"9(UMP9) isn't here?"
UMP45 glanced around.
"Ahem, my sincerest apologies. I'm too poor at the moment, so she can't come yet. But I'll do my best to bring her over too!"
Lux said earnestly.
"Hehe, then I'll leave it to you, Commander. That child is very convenient to use. She'll definitely be a big help."
UMP45 smiled meaningfully.
"Close the door. Looks like everyone for today's welcome party is here. We can officially start."
"Leaving it open is fine. I cleared out all the nearby threats on the way here, which is why I arrived a bit late."
UMP45 said with a smile.
"As expected of you. Still, it's better to be safe. Zombies are attracted to the smell of blood. I don't know whether the aroma of cooked meat affects them or not."
Lux said.
AA-12 swiftly pulled down both sides of the shutter.
"Can't we eat while talking? Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, I'm already hungry."
MDR complained.
"Alright, then let's eat."
The moment Lux finished speaking, MDR rushed straight to the rice pot and began scooping rice into stainless-steel lunch boxes.
"Wait. Before that, M99, I'd like you to remove the grenade from your hat."
"If an enemy hits that while you're next to the Commander, his life could be in danger."
HK416 said seriously.
"Okay, okay."
M99 deftly removed the grenade held by the bunny plush and stuffed it into the bunny backpack on her back.
Lux took out two more stainless-steel lunch boxes and handed them to M99 and UMP45.
"Looks like the food conditions here are pretty good."
UMP45 smiled and sat down next to one of the hotpots.
The hotpots on the smokeless stoves were bubbling vigorously, steam rising as fragrant hotpot meatballs rolled inside. Chicken legs and duck hearts surfaced from time to time, making Candice swallow unconsciously.
"I'm sorry to tell you some bad news. Food conditions may gradually get worse in the future. So enjoy yourselves now. If it's not enough, we can always add more meat and vegetables."
"Hehe, seems my luck isn't bad, getting to attend a feast like this."
"I'm not good at giving speeches or toasts, so I'll just raise a drink at the start. Let's celebrate Sten, AA-12, M99, and 45 joining my team."
Lux twisted open a bottle of Sprite. Everyone else picked their preferred drinks.
"Cheers! Even though the outside world isn't a good place, I believe that as long as we work hard together, life will keep getting better!"
Bottles clinked lightly. Then stainless-steel chopsticks flew nonstop into the hotpots as everyone ate happily.
"Oh! So this is fresh meat? It's really delicious. Mmm, mmm."
Sten MKII chewed on a duck heart in small, cute bites. The extra-spicy broth had made her face turn bright red.
"Lux, what's this triangular thing? It has a special flavor."
MDR asked curiously.
"This? It's called shrimp dumpling. Though honestly, there probably isn't much shrimp inside. If you like that taste, I'd recommend eating shrimp directly."
"Commander, this one… it's sweet. Add more."
AA-12 poked Lux with her elbow after fishing a purple sweet-potato ball out of the clear broth.
"Alright, alright. But let's wait until this pot is mostly finished. Otherwise, cooked and uncooked ingredients might get mixed together."
"The rice is gone! Hurry and steam another pot! Miss MDR is going to eat until she's completely full today!"
"Alright. I'll go make more rice. You all keep eating."
Lux smiled as he picked up the empty rice pot and began washing rice again.
The grocery store filled with the clear, cheerful laughter of the girls, and Lux's mood lifted along with it.
"Lux, how about you teach me how to cook? Letting you, the Commander, cook for all of us really isn't reasonable."
HK416 put down her bowl and chopsticks and walked over to him.
"Huh? I'm actually very happy doing this. Just seeing your smiles already makes it worth it."
"More and more companions will join us in the future. It'll be hard for you alone to prepare food for everyone. So I think it's necessary for me to start learning now."
"That's very thoughtful. I really hadn't thought that far. Alright, I'll teach you."
Lux nodded. He couldn't deny that HK416 had a point.
After several rounds, one hotpot was completely emptied.
Luckily, they had set up three pots from the start. M99 was already adding more ingredients into the ones that were mostly finished, according to everyone's preferences.
---
Half an hour later.
"Brother Lux, I'm full. Can I go sleep now?"
Candice was the first to put down her chopsticks. Rubbing her eyes, she asked,
"Mm, can I go sleep now? I'm full."
"Yeah, go ahead. I'll wake you when it's time to move."
Lux nodded gently. Candice walked to the corner of the grocery store, took out a sleeping bag from her backpack, and crawled inside.
"This child is…?"
After Candice fell asleep, M99 asked curiously.
"Her parents didn't make it. It's hard for a kid to survive alone in a shelter in the later stages, so I brought her along."
"Commander… so you're someone truly worthy of respect. I'm very sorry for doubting you earlier."
A trace of admiration appeared in M99's eyes.
"It's not that… I just couldn't watch a child that young try to survive alone. If it were other survivors, I might have hardened my heart and abandoned them."
Lux sighed and spoke calmly. Rather than setting up an unrealistic heroic image, he decided to make things clear from the start and let M99 know that he was just a selfish, ordinary person, so she wouldn't be disillusioned later.
"That's fine, Commander. I watched from upstairs today for a long time. I observed three different groups. What they did was far worse."
"Senior dolls used to tell me that death isn't glorious, but victory has a price. Someone always has to be sacrificed. That's a cost that must be paid."
"I believe you'll never make the wrong judgment."
M99 said seriously. Earlier today, she had seen a young couple trying to survive nearby. When the girl was grabbed by zombies, the boy turned and ran without hesitation. That scene made her deeply understand how cruel this world was.
Lux being willing to bring along a child like Candice, who had no combat ability, was already admirable in her eyes.