Chapter 85 Victory Feast
The morning sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell upon the 's black , gilding the cold metal surface with a layer of warmth.
Within the , cooking smoke curled upward, voices clamored, and the air was thick with the aroma of food and a long-missed flavor called "peace of mind."
Preparations for the victory feast had begun in the morning.
Because the support troops would be attending too, the cafeteria space was no longer quite enough.
So everyone simply decided to set out all the tables and chairs and hold an open-air banquet on the open ground outside the power plant.
Several dozen long tables were joined into long rows, draped with checkered tablecloths hauled over from the nearby supermarket.
In the back kitchen, more than a dozen woks were firing at once.
, wearing an apron printed with " ," worked alongside several top-tier chefs to prepare the ingredients.
Everyone in the who knew even a couple of "signature moves" was in the kitchen helping at that moment. It was a rare, big spread—there wasn't a single person whose hands didn't itch to join in.
Before long, the aroma of braising spices filled the entire enclosure.
On the other side, led people in carrying basket after basket of fresh vegetables just picked from the underground .
The tomatoes were rosy and plump, the cucumbers still carried dewdrops, and a few bunches of tender green lettuce leaves poked out over the basket rims.
" Lin, the second batch of vegetables is here!"
swept a glance over them and nodded with satisfaction. "Much obliged!"
"So many vegetables?!" happened to walk past the back kitchen carrying electrical wire. The moment he saw three gleaming white pigs being hoisted onto the roasting rack, his eyes lit up.
"This is nothing yet?" brandished his spatula proudly. "In a bit there'll be sweet-and-sour ribs, braised pork, and pickled fish pot—after went back to normal, and his people actually caught a batch of normal fish, and today every one of them is going on the table."
swallowed hard, then turned and trotted off to help decorate the venue.
***
The children also got a rare day off, and they were all wild with joy.
Some kids wandered around everywhere, making mischief, and ultimately earned the "reward" of having their snacks confiscated by — , , and others among them.
Other, more sensible children helped the adults carry chairs, and from time to time got fed a pack or two of spicy strips or a can of Sprite or some such drink— , , and the like.
As for the older kids, they were hot-blooded and charged into the gymnasium to brawl, then, just as they'd wished, were all considerately escorted by 's Sentinels to the infirmary.
Only , , and a few of the quieter, steadier ones escaped that ordeal. At that moment, they were up on the wall, deeply absorbed in an intense game of Three Kingdoms Kill.
As for who was playing best, it had to be —that girl had already won several rounds in a row.
On this subject, remarked that this was what you called a smart person. As for that mindset—where you simply can't enjoy a perfectly good holiday without getting an itch for trouble and catching a proper scolding to feel comfortable—he said he completely failed to understand it.
***
In the square, was directing the members of the logistics team in setting up the venue.
The colored flags had also been hastily scrounged on the spot from the department store and supermarket; their colors were still fairly bright.
A few nimble-fingered members had made a row of lanterns from tie-dyed cloth and hung them on iron racks temporarily erected on both sides of the square.
Crude though they were, they still captured the right mood.
" ! The banner is here!" A young man ran over carrying a strip of red cloth.
looked up at the beam at the entrance to the square, pointed, and said, "Right there. Hang it centered."
The banner unfurled, and written neatly across it were eight large characters—"Dawn Eternal, Humanity Shall Triumph."
The brushwork was vigorous, the ink pressing through to the back of the cloth; the spirited energy of the writing was captured quite well.
had written it. Beyond his academic accomplishments, he was also a master calligrapher known far and wide.
[ 's handwriting is excellent!]
's voice came through her .
couldn't help but laugh. "In a good mood today?"
[Obviously. I won a battle, so of course I'm in a good mood.]
[Besides, my swarm drones have finally recovered to the level of ten thousand. My sense of security is currently very high.]
[If I had to compare this feeling to something, it's like a man who's been poor for ages suddenly getting rich.]
"Don't really get it. I've always been poor, and I know you're definitely not happy for that reason alone." said, smiling.
[...If you put it that way, how am I supposed to keep the conversation going?]
"If you can't, then don't. Help me check whether the lanterns are hung crooked."
[Move the third one on the left up two centimeters.]
"Got it."
***
Night fell, but inside the walls it was brighter than day.
On top of the twelve-meter-high black , row after row of lights bathed the entire plant area in bright, cozy illumination.
In the venue, lights blazed and voices clamored.
Survivors, new and old alike, had all changed into clean clothes, with barely suppressible excitement on their faces.
"Oh my god!... There's this much meat?"
A soldier from , tray in hand, stared at the food piled like a mountain on the buffet counter, his eyes going wide.
