Chapter 23: Two New Cuties Arrive

No matter what, this meat was definitely inedible.

Chu Guang sighed and reluctantly tossed the meat aside.

"If only there were a fridge."

The Blue Umbrella Mushrooms in the mutated leech nest...

For the generator, he had to get his hands on them no matter what.

But now it was only the second week of September, and List's Commercial Team wouldn't come to this area until the end of the month. There was no use in thinking about it now.

He couldn't wait until the end of the month to start storing food.

Besides, a luxury like a fridge was unaffordable for the shelter with its current economic situation...

For three days, Chu Guang would usually go hunting early in the morning, come back at noon or in the afternoon to cook a pot of meat for the players, and then he would squat in a corner of the sanatorium, continuing to ponder the skills of smoking food alone.

This fixed schedule, was as regular as an NPC.

Though the progress on smoking meat was not very smooth, the players' performance in the past few days had been outstanding, which was gratifying.

Chu Guang did the math.

In three days, he had gained a total of 7 reward points.

Though he was close to 10 points, after some thought, Chu Guang eventually decided to bet all his chips on the basic Blind Box.

Thankfully, this time it wasn't just lollipops, he also managed to get a bottle of soy sauce.

He didn't know the brand, but it was still an improvement to the players' meals.

Chu Guang cherished the soy sauce like a treasure.

But...

Having said that, his cooking skills were really nothing to brag about, just enough to get the food cooked.

The players found it novel at first, feeling it was fresh, all-natural, and pollution-free, a different flavor compared to takeout fast food, but eating the same thing meal after meal was unbearable for anyone.

"Eating stew every day, I'm about to throw up..." Sitting on the ground with a bowl in hand, Night Ten looked sullen.

He was initially excited to find out that the Game involved eating, but now he was starting to realize how painful eating could be.

Stewed meat every meal, or porridge cooked with unripe wheat.

Even if his taste buds could bear it, his rear end couldn't take much more...

Fang Chang chewed on greasy foreleg meat, furrowing his brows in thought, and said,

"Probably because the taste system isn't fully developed yet. Otherwise, even if there's less salt... the taste shouldn't be like this."

It wasn't salty, it wasn't bland, it was just greasy!

And even a bit bitter.

Not even as good as porridge cooked with unripe wheat...

"The meat has too strong of a gamey taste, you need to use cooking wine, scallions, ginger, and garlic to blanch it and remove the gamey flavor; it might taste better," Old White consoled, "Make do with what we have for now. This is the Wasteland, where can we find those things? The good stuff will surely come later!"

Fang Chang gave him a glance and said nothing.

Ever since he was appointed "Architecture Team Leader," Old White increasingly took the Game manufacturers' perspective into account, even going so far as to voluntarily draw up plans for the future.

But indeed...

Since realism was a selling point, treating spices as luxury goods was not a problem, and it might even involve a premium cost in the future.

Night Ten sighed and muttered under his breath,

"I hope they'll bring out some spices in the next update... I'd spend RMB on them."

Wild Wind chewed his meat slowly, not joining in the conversation.

He didn't mind the taste much, what he was thinking about was how to improve the fishing traps.

Seeing that the conversation stalled, Night Ten turned to Old White and casually asked,

"How's the production of cement going?"

Old White, drinking soup, answered,

"The quality still needs to improve, but I feel we're getting closer to success."

"Really?"

"Dead serious, no joke! And it's not just the cement, recently Fang Chang and I have been studying how to fire bricks, but it's annoying without molds, and the shapes aren't very pretty... But they should still be usable."

Night Ten hesitated before asking,

"Can't you make molds out of wood?"

"Ha, you think it's that simple!"

Fang Chang shook his head and continued, "This isn't like chopping trees, making perfectly square ones is all about craftsmanship."

Fang Chang also didn't expect it.

Himself, a high-level player who could build a house in half an hour in The Forest, a hardcore survival master, was tripped up by such a low-level problem in this Game.

Of course, this was also related to the ultra-hardcore settings of Wasteland OL...

Night Ten and Wild Wind exchanged glances, then looked at Old White and Fang Chang with a helpless expression.

They were both the theoretical type, their practical skills weren't zero, but not much stronger.

Although they had caught quite a few young mutated leeches these days and replicated numerous traps from the survival experts in short videos, they didn't catch a single fish.

It made sense.

