A group of people surrounded Wang Kai as he devoured his food voraciously.
Under the scrutiny of so many eyes, anyone else would’ve been conscious of their image while eating, but for Wang Kai, all he wanted was to fill his stomach ferociously, with no other thoughts in mind.
Yan Nini understood his situation. During the days when she was confined at home, instant noodles and bread were the only supplies she had to survive. She ate them until she felt sick, wanted to vomit, even wanted to die. Tasting delicious, steaming rice was surely a joyous thing.
Feifei and Tingting watched in shock.
"Feifei sister, hasn’t this uncle eaten before?" Tingting asked quietly. In this time, she had been firmly molded by Feifei, referring to her as ’sister.’
Feifei replied softly, "Tingting, I feel uncle must be the reincarnation of white rice, he likes it so much."
"Oh, so that’s how it is, wow."
Tingting nodded with an air of understanding, yet the apocalypse had not had such a large impact on her. Since living in the Sunshine District, the children had been well protected.
They had not experienced the despairing events.
But for the adults, they knew that the Sunshine District was their ultimate destination, their only hope for survival.
They treated it like their home, cherished it like their own family, guarding it. Most importantly, all their hopes hinged on Lin Fan in front of them.
The Sunshine District could function without anyone, except for Lin Fan.
This was the only consensus among the survivors living there.
Wang Kai finished off the remaining rice, and his dog looked on in shock, wondering why his master seemed so hungry. He had happily eaten dog food with him that morning and seemed quite pleased.
"I’m sorry, I was really too hungry, and I ate a bit much."
Embarrassed, Wang Kai thought back on his behavior, which was indeed like that of a starving man. At that moment, he had no other thoughts but to devour every grain of rice in front of him.
Lin Fan said, "It’s fine, being able to eat is a good thing. Are you full now?"
In Wang Kai’s eyes, Lin Fan was mysterious, not in an ordinary way, but with the mystery of supernatural phenomena.
"Very full, I never knew that white rice could be this delicious."
Wang Kai said, somewhat tearfully. In the past, when food was plentiful, he had never thought twice about it and never realized the specialness of white rice.
Perhaps it’s only in loss that one understands the things easily within reach are often taken for granted, only missed once they are gone.
Old Master Wang said, "Young man, you’ve done well. We all owe our access to clean water to your hard work at the water plant."
Lin Fan nodded, agreeing with Old Master Wang. Although the other man wasn’t very powerful, what he had done was truly admirable. Lin Fan never skimped on praise and recognition for others.
And he never felt he was anything special, aside from being good at hacking zombies, there wasn’t much else he was skilled at.
"You’re too kind, old master. I was just a water plant employee, doing my duty. Being stuck there with nothing to do, I did what I could, it’s nothing worth mentioning."
Wang Kai was very humble, flustered by the high praise which made him feel like a hero.
Old Master Wang said, "It’s that very duty you casually speak of that brought life back to the survivors of Huang City. In this apocalypse, water is most important. Without it, few could survive."
Now, Wang Kai felt cracked open.
Had he entered a praise district?
He really hadn’t done anything earth-shattering, but a group of people were lavishing him with praise. Honestly, he felt like strutting around with his chin up and his hands on his hips.
Checking the water station and providing clean water was indeed his duty. Thinking of getting everyone water was normal. Yes, it was risky, but things had always gone smoothly.
Lin Fan looked at Wang Kai. "Do you want to move to Sunshine District? I’m a part-time employee at Xinfeng Real Estate. If you want to move here, I can find you a place."
He hoped the man would live there.
That way, he would have the power to protect him.
Not for any other reason, but because what the man had done was worth protecting.
"Ah?" Wang Kai gaped, caught off guard.
Old Master Wang chuckled, "What Lin Fan means is, if you want to live here, he can help you find a place. Nowadays, Lin Fan works for Xinfeng Real Estate, handling rentals. The rent is not expensive, about 1600 to 1700 a month. Even though it’s the apocalypse, paying rent for housing is quite normal, you see?"
"I... I understand," Wang Kai said, half-comprehending.
His head was spinning.
Old Master Wang was one of the survivors who could grasp what Lin Fan meant. He worried Lin Fan was too blunt and that Wang Kai might not understand. As a retired military man, he appreciated those with a sense of responsibility and courage.
Wang Kai seemed ordinary, just like any other young man, timid at times, but brave enough to step up when it mattered. This was what Old Master Wang admired.
Involuntarily, he thought back to his younger days in the war when a comrade, who usually seemed timid and effeminate in speech, astonished everyone by daring to shoulder a pack of explosives to blow up a tank during a critical moment.
Later, he understood that a person’s capacity for fear, bravery, and a host of unremarkable traits made them whole. At crucial times, the courage they exhibited was unimaginable.