Chapter 142 The Barbecue Party

Chapter 142: The Barbecue Feast

Even as evening approached and the workday ended, Xie Tingsheng remained, a lingering effect of the earlier level 61 monster incident. Hua Diao, too, stayed by his side without a word of wanting to return home.

With the Peanut Squad now responsible for the eastern district's defense, their members would naturally be on night duty. Given that the nocturnal monster waves were even more ferocious than those during the day, Xie Tingsheng, as captain, needed to ensure absolute security. Thus, as a precaution, he planned to stay and oversee the first night.

Since she was staying, Hua Diao naturally wanted to be comfortable, and that meant dinner couldn't be an afterthought.

"How about we have an outdoor barbecue? What do you think? This place is huge, perfect for it. It wouldn't be as easy to do at home," Hua Diao suggested enthusiastically.

Xie Tingsheng, of course, had no objections. His wife's word was law.

So, seizing the lull before the next monster wave, Hua Diao excitedly retrieved a barbecue grill she had hoarded in her spatial storage but never used. She then produced a large bucket of seafood, an assortment of vegetables, and even a plump, live sheep, intending to slaughter and roast it fresh on the spot.

The Peanut Squad members stared, eyes wide, their bread suddenly unappetizing.

Holy cow, a whole sheep—and it's alive!

Even in the game's official trading area, aside from seafood, there were no live, whole creatures—only pre-butchered meat. This meant the sheep was either preserved by their "little sister-in-law" before the apocalypse or acquired through some extraordinary means. Either way, it proved she was absolutely incredible!

Drool-worthy! This was meat! A massive, fat sheep!

The Peanut Squad members were practically salivating with envy.

Though the Peanut Squad was now a considerable size with decent benefits, some members had families to support or simply bad luck with loot, leaving them with meager shares. Consequently, many hadn't tasted meat in ages, barely surviving on the bare minimum for meals.

Now, seeing such a bounty—seafood, meat, and a whole basket of fresh vegetables—how could they not be consumed by envy and longing, their mouths watering uncontrollably?

As for trying to snatch it? They wouldn't dare. Not only were they subordinates, but recalling the couple's combat prowess made them vigorously shake their heads. No way. Even a thousand of them combined probably couldn't take on this power couple. Better not even entertain such audacious thoughts.

Zhu Bin, a seasoned moocher, wasted no time. He shamelessly scurried over the moment he saw the feast.

"Little sister-in-law, can I pay to join the meal?" he asked with a grin.

Hua Diao chuckled. "Of course! The more, the merrier for a barbecue."

He Yongxin and the others, who had been discreetly listening, immediately brightened. After some nudging and pushing, they sent He Yongxin as their representative to inquire if they could join the barbecue feast.

As they were all comrades who fought and adventured together, Hua Diao didn't refuse, readily agreeing with a nod.

This prompted the rest of the Peanut Squad to stir, especially those with bulging wallets, their faces alight with eagerness.

Xie Tingsheng's phoenix eyes subtly swept over them, his brow subtly arching. Before the apocalypse, as their boss, he wouldn't have minded footing the bill for a team-building event. But now...

He walked over, took Hua Diao's hand, and asked while helping her prepare the ingredients, "Do you have a lot of these supplies stored?"

Hua Diao handed the vegetables to He Yongxin and the others, who had eagerly stepped in to help, then glanced at the hopeful faces of the Peanut Squad members. Understanding dawned in her eyes.

"Plenty. Enough for your thousand people to eat hundreds of meals. Though the vegetables aren't as fresh, and the seafood needs to be caught live," she whispered conspiratorially into Xie Tingsheng's ear.

Back home, she had repeatedly produced fresh seafood, sometimes even disappearing into the bedroom for a while to retrieve it from her spatial storage. With Xie Tingsheng's keen perception and intelligence, he must have suspected something, but since he never asked, she never explained.

Now, however, she acted without concealment, her demeanor perfectly open.

Xie Tingsheng looked at her, his phoenix eyes filled with a comfortable, amused smile. "Then skip the seafood. The vegetables might not be fresh, but as long as they're not spoiled, consider it helping you clear out your inventory."

Hua Diao quite liked that idea. Having too much food stored was its own kind of problem—she couldn't eat it all, and the crops on her island were ready for another harvest. So now, her worry wasn't about running out of food but about not being able to finish it all. Such were the troubles of a wealthy woman!

Unaware of her private amusement, Xie Tingsheng called Zhu Bin over and instructed, "I'm planning a barbecue feast. Go ask how many in the squad want to join. Charge one gold coin per person for all-you-can-eat. If it's not enough, make up the difference from the squad's public funds—consider it a team benefit."

"Assign someone to keep track of how much food is consumed tonight and calculate the cost based on the game's official trading prices to reimburse your little sister-in-law."

Zhu Bin's eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly, thumping his chest. "Brother Sheng is generous! I'll make sure everything is handled perfectly."

After receiving the task, Zhu Bin happily announced the good news to the squad. As for the person to keep records near Hua Diao, he thought it over and decided to send Guan Tiantian.

The girl had repeatedly expressed admiration for Hua Diao and had even praised her before—though mostly to spite Song Yan. At least she held no hostility toward Hua Diao and had no designs on Xie Tingsheng. Plus, being a woman, Xie Tingsheng, the jealous type, wouldn't mind her being around. She was the perfect choice.

When Guan Tiantian received the assignment, she was overjoyed and hurried over—only to find Qi Cancan trailing behind her.

Guan Tiantian stopped halfway, sensing something amiss, and looked at Qi Cancan with a slightly displeased expression. "Why are you following me? I'm going to see little sister-in-law. Weren't you afraid of getting kicked out of the squad? Better not draw attention."

Qi Cancan shook her head firmly. "No, I need to go personally to show my loyalty and fix sister-in-law and the captain's impression of me. A bad impression from the boss isn't good for my career advancement."

Guan Tiantian: ...That actually makes a lot of sense!

After a moment of internal debate, remembering Qi Cancan's diligent efforts during the monster wave and her serious spirit in pushing everyone to improve, Guan Tiantian finally gritted her teeth and tacitly allowed her to follow.