There was no chance of eating this meat now, no matter what.
With a sigh, Chu Guang reluctantly tossed it aside.
"If only we had a refrigerator," he murmured.
Blue-capped mushrooms from the mutant leech nest...
For the generator, he had to get his hands on that thing, no matter what. But it was only the second week of September, and Lister's caravan wouldn't arrive here until the end of the month. Dwelling on it now was pointless.
He couldn't just wait until then to start stocking up on food.
Besides, a refrigerator was an extravagant luxury. Given the current financial state of the shelter, it was entirely out of reach.
For three days, Chu Guang had maintained a steady routine. He'd go hunting in the morning, return around noon or afternoon, cook a pot of meat for the players, then crouch in the corner of the sanatorium, meticulously working on his food preservation techniques.
His schedule was so regular, he might as well have been an NPC.
Progress on smoked meat remained slow, but at least the players had been performing exceptionally well these past few days.
Chu Guang did some quick calculations.
In three days, he'd earned a total of seven reward points.
It wasn't quite ten yet, but after some thought, Chu Guang decided to spend it all on a beginner loot box.
Fortunately, this time it wasn't just lollipops. He actually got a bottle of soy sauce.
He had no idea what brand it was, but at least it would improve the players' meals a little.
Chu Guang stored the soy sauce like it was a treasure.
However...
As much as he liked the idea, his cooking skills were nothing to boast about; he barely knew how to make things edible.
The players had enjoyed the novelty at first—natural, unprocessed food, a flavor unique from any takeout or fast food. But eating it every single meal was another matter entirely.
"I'm going to be sick if I have to eat this stew again…" Yè Shí muttered, sitting on the ground with a bowl in hand, his face twisted in a grimace.
At first, he'd been excited to find a game where you could eat actual food, but now he was starting to realize what a burden it was.
Stew every meal, or the occasional mush made from green wheat.
Even if his mouth could bear it, other parts of his body were not faring as well…
Beside him, Fang Zhang chewed a greasy piece of front-leg meat, furrowing his brows thoughtfully.
"Maybe it's the taste system not being fully developed yet. Even if they skimped on the salt, it shouldn't taste like… this."
It wasn't exactly bland or overly salty; it was just heavy. And it even had a faint bitterness.
Plain porridge from green wheat would've been better…
"The fishy smell is overwhelming," Lao Bai said, trying to reassure them. "It would probably improve with cooking wine, ginger, or garlic. But hey, this is the wasteland! Where are we supposed to get all that? Better food is bound to come later."
Fang Zhang shot him a look but said nothing.
Ever since Lao Bai had been appointed "construction team leader," he'd been taking the developer's side, even spinning up some fantasies of what the game might offer in the future.
Still, there was something to it…
It made sense, in a game that prized realism, to position spices and condiments as luxury items. They'd probably even be available as premium purchases later.
With a sigh, Yè Shí muttered under his breath, "Here's hoping the next update includes spices… I'd even spend RMB on it."
Meanwhile, Wild Wind ate his meat in silence, lost in thought, contemplating ways to improve his fish traps.
Sensing the lull in conversation, Yè Shí turned to Lao Bai. "How's the cement coming along?"
Lao Bai took a sip of soup before replying, "Quality still needs improvement, but I feel like we're getting closer."
"Seriously?"
"Absolutely! Not just cement—we're also working on brick-making, but without molds, they're a bit misshapen… though they should still work."
Yè Shí hesitated. "Can't we make molds out of wood?"
Lao Bai chuckled. "It's not that easy!"
Fang Zhang shook his head. "This isn't like cutting down trees. Making perfect, square shapes is a real craft."
He hadn't expected this. In *The Forest*, he could build a cabin in thirty minutes, but here, a seemingly simple task was tripping him up.
Then again, *Wasteland OL* was just that hardcore…
Yè Shí and Wild Wind exchanged a glance, casting a look of helplessness at Lao Bai and Fang Zhang.
They were theory crafters. Their hands-on skills weren't terrible, but they certainly weren't great.
Though they'd caught plenty of mutant leech larvae and tried dozens of traps inspired by survival videos, they hadn't caught a single fish.
After all, with all the fish-eating birds around the lake, any fish dumb enough to fall for such traps had already been eaten. The ones left were too smart, devouring the bait and slipping away.
Wild Wind could only console himself by thinking he was fattening them up for later.
Just then, there was a stir from the direction of the sanatorium.
They turned to see the Overseer walking over with two wide-eyed figures.
There was no need to ask; the looks of awe on their faces meant only one thing: they were newcomers, experiencing the game world for the first time.
Yè Shí sighed inwardly.
Another two guys…
"Everyone, meet our new members… Scrambled Eggs with Tomato, and C Really Has Mosquitos."
Mosquitos barely had time to react before his arms were grabbed.
"Wait, I haven't finished my soup—"
He was being dragged toward the construction site, his protest cut short by Lao Bai.
"Forget the soup. The chef will cook another pot later, isn't that better?"
Fang Zhang chimed in. "Exactly! Listen, friend, that stuff's not worth it. Let's show you the ropes."
Mosquitos: "…%*&#!"
Scrambled Eggs with Tomato watched his new friend being dragged into the woods, swallowing nervously.
"Is this game… legit?"
Yè Shí and Wild Wind exchanged glances.
"More or less."
"Probably?"
Scrambled Eggs with Tomato: "…"
Why was that an answer with a question mark?