Chapter 405

Chapter 405: Chapter 405

Jenny and Suzy spent a bit of time looking over the maps before Claire asked them to leave, as she needed to make up some reports for the base leaders.

When the two of them left the building, the air had somewhat shifted, bringing in a dusty mist.

Beside them stood a dry-goods stall run by a woman in her forties. She kept her head down, tidying cloth sacks, only occasionally looking up to call out to passing pedestrians in an even, unhurried voice.

Suzy caught the scent of food—the rich smell of hot oil mixing with the toasted aroma of pan-fried flour, wafting over from the corner of the street.

Her pace slowed slightly, her gaze settling on a low table near the stall.

Jenny noticed where she was looking and glanced over, catching the smell herself. "Hungry? There’s a noodle shop right up ahead. The food’s decent and it won’t break the bank. My treat."

She gestured with her chin toward a low building a dozen paces away. "Right over there. The owner ran a noodle shop before the world ended. With nowhere else to go after the fallout, he set up shop here in the base, and he’s been running it for a few years now."

Suzy didn’t turn her down and followed closely behind.

The noodle shop was small, with a few folding tables set out front. The owner was busy behind the cooking station, where water boiled merrily in a large pot, sending thick clouds of white steam curling into the air.

Jenny greeted the owner with easy familiarity before picking a table toward the back.

As Suzy sat down across from her, she reached into her pocket, pulled out a handful of toffee candies, and slid them over. "Here, my treat."

Jenny stared at her for a second before bursting into a smile. "A sign of courtesy? Reciprocity?"

Suzy nodded. "Exactly. Quid pro quo."

"Don’t mind if I do!" Jenny accepted without hesitation, sweeping the candies straight into her pocket.

After they sat for a short while, two bowls of noodles were served. Floating on the surface of the broth were two wilted green vegetable leaves and a light sheen of oil drops, with a pair of disposable chopsticks resting across the rim.

"Dig in while it’s hot," Jenny urged. "These days, getting your hands on a warm bowl of soup is a blessing in itself."

Suzy lowered her head and took a bite. The warmth of the broth glided down her throat, its flavor surprisingly good.

"How many credits does a bowl like this cost?" Suzy asked.

With a mouth full of noodles, Jenny mumbled while flashing a finger count: "Six credits. Not bad, right? Most basic food in the base goes for around this price. Meat is pricier, but simple veggie noodles are cheap."

After swallowing, she added, "If you want to stretch your credits, you can always buy dry rations and cook them yourself back at your spot. But if you ask me, being able to sit down for a hot bowl of noodles in the apocalypse is a luxury in itself."

The two ate their noodles in comfortable silence.

Jenny ate quickly, finishing her bowl in no time. She put down her fork and took a sip from a water cup on the table. Setting the cup down, her voice dropped a notch. "By the way... I did some more digging this morning."

"About what?" Suzy asked.

Once Suzy looked up, Jenny continued, "That friend of yours—Adam Bennett. He should be back tomorrow."

She paused briefly. "I don’t have an exact time, but most likely tomorrow afternoon. Their mission wasn’t too far out, so logically it shouldn’t take long. Day after tomorrow at the very latest."

Suzy was still holding her fork. She didn’t put it down, but she didn’t pick up any more noodles either.

She stayed quiet for a few seconds before asking, "Is the source reliable?"

"Eighty to ninety percent sure," Jenny said. "I had a friend keep an eye on the Mission Hall’s logging system. Whenever a squad turns in a mission, the system automatically generates a completion entry. If a new record pops up tomorrow afternoon, it’s almost certainly him."

Her tone grew a little more serious. "If you ask me, you’d better head over to the Mission Hall tomorrow to check."

"Tomorrow afternoon... alright," Suzy agreed.

"What are you going to do once you see him?" Jenny asked.

Suzy let out a soft sigh. "We’ll see when the time comes."

***

Later on, RV Parking Lot

Rina had regretted coming here almost as soon as she set foot in the area.

The place was thoroughly dull, and the people were equally uninteresting—boring beyond belief. She could easily have sent someone else in her place.

But since she was already here, there was no turning back. She had no choice but to suppress her impatience and try to act natural.

That was until she caught sight of Mark.

Only then did Rina feel that this trip had been worth something after all.

She stopped about three paces away from him. Her gaze locked onto his face as if nailed to it—tracing every inch from his brow bone down to the bridge of his nose, and from his jawline down to his collarbone with an unreserved, naked scrutiny.

When did a stunner like this arrive at the base? How did I not know about him? 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Looking at Mark’s strikingly handsome face, a slow smile curled the corners of Rina’s lips—a smile far more genuine than the one she had offered Luke earlier.

Suddenly, she didn’t find this drab, dusty parking lot such an eyesore anymore.

The man standing just a short distance away made the whole dreary area shine.

The two men behind her caught up and exchanged knowing looks when they saw the expression on her face. They knew instantly that Rina had taken a shine to him.

Then again, with a face like that, it would be hard for her not to notice. Who in the base didn’t know that Rina had a soft spot for handsome men?

Only Luke’s expression darkened slightly. The last thing he wanted was another rival—and more importantly, a rival who outclassed him by a landslide in terms of looks alone.

Begrudgingly, Luke had to admit that Mark was far better looking than he was.

By now, Rina could no longer restrain herself. She stepped forward quickly toward Mark, who had just picked up his chair to head inside.

"Hello there. Do you live here?" Rina asked, her voice markedly softer and sweeter than before.

Listening from behind, Luke’s face turned even grimmer. He knew with absolute certainty that Rina was smitten with the guy.

Was he really about to face yet another competitor?