All the fish-eating birds were by the lake; the dumb fish had long been snatched away and eaten, the ones left were the crafty ones that wouldn't fall for it, they ate the bait and then made their getaway.

Wild Wind could only console himself, to fatten up the fish in the lake first, perhaps when the fish let down their guard, he might catch them next time...

Just then, there was noise coming from the direction of the sanatorium.

The Manager, accompanied by two dazed individuals, was seen walking this way.

No need to ask.

That look of shock that seemed to last an entire year, was unmistakably the expression of new players entering the Game world for the first time.

Night Ten once again sighed quietly in his heart.

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Why two more guys...

"Let me introduce you to everyone, these two are our new members... Scrambled Tomato and Egg and WC There are mosquitoes."

These are some weird names.

Chu Guang suppressed the urge to retort since, after all, in the game his identity was that of an NPC.

"Clap clap clap..."

Sparse applause started to rise.

The beta testers sitting in front of the cauldron put down their bowls to clap, signaling a welcome, though the enthusiasm of the welcome was clearly lacking.

But the two newcomers didn't mind.

They hadn't yet snapped out of the shock of what was before their eyes.

Under Chu Guang's direction, they sat in front of the fire supporting the great cauldron, blankly staring at the white steam rising from the pot.

This moist heat and the scent of meat that hit them in the face...

It was freakishly realistic!

Seeing the two newcomers remain motionless for a long time, Old White took the initiative to open the conversation.

"What are your attributes?"

The one named WC There are mosquitoes was the first to snap back to reality.

"I'm of the agile system."

Then Scrambled Tomato and Egg also came back to his senses.

"I'm constitution... Have you all already started eating?"

"The manager had planned to hold a welcome ceremony, but it seems it was botched... so he let us eat first," Night Ten said with a helpless expression, "You've just woken up, right? Want some too?"

Mosquito swallowed.

He took the bowl filled with large bones and soup, took a sip, and his pupils dilated in shock.

"Taste... Niubi, you can really eat in this game!"

Holy shit!

This is way too niubi!

"Not only can you eat, but if you don't, you'll suffer from low blood sugar," Fang Chang sighed, "I actually think it doesn't need to be this realistic, or at least could taste a little better."

Scrambled Tomato and Egg stared at the bowl, not taking a bite, hesitated for a long time, and asked,

"What... is this stew made of?"

Old White replied,

"Meat."

"Meat? What kind of meat?"

"Mutated hyena... We don't really know whether to call the damn thing a wolf or a dog; anyway, it's a mutant."

Upon hearing this, Mosquito subconsciously moved the bowl away, nearly spilling the soup.

But Scrambled Tomato and Egg was different.

Instead of recoiling, he leaned in with interest and took a taste. However, after the taste, his eyebrows knitted even more tightly.

"Why does it taste so gamey... Did you not bleed it?"

The players looked at each other.

"Don't know."

"The prey was caught by NPCs."

Old White suggested,

"If you know how to cook, you could talk to the Manager. Anyone with a skill is valued here."

Scrambled Tomato and Egg's expression brightened with eagerness.

"Really? I'll give it a try later."

"Can you use woodworking? I can do carpentry!" Mosquito hurriedly asked.

"Woodworking?" Old White's eyes lit up, staring at him as he pressed, "You can do carpentry??"

Mosquito was startled, smiled awkwardly, and said,

"Yes... My family sells furniture, the handmade solid wood kind, if you're interested you can add me on QQ, I'll give you a discount—"

"That's fantastic!" Old White jumped up excitedly, "I just happen to need someone to make molds. Come give me a hand!"

"?"

Not only did Old White stand up, Fang Chang also got up.

Before WC There are mosquitoes could react to what was happening, he was propped up by the arms of the two people.

"Wait, I haven't finished my soup—"

Watching the two drag him toward the construction site, Mosquito looked utterly bewildered; just as he was about to protest, Old White interrupted him.

"Stop eating, damn it, won't a new pot made by a chef this afternoon taste good??"

Fang Chang added another line,

"Exactly! Buddy, listen to me, that stuff really tastes bad! Let's familiarize you with the gameplay of this game."

Mosquito: "...%*&#!"

Scrambled Tomato and Egg, baffled, watched the new brother being dragged into the woods, swallowing his saliva.

"Is this game... serious?"

Night Ten and Wild Wind looked at each other.

"It's fine."

"Probably?"

Scrambled Tomato and Egg: "..."

Why is that a question!

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