“Thank you for listening to today’s base broadcast. We will see you again tomorrow.”
As the broadcast concluded, the radio was left with nothing but the crackling of static. Lu Shiyu had just finished brushing her teeth and wiped her face with a towel. She stepped forward, pressed the power button on the radio, changed her clothes, and went downstairs to prepare for opening.
The house Lu Shiyu lived in was a standalone two-story building. The second floor served as her living quarters, while the first floor was a moderately sized restaurant. A prominent sign hung above the main entrance of the dining area:
Lu’s Set Meal House.
Lu Shiyu had just finished tying her apron when a man walked through the back door holding a receipt.
“Sister Lu, the base greenhouse wasn’t selling tomatoes today. I only managed to get mushrooms. However, I saw potatoes among the discounted items, so I bought a few extra bags.”
Lu Shiyu leaned over to look. Outside the back door sat a basket of mushrooms and two snakeskin bags full of potatoes. She took the slip, confirmed everything was correct, and nodded. “Alright, take those ingredients and prep them. For today’s menu, we’ll make fresh mushroom soup and sour-and-spicy shredded potatoes. The staple will be rice.”
“You got it.”
The man responded, turned around, hoisted the potatoes onto his shoulder, and began washing them. Later, they would need to be peeled and julienned.
Hearing someone enter the front, Lu Shiyu walked out from the kitchen to greet them.
“Hey, Sister Lu, what’s on the menu today?”
A man and a woman walked in together. The woman greeted Lu Shiyu in a friendly manner.
“Today we have fresh mushroom soup and sour-and-spicy shredded potatoes served with rice.”
“Give us two orders. Oh, and for mine, put extra chili in the shredded potatoes. For his, put extra vinegar.”
After placing their orders, the two found adjacent seats and sat down. Lu Shiyu went back into the kitchen, had the man give her one prepped potato and a few mushrooms, and began preparing the meal.
Lu Shiyu trimmed the roots of the mushrooms, washed them clean, tore them into long strips, and blanched them once. After squeezing out the excess water, she tossed them into a pot to stir-fry. Once they were nearly ready, she added fresh water and covered the pot to wait for it to boil. This interval was just enough time to handle the potato.
The potato had already been peeled. Lu Shiyu sliced it into rounds first, then into fine strips. She rinsed them in a bowl of clear water to wash away the starch before scooping them out. Nearby, the oil was already hot. Lu Shiyu tossed in a few dried chilies and minced garlic to fragrance the oil, then dumped in the potato strips along with some fresh millet peppers and other seasonings, stir-frying over a high flame. Once the potato strips were thoroughly cooked, she plated them. A dish of tart, spicy, and appetizing shredded potatoes was complete.
The preparation of the sour-and-spicy shredded potatoes took only three or four minutes. Just as they were plated, the mushroom soup began to boil. Lifting the lid, she sprinkled in some seasoning. Feeling that something was still missing, Lu Shiyu added two spoonfuls of rice wine. After simmering briefly to let the flavors meld, the mushroom soup was finished.
By the time Lu Shiyu finished the food and brought it to the table, the two customers were still leaning in and whispering. Upon seeing the food arrive, they immediately moved apart and sat properly in their seats, ready to eat.
The woman picked up a cluster of potato strips with her chopsticks. The sour, spicy, and crisp texture instantly caused her mouth to salivate.
“This is the flavor!” The woman ate with great relish, alternating between a mouthful of potato strips and a mouthful of rice, not forgetting to take a moment to praise Lu Shiyu’s skill.
Seeing the two eating so happily made Lu Shiyu feel satisfied as well. She lowered her head and continued prepping ingredients, waiting to welcome the day’s guests.
A man dressed in a uniform walked in. The two people currently eating only looked up briefly before ignoring him. Lu Shiyu’s shop had an excellent reputation within the base; it wasn’t just ordinary people who came here, but many soldiers and government personnel as well. Regulars had long since grown accustomed to seeing such people. After all, everyone was there to eat—watching people wasn’t nearly as important as the food.
“Would you like to order? Today’s set meal is sour-and-spicy shredded potatoes, fresh mushroom soup, and rice.”
The man glanced at the plates of the two people who were eating intently, but he did not place an order.
