The Cannon Fodder in the Global Apocalypse Game lives a leisurely life
Chapter 44: First Taste of the Hallow City’s Dishes

Chapter 44: First Taste of the Hallow City’s Dishes

Brother Siri?

Gong Panli and the three men swept their eyes on the people lining up neatly, trying to guess which of the men Li Chunhua’s relative was.

Liang Er and Fin behind them were also observing curiously since it would take time for the officer to finish the inspection.

"Master!" Siri and Little Mantou, standing on the left edges of the three-meter road, turned around and shouted simultaneously when they saw Li Chunhua running in their direction. The distance between them was less than twenty meters, and it didn’t take long for the two parties to reach each other.

Li Chunhua hugged Siri’s waist, and the little fox also encircled Li Chunhua’s right leg with its little paws. The three began calling each other with intense emotions.

"Brother Siri!"

"Master."

Everyone: "..."

There were too many people looking in their direction. Siri sensed it and secretly looked through the corner of his eyes.

Sweating, he instantly withdrew from Li Chunhua’s embrace and coughed before changing his way of calling her, "Granddaughter, I’m glad that you’re alright."

Granddaughter?

Li Chunhua withdrew her head from the elf’s chest and opened her mouth, wanting to ask if Siri had mistaken her for someone else, but before she could do so, Siri grabbed both of her shoulders and turned her to face the car.

(⁠⑉⁠⊙⁠ȏ⁠⊙⁠)

What in the world?

"Who cursed you, Brother Siri?" This was the first thought that came to Li Chunhua’s mind.

"Ji ji ji." (Yellow-haired is like little ginseng. We both became ugly!)

"Don’t ask." Sir stressed the two words through his grinding teeth.

Li Chunhua took a second glance at the reflection on the car once more before muttering with a trembling voice, "Grandmother."

Siri also replied in the same pitch, "Granddaughter..."

--

"I will have someone send my father’s rewards and my compensation to the task center," Gong Panli told Liang Er.

"Alright. Nice dealing with you." Liang Er shook hands with him. While at it, she gave Li Chunhua, who was in the middle of a conversation with her grandmother, a thoughtful look.

Gong Panli cleared his throat before bidding Liang Er and her team goodbye. "Thank you for accepting the mission, Captain Liang. If you have free time, you can join me for a meal someday. For now, I will excuse myself first."

"Then I would take on that offer gladly. Sir Gong, better prepare a feast for us." Liang Er smiled.

"I will." Gong Panli stretched his lips and replied before returning to Li Chunhua’s side.

Liang Er and her team watched Gong Panli say something to the young lady. The group, consisting of six people, was having a conversation for a few seconds before they departed, heading to the isolation rooms.

Once Gong Panli was left, Fin, who had been holding it for a long time, finally spoke, "Leader, how about I..."

"No need. In your thoughts, is Sir Gong a foolish man? Maybe he can really turn the tables around. Fin, go and buy me later tickets for tomorrow’s match. I want to see what sort of miracle will happen."

Fin’s brows furrowed. "Captain, do you also believe that lady will beat Lightning Fist?"

Liang Er replied, "I don’t, but I believe in Sir Gong." That Gong Panli was not a foolish man.

"What happened to your car?" All of a sudden, one of the inspectors shouted, looking in their direction.

Liang Er immediately went over and peeked inside the car her teammates used, and when she saw the three molded faces on the ceiling. "What the..."

----

The three men in Li Chunhua’s trio observed the imposing walls and the level of security displayed at the Metropolitan Base.

Just those sentry towers, cannons, and defense machines and the men observing them from above were enough for anyone to be intimidated.

Li Chunhua remembered the blueprint synthesizer in her temporary inventory. She secretly summoned it out. However, she was unable to reproduce a blueprint.

[System Notification:

-Unable to synthesize. The user needs to be within five meters of range from the target item for the operation to be successful.]

Li Chunhua sighed and stored it back.

Outside the outer wall towering over twenty meters of the Metropolitan Base, there was a large open space with trenches as deep as five meters, metal spikes at the bottom, and men in similar uniforms besides the ones examining the cars could be seen talking with utility workers who were dragging bodies of Undeads towards a large truck, probably to be burned.

These monsters, if not disposed of properly, will attract flies and other insects carrying a lot of disease, and the smell, if left unattended, will be suffocating.

Before an individual can be permitted to enter the base, they need to undergo a series of inspections. Outside the walls, cars will be examined thoroughly in case someone attempts to smuggle anything infected with the Corpse Disease, firearms, or supplies without paying taxes.

