Cooking Gourmet Meals in the Apocalypse

Chapter 359: Chapter 357: Sending a Sheep into the Tiger’s Mouth

And this tree had more than just that one pair of eyes.

As it turned, she could see many red eyes moving up and down the trunk.

Just as Chen Xing’s attention was fixed on the eyes, a thin root snaked silently toward her.

The root seemed completely harmless. It reached her feet without even triggering her Defense Shield.

But... ’After seeing so many desiccated corpses, how could she not be aware of the tree’s cunning?’

She feigned a step forward, but as she lifted her foot, she stomped down hard.

Instantly, the Spiritual Energy was absorbed into Chen Xing’s body.

The great tree must have been utterly baffled.

It had been the one trying to absorb the human’s Spiritual Energy. Who would have thought that not only had it failed, but it had been drained dry instead?

Once the great tree had shriveled, Chen Xing looked back at the desiccated corpses.

They had completely perished along with the tree.

Actually... Chen Xing had thought that absorbing the tree’s Spiritual Energy would bring these people back to life.

After taking a moment to recover and sensing her own superpower, she realized they were all Earth Element Superpower Users.

Because they had still been clinging to life, their superpowers had remained active.

This turned out to be a windfall for Chen Xing; her Earth Ability had grown stronger.

When she emerged from the ground, she saw that all the surrounding trees had withered and died.

’So all these trees were a single entity.’

Back in the RV, Chen Xing went back to sleep.

She didn’t plan on going to the Capital City, nor did she intend to go home.

She just wanted to put it off for a while. ’Eventually, I’ll have to go to the Capital City anyway.’

The next day, Chen Xing didn’t wake up until noon.

The weather seemed to be turning. A fierce wind howled, battering the RV’s windows.

Chen Xing took the opportunity to drive a bit closer to the Capital City before the roads became impassable.

When she was still a dozen or so kilometers from the National Capital Safety Zone, snowflakes began to fall.

’At this distance, even if danger arose, I could run the rest of the way to the safety zone.’

So she found a relatively hidden spot and settled in.

Even though the disaster of a heavy snowstorm would make survival much more difficult for most people, Chen Xing still loved snowy days.

She sat in the glass-enclosed room on the RV’s roof, sipping coffee and watching the snow.

She had thought she would get to enjoy the blizzard for a couple of days.

That evening, Song Yiguo called. ”Lu Yanran is here, and she says she absolutely must see you!”

Chen Xing: ”...”

”I don’t know the details, but the woman knelt before me!” While Song Yiguo wasn’t one to be soft-hearted, he decided to pass on the message after seeing the woman was nothing but skin and bones.

’Forget it. Just forget it.’

’He had to admit it. The woman actually said she’d keep kneeling if she couldn’t see Chen Xing?’

’A blatant threat!’

’But what was he supposed to do? Throw out a woman who looked like she was on the verge of death?’

Chen Xing: ”...”

’For a woman to go this far... it had to be about her child, right?’

Chen Xing thought of her own mother, who had sacrificed so much for her for over a decade.

And so, that very night, she arrived at the National Capital Safety Zone.

Chen Xing was shocked by how emaciated Lu Yanran looked.

The last time she’d seen her, five or six years ago, Lu Yanran had still been as beautiful as a young girl, even while pregnant.

Now, she looked as if she had aged a dozen years, her eye sockets hollow and sunken.

The pity in her heart finally overcame her cold indifference, and she walked toward the kneeling Lu Yanran.

As she helped her up, Lu Haoran walked in.

He didn’t look well either; his eyes were red-rimmed, likely from a lack of sleep.

”Chen Xing...” Lu Haoran’s eyes lit up when he saw her.

Chen Xing nodded and pulled the weeping Lu Yanran over to a sofa. ”What happened?”

”My son is missing!” Lu Yanran sobbed, then broke down completely.

”When? How did he disappear?”

Seeing that his sister couldn’t speak, Lu Haoran answered for her. ”It’s been over a month. He disappeared from home while he was sleeping. We’ve searched everywhere but can’t find him! My brother-in-law sent out all his people to search day and night, but there wasn’t a single clue. Until a few days ago...”

’This must have something to do with me,’ Chen Xing thought. ’Otherwise, they wouldn’t have suddenly sought me out.’

”We got a call from our uncle... Xu Anguo. He told us to bring you to the North Sea, or he’ll kill Tutu.” Lu Haoran looked at Chen Xing apologetically.

Lu Yanran also wore a look of apology. ”I know I’m asking you to walk into danger, but... I have no other choice. Chen Xing... no... Shanshan, for our aunt’s sake, can you please help me save my son?”

She had already learned from her younger uncle that Chen Xing was her aunt’s biological daughter.

’Even though my father wronged her... my son’s life is on the line. I have to cast aside my pride.’

”Jingtao and Haoran won’t stand by and let you get hurt! They’ll protect you with their lives! Shanshan, I’m begging you, please save my son!” As she spoke, Lu Yanran moved to kneel again.

’What else can I do?’

’I have no power, no other way!’

”You’re sending her into the tiger’s den!” Song Yiguo said, clearly displeased.

’Not that he thought Chen Xing was a lamb.’

’But to let her go, knowing full well Xu Anguo has a trap waiting for her?’

”As long as my son can be saved, I’ll die in your place!” Lu Yanran declared, her eyes resolute despite her tears.

’She would never let Chen Xing actually die for her son.’

’Xu Anguo knows I don’t have a superpower. He won’t stop me from going with Chen Xing.’

’The moment there’s danger, I’ll shield her without a second thought.’

Song Yiguo snorted.

”Alright,” Chen Xing agreed, much more readily than anyone expected.

”Chen Xing, have you really thought this through?” Song Yiguo warned.

’Xu Anguo hasn’t been heard from in years. If he’s daring to summon Chen Xing now, he must be fully prepared.’

’He couldn’t afford to let his primary supplier of resources walk into danger!’

’There’s a long future ahead. Without Chen Xing, the National Capital Safety Zone would face serious hardship.’

”It’s fine.”

Seeing Chen Xing agree so readily made Lu Yanran feel even more guilty.

With a THUD, she fell to her knees beside Chen Xing. ”As long as my son lives, you can take my life! From now on, my life is yours!”

’There’s no need for that,’ Chen Xing thought. She had her own selfish reasons for going.

For years, she had never stopped searching for Xu Anguo, but he had vanished without a trace.

Now that a lead had finally appeared, of course she was going to take it.

”Chen Xing...” Lu Haoran was overcome with gratitude. ”Thank you!”

The next day, Chen Xing set out for the North Sea alone.

’I destroyed both of the Research Institutes at the North Sea. I can’t believe there’s another one,’ she thought.

What she didn’t know was that not long after she left, Song Yiguo also arrived at the North Sea.

How could he miss out on a chance to eliminate Xu Anguo?

This time, his movements were clandestine. Aside from Vice General Du and Secretary Liu, no one knew of his plans.

’More people meant a higher risk of being discovered.’

Chen Xing soon arrived at the designated location: the outskirts of a swamp in the North Sea.

A foul stench was the first thing to greet her, followed by Stone Monsters slowly rising from the mire.