“Hello. I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”
The hand Lu Shiyu was using to slice potatoes paused. She finally looked up at the man.
“I’m sorry, I’m very busy right now. If there’s something to discuss, please wait until I’ve closed for the day.”
The man remained silent for two seconds. Finally, he said “alright” and left.
Next, a steady stream of hungry diners walked into the shop. As Lu Shiyu had said, she was very busy during the day. Although the shop was small, it was extremely popular. One could say she was busy from the moment she opened until she closed, with almost no time to rest. She remained occupied until five in the afternoon. After five, the sun began to set, and it was time for Lu Shiyu’s shop to close. The last few customers finished their meals in a hurry, rushing to get home before dark.
Lu Shiyu looked back at the kitchen; the large quantity of ingredients purchased today was almost entirely gone.
The base maintained strict control over food. The amount of food each person could buy daily was limited. The amount ordinary people could buy was very small, while those with external assignments could apply for higher purchasing quotas. The reason Lu Shiyu could buy so many ingredients was simple: she ran a business.
To operate in the base, no matter what you sold, you had to apply to the base authorities. You could only open after receiving approval.
The shops within the base belonged to the base itself rather than individuals. To open a shop, one had to first apply for qualifications. Once approved, the base would assign a storefront. Rent had to be paid to the base every month, and the base would also issue different purchasing quotas for different types of shops.
For example, because Lu Shiyu ran a restaurant, she had higher purchasing quotas for ingredients. This allowed her to stock up from the base’s cultivation greenhouses. If she were an ordinary person, even an entire large family wouldn’t be able to buy this much.
To avoid having her purchasing limit reduced due to waste, Lu Shiyu bought only what was needed each time. This also ensured that the ingredients were fresh every day.
Finally, the day’s labor came to an end. The shop staff had already clocked out. Lu Shiyu walked to the front door to close up for the night, only to see a person standing off to the side outside. He nearly gave her a fright.
“Finished with your work?” The man noticed Lu Shiyu as well.
“Yes,” Lu Shiyu finally remembered that she seemed to have promised the man this morning that they would talk after her break. However, the matter had slipped her mind entirely. Remembering it now made her feel a bit guilty.
“Come in. I’ve already closed.”
The man followed Lu Shiyu upstairs. Lu Shiyu’s room had only one chair, so she had no choice but to sit on the bed.
“If you have something to say, please finish quickly. It will be dark in an hour.”
Lu Shiyu wasn’t saying this to be difficult. Ever since the biological mutations began, nowhere was safe. Even within the base, there was no guarantee that a mutated creature wouldn’t suddenly appear at night to attack. Most people chose to stop going out once it got dark.
“I would like to hire you to be the accompanying chef for my squad.”
“What do you mean?” Lu Shiyu didn’t quite understand.
“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tang Zeyu, and I am from the Sky Eagle Squad of the exploration teams. We recently received a new deployment mission, but the journey is quite long. We are headed to the Northern Forest. Therefore, I want to hire you as our accompanying chef to be responsible for the squad’s meals.”
Lu Shiyu found this hard to believe. Uncertain, she asked again, “You’re saying you want me to go outside with you?”
“Yes.”
Lu Shiyu was shocked. She had never considered that the day would come when she could actually go outside.
Ever since the biological mutations fully erupted ten years ago, Lu Shiyu had entered the base protected by high walls for refuge and had not left since. To go out, one required approval from the base. It could be said that no one except the exploration squads could leave. She had long since grown accustomed to life within the base and never thought she would have the chance to go out again.
“But, I’m just an ordinary person, not a member of an exploration squad. How would I get out?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. my squad is high-ranking; we can apply for one accompanying slot. Furthermore, I will do my utmost to ensure your safety during the process. The compensation afterwards will not be low. You can think about it.”
“I accept.”
Lu Shiyu agreed so readily that Tang Zeyu didn’t even have to do much persuading. It was a decisiveness that was somewhat surprising.
“When do we leave?”
“The day after tomorrow. I will come for you early that morning. You need to pack your belongings and arrange your affairs in advance, as reaching the destination may take two months.”
Two months was indeed not a short time, but Lu Shiyu did not hesitate and agreed nonetheless.
Before leaving, Tang Zeyu said he had something to give her. Lu Shiyu took it and found it was a book titled The Illustrated Handbook of Mutated Organisms.
