You've never cooked a meal before?!

“It really does taste bad, seems like you forgot to add salt.”
“And it’s burnt here, but still raw over there.”
“Who knew grilled sausages could turn out this awful?”
The other women frowned in agreement.
Meals had previously been prepared by Xiao Yue Nie for a while, then by Xiao Qian Gu. This morning, they’d switched to Qi Qi Liu. None of them had expected it to be this unpalatable. But no matter how the sausages turned out, they had no choice but to eat them! Grilled sausages were among the most precious commodities in the apocalypse—their main source of meat.
“Bring Liu Qi Qi to me!” Xue Feng slammed the table, struggling to contain his anger. So, Liu Qi Qi, you did this deliberately, didn’t you? Is this your way of protesting your arrival here? He decided she needed a proper lesson. She shouldn’t think that her cute appearance would spare her from his discipline.
Soon enough, Qi Qi Liu, busy in the kitchen, was summoned. But seeing her, Xiao Wei An and the rest had to stifle their giggles. Her face was smeared black and white, and her clothes were covered in grease.
“What’s with these sausages? Are you dissatisfied with being here?” Xue Feng asked coldly.
But to his and the others’ surprise, Liu Qi Qi’s nose twitched and tears spilled instantly at the scolding.
“I… I don’t know how to cook!” she sobbed. “My brother always did the cooking before. You told me to do it! I spent over two hours preparing breakfast for everyone… sob, sob…”
Seeing Liu Qi Qi cry so pitifully, Xue Feng was completely stunned. What was going on? Liu Qi Qi couldn’t cook? Wasn’t her brother Liu Jun a chef? Realizing Liu Jun’s doting attitude towards his sister—never even raising a hand against her—Xue Feng immediately understood. That must be why Liu Qi Qi had never cooked before. He had overlooked this!
He’d forgotten to ask whether she could cook and just assigned her to the task.
“If you can’t cook, just learn slowly. Don’t rush. You’ll get the hang of it eventually,” Xue Feng said gently to comfort her. After all, in the apocalypse, there wasn’t much to eat, and people couldn’t afford to be picky.
“Okay.” Liu Qi Qi wiped her tears, relief flooding her. She’d truly been frightened just now.

Liu Qi Qi understood how important food was; wasting it was a grave sin in the apocalypse. Yet Xue Feng hadn’t blamed her, which surprised her greatly. The man before her wasn’t as terrifying as he’d seemed—he was even quite gentle with her.
Swallowing a barely cooked sausage in one bite, Xue Feng made his way to the underground laboratory. Xiao Yue Nie and Xiao Xing Nie spent all their time here. Xue Feng was eager to know whether the apocalypse armored vehicle’s power supply could be replaced with crystal cores.
“In theory, it’s possible. It just takes time,” Xiao Yue Nie explained.
“Alright, follow the steps,” Xue Feng nodded, not rushing them.
He then produced the apple-sized crystal core from the third-tier mutant he’d killed earlier, handing it to Xiao Yue Nie for further research. He’d pondered over this item for two days, unable to unravel its secrets, so he could only entrust it to her.
“It’s huge!” Xiao Xing Nie exclaimed at the sight of the crystal core, mouth agape.
“It’s about as developed as your side,” Xiao Yue Nie teased, giving her sister a mischievous glance.
“Big sister, you’re so annoying!” The younger one blushed.
Now that both sisters shared the same man, their words were bolder and more direct. Xue Feng hurried to find an excuse to leave; otherwise, they’d get nothing done today.
Next, Xue Feng instructed Zhao Wei Su to take You Hao Yun and two others to set up warning signs along the surrounding roads, staking their claim to the territory. Zhao Wei, as a powered individual, had abilities that could boost ordinary people’s combat strength—she was perfect for the task.
Xue Feng had already decided on the sign’s message: “This area is occupied. Strangers not welcome. Intruders face mortal danger.” Concise and clear.
It was the apocalypse now. The strong could make their own rules and claim their territory—it was only natural.
He brought You Hao Yun along to try their luck, hoping to find crystal cores inside the zombies’ skulls after killing them. Xue Feng realized the future value of crystal cores would be immense; you could never have too many.
By afternoon, Xue Feng informed Xiao Wei An and the others that he’d be away that evening—he might not return until midnight or the next day.

Their base hadn’t been discovered by other survivors yet, so there was no risk of a sudden attack. This time, Xue Feng decided not to bring anyone with him. He set out alone.
Relying on the map provided by Turkey Head, Xue Feng soon drove the armored vehicle to the edge of the woods. Unfamiliar visitors would never guess that a military restricted zone lay hidden here, especially since no map ever marked such places.
Stowing the armored vehicle in his spatial backpack, Xue Feng proceeded on foot through the forest. Once he reached the outskirts, he encountered fewer zombies. Most zombies still clustered in the cities. But since daylight made him easy to spot, Xue Feng planned to find a hiding place and wait for nightfall before venturing in.
When he finally located the military restricted zone, he was amazed. It spanned at least a dozen acres, packed with numerous buildings. Outside, iron fences towered six meters high. What shocked Xue Feng most was the high-voltage wire mesh installed atop these fences. Zombies wandering nearby would accidentally touch the iron fence and be instantly jolted away!
“No wonder it’s a military zone—what great stuff inside!” Xue Feng couldn’t help but click his tongue. If he could install such a wire mesh around his villa, he’d never worry about ordinary zombies again.
He wondered how the military base still had electricity when the power supply had long since been cut off. Searching carefully inside, he soon discovered a large number of solar panels. The military must be using the latest products, capable of powering the entire base. In emergencies, these panels would be brought online, ensuring that even if the power plant was destroyed during war, the military could still have electricity.
“These solar panels are treasures, too,” Xue Feng grinned. Although his own base wasn’t short on power, who wouldn’t want more? For a modern person, living without electricity was unbearable.
Aside from these, there were humans patrolling nearby. Xue Feng had no idea who they were, but he wasn’t worried—the answers would soon reveal themselves.
The sky gradually darkened, night began to fall.

Xue Feng leapt lightly, clearing the six-meter-high iron fence with ease.