The Interstellar Queen of Scavengers

Chapter 858: Chapter 858: Evacuate Immediately!

Mu Jianling furrowed her brows, her fingers pressed against her temple. After a moment, she finally released her hand and said, ”30 minutes, I’m only giving you 30 minutes, and do not waste food.”

Everyone was overjoyed upon hearing this.

Then.

Without needing any urging, they all lowered their heads and began to eat earnestly. As for the extremely awful-tasting nutrient solution they had just consumed, everyone pretended it was merely a nightmare.

Now, awakened from the dream, the world was indeed beautiful.

The entire cafeteria was filled with the sound of people wolfing down their food.

The daily intense training, along with most students being just around 18 years old and still growing, meant everyone had a large appetite. Even after consuming the nutrient solution, they had no problem finishing the food before them.

Ji You was also engrossed in eating.

While eating, a hand as white as jade suddenly appeared in front of her. Ji You was taken aback and raised her head in surprise, ”Zhong Qing?”

In the instant their eyes met, Zhong Qing almost retracted her outstretched hand, but she resisted the urge, keeping her hand extended. Her small face turned red like a fiery cloud:

”Ji...Ji You...”

Ji You: ”???”

Zhong Qing took a deep breath and said in a rush, ”You...you like braised spare ribs, right? I have some here...”

Ji You: ”Huh??”

Zhong Qing: ”Here.”

After speaking, she suddenly pulled out a stack of shiny braised spare ribs from behind her, neatly arranged. It seemed like not a single piece was missing, untouched by utensils.

Ji You curiously asked, ”For me? Why?”

The blush on Zhong Qing’s cheeks had faded a bit, but she was still very red, feeling somewhat warm. Under Ji You’s puzzled gaze, Zhong Qing said, ”It’s a thank you gift for Ji You. I promised you in the assessment field, but... you didn’t participate in the later assessments, so... it wasn’t used.” Her tone was full of regret.

Upon hearing this, Ji You immediately remembered that Zhong Qing’s group was promised shelter by their group on the condition that Zhong Qing’s group agreed to certain terms.

Moreover, Ren An, the troublemaker from Zhong Qing’s group, was infected with a Star Beast virus. It was Ji You who found a way to borrow a treatment instrument from another group to temporarily stabilize the virus spread. Afterwards, Ren An was directly disqualified from the assessment and sent back for treatment.

...

Reasonably and logically, Ji You could fully accept these ribs, so she smiled warmly and said, ”Thank you, Zhong Qing. I accept the thank you gift; my teammates and I really appreciate it.”

Hearing this, Zhong Qing’s nervousness eased a bit. She squinted her eyes and smiled happily, saying, ”I’m glad you like it.”

Seeing Ji You eat a piece, gratefully accepting the gift, Zhong Qing finally felt at ease as she turned to leave. At the same time, determination sparked in her eyes: she realized there was still a significant gap between herself and Ji You, but she was determined to catch up.

Just after Ji You accepted the plate of braised ribs and before she could move her chopsticks, nine pairs of chopsticks appeared in front of her eyes, snatching away all but one piece of the ribs right from under her nose.

Ji You exclaimed, ”Are you all starving ghosts reborn?”

Yue Qiguang, Yue Qiyuan, Sheng Qingyan, Shen Changqing... all remained silent, blissfully gnawing on the ribs.

Sheng Qingyan lazily asked, ”Hey poor dead ghost. Do you want this last piece or not? If not, I’ll help you finish it.”

Ji You quickly scooped it into her own bowl, ”I have hands and a mouth, why would I need your help?”

...

The entire cafeteria was abuzz with energy; students were engrossed in their food, disinclined to speak even a word, while Mu Jianling and a few warriors were eating slowly and deliberately.

One warrior laughed and said, ”Watching these kids reminds me of my own school days. It’s hard to believe it’s been so many years, and I’ve been in battle for over 10 years now.”

Another warrior chuckled, ”These kids are full of energy. They’re very strong.”

Mu Jianling heard this and said with a stern face, ”Just a bunch of idiots, hardly any worth mentioning.”

Her words were harsh, yet the subtle smile and lively tone revealed her true feelings. The warriors understood this but chose not to expose Teacher Mu Jianling’s act.

...

Amidst the joyous atmosphere, Mu Jianling suddenly raised a glass towards the warriors, saying seriously, ”Thank you for your time. After this meal, we part ways. We shall meet again next year.”

The warriors all raised their glasses.

The students also lifted their glasses, earnestly expressing their gratitude.

At that moment, the holographic screen that had been continuously broadcasting news in the cafeteria suddenly transmitted the anchor’s serious voice: ”We interrupt with an emergency broadcast: From coordinates ** to ** in the Sixth Star System, there has been a large-scale Scavenging Vulture invasion. All people near Bella Star, Yunding Star, Harbor Star, Eagle Space Station, and the White Horse Junction Asteroid Belt & Kite Space Station... evacuate immediately, evacuate immediately, evacuate immediately!”

The male anchor’s expression was grave; he repeated the brief news three times.

This!!!

The students immediately put down their chopsticks, looking towards Mu Jianling in unison. Although her expression was grim, she didn’t seem too surprised. She opened her mouth and, in her usual indifferent tone, asked, ”Are you full?”

The students shouted, ”Yes.”

Mu Jianling stood up, ”Let’s return.”

The students said nothing, promptly standing up, cleaning the table, and quickly following Mu Jianling.

The warriors stationed on Planet NY50 also swiftly packed up the moment the news broadcast, merely nodding to Teacher Mu Jianling before leaving the cafeteria and striding towards the garrison camp.

Planet NY50 is an Agricultural Star, the closest grain base to the frontline owned by the Military Department. It is quite far from the Scavenging Vulture outbreak area. Even at maximum spaceship speed, it would take several days to reach, making it safe for the time being. As long as the Star Beast outbreak is quickly contained, this location remains absolutely secure.

The students’ return route from Planet NY50 to Lanyue Star does not pass through the outbreak area.

Maintaining a stern face the entire time, Mu Jianling did not utter a word until she was seated on the spaceship; even then, she remained calm and silent.

Ji You boarded the spaceship, voluntarily choosing a turret as her sniper point. She lay down, squinting her eyes, and gazed out at the endless starry sky.