Chapter 261: Oh, He's Just Being Formal
"The grade of these crystal stones is lower than this batch. I'll add an extra one. Is that okay with you?" Meng Ci asked.
Although Song Chao's group had five people and Meng Ci and Shen Que only had two, Qie Zi and Xiong Ying had also contributed significantly, so a fair distribution wasn't a problem.
"No problem."
"I'll take this batch of ten," Song Chao said directly.
After all, they had a team of ten people, and two stones per person worked out perfectly. Moreover, these ten crystal stones were clearly of a much higher grade.
"Sure."
Meng Ci handed the items to Song Chao, and he wasn't surprised or upset that Song Chao chose the better batch.
In the apocalypse, it was only natural to be a little selfish.
After dividing the crystal stones, Meng Ci and the others bid farewell to the two groups.
The fight with the octopus had drained Meng Ci's mental energy, leaving him feeling lightheaded.
Shen Que noticed and immediately drove Meng Ci back to the base.
Upon arriving at the base, they had to wait in line for professionals to conduct inspections. After all, going out to kill zombies or mutated creatures carried the risk of being bitten, so a thorough inspection was necessary upon return.
The residents who had previously lived near the base entrance had already moved inside, accommodated in government buildings and points redemption centers. When these buildings were constructed, the third to sixth floors were not connected to the first and second floors, and the entrance was at the back.
The rooms were large, and there were many people, so no beds were installed. The residents had to sleep on floor mats.
They also needed to pay twenty points per month, which was much cheaper compared to renting elsewhere, so they couldn't complain much.
Moreover, meals at the base cafeteria cost only two points.
For those focused on earning points by taking down zombies, this was undoubtedly a good option for solving their food needs.
Some residents figured it would be cheaper to cook their own meals.
However, these residents needed to be cautious. To prevent safety accidents like fires, they were not allowed to cook inside the building. They could only set up makeshift stoves on the open ground downstairs, and they had to take their things with them after eating.
In addition, every resident returning from outside the base had to be checked for any signs of injury. If suspicious wounds were found, staff would take them to a quarantine room and observe them for two hours.
This was done both for the safety of the injured and to protect the stability of the entire base.
Everyone understood and supported the measures, with no complaints or resistance.
After the two were inspected, they drove into the base.
Shen Que took Meng Ci to Zhao Jingyu's place and asked Qiao Moyan for help with healing.
Qiao Moyan naturally agreed.
Qiao Moyan had seemed much better these past few days, mainly because Zhao Jingyu was always full of energy, sometimes to the point of being a bit too playful.
Sometimes Zhao Jingyu had Jo Moyan do this and then that, keeping him busy with all sorts of tasks.
To be able to heal Meng Ci and the others' mental energy at any time, he didn't go out to work. Instead, he stayed home to take care of them, occasionally going out to procure supplies.
But Jo Moyan wasn't just a freeloader. At first, they only had some vegetables planted in the corner, but now Jo Moyan made good use of the space, leaving only a path for entry and turning the rest into vegetable fields.
The basement, which had a hydroponic setup, was also put to use.
Now, Zhao Jingyu's group had a steady supply of fresh vegetables, and when there was excess, they could exchange them at the supply point for other goods.
Previously, the areas in the base designated for growing vegetables had to be repurposed because there were too many residents. They were allowed to set up tents to live in.
The officials had long been preparing for the impending zombie horde. Not only had they built a huge granary in the base, but they also had one in West Mountain Wilderness.
It was said that the official stockpile could sustain 500,000 people for two years.
So, the most important tasks now were to fight the zombies and search for medicinal herbs.
As a result, fresh vegetables were in short supply and could fetch a lot of points.
Of course, Zheng Yan wouldn't miss this business opportunity. Every morning, he took a bag of vegetables from Zhao Jingyu's place, and by night, he returned with several crystals.
Although Zhao Jingyu's house had a well, Zheng Yan believed his water-based powers were better than the well water. So, he brought a large jar, filled it with water, and let them use it to water the vegetables.
The crystals Zheng Yan brought back were then divided into three portions.
After healing Meng Ci, Zhao Jingyu invited them to stay for dinner, and they accepted.
After that, Jo Moyan insisted on cooking alone and politely declined their offers to help.
"You guys work hard killing zombies outside. These tasks should be left to me," Jo Moyan said, not daring to look Meng Ci in the eye, and then turned to enter the kitchen.
Jo Moyan felt that Meng Ci and Shen Que worked hard enough fighting zombies, so he didn't want to burden them with more tasks.
As for Zhao Jingyu, since he provided the food and shelter, Jo Moyan wouldn't let him help either.
As Jo Moyan disappeared into the kitchen, Zhao Jingyu let out a deep sigh.
He sat down on the sofa, his eyes following the busy Jo Moyan in the kitchen, a hint of helplessness and guilt in his gaze.
"Uncle Jo is always so formal. How can I get him to open up?"
Ever since Jo Moyan came into the house, Zhao Jingyu had felt he was like an old father, worrying about everything.
The only pity was that he was too polite and wouldn't let Zhao Jingyu do anything, often making him feel like the carefree young master he used to be before the apocalypse.
"Isn't it good that you don't have to do anything?" Meng Ci said.
Zhao Jingyu thought that if he had hired a housekeeper, he wouldn't feel guilty about it. But Jo Moyan was someone he regarded as an old father, so of course, there was a burden.
If he treated Uncle Jo like a father, then what did that make Liang Xiu? A second father?
After all, Liang Xiu was just a year younger than Uncle Jo.
Zhao Jingyu said that the two of them felt differently and that Meng Ci wouldn't understand.
Meng Ci just shrugged, admitting that he really didn't get it.
Qiao Moyan worked fast, whipping up four dishes and a soup in just over forty minutes, with both meat and vegetables, unlike the sparse meals they had when the hail hit.
Seeing Qiao Moyan looking healthier, Meng Ci felt his earlier decision had been the right one.
After finishing their meal, Meng Ci and Shen Que headed back home.
They weren't in a rush to exchange the crystals; they'd wait until they had enough.
Six months had passed, and they still hadn't made any progress in finding medicinal herbs.
Most of the zombies around M City had been mostly cleared out, leaving the mutated animals as the main targets for the psionics.