NOVEL NEXT Chapter 273: A Test ( 1 )
In addition to steamed rice, there were also grilled fish, egg drop soup, stir-fried pickled vegetables with pork slices, and mapo tofu. Though the variety of dishes was limited, the portions were generous.
"Everyone, it's time to eat," Yu Fuyun called from the dining room.
Upon hearing this, everyone gathered at the table. Seeing the spread of food, Qin Luzi raised his eyebrows and asked, "Who did the cooking?"
"Brother Luzi, it was Fuyun. He is really skilled, almost as good as you," Xiao Qi replied with admiration.
He was someone who could manage to blow up a pot when he was boiling water, so anyone who could cook was a god in his eyes.
Nodding at his words, Qin Luzi said, "It's good to have another cook. This way, the Captain and I can finally take a break."
Just after he finished his words, Yu Fuyun walked out of the kitchen, carrying a jar of milk.
Hearing his words, he said, "Brother Luzi, you can leave the cooking to me from now on. I learned from my grandma when I was young. As long as we have the ingredients, I can whip up anything you like."
"Okay," Qin Luzi agreed instantly.
After breakfast, the Phantom team gathered in the living room. Looking at the members, Jin Xuyan said, "Yesterday, we scouted the situation at the border and eliminated two smaller zombie hordes."
"The last zombie horde is located fifteen kilometers from the border, and the number of zombies in that area might be more than 200,000."
"Old Qin and Old Zhang, the two of you will come with me to the meeting. The rest of you, prepare your weapons and rest well. We will leave the camp at noon."
Hearing this, everyone nodded and replied in unison, "Understood."
Jin Xuyan glanced at the new member and said, "Mo Junjie, you will stay in the camp with Sister Jiang and Brother Bohai."
When he heard this, Mo Junjie nodded and said nothing. After drinking the water given by Jiao Lizhi, the pain didn't return and he no longer coughed. But to avoid their suspicions, he still covered his lips with his handkerchief and let out some coughs.
Noticing this, Jiao Lizhi took out several bottles of her pond water from her space and handed them to him while saying, "Brother, you have to drink more water when you cough."
Mo Junjie accepted the water with a smile and said, "Thank you."
"Captain, there is something I need to report," Zhang Yuan said.
Jin Xuyan nodded and gestured for him to talk.
"Gu Shaoze came to find us yesterday, and he wanted to join our team. Besides him and his girlfriend, they also have nine children with them."
The moment he heard this, Jin Xuyan raised his eyebrows.
In the previous life, most children died at the beginning of the apocalypse due to their weak physiques and young age. Besides the elderly, the children were the most vulnerable group in the apocalypse.
People had limited supplies and energy, and the children's value was very low. So most of them were sacrificed and abandoned. It was not until the third year of the apocalypse that people realized the value of children.
With the drop in birth rate, children became valuable assets for the human race. Not only that, but the probability for children to awaken their abilities was 30% higher than for adults.
Due to their young age and naive personalities, it was easier to train them as soldiers, and they were loyal to their leaders. Unfortunately, when people realized this, the number of children had already dropped below 5% of the total population.
Recalling this matter, Jin Xuyan said, "Did he state his requirement?"
Zhang Yuan nodded and said, "He said that he was looking for his girlfriend's family. So, he and his girlfriend will mostly leave on their own."
Hearing this, Shen Jinzhe said, "Isn't that equal to asking us to babysit the children for him? He really knows how to dream."
Although his words were harsh, they weren't far from the truth, so everyone nodded, agreeing with him.
Before Jin Xuyan made his decision, they heard a knock. Xiao Qi went to open the door and returned with Gu Shaoze, followed by his team.
When they stood in the living room, Qin Luzi suddenly stood up and walked to Feng Yun. Under everyone's confused gaze, he reached out and grabbed something.
The next moment, they heard a boy shouting, "Let me go!"
Without saying a word, Qin Luzi threw the invisible person to the ground. Following the sound of something crashing into the table, a boy appeared out of nowhere.
Standing a few steps from the boy, he looked at Gu Shaoze and said, "Comrade Gu, you said that you want to join the Phantom team. Is this how you show your sincerity? By letting this boy sneak around like a rat?"
Seeing Zeng Changchao groaning in pain on the ground, the children quickly rushed over to help him up. Gu Shaoze and Rong Mo'er were surprised by the situation.
After the children joined their team, no one had ever noticed Zeng Changchao when he went invisible. This was the first time someone could detect his location and even catch him.
It took him a while to regain his composure, and he said, "Comrade Qin, your words are too heavy. Changchao is training his ability, and we have no bad intentions at all."
With his hands in his pockets, Qin Luzi said calmly, "Two adults, both ability-users. Nine children—six are ability-users, three are ordinary people."
After he said this, he pointed at Zeng Changchao and Fu Leizhen as he added, "Both of them have mutated abilities."
This time, Gu Shaoze's smile disappeared from his face, and he narrowed his eyes. He looked at Qin Luzi and asked, "How do you know?"
Instead of answering his question, Qin Luzi walked to the couch and sat down. He closed his eyes, ignoring him.