The next morning, 6:00 AM.
The piercing bugle call tore through the Gobi sky.
Expert Compound No. 1.
Xiao Zhan’s eyes snapped open the instant the bugle sounded.
Years of special operations meant no transition was needed—his mind was instantly clear.
He rolled out of bed, and in that same motion, the blanket was already folded into a perfect, regulation square.
Three minutes.
Wash up. Tidy the room. Fully dressed.
Standing before the mirror in the outer room, Xiao Zhan adjusted his collar and glanced at his watch.
6:05 AM.
The inner room was completely silent—not even the sound of turning over.
His brow sharpened, recalling last night’s threat: “If you don’t get up, I’ll pour cold water on you.”
At the base, his word was law. If he said something, it stood. And this girl dared challenge his authority?
He strode to the corner, grabbed the chipped enamel basin, and filled it halfway with bone-chilling well water from the courtyard tap.
Carrying the basin, he kicked open the inner door with a gust of wind.
“Su Yun! Get up!”
His voice boomed like a drill sergeant on the training field.
The lump under the quilt squirmed slightly… then went still again.
Xiao Zhan stepped to the bedside, towering over the half-hidden sleeper.
Su Yun was curled entirely under the blanket, only a bit of messy hair sticking out, breathing slow and deep—completely dead to the world.
“Playing dead, huh?”
He sneered, lifting the basin as if to pour.
Just then, Su Yun seemed to sense the cold. She instinctively burrowed deeper into the blanket and mumbled in her sleep:
“…braised pork… don’t run…”
Her voice was soft and hoarse with sleep, like a half-weaned kitten.
Xiao Zhan’s hand froze midair.
That basin of water… he just couldn’t pour it.
This girl was fragile as paper. Yesterday, just lifting a thermos nearly burned her foot. If he actually dumped cold well water on her, she’d probably spike a fever before even reaching the infirmary.
And Liu Jianguo would strangle him with blueprints.
“Damn it.”
He cursed under his breath, setting the basin down heavily on the bedside table, water sloshing everywhere.
“You don’t take the easy way, huh…”
He bent down—not to wake her—but to roll her up in the blanket like a burrito.
With a heave, he slung her over his shoulder like a sack of rice.
The world spun.
Su Yun felt a sudden sense of weightlessness. Half-awake, she opened her eyes to the sight of Xiao Zhan’s broad, solid back and the swaying ground beneath.
“…Is it an earthquake?”
Her brain hadn’t booted up yet—still in standby confusion.
“Earthquake my ass.”
Xiao Zhan smacked the blanket where her backside was. “We’re going to eat!”
6:30 AM — Base Mess Hall
This was peak breakfast hour.
Researchers in white coats and soldiers in uniform lined up for food.
“Is that… Captain Xiao?” someone whispered.
All eyes turned toward the entrance.
Xiao Zhan strode in, tall and imposing in his training uniform, radiating killing intent.
That wasn’t unusual.
What was unusual—was the bundle on his shoulder.
No… not a bundle.
A messy head poked out from inside the blanket.
Su Yun was finally about 70–80% awake.
Though the jostling made her stomach churn, the smell of steamed buns in the air instantly activated her internal system.
Warning: Energy reserves below 10%. Immediate carbohydrate intake required.
“Put me down.”
She tapped Xiao Zhan weakly. “I’m going to throw up.”
He walked to an empty table and dumped her onto a chair like unloading cargo.
Su Yun wriggled out of the blanket, her hair a complete mess, her pale face flushed oddly from being upside down.
To onlookers, she looked… completely disheveled—like she’d just been dragged out of bed.
Whispers exploded around them.
“Who is she? Captain Xiao brought her?”
“Heard a special recruit arrived yesterday—that’s her?”
“This is… kind of inappropriate, isn’t it? In public…”
Su Yun heard none of it.
Her eyes were locked on the “braised pork” counter… even though breakfast didn’t have any.
“Sit still.”
Xiao Zhan shot a glare at the gossiping crowd. His murderous gaze silenced them instantly.
Then he turned and walked to the serving window.
The head cook, ladling porridge, grinned. “Captain Xiao, same as usual? Five buns and a bowl of porridge?”
“No.”
Xiao Zhan pointed at the last tray of minced meat vermicelli. “That. All of it.”
The cook’s hand trembled. “That’s for the whole company—”
“I’ll pay double meal tickets.”
His tone brooked no argument. “And ten meat buns, five boiled eggs, two bowls of millet porridge.”
The cook swallowed hard, scooping food. “Captain Xiao… are you preparing for hibernation?”
No answer.
Xiao Zhan returned carrying two trays piled like mountains.
Su Yun’s eyes lit up.
She grabbed a meat bun and stuffed it into her mouth.
【Energy +0.5%… +0.5%…】
Xiao Zhan sat opposite her, watching her devour food like a starving ghost, brows tightly furrowed.
“Slow down. No one’s stealing it.”
