Chapter 239: Ordering Food

Chapter 239: Chapter 239: Ordering Food

Kyle Keith ate as unhurriedly as always, showing a particular fondness for the fruit platter Luna Dawson had brought out. Despite his seemingly slow pace, it wasn’t long before almost all the fruit on the platter was gone.

"Captain Dawson, if you ever open a restaurant, I’d happily spend my points on an annual membership."

He meant every word.

The corners of Luna’s mouth quirked up. It was rare for this guy to be so earnest. "Running a restaurant means you’re tied to the shop, which is way too restrictive," she replied lazily. "Selling the occasional boxed lunch to make some side cash is fine, though."

At this, Clayton Churchill’s eyes lit up. He nearly slammed his hands on the table. "I’ll order! I definitely want a monthly subscription!"

Kyle shot him a half-smile. "What? Do I usually starve you?"

Clayton was speechless.

He thought, "You’re allowed to be greedy, Captain, but I’m not?"

"No... I just figured it would be nice to switch up the flavors when we’re out on missions," he mumbled.

Luna raised an eyebrow. A monthly meal subscription—now that was an interesting idea. "One Third-order Crystal Core for a boxed lunch," she said slowly. "It comes with three meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and one egg."

Before her voice even faded, Shaun Barnes, who had been eavesdropping from next door, chimed in with his booming voice. "Captain Dawson, I’m in! I’ll order two boxes!"

Good lord, he had been salivating over here for ages!

His squad would occasionally treat themselves to extra meals back at the base, but it was absolutely maddening—the aroma of the Sunset Squad’s food seemed to seep right into a person’s bones, and he was hooked!

Besides, he wanted Ying’er to eat better, too. Usually, when they went out on missions, other people only ever envied their Special Operations Team. Today was a real eye-opener—turns out, a truly powerful squad never lacked for good food!

Having a Space Ability was simply incredible!

Seth Scott enthusiastically followed suit. "Captain Dawson! I want in, too!" he declared, immediately fishing out a crystal core and handing it over, terrified she might take back her offer.

"Count me in!"

"I’ll take one!"

Standing nearby, Dylan DuPont watched his team members pounce like starving wolves. A proud, fatherly smile spread across his face. "Look at you all, acting so hopeless. Well, I’ll order a box too."

...

Before long, Luna looked down at the ten Third-order Crystal Cores in her hand and smiled faintly. Not bad. Coming out on this mission was essentially earning her double pay.

The members of the Genesis Team eagerly opened their steaming boxed lunches.

"Wow! I got braised pork trotters, tomato sauce prawns, and roast goose!"

"I have drunken goose, sizzling squid, and braised pork!"

"Beef with cilantro! Oh man... and spicy crab with stir-fried cured meat and dried tofu... This is so good!"

Moreover, all the ingredients were incredibly fresh. It felt as if they had just come out of the pan, retaining that perfect smoky heat straight into their mouths!

Nearby, the Omni Squad members stared in utter disbelief, their eyes practically glued to the boxed lunches.

Holy shit!

They could actually order boxed lunches!

Those were fresh garlic choy sum and dry-pot cauliflower! How long had it been since they last tasted fresh leafy greens? The last time they had tender, fresh vegetables felt like a lifetime ago...

Suddenly, the Omni Squad members who had just been feeling smug about receiving a braised egg felt a burning sensation on their cheeks.

Just five minutes ago, they had believed that, as members of OmniCorp, their standard of living would command respect from the Special Operations Department and the Sunset Squad. But look at the reality! The others were happily devouring piping hot, freshly prepared meals! Meanwhile, they could only watch with envious, hungry eyes...

They truly had to bow down to the number one squad! Even in their sheer extravagance, they were unparalleled!

Lucas Scott was still young—only seventeen, right in the middle of a growth spurt. Watching the others eat, he was practically drooling.

He was itching to go buy a boxed lunch himself. After all, he was the Omni Squad’s sole Healing Ability User, so he had plenty of crystal cores to spare. Trading one for a meal every now and then was more than affordable.

He had just started to stand up when Ian Wyatt’s hand clamped down on the back of his neck, pinning him in place.

Only then did Lucas notice their captain, William Walsh, glaring fiercely at Luna’s tent with a venomous look in his eyes.

