Hearing Shi Henian's words, Mingyue stopped what she was doing and turned to look at him.
"I mean, don't we have the Water of Life? Just one drop can cure the poison. There's no need to waste this crystal core. Smashing it would be a pity!"
Seeing everyone looking at him, Shi Henian felt a bit embarrassed and spoke softly. He actually suffered from social anxiety and wasn't comfortable in crowded places.
"Thank you."
Mingyue put away the crystal core and took out a drop of the Water of Life from her spatial storage, dripping it into Bajiu's mouth.
After a moment's thought, fearing the effect might not be enough, she added another drop.
"Sister."
A moment later, Bajiu opened his eyes and looked at Mingyue with a dazed expression.
"It's okay now, you were poisoned, but you've been cured. Get some rest."
"We won't be traveling today. Let's rest here and head to Jiangcheng tomorrow. Tian Shang, you look after Bajiu. The rest of you, start a fire and cook. We have guests, so make today's meal a bit more lavish."
Pressing down Bajiu, who was trying to get up, Mingyue turned to everyone and introduced Shi Henian. She owed a great deal to Shi Henian's help; without him, she wouldn't have been able to obtain the crystal core and the Water of Life so smoothly. She never would have guessed that the Green Vine's crystal core was hidden within its underground roots. She was truly grateful to Shi Henian.
Shi Henian watched as Mingyue waved her hand, and several luxurious tents appeared out of thin air. Tian Shang helped Bajiu into one of them. The moment the tent flap opened, he saw a bed and other furniture, all set up like a home. Then, pots, pans, seasonings, and a variety of ingredients, vegetables, fruits, chicken, duck, fish, and meat, appeared in a steady stream. The chicken, duck, and fish were still alive and kicking. Shi Henian found Mingyue increasingly unfathomable.
He watched as everyone methodically prepared the ingredients, butchered the chicken and duck, and started cooking. They were clearly accustomed to this way of life, as if they had always lived like this, which surprised him even more. After all, ever since the apocalypse began, he had only been eating convenience food and hadn't had a proper meal in a long time. Especially now, two months into the apocalypse, vegetables and fruits were precious commodities. The fact that Mingyue could produce so many, and so fresh, was simply unbelievable.
"What are you thinking about? It's fine now. Let's divide the Water of Life. What will you use to store it?"
Seeing Shi Henian standing there blankly, Mingyue walked over. It had been urgent underground, and she had no choice but to put the Water of Life and the Earth Mother Stone into her spatial storage. Now that they had some downtime, she brought it up proactively to avoid Shi Henian thinking she had kept it all for herself.
"Can I join you? You have spatial abilities, right? You can keep the Water of Life. I don't have any containers. The Earth Mother Stone is so big, it won't fit in my car and would affect its properties. I want to join you. When I need it, I'll ask you, okay? I won't be a burden. You saw just now how powerful my car is, and I'm a Level 4 psychic ability user. I'm also a mechanic; I can use crystal cores as raw materials to craft weapons. I can help you. Please take me in?"
To join Mingyue's group, Shi Henian was actively promoting himself. It wasn't just about storing the Water of Life; he was also enticed by the group's meals. He was a foodie, and if he joined this team, he could eat like this every day.
"I need to discuss this with everyone else and see what they decide."
Mingyue was always very democratic and never made unilateral decisions. Besides, this wasn't her decision alone; she had to respect everyone else's opinions. So, she gathered everyone, including Bajiu and Tian Shang in the tent, and explained Shi Henian's request.
"Where are you from? Why are you here?"
No one spoke, and they all looked at Mingyue. They were accustomed to her making decisions. Only Ji Shiyou looked at Shi Henian and asked, puzzled. This was the apocalypse, and people's hearts were unpredictable. If a stranger wanted to join them, he had to ask for clarification.
"I'm from Zhuque Base. Before the apocalypse, I was an academician at the Academy of Sciences, specializing in mechanical research. I came here to find the Water of Life. Weapons made with crystal cores as energy sources, when combined with the Water of Life, would have greatly increased power. I detected the location of the Water of Life with my instruments and rushed over, but I was trapped by the mutated Green Vine. Then, as you know, Mingyue rescued me, and now I want to join you."
Shi Henian answered Ji Shiyou's questions nervously, as if attending an interview, fearing rejection.
"Zhuque Base?"
Upon hearing that Shi Henian was from Zhuque Base, everyone's expression changed. That place reminded them of someone they disliked.
"Do you know Qingying?" Gong Que asked sternly. If Shi Henian had any connection to Qingying, he would be the first to oppose his joining.
"Qingying? I was forced out of Zhuque Base by her! I hate that treacherous woman!"
Hearing Qingying's name, Shi Henian's previously nervous face filled with anger. He had been living well in Zhuque Base, researching crystal core weapons daily in exchange for daily necessities. He didn't have to worry about being attacked by zombies or mutated animals within the base. But ever since that woman named Qingying arrived, she had set her sights on him. She told him to follow her and spoke of many things he didn't know, asking him to create them. Shi Henian refused at first, but unexpectedly, this woman resorted to force, threatening to kill him if he didn't comply. Shi Henian couldn't defeat Qingying and was forced to submit, but he only pretended to comply. Taking advantage of Qingying's relaxed surveillance, he escaped from Zhuque Base and began to wander.
"That damned woman, she's everywhere! Brother Shi, I agree to you joining us."
After hearing Shi Henian's ordeal, Gong Que immediately agreed. The others also nodded and began sharing their grievances with Qingying with Shi Henian. The common enemy quickly helped them bond, and Shi Henian started helping with the cooking.
"We should give our team a name," Wen Qingtian said while devouring a chicken drumstick during dinner.
"Let's call it the Mingyue Squad, after Sister Mingyue, okay?" Bu Zhi said, munching on an apple.
"No, if it's a team name, it should include everyone." Mingyue didn't want to be the sole focus; the team name should encompass everyone.
"That'll be difficult. There are nine of us now, and including everyone in the name will be tricky," Jin Xi said indistinctly, struggling with a plate of vegetable salad. She was terrible at naming things and was just joining the fun. Meanwhile, Gong Que, Tian Shang, Bajiu, and Shi Henian didn't waste any brain cells and focused on the delicious food on the table.
"How about Mingyue Squad? It already includes all our names." Ji Shiyou pondered for a moment and affirmed Bu Zhi's suggestion of Mingyue Squad. Everyone looked up, their heads filled with question marks. Mingyue Squad was good, but how did it include all their names?