"Don’t mention my contribution, you’re even more tired than I am. If we really want to count, we still owe you a life."
Upon hearing this, Li Yu feigned anger and said to Old Lü, "Hurry up and say it."
Old Lü then playfully said:
"This, I, Old Lü, usually love to smoke a couple of cigarettes, but the monthly quota at the base is too little, can I have one more pack?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yu laughed and said, "Give you three packs."
Old Lü laughed, his face creasing into a bunch.
"And you?" Li Yu turned to He Chao.
He Chao didn’t hesitate and was about to refuse, as his thoughts were the same as Old Lü’s. When they had just joined the Big Camphor Tree Base, their situation was even worse than Old Lü’s.
Back then, they were on the brink of starvation, his daughter as well.
After leaving Jiefang City, a group of brothers wandered without a destination.
During that hardest time, it was Li Yu who saved them.
Now He Chao lacked nothing.
He lived in a safe environment; although he now resided in the Outer City, he had his own room inside the Inner City and could enter at any time.
Regarding his brothers?
He had no regrets, bringing his own brothers into the Big Camphor Tree Base was the best decision he made.
Regarding his daughter?
Getting his daughter into the Inner City, to have a stable environment, with peers to accompany her, learning various skills and knowledge, was once his extravagant hope, and now it had become reality.
This base, just as Li Yu had said.
Was like a big family.
Many times during missions, Li Yu was always the one charging to the forefront.
And the atmosphere of the base was harmonious.
Although distinctions were made between inner and outer areas, even including extra staff.
But they never complained; everything was managed fairly according to contributions and rules.
He Chao hesitated for a long time without speaking.
Li Yu said with some amusement, "What’s the matter? I’m giving you a chance and you’re not even thinking about what you want?"
A bitter smile appeared on He Chao’s face: "What I want, I already have, this is just making it hard for me..."
Upon hearing this, the smile on Li Yu’s face grew even broader.
He Chao was highly valued precisely because he was sensible and knew gratitude.
And perhaps most importantly, he knew contentment!
Human desires are infinite, having some things only leads to wanting more.
Endless desires breed comparison, and in comparison, one gradually loses oneself and happiness.
It’s easy to shift from frugality to luxury, but hard to revert from luxury to frugality. The rightful source is novel✶fire.net
But in the post-apocalyptic world.
Only those who have truly suffered the bitterness of survival understand how precious a safe place with enough food is.
And outside the base, with dangers lurking with zombies and the occasional desperate survivors they encounter, they realize how fortunate they are.
Without seeing suffering, without seeing how difficult others have it, one naturally doesn’t feel happy.
But in such a constant crisis looming over humanity, they feel that being full and sleeping comfortably is such a blessing!
Compared to those outside the Big Camphor Tree Base, they’re already living very well.
And this was Li Yu’s biggest goal since his rebirth in this post-apocalyptic world.
Taking family and friends to live well through the apocalypse.
It’s not easy to survive in the post-apocalyptic world.
Living well is even harder.
"No, you need to choose something."
The less He Chao wanted a reward, the more Li Yu wanted to give him one.
He Chao looked at Li Yu with admiration and gratitude, hesitating for a moment before saying: "I want to have a big drink with Director Li!"
A thousand cups are too few when drinking with a kindred spirit.
To clink glasses and call each other brothers with someone you respect and admire, that’s a refreshing joy of life.
Upon hearing this, Li Yu remembered that it had been a long time since a banquet had been held at the base.
Smiling, he patted He Chao’s shoulder and said, "Okay, we’ll definitely have that drink later."
With admiration and gratitude in his eyes, He Chao nodded vigorously.
Xiao Jun was somewhat emotional.
With his life experience, how could he not see the genuine emotions displayed by Old Lü and He Chao?
He was more curious and amazed at how Li Yu managed to command such heartfelt respect and even admiration.
Xiao Jun was somewhat envious.
The manner of Old Lü and He Chao was not feigned.
Such a harmonious scene, full of brotherhood, where genuine emotions surface amidst laughter, is too rare in this post-apocalyptic world.
Reflecting on the past year and more in the post-apocalypse, from protecting "research personnel" from the East, to later, he and the Camp Commander being at odds with Gan Shang.
Whether it was rescuing refugees or the seemingly friendly Gan Shang, they all treated them as useful tools.
They face the dangers, they save the food for themselves.
As soon as it’s slightly stable, everyone’s true colors were revealed.
But like Li Yu and some others, whether it’s Old Lü, or He Chao, or that old Qin, even the previously encountered Zhuzi.
They all highly respected Li Yu.
Now, he understood some of the reasons from the words of Old Lü and He Chao.
Although joining is hard, once you join, I treat you as my own.
This Big Camphor Tree Base, is even better than he imagined.
No need to say much, one thing outshines the Western Alliance.
They were firmly bound as one.