Two More Newbies Arrive

In any case, this meat was definitely inedible.

Chu Guang sighed and reluctantly tossed the meat aside.

"If only I had a refrigerator."

The Blue Umbrella Mushrooms in the Mutated Leech Lair...

For the generator, he absolutely had to get his hands on that stuff.

But it was only the second week of September, and Lister's caravan wouldn't arrive in this area until the end of the month. Thinking about these things now was useless.

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

Moreover, with the Shelter's current economic conditions, a luxury item like a refrigerator was completely unaffordable...

For three days, Chu Guang basically went out hunting in the early morning, returned at noon or in the afternoon to cook a pot of meat for the Players, and then squatted in a corner of the Sanatorium, continuing to ponder the techniques of smoking food by himself.

This fixed routine was as regular as an NPC's.

Although progress in researching smoked meat was still not going smoothly, the good news was that the Players had performed exceptionally well these past few days.

Chu Guang calculated.

In these three days, he had gained a total of 7 Reward Points.

Although he was close to 10 points, after some thought, Chu Guang ultimately bet all his Chips on the Beginner Blind Box.

Fortunately, this time it wasn't just Lollipops; he also managed to open a bottle of Soy Sauce.

He didn't know the brand, but at least it could improve the Players' meals.

Chu Guang carefully put away the Soy Sauce as if it were a treasure.

However...

That being said, his cooking skills were truly nothing to write home about, just enough to cook food through.

The Players found it quite novel the first time they ate it – original flavor, pure and natural, pollution-free. Compared to takeout and fast food, it had a unique taste. But eating it like this every meal, no one could stand it.

"Eating stew every day, I'm about to puke..." Night Ten sat on the ground with his bowl, a dejected look on his face.

At first, he was quite excited to discover that he could eat in this game, but now he was gradually realizing how painful eating could be.

Every meal was stewed meat, or gruel made from Green Wheat.

Even if his mouth could handle it, his butt was about to give out...

Fang Chang took a bite of the greasy front leg meat, furrowing his brows in thought, and said.

"Perhaps the taste system hasn't been fully developed yet, otherwise, even if there's little salt... the taste shouldn't be like this."

Not too salty, not too bland, just greasy!

And it had a hint of bitterness.

It was even worse than Green Wheat porridge...

"It's too fishy. You need to blanch it with cooking wine, green onions, ginger, and garlic to remove the fishiness. That might make it better," Old Bai comforted. "Just make do with it. This is the Wasteland. Where are you going to find those things? There will definitely be delicious food in the future!"

Fang Chang rolled his eyes at the guy and didn't say anything.

Since being appointed "Building Captain," this guy was getting better and better at thinking from the game developers' perspective, even actively helping to paint a rosy picture.

But it was true...

Since realism was a selling point, positioning condiments as luxury items made sense. Maybe in the future, you'd even have to pay to enjoy them.

Night Ten sighed and muttered softly.

"I hope the next update can bring out seasonings... I can buy them with RMB."

Gale ate his meat slowly and deliberately, not participating in the conversation among the three.

He didn't really mind the taste; he was thinking about how to improve the fishing traps.

Seeing the sudden silence, Night Ten looked at Old Bai and casually asked.

"How's your Cement burning going?"

Old Bai drank his soup and replied.

"The quality still needs improvement, but I feel like I'm getting closer to success."

"Really?"

"Seriously, no joke! And it's not just Cement. Recently, Fang Chang and I have also been researching Brick Making. It's just annoying without Molds; the shapes aren't very good... but they should still be usable."

Night Ten hesitated and asked.

"Can't you use wooden Molds?"

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

Fang Chang shook his head and continued, "This is different from cutting trees. Making them perfectly square is entirely a matter of skill."

Fang Chang hadn't expected it.

He, a high-level Player, a hardcore survival master who could build a building in half an hour in The Forest, was actually tripped up by such a basic problem in this game.

Of course, this also had something to do with the overly hardcore settings of Wasteland Online...

Night Ten and Gale exchanged glances, then looked at Old Bai and Fang Chang, expressing their helplessness with a look of resignation.

They were both theory types. While their practical skills weren't exactly zero, they weren't much better either.

Although they had caught quite a few mutated leech larvae these past few days and had even made numerous traps, mimicking the wilderness survival experts in short videos, they hadn't managed to catch a single fish.

It made sense when you thought about it.

