“By the way.”
Chi Zheng suddenly thought of something.
“How did your challenge task go?”
Oh, right, right, right! There was still the challenge task!
Only then did Lin Xia realize he hadn’t had time to check the settlement notification. He immediately opened the task panel.
Challenge Task (1): First Blood — Completed
Reward: Vehicle-Mounted Odor-Eliminating Toilet. This product comes with a high-density partition, providing odor elimination and soundproofing. It is wall-mounted and built-in, saving space inside the vehicle and avoiding awkwardness. (The rewarded model is the basic version and does not include the fully automatic sewage and waste disposal system. If you need this function, please purchase and add it yourself.)
System Prompt: Would you like to spend 50 Energy Points to upgrade to the fully automatic sewage and waste disposal system?
50 Energy Points?!
Lin Xia sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
This was equivalent to a month and a half’s worth of rent for his vending cart!
What kind of toilet was worth that much money?!
His instinct was to click “No,” but his extended hand hesitated. He figured he should first see what was so special about this fully automatic sewage and waste disposal system.
Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was expensive for a reason.
Once the fully automatic sewage and waste disposal system was installed, the vending cart would achieve a certain level of waste recycling and reuse.
For example, the food waste Lin Xia generated from cooking would be processed by the system and converted into usable gas points. Excrement could be recycled into Energy Points or transformed into fertilizer for the planting boxes. Sewage would be recycled and treated to become Category III water source. Theoretically speaking, with this equipment, Lin Xia could maintain a basic level of survival for a certain period of time without ever stepping foot outside the vending cart.
“I think this money is well spent,” Chi Zheng said, pointing to the water recycling function.
“Without upgrading the task, we can only get 2 liters of purified water every day. That small amount isn’t even enough for cooking, let alone keeping the vending cart clean.”
“With this system, our water usage will be much more flexible. If worst comes to worst, we can even bring outside water back for treatment. It’s essentially a private water plant. Where else could you find such a good deal?”
Lin Xia was swayed by his words.
It was true; they had been surviving on bottled water for the past two days. But he and Chi Zheng would be leaving soon, and the amount of bottled water they could carry was limited.
Moreover, the basic services of the Alliance had already stopped. The inventory of major water plants would only decrease with use. If they didn’t find a way to recycle water, living on just 2 liters a day would indeed be difficult.
“Alright then, let’s buy it.”
Lin Xia clicked the “Yes” button.
Though he was meticulous with his budgeting, he was never stingy when it came to places where money absolutely needed to be spent. 50 Energy Points—at worst, he would just spend a few more days killing mutant crabs to earn it back.
“Oh, there’s one more thing…” Lin Xia looked at the vending cart’s upgrade progress bar and asked Chi Zheng in a low voice. “Did you notice that big lobster’s crystal core just now? Why was it blue?”
“I remember the manual mentioned before that the colors of crystal cores range from grayish-white to deep red, all of which are warm tones. It never mentioned a deep blue one. Could it be that this lobster underwent some different mutation?”
The moment the words left his mouth, he felt it wasn’t quite right. It was definitely a mutation—otherwise, would a lobster grow stones inside itself?
However, the color was highly unusual. Coupled with the bizarre sensation he felt when he pierced the crystal core earlier, Lin Xia couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
He wouldn’t suffer a secondary infection, would he?
“No, you won’t.” Chi Zheng shook his head with certainty. “That lobster was only an R2. A secondary infection is absolutely impossible.”
“As for why it’s blue… maybe because it ate a lot? Or lived a long time? Didn’t the manual also say that mutant beasts’ crystal cores can upgrade? Maybe this is just the color after an upgrade.”
Is that so?
Lin Xia was a bit skeptical, but there didn’t seem to be a more rational explanation.
Nonetheless, the crystal core of an R2 was incredibly formidable. Even though only less than 10% of its residual value was recovered, the valuation given by the vending cart was a whopping 8 Energy Points. If it had been fully intact, it would probably be close to 100 points.
Had he known it was so valuable, he would have been much more careful!
