Why Can't Our Kitchen Make Food Fit for the Living?

[Quest: Head to the Operational Camp] [Description: Our heartfelt thanks to you, volunteers from Outpost 404! The reinforcements escorting you to the operational camp have arrived at the north gate of Wetland Park. We have prepared warm barracks for you ten kilometers away. Please follow us now!] [Requirements: Follow the personnel of the Pioneer to the operational camp to unlock follow-up quests.] [Reward: 10 Event Points] At the north gate of the outpost. The fully geared players had assembled. Far from looking like laborers heading out to haul bricks, they looked more like they were going on an outing. The players who had failed to secure a spot looked on with envy. When they heard that just arriving at the destination granted ten points, their envy and jealousy nearly drove them to tears! "Just unlocking the map gives ten points? How is that fair?" "The expansion just dropped and the gap's already being forced wide open! Is this reasonable?" "It makes zero sense! Completely unfair!" "Call in Daddy Dev!" Naturally, it was completely useless. Those who made the cut were the majority; those left behind were the minority. Standing among the lucky few, Fang Chang chuckled and called out, "Don't panic, boys! We're just going ahead to scout out the path for you! The second we find anything good, I'll post an update on the forum! That way, you won't have to cross the river by feeling for stones when you get there!" Having missed out on the roster, Mole on the Run from the Canyon instantly hollered back, "Screw off! Have you no shame? You're feeling up all the damn stones by yourself! And what about your dungeon? You've only got priority exploration rights for seven days!" Fang Chang grinned. "Run a dungeon? How can a dungeon smell as sweet as a brand-new map? How about you help me run it for three days first?" Mole on the Run from the Canyon snapped, "Piss off!" In the distance, a jet-black suit of power armor emerged from the snow-covered forest, striding toward the outpost's north gate. Arriving just outside the market by the north gate, Chu Guang shook Captain Lu Yang's outstretched right hand with a smile. "I leave my residents in your hands." Lu Yang wore a solemn, serious expression as he pledged earnestly, "I swear upon my honor and credit score, I will ensure the safety of every single one of them!" What Chu Guang actually wanted to say was that there was no need to try so hard. If someone accidentally died, it was no big deal—just pay compensation. Not much. One thousand CR would do. Still, what on earth was a credit score? Meanwhile, the players standing around noticed that the beggar-tier armor on their Administrator was gone. In its place was an exoskeleton that looked exceedingly expensive. A hammer still hung from his back, but beside it was a handsome, stylish rifle. It was a bit of a mishmash of elements, but it was wasteland as hell! Of course, what shocked them most was that their esteemed Administrator had changed gear yet again! "Holy crap! Look at the Administrator's exoskeleton!" "Huh? When did he swap his gear?!" "Good lord, Fallout 2077 turned into Cyberpunk 2077!" "Look at you bumpkins who've never seen the world! Didn't Brother Mole break it down on the forum earlier? The NPCs in this game get stronger based on the players' actions! Analyzing rationally, it's definitely because we worked so hard on quests that the Administrator unlocked a new skin!" "Solid! This game is way too realistic!" "Keep pushing, boys! Let's get the Administrator into power armor!" "Let's get it!" While the captain talked with the Administrator, Luo Hua stood nearby waiting to see them off. Glancing at his unresponsive VM, he grimaced. "Why is this translation function always working one second and broken the next?" Ai Si remained silent. Luo Hua pressed on, "Hey, what do you think they're talking about?" Ai Si said nothing. Luo Hua sighed. "Aren't you even a little curious? Fine, pretend I didn't ask... I'm going to boil some water and reconstitute the freeze-dried rations." "I want the corn one," Ai Si said. Luo Hua: "..." After seeing Captain Lu Yang and the players off, Chu Guang waved at their departing figures. His eyes then caught Luo Hua, who was chattering away nearby. That guy clearly looked like the type who couldn't keep his mouth shut. His mind stirring slightly, Chu Guang suddenly had an idea. Still, it was far too early; nowhere near mealtime. He had things to take care of shortly anyway, so he decided to revisit it when he returned this evening. ... Marching across the wilderness, a ten-kilometer trek normally took around two hundred minutes, though the terrain was slightly easier to navigate than the city streets. To clear the snow along the road for the shelter residents, Lu Yang had brought an off-road vehicle fitted with a snowplow on the front bumper, driving ahead to clear the path. The shelter residents were in exceptionally high spirits and possessed impressive physical stamina. Lu Yang had initially worried they might tire themselves out, only to realize his concern was entirely superfluous. A journey that should have taken two hundred minutes was completed in just two hours. Before ten in the morning, the group arrived in the vicinity of the land fortress Pioneer. Gazing upon the