"Nini, it’s getting late. Go home and rest early. Thanks for the fish soup, my stomach feels warm,"
"Mm-hm," Nini replied contentedly and carried the empty bowl home.
Lin Fan took a deep breath, dashed to the toilet, clung to it, and felt movement in his throat. The fish soup he had just drunk sprayed into the toilet.
He breathed and rubbed his stomach.
He kept gagging, a strong fishy taste lingering, his throat shallow, struggling to handle the fishiness. He had been holding back because Nini had worked hard late into the night to stew the fish soup—of course, he had to drink it properly.
Nini, feeling fully satisfied, returned home, cleaned the bowl in the kitchen, and saw there was still some fish soup left in the pot. She served herself a bowl to reward herself.
Nini clung to the sink, vomiting non-stop. The moment it hit her taste buds, the fishy smell was overpowering, and her senses received an unimaginable shock.
she finally relaxed a little.
"How can it taste so bad?"
Thinking that Lin Fan had just drunk the same soup, Nini’s face turned crimson with embarrassment. She had specifically served it to Lin Fan, which now seemed like a complete humiliation. She thought about how he had unhesitatingly chugged it down probably just to spare her the embarrassment.
She remembered what Sister Li had told her.
"Nini, when making fish soup, you must clean the fish thoroughly, especially the black film inside the belly and the slime on the fish surface—these are crucial for preventing the fishiness. If not cleaned well, the soup won’t taste good and will have a strong fishy smell."
Thinking about Sister Li’s advice,
Nini suddenly recalled her earlier attempts at cleaning the fish, just casually rinsing the slime off with water...
"So silly, Nini, you really are a fool."
Nini slapped her forehead, helpless at her own foolishness.
Early the next morning,
When Lin Fan came downstairs, he saw Nini and smiled, while she felt somewhat embarrassed. Last night’s incident had been an ordeal, and she almost wanted to find a crevice to hide in.
Of course, she was more determined than ever to learn cooking from Sister Li and improve her culinary skills substantially, given how embarrassing the situation had been.
He gathered Old Zhou, Ye Qian, Dong Jia, and Zhu Cheng.
"You are now heading to the production base to bring back ten sets of War Armor," he decided to send them.
The production base was remote, with zombies nearly eradicated around it, posing little danger, whereas he needed to stay and continue clearing zombies in the city.
Clearing the zombies quickly meant they could move on to other tasks.
"Ten sets? That’s a lot. With that and perfect coordination, I feel we could take on any zombie," Old Zhou fantasized aloud.
At that moment, Zhou Yang, who had struggled finding his place at Sunshine Shelter since arriving, overheard ’War Armor.’
Eager to contribute, he volunteered, "Lin Fan, I want to make my contribution to Sunshine Shelter."
Though he didn’t directly mention ’War Armor,’ he clearly wanted one.
No man, whether an Awakener or not, could resist the allure of War Armor. Any man who could would have undergone a sex change—they definitely wouldn’t be a real man.
"You want to go too?"
"Yes, I’m going. I’m also a strength Awakener. I’d like to learn from Old Zhou. Being part of Sunshine Shelter, if I don’t do something, I always feel like I’m useless. I also want to integrate into the group," Zhou Yang stated straightforwardly.
Some things require initiative; waiting for others to lead isn’t good.
"Alright, go take a look," Lin Fan said.
Zhou Yang smiled and stood before the others, "I hope for your support. I, Zhou Yang, am trustworthy. If we stand shoulder to shoulder in battle, rest assured and leave your back to me. If I retreat, may I die."
Zhu Cheng seemed to want to whisper, "Brother, is your family still around?"
Of course, he didn’t dare speak out, fearing a possible thrashing.
Lin Fan patted Zhou Yang on the shoulder and said, "It’s not that serious, I trust you. Off you go, come back quickly, and stay safe."
Watching their departing figures,
Lin Fan was filled with hope for the future.
Gu Hang approached, saying, "It’s great, isn’t it? Having more capable people around, everyone’s so enthusiastic. With the crystal’s power, they can unleash incredible strength. Wonder when I’ll become an Awakener."
"Hang bro, some things really can’t be rushed—it’s really up to fate. But I think you’ll have your chance," Lin Fan responded.
"I hope so," Gu Hang sighed.
Being a soldier, he disliked being protected and preferred to protect others. It was a mission that permeated his soul.
Suddenly recalling something, Gu Hang asked, "Have you thought about enhancing Wenwen’s abilities?"
"No," Lin Fan smiled, "She’s still a child, emotionally unstable. If she argued with other children and had too strong telekinetic abilities, it could easily cause danger. But... I’ve prepared Wenwen."