Dragon Transformation in the Apocalypse

Chapter 16 Dinner Party

Li Chenglong went straight to Zheng Yong's office after going downstairs. He knocked and entered, finding Zheng Yong and Wang Yousheng already there, clearly discussing something. Li Chenglong smiled and asked, "What are you two discussing?" Zheng Yong replied, "We didn't say much, just that the number of superhumans and survivors in the hospital is increasing, and their combat strength has clearly improved. This gives us hope of reuniting with the people at Jinghai Base." Li Chenglong thought for a moment and asked, "Has the satellite phone stopped working since then?" Zheng Yong frowned and said, "We haven't been able to make contact. I asked Tech Liu, and he said the phone is fine; it's probably a satellite problem. But even if one communication satellite is malfunctioning, it's unlikely all of them are, right?" Li Chenglong thought for a moment but didn't answer, because he had a bad feeling that all the satellites might indeed be malfunctioning.

Seeing the somewhat somber atmosphere, Wang Yousheng changed the subject: "I heard there's beast meat to eat tonight. I've accumulated quite a few points, so it looks like I'll be able to have a good meal this time, haha." Li Chenglong added, "Yunlan said that beast meat not only greatly helps those with superpowers, but also enhances the physique of ordinary people. Moreover, high-grade beast meat can even evolve people into superpowered beings." Zheng Yong and Wang Yousheng's eyes lit up when they heard that beast meat had so many benefits.

Just as the group was discussing the exotic beast meat, Yun Lan, Li Xue, and Yun Qian arrived. Yun Qian spoke first, saying, "Because there are so many people having this gathering, the hospital cafeteria is simply too crowded. So we're going to use the auditorium in the adjacent office building. Although it's a bit old, according to our calculations, it can seat two thousand people without any problem." Li Chenglong nodded and then said, "The hospital's security can't be neglected either. Here's what we'll do: Yun Qian, go tell Wu Gang and Zheng Aiguo to select fifteen ability users and over fifty soldiers to be responsible for tonight's guard duty. Once the list is tallied, let these few dozen people eat first, of course, according to their points, but each person can have a little extra as compensation." Yun Qian nodded and immediately went to carry out the task. Yun Lan and Li Xue were both wearing new clothes today. Yun Lan's hair was tied in a short ponytail, her face was beautiful and unique, and her slightly upturned lips carried confidence and a faint smile. Her phoenix eyes shone brightly in the setting sun. She wore a beige down jacket on top and fleece-lined jeans on the bottom. Li Xue had long hair, an oval face, long eyelashes, big eyes, fair skin, and a very beautiful appearance. She was slender and delicate, and wore a red wool coat, which made her look even more pure and innocent.

Seeing that the two of them were dressed up so carefully, Li Chenglong couldn't help but say, "This isn't some victory celebration banquet, why are you dressed so formally?" Yunlan reached out her jade-like hand and pinched the soft flesh on Li Chenglong's waist: "It's because we don't want to embarrass you, Captain Li. After all, you're the commander of our garrison now, and tonight is the first time the whole team is having a meal together. My sister and I want to make you look good, don't we?" Li Chenglong was speechless, but he also thought that Yunlan was only 25 years old, and his younger sister was just 21 by Chinese reckoning and 20 by Western reckoning. They were both at the age when they loved to look beautiful, and it was understandable that they liked to dress up, so he didn't say anything more. Zheng Yong then spoke up: "You two, one handsome and brave, the other beautiful and generous, are truly a match made in heaven. If it weren't for the apocalypse, I would really like to be your matchmaker." Li Chenglong smiled and said, "Then it's a deal, Brother Zheng. If that day ever comes, you'll be our witness." Zheng Yong laughed loudly: "That would be wonderful! It's a deal!" Yun Lan, embarrassed and annoyed, pinched Li Chenglong repeatedly, wishing he would shut up immediately.

Just as the group was chatting and laughing, Yun Qian knocked on the door and came in, saying, "Wu Gang and Zheng Aiguo have already finished getting food with dozens of brothers. They asked me to tell them that they will definitely complete the mission." Li Chenglong nodded, "Tonight's dinner is very important for our future. Otherwise, I would have personally led the guard duty tonight. Besides, Wu Gang and Zheng Aiguo are almost at level three. With them around, I feel at ease." Yun Lan said, "You know Wu Gang. He probably wouldn't go to the dinner if you asked him to. He hates crowded places. Back when our Qianlong Brigade and the East China Sea Base held a matchmaking event, you practically dragged him there." Hearing this, Li Chenglong suddenly remembered that time and couldn't help but laugh, "Actually, I couldn't even move him by myself. If Liu Jian and Zheng Aiguo hadn't carried him, we really couldn't have done anything to him. Ah, what a pity." Thinking of his fallen comrades, Li Chenglong felt a surge of sadness. Yun Lan also stopped laughing and came over to pat Li Chenglong on the shoulder to comfort him. Yun Qian glanced at the quartz clock on the wall and said, "It's already 5:15 PM. Shall we head over there?" Li Chenglong composed himself and then went with the others towards the auditorium.

