Chapter 170 - 161: D Port’s Speedboat

Chapter 170: Chapter 161: D Port’s Speedboat

The rich aroma of the steak, personally pan-fried by the head chef, filled the entire dining hall.

Two members of the kitchen staff had survived on the ship: one head chef and one kitchen assistant.

That evening, the head chef had prepared boiled meat slices, stir-fried green beans, steamed golden pomfret, and a spinach and tofu soup for everyone—three dishes and a soup, served with steamed rice.

Just two people had cooked for all 108 survivors, and the meal was incredibly delicious.

Everyone was full of praise for the head chef.

But the moment the steak started sizzling and the red wine was brought out... the expressions on many people’s faces changed.

The crew members were fine with it. They were used to the captain and first mate getting special meals from the chef and considered it normal.

But everyone else felt a little uneasy.

Fire Chief Liu Hao and Officer Xiao Dabe, in particular, frowned as they watched the trio. If it weren’t for their respect for Wang Dingbei, they would have surely said a few words and slapped them with an accusation.

Zhao Youcai, on the other hand, saw this and remarked approvingly, "There should be a distinction. What’s the point if everyone just eats from the same big pot?"

Qiao Ping looked worried. "Dongzi is new to this leadership role; he needs to be mindful of appearances... Huang, go pass a message to Dongzi. Tell him to get rid of the food immediately and then give the chef a loud scolding. Go on, tell him now."

As a government official herself, she had spent four years at the grassroots level. No matter how high-ranking a leader you were, when you visited a rural town for an event, you ate the same communal meal as everyone else at mealtime. You couldn’t get special treatment!

It was fine if you found a private room later that night for a few drinks, but you didn’t do this sort of thing in the public eye.

Huang Zhiqiang pursed his lips. "It’s not that big of a deal, is it? It’s just a piece of steak. It’s not like anyone here can’t afford one."

Qiao Ping shot Huang Zhiqiang a glare.

"Ye, you go. He’ll definitely listen to you."

Everyone else was also watching Yu Dong’s group of three, but... no one said a word. In fact, aside from those in Yu Dong’s immediate circle, no one even discussed it.

They knew the trio of Yu Dong, Wang Dingbei, and Lin Mo represented the ship’s greatest combat power and highest authority. The crewmen Cai Hong had riled up that morning had seemed so ferocious, yet they had been easily suppressed by Yu Dong and Wang Dingbei.

The military was even backing them.

Besides, they were undeniably effective when it came to killing zombies.

Some were afraid to speak, worried that the three would simply stop eating the beef...

Others just started rationalizing to themselves. ’It’s amazing enough that those three can provide everyone with three dishes and a soup. We shouldn’t be ungrateful...’

Still others, like Zhao Youcai, believed that having privileges was only natural.

The atmosphere grew delicate... but Liu Ye’ye didn’t move, merely watching Yu Dong and his companions.

Wang Dingbei didn’t hesitate. He cut off a piece of steak and put it in his mouth, chewing with gusto. The juices burst in his mouth, and the rich flavor of the beef blossomed completely.

"Mmm~ Chef, this steak is excellent. Keep cooking. What are you staring at us for?"

"Ah? Cook how many?"

The head chef was confused, thinking Wang Dingbei found it so good that one piece wasn’t enough for him.

"Cook one for every person here! I thought you were pretty good at judging portions, weren’t you? How come you’re getting muddled now that it’s steak?"

Those words made the head chef’s heart drop, and he immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

"Oh, oh, oh, I... I’ll get back to cooking right away!"

He wasn’t a fool. He and the kitchen assistant hurried to get more steaks. He was going to cook a piece for every single person.

The thought of having to cook another 105 steaks made him slap his own hand.

’Damn my meddling hands! If I’d known, I wouldn’t have cooked a single one.’

"I’m happy to cook them," the kitchen assistant mumbled timidly.

The head chef pondered for a moment... and realized the usually simple-minded assistant possessed a sort of profound, unassuming wisdom.

As new steaks began to sizzle on the grill, the atmosphere in the room immediately relaxed. Wang Dingbei leisurely finished his own steak.

"The chef really is pretty good at this. You two should eat up before it gets cold."

Yu Dong exchanged a few quiet words with Lin Mo, then called out.

"Wenwen, take the red wine away. We’re not used to this stuff. Bring over a couple of cold beers instead. Any of the brothers and sisters who went out to kill zombies today and want a drink, just tell Wenwen. Have a little something to unwind."

Yu Dong didn’t extend the offer to anyone else; he specifically gave this ’privilege’ to the combat team.

Many of them asked for a drink.

The bottle of red wine was taken by Zhao Youcai’s table to be shared.

The other people who enjoyed a drink watched the combat team members sipping their cold beers with extreme envy.

Lin Mo watched Wang Dingbei and Yu Dong effortlessly resolve the awkward situation, then went back to eating her own meal with peace of mind.

