Chapter 39: In the Game, Food Is Power! In Reality, Gold Is Power!

Chapter 39: Controlling Food in the Game, Controlling Gold in Reality!

In the world of "Post-Apocalypse," the Qingfeng Tea Shop unexpectedly received two uninvited guests: a pair of twins.

They had been spotted the moment they entered the shop and were now locked in a tense standoff with Lin Jiao and Xu Bin, the atmosphere thick with hostility. Lu Feng had anticipated such a situation. The commotion he had caused while dealing with that mutant beast earlier was significant; if there were others left in the department store, they would inevitably be drawn to his location.

"Lu Feng, are you awake?" Yang Qingxue had also woken up and wrapped her arms around his neck. The sensation of her skin against his helped ground him. After a moment of shared intimacy, they washed up and got dressed.

However, when Lu Feng turned his attention back to the game world, the Qingfeng Tea Shop was in chaos. Lin Jiao and Xu Bin were fighting the two intruders. To his surprise, the four of them moved with incredible speed; their strength and agility far exceeded that of ordinary people, looking as if they were in an action movie. Under normal circumstances, an average person would have been knocked out instantly by such power. But clearly, anyone who had survived in this department store until now was formidable, and neither side could gain the upper hand.

While Yang Qingxue went to prepare breakfast, Lu Feng feigned a trip to the bathroom, locked the door, and with a single thought, entered the game.

To his surprise, the fighting had already ceased by the time he arrived. Lin Jiao and Xu Bin were back to staring down the twins; it was clear both sides had been merely testing each other. His sudden appearance out of thin air left the twins staring at him in utter astonishment.

"Who are you?" Lu Feng frowned at the brothers.

Lin Jiao immediately rushed to Lu Feng’s side to report: "Boss, these two are Chen Tao and Chen Hao. They used to be leaders of a mercenary squad, but their subordinates all died in this department store. They said they wanted to see you."

Lu Feng looked at them, brow furrowed: "The reason?"

Chen Tao and Chen Hao seemed to have been waiting for this; they answered immediately: "Naturally, we want to leave this department store alive! We saw you when you dealt with that mutant beast. Even though we don't know how you managed to create such a massive disturbance, if you are able to leave, we hope to follow you out."

Lu Feng nodded; it was indeed a reasonable request. Why were these people trapped in the department store? It was because the ground floor and the surrounding area were swarming with zombies, coupled with the threat of mutant beasts. It was true—without the mutant beast being cleared, Chen Hao and the others hadn't dared to organize any large-scale cleanup of the zombies. Initially, some had gathered the courage to do so, but once a mutant beast was drawn to the noise, those people were all wiped out.

However, Lu Feng did not commit; instead, he looked at Lin Jiao, his gaze clearly seeking her input.

Of all these people, the only one he trusted to any degree was Lin Jiao. The reason was simple: she could have stolen both loaves of bread earlier, but she had returned one to him. In the apocalypse, that was enough to prove she still possessed a conscience. As for Xu Bin, he had slowly earned a shred of trust over the past few days. As for these twins who had come to him on their own, he knew nothing of their character, while Lin Jiao clearly knew them.

Lin Jiao said, "Boss, these two brothers have a decent reputation. If you still need manpower, you could keep them for now."

"Hmm," Lu Feng acknowledged, and seeing Lin Jiao's recommendation, he told the brothers: "Then you can stay for now."

He glanced at the tea table. The bread and mineral water he had brought in earlier had already been finished by Lin Jiao and Xu Bin. With a thought, he vanished from the Qingfeng Tea Shop, exiting the game world.

Watching Lu Feng disappear into thin air again, Chen Tao and Chen Hao’s faces showed fresh shock. Seeing their reaction, Lin Jiao said, "Don't be so surprised. The boss is a legendary Ability User."

An Ability User? The twins’ eyes widened slightly. They had heard of Ability Users, of course, but had never actually met one. Perhaps now they understood how he could create such a massive commotion and take down that mutant beast.

Lu Feng had returned to the bathroom. By the time he came out, Yang Qingxue had finished cooking the noodles. After eating, he drove Yang Qingxue back to her dormitory to change; otherwise, if she went to work like that, even after a shower, her clothes would still carry a scent that would give everything away.

After dropping her off, Lu Feng headed to his old apartment. The new place was ready to move into, and while he only had a few clothes and no valuables, he still needed to move his things. He parked the car and stopped by a 24-hour convenience store to buy a bag of loose bread and mineral water. Though the items were simple, in the apocalypse, they were life-savers. Most importantly, having a convenience store downstairs was incredibly convenient!

Back at the apartment, he locked the door and, with a thought, entered the game world again.

Although Lin Jiao, Xu Bin, and the twins were no longer in a standoff, they remained on opposite sides of the tea shop, clearly still wary of one another. Lu Feng’s appearance drew the attention of all four. He tossed the bread and water he had brought in to Lin Jiao. She caught them and habitually grabbed a piece of bread to gnaw on. Xu Bin immediately stepped forward to grab a piece of bread and a bottle of water, eating and drinking with obvious relish.

This scene naturally caught the attention of Chen Tao and Chen Hao.

The brothers’ throats bobbed involuntarily, and their stomachs growled hungrily. Food was a scarce commodity for anyone surviving in the apocalypse. The brothers had made it this far only through luck, having discovered some food in a shop warehouse within the department store. But even that had run out, and in the last two days, they had barely eaten half a small biscuit. This was exactly why they were so desperate to find him. If they didn't leave this department store, they would starve to death. Watching Lin Jiao and Xu Bin eating without a care made the brothers feel nothing but envy.

Chen Tao couldn't help but plead, "Please, could you spare our brothers some food?"

Lu Feng looked at the brothers with a faint smile and said deliberately, "You'll have to ask Lin Jiao and Xu Bin. This food is their wages."

"Wages?" The twins were stunned.

Lu Feng said with a smirk, "That's right. They are my employees. They work for me, so naturally, they get paid, and their wages are food."

Hearing this, the brothers spoke almost in unison: "Then we can work for you too! Our strength is greater than theirs."

This immediately displeased Lin Jiao and Xu Bin, who glared at the brothers. Xu Bin retorted, "Did you forget who I sent howling with a single punch?"

Lu Feng chuckled at this and looked at the brothers: "Are you sure you want to work for me?"

"Boss!" "Boss!"

The two brothers jumped at the chance, calling out in unison, though their eyes remained fixed on the bag in Lin Jiao's hand.

Lu Feng felt a sense of déjà vu. Wasn't this exactly how Xu Bin had been earlier? Once food was on the table, he had immediately submitted. It was true—controlling food in the apocalypse was no different from controlling gold in reality. And now, he could be someone who controlled food in the apocalypse and gold in reality.