Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: There’s a Bomb in the Car

The North Sea was located in the southern part of the country. It was a peninsular safe harbor, so named because the harbor faced the North Sea Domain.

To reach the North Sea, one had to take a two-hour drive after getting off the plane, followed by a boat ride.

Two buses were stored in the plane’s cargo hold.

After they disembarked, Captain Lu was about to assign everyone to a bus when Liang Yuncheng stepped forward and said, ”Captain Lu, you have no objections to riding in the same bus as Miss Chen Xing, do you?”

Although phrased as a suggestion, his tone was that of a command.

Captain Lu, however, had no objection.

Naturally, Chen Xing had no objection either.

”Vice Yang, you’ll just have to put up with riding with me!”

Vice Yang: ”...” He hated being ordered around.

But he’d rather not ride with Captain Lu either.

”Hmph, fine!” He boarded the front bus, looking as if he were grudgingly giving in.

Once on the bus, Chen Xing realized that their vehicle was filled with familiar faces.

The corners of her mouth curved slightly as she glanced at the bus ahead of them.

’So, they’re going to make a move before the mission even begins?’

”Captain Lu, what’s the deal with that guy Liang?” She didn’t hide her suspicion and asked directly.

Captain Lu seemed to notice Chen Xing’s apprehension toward the man and answered honestly, ”I’m not too clear on that. He was transferred to the Military Department a few days ago. He seems pretty capable, though, and has the Military Brigade Commander’s full confidence.”

Chen Xing then asked, ”Do you have a superpower?”

These people were all from Martial Families; most of them should have superpowers by now.

Sure enough, Captain Lu nodded and asked with a hint of curiosity, ”You know about superpowers?”

”I know a lot of people have superpowers now. I’m afraid that guy Liang’s superpower has already advanced!”

”Advanced?” Captain Lu asked, not quite understanding.

Seeing his expression, Chen Xing knew he hadn’t advanced yet. ”Superpowers level up along with your own abilities. With each level, the power grows stronger!”

Captain Lu nodded in understanding. He looked at the bus ahead and asked, ”Then what level has Vice Liang advanced to?”

”If I’m not mistaken, Level Three at least!” This was Chen Xing’s conservative estimate.

She couldn’t just tell Captain Lu that the highest a superpower could go was Level Nine.

Otherwise, she would seem like a prophet, and she’d have no way to explain it.

Captain Lu frowned and looked toward Liang Yuncheng’s bus again. ”If he’s that powerful, why did the Military Brigade Commander have me lead the team?”

’It’s so you’ll die without even knowing what hit you!’

Chen Xing didn’t say it out loud.

Right now, Captain Lu still wholeheartedly trusted the Military Brigade Commander. Even if she told him the Commander had betrayed the Military Department, he probably wouldn’t believe her.

It was better to wait for solid proof before revealing everything.

She just needed to be extra careful.

After several hours on the plane, everyone was tired and soon dozed off.

The sky gradually darkened. With no moon and a thick, swirling fog, visibility was low, and the bus wasn’t moving very fast.

The chatter slowly died down, and the bus grew so quiet that a faint ticking sound could be heard.

Hearing the sound, Chen Xing shot to her feet and walked toward the back of the bus.

The footsteps woke Captain Lu. He opened his eyes, and seeing Chen Xing heading to the back, he curiously turned to watch her. ”What’s wrong?”

Chen Xing didn’t answer him. Instead, she went to the very last row of seats.

She reached out and yanked the soldier in the seat to his feet.

The bewildered soldier, roused from a deep sleep, snapped to his senses and was about to get angry when he saw Chen Xing crouch down and use her phone’s light to illuminate the space beneath his seat.

The soldier froze for a second, then screamed, ”There’s a bomb on the bus! Fuck... it’s gonna blow in one minute!”

Hearing there was a bomb, the driver slammed on the brakes and opened the door.

”Everyone off the bus!” Captain Lu commanded, glancing back at Chen Xing, who was still at the rear.

Chen Xing nodded, indicating she was fine.

Despite the emergency, the soldiers were well-trained. There was no pushing or shoving as they disembarked in an orderly fashion.

Chen Xing and Captain Lu were the last to get off. Just as they got clear of the bus, a deafening explosion erupted, and a wave of heat washed over them.

”How could there be a bomb on our bus?”

”If Chen Xing hadn’t found it, we’d all have been blown to smithereens!”

”Chen Xing, thank you! You saved us again!”

”...”

The soldier who had been pulled from his seat now had a look of profound gratitude. ”Yeah! It’s a good thing you found it in time, or I’d be ashes!” The thought alone terrified him.

Xiao Wu, drenched in a cold sweat, went to Captain Lu’s side. ”Captain, this bus came straight from the Military Department...”

Captain Lu’s eyes darkened.

The faces of the surviving soldiers darkened one by one.

’Does this mean someone deliberately wanted to kill everyone on this bus?’

Liang Yuncheng... He was the one who assigned them to this bus... Was it deliberate, or a coincidence?

Everyone looked down the road where the other bus had already vanished.

Logically, with such a huge commotion, the bus up ahead couldn’t possibly be unaware.

The fact that they didn’t come back to check seemed suspicious, didn’t it?

”Captain...” The soldiers felt a stifling sense of injustice.

They had all nearly died just moments ago.

Captain Lu held up a hand, signaling for everyone to calm down. ”Don’t jump to conclusions until this has been investigated!”

”But...”

”The Military Brigade Commander said this mission would be dangerous. We’ll deal with everything else after it’s complete!”

The soldiers had no choice but to drop it. After all, Captain Lu had always been on their side and was a responsible leader.

Just then, Chen Xing said, ”They’re coming back...” As she spoke, she looked at Captain Lu.

Captain Lu instantly understood her meaning. ”Everyone, hide in the woods...”

Two minutes later, Liang Yuncheng’s bus emerged from the thick fog. Its leisurely pace made the hearts of those in hiding feel heavy and suffocated.

’We’re all brothers from the Military Department. Our bus exploded, yet they’re acting so cold?’

The fire engulfing the bus showed no signs of dying down. After the second bus stopped, it was another half-minute before anyone got out.

Yang Ruibin was the first to disembark. While there was shock on his face, there wasn’t a trace of concern. ”How did this bus get blown up?”

Liang Yuncheng followed right behind him. ”Exactly... Could we have been attacked? You guys go check for survivors.”

A dozen soldiers received the order and approached the burning vehicle, but the flames were too intense to get close. ”Reporting to Vice Liang, the fire is too big! We can’t see anything clearly. There shouldn’t be any survivors!” The report was delivered without a hint of emotion.

A chill went through Captain Lu’s heart again.

The soldier reporting to Liang Yuncheng had once been under his command. Although he was later recruited by Captain Chen, they had still faced life and death together. Now, seeing him and a bus full of brothers supposedly dead, the man showed no sadness. His cold composure was chilling to Captain Lu.

Liang Yuncheng glanced at the bus being consumed by flames. ”Vice Yang, what do you think? Should we put out this fire?”

Yang Ruibin: ”...” ’Is he trying to throw me under the bus?’

’Say we should? How? The fire is too big for anyone to get close. Besides... why would I want to save that one-track-minded Captain Lu?’

’But if I say we shouldn’t...’

’...then when we get back to the Capital City, they’ll pin all the blame on me, saying I refused to help. Won’t the Military Brigade Commander hold me accountable?’

”Vice Liang was the one who arranged the seating. Whether we save them or not, it’s naturally up to Vice Liang! You know I’m just here in name only. I don’t have the ability, and I certainly don’t have a plan. Let’s have Vice Liang make all the decisions!”