“This book records the appearances and habits of mutated creatures outside the base. You can look at this to prepare yourself mentally.”
“Okay, thank you.”
The sun’s rays gradually vanished, and the streetlights flickered on. Tang Zeyu didn’t stay any longer and turned to leave. Lu Shiyu stood outside the door, watching his receding figure with a sense of daze. After returning to the shop and locking the doors and windows, she looked at the brand-new, heavy book in her hands and still felt a sense of unreality.
“I’m actually…”
Lu Shiyu turned off the lights on the first floor and impatiently went up to the second. Sitting at her desk, she turned on a small lamp and began to read the book with intense focus.
What was recorded in this book were the “new species” that emerged after the massive biological mutations. Each creature recorded in the book was accompanied by a page of exquisite, detailed illustrations and written descriptions. Although the book had the word “hand-copied” in its title, this was actually just a printed copy; the original manuscript had already been collected by the base officials.
As Lu Shiyu looked at the book, she felt her heart begin to race. Her face turned flushed from the rush of blood, and an excited light sparkled in her eyes.
So that’s what those organisms became after mutating. It was simply miraculous!
By the time Lu Shiyu finished reading half the book with great relish, she felt a bit dizzy and her mind was starting to cloud over. Shaking her head, she looked up at the clock. When she saw the time, her eyes widened. She had actually stayed up this late reading!
There were only a few hours left before it was time for the restaurant to open the next day. Lu Shiyu hurriedly climbed into bed to catch up on some sleep, trying to grab what little rest she could. But because the contents of the book had made her so overexcited, she tossed and turned, finding it difficult to fall asleep.
The result, naturally, was that she woke up the next day with two large dark circles under her eyes.
During the morning of the second day, Lu Shiyu operated the shop as usual, but she closed early after the lunch rush. When she told the other employees the news of her departure, the sound of collective gasps filled the air.
“Sister Lu, is it really okay? It’s so dangerous out there. Maybe you should just turn him down.”
“Yeah, Sister Lu, even the base isn’t completely safe. If you go out, there’s no telling what you’ll run into. No matter how much they pay, it’s not worth it if you lose your life.”
“Sister Lu, just tell us—did that squad captain threaten you? To even make such a request, he’s simply not human!”
“Yeah, that’s right!”
Amidst the chirping voices denouncing a certain exploration squad captain, Lu Shiyu finally managed to interject.
“Everyone, everyone listen to me first. Can we have some quiet?”
The voices gradually died down. Lu Shiyu composed herself for a moment before saying, “I know the environment outside the base is dangerous, but I didn’t accept this commission because I was threatened, or because I was deceived or enticed. So, you don’t need to go to the base to file a complaint. The reason I agreed is that I want to see what it’s like outside the base myself.”
“What? Sister Lu, you must be mistaken. It’s so dangerous out there, what is there to see?”
“Exactly. Everything outside is just strange, disgusting animals. I almost threw up from disgust back at the museum.”
“I know you’re all worried about me, but that captain is very capable and has promised to ensure my personal safety,” Lu Shiyu continued. “Going out to see the world is something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s just that due to various reasons, I never had the chance. Now Captain Tang has given me this opportunity, and I want to fulfill it.”
Since Lu Shiyu had put it that way, the others realized she was determined to go and didn’t know what else to say.
“Captain Tang said it would take about two months to reach the destination. While I’m away, I’ll need you all to work together to help me take care of the restaurant, so that it can continue to operate normally while I’m gone.”
At that moment, someone—it was unclear who—led the call: “Sister Lu, you can rest easy leaving it to us!”
Others began to chime in as well:
“Don’t worry, Sister Lu, we can do it.”
“That’s right, we’ve worked in this shop for so many years. Don’t worry about us not being able to take care of the place.”
“Sister Lu, just go and don’t worry. The shop has us.”
“Pah, pah, pah! Watch what you’re saying!”
The atmosphere shifted from restless anxiety to excitement. Lu Shiyu finally felt at ease. Afterwards, she went out to purchase supplies.
After Lu Shiyu left, the people in the shop looked at one another. It seemed as though they wanted to say something, but no one spoke up. Finally, someone couldn’t help themselves.
“Sister Lu is gone. Can we really manage with just us?”