CHAPTER 69: CHAPTER 69: STIR-FRIED RAT WITH CABBAGE

The temptation of having fresh vegetables sped up the pace of these SWAT officers, who practically ran to the cafeteria.

The long-forgotten fragrance of food permeated the air, causing the SWAT members who rushed into the cafeteria like a swarm to involuntarily swallow.

It had been far too long since they last smelled something so enticing. Although the taste and texture of self-heated meals were passable, nothing could compare to the fresh aroma of freshly cooked food!

In the cafeteria, the head chef, relishing the long-missed act of cooking, picked up the frying ladle and laid out large trays on the counter. Despite the limited ingredients and conditions, which confined him to using an induction cooker and a small wok, he still managed to whip up a big pot of fragrant dishes, transferring them from the wok to the trays.

In truth, the chef was already running desperately low on seasonings and other ingredients, only able to use oil and salt. Yet, even so, the aroma from the fresh ingredients proved irresistibly tempting.

Smelling the pervasive scent and seeing the front of them, the colorful and delicious-looking dishes, everyone could hardly contain themselves.

They rushed to the counter, eyeing the dishes the chef placed in the trays; they swallowed greedily while asking the chef, "Chef, what’s on today’s menu?"

"Stir-fried cabbage with fresh rat meat! Fresh cabbage paired with fresh rat meat!" The chef, fearing the SWAT officers might worry about the cleanliness of the rat meat, emphasized, "Rest assured, I’ve thoroughly cleaned and skinned every rat. There’s not a speck of grime or foul smell; it tastes just like chicken."

Of course, rat meat isn’t a conventional ingredient. For the chef, if anyone had dared to suggest he cook rat meat before the disaster, it would’ve been a grave insult, one that might have led him to use his knife on them instead.

But now, given the apocalypse, pork, beef, and mutton are out of the question, and even chicken, duck, and fish have become extremely rare.

While chickens and ducks might still be seen, fish have practically disappeared, even in this city adjacent to Yunmeng Marsh, once known for its abundance of fish and rice.

Though there is a large prison farm in the city, given the current circumstances, expecting agricultural output from there is futile; conditions there are even worse than in the city center.

So, rats, once spurned, have now become quite a decent source of meat.

The SWAT members obviously understood the situation and were not offended by the chef offering them rat meat. However, the thought of how stir-fried cabbage with rat meat would taste left them a bit apprehensive.

While rats and mushrooms are now consumed in the shelter, the SWAT team has mostly relied on self-heating meals for the past two months and hasn’t yet tried rat meat, which caused some hesitation.

But the allure of not having eaten fresh food for two months drove these SWAT officers to let their appetite conquer their slight resistance.

"Chef, give me a portion first! More veggies, please!" One SWAT member, unable to hold back, took a plate and handed it to the chef.

The chef gladly scooped a spoonful of stir-fried cabbage with rat meat, flipping it into the dish before scolding the officer, "There’s only this much food. If I give you more, others will get less! Plus, wash your hands before you eat!"

"Hahaha! Did you hear that? Go wash your hands!" The other SWAT officers burst into laughter.

Qin Lan felt the lively atmosphere and couldn’t help but smile; it had been so long since everyone felt this joyful and noisy since the disaster struck.

This brought her joy too, as she stepped forward, lining up with everyone else to get her meal.

Qin Lan realized that whether the food tasted good was secondary; the most critical thing was everyone being able to be this happy.

"Seems like this meal is worth it." In a corner of the cafeteria, Uncle Ding and another person in a police uniform were observing the rare cheerful scene, smiles also appearing on their faces.

"It’s indeed worth it. The past two months, the atmosphere was too oppressive, and the team’s morale was very low. Now that we can cheer everyone up a bit, my job as political commissar is much easier." Next to Uncle Ding sat the SWAT team’s political commissar, who had been worrying for some time over the team’s low morale and heavy atmosphere.

Uncle Ding nodded in agreement at the commissar’s words.

For the SWAT team, personnel training and equipment are, of course, paramount, but morale cannot be overlooked either.

If someone remains in a state of depression and tension for too long, their emotions can become unstable.

And no one can imagine what extreme behavior might come from a destabilized individual, especially if that person is a professionally trained, armed SWAT officer.

"Given that, do you think we can finalize the material trade with that private shelter, commissar, or should we hold another meeting?" Uncle Ding asked the commissar, even though, as captain, he could decide this matter; he still sought the commissar’s approval: "Or do we need another party meeting?"

The commissar pondered for a moment, nodded, and said, "In principle, I agree with this, but let’s bring it up again at the party meeting. Especially in times like these, we can’t have a one-man show; it prevents any gossip."

Even though it’s the end of the world, the nation’s order and government institutions are still functioning normally, so all proceedings should be properly adhered to.

Hearing this from the commissar, Uncle Ding had no objections; he knew that, even with another party meeting, the decision would still go through.

After that topic, the commissar suddenly asked Uncle Ding, "By the way, what equipment were Old Li and the others escorting today? It required so many people."

"It’s the oxygen equipment distributed to each shelter. Scientists predicted before the disaster that after a meteor strike, humans would face lack of oxygen," Uncle Ding, having seen the city’s official document, was aware of some inside information: "This is still confidential, so keep it under wraps."

"Don’t worry, I know the importance," the commissar nodded seriously, understanding that if the regular folk in the shelter found out, it would indeed cause panic or even chaos.

However, understanding the gravity of the situation, the commissar was also curious and concerned: "You said it’s distributed to each shelter, but did our station get any?"

"We got ours, and it’s being installed now." As the SWAT team’s captain, Uncle Ding was naturally informed and explained to the commissar: "The whole setup is being installed in the central room of the reserved air circulation duct."

"So that’s what that room was for? I wondered why we had to reserve such a big room, and it looked like a pool," the commissar suddenly realized, finally understanding the purpose of the reserved space in the shelter.