Chapter 45: You Good-for-Nothing
Shifting his gaze, Chu Yang fixed his eyes on the bags of crystal cores resting on the table. He tapped his knuckles against the wooden surface twice. “Alright, now that the serious business is handled, it’s time to hand out the rewards!”
“These Tier 1 crystal cores—one bag for Lin Xiao, one for Su Mubai. They’re ideal for building up your foundation. Do your best to catch up with Brother Jiang and me as fast as you can!”
Lin Xiao had been eyeing the pouches with eager hunger. Hearing those words, he rubbed his palms together, leaned forward, and snatched one up without hesitation. “Then I won’t stand on ceremony!”
“Thanks, Third Brother! Thanks, Boss! Once I absorb these, I’ll push for a breakthrough to Tier 2 as quickly as possible. I definitely won’t drag the team down!”
Su Mubai picked up the remaining bag. Pinching a pale blue core between his fingertips, he felt a soothing, icy chill spread across his skin. When he looked up, his voice was thick with sincere gratitude. “Thank you, both of you…”
Jiang Jue remained leaning against the doorframe, his relaxed posture unchanged. Yet as his gaze swept across the two newcomers, the cool distance in his dark eyes softened slightly.
“Get plenty of rest tonight,” Jiang Jue said, his deep voice carrying quiet authority. “Don’t get greedy while absorbing the energy. Take it step by step and learn your body’s limits.” He glanced out the window toward the deepening night. “Tomorrow morning, as soon as we pack the rest of the supplies from the warehouse, we hit the road.”
Lin Xiao gave an immediate nod, chiming in with an agreeable, “Understood, Boss!”
A second later, however, he seemed to remember something. The eager grin wiped clean from his face, replaced by a shadow of hesitation.
Scratching the back of his neck, he looked toward Jiang Jue with a troubled frown. “Boss, uh… what if we hold off for a couple more days? Even though Third Brother’s wound has closed on the surface, it was a deep, penetrating strike. Wouldn’t it be safer to wait until he’s completely healed before we start traveling?”
Hearing Lin Xiao’s concern, a warm glow settled in Chu Yang’s chest. Reaching over, he slapped Lin Xiao’s broad back with a hearty laugh. “Not bad, Old Lin! I never knew a rough lug like you could be so thoughtful and caring! But don’t worry about me—my injury cleared up ages ago! Forget walking—I can run, jump, and butcher zombies all day. I’m healthier than an ox!”
“Healed?” Lin Xiao’s eyes went wide with disbelief.
Beside him, Su Mubai knitted his brows in open doubt. When he had changed the dressings earlier that afternoon, the laceration had only just started knitting together, and the deeper tissue was still red and inflamed. How could a wound like that vanish entirely in a matter of hours?
Seeing their utter skepticism, Chu Yang puffed out his chest with smug satisfaction, tilting his head proudly. “Heh, I won’t keep you in the dark: my ability upgraded again! Not only did my storage space expand by more than ten times, but my offensive power leveled up, and my physical constitution got a massive boost along with it. A tiny scratch like that naturally healed right up.”
“If you don’t believe me, just take a look—”
As he spoke, he reached down, about to hitch up his shirt to put the bare skin on display.
Jiang Jue’s hand moved in a flash, his fingers clamping firmly over the hem of Chu Yang’s shirt. The grip was steady and calculated, instantly pinning the fabric down to halt the motion. A subtle frown creased Jiang Jue’s brow, his eyes carrying a mix of quiet helplessness and stern disapproval as his deep voice brooked no argument:
“Keep your shirt down. Don’t go catching a chill.”
With his wrist blocked and the fabric held fast, Chu Yang pursed his lips, grumbling under his breath, “Brother Jiang, you’re making a mountain out of a molehill. It’s toasty in this room; how on earth would I catch a cold…”
Even as he complained, the quiet weight of Jiang Jue’s imposing stare made Chu Yang’s voice dwindle to a soft mumble. In the end, he surrendered his plan to show off the injury and slouched back into his chair, though he couldn’t resist one last quiet protest: “It really is completely healed…”
With the small argument settled and the darkness outside turning absolute, the squad turned their focus to preparing dinner. Chu Yang retrieved portions of polished rice, fresh frozen seafood, and crisp vegetables from his storage space.
