When Chen Ye heard this voice, he knew someone was starting to stir up trouble.

It was the apocalypse, yet there were still people trying to play the gender card to make a fuss.

Chen Ye sat up in the cargo bed of his motorcycle tricycle and looked in the direction of the voice.

Standing there was a slightly plump woman with a round face, beady eyes, and a pointed chin.

Because of her loud declaration, everyone’s attention was drawn to her. Chen Ye was no exception.

When the woman’s gaze swept over Chen Ye, she threw him a disdainful eye-roll.

Chen Ye rubbed his nose.

This woman must be sick in the head.

He lit a cigarette and blew out a smoke ring, adopting the posture of someone settling in to watch a show.

Anyway, I’m not the captain. Let’s see how Chu Che handles this.

Chu Che probably hadn’t expected that at a time like this, someone would still try to pull a stunt like this.

He looked at the woman with amusement and smiled. “Then what do you think would be fair?”

The woman’s eyes darted around, and she spoke directly, “It’s the apocalypse now. This is when we need you men the most to fight and protect. But instead, you have women cooking while you men just sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labor. What kind of captain are you?”

Perhaps it was because Chu Che always maintained the image of a nice guy. Or perhaps this woman had just arrived in this new environment and wanted to quickly establish herself by attracting everyone’s attention.

Whatever her motives, the eyes of many women in the convoy lit up.

Especially the women who had just joined the convoy from Lucheng; many quietly shuffled closer to this woman, seeking an alliance.

On the other hand, the women who were currently cooking all glared angrily, as if this woman was snatching their rice bowls right out of their hands. But held back by some other reason, they didn’t speak up.

Chu Che glanced at Nana beside him.

Nana rolled her eyes, hugged her longsword against her chest, and turned to walk away, clearly having no patience for this drama.

Chu Che smiled gently and said, “Since that’s the case, Sister Zhao, you and the other ladies can rest first. Uncle Abao, find some men to come cook!”

Uncle Abao nodded, turned, and walked into the crowd of survivors to start selecting people.

Soon, the woman who had stepped forward to champion justice realized something was wrong.

The several women who had lost their jobs—and likely the food perks that came with them—because of her interference did not look at her with gratitude. Instead, they looked at her with venomous hatred.

And after Uncle Abao received the order, many men rushed over, raising their hands and shouting, “Uncle Abao, pick me, pick me! I used to be a cook!”

The woman didn’t quite understand.

She was clearly fighting for the interests of her own group. Why did their looks towards her seem so unfriendly?

Fortunately, there were still some newcomers whose gazes towards her were friendly.

The woman’s thinking was simple: arriving in a new, unfamiliar environment, if one wants to establish authority, the fastest way to gather a following is to represent the interests of a specific demographic.

The meal was soon ready.

The aroma of food filled the entire camp.

The survivors who had just escaped from Lucheng were all so hungry their eyes were practically glowing green.

In the past, they probably wouldn’t have even glanced at such plain congee and pickled vegetables. But now, this bowl of plain congee and pickled vegetables was the most delicious delicacy in the world.

Even the original survivors in the convoy were swallowing their saliva.

After all, many people in the convoy didn’t have many supplies left. If they didn’t find a supply point soon, they would probably all starve to death before long.

Chen Ye blew out a smoke ring, feeling a bit of interest.

The real show was about to start.

Sure enough, after the meal was finished, all the men who had helped cook received some payment from the captain.

Although it was just a small piece of bread, it still made the onlookers’ mouths water.

The woman who had spoken up earlier watched these men happily receive their bread, and she was completely stunned.

Slap!

A crisp slap resounded in the quiet night.

“Bitch, if it weren’t for you, that bread would be mine! I haven’t eaten for a day, all because of you!”

A middle-aged woman with permed hair slapped the stunned woman hard across the face.

“Hit her! If it weren’t for this bitch, Captain Chu wouldn’t have given the opportunity to others. Beat her to death!”

Before the woman could react, another middle-aged woman grabbed her by the hair.

“You… ah~~ I was doing it for your own good~~~”

“For our own good? You bitch…”

Chen Ye lay back down in his vehicle, looking up at the starry sky. The faintly glowing firelight illuminated his brows and eyes.

A blood-red moon hung not far away, but Chen Ye didn’t even have the inclination to shift his gaze towards it.

He had figured it out.

Despite Chu Che usually being quiet and unassuming, Chen Ye hadn’t expected him to be so calculating. Chu Che had probably noticed long ago that some people in the convoy had run out of supplies, so he had given those specific women a work opportunity to keep them fed.

He didn’t expect a self-righteous interloper to suddenly jump out.

So Chu Che simply went with the flow, using the woman’s own logic to strip the jobs from the women and give them to the men, thereby teaching this troublemaking woman a brutal lesson through the hands of her own peers.

It seemed this captain wasn’t a simple character either.

The woman’s screams rang right by his ears.

It was the apocalypse, and some people still hadn’t adjusted their mindset.

They really deserved it!

Chen Ye lay comfortably in the cargo bed. Sleeping in the cargo bed was much more comfortable than sleeping on the hard ground.

The convoy would continue forward tomorrow. According to Chu Che, they would reach Longevity Village in two more days. This was a resupply target Chu Che had carefully selected.

After daybreak.

Chen Ye took out his Portable Gas Stove, lit a small flame, and poured half a bottle of mineral water into the pot.

He poured in a cup of rice, covered the lid, and waited for the rice to cook.

Using the Heavy Machete he got from Nana, he sliced a few pieces of cured meat, threw them into the pot, added a bit of oil, and tossed in some wild vegetables he had picked from the roadside a few days ago.

Just like that, a dish of stir-fried cured meat with wild vegetables slowly took shape in this desolate environment.

Chen Ye’s cooking skills were average, but being able to have such a meal in these conditions was already a luxury beyond measure.

The newly joined survivors looked towards Chen Ye, sniffing frantically.

Their meal today was still only plain congee and pickled vegetables.

Compared to Chen Ye’s meal, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.

Chen Ye couldn’t be bothered with these people. When the rice was almost done, he directly poured the stir-fried cured meat and vegetables over the rice and started eating.

Finally, someone couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Young man, could you share a bit of your food with my grandson? He hasn’t eaten meat in a long time.”

“He’s just a child. Malnutrition isn’t good for his health!”

Chen Ye looked up and saw an old woman holding a child’s hand, looking at him pitifully.

And that child was already reaching out without any regard for boundaries.

Before Chen Ye could say anything, the child had already grabbed onto Chen Ye’s rice bowl, trying hard to snatch it away.

The expression on Chen Ye’s face instantly darkened.

He had seen brats before, but never one this annoying.

I haven’t agreed to give you any, and you’re already grabbing for it yourself.

The rice bowl remained motionless in Chen Ye’s hand, locked in an iron grip.

The old woman, however, acted as if she didn’t see the theft attempt, looking at Chen Ye with an ingratiating smile.

“Give it to me~~”

“I want to eat!~~~”

The brat’s shrill shriek rang in Chen Ye’s ears, making him frown deeply.

He never had much patience with children to begin with. Especially with this kind of bear child, he was even more impatient.

In the past, with surveillance cameras everywhere and laws in place, Chen Ye had some reservations.

But now…

Chen Ye had many ways to make a brat shut up!