The lakeside was full of fish-eating birds. The slow fish had long since been caught and eaten. The fish that remained were the cunning ones that wouldn't fall for the traps, simply eating the bait and swimming away.

Gale could only comfort himself by thinking that he was just fattening up the fish in the lake. Maybe when the fish let their guard down, he could catch them next time...

Just then, there was movement from the direction of the Sanatorium.

They saw Manager Chu Guang walking towards them with two rather dazed-looking individuals.

No need to ask.

That expression, as if they had been shocked for a whole year, absolutely belonged to new players who had just put on the helmet and entered the game world for the first time.

Night Ten sighed silently in his heart again.

Why are there two more guys...

"Let me introduce everyone, these two are our new members... Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes, and There Really Are Mosquitoes in the WC."

What kind of names are these?

Chu Guang resisted the urge to complain. After all, in the game, his identity was that of an NPC.

"Clap, clap, clap..."

Sparse applause rang out.

The closed beta players sitting in front of the large pot put down their bowls and clapped, showing their welcome, though the welcome was clearly not enthusiastic.

But the two newcomers didn't mind.

At this moment, they hadn't recovered from the shock of what they were seeing.

Under Chu Guang's instructions, they sat in front of the fire with the large pot over it, staring blankly at the white mist rising from the pot.

The humid heat and meaty aroma wafting towards them...

It was too damn realistic!

Seeing that the two newcomers hadn't moved for a long time, Old Bai took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

"What are your stats?"

The one named [There Really Are Mosquitoes in the WC] was the first to snap out of it.

"I'm Agility type."

Then [Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes] also came back to his senses.

"I'm Constitution... you guys are already eating?"

"Manager was originally planning a welcome ceremony, but it seems it was messed up... so he told us to eat first," Night Ten said with a helpless expression. "You just woke up, right? Want some too?"

Mosquito swallowed.

Taking the bowl filled with large bones and soup, he took a sip, and his eyes widened in shock.

"Taste... Awesome. You can really eat in this game!"

Holy crap!

This is too amazing!

"Not only can you eat, but if you don't eat, you'll get low blood sugar," Fang Chang sighed. "I actually think it doesn't need to be this realistic. Or maybe it could be a little tastier."

Scrambled Eggs stared at the bowl, not taking a bite, and after hesitating for a long time, he asked.

"This... what is this stewed?"

Old Bai said.

"Meat."

"Meat? What kind of meat?"

"Mutant Hyena... Actually, we don't know if that thing is a wolf or a dog. Anyway, they're all mutants."

Hearing this, Mosquito subconsciously moved the bowl he was holding away, almost spilling the soup.

Scrambled Eggs, however, was different.

Not only did this guy not shy away, but he even leaned in with interest and took a bite. But after tasting it, his brow furrowed even tighter.

"Why does it taste so fishy... Did you guys not drain the blood?"

Several players exchanged glances.

"Don't know."

"The prey is all brought by the NPCs."

Old Bai suggested.

"If you know how to cook, you can discuss it with the Manager. As long as you have a skill, you'll be given important tasks."

Scrambled Eggs looked eager to try.

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

"How about woodworking? I know woodworking!" Mosquito quickly asked.

"Woodworking?" Old Bai's eyes lit up as he stared at him and pressed, "You know woodworking??"

Mosquito was startled, then gave an embarrassed smile and said.

"Yes... My family sells furniture, the kind that's purely handmade from wood. If you're interested, you can add my Penguin number, I'll give you a cheaper price—"

"That's great!" Old Bai excitedly stood up. "I happen to need someone to make molds here, come give me a hand!"

"?"

Not only did Old Bai stand up, but Fang Chang also stood up with him.

There Really Are Mosquitoes in the WC hadn't even figured out what was going on when his arms were grabbed by the two of them.

"Wait, I haven't finished my soup yet—"

Looking at the two people dragging him towards the construction site, Mosquito was completely bewildered. He was about to protest, but before he could finish, Old Bai interrupted him.

"Eat what hammer? Won't it be better to have the chef make another pot this afternoon??"

Fang Chang also added.

"Exactly! Good brother, listen to my advice, that stuff really isn't tasty! We'll take you to get familiar with the gameplay of this game."

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

Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes stared blankly at the new brother being dragged into the small woods, swallowing his saliva.

"Is this game... legitimate?"

Night Ten and Gale exchanged glances.

"It's alright."

"Probably?"

Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes: "..."

Why is it a question?!