A Hearty Meal

As soon as he spoke, Wu Bin opened the rice cooker in front of everyone. However, after opening it, all three of them couldn't help but stare in disbelief. The pot no longer looked like it held rice and dishes; it was truly a mess of rice and toppings, and the toppings were quite heavy.

Zhao Tianlei immediately said, a little embarrassed, "Ah, I guess it must have been too bumpy when I was running back with it on my back. There were so many zombies on the road, I couldn't pay attention to it. Let's just make do with this."

Seeing Zhao Tianlei's embarrassed expression, Ye Sitong quickly comforted him, "Tianlei, what time is it? You're still worried about this. If you hadn't risked your life to find food for us, Wu Bin and I would have gone hungry. Even though this pot isn't pretty, it doesn't stop how delicious it is. Look, there's meat and fish in here. For us, who are hungry, it's practically a feast."

Wu Bin also said, "Exactly, Tianlei. I've never felt a meal this fragrant. Don't overthink it, let's eat quickly."

"Okay, let's eat."

With Zhao Tianlei's command, the three immediately found a suitable spot, each picked up a spoon, and sat on the ground, eating around the rice cooker. At first, Ye Sitong felt a little shy eating from the same pot as the two guys, but in the apocalypse, if you want to fill your stomach and have strength, you can't be like you were before the end of the world.

After what happened in the library that morning, Ye Sitong had come to understand the dark side of human nature in the apocalypse. Just as Zhao Tianlei had said, her old temper really needed to change.

The three of them ate without any regard for their image, solely focused on filling their stomachs. They only stopped when they were all feeling a bit stuffed. At this point, Zhao Tianlei suddenly thought that eating just this would be too dry, and he had some water in his backpack.

He quickly opened his backpack, took out a bottle of water, and handed it to Ye Sitong, saying, "When I went out this time, I clearly noticed that there were more and more zombies outside. It's going to be very difficult to go out and find food in the future. So from now on, we have to be more economical, especially with this water; it's even more important than food. This backpack is full of snacks and four bottles of purified water. We need to drink sparingly. Sitong, you're a girl, you drink first. After you've had enough, Wu Bin and I will drink."

Ye Sitong and Wu Bin clearly agreed with Zhao Tianlei's words. Seeing how thoughtful Zhao Tianlei was, Ye Sitong felt a little touched. She took the water, drank a few sips, and handed it back to Zhao Tianlei. However, Zhao Tianlei didn't take it, instead telling her to drink a few more sips before he took it. The bottle of water was shared by the three of them very consciously, with each person drinking about a third before passing it to the next. No one drank an extra drop.

If Zhao Tianlei had asked to drink a few more sips, Ye Sitong and Wu Bin would not have objected at all, as all of this was found by Zhao Tianlei at great risk. Zhao Tianlei deserved to drink more, but he didn't do that at all. This small gesture moved them even more, making them trust and rely on Zhao Tianlei even more.

"Tianlei, we've eaten our fill, but there are still many students inside who are hungry. Are we really not going to help them? Some of them are even our classmates." After they finished eating, Ye Sitong couldn't help but whisper to Zhao Tianlei.

Her voice was very quiet, clearly indicating that she knew her question was somewhat inappropriate. However, due to her inner struggle, Ye Sitong couldn't help but want to tentatively inquire.

Listening to Ye Sitong's words, Zhao Tianlei understood. After all, Ye Sitong used to be the class monitor and a member of the student council, always helping others at school. Now, asking her to be indifferent to everyone might be a bit cruel, but Zhao Tianlei had to make her face the reality.

"Sitong, you also know that this pot of rice and dishes, while it looks like a lot, is only for the three of us. We ate a lot just now, and there's less than half a pot left. It's enough for us to eat tonight. If, as you say, we divide this food among the students inside, do you think there's enough for one bite per person among so many people? Do you want to help one person, or everyone? Remember, after we finish eating today, we'll only have these snacks left. Once they're gone, we'll also go hungry. If we want to go out and find food, it'll probably cost us our lives."

Ye Sitong nodded upon hearing Zhao Tianlei's words, "Okay, I understand what you mean. I'll do whatever you say. I'm still very grateful to you. You've not only saved me and gotten me out of trouble twice, but you've also given me food and drink. I will definitely repay you in the future."

Wu Bin, overhearing this, quickly chuckled, "How will the class monitor repay you? By offering yourself?"

Unexpectedly, Ye Sitong stomped her foot and glared at Wu Bin, "Wu Bin, what are you talking about? You're annoying."

"Alright, I was wrong, please calm your anger, class monitor."

Seeing the two of them, Zhao Tianlei quickly tried to smooth things over, "Okay, let's go inside. We hid in here earlier. If we don't go back, someone might find us and try to steal our things."

Wu Bin couldn't help but point at the rice cooker in Zhao Tianlei's hand and remind him, "Tianlei, you're not planning to carry this rice cooker inside, are you? Aren't you afraid of attracting attention?"

Zhao Tianlei rolled his eyes, "Tch, do you think I'm that stupid? If I walk in with this rice cooker, and people inside smell the aroma. With so many of them, even if I had a fire axe in my hand, I probably couldn't stop their urge to snatch the food. We'll just hide this rice cooker. When we're hungry tonight, we can come back and eat it. Even though the food will be cold by then, it's better than starving."

After hearing Zhao Tianlei's explanation, the two of them thought it made sense. However, looking around the corridor, besides the stairs, there was nowhere to hide it. Just as they were wondering where Zhao Tianlei was going to hide their belongings, they saw Zhao Tianlei, fire axe in hand, cautiously open the door leading outside. He then poked his head out to check if there was any movement outside before turning back, picking up the rice cooker, covering it, placing it outside, and then closing and locking the door again.

Seeing Zhao Tianlei's actions, Wu Bin was immediately amazed, "Tianlei, your strategy is truly brilliant. No one would ever think we'd hide our food outside. Those people inside are so terrified of the zombies, they wouldn't dare go out to find food even if they were beaten to death."

Zhao Tianlei grinned at the two of them, "Heh heh, sometimes for safety, you have to think thoroughly. Alright, let's go inside. When we're hungry tonight and there's no one around, we'll come back to eat."