Chapter 37: Ordering Food
If anyone had hoarded all these supplies for themselves, they could have easily become the new rank one in an instant.
Dragon Emerging from the Sea truly was steady and dependable. Trusting him with the task had clearly been the right choice.
Lin Huai glanced toward Flash Delivery Yellow Knight. “What about your materials? Did you manage to get what you needed?”
Flash Delivery Yellow Knight beamed, speaking up quickly, “Boss, you don’t need to give me any special favors. Brother Wang and Brother Jiao Long helped me track down Don’t Run a Fever Everywhere and Snowy Mochi. All the supplies dropped from them were given to me, so now I have enough to reach Level 3 as well!”
Dragon Emerging from the Sea picked up the thread. “Those two were terrified of dying. After defecting, they didn’t even dare to join the battle. They just hid inside a little shop.”
“However, everyone can view the public member list, so there was nowhere for them to run. We found them and finished them off.”
He tapped his light screen, adding, “Boss, in the package I just transferred over, there are some rare items dropped by Don’t Run a Fever Everywhere and Snowy Mochi. Other than those special items, the rest of their basic supplies went directly to Little Yellow.”
Lin Huai nodded in approval. “Good. You handled everything very well.”
She looked around the room. “Alright, everyone take a seat so we can eat. My schedule is tight today; I still have important things to take care of after lunch.”
As everyone moved toward the table, Lin Huai noticed there were more than just the original eight of them. Behind the group stood two extra people: the man and woman who had switched sides at the crucial moment, Peace and Violence and If You’re Bad, Practice More.
Dragon Emerging from the Sea, naturally acting as the group’s coordinator, stepped forward to explain. “While we were handling the captives earlier, these two played a vital role. Every list of names was provided by them.”
He gestured toward the refined man in glasses. “Peace and Violence used to be a lawyer, so the sentencing guidelines for those criminals were handled by him as well.”
“As for If You’re Bad, Practice More, she’s an exceptional fighter. She trained in the traditional martial arts of the Mount Emei lineage. Since they came forward together, I felt they were both people worth bringing into our circle, so I invited them along for the meal.”
He looked at Lin Huai, asking quietly, “Does the Boss find this arrangement acceptable?”
Having led Zone 444 in her previous life, Dragon Emerging from the Sea was undeniably someone she could trust—not only in character, but also in his ability to judge others.
He had observed them closely, and both individuals had indeed made significant contributions to the successful merger between 587 and 444. Lin Huai had no reason to object.
She stood up to welcome them, offering a polite nod. “Welcome to both of you. Today is a celebration of our zone merger, so let’s all relax and enjoy ourselves. There are no strict rules here, so there is no need to be tense.”
Hearing her warm tone, the tight expression on Peace and Violence’s face softened slightly. He stepped forward, pushed up his glasses, and offered his hand. “Hello, Boss Bone Ash. My surname is He. You can just call me Old He from now on.”
Lin Huai did not take his hand; she merely nodded back gently. “Please have a seat, Lawyer He. I’m not used to shaking hands with people, so I apologize.”
Her refusal made Old He uneasy again, and If You’re Bad, Practice More grew visibly tense as well.
Having lived under the brutal rule of ‘If You Don’t Submit, Fight,’ the two had learned to be constantly on guard. Even the slightest hint of trouble made them nervous, and they couldn’t simply drop that habit right away.
Lin Huai felt a bit helpless and decided to explain honestly. “I’m sorry. Before coming here, I worked in the funeral business. For those of us who handle the dead, shaking hands with the living is an industry taboo. That’s why I generally avoid physical contact. It has nothing to do with whether you are welcome.”
In her previous life, she had always hidden her past profession, which only gave Chen Feng a weapon to use against her in the end.
In this life, she had no intention of keeping it a secret. The more casually she spoke about it, the sooner people would grow comfortable with the truth.
