Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 94: Chapter 91: National Capital Safety Zone

Next was Vice General Du, and then, one by one, they were all pulled ashore.

Once safe, Meng Hu disgustedly shook the mud from its fur and let out a heaven-shaking roar at the Stone Monsters.

It seemed to be the only way to vent its frustration.

By now, the corrosive stench had become incredibly strong. Several people were already so dizzy they could barely stand.

No one knew how this swamp had gotten so foul.

Chen Xing knew that if they delayed any longer, they would all be left here to turn into monsters. She took out some spring water from her backpack and gave everyone a sip.

The people who had been dizzy were instantly revitalized. They immediately broke into a run.

But the Stone Monsters behind them had no intention of letting them go.

The larger ones could leap several meters in a single bound, following close behind.

Previously, Chen Xing could pull out a few grenades and claim they were from the boat. But now, she was reluctant to expose her personal stash.

Just as she was about to tell everyone to get to the vehicles while she lured the monsters away, Vice General Du beat her to it, shouting, ”Get to the cars! I’ll cover the rear!”

His superpower was indeed capable of long-range attacks, keeping the monsters from getting close.

Since someone had volunteered, Chen Xing naturally didn’t object. She led Meng Hu and ran to one of the vehicles.

Vice General Du led the monsters on a chase for a bit. When he saw the vehicles start moving, he sprinted to catch up and jumped aboard.

The group arrived at the airport in less than half an hour.

There was no other choice; Chen Xing and Captain Lu’s group had to board a plane and fly to the Capital City first.

Vice General Du also promised them that after they reached the Capital City, he would arrange a flight to send them back to Hualai City as soon as possible.

In truth, the moment she got into the vehicle on the shore, Chen Xing’s spatial dimension had upgraded.

This time, her space hadn’t been full; there was still some room left.

This left her a bit baffled.

Upgrading without a pattern, at any time and any place, was a very dangerous thing.

’I need to figure out the pattern for my upgrades as soon as possible to avoid one happening at a dangerous moment.’

’Until I find the pattern, I’ll have to keep Meng Hu with me for protection.’

Fortunately, it had happened in the vehicle this time. She only needed to pretend to be resting with her eyes closed to get through it without anyone noticing.

The upgraded space didn’t double in size like before, but merely extended outward a bit.

But even filling this new section would not be easy.

The apocalypse had been going on for some time. Most of the things worth taking had already been scavenged.

Right now, the only thing she could rely on was her Crystal Core business to earn some extra income.

Plus, with the livestock rapidly breeding in her space, she could eat some and trade the rest for whatever supplies she needed.

Her mind was so preoccupied with supplies and upgrades that the plane landed in what felt like the blink of an eye.

Although it was summer, the area around the Capital City was not lush and green. Instead, the sky was filled with floating fluff.

It looked like willow catkins.

But looking around, she couldn’t see a single tree, let alone any willows.

”Where are all the trees?” Chen Xing asked curiously.

”On the second day of the apocalypse, this fluff started filling the sky. At its worst, you couldn’t even open your eyes. So, they had no choice but to cut down all the trees around the Capital City, but it seems like it didn’t have much of an effect!” Vice General Du explained.

The higher-ups held meetings about it for over ten days straight, but they couldn’t come up with a single solution.

Chen Xing reached out and caught a bit of the fluff in her palm.

The fluff was similar to what you’d see in spring, but it was covered in fine white fuzz.

”This doesn’t look like a willow catkin.” Chen Xing had seen willow catkins dancing in the air before and had caught them to admire them up close.

It looked similar to what was in her hand now, but there were differences upon closer inspection.

”It’s cotton fiber!” Vice General Du said, stunned by Chen Xing’s discovery.

The Capital City’s scientists had determined it was cotton fiber long ago, but there were no cotton-producing regions within several hundred kilometers. So... they unanimously agreed it was unlikely.

To create such a spectacular amount of fluff, you’d need a cultivation area of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of acres.

Since it only obstructed vision and didn’t cause any other serious problems, they could only let it be.

Chen Xing looked up at the sky, which was mostly obscured by the fluff.

Although she still had many questions, she didn’t press the matter.

’What the Capital City is like has nothing to do with me!’

With that thought, she ignored the small vortexes gathering in the eastern sky and got into the car Vice General Du had arranged.

After they got in the car, the small vortexes began to merge, two or three at a time.

Of course, no one noticed.

The car drove all the way into the National City.

The safety zone was built in the central part of the Capital City, with the entire Forbidden City as its focal point, expanding outward.

It encompassed all the important landmark buildings.

Starting from the outskirts of the Capital City, they had to pass through multiple layers of security and over a dozen checkpoints before their vehicle finally reached the safety zone.

Only after entering did Chen Xing realize what a true safety zone was.

It was no different from before the apocalypse. There were shopping malls, supermarkets, schools, hospitals, a police department...

People on the streets still went about their lives as before, driving to and from work. There were even shuttle buses, though the subway entrances had been completely sealed with walls.

Chen Xing stared, dumbfounded.

In her past life, she had never even considered coming to the National Capital Safety Zone.

She had suffered quite a bit in other safety zones and had assumed they were all more or less the same, so she never gave it any thought.

Who would have known that the National Capital Safety Zone was the most desirable place for people to live after the apocalypse?

”The National Capital Safety Zone is a district for the rich. Commoners can’t live here!” Captain Lu explained.

He had heard that a spot in the safety zone wasn’t calculated in the tens of thousands, but in the hundreds of millions.

Moreover, different price points meant different residential locations and environments, and of course, completely different facilities.

He had never been to the real wealthy districts.

Even the Military Brigade Commander was only in a regular district, so a mere captain like him naturally wouldn’t have access.

Chen Xing nodded, indicating she understood.

’So... Song Yiguo inviting me to the Capital City was a favor worth several hundred million?’

”Then what about the ordinary people who survived?” Chen Xing asked, a little curious.

Surely they wouldn’t just throw all the survivors out, or kill them, right?

”The Lincheng Safety Zone, near the Capital City, is specifically for taking in refugees!” Captain Lu explained simply. ”If some Wu Chuang tries to trespass into the National Capital Safety Zone, a dedicated team will send them over there!”

But at most, they’d be discovered after breaking through the first checkpoint. They could never get deep inside.

Chen Xing wasn’t surprised at all.

Since the start of the apocalypse, the gap between the rich and poor had widened. People with status and position naturally wanted to live in a secure environment.

If they took in ordinary people, not only would the rich feel insecure all day, but even the ordinary people, when faced with such wealth, would inevitably become psychologically warped.

The jealousy born from that disparity would be like a ticking time bomb. All it would take is for someone to light a small flame, and it would instantly explode.

Why would the rich keep such a dangerous liability by their side?

The car soon stopped outside the National Capital Restaurant, a place where classic elegance and modern design merged into one.

Vice General Du got out of the car and opened the door for Chen Xing. ”Young Master Song is waiting for you in the restaurant. You can go straight in.”

Chen Xing hadn’t expected Song Yiguo to be so extravagant.

She had read about the National Capital Restaurant online. Before the apocalypse, it was the nation’s most exclusive hotel, serving only special VIPs and state leaders. An ordinary person couldn’t get a room even if they had the money. One extravagant meal there cost enough to cover an ordinary person’s expenses for a lifetime.

Giving Vice General Du a nod, Chen Xing walked toward the restaurant.