But it was too late to say any of that now. It was better to turn his grief and indignation into an appetite and properly cook the freshly acquired lobster meat.
This was the first time Lin Xia had encountered an edible mutant creature, and he found it both novel and intriguing. He was very curious to find out what it tasted like.
He didn’t stand on ceremony either, taking a whole chunk of the lobster’s abdominal meat and quickly drafting a full lobster feast in his mind: three dishes, one soup, and a staple.
It was said that high-end hotels in the First District served lobster sashimi, where the translucent lobster meat was cut as thin as a cicada’s wing, neatly arranged piece by piece on a platter, and eaten with crushed finger lime. The sour tang of the lime neutralized the stickiness of the lobster protein, accentuating the cool, crisp sweetness of the meat itself, making it a dish one could never tire of eating.
Of course, the First District dared to make sashimi because the quality of the lobsters was excellent and the seawater was sufficiently pure.
Lin Xia definitely wouldn’t dare to do that. He still remembered how covered in mud and filth the Giant-Clawed Lobster was when it came out of the water. Even if seafood that grew up in polluted waters and was washed into the city’s flooded areas was edible, it was still better to eat it thoroughly cooked. At least that would kill off some bacteria and parasites.
Then again, given that they were in the middle of the Great Cataclysm, there was no telling if the bacteria and parasites had mutated too.
While his mind drifted with all sorts of wild thoughts, Lin Xia’s hands never stopped moving. He sliced the lobster meat into small rectangular cubes, coated them in a thin layer of flour, threw them into boiling oil, and scooped them out after a brief deep-frying. Afterward, he prepared minced garlic, fermented black beans, and breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs were a semi-finished product from the supermarket warehouse. He tossed the three ingredients into a wok, turned the heat to high, and soon, a rich wave of garlic aroma and the salty-fresh scent of fermented black beans rapidly swept through the entire vending cart like a heat wave. At this moment, he tossed in the fried lobster cubes. The white lobster cubes mixed with the golden-yellow minced garlic and breadcrumbs, garnished with shiny black fermented beans and red and green millet peppers, making for a highly appetizing sight.
“Typhoon Shelter-Style Lobster Cubes, a classic from the seafood restaurants of the Fourth District.”
Lin Xia placed the stir-fried lobster cubes onto the small dining table. Chi Zheng had already been sitting obediently by the table for a while, his eyes glued unblinkingly to the serving plate in front of him.
He knew about the seafood restaurants—they were a famous chain in the Fourth District, renowned for their seafood dishes.
Of course, the seafood from those restaurants couldn’t compare to the high-end hotels in the First District at all. Because the raw ingredients weren’t fresh or flavorful enough, the seafood restaurants were better at using various heavy seasonings to modify the original taste of the seafood. Having worked a short-term job at one of those restaurants, Lin Xia had learned this method as well.
However, today’s Typhoon Shelter-Style Lobster Cubes were clearly different from the ones produced by those restaurants. The fermented black beans and minced garlic couldn’t suppress the freshness of the lobster at all. The heavy seasonings had completely become a foil at this moment, and Chi Zheng’s nose was filled entirely with a fresh sweetness straight from the ocean.
“Try it.” Lin Xia stared at him expectantly.
Chi Zheng picked up a lobster cube with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. The outer coating was crispy, the lobster meat was plump and bouncy, and the garlic aroma, black bean savoriness, and pepper spiciness complemented each other perfectly. Instead of overshadowing the main ingredient, they provided a richer taste experience to the tender, sweet lobster meat. With one bite, it felt as if he had swallowed a whole, bustling, lively ocean.
Chi Zheng narrowed his eyes in sheer enjoyment.
Wow, I really didn’t expect this old Lobster King to be so delicious!
Lin Xia also tasted a lobster cube. Highly satisfied with his own culinary skills, he began working on the second dish.
