Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Who is Her Accomplice?

Her glance was fleeting, almost imperceptible, but her expression was spot on.

It seemed to imply they were strangers, yet it held a flicker of something meant to put Gundam at ease.

Gundam hadn’t yet processed the meaning of her sudden glance when Boss Qi’s gaze fell upon him. Only then did he realize with a jolt that she wanted to make everyone suspect *he* was the traitor.

But it was a glance he simply couldn’t explain.

If he tried, even those who hadn’t noticed a thing would start to suspect him.

But if he didn’t, the misunderstanding would only grow.

He was so furious he could only glare helplessly.

Chen Xing averted her gaze, her face shifting to an expression of someone who would die before revealing her accomplice.

It pissed Gundam off to no end.

Almost everyone present could see that Chen Xing had an inside man.

And she was a loyal one, too, willing to die before revealing her partner.

A young girl shouldering all the blame like that—how loyal could you get?

In comparison, the guy hiding in the shadows and staying quiet was a real piece of work.

The crowd behaved like simple onlookers; as long as the supplies weren’t truly gone, they were just there to get fed.

The apocalypse had only just begun, and most of them had arrived here without ever experiencing true starvation. The concept of having no food was still abstract to them.

Gossip, on the other hand, was far more interesting.

For instance, who was her accomplice?

How were the supplies spirited away from right under everyone’s noses?

How would the boss deal with her?

As for the problem of what to eat if the supplies were gone, that was the boss’s worry. All they had to do was follow him.

”You’re not talking, are you?” Boss Qi said as he walked forward. ”Tell me who the mole is, and not only will I spare you, I’ll even reward you! Otherwise, death is your only way out!”

He was a large man. A little pressure from him would frighten most people, let alone a young girl.

He jumped off the platform, his steps steady as he approached Chen Xing, deliberately putting on a menacing expression.

To be honest, his attempt at intimidation had no effect. It almost made Chen Xing want to laugh.

But, to make her act more convincing, she held it in and said innocently, ”Do you think I’m stupid? Even if I told you who my partner was, you’d still kill me!” Then, she clapped a hand over her mouth in feigned panic. ”I did it all by myself! There’s no mole!”

The moment she said that, everyone was convinced there *was* a mole.

Especially Boss Qi. His sharp gaze was fixed on Chen Xing, but his attention was actually focused entirely on Gundam, who was still on the platform.

Gundam nearly lost his mind with rage.

’First, she deliberately glances at me, and now she says this? She’s clearly pointing the finger at me as the mole.’

”Boss... if she won’t talk, just lock her up! I refuse to believe we can’t find a way to make her talk!” He had no other choice. If he didn’t take a stand now, his position here would be untenable.

Boss Qi thought that was a viable option. He couldn’t kill her until they found the supplies.

Chen Xing secretly shot Gundam a grateful glance.

Gundam was speechless. ’Damn it, she’s trying to ruin me!’

That one glance was enough to make Boss Qi change his mind.

”And what if we lock her up and someone secretly lets her go? Gundam, your suggestion is inappropriate. It almost makes me suspect you’re the one who betrayed us!” Boss Qi said, half-joking and half-serious.

As soon as he said this, the onlookers, who had been enjoying the show, suddenly grew tense. Some even drew their weapons.

Chen Xing took one look around and understood.

’This is why Boss Qi hasn’t directly confronted Gundam, even though he knows I’m pointing at him as the traitor.’

Boss Qi naturally noticed the tense atmosphere and immediately changed his tune. ”If someone else had suggested that, I would definitely be suspicious. But you’re like a brother to me. How could I not trust you?”

Although he was the boss, it was true that more than half the people in the factory complex listened to Gundam.

This was an oversight on his part.

He had thought Gundam’s intelligence would be an asset and so hadn’t restricted him. He never imagined that Gundam would win over so many people in such a short time.

By the time he realized the gravity of the situation, it was already irreversible.

Fortunately, Gundam had always addressed him as ’Boss’ and had never shown any disrespect, so he had let it be.

When it came to ability, Gundam was indeed exceptional.

That was also why this factory complex had managed to grow so rapidly in the few short days since the apocalypse began.

It was a huge pain in the ass for him, but he also couldn’t do without the man.

Even now, when he was almost certain Gundam was behind the theft, he couldn’t do anything about it. Unless he was one hundred percent sure, he wouldn’t be able to convince his followers.

Gundam remained deferential. ”Thank you for your trust, Boss. I don’t have many virtues, but loyalty is one of them. I would never be disloyal to you! Since you don’t want to lock her up, you decide how to punish her. I’ll have no objections!” He tossed the decision right back to Boss Qi.

Whether Boss Qi decided to kill her or interrogate her, it had nothing to do with him.

He didn’t want to get dragged through the mud again.

Boss Qi cursed Gundam inwardly for being so crafty. ”Tie her up! Beat her until she tells us where the supplies are hidden!”

Since Gundam had already pledged his unwavering loyalty, Boss Qi had no choice but to trust him for the time being.

Besides, without Gundam’s help, the little brat couldn’t escape his grasp even if she grew wings.

Two of his subordinates on the perimeter heard the order and ran over, preparing to restrain Chen Xing.

Just before they reached her, Chen Xing raised her hand.

At that moment, the ROAR of an explosion shook the entire factory complex. The women’s quarters at the very edge of the compound were instantly obliterated.

The scene descended into chaos once more.

The women in the center of the yard screamed and scattered in terror.

By the time Boss Qi came to his senses and looked for Chen Xing, she was long gone, having vanished into the panicked crowd of women.

”What was that?” he roared.

But no one answered him. There was only the deafening roar.

Just then, several helicopters suddenly rose into the sky, their guns aimed down at the factory complex.

Looking toward the main gate, he saw it was wide open, and soldiers were pouring in.

”Gundam...” Boss Qi yelled in a panic, looking toward the platform. But where was Gundam?

’Sure enough, Gundam betrayed me!’

Boss Qi was filled with regret. How could he have trusted Gundam?

Ignoring the rage boiling up inside him, he sprinted toward the warehouse.

He took the elevator down and arrived at the empty storeroom. After moving a few empty boxes in the farthest corner, a brick wall was revealed.

He reached out and pushed hard. The wall section moved, and he slipped inside.

He was on edge.

The factory was basically done for. Now that the Capital City had them in their sights, it was impossible to continue using it as a base.

If his superiors found out about this, he’d be a dead man!

’I’m dead either way,’ he thought. ’Why not take this chance to grab the goods and disappear?’

’The world is a big place. As long as I hide well enough, there’s no way they’ll find me!’

The thought of having no backup from now on made Boss Qi miserable.

To calm his nerves, he walked deeper into the hidden room.

Rows upon rows of supplies, even more than what had been in the outer warehouse, finally lifted his spirits a little.

He had secretly moved all of this in here while everyone else was asleep.

His survival for the rest of his life depended on these supplies!

He just never imagined that his decision to not install surveillance cameras in the warehouse—all to facilitate his own secret hoarding—would end up being exploited by a thief.

Just as he was admiring his precious cargo, the wall behind him suddenly moved. The sound was faint, but since he was all alone in the quiet space, it didn’t escape his ears.