RNP Chapter 25: Mark Charging Completed
Chapter 25: Mark Charging Completed
Various thoughts flashed through his mind, but his face remained expressionless. After the last surge of warmth flowed into his wrist, he stood up with a smile on his face.
"I appreciate everyone's kind wishes."
His tone was flat, without any deliberate politeness or humility. In the end times, now is the time to establish authority.
"The food's getting cold, sit down and eat!"
Lu Chen sat down first and picked up his chopsticks, and then the others took their seats.
The first peaceful dinner since the apocalypse has finally begun.
Lu Chen first glanced at his left wrist discreetly while picking up food.
The cuffs covered it, but he didn't need to look to know that the fluorescent light at the bottom of the mark had filled the entire pattern, about 95%, and was just one trace away from being completely filled.
At this rate, Gao Yuan should lead the way in expressing gratitude again at breakfast tomorrow morning, and this round of recharging should be complete.
With such a good result, Lu Chen was in a very good mood. He picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth.
The meat was cut from pork belly, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat. It had been stewed for a long time, and the fatty parts were so tender that they melted in your mouth, while the lean meat had absorbed the soy sauce and caramel coloring. It wasn't dry at all. To be able to eat this level of braised pork on the third day of the apocalypse was simply a luxury.
He chewed a couple of times and nodded, "This dish is really good."
"That's not true."
Gao Yuan immediately chimed in with a smile, "Sister Sun used to be a chef in a high-end restaurant; her skills speak for themselves."
"When we rescued her this afternoon, she said herself that she had worked at Shuiyunxuan for eight years. Captain, please try this tomato and egg stir-fry; she cooked it too."
"There shouldn't be much meat left, right?" Lu Chen asked while picking up a piece of scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
"Yes, there aren't many left." Gao Yuan put down his chopsticks and reported earnestly.
"The power has been out for two days now, and the meat in the refrigerator and freezer is spoiling faster. When I was collecting supplies today, I had someone check every household's refrigerator. This is all the fresh meat that's still edible left. I'll have Sister Sun cook it all tonight."
"The rest, which were already on the verge of spoiling, I had them preserved with salt."
Lu Chen nodded in satisfaction. Gao Yuan had arranged these things without him even having to give the order, and the arrangements were even more thorough than he had imagined. Having someone like that by his side certainly saved him a lot of trouble.
He picked up another piece of braised pork and started chatting with Gao Yuan while eating. The conversation gradually turned to the other members of the team.
He wanted to know if anyone else besides Sister Sun had any special skills.
Gao Yuan had clearly done his homework. He counted on his fingers, one by one.
The middle-aged man surnamed Zhao used to drive a truck; the tall, thin Liu was a decorator who could do plumbing and electrical work, and he had all the necessary tools; the girl in the couple was a nurse, and although she had only graduated two years ago, she knew basic bandaging and first aid.
As he finished speaking, he suddenly added something as if he remembered something.
"Oh, right, there's Ning Tieshan. He's the quiet, slightly balding uncle. He's a welder, he's been doing it for decades, and his skills are well-known in the industry. He told me this afternoon when we were moving things, saying that if I need anything welded, I should just call him."
Lu Chen paused for a moment.
Welders! These are urgently needed talents.
Although his zombie squad is equipped with cleavers, boning knives, and watermelon knives, these are kitchen knives, not real cold weapons.
The power of a kitchen knife chopping is nowhere near that of a properly welded machete. Moreover, zombies are far stronger than ordinary people; if they were equipped with a batch of specially made heavy-duty knives, their combat effectiveness would be greatly enhanced.
Tiezhu is already quite powerful with his cleaver, but what if he were given a specially welded two-handed battle axe or horse-slaying sword?
Of course, there are problems too. The whole building is currently without power, so welding machines are unusable, and even if you have the skills, you can't use them.
"Looks like I'll have to figure out how to get a diesel generator later," Lu Chen thought to himself.
With electricity, Ning Tieshan's skills can be put to use, and many things will be much easier to handle.
Seeing that Lu Chen had begun to think, Gao Yuan didn't disturb him. He picked up his teacup, stood up, and went around to the two tables next to him.
At first, Lu Chen didn't pay any attention to him, assuming that Gao Yuan was just going around to different tables to serve tea and liven up the atmosphere.
He had seen this scene many times before the apocalypse. Whether it was a company team building event or a family dinner, there were always one or two active people at the table walking around with their glasses.
Gao Yuan is that kind of person, a natural atmosphere-maker.
But soon, he noticed that a warm current was flowing into his wrist again.
Lu Chen was slightly taken aback. He didn't stop eating with his chopsticks, but his attention had already shifted to the table next to him.
He listened intently and soon heard Gao Yuan's voice.
"Come on, Lao Zhao, let me toast you with tea instead of wine. It's really not easy for us to sit at the same table and eat together today. Don't you think it's all thanks to the captain?"
"Of course! Thanks to the captain for rescuing me, otherwise I'd still be huddled on the eleventh floor eating instant noodles!"
The middle-aged man, called Old Zhao, picked up his teacup, his tone filled with heartfelt emotion. He tilted his head back and took a sip of tea, about to put the cup down, when Gao Yuan continued speaking.
"So all we can do is carry out the tasks assigned by the captain. The captain is responsible for protecting us, and we are responsible for handling logistics. Only when everyone performs their duties can this team function."
"Look at the meal Sister Sun made today. Even the team leader praised it. She's doing her part in this."
Old Zhao nodded, and Gao Yuan patted him on the shoulder before turning to the next person with his cup.
Lu Chen didn't turn around to look; he simply ate his meal calmly, silently feeling the continuous warmth emanating from his wrist.
Gao Yuan served tea to each of the two tables next to him, and with each person he served a few words of gratitude.
The meteorite mark on my wrist is glowing brighter and brighter.
After Lu Chen realized this, he silently cheered Gao Yuan on in his heart. He even had a slight urge to stand up and refill Gao Yuan's tea.
Time passed slowly, and the tea ceremony at the two tables next to them continued, with Gao Yuan's voice never stopping.
The warm current flowing through Lu Chen's wrist never stopped, surging in wave after wave.
Finally, just as Lu Chen was about to finish his meal, the entire meteorite pattern was completely filled with fluorescent light.
At the same time, Lu Chen sensed a special fluctuation emanating from the mark.
The fluctuation was hard to describe in words. It wasn't the energy flow when using superpowers, nor was it the surge of heat when absorbing gratitude. It was something more fundamental.
It was as if something that had been dormant for a long time had finally awakened and sent him a signal for the first time, which could be triggered as long as he had a thought.
He didn't rush to move.
He finished the remaining half-bowl of rice in his bowl, put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and then casually said to Shen Qingci beside him, "I'm finished eating. I'm going back to rest now!"
Shen Qingci raised her cool, aloof face and nodded: "Okay!"
"You should get some rest too. Tomorrow's workload might be heavy."
Shen Qingci nodded again.
Lu Chen stood up, casually greeted the people at the two tables next to him, and then walked out of room 503.