four mountain-like, interconnected steel fortresses, many players wore stunned, excited expressions. The colossal behemoth sat upon the wasteland. Behind its towering tracks stretched massive furrows reaching toward the horizon, seemingly without end. Whether grass, towering trees, shattered highways, or abandoned rural houses, everything beneath its tread had been ground into rubble. No road lay before it. Wherever it passed became the road. Looking up at the towering fortress, Spare the Life Under the Blade—a civil engineering hound—stood with his eyes wide, head tilted back just like the other players. Before such a magnificent engineering miracle, he felt like an insignificant primitive man marveling at a wonder never before heard of. Even with people constantly reminding themselves that this was just a game, the immersive awe was undeniably real. His Adam's apple bobbed for several moments before he squeezed out two words. "Holy crap..." This was simply breathtaking! Standing not far from him, Ye Shi also looked up and uttered a "holy crap." However, the awe he felt was entirely different in meaning from what Spare the Life Under the Blade experienced. "...This expansion is so damn generous!" It was truly rare for a game to showcase such top-tier assets during a closed beta. The players continued forward behind the NPCs. When they reached the operational camp beside the Pioneer, they happened to see the massive land fortress deploy a gantry-like crane structure. Using mechanical cantilever arms, it detached a container-like module from its body and lowered it onto an open plot of ground about five meters from the steel platform. Dust billowed into the air. Workers in gray trench coats stepped forward, pulled an arm-thick cable from the side of the fortress platform, plugged it into the newly deployed ground module, and entered parameters on a touchscreen. Power surged. The machinery started running with a low hum, though no one could tell what was being produced inside. The two survivors acting as assistants beside Old Luka stared with wide eyes, exchanging awestruck glances. "What is that?" "A production module," Captain Lu Yang explained with a smile, overhearing their conversation. "That should be a carbon dioxide capture unit for producing starch and glucose. In a bit, we'll deploy another one to synthesize long-chain alkanes and alkenes. The last ones to come down will be the alloy smelting module and the machining workshop." "There's no rush on those, though. We can continue deploying them after your people finish resting and head out!" Deploying these modular production facilities kicked up massive clouds of dust, so they preferred to carry out construction when fewer people were around the operational camp. The two locals looked at each other in bewilderment. They had no idea what this man dressed like a tin can was talking about, nor did they understand why they had to wait until departure before continuing. Old Luka understood a little, but only the latter half. As for carbon dioxide capture units, long-chain alkanes, and alkenes... He simply treated them as some kind of rare junk that was hard to scavenge. ... The operational camp where the players were stationed was right next to the fortress, less than a hundred meters away. All the barracks had been "sprayed" into existence using thermally activated polymers, so the entire camp had been built in just a single night. From a distance, the structures looked like concrete; up close, they felt like plastic. Though lightweight to the touch, their structural integrity was top-notch, offering excellent thermal insulation and soundproofing. There were five rows of barracks in total, with a layout very similar to prefabricated modular housing on construction sites. Each building had two floors, with twenty-two single rooms per floor. Every room measured three by four meters—more than enough space for a single bed and a folding table—making them slightly roomier than the rooms in the shelter. In addition, a communal bathhouse and gender-segregated restrooms were located right in the center of the camp, with a water storage tank on the second floor. Counting the central common area, the entire camp spanned fifteen mu, roughly equivalent to a four-hundred-meter running track. The floor area ratio was quite decent, and it even felt a bit more spacious than the players' outpost. On the perimeter, two quadcopter drones and two remote-controlled all-terrain tracked vehicles patrolled, tasked with clearing any approaching Gnawers or other threats. Meeting Li De at the barracks entrance, Luka felt somewhat awkward. But remembering that he represented the esteemed Administrator, he straightened his back. "Greetings, honorable sir. I am Luka from Shelter 404. I convey the warmest regards on behalf of my master. During our cooperation, I will be responsible for liaising with the shelter residents. Should you require anything, please communicate through me." Although hearing the title "master" from someone associated with a shelter sounded odd, Li De said nothing. The East Coast was hardly devoid of slaves. Lower-tier employees in certain enterprises were nominally hired laborers, but in practice differed little from slaves. If they stopped working, they would soon be evicted from employee dormitories, and