Hot Pot Tonight

Keller shrugged indifferently. "Tonight, we're in good spirits. Let's all chat together. We're not singling you out; anyone passing by, we welcome warmly. Besides, we're curious about any news from the base. Consider it as us having our own interests."

His words were inviting, and the rest of the convoy couldn't wait to take him up on the offer and sit inside someone's home for a while.

Fletcher and others still had reservations, but Emory, disregarding any concerns, followed Keller inside. "Sure thing. I've spent a lot of time at the base. Feel free to ask whatever you want."

"Emory!" Hurley called out, his face darkening.

Ignoring Hurley's tone, Emory joined Keller, while other villagers crowded around. "Come on in, everyone. Look at this young lad here; he's much livelier than you guys."

Some felt obligated by the hospitality and followed suit, reluctantly entering the house. Eventually, only Hurley and Alice remained outside.

"Aren't you two coming in?" A woman approached them with a smile, her gaze fixed on Hurley.

Hurley glanced at her, his handsome face impassive. "No need. We have to watch over the stuff in the car."

The woman glanced at the car and asked, "What stuff is in there? Supplies?"

Alice asked with a smirk, "Why do you ask?"

The woman withdrew her gaze, somewhat embarrassed. "Just making conversation. If you don't want to join for dinner, that's fine."

Alice turned back to her car, with Hurley following behind.

"Let's not worry about them; let's have our meal," Hurley said calmly.

"You're surprisingly calm," Alice clicked her tongue, but she wasn't in a hurry either.

Those people could follow them if they wanted. They were all in their forties or older, lacking even a bit of caution. If they fell into a trap, it wouldn't be her concern.

Hurley wasn't concerned about their safety at all. Since it was their choice, they would have to bear the consequences themselves. He just needed to ensure the safety of the weapons in the last car.Alice: "How about having hot pot tonight?"

"Having hot pot sounded great. It would easily take an hour or two, giving them plenty of time together. There were washed vegetables and sliced beef neatly arranged in the space. They kept bringing more until the table was full.

"Let's start with these. We'll grab more once we finish," Alice suggested.

They chatted while eating, creating a cozy atmosphere in the small space.Meanwhile, inside the house, Fletcher and the others were eating and drinking, their mouths stretched into broad smiles.

"Eat more, everyone. After we finish eating, we can talk about the base. We're also considering moving," Keller said warmly, raising his glass to them.

Emory was regaling a few women with tales of his experiences over the years. Seeing the admiration in their eyes made him feel almost weightless.

"Mr. Emory , how did you get the injury on your face?" a woman asked, puzzled.

Emory was irritated by the question, but because it was a beautiful woman asking, he suppressed his temper."I got into a fight and accidentally got injured. But it's fine; I also gave the other guy a good beating," Emory replied, lowering his voice almost to a whisper for fear of being heard and exposed by his teammates, unable to save face.

The women didn't suspect anything and praised him for being tough.

Emory enjoyed the admiration of the women. He happily pulled out a few gold chains from his pocket. "Here, these are my spoils of war. Consider them a gift for you."

"Oh... that's too kind of you."The women said

Emory shrugged, "It's nothing. As a grown man, I don't have any use for these. If I had a wife, I'd give them all to her."

The other women didn't seem to catch his hint, their faces showing shy expressions, and they didn't respond.

Emory didn't want to leave. Back at the base, he couldn't find any women, and all people talked about were points and supplies. The women here were simple, and maybe, with a little charm, he could actually find a wife."Where are you going? What are those three big trucks for?" a woman approached Emory, almost leaning into his embrace.

Emory couldn't resist and immediately hugged her. "The trucks are for transporting goods."

"What kind of goods?" the woman asked again.

Emory hesitated for a moment. "Um... I'm sorry, I talk too much. I'm just curious. You can pretend I didn't ask," the woman lowered her head slightly, revealing a pretty face.

Emory's Adam's apple bobbed as he hugged her tighter, leaning in closer to her ear and intentionally giving it a peck. "I can tell you, but you mustn't tell anyone else."

The woman shyly nodded. "Okay."

"All three cars are loaded with weapons. No one knows that Peach Blossom Village has an armory," Emory whispered.

The woman covered her mouth, her eyes widening in shock. She exclaimed, "Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?"Emory said

Their interaction caught the attention of others. Fletcher glanced at Emory, furrowing his brows as he asked, "What are you talking about?"

Emory, still holding onto the woman, smirked at Fletcher. "What do you think we're talking about? Do you want to come over and listen?"

Fletcher inwardly cursed at Emory's shamelessness. As long as they weren't betraying the convoy's secrets, he couldn't be bothered.

The other women didn't hear what they were saying and immediately clustered around Emory, asking him to repeat it. However, with Fletcher's warning in mind, he dared not say more. Besides, the information about the weapons was crucial, and he couldn't risk letting a third person know.

"Come find me tonight, and I'll tell you," Emory said with an air of mystery.

The other women clicked their tongues and quickly moved away from him, joining the others.

The group of men, intoxicated by alcohol, had lost their inhibitions. Fletcher pushed away the woman who had approached him. "I'll just have a bit to drink, no need for all this."He glanced at the calm Keller across from him, implying with his question, "Aren't you going to do anything about it? Aren't they supposed to be the decent ones? Why are they acting so recklessly?"

Keller chuckled. "I'm not their father; I can't control them. Besides, it's hard to find resources outside, and we're just trying to survive."

Though his words seemed vague, they conveyed to Fletcher that they were surviving through such means.

They say that women's money is easy to earn, but in reality, it's men's money that's even easier to earn. As long as you let them have their fun, they're willing to empty their pockets.

Fletcher was speechless for a moment. He thought they were decent people, but he hadn't realized they were engaging in this kind of behavior behind the scenes. However, he couldn't stop them; it was a matter of personal choice.

Keller poured a glass of wine for Fletcher, smiling as he asked, "What's wrong? The girls here aren't to your liking?"

"It's not that. I already have someone in mind," Fletcher replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"No wonder," Keller chuckled. "In that case, I won't push you. Come, let's drink."