Chapter 1079: I Believe in Religion
The lodging was on the second floor.
The first floor of the commercial building was about six meters high, making the second floor equivalent to the third floor of an ordinary residential building. But this height wasn't much either, especially under the watchful eyes of the "original residents" gathered downstairs. This height instantly lowered everyone's sense of security to the minimum. Not just the women, even the men felt uneasy.
"Can we switch places? Even staying a bit higher would be better," someone said.
Sun Jing replied, "The upper floors are all used by the guard team. It might be inconvenient for you to go up there."
He didn't specify what the inconvenience was, but his troubled expression made it clear that the so-called "inconvenience" actually referred to their wariness of the guard team.
In the end, everyone rested on the second floor.
Dinner was still an hour away.
The rooms were quadruple occupancy. After the men and women were separated, Chi Minghong and a few others came over to Xu Huo's group, peering through the gaps in the metal bars on the windows at the people outside.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think these metal bars were meant to keep people out," Zhou Yuanzhu muttered. After a pause, she added, "But since a fair number of ordinary people survived, it means it should be safe here. We just have to deal with the players."
"There are at least thirty players in this building," Uncle Guan said solemnly. "We can stall for as many days as possible. At the very least, we need to figure out if there are any other risks in this high-risk instance."
That settled on a plan. You Xuewen and the others nodded before turning their gazes to Xu Huo and Chi Minghong. Chi Minghong said, "I have no objections. Old Xu, what about you?"
"Let's go with this for now," Xu Huo said. Whether they could stall for days wasn't up to them—it depended on when the players in Xiaohe City decided to make a move.
Having reached a consensus, they seized the opportunity to rest. In the middle of it, the girl who had bitten someone came looking for them, asking to stay with Chi Minghong.
When they fell from Zone 002, Chi Minghong had saved her, but she had no goodwill toward the group from Zone 002 and had taken it out on the girl as well. Plus, the girl was injured and couldn't move easily, so Chi Minghong hadn't bothered with anyone else. At the bar, she had drawn a clear line between them.
But the kid was clever. She had seen that Chi Minghong was soft-hearted, so instead of seeking out Uncle Guan, who had saved everyone, or Xu Huo, who had given her a ride, she zeroed in on Chi Minghong.
Afraid that Chi Minghong wouldn't look out for her, she whispered the truth, "Just now, an uncle came to the room next door to deliver water. The way he looked at me was really strange."
Everyone present immediately darkened their expressions. Chi Minghong turned to Xu Huo. "She's sharp enough. Let her stay."
Xu Huo asked the girl a question, "Still hungry?"
The girl didn't dare lie and nodded honestly, then quickly added, "I definitely won't bite anyone again. I was just so hungry I lost my mind back then..."
"If you can resist eating a single bite when dinner comes, you can stay with us for these few days," Xu Huo said.
The girl reluctantly agreed.
An hour passed quickly, and Sun Jing came again to invite them to the fifth floor for dinner.
When they reached the fifth floor, they no longer saw just a few scattered players. From the corridor to the dining hall, people were standing both inside and out. The scrutinizing gazes they received made them feel uncomfortable on a physical level.
But that discomfort was soon masked by the aroma of food.
As soon as they entered the dining hall, the sight of a long table piled high with food hit everyone like a shock. Brightly colored fruits so vivid they seemed ready to burst with juice, crystal goblets filled with fragrant crimson wine, and heaps of various cooked dishes piled high in bowls and on plates—the table seemed barely able to hold it all. Just then, several chefs worked together to carry up a huge silver platter. Though covered, the rich scent of meat was already pouring out from under the lid!
Zheng Da greeted them at the table and introduced an elderly man with white hair seated at the head, "This is our guard team leader, Mr. Kang."
Uncle Guan's earlier estimate of the guard team's numbers had been a bit off. Just in this dining hall alone, there were at least thirty people standing, not to mention those guarding the corridors outside and the floors above and below. All together, a conservative estimate put them at forty.
Compared to their own weak and injured group, the people opposite were all full of energy and exuded a fierce aura from the inside out—it was obvious that these people, living in a place crawling with xenomorphs, would be even more inclined toward violence than the players outside.
In contrast, Mr. Kang, who was clearly older than the others, looked the most refined.
And also the most formidable.
He greeted Uncle Guan amiably and invited them to sit, "We've prepared some food on short notice. I hope you won't think the hospitality is lacking."
As he spoke, someone beside him lifted the lid off the platter, revealing half a young mutant rhinoceros. Its surface was roasted to a golden brown, with oil still sizzling and bubbling.
A player cut a piece for Mr. Kang, who leisurely sliced off a bite with his knife and fork, chewed it thoroughly, and then said, "There are plenty of edible xenomorphs here, but only this mutant rhinoceros has the tenderest meat. It tastes best when freshly roasted. Everyone, give it a try."
Not to mention being in a state of extreme hunger, even an ordinary person who had gone a day or two without food would be left with only one thought when faced with such a feast: "Eat."
More than twenty people sat on either side of the long table. One person tentatively picked a fruit that looked like a grape and swallowed it. The next second, his face showed surprise, and he began stuffing food into his mouth by the handful.
The sounds of chewing and swallowing, mixed with the aroma of the food, made those who had been waiting for Uncle Guan and the others to start eating unable to hold back any longer. The second and third people grabbed food, and soon the dining table was filled only with the sounds of people scrambling to eat.
"Everyone, eat slowly. There's plenty more food," Mr. Kang said cheerfully, watching the scene. He took a sip of wine and then looked at Uncle Guan and the others. "Does the food not suit your taste?"
At his signal, several players who had been standing or sitting elsewhere in the dining hall put down their food and stood up. They came over to help cut the meat and place it on plates.
"Oh, what a cute kid," said a red-lipped woman who walked over to Xu Huo's side. She reached out to pinch Tan Qi's cheek. "And you're carrying a baby. Is this your little brother?"
Tan Qi instinctively shrank back, and the woman's hand followed. But before it could touch him, another hand blocked her. Xu Huo's face was pale, but his attitude was firm, "The kid doesn't like strangers touching him."
The red-lipped woman smiled sweetly and instead reached for the baby in Tan Qi's arms. "It's hard to eat while holding a baby. Why don't you hand him over to me..."
Before she could finish, Xu Huo blocked her again.
The woman's face darkened as she straightened up. She shoved the plate toward him, "This is food we saved up especially to welcome you all."
Xu Huo glanced at the fragrant meat and said, "I believe in a religion. I don't eat meat."
The woman sneered, grabbed a bowl of fruit, and brought it over. "If you don't eat meat, you can at least eat this, right?"