eviction meant death. Of course, benefits for mid-level staff were quite good, to say nothing of someone at his level. To prepare this First Pioneer Corps, the Silverwing Group had invested heavily. Their standard of living was practically identical to what they enjoyed on the East Coast—if anything, even slightly better. The only drawback was being so far from home. Looking at Old Luka, Li De nodded. "I've already been briefed by our liaison. My colleague will coordinate the upcoming work assignments with you." With that, the man standing beside Li De broke into a smile and proactively offered his right hand. "Hello, my name is Weite! A pleasure to work with you!" Old Luka hurriedly took his hand and shook it. "Hello! I'm Luka..." "I heard just now. Relax, I came from a shelter myself, though it's been quite a few years. Treat this place like home. If you have any questions, you can contact me anytime." Weite winked, seemingly an easygoing fellow. "All right, I'll leave this to you. I still need to go hurry our engineers along." Li De patted Weite's shoulder, gave Old Luka another nod, and left alongside Captain Lu Yang. Old Luka's posture remained somewhat stiff. He wanted to say that despite wearing a VM, he didn't actually come from a shelter, but explaining seemed unnecessary. Weite didn't dwell on it either. Efficiently pulling a folding computer from his pocket, he slid open the flexible display nested inside and began handing over the newly completed operational barracks. "Long story short, this operational camp belongs to you now. For the duration of our partnership, we will be responsible for your security, and our water tankers will deliver water free of charge. The barracks are fitted with hydronic heating pipes connected to the boiler in the central facility. It works wonderfully; you just need to keep the water boiling, and residual heat can be used for bath water. However, we're only responsible for delivering water. You'll have to source your own firewood or coal for heating it." "That shouldn't be hard to solve. The one thing not lacking around here is wood; there's a forest a short distance to the west. Still, I recommend gathering toward the east if you can. Our fortress knocked down plenty of timber on its way here, so you can just salvage that." "Next is today's assignment. Our scouts discovered an underground parking garage beneath a community hospital in the abandoned town to the north. Around two thousand vehicle wrecks of high salvage value are parked inside. We need their frames, doors, wheel hubs, hoods, suspensions... basically all recyclable metals stripped down." "Our marines have already cleared the mutants there. Your job is to use the equipment we provide to cut and dismantle the salvageable parts, then compress them into cubes with a press and load them onto our transport trucks." "Due to terrain constraints, our transports cannot penetrate deep into the urban area. The road conditions there are terrible; you'll see when you get there. In short, it's about eight hundred meters from the community hospital to the pickup point, so you'll have to haul the material manually using handcarts." "That covers the work. If there are new arrangements, I'll notify you. It's ten fifteen now; go ahead and get your people settled. We depart promptly at noon and regroup to return at six in the evening. There won't be time for meals during that period, so you'd better prepare dry rations." "If you need to purchase supplies, tally them up and submit the list to me. You currently have a budget of six hundred CR, and today's compensation will be settled at midnight." Luka nodded. "Understood." ... The players quickly sorted out room assignments. Once cookware was delivered, Luka immediately issued a quest via VM, recruiting several players with production occupations to set up a massive cauldron in the center of the barracks and start a fire to cook. Right around then, a water tanker drove up to pump water through hoses into the central storage tank. While the tank was being filled, two drivers from the logistics department took down two tubs of freeze-dried rations from the truck and poured boiling water into them. This food was convenient. Just add boiling water and it was ready to eat—packed with carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins. It was hygienic and nutritious, with five flavors to choose from. Normally, if they had work in the afternoon and couldn't be bothered to ride the elevator back into the fortress, they made do with this. They had heard earlier that the logistics department initially planned to deploy a mobile kitchen on the ground, but the shelter residents had actually refused, saying they'd rather receive the money directly in cash. Who knew what those bluecoats were thinking! Regardless, upon hearing that their allies wanted to cook for themselves, their stingy supervisor promptly canceled the plan to deploy a mobile kitchen. After all, their personnel ate inside the fortress most of the time, rarely going out on ground duty. Deploying a massive piece of hardware to cook for just a handful of people really wasn't worth the trouble; tossing them some cash was far easier. Leaning against the tanker's door, the two drivers watched the shelter residents boiling a giant pot of food while waiting for