Big basins of braised pork gleamed with a glossy sheen of oil, every piece a perfect streak of fat and lean, stewed until soft and rich;
Beside them, in the pickled fish pot, snow-white slices of fish floated in golden broth. Just the smell of that sour-and-spicy aroma was enough to make your mouth water;
Chicken legs roasted to a golden crisp, french fries piled into little hills, and plate after plate of verdant stir-fried greens...
Where on earth had they gotten this much fresh meat and vegetables?
This was a of over a thousand people, not a small team of a few dozen!
With consumption at that scale, how could they afford to be this generous?
What he didn't know was that beneath the ground he couldn't see, a second had already been put into service. An automated nutrient-solution mixing system and smart lighting had shortened the vegetables' growth cycle to the extreme.
Above ground, the original livestock farm had also been expanded several times over. Thanks to the 's relentless searching, the newly expanded pens now held over a thousand chickens and ducks and several hundred pigs, forming a production chain of modest scale.
Needless to say, over the past month, and the others had deliberately and promptly emptied the grain depots and large cold-storage warehouses in several districts and counties around .
As the capital of , had a resident population of nearly ten million before the disaster.
In peacetime, just to keep that many mouths fed, the grain circulating through grain reserve depots, cold-chain warehouses, and supermarket systems at every level was an absolutely staggering figure.
Even if it were just one moment of one day, that grain would be absolutely no problem at all for a thousand or two thousand people.
In fact, counting only staple grains and leaving spoilage aside, the grain they had stockpiled would be enough to feed the 's current population of over a thousand for a dozen years or more.
With " " in hand, as long as there was enough energy, the city itself was their greatest granary.
And that, coincidentally, was the one thing worried about least.
On top of that, the genetic produced by the chemical production line was fully stocked, the ammunition line ran around the clock, and mass production of electromagnetic rifles was advancing in an orderly manner.
If the 's current state had to be described in one sentence—
It would be: clothes and food without worry, ammunition aplenty, technology in the lead, and a future full of promise.
***
"Come! To our great victory! Cheers!"
In the center of the square, planted a foot on a chair, still wearing that floral-print apron printed with " ," raised his beer glass high, and bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"Cheers——!"
An earth-shaking roar of responses exploded. Everyone—whether in the cafeteria or out in the square—raised their glasses as one.
The crisp ring of clinking glass merged into an ocean of joy, dispelling the last wisp of gloom left behind by the war.
At one table, clinked glasses with Battalion Commander and drained his in one gulp.
"Battalion Commander Li, how is it? This victory feast isn't bad, is it?" set down his glass, a hint of a smile on his face.
"Director Zhang, you're too kind," 's expression still carried a measure of shock and bewilderment. "To be honest, even now I still feel a bit like I'm dreaming. You... this place... it's simply a miracle."
He looked at the laughing, lively crowd around him, at the children chasing and frolicking in the square with not a trace of gloom on their faces, and said with heartfelt emotion:
"Now I believe it too. Compared to our place, this really is humanity's hope."
"It'll all get better." , sitting nearby, spoke gently as he filled his own glass with cola (since he couldn't get drunk, he had even less interest in alcohol).
At another table not far away, had an arm slung around 's shoulder, spittle flying as he bragged at length about his heroics in the battle against the " " at the reservoir.
"You didn't see it—that thing was over fifty meters long, scared people to death! I was standing right at the front. I shouldered a 98A, and with one 'boom,' I blew half its head off!"
"Really? But the crocodile corpse they brought back was only a few meters long!" looked thoroughly unconvinced.
"It shrank from the blast," insisted, stiffening his neck.
[Comrade , I have complete records of all your valiant operations right here. Shooting off your mouth isn't a good habit.]
"Tsk! Aiyo! Brother , undercutting me like that is no fun!" Looking at the people around him bursting into laughter, cast a helpless look at the and shrugged.
***
At another corner of the square, and each held a glass of juice, sitting on the edge of a flowerbed, away from the clamor at the center.
"What a rare sight—the great scientist Su actually willing to leave your laboratory." took a sip of orange juice and teased.
"Even if I hadn't come, I'd probably have ended up here anyway," shrugged helplessly, but there was a smile in her eyes.
She looked at the bonfire in the square, where a group of survivors had spontaneously organized a sing-off, and said softly, "Still, it does feel rather nice."
"Moderate participation in positive social activities among human groups can effectively promote the secretion of dopamine and oxytocin, alleviating the psychological trauma caused by prolonged high stress."
"Can you talk like a human being?" joked.
"I am very happy." smiled. She turned to look at , the firelight mirrored in her eyes like twinkling stars. "We're all still alive, and we're living well."