He sounded annoyed—but his hands picked up a boiled egg.
With rough, calloused fingers, he cracked and peeled it cleanly in seconds.
He instinctively moved to eat it—
But Su Yun had just finished a bun and was staring at the egg like a starving puppy eyeing a bone.
He paused.
“Fine, take it! Choke on it!”
He tossed the egg into her porridge.
Su Yun didn’t mind at all—she scooped it up and ate, cheeks puffed. “Thanks, nanny.”
“I’m the captain!” he snapped, grabbing another egg to peel.
At that moment, a group entered the mess hall.
At the front was a female military doctor with a high ponytail, neat and elegant, a pen gleaming on her chest.
Lin Wanwan — the “flower” of the base medical unit, daughter of Liu Jianguo’s old comrade, long admired by many.
Her aluminum lunch box clanged to the floor.
What was she seeing?
The feared “King of Hell Xiao,” who even dared slam tables in front of superiors—was peeling eggs for a messy, disheveled girl?
“Wanwan, isn’t that Captain Xiao?” a nurse whispered. “Who’s that girl? Why is she dressed like that?”
Lin Wanwan stared at Su Yun.
Her skin was dazzlingly pale. Even with chaotic hair, she radiated a fragile, alluring charm.
Especially those watery eyes—focused on food, yet looking like she’d just been wronged.
A strange sense of crisis crept into Lin Wanwan’s heart.
Xiao Zhan was her chosen man.
Everyone in the base knew it. He had never treated her warmly—but he had never treated any woman like this.
“Let’s go take a look.”
She picked up her lunch box, composed herself, and walked over with a polite smile.
“Captain Xiao, what a coincidence.”
Without looking up, Xiao Zhan muttered, “Not really. There’s only one mess hall.”
Her smile stiffened.
She turned to Su Yun. “And this comrade is…? I haven’t seen you before. A new family member?”
Su Yun was busy conquering the vermicelli—soaked in meat juices, perfect for recovery.
She glanced up briefly, sauce still at the corner of her mouth.
“I’m his boss.”
She said it casually.
“Boss?” Lin Wanwan blinked, then laughed. “You’re funny. Captain Xiao is a decorated officer. Where would he get a boss?”
Her tone carried faint disdain.
Uneducated, clearly.
“She’s not right in the head.”
Xiao Zhan shoved the peeled egg into Su Yun’s hand and finally glanced at Lin Wanwan. “Doctor Lin, need something?”
The dismissal was obvious.
Lin Wanwan forced her smile. “Just wanted to meet a new comrade.”
Her gaze flicked to the egg in Su Yun’s hand, jealousy bubbling.
“Oh right—Captain Xiao, you said you’d come get liniment from the clinic. I brought some—”
“No need.”
He pointed at Su Yun. “New assignment. No time.”
“Assignment?” Lin Wanwan looked at Su Yun skeptically. “Taking care of a patient?”
“Something like that.”
Seeing Su Yun reach for a fourth bun, Xiao Zhan smacked her hand lightly. “Less bread. Drink your porridge! That vermicelli wasn’t salty enough for you?”
“Ow…”
Su Yun withdrew her hand, eyes instantly reddening.
Lin Wanwan was stunned.
That’s all it took to make her cry?
Worse—Xiao Zhan didn’t get angry. Instead, he grabbed the bun away and pushed his untouched porridge toward her.
“Alright, stop leaking. Eat this—it’s better for your stomach.”
Gruff voice… gentle action.
Lin Wanwan felt her worldview shatter.
Was this the same Xiao Zhan who trained recruits until they cried and broke a hooligan’s wrist for harassing a woman?
Who was this girl?
Su Yun sipped the warm porridge, her stomach filling with heat.
Energy restored: 25%. Processing unlocked: Level 1 modeling.
She sighed in contentment and finally looked properly at Lin Wanwan.
Pretty enough—but that hostile gaze…
Ah. Rival.
Su Yun had seen plenty like this in the apocalypse—people fighting over resources and men.
But she had no time for petty rivalry.
She was thinking about how good that vermicelli was—and how Xiao Zhan needed to get her more at lunch.
“Doctor Lin, right?”
She wiped her mouth with Xiao Zhan’s handkerchief.
“Yes.” Lin Wanwan straightened.
“Do you have sugar?”
“…Sugar?”
“This porridge isn’t sweet. No flavor.”
Su Yun pushed the bowl aside, looking displeased. “I want something sweet.”
Lin Wanwan: “……”
Sugar was precious. Did this woman think it grew on trees?
Before she could lecture about frugality, Xiao Zhan pulled out a handful of White Rabbit candies—stuff Liu Jianguo had forced on him yesterday to “pacify the child.”
He slapped them onto the table, unwrapped one, and dropped it into her porridge.
“Eat! Eat yourself to death!”
Lin Wanwan stared at the candy melting slowly into the hot porridge.
That was something she only dared eat during the New Year.
Her mentality… completely collapsed.