184 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chen Wan and her group were unaware of the speculations made by the military. Qin Ke and Wei Si Yu were busily collecting level-3 mutated animal cores scattered on the ground. They gathered and counted a total of 26 level-3 mutated lion cores. "Great, now we've got all the cores we need," Chen Wan said, her face blooming with joy as she looked at the blackened cores in her hand. Relieved, she carefully placed all the cores into a storage bag. Once the excitement from securing the cores subsided, Chen Wan began to feel disgusted by herself. The blood-stained smell emanating from her was nauseating. She fetched a water bottle, discarded her blood-soaked outerwear, and asked Jiang Yan Xin to help pour water over her so she could wash her face and hair. The dense mixture of blood and water flowed down as she washed, and by the time one bottle was used up, Chen Wan’s face was barely visible. With the remaining water reserved for drinking, she had to make do. The group remained on standby for another ten or so minutes, and there was no sign of the mutated lions reappearing. "Commander, should we head back now?" Chai Guan Feng asked after confirming all the level-3 mutated lions had been dealt with, completing their mission. "There's no rush. Last time, our personnel came to transport supplies and left over a dozen trucks behind. None of the supplies were taken back. Now that we're here and the threat is neutralized, notify everyone to drive the trucks near the mall and fill them with supplies before leaving," Cao Wei suggested thoughtfully. It wasn't easy for the convoy to venture out, and since the squad that arrived yesterday suffered heavy casualties, leaving the trucks abandoned in Wukou Town, it was opportune to retrieve the supplies now that the crisis had been resolved. "Understood, Commander." Chai Guan Feng received the order and promptly relayed it. Soon, everyone boarded the vehicles. However, Chen Wan and her group still had a mutated lion with them. Not wanting to waste the edible lion meat, they decided to load its carcass onto the top of their armored vehicle. The convoy slowly moved towards the mall in town. Oddly, there were no zombies around even after they honked the horns, which Chen Wan assumed was because the mutated lions had taken them out. They parked near the mall, where indeed 20 large trucks loaded with supplies were still stationed. However, there were also numerous military personnel corpses nearby, likely victims of last night’s mutated lion attack during the supply transport mission. Commander Cao paid his respects to the fallen soldiers with a salute and instructed them to gather and cremate the bodies. Once that was done, the team proceeded to haul the supplies from the mall. Chen Wan found bottled water and shampoo in the supermarket and headed to the women's clothing section on the third floor with Jiang Yan Xin. Inside a store, they locked the door, and Chen Wan stripped off her blood-soaked clothes, washing herself thoroughly with mineral water and even shampooing her hair so she no longer reeked of blood. Feeling refreshed, she found casual wear in the store to change into, while Jiang Yan Xin found a jacket for herself after using hers to wipe Chen Wan’s head earlier. Once refreshed, Chen Wan went downstairs with Jiang Yan Xin to help with the task. Despite having many people, filling up 20 trucks was not an easy task. As darkness loomed, Commander Cao ordered everyone to rest in their vehicles for the night and complete loading all supplies the next morning before returning to the base. As night fell, Commander Cao instructed the armored vehicles to form a defensive circle on the street against potential threats, while the soldiers began gathering firewood and setting up camp for cooking. Chen Wan and her team formed a circle as well, with Qin Ke starting the fire while Chen Wan dragged down the mutated lion carcass from the armored vehicle’s top. Before leaving the supermarket, Chen Wan had taken various spices, a bottle of mineral water, and even a barbecue grill, preparing for a barbecue later. Qin Ke efficiently got a small fire blazing with added pieces of wood, while Chen Wan carved out a lean piece of belly meat from the lion. Jiang Yan Xin poured water over it, and Chen Wan rinsed off the blood before making incisions and placing it on the grill. She coated the meat with a layer of liquor, brushed on some peanut oil, then soy sauce before setting it to roast over the fire. While Chen Wan's group was feasting lavishly, the other soldiers were either boiling canned food and noodles or cooking instant noodles in small pots. Chen Wan’s group also boiled individual bowls of instant noodles to quell their hunger, but the main course was the roasted mutated lion meat. Before long, the aroma of the grilling meat filled the air. Chen Wan used a brush and generously coated the roasting lion meat with honey, making it crisp outside and sweet, an upgrade over standard barbecue fare. Many soldiers glanced enviously in Chen Wan’s direction, suddenly losing the appeal