Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Who to Help

’I’ve been discovered?’

Chen Xing was slightly surprised.

’I’m pretty far away, and I’ve been careful. The chances of Liang Yuncheng spotting me should be slim.’

She glanced back at nightingale.

Nightingale said nothing. He was even farther away, holding his breath.

Just as Chen Xing was about to stand, she saw Captain Lu emerge from the woods on the other side of Liang Yuncheng with his men. ”Vice Liang...”

He didn’t look the least bit awkward. Instead, he seemed genuinely enthusiastic, as if he’d just run into his own teammates.

Chen Xing was speechless.

She couldn’t help but feel nervous for Captain Lu.

Nightingale was a bit confused.

’There’s another team on this island?’

Captain Lu offered a friendly greeting, and Xiao Wu and the others all looked as if they’d finally found their unit. They stood before Liang Yuncheng. ”Vice Liang, we’ve had a hell of a time looking for you! You wouldn’t believe it—our vehicle was in an accident and was blown to bits. We were lucky to escape with our lives. After that, we had no choice but to make our way here on foot...” he lamented, recounting their ordeal.

Liang Yuncheng showed no surprise at the sight of them.

The fact that Chen Xing was alive had already told him that these men had likely escaped as well.

”Captain Lu... You’re all quite hard to kill, aren’t you?” Liang Yuncheng’s tone was filled with cold sarcasm.

’These fucking idiots. They have no idea I’m here to kill them, yet they’re acting so friendly?’

’The look of disbelief in your eyes when you die is going to be so interesting!’

”It really was a stroke of luck!” Captain Lu said, glancing at Captain Rick without a hint of suspicion. ”It’s all thanks to Chen Xing. Oh, right... I heard from Chen Xing that nightingale is on the island. You must have fought over capturing him, right?”

Liang Yuncheng nodded. ”We must complete the mission, no matter the cost!”

”And Vice Yang? Why isn’t he here?” Captain Lu scanned the group.

Liang Yuncheng’s expression remained unchanged. ”We split up, Captain Lu... This nightingale is very cunning... Here, let me fill you in...”

He saw Captain Lu approaching without a shred of caution. A knife hidden in his sleeve slid into his palm, and he viciously stabbed at Captain Lu’s side.

Chen Xing held her breath, her eyes fixed on the scene.

For a moment, she’d been about to rush out, but then she saw Captain Lu glance in her direction, so she stayed put.

About two seconds later, hearing no cry of pain, Liang Yuncheng finally realized something was wrong.

He took a step back, only to see that Captain Lu had dodged the attack. The captain, along with Xiao Wu and his other men, now had their guns aimed squarely at Liang Yuncheng’s group.

Liang Yuncheng was stunned.

The knife was drawn. Any explanation was useless now.

He dropped the pretense, a sinister expression forming on his face. He sneered at Captain Lu. ”So you saw through me?” ’He’d always thought Captain Lu was a simple-minded brute, but it seemed he wasn’t so stupid this time.’

Captain Lu’s already firm features hardened even more. ”I have Chen Xing to thank for this!”

”Chen Xing?” Liang Yuncheng repeated.

He knew this Chen Xing was no simple woman; she was a thorn in the Military Brigade Commander’s side.

And his boss... his boss had told him to keep a close eye on Chen Xing before they set out.

He hadn’t thought much of it at the time, assuming his boss was merely curious about her.

’Looks like I was too careless.’

’In that case... should I have dealt with her first?’

”Chen Xing found the bomb and warned me that something was fishy about this mission!” Captain Lu was truly grateful to her.

Earlier, before Liang Yuncheng had killed Yang Ruibin, his team had already spotted Liang Yuncheng’s group. They were about to reveal themselves and join up, since the mission was the priority.

But... he suddenly remembered Chen Xing’s warning to be wary of Liang Yuncheng, so he held back.

And in that moment of hesitation, he witnessed Liang Yuncheng’s murderous intent flare as he killed Yang Ruibin.

He even overheard their entire conversation.

His heart sank to the pit of his stomach.

’So... the Military Brigade Commander, the man I’ve trusted and followed without question all these years, wants to kill me?’

’He was willing to kill so many of my brothers just to get to me.’

’How could the Military Brigade Commander be so ruthless!’

’He completely disregarded our years of loyal service.’

At that moment, Liang Yuncheng’s mind was filled with the image of Chen Xing’s impassive face.

’That scrawny little woman... how the hell did she find the bomb? And how did she know something was wrong with the mission?’

’Whatever her skills, she has to die today!’

”So what if you know?” His tone was full of contempt.

’Captain Rick was probably the most powerful person on this island, and didn’t I kill him just fine?’

Captain Lu didn’t speak, but Xiao Wu cut in, ”Even if you kill us, don’t even think about leaving this place!”

”What do you mean?” A flicker of unease crossed Liang Yuncheng’s face, but it was fleeting.

’After all, the only boat on the island is under my control.’

Xiao Wu raised his chin smugly and glanced at the solitary boat in the distance. ”Your boat is under our control now. It won’t come ashore without our captain’s orders!”

Liang Yuncheng was floored.

’Holy shit!’

’They beat me to it and took control of the boat?’

”I never thought you’d resort to such despicable tactics, Captain Lu.”

’Despicable?’

Captain Lu gave a cold smirk, refusing to get into a war of words. ”After you, Vice Liang,” he said coolly.

He said ”after you,” but he was already in motion.

’He knew Liang Yuncheng was far stronger than him. The odds were stacked against his team. But resign himself to his fate? That was impossible!’

Liang Yuncheng never expected the perpetually straightforward Captain Lu to launch a sneak attack. He nearly fell for it, but managed to dodge just in time, receiving only a long gash on his arm.

’Since we’ve all shown our true colors, there’s no need for courtesy.’

Liang Yuncheng condensed a pillar of water in his hand and hurled it at Captain Lu.

The motion was fluid and seamless. By the time Captain Lu reacted, he was almost struck head-on.

’This is bad,’ Captain Lu thought.

’Liang Yuncheng’s superpower is as strong as I feared. I’m afraid I’m no match for him.’

Seeing his first strike fail, Liang Yuncheng condensed another pillar of water. He wouldn’t be careless this time; few people could dodge his attacks.

But Captain Lu wasn’t weak, either. He focused his mind, gathering his own superpower to counter Liang Yuncheng.

Xiao Wu’s men and Liang Yuncheng’s subordinates were locked in a tense standoff, guns trained on one another.

They knew that if shots were fired, neither side would come out unscathed.

”Whose side are you on?” nightingale, who had been hiding and watching the two teams, asked Chen Xing. His tone was a mix of curiosity and mockery.

’Internal conflict, and in front of a foreigner, no less. If word of this got out, Huaxia Country would become a laughingstock!’

’Watching another country make a fool of itself is pretty fun!’

’Whose side?’

Chen Xing gave him an impassive glance, then, to his astonishment, strode out into the open.

Nightingale was speechless. ’At least tell me whose side you’re on so I can choose, too!’ he thought.

’Forget it, forget it!’

’I’ll just keep hiding and see how this plays out.’

’It would be best if they fight it out. Once there are heavy casualties, I can figure out my next move.’

”Sister Xing...” Xiao Wu was the first to spot Chen Xing, and his tense posture immediately relaxed.

Ever since Chen Xing had helped them see the Military Brigade Commander’s true colors, this woman was like family to him.

Distracted, Liang Yuncheng looked over. Chen Xing was walking slowly out from the trees.

Even in the middle of this battlefield, her pale, almost luminous face remained a mask of indifference.