Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Official Employee

How could Chen Xing be here?

She remembered hearing the sound of the main door being broken open while she was in the sanatorium’s basement.

In that situation, no matter how capable Chen Xing was, there was no way she could have escaped, especially not unscathed.

But it was true that they hadn’t seen her body when they came up from the basement.

After a moment of hesitation, she turned and walked toward Chen Xing, calling out tentatively, ”Chen Xing?”

Chen Xing didn’t move.

’This is so annoying.’

’That girl recognized me just from my back?’

’It’s not surprising, I guess. This dump doesn’t even have blankets. The color of my tank top is pretty damn conspicuous.’

Yan Caini, now standing by Chen Xing’s bed, hesitated for a moment before mustering her courage and reaching out to tug on Chen Xing’s clothes.

She used very little force, afraid she had the wrong person and would anger them.

Chen Xing still didn’t move.

”Chen Xing...” Yan Caini said, unwilling to give up. She pulled a little harder and spoke a little louder.

”Fuck, that’s annoying! Go the hell to sleep!” a light sleeper yelled impatiently, beyond irritated.

’This whole night has been one hassle after another. First one new person gets brought in, now this one can’t even sleep quietly? Why all the ghostly wailing?’

Yan Caini shuddered and immediately scurried back to her own bunk, hugging herself with her arms.

All thoughts of sleep were gone, and she was scared out of her wits.

She thought about how things were fine just a short while ago. She had a safe zone to rely on, but in the blink of an eye, the safe zone was gone, and she’d been captured and brought to this terrifying place.

She’d even been violated!

A weak woman like her hadn’t dared to resist. The injustice of it all churned inside her with nowhere to go.

’Has the world come to this? Can we never go back to the civilized world, to the rule of law?’

’This is all Chen Xing’s fault!’

’If she hadn’t shown up and thrown the safe zone into chaos, I wouldn’t have ended up in this state!’

A sudden rage filled her, and Yan Caini glared at Chen Xing’s back.

’I have to see for myself if it’s really Chen Xing.’

’But if it is her...’ She didn’t even know why she was so determined to confirm if this person was Chen Xing.

’So what if it is Chen Xing?’

’She must have surrendered or been captured, too. We’re all in the same boat.’

’What good would it do me?’

A chill went through her heart, and she lay down to sleep.

When Chen Xing got up, she saw Yan Caini sleeping soundly. She decided to go outside to check on the situation and maybe scavenge some good stuff.

More than an hour had passed with no activity. It seemed no one had discovered that Qi Dongyuan was now a cripple.

Stepping out of the room, she saw the foreman dozing against the doorframe.

Just then, an alarm suddenly blared through the building.

The foreman immediately leaped to his feet, looking around in alarm. Seeing Chen Xing standing in the empty hallway, he asked impatiently, ”What are you doing out so early?” Then, remembering the alarm, he rushed outside the door and asked, ”What’s happening?”

”I don’t know!” A person from the next factory block looked just as confused. ”It sounds like they’re telling everyone to assemble in the plaza!”

”Oh!” The foreman nervously retreated back into the factory building. He grabbed a megaphone and started shouting, ”Everyone up! Assemble in the plaza! Get up, quickly, assemble in the plaza...”

As he passed Chen Xing, he snapped, ”What are you looking at? Get to the plaza!” Who doesn’t wake up grumpy?

Chen Xing figured there was no advantage in being the first one out.

The plaza was large. Standing there alone would definitely draw attention.

She feigned walking toward the door but moved slowly.

Only after a few groups of people had come out did she slip into the crowd and follow them out of the factory building.

By now, quite a few people were already standing in the factory plaza.

On a stage set up in the center, Gundam was nervously checking the various surveillance monitors.

Chen Xing wasn’t afraid. She kept her head down so her face wasn’t visible. As for her clothes... thanks to Yan Caini’s reminder, she had pulled on a hoodie after getting up, completely covering the blue shirt underneath. She had also put up the hood. Unless someone looked very closely, it would be hard to recognize her.

By the time Boss Qi took the stage, the plaza was already packed with people.

Chen Xing did a quick visual estimate. There were at least six or seven hundred people.

And that was a conservative estimate, not including the foremen and guards.

”Our warehouse has been robbed. Everything inside was taken.” Even though this concerned the food supply for the entire factory complex, Boss Qi was quite calm. His eyes swept over the crowd. ”Someone dared to steal from my territory! I don’t know how you managed to steal it all, but... I’m certain there’s a traitor among you!”

’...’ Chen Xing thought. ’He’s acting way too calm. If a normal person’s warehouse was emptied, they’d be flying into a rage by now. Damn it! No wonder some of the boxes were empty. Boss Qi must have more supplies than this. He definitely moved a portion of them secretly and used the empty boxes as a smokescreen...’

A commotion broke out in the crowd below upon hearing Boss Qi’s words.

They didn’t know the details; in fact, they didn’t even know how many supplies there were to begin with.

All they knew was that the warehouse had been robbed, and their already meager food supply had just gotten smaller.

”Who did it? Boss, when you catch them, don’t let them off easy!”

Boss Qi glanced at Gundam and asked in a low voice, ”Where’s that brat Dongyuan? The supplies are all gone and he’s still fucking sleeping?”

Gundam could only tell the truth. ”He was celebrating last night and drank too much again.”

”That kid is going to be the death of me! Go have someone carry him up here!” He needed to vent his anger somewhere, and this was a good chance to teach him a lesson, lest he spend all his days drinking and chasing women.

Gundam immediately went down from the stage, barked a few orders, and upon returning, had the Boss step aside to rest. It was time for him to begin his ’gentle persuasion.’

From the center of the stage, he wore his usual affable expression. ”Everyone, no need to be too afraid. The Boss has always been merciful. His bark is worse than his bite. For anyone who knows their mistake and is willing to correct it, he’ll show leniency. Although today’s matter is serious, it’s not without a chance for repentance! But if you’re stubborn and we have to catch you ourselves, don’t blame us for being ruthless!”

After a long moment, seeing everyone just looking at each other with no one stepping forward to confess, he didn’t get angry. He continued in his pleasant tone, ”You were given a chance and didn’t take it. We’ve done all we can to be merciful! So, does anyone have a report to make? Anyone who knows anything, or thinks someone is suspicious, can come up and report it. Whoever provides a useful tip will be specially approved by the Boss to become a formal employee!”

A ”formal employee” here not only had an easy job with plenty of perks, but their food was also a grade higher. Needless to say, their clothing and lodging were better too.

Hearing they could become a formal employee, everyone wanted to provide a clue. They scrambled over each other, making wild accusations, but no one had any real information.

Yan Caini stared at Boss Qi on the stage, her anger plain on her face.

But... ”formal employee.” The words were too captivating.

Although she didn’t know the specific benefits, seeing everyone scrambling to become a formal employee told her it was a cushy position.

’To survive, I have to get that title of formal employee!’

The crowd was in a constant uproar. She raised her hand and tried to shout several times, but her voice was drowned out by the mob.

In the end, it was Gundam who spotted her and waved her over.

Overwhelmed by the unexpected attention, she pushed through the crowd and onto the stage.

”Do you have important information?” Gundam asked, as friendly as ever. ”As long as your report is true, you can immediately become a formal employee. From now on, you’ll live and eat in the central area!”