The entourage spent another five minutes before they reached the front gate, where they were notified of a mandatory quarantine.

----

Inside one of the isolation rooms reserved for teams, a rectangular table and six chairs were set by the staff.

The people are seated.

Hu, De, and Yu were quite embarrassed to join them for a meal, but since Gong Panli insisted, they stayed. It would be hypocritical to say they weren’t hungry. It’s been two and a half days since they ate.

Throughout those days, they only drank boiled rainwater.

"After finishing registration, what are you planning to do?" Since the dishes have not yet arrived, it doesn’t hurt to have a conversation.

"We’re planning to get jobs, but it seems difficult because we’re ordinary people without abilities. Sir Gong, do you have any suggestions?" Said Brother Hu with eagerness.

"Before all of this, what kind of job did you have?" Gong Panli probed.

"I was in the human resources department. My two brothers were in administrative work." Brother Hu responded, earning Yu’s and De’s nods.

"In that case, I will write a letter of recommendation, but it’s up to your abilities to land the job," Gong Panli offered, which made the three men beam from ear to ear.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Gong, for your kindness. We’ll repay this debt someday."

The three men kept thanking him, never expecting this kind gesture.

"It’s just a small matter." Gong Panli waved his hand.

Li Chunhua, Siri, and Little Mantou looked at each other, and they had the same thoughts. This Gong Panli seemed to be a good man.

After all, anyone who treats her to a free, delicious meal is a good man. Li Chunhua repeated it in her head.

The knob of the door opened, and staff pushing carts came in. They opened the lid covering the dishes, and delicious aromas drifted under the noses of the gluttonous trio. The little ginseng, due to its form, can only cry in grievance.

While Little Mantou rested his butt on the table and Li Chunhua fixed their gazes on the dishes being served on the table, the amount of saliva pooling in their mouths kept increasing as seconds went by.

Despite being unfamiliar with the dishes, it didn’t stop the two from admiring the tantalizing smell, especially the spices.

There were lumps forming on their throats.

If others weren’t present, these two would probably start eating without care for their images. However, they soon noticed something was off. The dishes seemed to be singularly made of one ingredient because they were all in the same color, orange, but this didn’t tamper with the two’s enthusiasm.

The three men and Siri were also looking at the meal, but their reactions were much milder.

After the staff were there, Gong Panli prayed as the host before he introduced the dishes. "This is chumpet stir-fry. This is chumpet-made noodles. This is breaded deep-fried chumpet, and these are pickled chumpets.

These chumpets were grown in the base’s greenhouse. I’m sorry if there aren’t meat dishes. The livestock aren’t doing well lately. Anyway, have a taste."

Right after he said that, a pair of hands picked up the fork and spoon and started stuffing her plate.

"Master, don’t forget about me. Fill my plate too!" Little Mantou anxiously scratched her sleeves.

Li Chunhua spared a minute to fill his plate as well. "Master, I love you." He licked her cheeks, which Li Chunhua wiped with the back of her hand.

Gong Panli smiled.

The three men and Siri also started eating.

When there was no more space on her plate, Li Chunhua was finally satisfied. She licked her lips before picking up the breaded chumpet. She took a bite, and a sweet and rich umami flavor burst into her tongue.

Even though it was meatless, it was still so good. She groaned and took another bite.

Surprisingly, its taste was a mixture of pumpkin, a little honey, and mushrooms.

Little Mantou also started eating his share in an elegant manner, which brought surprises to the people.

Siri was also satisfied and made plans to ask the man later for a lesson.

After finishing the fried chumpet, she tried the rest, and each was a delight. They were cooked and seasoned perfectly. The noodles seemed fresh, not soggy.

The stir-fry was also good. The chumpets retained their crunchy texture, were tender, and there was a slight smoky flavor enhancing the dish.

The blend of spices in the pickled chumpet was crisp, tart, and sweet-sour in the mouth, creating a lingering aftertaste.

Out of the four, the pickled chumpet was the best and most memorable. If she could bring this back to the territory, it would be great.

Suddenly, four screens popped in front of her.

[Chumpet stir-fry, System rating: B]

[Chumpet handmade noodles, System rating: C]

[Breaded deep-fried chumpet, System rating: B]

[Pickled Chumpet, System Rating: A]

[Mission task progress: 1/3]

⁠(⁠◎⁠o⁠◎⁠)

Li Chunhua couldn’t help but exclaim and shed tears of joy. "Finally!"

(Little Baozi: So many dear readers sent me gifts yesterday. Little Baozi is so happy. Thank to Fireyaro, LaJan, Daisiesmp, and Dragonmaiden for the gifts)