Gu Han didn’t answer Jiang Lingyue’s question. Instead, he silently removed the backpack from his shoulders, pulled open the zipper, and dumped everything inside onto the spotless floor.
Clatter.
Several packs of vacuum-sealed biscuits, two bottles of slightly murky bottled water, a small sealed bag of rice, and a few scattered cans rolled out.
That was his entire haul from the afternoon.
In the apocalypse, this was already considered a fairly good harvest enough for an ordinary survivor to live safely for a week.
But Jiang Lingyue only glanced at it and curled her lips.
That’s it?
She had thought that with an S-class powerhouse going out, he’d bring back half the supermarket.
“That’s all?” she asked, a little disappointed.
Gu Han’s expression darkened slightly. Without speaking, he reached into his pocket and tossed two more items beside the pile of supplies.
They were two crystal stones the size of pigeon eggs, perfectly clear and faintly emitting a pale icy aura.
“What’s this?” Jiang Lingyue walked over curiously, squatting down to poke the crystals.
They felt cold to the touch and actually looked quite pretty.
Seeing her clueless expression, Gu Han’s eyes flashed with something complicated.
He had assumed that someone as mysterious as her would know what crystal cores were.
“Crystal cores,” he said briefly. “From the brains of mutated zombies. They can be absorbed to increase one’s abilities.”
“Oh…” Jiang Lingyue suddenly understood.
So these are crystal cores! The currency in the system shop!
She quickly picked them up and played with them in her palm.
This is money! I wonder what good stuff these two can buy.
Just as she was thinking that, the system’s voice sounded in her mind.
Detected: Host has obtained two D-rank Ice Attribute Crystal Cores. They have been automatically stored in the system account.
Account Balance: 2 D-rank Crystal Cores.
First acquisition of crystal cores detected. System Shop (Basic) unlocked. Would you like to open the shop interface?
“Open it! Open it right now!” Jiang Lingyue shouted excitedly in her mind.
The next second, a translucent interface something like an online shopping app appeared before her eyes, visible only to her.
The shop interface was simple, divided into several categories.
Food Section, Daily Supplies, Weapons, Special Items.
At the moment, only the Food Section was lit up. The other areas were greyed out, labeled “Locked.”
Jiang Lingyue eagerly tapped the Food Section.
A dazzling list of products popped up.
Mineral Water (500ml): 0.1 D-rank crystal core.
Self-heating rice (fish-flavored shredded pork): 0.5 D-rank crystal core.
Luxury single-serving barbecue set: 2 D-rank crystal cores.
Fresh fruit platter: 3 D-rank crystal cores.
Jiang Lingyue almost started drooling.
Self-heating rice! Barbecue! Fresh fruit!
These were things she wouldn’t even dare dream about in the apocalypse!
Her eyes scanned the list quickly until they stopped on a product she simply couldn’t look away from.
Freshly Roasted Fruitwood Crispy Roast Chicken: 1 D-rank crystal core
Roast chicken!
A whole roast chicken!
And she had exactly two D-rank crystal cores!
Exchange it! I must exchange one!
Without hesitation, Jiang Lingyue selected “Redeem.”
Confirm redemption of “Freshly Roasted Fruitwood Crispy Roast Chicken” x1?
“Confirm! Confirm!”
Exchange successful. Item has been delivered to the system backpack. Please check.
Jiang Lingyue felt her vision blur for a moment. The next second, a huge food box appeared in her hands out of thin air.
The box was still warm.
She immediately opened the lid.
Boom.
An indescribably rich aroma exploded through the entire lobby.
It was the smoky fragrance of roasted meat mixed with the sweet scent of fruitwood and layers of spices, so rich it almost felt tangible, rushing straight into the nose and stirring the most primitive hunger.
Inside the box lay a whole roast chicken, golden and glistening with oil, still sizzling softly.
Its skin was crispy and beautifully colored, sprinkled with herbs and spices. Just looking at it made saliva flood one’s mouth.
“Oh my god…”
Jiang Lingyue stared at the roast chicken, eyes wide, completely immersed in overwhelming happiness totally unaware of Gu Han’s reaction beside her.
At that moment, Gu Han had completely frozen.
He stared at the roast chicken that had just appeared out of nowhere in Jiang Lingyue’s hands, his mind going blank.
What was that?
Roast chicken?
Hot… steaming roast chicken?
He could smell the rich meat aroma that made every cell in his body scream.
How… how is this possible?
What did she just do?
She had simply crouched down, picked up the two crystal cores, and then… a roast chicken appeared?
Gu Han’s worldview was violently shaken at that moment.
Crystal cores were the most important strategic resource in the apocalypse.
Major bases even waged wars to compete for high-level cores. Ability users risked their lives to obtain just one from the brains of powerful mutated zombies.
Their purpose had always been to increase strength to make the strong even stronger to help humanity survive and fight back.
No one had ever imagined and no one had ever done turning crystal cores into… food.
And not just any food.
Fresh, hot, dripping-with-oil roast chicken something that, in the apocalypse, was nothing short of a miracle.
This completely exceeded his understanding.
What kind of power was this? Creating things out of thin air?
No… not exactly.
It was exchange.
He remembered Jiang Lingyue’s earlier words. She had said crystal cores were “money.”
Now he finally understood.
One tiny D-rank crystal core… in exchange for an entire roast chicken?
The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
He remembered how, back at the base, he had to complete extremely dangerous missions just to exchange for a piece of bread. He remembered survivors betraying companions over a few crackers.
Food in the apocalypse was more valuable than gold.
And now this woman had effortlessly produced a dish that would drive any survivor mad with desire.
When he looked at Jiang Lingyue again, his gaze had completely changed.
Before, he had only felt wariness and curiosity toward her.
Now there was deep shock and something he himself hadn’t even noticed yet…
Fervor.
He suddenly understood.
This hotel, this woman what she possessed was a power capable of overturning the entire order of the apocalypse.
Meanwhile, Jiang Lingyue was completely absorbed in the temptation of food.
She put on the disposable gloves provided by the system and tore off a glossy chicken drumstick.
Crack.
The crispy skin split open, revealing tender, juicy white meat beneath.
She opened her mouth and took a huge bite.
“Mmm!”
It was delicious!
The skin was fragrant and crispy, the meat tender and juicy, perfectly seasoned with a hint of fruity sweetness from the wood smoke.
It tasted even better than any roast chicken she remembered eating before the apocalypse.
Jiang Lingyue happily squinted her eyes and quickly finished the entire drumstick.
Smacking her lips, still unsatisfied, she reached for the other drumstick then looked up and met Gu Han’s fixed gaze.
His eyes looked like those of a wolf that had been starving for ten or fifteen days dark green, burning with a kind of… desire.
Jiang Lingyue felt a little uneasy under his stare and paused mid-motion.
Only then did she remember that the two crystal cores had been obtained through his hard work.
And here she was eating alone…
That seemed… a bit unfair.
She hesitated, looking at the roast chicken in her hand, then at Gu Han.
Fine, fine. Considering he did pretty well today.
With some reluctance, she tore off the untouched drumstick and handed it to him.
“Here. This is for you. Today’s bonus.”
Gu Han stared at the drumstick held out before him, still dripping with oil.
His Adam’s apple rolled uncontrollably.
He didn’t reach out immediately.
Instead, he stared at the piece of meat intensely.
The heart he had frozen for five years cracked open at that moment torn apart by the sight of this roast chicken.
A crystal-clear thought took root and grew wildly in his mind.
Work for her.
Bring her crystal cores.
And he could… live like this.