Completely unaware that Li Xingye was secretly gritting his teeth, Chi Wan jotted down the number of gift boxes she needed. Then, she said cheerfully, "Oh, right, Brother Xingye. Didn’t you say last time that a lot of people on your end have never had barbecue before?

"I had my dad custom-make a batch of large barbecue grills. They’re all done and can be delivered tomorrow. I’ll go buy some good barbecue ingredients for you tomorrow, too. Think of it as a celebration... for your days getting better and better from now on~"

Chi Wan had been thinking about this ever since she’d delivered barbecue to Li Xingye. Especially after hearing Qiangzi mention that his sister had never had barbecue, she thought about how truly pitiful the children of the apocalypse were.

All she could do was her best to keep them fed, so they at least wouldn’t have to worry about food anymore.

As for barbecue and snacks, they certainly seemed out of place compared to the truly life-saving rations available during times of food scarcity. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Now, Li Xingye’s base was getting on track. For one thing, the variety of Crystal Core Energy devices he’d given her was astounding—there were even appliances that did nothing more than improve one’s quality of life.

’So now that their basic needs for food and warmth are met, maybe an occasional barbecue party could give everyone a little more hope for the future?’

Li Xingye was stunned. He hadn’t expected Chi Wan to take Qiangzi’s casual remark to heart and quietly prepare everything without a word.

He couldn’t help but soften his voice. "Wanwan, thank you."

Hearing Li Xingye’s unbelievably gentle "thank you," Chi Wan inwardly shrieked, ’Talking like that is totally unfair!’ Out loud, however, she just sounded confused. "What’s there to thank me for? How is this any different from when I stockpiled supplies for you? Don’t tell me... it’s because..."

Hearing Chi Wan’s dramatic pause, Li Xingye’s heart leaped into his throat. ’Was I too obvious?’ he worried. ’Did she figure something out?’

But he never expected her to continue, "Don’t tell me... it’s because you really, really love barbecue? You should’ve just said so! I’ll grill more for you next time~"

Li Xingye: ...

Every time he felt her kindness and consideration, evident in every little detail, his heart would soften to an incredible degree. The bleak memories he had accumulated throughout the apocalypse seemed to weigh on him less, all because she had appeared in his life.

Li Xingye smiled, half disappointed and half relieved, and changed the subject. "I’m still outside right now, scouting for a new base location. What a coincidence. Your barbecue party can be our housewarming celebration."

Hearing this, Chi Wan was even happier than Li Xingye. "You’re moving?! Just tell me if there’s anything I can prepare! Wait a minute, if you’re outside the base, aren’t there zombies? You shouldn’t be talking to me. Stay safe!"

With that, she didn’t dare distract Li Xingye any longer, afraid she might cause him to lose focus and get clawed by a zombie.

Li Xingye chuckled, not bothering to explain that ordinary zombies couldn’t hurt him.

In fact, given his current aura, even low-level zombies, which acted on pure instinct, would steer clear of him out of fear.

But since he planned to move the base here, he had been deliberately suppressing his superpower the entire way. It made it easier to hunt down and "harvest" the wandering zombies, clearing a path for the upcoming migration.

Unfortunately, zombies of Tier Six or higher must have had their own sensory abilities, as his suppressed aura didn’t seem to fool them.

At any rate, Li Xingye hadn’t encountered a Tier Six zombie in a long time. For a zombie horde that was steadily approaching Rongcheng Center, this was clearly abnormal.

And yet... while even High-level Zombies knew their place and didn’t dare to provoke him, some people did not.

Li Xingye looked at the empty street ahead and smiled faintly.

The already narrow streets of the Flower and Bird Market were now a chaotic mess of long-dead potted plants. Some plants, however, had a tenacious enough Life Force that they hadn’t died, instead mutating and claiming their own territory.

But when these plants met Li Xingye and his Wood Ability, they had no choice but to submit. Their roots, buried deep underground, now served as his scattered eyes and ears.

Beneath the street, countless tiny shoots were quietly sprouting through the cracks. The grayish-black sprouts blended seamlessly with the crevices in the pavement, attracting no attention at all.

Li Xingye seemed tired. He casually found a small, sheltered shop and leaned back.

A chair woven from vines instantly appeared behind him, catching him securely. He plucked an apple from a fruit tree in his space, then unhurriedly sliced it with a knife and popped the pieces into his mouth.

The faint CRUNCH as the knife sliced through the juicy, crisp apple was enough to fray the fragile nerves of any survivor tormented by hunger.

The sound alone was enough to make one imagine just how delicious that apple would taste.

GULP—

It was the sound of an uncontrollable swallow.

"Shit, I can barely even find food, so what right does this fucking idiot have to eat so well?! That’s an apple! Even when I was living my best life, I wouldn’t have dared dream of eating a fresh apple, and this motherfucker is putting on airs, cutting it with a knife to eat!! Fuck, Boss, let’s just go for it! He definitely has a ton of food in his space!"

The man called Boss said in a low voice, "What’s the rush?! We’re already very close to the center of Rong City. This guy dares to go this deep alone, so he must have some serious skills. When will you ever learn to control that impulsive streak of yours?!"

"Boss, we’ve been following him for so long. His vines are impressive, sure, but they look like Seventh Rank at most. You’re a Seventh Rank Fire Element user, and we have a Thunder System superpower user, too. Both are strong against the Wood Element. The five of us should have no problem taking him down."

"I know, but something feels off. At a time like this, for him to be heading toward the city center all alone... Look at his face, and then look at yourselves. Don’t you see the huge difference?"

"Boss, now you’re just being mean. Why bring my looks into this? It’s not my fault I’m not good-looking."

"...Idiot. The Boss means his skin is clear. Not only does he not look dehydrated or malnourished, but even his clothes are spotless."

"But doesn’t that just prove he has tons of supplies in his space? Besides, Boss, this is the first time on our entire journey that we’ve seen someone with two superpowers. It’s only normal for a guy like that to be a little better off, right?"

"You’re right. Either way, we have to ’borrow’ some food from him, or else Xiao Liu isn’t going to make it. Get ready to move!"

"But Boss... he’s heading for the city center so purposefully. Do you think... he knows something?"

"Whatever he knows, it’s none of our business. Our only job is to snatch some food and get the hell out of here before those psychos from the Imperial City show up."