The outpost base was still under construction, but the Nikkes' spirits had undergone a complete transformation. Gone was the previous lifeless atmosphere—now it was vibrant and full of energy.
The frequency of Rapture attacks had also significantly decreased, reduced to occasional harassment, which was largely due to Mo Chen's efforts.
As the base gradually stabilized, Mo Chen began preparing to leave, intending to search for Chatterbox and Eden on the surface.
The suppressant was a necessity—he had to get his hands on it.
In addition, based on intelligence reports, there was a strong energy signal not far from the base. Mo Chen suspected it might be a Tyrant-class Rapture or even a Heretic.
It was a potential threat that had to be eliminated.
"Commander!!"
With a loud bang, the door was kicked open.
The peaceful atmosphere of the command room was instantly shattered, and Mo Chen's train of thought was abruptly cut off.
Before he could even turn his head, someone threw themselves onto his back, wrapping their arms tightly around his neck.
It was Anis!
"Ugh!"
Mo Chen nearly choked from the sudden impact.
"Anis!"
Despite Mo Chen's angry shout, Anis wasn't the least bit scared. She clung to his shoulders, beaming with excitement.
"Commander, Commander! The supply shipment arrived! There's so much fresh fruit and vegetables—and tons of meat!!"
She emphasized the last few words with particular enthusiasm.
Mo Chen pushed her away with a look of annoyance.
"Get off, you're too hot. Aren't you feeling the heat?"
"I don't care! I'm sticking to you!"
Anis intentionally pressed closer, wrapping herself around him as if to tease him further.
"Commander, why aren't you happy?"
"Happy? About getting half-strangled first thing in the morning?"
Mo Chen rolled his eyes.
"It's just some food. Do you have to act like this? Have some dignity."
Anis pouted and leaned against him, her enticing figure pressing tightly against his back, making the warmth and softness impossible to ignore.
"Come on, Commander!" Anis widened her eyes dramatically and gave him a slight push. "We're talking about fresh vegetables! Not those fake cheap crops made in the lab."
Because the surface was overrun, and the Ark was overcrowded, arable land was scarce.
Farming required massive amounts of energy and water, so natural produce was a luxury, reserved only for high-ranking officials and the wealthy. Ordinary people could go their entire lives without tasting real fruits or vegetables.
"This is strange." Anis dragged over a chair and leaned closer, her eyes full of suspicion. "Why would the Ark suddenly be so generous, sending us this much food? Do you know how expensive this stuff is? Even if I sold myself, I wouldn't be able to afford it."
"You can't afford it?"
"Nope."
"Then sell yourself to me."
Mo Chen's joke caught Anis completely off guard. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Wait, did the Commander just flirt with me? No way! Who are you, and what did you do to the real Commander?"
"Flirt? What are you talking about?"
Mo Chen flicked her on the forehead.
Anis giggled, rubbing her head, clearly unfazed.
Just then, Neon walked in, her mouth stuffed with food, holding half a banana in her hand.
"Mmph… Found this in the fridge. Master, do you want some?"
"Hey! Neon, that's mine! You ate my banana!"
Anis's eyes shot wide open. She had carefully stored that banana in the fridge, planning to savor it slowly, and now Neon had devoured it without hesitation.
"Huh?"
While the two bickered, Rapi entered the room.
"Reporting, Commander. The supplies have been properly distributed. Half was allocated to the Nikke units as daily rations, and the rest was stored in the underground warehouse for reserves."
"Good."
Mo Chen thought for a moment.
"Meat spoils easily. Take half of it out and prepare a feast for everyone. It'll be a reward for their hard work lately."
"Ding—!"
"System notification: Congratulations! You have obtained barely survivable food and water under extremely harsh conditions. Points awarded: 5000."
Mo Chen froze for a moment.
He had completely forgotten there was such a mission.
"Huh?!"
Anis and Neon immediately cheered, grabbing each other's hands in excitement.
"Yay! This is awesome! Commander, you're amazing! We love you so much!"
They had never eaten real meat before.
Of course, the artificial meat made by Splendamin didn't count.
In the Ark, even cultivated vegetables were rare, let alone livestock that required large amounts of feed.
And now, the supplies that had just arrived were said to be stacked as high as a small mountain. It wasn't an exaggeration—there was so much that the previously empty storage rooms of the outpost couldn't even fit it all.
"That's enough—so corny. Go, go, stop bothering me."
Mo Chen waved his hand dismissively. He still had a lot of work to do.
Rapi placed the supply list on the desk.
"Commander, there's still no update from the Ark about their supplies. Should we send a follow-up request?"
Neon was still daydreaming about dinner, but Anis, who caught on to Rapi's implication, froze for a moment.
"Commander, weren't these supplies from the Ark?"
Mo Chen, sipping his tea, rolled his eyes at her.
"Do you seriously think the Ark, after all these years, would suddenly be so generous?"
"I just thought maybe it was because we won the battle, so they…"
Anis trailed off mid-sentence.
She understood now.
Given the Ark's stingy reputation—even after victories and completed missions—they had always been reluctant to provide resources, let alone something as precious as fruits and vegetables.
Unless the sun rose from the west, that was never going to happen.
"Then where did all of this…"
Anis suddenly realized an outrageous possibility and stared at Mo Chen in disbelief.
Mo Chen set his pen down and looked at her.
"Do you remember the power plant we captured earlier?"
"Yeah."
"This came from that power plant."
"What?"
Anis was stunned.
From what she remembered, aside from crawling through smelly drainage systems for days, nothing else really stood out about that operation.
Seeing Anis still looking confused, Mo Chen decided to explain everything about the power plant.
"And that's the whole story."
Anis stared blankly, as if she'd just heard something out of a fairy tale, and took a long time to process it.
"Commander, are you saying… you built a farm inside the power plant?"
"Something like that."
Mo Chen smiled. He no longer felt the need to keep this secret from Anis.
Originally, he had concealed it to prevent the Ark from learning about the facility and trying to reclaim it.
But now that the plant was fully operational, the Ark wouldn't bother interfering. Plus, Anis was someone he trusted, so leaks weren't a concern.
More importantly, he was thinking ahead—not just about the outpost or the power plant, but about the future.
Eventually, the Ark would find out about them.
But instead of worrying about covering things up, what truly mattered was becoming strong enough that even if the Ark wanted to take them back, they'd have to think twice.
"So basically, we're big landlords now," Anis said, grinning. "You better treat us nicely."