Wasteland: I Awakened A Plant System - Chapter 225: Dinner Time

The conflict Vikram had anticipated between the two leaders ended before it even began.

“That’s right, Brother Vikram. We’ve joined your Shelter, so there’s no way we could dislike it,” Harry said with a smile.

“It’s just that my brother might have a big appetite, so please don’t blame him, Brother Vikram,” Percy added honestly, rubbing the back of his head with an embarrassed expression.

These words naturally drew a protest from Ron, who lightly patted Percy on the head and grumbled, “You little brat, what are you saying? I haven’t eaten for days. How can my appetite be big?”

Seeing Ron make a fool of himself, everyone burst into laughter.

Vikram, seeing how smoothly he could recruit these members, had an even brighter smile on his face.

“Hahaha, it doesn’t matter if you can eat a lot. As long as you work efficiently, I’ll make sure you’re well-fed here.”

“You guys look around the space inside first. We’ll go prepare dinner, and I guarantee you’ll be full when you go to sleep later.”

After saying that, Vikram left them there and entered Territory 1 with Sophia, Divya, and Anjali.

“Let’s make tonight’s dinner a feast to welcome our new members.”

Anjali nodded enthusiastically and went straight into the kitchen to get busy.

Vikram and Divya, meanwhile, brought out a lot of meat from the warehouse, including beef ribs and pork belly. They also grabbed a hen from the chicken coop as an ingredient for tonight’s meal.

There were already enough chickens in the coop. At this moment, he wouldn’t be reluctant to use them. Anyway, if the chickens were well-fed, they reproduced and grew quite quickly.

While the three of them were busy preparing dinner, the atmosphere in Territory 2 was completely different.

Vikram had said that the place he provided for them was just average, but that was only compared to his own shelter and treehouse.

The reality was that as soon as the five people entered the ground floor of Building No. 1 that Vikram had prepared, all of them, without exception, widened their eyes in shock.

They were clearly astonished by the environment inside.

The indoor space was clean and tidy, with thick and soft carpets covering the floor. The iron single beds were laid with two layers of mattresses and fully equipped with thick quilts and pillows. There were also sofas, wardrobes, and a cabinet full of cotton clothes. A burning campfire in the middle dispelled the cold from outside.

These were not the most important things. What truly caught their attention was the LED light on the ceiling. The somewhat dazzling light shining down from above was undoubtedly a huge shock to them.

“This… this…” Even the usually boisterous Ron found it hard to believe. He pointed at the glowing ceiling light, unable to utter a word for a long time.

At the same time, the ten women who were taking care of the farmland, fish pond, and territory livestock appeared nearby. Seeing the newcomers’ amazed expressions, they couldn’t help but laugh softly.

One of the women, a kind-looking lady in her thirties, smiled warmly and said, “In Boss Vikram’s territory, there is nothing impossible. You’ll get used to it soon.”

Another woman chuckled and added, “When we first arrived, we were just like you, standing here with our mouths open, unable to believe our eyes.”

A younger woman pointed toward the vast farmland and said proudly, “We have proper fields here. We grow potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, chilies, and many other vegetables. Thanks to the Earth Mage and Water Mage Sprouts, the crops grow very fast. We don’t have to worry about food anymore.”

Another one gestured toward the sparkling pond, “There’s also a fish pond. We raise fish for meat. And over there are the livestock pens — goats, chickens, and even a couple of wild buffaloes. Boss Vikram brought them back from outside.”

The first woman continued, “The buildings you see are new. Boss Vikram had them built recently. Each floor has proper rooms with beds, blankets, and storage. There’s even electricity and lighting everywhere. At night, the whole territory lights up like a small town.”

One of the women laughed lightly, “And the temperature here is always comfortable. No matter how cold it is outside, inside the territory it feels like spring.”

Hearing all these praises and explanations, Ron finally came back to his senses. He burst out yelling, “Damn it! If only we had accepted Brother Vikram’s request back at the villa, we wouldn’t have had to suffer so much later!”

“Hehe, Ron, look at your face,” Draco teased, patting him on the back of the head. “Don’t forget that after we separated from the villa, when Harry asked for everyone’s opinion, you clearly chose to refuse to join Vikram. Now that you see how good the environment is, you’re regretting it again?”

“Tsk, who knew the people from Green Wind Shelter would be so disgusting later,” Ron grumbled.

Draco mockingly replied, “You knew and you’re still being a backseat driver? Aren’t you contradicting yourself?”

Draco then chose a bed and lay down comfortably. “It feels good to have joined a proper shelter now. I hope we won’t be targeted by Snape and his group again.”

Harry nodded at these words and looked toward the ten women. “Is there anything else we need to do? And where has Vikram Boss gone? I saw him heading toward another area filled with mist. I don’t understand why he left this beautiful building.”

Hearing this, the others burst into loud laughter.

“Did I ask something funny?” Harry asked in confusion.

They replied with smiles, “When dinner time comes, you will understand.” After saying that, the women went back to look after the farmland, livestock, and other tasks. It was surprisingly easy work for them, they didn’t even need to do much.