of their instant noodles. Commander Cao, also eating instant noodles, chuckled and shook his head when he saw the lively gathering by Chen Wan’s team. "Chen Wan's team really has great camaraderie, more akin to friends than typical squads, carrying a much warmer vibe." "Indeed, their team has several powerful ability users and someone as formidable as Jiang Yan Xin. If they stay, it would greatly benefit our Zone One," Chai Guan Feng remarked with a smile. "Yes, it would be best if they could stay. But if they choose to leave, we won’t force them. They've already provided significant help with this mission; otherwise, today, we might not be talking here," Commander Cao sighed. After finishing the instant noodles, Chen Wan checked the lion meat, which was almost done, and cut pieces for everyone to taste. She tried some herself, finding it excellently grilled. The meat inside was tender, the outside crispy and flavorful, with a hint of sweet honey. Everyone was full of praise for it. Due to the small grilling rack, the first batch was quickly devoured. Chen Wan cut more slices, and Qin Ke and Shen Ming Yan grabbed three more racks from the supermarket. Chen Wan washed, seasoned, and placed the meat on all three racks, quickly filling the air with the delicious scent of grilling meat once again. The mutated lion meat was tender, comparable to the finest beef, with excellent flavor, enhanced by Chen Wan’s seasonings, making it taste even better. Meanwhile, in Zone One, Shi Tou and Ke Qing were in a resting room at the office area, waiting as the soldiers informed them that General Wang had unfinished business, offering them snacks and juice while they waited. As they waited, dusk slowly descended. Around seven o'clock, a soldier knocked and entered, saying to Shi Tou and Ke Qing, "General Wang requests your presence now. Sorry for the wait." "It’s alright, we didn’t have any other plans today," Shi Tou replied hastily. Following the soldier, they arrived at General Wang’s office. Feeling a bit anxious, Shi Tou noted General Wang smiling at him before speaking, "You’re Shi Tou, right? No need to be nervous, have a seat." Shi Tou and Ke Qing sat on the sofa opposite General Wang. Shi Tou, after a moment’s hesitation, asked, "Why did you call us here, sir?" General Wang nodded and pondered briefly before speaking, "I understand you’re one of the ability users from Chen Wan’s team. As you know, your friends and Commander Cao went on a mission to Wukou Town and haven't returned by this hour. I fear they might have met with misfortune." General Wang sighed before continuing, "However, the base cannot remain leaderless. My former superior is a commander in the military district, but since the destruction of the Funan City base, he’s been located elsewhere. With Zone One lacking leadership, I believe he is the best candidate to take charge. But I am concerned there may be unrest among the ability users. I want you to represent the ability users, leading efforts to quell any troublemakers and reassure any remaining teammates. I’ve already contacted Commander Yang via satellite, and he should arrive here around noon tomorrow. Once he establishes control, wouldn’t becoming his adjutant here in Zone One be better than remaining in Chen Wan’s squad?" Shi Tou’s eyes lit up at the prospect, and he eagerly responded, "Rest assured, General, I’ll ensure none of us cause trouble. With some manpower to assist, I’ll keep the ability users in Zone One under tight control." Pleased with Shi Tou’s response, General Wang nodded, "That puts my mind at ease." He then arranged for a trusted aide to assemble a special team of about thirty armed soldiers under Shi Tou's control to monitor the remaining ability users in Zone One. Shi Tou, a former low-ranking soldier, promptly rose to become the leader of a special mission squad, unable to conceal his delight. Ke Qing, sitting beside him, wore a broad smile as well. She nestled in Shi Tou's embrace, complimenting him, "I always said you were destined for greatness. Look at you now, gaining the admiration of the officers in Zone One as soon as you left Chen Wan's team. The position of a commander's adjutant is something most people wouldn't even dare to dream of. Shi Tou, you're amazing, I knew I picked the right person." Shi Tou was equally delighted, hugging Ke Qing back and laughing, "You're truly my lucky star. Before we got together, I was just drifting aimlessly with Si Yu and the others. You made me realize I have my own worth. Thank you so much, Ke Qing. Don't worry, I will take good care of you." "Yes, once Commander Yang arrives tomorrow, our future is bound to get even better," Ke Qing said, her face full of hope for their future life. Meanwhile, Zone One was becoming tense and on edge, with signs of unrest beginning to surface. People who were once obedient and law-abiding started to develop other ideas, and many began to stir restlessly. Shi Tou and Ke Qing planned to go to Building 76 to inform Yi Yi and the others, advising them to stay out of the military's internal conflicts, fulfilling his obligation to his former team.