Chapter 143: Rewarded with a Hot Pot Feast

Qin Sheng was naturally fine; after all, she was the one who had kicked the door open.

"I'm fine, don't worry, Captain Zhang." Qin Sheng gave a faint smile. It seemed that her kick had been effective, as the members of the Second Team scrambled to open the doors and windows, dissipating much of the cigarette smoke.

However, the lingering scent was still noticeable.

"I wonder what brings Captain Qin to the Second Team?" Zhang Ming rubbed his hands together, looking somewhat awkward. He had no idea why the newly appointed female captain had come straight to his team without even taking the time to change out of her uniform.

Qin Sheng maintained her faint smile, though there was a depth in her eyes that suggested things were not so simple. Her gaze left Zhang Ming feeling flustered; he couldn't tell if the "three fires" of the new official were being directed at his Second Team.

"Nothing much. I just heard that when my team members went to the core base to collect supplies, they ran into some of your people." Qin Sheng crossed her arms, scanned the room, and sat down on a relatively clean chair.

Seeing Qin Sheng so comfortably make herself at home, the smile on Zhang Ming’s face stiffened.

As Qin Sheng continued to speak, she noticed Zhang Ming was still standing, so she gestured to another chair with a faint smile. "Captain Zhang, please, don't stand on ceremony. Sit."

A touch of irony appeared on Zhang Ming's face as he replied, "Captain Qin really doesn't stand on ceremony, does she?"

It was a clear jab at her uninvited arrival and her boldness in taking a seat.

Qin Sheng was doing it on purpose. She shifted into a more comfortable position, ignored his sarcasm, and continued, "I heard that our Seventh Team's supplies were taken by the Second Team. Are you aware of this, Captain Zhang?"

Qin Sheng stared fixedly into Zhang Ming's shrewd little eyes, as if trying to see through him.

Only then did Zhang Ming realize why Qin Sheng had brought people to his territory—she was here to stand up for her subordinates.

Zhang Ming was not unaware of what his men were doing; he had simply been turning a blind eye. Since other teams usually gave him face, things were often brushed aside. He hadn't expected Qin Sheng to come knocking. It seemed this wouldn't end easily without some sort of explanation.

Qin Sheng swirled the tea she had just been handed. Seeing Zhang Ming deep in thought, she added, "I wonder, is it a character flaw in your team members, or was this directed by you, Captain?"

"It certainly wasn't authorized by me!" Zhang Ming retorted immediately. If he were to admit it, and Qin Sheng reported it to the District Chief, he could be charged with corruption and bribery. Zhang Ming weighed the pros and cons and decisively threw his subordinate under the bus.

Qin Sheng hadn't expected Zhang Ming to backpedal so quickly. It seemed this wasn't an official order, but rather his men taking advantage of the fact that he was backed by Guo Jun, the powerful captain of the First Team, to engage in petty theft. Other teams, fearing Guo Jun, would never have dared to confront him like this.

Qin Sheng didn't care about Guo Jun’s influence. In fact, she was looking forward to meeting him. Since he had tried to kill her so many times without success, he must be feeling quite frustrated.

"Since it’s a matter of your team members' lack of integrity, I won't pursue it further. They are your people, after all. Just make sure those supplies are delivered to the Seventh Team." Qin Sheng stood up, nodded at Zhang Ming with a smile, and then, as she turned, her expression dropped. She strode out of the room.

"I won't see you out, Captain Qin..."

Qin Sheng waved a hand without looking back and led her team out of the Second Team's headquarters.

The first thing she did upon stepping outside was sneeze uncontrollably. She had been holding her breath in the room to avoid the smell of cheap tobacco, and she took a deep breath of fresh air as soon as she was out.

"Qin Sheng, here." Seeing her sneeze and struggle for fresh air, Shen Shi pulled a clean tissue from her pocket and handed it to her.

Qin Sheng wiped her nose, feeling much better. She smiled at Shen Shi and said, "Thanks, I'll give you more when we get back."

Shen Shi shook her head with a faint smile.

Once Qin Sheng felt refreshed, the group returned to the Seventh Team.

As soon as they entered, the scent of food greeted them. Jiang Miaomiao, the team's cook, emerged from the small kitchen upon hearing their voices and said with a smile, "The Guard Team's cafeteria sent over some vegetables and rice earlier. I just heated them up—perfect timing now that you're back."

Qin Sheng nodded, turning to introduce Jiang Miaomiao to Yu Yong, Wang Qiang, and the others. "I forgot to introduce you all. Our Miaomiao is an excellent cook."