Because they arrived early, there weren't many people in the auditorium yet, but ten large stainless steel barrels filled with stewed chicken and potatoes were already placed in front of the auditorium, along with two barrels filled with pork and cabbage, all steaming hot. Yun Qian said, "We made 1000 jin of raw chicken and 1,000 jin of potatoes, so we made these 10 large barrels of stewed chicken and potatoes. After serving the food to the guards, we weighed it again, and now it totals 1614 jin. The chicken hearts, livers, and bones have been stewed into chicken soup, which is currently being cooked in several large pots on the stove. It will be ready soon." Zheng Yong nodded happily, "Okay, Yun Qian, please inform them to come in right away. It's cold now, and the food will cool down quickly." After seeing Li Chenglong nod as well, Yun Qian immediately got to work with the others.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone except the seventy-odd members of the guard team arrived, including Academician An Qingyuan and his students who were still researching the virus and vaccine. Many people hadn't eaten meat in a long time, and their eyes gleamed as they stared at the large vats of chicken. Li Chenglong saw Yun Qian nod, knowing that there were enough people, and immediately went to the stage in the auditorium: "Please be quiet, everyone. Because of the cold weather, I'll keep it brief so that everyone can have a hot meal. There are currently 1478 people present. Yun Qian and I tallied the points this afternoon. To ensure relative fairness for those who joined later, we've implemented a scoring system where the total points are divided by the number of days since joining this large team."

Upon hearing this, many who had previously complained about joining late and not getting any points immediately fell silent. Li Chenglong continued, "Take Instructor Yunlan for example. She was among the first batch, and it's been 10 days now. Her total points are currently 4400, so her points are 4400 divided by 10, which is 440. Another example is Cheng Li from our superhuman team. He only arrived yesterday and currently has 100 points, so his points are 100 divided by 2, which is 50. Okay, without further ado, let's have our logistics captain, Yun Qian, explain the distribution rules."

Yun Qian nodded and strode to the platform: "After discussion among our logistics team, Captain Li Chenglong, Vice Captains Zheng Yong and Wang Yousheng, and representatives from the survivors, Wu Suqiang and Liu Qingqing, we have divided the points into six tiers. The first tier consists of two people, Captain Li Chenglong and Instructor Yun Lan, with 675 and 440 points respectively." The survivors present were all astonished, not expecting Li Chenglong to have such a high score. However, the guard team and the superhuman team felt that this score was definitely underestimated. According to the usual scoring rules, Li Chenglong should have at least eight thousand points, which, divided by ten, would be over eight hundred. Yun Qian gestured for silence and immediately continued, "The second tier is for those with scores of 201-400, totaling 100 people; the third tier is for those with scores of 101-200, totaling 376 people; the fourth tier is for those with scores of 51-100, totaling 300 people; the fifth tier is for those with scores of 11-50, totaling 300 people; and the sixth tier is for those with scores of 2-10, totaling 100 people."

Yun Qian then turned to a page in her notebook and began, "Now let's begin distributing the meals. The first tier is 5 jin of stewed chicken with potatoes per person; the second tier is 3 jin per person; the third tier is 2 jin per person; the fourth tier is 1 jin per person; and the fifth and sixth tiers are half a jin of stewed chicken with potatoes and half a jin of pork and cabbage per person. Additionally, children under 12, seniors over 65, or those unable to work due to disabilities will each receive 1 jin of pork and cabbage. Okay, please collect your meals according to the information on the screen. If anyone is found to have received more than their share, the people maintaining order in the aisles will immediately ask them to leave and disqualify them from future points-based evaluations." After speaking, Yun Qian turned on the projector, immediately displaying everyone's points on the large screen in the auditorium. Then, people came up to collect their meals in order. To speed things up, seven collection points were set up. Those collecting meals could choose their dishes from different collection points based on their points and preferences, and then collect a serving of rice or two steamed buns from a nearby area. After Yun Qian came down, she handed the notebook to Li Chenglong, who glanced at it and returned it to her before walking to the stage.

Li Chenglong said seriously, "I know not everyone can get a meal. There are over two hundred people who aren't eligible. I told you before that we follow a policy of 'the more you work, the more you get; the less you work, the less you get; but even if you don't work, you'll still get a minimum wage.' So some people just drift along every day, eating and then lying down, or huddled together chatting. Do you know that every morning or afternoon, as long as you participate in training and aren't just slacking off or pretending, you'll get a point?" After Li Chenglong finished speaking, some people still didn't care: "If we can't get a meal, we can't get one. Who cares? I don't need your points. After we join the army, I don't believe we still won't have enough to eat."

Ignoring these troublemakers, Li Chenglong continued, "I have good news and bad news to share, but I always deliver the bad news first. Seven days ago, we lost contact with the Jinghai base, both by radio and satellite. We don't know what's happening there, and the network is basically completely down, so we can't find any useful information. For a long time to come, we'll have to rely on ourselves. That's why I mandated this training for everyone, so you'll have some self-defense capabilities in a crisis." Many people were immediately horrified upon hearing this news, some even bursting into tears, unsure of what the future held.

