"Why did I get fewer crystal cores than you?"
After the hot pot base sold out, Lu Xiaoyao and Zhen Po happily went back and started splitting the profits. However, Lu Xiaoyao's voice was so loud that the door couldn't be closed, and everyone who was warming themselves by the fire in the outer room heard her questioning.
As a result, everyone present couldn't help but look at Zhen Hu.
Zhen Hu: "..."
Why are you looking at him?
This has nothing to do with him _(：3」∠)_
“You and your brother ate so much, you should deduct some of the cost price.” Zhen Po wasn’t ashamed.
"But isn't that 'advertising cost'? It's not as delicious as what I'm eating. Do you think you can attract so many people just by shouting about hot pot base?"
Lu Xiaoyao was perfectly justified in this matter.
"I have no problem with you eating normally, but you two siblings ate enough for six people. Don't forget that those dishes were all from Loujia and we haven't paid for them yet!"
"Lou Jia was supposed to sell two more baskets of vegetables before the New Year, but good heavens, you two siblings ate one basket! Doesn't that cost money?"
"Isn't that offset by hot pot broth?"
By this time, everyone outside had heard Lu Xiaoyao's guilty tone.
"They promised that one serving of hot pot base would be equivalent to the vegetables for one hot pot meal for two people. You two siblings cooked three servings for two people in an hour. Even if you want to pay for three servings of hot pot base, Lou Jia has to agree to pay the equivalent for the other four servings, right?"
Lu Xiaoyao: "..."
"Hmph~ You can't deduct so much from the whole thing. I came up with a great idea this time. Can you compare mental work with physical labor?"
Besides, do you think I enjoy eating so much? So many people keep buying it, so I have to keep pretending to eat well, really~"
"..."
Lu Xiaoyao and Zhen Po argued fiercely for several rounds about the ownership of those crystal cores. In the end, the people warming themselves by the fire outside could only come to one conclusion: it was just a bunch of noobs fighting each other!
"The schedule for patrolling the perimeter of the base has already been communicated to the families of superhumans this morning. Each team of superhumans will send four people to patrol outside the base at the corresponding time on the schedule, mixed with the patrol team of the Inspection Division."
As she spoke, Wang Wenfei, who had received the message at home that morning, handed the schedule to Mu Chen. Mu Chen glanced at it and realized that their team's assigned time wasn't very good—from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Others who saw the time above were unsure what to comment on.
"Actually, it's fine." Mingmei spoke first. "Although it's nighttime, it won't interfere with everyone staying up late on New Year's Eve or the daytime activities on New Year's Day. If we make sure we get enough sleep in the days leading up to it, we can sleep a few hours less on New Year's Day."
"Indeed, although the timing seems a bit inconvenient, if all goes well, I'll be back in time for dumplings in the morning~"
After Mu Chen finished speaking, Wang Wenfei, who was always quite perceptive, suddenly looked up at him and asked, "What do you mean by 'smoothly'? Is there such a thing as 'not smooth'?"
"Patrolling outside the city is never smooth sailing," Zhen Hu said dismissively, speaking before Mu Chen could explain. "Look at the snow and ice outside the city now, the zombies are all frozen into ice sculptures, but you can't help but occasionally a zombie will suddenly jump out of the snow and scare people, right?"
After he finished speaking, he looked at Mu Chen, indicating with his eyes whether what he said was right or wrong.
“They’re not zombies,” Mu Chen said, glancing at the pork hanging frozen on a rope outside. He muttered to himself, “They’re mutated animals.”
"Mutant animal?"
"Hmm, this mutated wild boar, when Meimei and I were buying pigs, we heard from others that we encountered it while on patrol. Mutated wild boars, which are usually only hunted in the mountains or abandoned farmlands, suddenly came to the vicinity of the base with their families. This situation is not right."
“Indeed, if it were just a coincidence, that would be one thing…” Bai Xiao frowned, “What could have caused the wild boar family to stay in the mountains instead of coming out?”
"Perhaps there's something in the mountains that even wild boars wouldn't dare to mess with."
The more he spoke, the heavier the atmosphere became.
"Look, the notes on the patrol list also require that those sent out on patrol must be superhumans, and they will be issued weapons." Mu Chen pointed out the previous notice, which made the patrol seem even more suspicious.
"I'll go ask someone when the snow lightens this afternoon."
The matter was temporarily put to rest. Lu Xiaoyao and Zhen Po finished dividing the crystal cores in the room and came out. Lu Xiaoyao was originally full of pride and planned to take her girlfriends out to buy some good food, but she found that everyone's face was expressionless.
What's wrong with you all?
Driven by a survival instinct, Lu Xiaoyao cautiously asked a question.
"It's nothing, it's just that some people from our team need to be selected to patrol the outer city during the Chinese New Year."
"Huh? We have to work during the New Year?" Lu Xiaoyao's face immediately fell upon hearing this. "Does everyone have to go?"
"No, we'll draw lots to decide who gets selected."
"Hmm~ That's alright~" Lu Xiaoyao, who was still incredibly relieved to have been able to draw lots and escape her patrol fate, soon found her luck snatched away by fate _(：3」∠)_
Lu Xiaoyao, who was completely unaware of the dangers of patrolling and was randomly selected for patrol duty: QAQ
...
Before we knew it, Lunar New Year's Eve arrived smoothly amidst everyone's anticipation.
Julian confirmed the odd thing that Mu Chen had mentioned earlier, but this information was not widely shared with everyone.
After all, the Lunar New Year is approaching, and it's really not right to let everyone's mood return to the state of constant fear and anxiety that began at the start of the apocalypse.
However, the teams of superhumans who received the patrol notice also received some vague messages one after another—please be extra vigilant while patrolling.
However, people like Lu Gui and Mu Chen naturally have better access to information than others, but that information is limited to—
"Some changes have occurred in the mountains near the base. The specifics are unclear, but it is a fact that many mutated herbivores have escaped into the mountains."
Previously, when Mu Chen asked Julian for information, Julian gave him the same vague answer. But this morning, when the base's upper echelons were delivering New Year's gifts to various superhuman teams, Julian came over and gave Mu Chen the latest news.
“They’re not zombies.” Julian handed the snack box to Mu Chen and whispered in his ear, “The patrol team captured a group of mutated animals with wounds early this morning. The wounds were not from zombies or infected by zombie animals. They should be wounds left by mutated large carnivores.”
"Thank you..."
Mu Chen's expression remained unchanged, but he still expressed his gratitude to Julian before turning away and his face turned ugly.
What kind of mutation did the mutated carnivorous animal have to become to cause the herbivorous mutant animals to flee en masse?
...
After staying up all night to welcome the New Year, Mingmei was stopped by Lu Xiaoyao halfway into bed.
"Waaaaah, Meimei, you love me, right?!"
Mingmei fell silent.
She had a feeling that if she agreed, she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
Lu Xiaoyao, who had been acting cute and charming all day, was: ? ? ?
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