Qin Sheng spoke with evident pride, making Jiang Miaomiao blush.

"It's just home-cooked food, nothing special. As long as Sheng-sheng likes it, I'm happy to cook more. It was sent by the cafeteria today, but hopefully, you'll have a chance to try my own cooking later," Jiang Miaomiao said, beckoning everyone into the kitchen.

Before Qin Sheng had left, the kitchen had been bare, but now it was filled with utensils—presumably brought from their previous temporary quarters. Jiang Miaomiao had also brought stored food supplies, giving the room a cozy, lived-in feel.

"I'll go call the others to eat." After everyone was seated, Jiang Miaomiao took off her apron and headed toward the dormitory building.

As soon as they heard about food, those hiding in the dormitory scrambled out.

"I've heard the Guard Team's small cafeteria makes delicious food. Finally, a chance to taste it," said A-Zhi, the first to arrive. She took a bowl and chopsticks from Jiang Miaomiao, sat down, and heaped a large portion of stir-fried cabbage onto her plate.

After savoring a bite, she nodded, "A true chef indeed. Even simple cabbage tastes exceptionally good."

Following her assessment, Qin Sheng took a small bite. It was indeed delicious, with a wonderful aroma and texture, though it lacked the crisp freshness of garden-grown cabbage—likely due to being in storage for a while.

"It's really good. Even though it's just vegetables, it's been a long time since we've had any," Jiang Miaomiao said.

"Right. Before, the only vegetables we had were from the self-heating hot pots Sheng-jie gave us. Those were good, but stir-fried cabbage is even better," Chu Xingyu added.

Everyone sitting there had eaten food provided by Qin Sheng, especially those who had come with her from the university; they had eaten their fair share of self-heating hot pots.

"Are self-heating hot pots good?" Little Nuo, who had never tried one, asked curiously, leaning close to Qin Sheng.

Qin Sheng nodded and shook her head simultaneously. "They're tasty, but they're processed food. Little Nuo is still growing, so you can't eat too many."

Little Nuo nodded thoughtfully. "If Sister says I can't eat them, I won't."

Qin Sheng then served Little Nuo a generous portion of cabbage and greens, along with a slice of cured meat. The boy ate everything she gave him, obediently.

"You know," Shen Mei said, "I know self-heating hot pots aren't as good as this stir-fried cabbage, but I really miss the taste of real hot pot. It’s been so long since I've had a steaming hot pot or barbecue..."

As she spoke, she took a large bite of cabbage, pretending it was a slice of beef soaked in spicy tallow from a real hot pot.

At the mention of barbecue and hot pot, Jiang Miaomiao, Chu Xingyu, and Lin Xing couldn't help but recall the hot pot and barbecue nights they had shared with Qin Sheng on the university rooftop. The more they reminisced, the more incredible that food seemed in retrospect.

"Everyone seems to really want hot pot?" Qin Sheng asked with a light laugh, seeing the longing in their eyes.

"We do!" they shouted in unison.

Even the usually quiet Shen Shi’s eyes lit up at the mention of hot pot. It seemed that in the apocalypse, simple pleasures like hot pot had become an unattainable luxury.

Jiang Miaomiao, Chu Xingyu, and Lin Xing exchanged glances; they knew Qin Sheng was about to organize a hot pot feast.

Qin Sheng was happy to indulge her team, but there were conditions.

"In one week, anyone who maintains perfect attendance for morning, noon, and evening training and shows improvement in their strength gets hot pot," Qin Sheng said with a raised brow.

A few people, like A-Zhi and Xiaoxiao, looked troubled at the mention of perfect attendance and improvement.

"Of course, you don't have to have perfect attendance. But if you don't, you can only eat the vegetables—no meat."

This was a devastating blow to the two foodies, A-Zhi and Xiaoxiao. They pouted, resigned to their fate, and vowed to have perfect attendance this week.

Qin Sheng finished her meal and stood up to wash her bowl. Water in the safe zone was limited; at this hour, the supply had already been cut off. Everyone practiced strict water conservation, reusing what they could.

Qin Sheng, however, had no such concerns. With the water in her personal space, she had enough to shower every day for years. She planned to bring out some drinking water soon so her team wouldn't go thirsty.

As she headed upstairs to consider her plans, she heard a commotion at the door. She didn't recognize the people standing there, so she stood still and watched.

"Captain Qin, we've delivered the supplies from the Second Team. We hope you can be magnanimous and let bygones be bygones..."