their freeze-dried meals to reconstitute, chatting idly. "What are they doing?" "Looks like peeling potatoes? Are those potatoes?" "I heard they're called ram horn potatoes. Probably some mutant potato... Look, they've started boiling water." "Cooking over firewood? That's seriously primitive. They could at least use an electric stove. Then again, why aren't they throwing the potatoes straight into the pot? Why put them over it?" "Maybe they want to use steam to cook the potatoes... Now I'm kind of curious. Can food made like that actually taste good?" The two exchanged a knowing look and spoke simultaneously. "I'm going to trade with them." ... A long line formed in the camp. Holding the ladle, Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes shouted before the cauldron, "One portion per person, everyone gets some! No cutting in line, no panicking! We're the lucky bastards with early access to the expansion! Don't let the spectators on the forum laugh at us!" Finally reaching the front, WC Really Has Mosquitoes held his mess tin, moved to tears. "So nostalgic! It's been ages since I had big-pot food cooked by Scrambled Eggs!" Ye Shi, who had just received his portion, sighed as well. "Ah, nostalgia plus one. Seriously, which version was it when our respected Administrator stopped feeding us?" Clutching his mess tin, WC Really Has Mosquitoes said, "I remember! After the currency system was implemented in Alpha 0.3, buying food cost money! Man, talk about nostalgia. Back then nobody knew how to cook, so we'd buy a potato, squat in the square, and gnaw on it raw!" "Right, right, haha, I remember now! It wasn't until the north gate market opened that production players started selling stews over there." "A pity Boss Crow refuses to sell the mushrooms that let you see little people." "Speaking of which, where is Boss Crow?" "Probably didn't secure a spot. She never manages to catch anything good." Just then, two NPCs in gray trench coats approached—seemingly the two who had driven the water tanker earlier. "Hey." One of them raised a hand in friendly greeting. Mosquito and Ye Shi exchanged glances, then turned toward them. "What's up?" One of the NPCs pointed at the untouched meal in Ye Shi's hands, then pointed to the tub of "instant noodles" in his own, babbling something incomprehensible. Even without understanding the language, body language was something even monkeys could grasp. Combined with facial expressions and tone, guessing the general idea was child's play. Mosquito: "Looks like he wants to trade with us?" Ye Shi: "Trade or not?" Mosquito: "Duh, of course we trade! Why wouldn't we? Let's see what their food tastes like." Ye Shi's eyes lit up. "Great idea!" The two players cheerfully handed their packed meals to the tanker drivers and took the instant meals in return. Exchanging thanks in their respective languages, the two NPCs quickly slipped off to the side. Ye Shi and Mosquito paid them no further mind, eagerly prying open the lids of the containers. "Let me see what's inside." "Instant noodles? Wait, doesn't look like it?" "Damn! How many dehydrated veggies did they pack into this? What even is all this?" "I heavily suspect they dumped noodles into a pile of freeze-dried vegetables!" "Smells pretty good though." "Still doesn't beat Brother Scrambled Eggs' mashed potatoes! Ah, what a pity Tengteng isn't here. Ever since Brother Scrambled Eggs quit cooking to become a butcher, she hasn't had this in forever, right?" Having accepted the packed meals from the shelter residents as if they were treasures, the two NPCs opened them and clumsily scooped a mound of mashed potatoes into their mouths with wooden spoons. Instant delight washed over their faces. "This is... great!" "Good, so good!" "Mashing the ram horn potatoes and mixing them with soy sauce and minced meat? The texture is kind of like potatoes, but not quite. Incredible." "This stewed meat is delicious too! What kind of meat is it?" "Who cares! It's way more satisfying than plant-based meat anyway!" The two wolfed down every scrap, still craving more. Returning the empty tins to the shelter residents, they exchanged a glance, instantly reached an agreement, and hurried back to fetch two more tubs of noodles. Excitedly tracking down another pair of shelter residents who had just received their meals, they gestured wildly just like before, attempting to swindle the packed meals out of their hands. Having never seen such a bizarre sight, the players didn't even consider refusing and decisively traded their portions away. After devouring their second round, the two NPCs finally returned to the water tanker in utter satisfaction, driving the emptied vehicle out of the camp toward the garage beside the Pioneer. "I haven't had food this delicious since leaving the East Coast!" "Same here! Compared to that ram horn potato mash, those dried vegetables are pure trash! Pui!" "Agreed! Why can't our kitchen make food fit for the living? Is upgrading the program really that hard? We can clearly grow potatoes!" Tallying the supplies about to be transferred to Shelter 404, Li De happened to overhear the conversation between the two men stepping out of the garage. His expression froze slightly. Ram horn potato mash? Dried vegetables are trash? What kind of nonsense were these two idiots spouting?