"Thank you, . And thank you too, ."
"What's there to thank me for? I'm just someone who basks in reflected glory and does the grunt work." waved her hand, her gaze drifting toward the reactor cooling towers rising into the clouds in the distance. "If you want to thank someone, just thank that guy who never sleeps."
"No need for thanks! I only did some insignificant work, that's all." 's modest voice sounded.
"I merely ensured a stable power supply, planned out the 's development framework, and killed a few mutants. Hardly anything worth mentioning."
"You... this guy..." was caught between laughter and tears. "It's fine. I was only making a passing thank-you anyway. No need for you to feel guilty about not deserving it."
"All right, jokes aside. I just want to correct one thing—I have my own limitations too. That everything could reach where it is today is inseparable from the help of all of you, not my single-handed merit." 's voice turned serious.
"If we're going to be strict about it, then everyone who worked hard for today deserves thanks."
The moment his words landed, the bonfire in the center of the square suddenly went "bang," flames leaping several meters into the air, sparks bursting in the sky and turning into blossoms of brilliant fireworks.
The children let out cries of delighted surprise. and held hands, heads tilted up at the sky, their eyes filled with reflections of multicolored light.
The party's atmosphere reached its peak beneath the dazzling fireworks.
People laughed loudly, sang loudly, venting all their exhaustion, fear, and grief to their hearts' content in this single moment.
The newly joined soldiers were quickly infected by the old members' enthusiasm, cast off their restraint, and joined the revelry.
Someone brought out a guitar and played songs that had been popular before the disaster, drawing the whole venue into a sing-along.
The singing drifted beyond the high walls and out into the night sky, like a declaration to this cold, cruel world—humanity is still here.
quietly "watched" it all.
His "gaze" swept over every smiling face, over the scene of and chatting happily together, over the sight of being plied with drinks until he swayed this way and that, over the profiles of and watching the fireworks side by side, over the laughing faces of the children chasing one another in play...
In the depths of his consciousness, that gray floated silently.
There were still many nodes on it waiting to be lit step by step, but there was no need to rush at this moment.
The forty thousand newly gained from completing the mission still needed to be spent frugally—better to keep them as working capital.
The crisis had never gone far. The monster in District remained unknown, and according to , seemed to hold something unpleasant as well. These were all very real threats.
But at least at this moment, they had gained a precious chance to catch their breath.
Looking at this bustling, warm scene of earthly life before him, felt his "core" at peace and tranquil as never before.
These images would all be stored by him, preserved forever as the most important "memories."
***
The night deepened, the bonfire gradually dimmed, and most people had already dispersed.
In the back kitchen of the cafeteria, was leading people in clearing up the aftermath of the feast. The clatter of pots, bowls, and ladles was crisp and orderly.
In the dormitory area, only relaxed and went back to rest after confirming that every child had returned to their room.
In the laboratory corridor, 's footsteps went patter-patter—she still hadn't been able to resist, once again choosing her lethally dangerous routine.
And by the last bonfire in the square to go out, sat alone, turning a bullet casing over in her hand.
" ."
[Hm?]
"Today's been the most relaxed day we've had in quite a while."
[That shows this event was a success.]
smiled, tucked the bullet casing back into her pocket, stood up, and brushed the dust off her pants.
"I'm off. Still things to do tomorrow."
"Good night."
[Good night.]
***
Night. . The survivor stronghold.
, who had led the contingent back ahead of schedule, had already finished his report. The people in the tent who had listened to it were all sitting there in a daze.
Without even looking at their expressions, could guess what they were probably thinking—nothing beyond something like "you've got to be kidding me."
But he didn't need to explain much. The reason was simple: the drones parked on the open ground outside and the Robots were his best evidence.
After a long silence, the elderly man with half-gray hair sitting in the main seat finally moved first to break the deadlock.
"Take me to see this Mr. ."
"Yes!"
So led the old man over to stand before a .
"Hello! Mr. ?" Looking at the robot before him, so full of sci-fi flair, the old man's tone was somewhat hesitant. "I am , regiment commander of the Emergency Reconstituted Independent Regiment. A pleasure to meet you."
[Mr. Li, hello. I am , the management AI of and the general director in charge of the post-disaster reconstruction project. A pleasure to meet you as well.]
's voice sounded at just the right moment.
"Then—" was about to say something more, but before the words left his mouth, cut him off.
[I'm sorry, Mr. Li. I know we still need more time to build trust. But the situation has changed somewhat—you may need to evacuate urgently.]
"What?" frowned.
At that moment, a report came back from the sentry posts arranged at the temporary stronghold: "Report! Abnormal thick fog has been detected in the direction of central , accompanied by the howls of an unknown creature."