After they left, Harry said to the others, “Draco makes a good point. Now, it’s no longer just the five of us wandering the wasteland alone. From now on, we can’t just do whatever we think of. We need to listen more to our Shelter leader, Vikram’s arrangements.”

Ginny, who had been mostly silent, also chimed in, “Since Brother Vikram can offer us such good treatment, we certainly can’t just freeload in his Shelter. This will be our home from now on, so we should contribute more wherever we can help. Like the other people are doing here. With my combat power, it’s not very likely for me to go out and help kill enemies, but helping with cleaning, cooking, or looking after the farmland should still be fine.”

Harry nodded and said, “After Vikram comes back, we should ask for his opinion.”

—

When evening came, the four new members, Harry, Ron, Draco, and Percy, along with the other twenty members, went inside Territory 1.

They were also confused at first about what was hidden inside the mist. But the moment they passed through the gate, they were completely stunned by the scene before them.

Two large, majestic towers stood on both sides of the entrance, giving off an imposing and secure feeling. In the middle of Territory 1 stood a massive, ancient-looking tree, its branches glowing softly. Beside it was a small, clear lake sparkling under the lights. Neat pathways were illuminated by street lights that looked exactly like those from the old world, bright, steady, and perfectly functional.

The four newcomers stood frozen, their mouths slightly open in utter amazement. They had never imagined such a place could exist in the wasteland.

The other twenty members smiled knowingly as they watched the new arrivals’ reactions. They had gone through the same shock when they first arrived.

Vikram, standing nearby with Sophia, Divya, and Anjali, watched them with a faint smile. He didn’t say anything, letting them absorb the sight of his territory 1.

As night fell, the large dining table was almost overflowing with food.

The new members looked on with shining eyes, visibly salivating.

Vikram had learned on the way back that they had been hungry for a long time, so he immediately waved his hand and said, “Everyone, start eating.”

Braised buffalo belly, stewed beef ribs, stir-fried meat, half a soy-sauce-flavored chicken, chicken soup, and various home-cooked dishes filled the table. Except for the lack of rice, the spread was perfect.

Soon, the food on the dining table was completely cleared.

“Burp~”

Ron, who had the worst table manners, patted his bulging stomach, let out a satisfied burp, and gave an embarrassed chuckle. “The food today tastes different… and it’s really good.”

Vikram sat in his chair and nodded contentedly.

“Aunt Ginny made it! We each made half the dishes,” Anjali said with a proud smile.

Seeing Vikram’s questioning gaze, Anjali explained, “When I went to Territory 2 to bring the chicken, Ginny asked if she could help with cooking since we were making food for so many people. So I let her join me in the kitchen.”

“No, Vikram Boss, I only helped a little. Most of the dishes were made by Anju,” Ginny said modestly.

“Hehe, Vikram Boss, this little girl Anju is really good. She’s pretty and can cook well. Vikram Boss is truly blessed to find such a beautiful wife,” Ginny looked at Vikram and Anjali with an auntie-like smile and even gave him a thumbs-up.

In the Wasteland World, moral constraints had long disappeared. Ginny instinctively assumed that Sophia, Divya, and Anjali were Vikram’s wives, so such words naturally slipped out.

“Yes, you are right. I am truly blessed to have such a beautiful wife,” Vikram nodded and gave a warm smile while looking toward Anjali.

Hearing this, Anjali’s face instantly turned bright red. She lowered her head shyly, thinking that among Vikram’s wives, she was the most mischievous one. Divya was clever, and Sophia was obedient. Although she was trying to corrupt Sophia and make her more like herself, she was still the naughtiest of them all.

After the dinner ended, Vikram looked at the new members and asked, “How is it? Are you satisfied with the accommodation I arranged for you? If there’s anything specific you need, feel free to tell me, and I’ll try my best to fulfill it.”

Ron was the first to respond enthusiastically. “Why even ask? Brother Vikram, the rooms you arranged for us are almost as good as that previous villa. If I don’t starve to death, I could stay in your place for a lifetime!”

Not only Ron, but everyone else also nodded in strong agreement, clearly more than satisfied with the living conditions.

Seeing their expressions, Vikram was slightly taken aback. He thought to himself, *Sigh~ It seems honest survivors really don’t live good lives. They’re too easy to satisfy.*

But this was a good thing for him. Easy to satisfy meant easy to control.

Even though Vikram was chatting happily with them now, he hadn’t completely let down his guard. They were, at most, survivors he had met twice. He wasn’t foolish enough to trust them so easily. Although their character seemed decent, he still needed to observe them carefully before he could truly relax.

Hearing this, the new members asked, “Vikram Boss, what work should we do? The ten men are already guarding the walls, and the ten women are looking after the livestock, fish pond, and farmland.”

Vikram fell silent for a moment as he thought about what tasks to assign them.

While he was thinking, Ron spoke again, “By the way, Brother Vikram, who were those survivors from before? Why did they want to sneak into our territory? Do you want me to go deal with them now, just to help digest dinner?”

Ron twisted his neck and stretched his muscles, looking serious.

Vikram shook his head at the remark and, after a moment of contemplation, slowly said, “If nothing unexpected, it should be Snape’s people. They probably wanted to sneak in and steal supplies while I wasn’t here. But once they entered, they all became nutrition for my plants.”

“What?!”