As night deepened, the two groups at the service area were clearly separated.
Lu Shiyan and Xiao Han tidied up the dishes and returned to the off-road vehicle.
Xiao Han leaned back in his seat, stretching out his long legs, and sneered, "Those people, that's all they amount to. They were practically drooling from the smell, but didn't dare to utter a single sound."
He was referring to how restless Li Xinhu's group had been earlier, tempted by the spicy stir-fried diced meat.
Lu Shiyan started the car, the engine growling low. His gaze was calm as he swept a glance at the camp of Li Xinhu and his group at the other end of the service area, then said indifferently, "They are not like people such as Wang Jianguo."
Xiao Han heard him from the side and leaned over, winking, "Oh, someone's craving has been stirred up?" Su Wan's cheeks flushed slightly, and she glared at him.
"Want to eat something spicy?" Xiao Han stroked his chin. "I seem to remember that last time we restocked supplies, we got a few cans of good chili sauce?"
Lu Shiyan finished inspecting the area around the vehicle and walked over. Seeing the situation, his gaze lingered on Su Wan's face for a moment.
Soon, the iron pot was placed on the makeshift stove. After the oil heated up, chili sauce and diced meat were added. With a sizzling sound, a rich, spicy aroma instantly burst forth, filling the air.
Su Wan couldn't help but take a deep breath, her eyes lighting up. Lu Shiyan was the team's new chef; she hadn't expected the cooking task to fall to him. Looking at his skilled movements, his cooking should be good. She knew nothing about cooking but could assist.
The aroma was quite dominant, vaguely reaching even Li Xinhu's side at the other end of the service area. The people there clearly became restless. Some sniffed the air vigorously, while others swallowed their saliva.
The young woman in the red T-shirt stared intently in their direction, the longing in her eyes even more apparent.
Li Xinhu quietly admonished his group to restrain themselves, but it had little effect. Several young men still occasionally glanced over.
Su Wan's mind was entirely on the appetizing spicy stir-fried diced meat. Soon, dinner was served: steaming hot white rice, spicy stir-fried diced meat, vegetable soup, and scrambled eggs with pickled radishes. Simple home-cooked dishes, yet very rare in the apocalypse.
Xiao Han swallowed the food in his mouth and gently nudged Lu Shiyan with his elbow. "Hey, seriously, do you prefer a boy or a girl?"
Lu Shiyan's action of picking up food paused. "Both are fine." His voice was so calm that no preference could be discerned.
"Tch, boring." Xiao Han pouted, feeling he had asked a pointless question.
He then turned his attention to Su Wan, who was hissing and gasping from the spiciness. "I say, little pregnant lady, why don't we start thinking of names now?"
Xiao Han winked at her, looking like he enjoyed watching the drama unfold. "You like spicy food so much, how about we call her Little Chili? How fitting, full of flavor!"
Su Wan had just taken a sip of soup and her movements froze at his words.
Little Chili?
A description from the book suddenly flashed through her mind. In Li Xinhu's team, there was a young woman, feisty and beautiful, whose nickname was "Little Chili."
It was precisely she who, at a crucial moment, betrayed Li Xinhu for a bit of food and a promise, leading to his almost complete annihilation.
Su Wan's gaze subconsciously turned towards Li Xinhu's side. The young woman in the red T-shirt was secretly peeking in their direction, a hint of longing for food still seemingly lingering on her lips.
Li Xinhu stood at the other end of the service area, his gaze fixed on the firelight from Lu Shiyan's group, his expression complex.
"Brother, I'm hungry." The tall man tugged at Li Xinhu's sleeve, his voice filled with obvious longing.
"Bear with it," Li Xinhu said in a low voice. "We need to conserve our dry rations, or we won't make it to Central Base."
"But..." The tall man looked at Lu Shiyan's side, "They have so much to eat..."
Li Xinhu glared at him: "Don't get any wrong ideas. The people over there are not to be trifled with, especially their leader; he exudes a ruthless aura."
The young woman in the red T-shirt walked over and said softly, "Xinhu, they seem quite friendly over there. How about we..."
"Hong Jie, dismiss that thought." Li Xinhu decisively cut her off. "Kindness in the apocalypse is all an act. We'll stay put for the night and leave; don't cause any trouble."
The woman called Hong Jie pouted and walked away discontentedly.
Li Xinhu turned to his core team members: "Take turns on night watch, stay vigilant. If there's any movement over there, wake me up immediately."
Over there, Lu Shiyan and his group finished tidying up their dishes. Xiao Han stretched lazily: "I'll go scout around and see if there's anything happening."
"Be careful," Lu Shiyan said calmly.
Su Wan arranged a relatively comfortable resting area. Full and rested, her spirits were much better.
As dusk deepened, lights flickered on both sides of the service area, like two opposing camps in the darkness.
On Li Xinhu's side, several team members sat together, occasionally low discussions could be heard, and their eyes frequently drifted towards Lu Shiyan's side.
"Ahu is too conservative," Hong Jie whispered to her companion beside her. "A Hao, what rules are we still talking about at a time like this?"
A tall man beside her nodded: "Yeah, look at their car, their equipment, they must have a lot of good stuff. We have more people, why should we be afraid of them?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Another loyal follower of Li Xinhu, a thin, tall man wearing glasses, sharply interjected. "Xinhu's decision is correct. Survival in the apocalypse relies on reason, not brute force."
Hong Jie sneered, saying nothing more, but the unwillingness in her eyes became even more apparent.
In the middle of the night, Lu Shiyan and his group took turns resting. At this moment, Xiao Han was leaning against the car door, keeping watch.
On Li Xinhu's side, Hong Jie was on night duty. She woke up two men, whispered to them for a while, and then the tall man nodded, a greedy flame igniting in his eyes.
"Now's the time, most of them are asleep," Hong Jie pointed towards Lu Shiyan's side. "Only one person is guarding. If we go together, with our numbers, taking them down won't be difficult."
The man with glasses still hesitated, "Hong Jie, what will Xinhu think?"
The tall man also hesitated, then thought of something and stepped forward, "Don't be afraid. Don't forget, Hong Jie's man died for my brother..."
"I don't believe he won't compromise after seeing the benefits once it's done?" Hong Jie pouted. "A Hao, don't forget your wife is pregnant?"
The man with glasses, A Hao, heard this and his face instantly turned pale. He remembered his wife's increasingly haggard face due to malnutrition, and his hopes and worries for their unborn child.
If only there could be more food... His clenched fist slightly loosened, then tightened again, his eyes filled with a swirling mix of hesitation and pain. His Adam's apple bobbed violently a few times, and in the end, the rebuttal remained unspoken. He could only nod with difficulty.
Hong Jie nodded in satisfaction, then waved her hand, signaling them to follow.
The three of them, under the cover of night, bent low and stealthily approached Lu Shiyan's camp.