"When we get back, I’ll cook and make an extra meal for everyone," William said. "There will be as much braised pork as you can eat."

He completely understood his team’s feelings, his own heart a tangle of mixed emotions.

The surrounding squad members’ eyes instantly lit up. "Really, Captain?!" they asked in hushed voices. "All the braised pork we can eat?!"

"Awesome! We’ll listen to the captain!"

None of them dared to speak loudly, terrified of angering the captains of Squad One and Squad Two, and equally afraid of offending Luna’s group. They fully committed to keeping their heads down, but the anticipation in their eyes was almost impossible to hide.

In less than half an hour, the dozen or so gluttons from the Sunset Squad and Genesis Team had wiped out all the food. Some even mixed the leftover sauce at the bottom of the containers with their base-issued rations, polishing off every last drop.

Luna patted her rounded stomach, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. It seemed she had become a glutton too, considering how much she had just eaten.

A short while later, Kevin Keane, Kyle Keith, Dylan DuPont, and Ian Wyatt gathered to discuss the night watch.

Aaron Palmer stood by the window, observing through his binoculars. "The captains have made a decision. Our shift will be from now until midnight, and we just need one or two people from each squad."

Munching on a post-meal snack, Miles Dawson chimed in, "What’s there to guard against? We’ve got several Fourth-order Aberrant Beasts holding down the fort. Unless they’re completely blind, who would dare come anywhere near us?"

The members of the Genesis Team immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Someone chuckled and added, "No kidding! With Captain Dawson covering for us, we can actually get a good night’s sleep tonight!"

Over in the Omni Squad, someone muttered quietly, "Hmph. The Sunset Squad is so damn arrogant."

Nobody argued, though. After all, the sheer deterrence of a Fourth-order Aberrant Beast wasn’t something anyone dared to take lightly.

Luna stood up and patted her clothes. "Alright, I’ll take the watch. The rest of you, go to sleep."

Kevin and Blake Blue turned to look at her.

"How about I take shifts with you?"

"The two of us can keep watch and still get enough sleep."

"No need, no need," Luna said, waving them off and lowering her voice. "I have the widest sensory range. If I really get tired, I’ll just head into my space to catch up on sleep. There’s no point in making you guys suffer through the night. Who knows what we’ll have to deal with tomorrow? Everyone needs to be well-rested so nobody holds us back."

Everyone knew how unique her space was, so they didn’t push the issue. Performing poorly tomorrow would only cause trouble for the team anyway.

Luna casually set up a tent for Rhonda Dawson in the office, then placed two double tents near the doorway. "Rest easy, everyone."

The Sunset Squad members quickly settled in, and before long, the sound of soft breathing filled the air.

During the shift change, Luna specifically had Little Sweet Potato take out the Third-tier Zombie on the roof. Only then did she return to the office with peace of mind and enter her space.

The night passed uneventfully. The hastily assembled team slept more soundly than they ever had on a mission since the apocalypse began.

As the morning light broke, Luna stood by the window, looking out at the flora and fauna paradise outside the high-rise under a light, drizzling rain. She felt utterly uncomfortable, absolutely loathing the sticky, humid heat.

Glancing at the thermometer and hygrometer, she saw it was already thirty-seven degrees Celsius!

No wonder the air felt like warm, sticky porridge, clinging tightly to her skin.

After breakfast, Kevin operated a drone equipped with a speaker and set it to play a song.

Sure enough, the thousands of zombies surrounding the office building went absolutely wild, sprinting frantically toward the airborne sound source. It wasn’t long before the previously packed streets were mostly clear, leaving only a dozen or so slow-witted, hard-of-hearing zombies wandering aimlessly.

"Let’s move!"

At Kyle’s command, the group swiftly jumped out of the second-floor windows. The Space Superpower Users quickly released their vehicles, and they set off in the direction of Decron Pharmaceuticals.

The humidity was absurdly high, paired with sweltering temperatures. Taking even a few steps caused them to break a sweat, making it feel like they were standing in a sauna.

Dense threads of rain wrapped around them, mingling with a faint, lingering mist. It gave off the eerie sensation that they had stepped straight into the Fog World of *Silent Hill*.