Besides, she was now the server’s top-ranked player. If someone couldn’t accept her background, it didn’t matter at all; she would simply find someone who could to join Zone 444.
After all, she was already an expert at the complete process of dispatching enemies and handling their remains.
If You’re Bad, Practice More’s eyes lit up with sudden realization. She pointed toward the window. “Oh! So that’s why you drive a hearse and carry a coffin on the roof? That makes total sense now!”
The moment the words left her mouth, she realized she had spoken too loudly. She flushed slightly, covered her lips, and quickly took her seat.
Yet the arrival of two newcomers had introduced a polite, formal tension into the room. The original members seemed unsure of how to behave, quietly adjusting where they sat to avoid overstepping.
Lin Huai felt awkward as well; she had never been a leader before and was unaccustomed to rigid social hierarchies.
She waved her hand, telling everyone to sit wherever they liked, and pulled Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar down into the empty chair beside her.
The young girl was too carefree to worry about rank, and because Lin Huai had looked out for her early on, she felt nothing but warm affection for the boss.
Settling comfortably into her seat, she smiled up at Lin Huai. “Sister Bone Ash, can we order the food now? My stomach is already growling.”
Old Wang from Building Materials was naturally outgoing. He pulled Peace and Violence toward an empty chair, grinning warmly. “Come on, Brother Peace, sit down! I’ve been dying to ask: with personalities as outspoken as yours and Sister Practice’s, how on earth did you survive under those thugs for so long?”
The question immediately got If You’re Bad, Practice More talking, and the stiff atmosphere in the room melted away at once.
Lin Huai couldn’t help but admire Old Wang. His social skills were exceptional; on multiple occasions, he had smoothed over awkward moments, helping her relax as well.
She picked up the menu from the table and passed it to Jiangzhehu Inheritor. “Why don’t you pick our dishes?”
Jiangzhehu Inheritor opened the leather-bound menu, took one look inside, and snapped it shut with a pale face. “Maybe we should find somewhere else to eat… Even having a picnic outside would be better. We could just pool our canned goods from the cars and cook something together.”
Puzzled, Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar pulled the menu over, opened it, and slammed it shut just as quickly. Her face fell. “I think the young lady’s suggestion is wonderful.”
Old Wang from Building Materials chuckled in disbelief and reached for the book. “Come on, nobody here knows how to cook. What are we going to eat on a picnic? Sparkling and Lovable might drive a food truck, but her cooking is a terrifying biohazard—I’m definitely not touching it.”
“Besides, since we’re already here…”
As he spoke, he flipped open the pages. The moment his eyes landed on the vivid pictures and titles inside, he slapped a hand over his mouth, dry-heaved, and slammed the menu closed.
“Since we’re already here… maybe we should just leave… Suddenly, Sparkling and Lovable’s cooking doesn’t sound entirely unappealing…”
Sparkling and Lovable frowned suspiciously, grabbing the book from him. “What could possibly be worse than my cooking?”
She opened the cover, took one look, let out a sharp shriek, and tossed the menu onto the middle of the table.
Now lying wide open under the lantern light, the full horror of the menu was visible to everyone:
[Raw Marinated Human Heart]
[Husband and Wife Sliced Lung Platter]
[Sweet and Sour Human Hands]
[Stargazy Stew: Human Eye Edition]
[Spicy Crispy Cartilage Ears]
[Charcoal-Grilled Human Tongue]
The color drained from everyone’s faces, their expressions shifting between disgust and horror.
Only Lin Huai maintained her composure, though she felt terribly embarrassed. She had completely forgotten that the dishes served in a ghost town tavern were never meant for living mortals.
“Maybe we really should leave,” she offered apologetically. “I have plenty of regular food packed in my vehicle…”
Just as the group began standing up to walk out, a female ghost wearing a stained waitress uniform appeared in the doorway.
Her cold, lifeless body blocked their only exit, and she stood perfectly still, her mechanical voice repeating over and over:
“Order… please order…”