The two of them were more mature than she had thought.

It was one thing for an old hand from the system like Wang Dingbei to be so adept, but Yu Dong’s quick reaction and his undisguised ’favoritism’ toward the combat team revealed his self-confidence.

The mood in the room reflected this. There was envy, but not jealousy, because everyone knew... if they dared to go out and kill zombies, they too could have a drink in the evening.

This was the message Yu Dong was sending.

"Yu Dong, I think I understand the point system you’re trying to set up... Leave it to me and Sister Pingping."

"Yeah, that’s what I was thinking. Wang and I have our hands full figuring out how to deal with the zombies."

Qiao Ping didn’t have much to do on the ship anyway, so this was a perfect chance for her to use her intellect to establish a more suitable set of rules.

That night, Yu Dong and the others went to bed early, but Lin Mo’s office was still bustling with activity.

After meeting with Lin Cong, she had a session with Fu Yuanyuan, and finally met individually with the five strong sailors who had caused trouble that morning.

She was relieved only after confirming that all five were willing to join the zombie-killing expeditions to atone for their mistakes.

That night, a few women also wanted to talk with her, and Lin Mo refused none of them, speaking gently with each one.

It was already one in the morning by the time she returned to the 16th floor, clutching a red-covered notebook.

But her eyes were still bright.

She knew that only she could handle these matters, freeing up Yu Dong and Wang Dingbei to focus on eliminating zombies and, ultimately, rendezvous with Commander Qiao.

...

「Day three of the apocalypse. 6:00 AM.」

Yu Chengfei, Yu Dong, Wang Dingbei, and all the members of the combat team were already assembled below A Port.

Today, five sailors had joined them.

Yu Dong led a patrol around the perimeter. Finding no zombies, he returned to the group.

Yu Chengfei gripped a long spear.

"Today, I will teach you stance work and the three basic techniques of the spear: block, parry, and thrust."

Yu Dong joined in, systematically practicing the spear techniques with Yu Chengfei.

Everyone worked on improving their skill with the spear, a deadly melee weapon against the zombies.

After an hour of practice, the group returned to the ship for breakfast. Afterward, they donned their gear and headed out from A Port.

They first speared the zombies trapped between Binhai Avenue and the metal barricades, then regrouped and advanced toward B Port.

"Today, our mission is to secure B Port and clear C Port."

The main task for the day was to enter the buildings within B Port, clear out the zombies, and secure the area completely.

After Yu Dong gave the mission briefing, the group advanced using the previous day’s tactics. By 10 AM, they had smoothly taken B Port, which had few zombies left.

Clad in full-body light armor, the team suffered no fatalities even when ambushed by zombies from behind doors, getting away with only minor injuries.

’Zombies are still easy to deal with at this stage,’ he thought. ’They haven’t formed massive hordes, and there are no mutations yet.’

As long as Yu Dong’s group was careful not to use explosives that might trigger a massive horde, the current zombies were no match for their spears, crossbows, and incendiaries.

"We’ve secured the oil depot area in B Port," Liu Ye’ye and Shen Xinyi concluded after their reconnaissance, "but... the staff here seem to have run out of luck. They either turned into zombies or were eaten by them. Not a single living person."

Jing Yanwei ran over from the berths at B Port. "There’s an empty oil tanker at one of the berths, probably here for refueling. No one alive inside, either."

Yu Dong looked at the massive cylindrical storage tanks, a worried expression on his face.

"Does anyone know how to get the oil out of these things?"

The combat team members all shook their heads.

"We’ll have to ask the other survivors when we get back. See if anyone knows how to operate an oil depot... It would be a real joke to capture this place and not be able to get any fuel."

Besides the large oil depot, B Port consisted of office areas for shipping and fuel companies and some simple landscaping. The area was relatively open, likely due to the strict requirements for storing oil tanks.

C Port, however, was different.

C Port was as large as A Port and housed huge granaries, numerous grain and oil companies, and a large number of vehicles and personnel for transportation. The environment was as chaotic as a street market.

’The building density in C Port is too high, so fire is a bad option. One wrong move and a fire could wipe out the entire port, along with all the grain and oil.’

Those were granaries!

Yu Dong hadn’t stockpiled any food in this life. Aside from the large supply on the cruise ship, the ready-made granaries at C Port... could provide them with a massive food reserve.

With that, it wouldn’t matter how many survivors they took in later.

Just as Yu Dong was about to lead the team on a probing mission into C Port, Wang Dingbei spotted two speedboats moored at the junction between D Port and C Port. He could just make out figures moving on them.

Wang Dingbei’s gaze sharpened instantly. He was reminded of the last phone call he had received from his superior, Ma, right before the apocalypse...

He raised his binoculars to get a better look. Slowly, his expression tightened.

"Damn it! The good die young, but a plague lasts a thousand years!"