Cheng Shuili shook her head, shoving down the dark spiral. No room for that noise.
She rose, pacing the upgraded cart's interior. Level 3 was roomy, letting her stretch without bumping walls. The kitchen nook's induction stove blinked a cool blue, the fridge humming faintly—tangible proof she was outpacing the pack, carving out a better life.
Taking a steadying breath, she opened the chat and deleted [Strawberry Hard Candy] from her friends list. People died. That was the game. Better get used to it.
No pots yet for the fancy stove, so she fired up her scavenged electric cooker. A foil packet of pre-packaged slop hit the boiling water—basic, but it'd do.
Leaning against the counter, she scrolled the trading channel.
[Cocoa]: Three compressed biscuits for one bottle of mineral water. Send trade directly!
[To Grapefruit or Not]: Got a strawberry seedling from a chest. Anyone need it? DM me!
[Wan Yi]: Anyone got a fridge? Need help storing stuff. Can trade with your requests or cook you a few meals—fresh ingredients, handmade!
[Little Panda]: What's the guy above saying? Fridges? Cooking meals? Y'all in the electric age already?
[Xu Lingqi]: Big shot, have mercy! I'm still camping outside. I don't need much—just one meal, Wan Yi boss, please!
Cheng Shuili's brows lifted. Now that's a pitch. She pinged [Wan Yi].
[Crow Takes Flight]: I've got one. Show me your food.
Her reply was instant, photos flooding in: stir-fried green peppers with potato ribbons, braised pork glistening with golden fat, and chili-fried dried tofu, glossy with starch-thickened sauce. A bowl of steaming rice capped it.
This wasn't just food—she had spices, starch, the works. A culinary wizard in this wasteland. Chosen chef.
Her mind raced. Day four, and this guy was whipping up feasts? Jackpot. Food was king here, a shield against the sword of Damocles dangling over everyone. Another day of vitamin water and biscuits? She'd rather eat dirt.
Long-term deal, locked in. She snapped a fridge pic and fired it off.
[Crow Takes Flight]: Pretty big. I don't need much, maybe chill some drinks. If you're in, we can work long-term.
She hit send, hoping he wasn't a greedy leech. Gourmet or not, she'd ditch him if he played dirty.
His reply came fast, like he'd been glued to the screen.
[Wan Yi]: Bigger than I thought, meets my needs.
[Wan Yi]: I'd need to hand over ingredients for you to store. Crow boss, you won't run off with my stuff, right? I give you my goods today, then can't reach you tomorrow—what then?
Her fingers hovered. Fair worry. Trust was rarer than a full stomach in this kill-or-be-killed hellscape. The cooker gurgled, the foil packet's cheap spice stench turning her stomach.
[Crow Takes Flight]: I get your worry. How about this: first trade, we go small? You store a few key ingredients with me, and I'll give you equal-value items as collateral.
She wasn't running a soup kitchen. Trust cost something, but she'd never eat a loss.
[Crow Takes Flight]: But you'd better keep your word about cooking.
Silence. She prodded.
[Crow Takes Flight: No meals?
[Wan Yi]: Of course, I've got food for you. I just… uh, my image of you shattered. I thought Crow boss was the type to skip meals, chomping biscuits, racing ahead every second.
Cheng Shuili snorted. Rude.
[Wan Yi]: And you were so fierce roasting folks in the channel, I thought you'd be tough to deal with. Didn't expect you to be so chill.
[Wan Yi]: No need for collateral. I don't have much storage anyway. I trust you.
[Wan Yi]: I screenshotted this. If you run with my stuff, I'll blast you in the channel. Unless you're done trading forever, you wouldn't, right?
She blinked. Speechless, with a twinge of warmth. What's this feeling?
Deal done.
"You received a gift from player [Wan Yi]: Eggplants x2, Tomatoes x5, Carrots x3, Potatoes x8…"
Plus a three-pound pork slab and an unscaled fish. Was this guy hacking? No way she'd scavenged this much legit. She bit her tongue—trust was fragile, no need to poke.
[Wan Yi]: You know how to store this, right? Meat in the freezer, veggies in the crisper. If you can, bag them separately.
[Wan Yi]: Tell me a day ahead what you want to eat. If I can make it, it's yours. Got fresh ingredients? Hit me up, I'll cook free.
She nodded, a weight lifting. Food security? Check.
[Crow Takes Flight: Got dinner tonight?
"You received a gift from player [Wan Yi]: Chili-Fried Dried Tofu x1, Rice x1."
Two dishes materialized on her table, steam curling, scents hitting like a punch. Her mouth watered, throat bobbing.
The tofu's amber sauce shimmered under the cart's light, green and red pepper threads dancing, sesame seeds clinging. The rice steamed, grains plump and pearlescent, mocking her sad biscuits. She pinched a piece, the heat stinging her fingers, and popped it in. The sauce exploded, flavors bursting across her tongue.
Cheng Shuili froze, savoring. This… this is living.