleading. “They… they’re going to burn those infected with the virus.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he collapsed to the ground, his blood instantly staining the earth beneath him.

Jiang Ci and Lu Dongmei rushed forward. Lu Dongmei donned virus-resistant gloves and a mask, then immediately began examining him to determine the extent of his injuries.

When they peeled back his clothes, they saw that his body was covered in wounds. He was severely injured, and the blood spilling from his mouth seemed to contain fragments of his internal organs.

“His external injuries are severe, not to mention the internal injuries…” Lu Dongmei concluded as she examined him.

Jiang Ci couldn’t understand how he had managed to stand for so long and even block their scooter to speak. It seemed like only sheer willpower had kept him going.

Fortunately, ever since Lu Dongmei started making medicine, Jiang Ci had stocked some internal injury pills in her spatial storage.

Lu Dongmei opened the medical kit Jiang Ci had retrieved from the spatial storage. She cleaned the man’s wounds with alcohol, applied medicinal powder, and bandaged them, saying, “This might hurt a bit. Try to bear with it.”

Meanwhile, Jiang Ci fed the bloodied man two pills to help repair his damaged internal organs.

After finishing their work, Jiang Ci left Hui Hui behind to guard the man. With Hui Hui there, no zombies or mutated beasts below level nine would dare to approach them.

The man had already fallen unconscious, unresponsive to anything Jiang Ci and Lu Dongmei did.

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely save them,” Jiang Ci told him, regardless of whether he could hear her. After speaking, she turned and left, unaware that the man’s furrowed brows had gradually relaxed upon hearing her words.

Jiang Ci was unaware that the man lying on the ground was Tan Ziyi from the Sunrise Base. After planning to rescue his parents, he had been accidentally discovered, beaten half to death, and then thrown out of the base.

The base leader, who usually wore a particularly gentle smile when facing the survivors, looked at Tan Ziyi with a sinister expression he had never seen on him before, “What do you think you are? A hero? Do you think everyone will be grateful to you? If you want to die so much, I’ll grant your wish then.”

After saying this, Tan Ziyi was silently thrown out of the base. The survivor who threw him out had been a past acquaintance of his, so instead of dumping him into a horde of zombies as the base leader had instructed, he found a sheltered spot to leave him at.

Feeling the slight tremor from the man beneath him, the survivor’s face held a faint trace of pity, “Don’t blame me. My family is still living in the base, so I can’t defy the base leader’s orders. There shouldn’t be any mutated beasts or zombies around here. It’ll all depend on your luck now.”

After saying this, the other survivors who had come out with him were already urging him to leave, so he had no choice but to leave Tan Ziyi there and hurry away.

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 electric scooter had now reached the main gate of the Sunrise Base. Upon looking inside, the base was still operating as usual, showing no signs of change despite a person being severely injured and nearly murdered.

From the man’s earlier words, Jiang Ci had deduced the general sequence of events and instantly felt that the base’s leader was utterly inhumane.

As the sky gradually darkened, Jiang Ci and Lu Dongmei decided to wait until nightfall to infiltrate the base.

The weather was gradually turning cooler, and the nights were becoming darker earlier than before.

After nightfall, the electricity in the base was turned on, and those who had left for missions gradually returned, slowly making the place livelier.

Jiang Ci examined the map, noting the location of the survivors infected with the virus in the rear section on the right of the base. She circled around to that area and used her water attribute ability to create a ladder.

Jiang Ci had been experimenting with more possibilities and variations of her abilities these days, and now, creating a ladder for her was simply a breeze.

The two of them climbed up the ladder Jiang Ci had formed and successfully reached the top of the wall.

Standing by the edge of the wall, Jiang Ci looked inside. There was a large enclosed open space with several large buildings with flat ceilings, likely the survivors’ living quarters.

There was also a smaller building with a flat roof and a sign that read “Treatment Room,” but it was now dark and empty, exuding a sense of desolation. It was unclear just how long it had been left unused.

With so many people infected with the virus, had they all been sentenced to death without even receiving treatment?

As the night breeze rushed past, Jiang Ci suddenly caught a whiff of decay. She focused her gaze and saw several corpses piled up in a corner. Due to the heat from the day, they had already begun to rot.

Jiang Ci closed her eyes, realizing she had underestimated the depths of human depravity.

In the open area, a few survivors lay half-collapsed on the ground, their faces flushed red, barely breathing, with more exhales than inhales.

From the buildings, faint groans of pain could be heard, as if someone was enduring immense suffering.

Jiang Ci raised her hand to her forehead and looked around. This place was still quite a far distance from the base’s residential area, with even the survivors guarding this quarantine zone not situated closeby. So, no matter what happened here, no one would know what the situation was like here unless they were deliberately paying attention.

“Young lady, you should leave this place quickly. This is a virus quarantine zone. Be careful of infection!” A soft voice suddenly sounded near Jiang Ci’s ear.

Jiang Ci looked down and saw a woman wearing a mask standing in the corner.

“Don’t come any closer. It really is contagious,” the woman urged, noticing Jiang Ci’s gaze. After speaking, she lowered her head and coughed a few times.

“I’m here to bring you medicine,” Jiang Ci also lowered her voice. “How many people are still alive here?”

The woman was taken aback by Jiang Ci’s response and paused before answering, “There are probably about two hundred and ten left now. Some have already died in the past few days since there was no medicine to treat them.”

As she spoke, the woman’s voice carried a hint of sorrow.

Jiang Ci and Lu Dongmei put on the protective suits they had bought from the system. The suits from the system were different from the ones in this world and weren’t as bulky. From the outside, their heads appeared exposed, but only those wearing the suits knew that they were fully protected from head to toe.

Jiang Ci grabbed the ladder from the wall and climbed down.

The ladder behind her dissolved into a puddle of water after Jiang Ci waved her hand.

No one noticed that the ground soaked by the puddle had taken on a new radiance, as if it had been given a new lease on life, its color distinct from the surrounding soil.

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the translator has nothing to add ◡̈