Passing-Grade Red-Braised Pork: The Logistics Department's Victory Feast
Glug, glug.
Inside the Logistics Department's warehouse, a half-person-high brass hot pot was bubbling away, the aroma of mushroom broth mixed with the rich fragrance of butter, making the entire space cozy and warm.
Director Moning had been standing in front of the results bulletin board at the Flamebearers' Academy for almost half an hour.
Holding her coffee cup, her fingers tightened, staring at the names on the electronic screen that were hovering just short of the passing mark. She couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart. Her carefully designed assessment system had been broken by some inexplicable tacit understanding.
Dania, Resonance Theory, 61 points.
Linnai, College History, 62 points.
Aimis, Introduction to Mechanics, 60 points.
They all flew low overhead, not one more, not one less, as if they had been measured with a ruler.
Moning finished his cold coffee in one gulp, then turned and left. His retreating figure was filled with unbelievable frustration.
In the warehouse, Zhou Yu was wearing an apron that read "Eat well today too." To be honest, the apron was quite comical. He brought the last dish to the table.
It was a plate of braised pork. Each piece was coated in a rich, dark sauce, glistening and trembling slightly with his movements.
"I need to tell you something."
Zhou Yu put down the plate and untied her apron.
"The Flamebearers' Academy Logistics Department's Intensive Final Exam Stress Relief Program has successfully concluded."
Before the words were even finished, a pair of chopsticks had already been thrust at them with lightning speed.
Dania picked up a trembling piece of braised pork and stuffed it into her mouth without even blowing on it.
Then she squinted her eyes, a little sauce on the corner of her mouth, her face full of undisguised satisfaction.
"Delicious," she mumbled, still chewing, "Even better than the 'optimal cooking time' I wrote in my report... ten percent better."
Linnai and Aimis were fighting fiercely over the last piece of shrimp paste in the pot.
Linnai's way of using chopsticks... how to put it, was like she was performing some kind of ritual dance, while chanting. "Go, my loyal shrimp ball warrior, plunge into the ocean of sesame oil I have prepared for you..."
Aimis didn't bother arguing with her and simply scooped up the soup and water from the bottom with a spoon.
"Stop reading, you'll get old if you keep reading," she rolled her eyes. "I still need to scout out locations for my concert during the summer vacation, I need to replenish my protein to maintain my perfect stage image."
Chisaki remained calm throughout. She adjusted her glasses, popped a perfectly cooked slice of beef into her mouth, and typed rapidly on her tablet:
[Subject A (Aimis), after consuming high-calorie food, experienced a 15% increase in pupil dilation and a 20% increase in verbal aggression.]
[Conclusion: High carbohydrate intake can indeed effectively boost short-term morale, and it is recommended to promote it as a pre-battle mobilization meal.]
Sigelica looked at the perfectly balanced budget on the terminal, then glanced at her repayment agreement with only five figures left, and felt a wave of relief wash over her. She pulled an ice-cold can of beer from under the table and snapped it open.
He gulped down a huge mouthful.
Then he burped.
A faint blush rose to Sigelica's face, and for the first time ever, she raised her beer can. "To... the Logistics Department."
Linnai managed to grab the shrimp paste and immediately raised her glass in response. "To our upcoming perfect summer vacation with no risk of failing! I'm going to the Gloryfire Military Port to see for myself which rare toy that chief negotiator overturned the table for!"
Aimis also held up a soda. "I'm going to the Central Theater in Jinzhou to do a real-world assessment of my fans' purchasing power... and hopefully I can hold a concert there next year."
With her mouth full, Dania couldn't speak, so she just picked up her milk cup and mumbled two "uh-huh" sounds.
Zhou Yu didn't join in the commotion. He took out a tissue and naturally reached out to wipe the grease from Dania's lips. His movements were quite gentle, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against her cheek.
Dania's face flushed instantly, and she even slowed down her chewing.
"Eat slowly, there's still some left in the pot," Zhou Yu's voice was gentle, mingling with the steam rising from the hot pot. "After you've eaten, I'll take you to the office tomorrow to get a leave slip."
Dania's eyes lit up immediately. She nodded vigorously and swallowed what was in her mouth. "Mmm."
In her view, nothing in the world was more reliable than Zhou Yu's promise—more reassuring than a stamped schedule.
The celebratory banquet lasted quite late.
The girls were sprawled out on the sofa and cots. Linnai was talking in her sleep about history and gossip, Aimis was calculating ticket revenue in her dream, and Dania was fast asleep, hugging her brown teddy bear, a slight smile on her lips.
Sigelica was the last to fall. She gathered all the dishes and utensils into the sink, then hugged her riot shield and leaned against the door, falling asleep... even in her sleep, she maintained a posture of being ready to fight at any moment.
The warehouse fell silent, save for the dripping sound of the water tap.
Zhou Yu rolled up her sleeves and began washing the dishes.
One, two.
The grease was washed away with hot water and detergent, and the plate made a clean sound.
It was an ordinary night on the edge of the Lahai-Roi Defense Line. Quiet, warm, with the aroma of food and the sound of steady breathing.
He really enjoyed this feeling. It was like a worker who had been working hard all week finally getting his weekend.
Just as he finished washing the last dish and was about to turn off the light--
The screen of the old digital watch on my wrist suddenly lit up silently.
There were no alarms, no gibberish, and no familiar "Aleph One" message that he had blocked countless times.
There was only one line of text on the screen, as if it had been typed using the oldest code:
[Observer, your "firewall" is quite interesting.]
Zhou Yu stopped wiping his hands.
He stared at the words, his gaze slowly turning cold.
This isn't a harassing call. This is... a provocation.
The other party bypassed all the logical traps and UI obfuscations he had set up, and delivered the information directly to his terminal in a way he had never seen before.
However, there are always exceptions to the rules.
[For example, when the "rules" themselves decide to become your enemy.]
Zhou Yu stared at it for a few seconds.
Suddenly, he laughed.
He pointed at the digital watch and silently mouthed two words:
"Idiot."
Then he turned off the tap and switched off the warehouse lights, as if he hadn't taken it to heart at all.
In the darkness, he walked to the sleeping Dania and tucked the blanket around her.
Holiday schedule is set, no one is allowed to disturb it.
Even God can't help it.
The digital watch screen went dark. But those two lines of text, like a branding iron, were etched into the system's core.
A new "bug fix" seems to be brewing.