Zhao Wan'er picked up the prepared wet towel beside the dining table and wiped her hands.
She then picked up her bowl, ready to start eating.
But she noticed that Senior Su Lan, Xue Xiaoxiao, and the others were still standing there in a daze.
"Senior Su Lan, Xiaoxiao, why are you all just standing there? Come sit down and eat together.
Teacher Qin and Miss Chu Xuan, please join us as well. Use the wet towels to wipe your hands first.
My brother said that after we finish eating, we can go to the dormitory area next door to freshen up and rest." Zhao Wan'er invited everyone to sit down.
Xue Xiaoxiao immediately took a seat, her eyes scanning all the food on the table like a tiger eyeing its prey, ready to dig in.
"Wipe your hands first." Senior Su Lan tapped Xue Xiaoxiao on the head.
Xue Xiaoxiao stuck out her tongue and obediently wiped her hands with the wet towel.
"Thank you, Wan'er." Senior Su Lan expressed her gratitude, dried her hands with the wet towel, and sat down to enjoy the meal.
Compared to Xue Xiaoxiao's ravenous eating style at the moment, Senior Su Lan was much more elegant.
"I... sitting down like this... doesn't seem appropriate." Teacher Qin hesitated, glancing at the table full of food and unable to resist swallowing her saliva.
But then she looked at the eager gazes of the other students around her. As a teacher, she felt it wasn't right to sit down.
"Teacher Qin, you've been protecting us these past few days. Consider this meal my treat. My brother also said we should thank you properly." Zhao Wan'er said.
"No, no, no! We should be the ones thanking your brother. If he hadn't risked coming to rescue us, we might have already been devoured by the insects." Teacher Qin waved her hands repeatedly.
After Zhao Wan'er insisted several times, Teacher Qin finally sat down, though she picked up food at a noticeably slower pace.
Chu Xuan thanked them and sat down as well. Compared to the others, she wasn't very hungry, as she often ate this kind of food in her own family.
However, she hadn't expected that ordinary crew members on this starship could also enjoy food of this level.
"That meat looks so delicious."
"Never mind the meat, even if you gave me a bone right now, I'd chew it to pieces."
"Stop talking, I feel like I'm about to faint from hunger."
The other teachers and students from the two academies in the hangar were all starving.
Before, everyone had endured it, and it was manageable.
But now, watching others enjoy a feast right in front of them was pure torture, as hunger relentlessly consumed their consciousness.
Seeing this scene, Teacher Qin felt uneasy sitting there. She looked at Zhao Wan'er, opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come out.
Just then, a team of female crew members walked into the hangar entrance.
One of them was wearing a chef's uniform.
"Everyone, our commander has taken into account that you've all been enduring hunger these past few days. Therefore, we are prepared to provide meals here, as well as a meal ordering service."
Hearing the chef's words, the teachers and students from the two academies instantly cheered, each of them beginning to fantasize about enjoying various delicacies.
They didn't expect anything as lavish as the table Zhao Wan'er and the others were eating from; even just three dishes and a soup would be more than enough.
But the next second, a large holographic projection screen appeared in front of the teachers and students, displaying various meals, each clearly marked with a price.
One portion of bread: Five Star Coins
One portion of rice: Ten Star Coins
One portion of fried rice: Thirty Star Coins
...
"What does this... mean?" a student questioned.
The cook smiled and explained, "We provide paid meals here, clearly marked with prices. If any of you need to order, you can do so here; we will prepare the food for you. We accept payments via Imperial Bank accounts."
As she spoke, a female crew member nearby brought out a card reader.
As long as it was within Galactic Alliance territory and in a location with signal, the card reader could deduct funds from the other party's card.
"What? We have to pay?" a student exclaimed in surprise.
The cook retorted, "Do you all expect to eat without paying?"
This left the dissatisfied teachers and students speechless.
Paying for meals was a matter of course.
Moreover, the prices on the menu were basically market rates.
Seeing this, Teacher Qin felt somewhat relieved.
She saw nothing wrong with paying for meals; after all, everyone present—teachers and students alike—was wealthy and influential. Even the professors, who might not eat natural ingredient-based meals every day, would occasionally indulge once a month.
For them, this wasn't too much of a burden.
"Never mind, I'm starving. I want to order!" a female student from the North Star Starship Military Academy couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to order three to five dishes.
Although she ordered a lot, most weren't expensive dishes, totaling only fifty Star Coins.
"Then I'll order too... I don't have much pocket money left, so just a bowl of rice will do."
"Um... excuse me, do you have any artificial nutrient meals here?"
"Just give me a piece of bread..."
Someone asked if there were nutrient meals, but they were informed that this starship didn't carry any.
This once again made everyone marvel at the "extravagance" of this starship—not stocking nutrient meals and allowing all crew members to enjoy such meal privileges.
What was that commander thinking?
"Wait, why is my price off? It shows I have to pay over five hundred Star Coins! I ordered the same meal as her, but mine is ten times more expensive!" a male student exclaimed loudly upon seeing the amount for his order.
The cook narrowed her eyes at the boy. "Because you spoke ill of our commander earlier. So if you want to order, the price is tenfold! You should be grateful for your status as a student of the North Star Starship Military Academy, otherwise..."
At this point, she paused and snorted coldly.
"What kind of rule is this? Just because I complained a few times... the price is ten times higher! I refuse to accept this!" the boy shouted.
The next second, the laser rifles in the hands of several accompanying female crew members shifted slightly.
One of them, who appeared to be the leader, said coldly, "The commander's exact words: 'My food, my pricing. Eat it or leave it. Anyone who dares to cause trouble gets thrown off the starship!'"
Hearing this, the boy immediately covered his mouth, recalling the "treatment" the student from the Tianyao Noble Starship Military Academy had received earlier. He had no doubt that man would actually do it.
"Are you ordering or not?" the cook asked with a faint smile, looking at the boy.
The young man looked at the "exorbitant price" of five hundred Star Coins—almost enough for a regular maintenance session for his own starship.
But his growling stomach ultimately made him grit his teeth. After removing a few more meal options and leaving only a bowl of rice and a small side dish, he paid the fee.
Even so, it still cost him seventy or eighty Star Coins!
"I didn't say anything bad about your commander, so why is my meal price three times higher?" a student wearing the uniform of Tianyao Noble Starship Military Academy inquired.
The chef smiled and explained, "Because the original price is the 'student price' for students of our North Star Starship Military Academy. For non-students of our academy, the meal price is tripled."
Su Lan, who was eating her meal, nearly choked on her food.
"Wan'er, your brother is truly wasted if he doesn't become a shrewd merchant," Su Lan said, both amused and exasperated by the situation.
Zhao Wan'er finally realized that her older brother had allowed her to bring meals back to eat precisely to "stimulate" these people.
It turned out she had been used by her own brother.