As the resident master chef, Su Mubai naturally stepped up to run the kitchen. Picking up a simple cloth apron, he was about to fasten it around his waist when Lin Xiao leaned in with a bright grin. “Little Bai, let me tie that for you! You focus on the ingredients; leave the menial chores to me.”
Su Mubai glanced at him, offered no objection, and murmured a soft “Mm.” Turning his back, he lifted his arms slightly to give him room.
Lin Xiao took the fabric ties and drew them around Su Mubai’s waist. As he secured the knot, his fingers lightly brushed against the sides of the other man’s waist and abdomen. Through the thin layer of cotton, the contour beneath was unmistakably clear—slender, narrow, yet carrying a supple, hidden strength. It was noticeably leaner than Lin Xiao had assumed, though not fragile in the slightest.
He couldn’t help muttering aloud, “That’s strange, Little Bai… I never see you eating any less than the rest of us. How is your waist so thin… like a girl’s? You look like a stiff breeze could blow you away.”
Su Mubai didn’t catch the words clearly and glanced over his shoulder with a puzzled look. “What are you mumbling back there?”
Lin Xiao waved his hands hastily. “Nothing, nothing! All tied up! Hurry up and work your magic—I’m practically starving to death!”
Silently, Lin Xiao resolved to pile more food onto Su Mubai’s plate moving forward. In a brutal wasteland, a solid, sturdy frame was far safer. Seeing such a slender build just made a person worry.
Su Mubai had no time to ponder his friend’s antics. Turning back to the portable burner, he sparked the flame and got straight to work. He heated a generous swirl of oil in the pan, waiting until it began to shimmer before pouring in the beaten eggs Chu Yang had prepped. With a loud, satisfying sizzle, the golden mixture puffed up instantly, releasing a rich, savory fragrance that set everyone’s stomachs growling.
Before long, a plate of savory stir-fried pork with green peppers, a platter of tender scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and a steaming pot of seaweed egg-drop soup were arranged neatly across the table.
Having burned through immense energy during his breakthrough, Chu Yang ate like a man possessed. The second he picked up his chopsticks, he couldn’t stop, shoveling down three heaping bowls of rice and gulping the hot broth straight from the rim with pure relish.
Lin Xiao reached out with his chopsticks to snag a juicy slice of pork for Su Mubai, but halfway across the table, Chu Yang’s chopsticks darted in, neatly intercepting the meat and dropping it straight into his own bowl. In the same fluid motion, Chu Yang scooped a generous portion of scrambled eggs with tomatoes and dropped it onto Su Mubai’s rice, mumbling around a mouthful: “Little Bai, eat up! You worked hard over the stove! Old Lin can feed himself—don’t waste your energy worrying about him!”
Lin Xiao stared at his empty chopsticks, then glared at the mountain of food piled high in Chu Yang’s bowl. He slapped the table in mock outrage, clicking his tongue with a teasing scoff: “Good grief! Third Brother, you’re not a recovering patient—you’re a starving ghost reincarnated! That appetite of yours is double mine! And stealing food straight from my chopsticks? You good-for-nothing!”
Chu Yang, his cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk’s, fired right back between chews: “What do you know! Leveling up burns a ton of fuel! If I don’t stuff my face, how am I supposed to replenish my stamina? Besides, Little Bai’s cooking is delicious—you’re eating just as fast as I am!”
Saying this, he scooped up another massive serving of the stir-fried pork and dropped it into Jiang Jue’s bowl. “Brother Jiang, you need to eat plenty too.”
He flashed Jiang Jue a bright, sweet smile.
Jiang Jue paused for a second, lowering his eyes to the meat resting atop his rice. Rather than picking up his own chopsticks right away, he reached across the table, sliding a bowl of soup that had cooled to the perfect drinking temperature straight in front of Chu Yang.
“It’s not scalding anymore. Drink some to ease your throat.”
Chu Yang nodded happily. Swallowing dry rice had indeed started to choke him, so he picked up the bowl and downed half of it in several hearty gulps.
Sitting across from them, Lin Xiao took in the whole exchange, pursing his lips with an envious shake of his head. “Look at you two… shamelessly playing favorites.”