The second dish was a baked item—a baking tray was lined with tender minced lobster and a rich cheese cream sauce, topped with a pie crust, and placed into the oven. This was a quick dish with no complicated techniques, but the flavor was incredibly rich. The piping hot, gooey cheese enveloped the tight, bouncy lobster meat. Every spoonful was a mixture of milky aroma and fresh seafood flavor. Combined with a crispy pie crust that shattered at a single tap, it was thoroughly delightful in both appearance and sound.
“It’s a pity I only know how to make home-cooked dishes…” Lin Xia felt that his culinary skills had let down this R2 Lobster King. “When we pass by a bookstore in the future, we had better collect some cookbooks. Otherwise, making the same few dishes over and over again is a waste of good materials.”
Chi Zheng didn’t think so at all.
He had eaten lobsters even more powerful than the one in front of him, but the taste… was just so-so—bland, and the texture was a bit too chewy. It couldn’t compare to today’s flavor at all.
If you asked him, it wasn’t that the ingredients were good; it was that Xiaxia’s culinary skills could turn the mundane into the miraculous. At this moment, Chi Zheng was already plotting to go out and hunt some high-grade wild game to bring back for Xiaxia to cook. Who knows, maybe their daily meals could reach an even higher level?
While he was mulling things over, the evening’s third dish was already served out of the pot: Steamed Lobster with Secret Sweet and Spicy Sauce.
The lobster meat was neatly arranged on the plate, drizzled with a bright red sauce on top, and sprinkled with chopped green onions and white sesame seeds. A single bite offered a pure, ultimate sweetness and freshness.
After that came a fresh soup simmered with lobster tomalley, into which shredded tender tofu, bamboo fungus, ham, and luffa slices were slid. Once the pot boiled, beaten egg liquid was drizzled in, stirred continuously to form delicate egg drops. When served on the table, the fresh aroma was absolutely mouth-watering.
“Today’s staple is Lobster Fried Rice.”
As Lin Xia spoke, he poured hot oil into the wok, then dumped all the remaining lobster tomalley inside to stir-fry. The oil temperature triggered the rich aroma of the tomalley, and he then tossed in various diced vegetables for a quick stir-fry. The emerald green and golden red colors intertwined, making the distinct grains of rice seem like a supporting actor stepping backstage.
“Let’s eat!”
Lin Xia carried a large, overflowing plate of fried rice to the small table-board, then sat down on the other side, taking a glass of lemon water handed over by Chi Zheng.
“Thanks for your hard work.”
“Thank you, Chi Xiaozheng.”
This was a habit they had formed over many years—Lin Xia was responsible for cooking, while Chi Zheng took care of all other household chores except cooking. Every evening, everyone had to sit together for dinner; no one could be absent, and the meal wouldn’t start unless everyone was present.
By now, it was completely pitch black outside, but the rain still hadn’t stopped. Scattered, tiny points of light lit up within the darkened city district. Those belonged to the tin boats, assault boats, and various water transportation vehicles of the survivors—some people had already noticed the unusual weather and were accelerating their escape from the city.
“We’ll go to the supermarket first thing tomorrow morning,” he said to Lin Xia.
“If it keeps raining like this, this warehouse will be submerged by tomorrow evening at the latest. The manager’s office is on the fifth floor, but the supermarket itself is built on a slope. Tomorrow morning, the bottom floor’s shopping area should already be completely flooded.”
“Without supplies, those survivors probably won’t stay in the supermarket building anymore. It’ll be easier for us to go up.”
Hearing him say this, Lin Xia nodded.
Although he wasn’t going there to snatch supplies, everyone was currently shaken up. The act of “approaching” itself would be enough to draw suspicion from the other party, and no matter how they explained it, people wouldn’t believe them.
Rather than inviting unnecessary trouble, it was better to wait until everyone had retreated before heading over. After all, they just wanted to figure out where the containers from the Tophet Star Company had been sent.
Even though he now knew that local mutant creatures could also serve as ingredients, Lin Xia still didn’t want to miss out on the polar samples from the Tophet Star Company.
He always had a lingering feeling that this sudden, massive disaster seemed inextricably linked to that technology company.