Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Biker Gang’s Lair

The platoon leader was facedown, his back a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

If his uniform hadn’t been a different color from an ordinary soldier’s, it would have been difficult to identify him.

Captain Lu stepped forward to investigate. As the leader, he would have to report this to his superiors.

But just as he reached out, Chen Xing stopped him.

At that same moment, the platoon leader’s body twitched as he staggered to his feet.

His movements were bizarre. He rose with a hunched back, his eyes already a bloody red.

However, unlike the newly turned, his movements were noticeably faster.

This was just as Chen Xing had expected.

The zombies’ rate of mutation had accelerated over time.

Almost simultaneously, everyone opened fire on the platoon leader.

In an instant, the platoon leader’s body and head were riddled with bullets.

With more zombies in pursuit, they didn’t dare to linger and continued running upward.

By the time they shook off the zombies and made their way down the mountain, it was nearly midnight.

Chen Xing was fine, but Captain Lu and his soldiers were utterly exhausted after fleeing for their lives for hours.

”My fee for saving you—once you’re safe, don’t forget to send it over!” ’This trip was worth it,’ Chen Xing thought.

Although there were no rare treasures in the bunker, there was at least a good amount of rice and flour.

The ammunition and military gear were also plentiful, almost completely filling her storage space.

”You’re using our own ammunition to save us and you still want to be paid?” a couple of soldiers asked, confused.

After all, she hadn’t really done much fighting herself, and the ammunition she’d tossed them had come from their own storeroom.

The rest of the men, however, didn’t find it unreasonable.

If she hadn’t gone into the storeroom for ammunition, they’d all likely be dead by now.

”We’ll do as Captain Lu says!”

Having dealt with her a few times now, Captain Lu had come to understand her personality.

She was willing to save people, but payment was non-negotiable.

”We’ll get the payment for this rescue to you after we’ve had some time to prepare. As for the payment from before, it’s already been prepared. It’s in the small courtyard attached to the sanatorium, and you can go get it anytime.”

’Captain Lu’s word is good enough!’ Chen Xing didn’t care whether the others understood or not. She had used up the ammunition she’d just acquired; of course she was going to recoup her costs.

”Let’s go get it now.” Chen Xing wasn’t about to leave her property lying around somewhere else.

In this day and age, things could change in an instant. The only things that were truly yours were the ones you held in your own hands.

”Good, it’s not far from here. It’s only a half-hour walk!” Captain Lu had been planning on going there anyway.

The storage location was a fallback he and the Military Brigade Commander had intentionally set up.

It was a safe place to fall back to in case something happened at the sanatorium.

They had stashed not only a small amount of food there, but also two spare military vehicles and a truck. The location was less than ten kilometers away.

When they arrived, Captain Lu led the way into the warehouse.

But... the warehouse was completely empty. Where were the supplies?

”Fuck!” Captain Lu couldn’t help but curse under his breath. ”Someone actually dared to make a move on the Military Department.”

Whoever it was, they had some serious nerve.

Everyone knew this whole area was under the Military Department’s jurisdiction; making a move on them was like making a move on the country itself!

Chen Xing looked down at the chaotic mess of innumerable muddy footprints on the ground. ”These footprints haven’t completely dried. They must have looted this place during the chaos of the attack on the safe zone!”

The weather in Hualai City was humid year-round, and the soil at the foot of the mountains rarely dried and cracked.

However, footprints on a concrete surface wouldn’t stay wet for long.

”Are you saying the attack on the safe zone was deliberate?” Captain Lu had a bad feeling.

Chen Xing nodded. ”Not only was it deliberate, but it’s highly likely they had an inside man.”

Captain Lu: ”...”

’The Military Brigade Commander moved the bulk of his forces just hours before the zombie attack. The only people who knew his plans were the Commander himself, his deputy, and me. Even the soldiers who went with him were kept in the dark, believing it was just a routine mission.’

’Therefore, it had to be one of the three people in the know.’

’It wasn’t me... and it certainly couldn’t have been the Military Brigade Commander. That only leaves the Commander’s deputy, Old Yang.’

”Does anyone know what Vice Yang was doing around noon today?”

Xiao Wu immediately reported, ”After the ten o’clock meeting, he stayed in his room and never came out!”

’It has to be Vice Yang,’ Captain Lu concluded. They had received the orders from the Military Brigade Commander around 10:00 AM, but the Commander didn’t lead his men out of the safe zone until after 3:00 PM.

That was more than enough time for Vice Yang to contact his accomplices on the outside and set the plan in motion.

Chen Xing knew this Vice Yang must be the one who betrayed the Military Department.

An internal traitor was a matter for the Military Department to handle themselves.

’As for the ones who stole my things...’

”This is bad!” Chen Xing frowned and looked at Captain Lu. ”If their target is the sanatorium, what about all those people hiding in the bunker?”

Her reminder made Captain Lu remember all the people in the bunker. ”They might be stealing things, but surely they wouldn’t go as far as to kill people, right?”

The question was posed in a way that made it obvious he didn’t believe it himself.

Chen Xing said nothing.

’There are probably no survivors left by now.’

’These robbers were willing to lure a massive horde of zombies just for supplies. To them, human lives are worthless.’

”We’re heading back immediately!” Captain Lu decided instantly.

”It won’t do you much good to go back now,” Chen Xing said, though she didn’t try to stop him.

She wasn’t worried about the fact that she had taken the supplies being exposed.

With this group of robbers in the picture, any suspicion that might have fallen on her was gone.

She just felt that by the time they returned to the sanatorium, the robbers would be long gone; it would be a waste of time.

Captain Lu knew that, but he still had to go back and confirm things. ”Whatever the situation is over there, we’ll head to the Capital City to rendezvous with the Military Brigade Commander immediately after. The items for you were lost on our watch, so we’ll naturally find a way to make it up to you!”

Decisions about who to pursue and what to do would have to wait until after they regrouped with the Military Brigade Commander.

As for a powerful figure like Chen Xing, there would be more opportunities for cooperation in the future. It was always beneficial to keep her happy.

Naturally, Chen Xing wasn’t going to refuse.

After watching them drive away, Chen Xing crouched down to examine the tire tracks.

This place was quite remote, with a long stretch of dirt road. Because of the mud, the tire tracks were exceptionally clear.

There were both single tracks and double tracks, likely left by motorcycles and cars.

’The motorcycle gang...’

’The most brazen group in Hualai City lately had to be that motorcycle gang that’s been trying to catch me.’

’I thought they would have stayed in Song Yiguo’s building last night, waiting to catch me. I didn’t expect them to come all the way out of the city.’

Chen Xing stood up and followed the motorcycle tracks.

’The motorcycle gang’s hideout must be nearby.’

’They must have been eyeing the safe zone’s supplies for a long time. They found an insider in the Military Department and launched a massive raid, taking advantage of the major troop redeployment.’

’But they could never have dreamed that someone would beat them to it and take everything for themselves.’

Although the tire tracks eventually disappeared, she followed the general direction and soon found a factory district situated on the border between Hualai City and its outskirts.

The area was vast, spanning hundreds of acres.

It was completely surrounded by a tight fence of finger-thick steel cable, standing over ten feet high and topped with live wires.

At a glance, it looked like an anti-theft fence, but a closer look revealed it was built specifically to keep out zombies.

You wouldn’t need a fence this thick just to keep out thieves.

Just then, the powerful beam of a searchlight swept over from up high.