After a pause, Li Chenglong continued, "The good news is that our team of superhumans and the defense team are growing in number as our personnel increase. Our team, in particular, currently has 3 Level 4 members, 25 Level 2 members, and 20 Level 1 members. Our defensive capabilities are constantly improving. Also, the reason this gathering is so grand is because the meat of these alien beasts is hard to come by. Alien beast meat not only helps superhumans boost their energy, but it also strengthens the kidneys and body and helps resist disease for ordinary people. We only have one alien beast this time, so even those with high scores won't get much, but I believe this is just the beginning; we'll catch more later. Oh, and lastly, I want to tell everyone that everyone here can get a serving of chicken soup using a milk tea cup later; there's no point limit this time. When we disperse, those with over 50 points can get a Coke or other beverage. Okay, finally, I wish everyone a pleasant meal." As Li Chenglong left the stage, enthusiastic applause erupted, and many people shouted his name. Those who didn't participate in the points-earning missions almost cried with regret when they heard about the many benefits of the beast meat.

Li Chenglong returned to his seat and found that Yun Lan had already prepared his meal. Both he and Yun Lan had five jin (2.5 kg) of stewed chicken with potatoes, a very large portion. Yun Lan stored one portion in her storage space. Li Xue also said she couldn't eat three jin, so she found a lunchbox and packed half of it, asking Yun Lan to store it as well. Time was frozen in the storage space, and there were no bacteria, so it wouldn't spoil no matter how long it was there. Yun Lan smiled and said, "You don't mind sharing with me, do you?" Li Chenglong picked up a potato and put it in his mouth: "No, I don't mind. Eat up." Twenty minutes later, the meal service was finished, and another twenty-odd people carried in ten large buckets of chicken soup. Yun Qian went to the platform and said, "There's basically enough chicken soup, and it's not just soup; it also contains over two hundred jin (100 kg) of chicken giblets and bones. Our logistics team stewed it for two hours; it's absolutely delicious. We'll serve it in milk tea cups; everyone can come up and get theirs." The more than one thousand people present cheered once again.

Some of the first to receive their meals couldn't wait to start eating: "Holy crap, this is chicken! It's so fragrant and tender, not dry at all. One bite and the broth bursts out, leaving a lingering fragrance on your lips and teeth. And these potatoes, soaked in the chicken broth, are so sweet and soft, even more delicious than the meat! Tell me, how can it be so good?" One of them was still marveling when he realized no one was responding. He was shocked to see everyone engrossed in their food, ignoring him. Feeling a bit bored, he still started to eat heartily, seeing his own meal.

Seeing that Li Chenglong was only eating potatoes and had given her all the meat, Yunlan picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks and held it to Li Chenglong's mouth: "Open your mouth." Li Chenglong saw Zheng Yong and Yun Qian behind him, and Li Xue and the others beside him looking at him, and felt a little embarrassed: "Put it down, I can eat it myself." Yunlan snorted: "If you don't eat it, I'll keep holding it up and see if you eat it or not." Only then did Li Chenglong open his mouth and eat the chicken piece. Half an hour later, everyone was full and satisfied, and some people even let out a few satisfied burps. Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Li Chenglong went to the front of the stage again: "This gathering is over. Everyone can go back now. Okay, dismissed. Those with points at level four and above, don't forget to collect your drinks." Hearing this, everyone reluctantly began to leave. At this time, some quick-witted people were already helping to clean up and move tableware. These were all points, and the points weren't low either. Usually, the logistics staff would do all the work and wouldn't get these high-quality points.

Li Chenglong nodded in satisfaction when he saw people voluntarily helping to clear the table and clean. Then he walked up to Yun Qian and said, "You've really worked hard today. You've been busy since noon without a break. I've decided you can take a day off tomorrow, and your points will still be issued as usual. Zheng Yong, what do you think?" Company Commander Zheng nodded repeatedly, "That's definitely what I should do. Xiao Qian has been working really hard lately. Do you think we could assign another ability user or an assistant to help her?" Li Chenglong thought for a moment and said, "Yun Qian, tomorrow you should post a recruitment notice among the survivors and pick two management elites to help you." Yun Qian was touched by Li Chenglong's concern, but remembering that Yun Lan was also there, she nodded, "It's not hard work. I'll just do some statistics and run errands. I won't take a day off tomorrow. There are so many supplies coming in and out every day, and we have to sort them out. I'll take care of the recruitment." Li Chenglong chatted with Zheng Yong and Wang Yousheng for a few more minutes about tomorrow's arrangements before taking Yun Lan and Li Xue back. Yun Qian felt a pang of loss as she watched Li Chenglong's retreating figure, but she quickly regained her composure and threw herself back into her work. Zheng Yong and Wang Yousheng, observing this, both sighed and left the auditorium.