Apocalyptic Crazy Kitty

Chapter 15: Dora Orange Dream

“The Great King asks if you want to die or live!” Erzi hurriedly translated; having followed Zuo Chen for some time, he could now more or less understand what his master was saying. Actually, it wasn’t that big of a problem—it was mainly that he couldn’t distinguish between retroflex and non-retroflex consonants, s and x, h and f, r and l, and all sorts of other distinctions… “I want to live, I want to live, I want to live! Thank you, Beast King, for saving my life. Please don’t kill me!” The man nodded frantically, his head bobbing like a chicken pecking at grain. By now, it had fully dawned on him: a mutated zombie beast that could speak—wasn’t this the legendary Beast King, known as a walking nuclear weapon? “Are you injured?” Zuo Chen asked, narrowing his eyes. If this man was injured, there was no point in keeping him alive—he’d turn into a zombie in no time. “No, no, I’m not injured—it’s just blood I brushed off the ground.” The man scrambled to his feet, quickly stripped off his shirt, and showed his body to the cat and the man. Sure enough, there were no wounds. When it comes to infection, there’s no way to hide it even if you wanted to. “Li Wen,” Zuo Chen said to Erzi. Erzi immediately began questioning him: “Who are you? Where have you been hiding? How did you end up here?” “My name is Wang Lang. Everyone usually calls me Xiaohei. I’m part of the Wasteland Bandits. We usually hide in the residential area next door. I came out alone this time to take care of some business, but I never expected that as soon as I arrived next to the Bihai Hotel, I’d be snatched up by that mutated zombie. Thank goodness His Majesty the Beast King saved me—otherwise, I’d have been turned into mincemeat…”Looking at the blood, flesh, and mud scattered all over the floor, Xiaohei couldn’t help but shudder. Moments ago, he’d been so terrified he’d been completely paralyzed, unable to even move. “So they’re the Wasteland Bandits…” Erzi furrowed his brow, then explained to Zuo Chen who this group was. Although Yancheng had completely turned into a zombie paradise, quite a few survivors still hid in areas with fewer zombies. After several years of survival, these survivors had come to know one another somewhat and had established their own territories. The small group of four that Erzi had previously belonged to mainly operated within one or two city blocks around their hideout. The “Wasteland Bandits,” on the other hand, were a gang composed of former convicts, thugs, and ex-military personnel. Numerous in number and armed with a significant cache of firearms looted from police stations, they had taken up residence in a former upscale residential complex. This gang was notorious among Yancheng’s survivor communities because they not only killed zombies but also murdered fellow survivors, repeatedly raiding other survivor outposts—they were, without a doubt, a bunch of complete outlaws. Even the small gang Erzi used to belong to feared encountering this group the most. “Aren’t the Wasteland Bandits based in Jinxiu Residential Complex? What are you doing here?” Erzi asked, pointing a crossbow arrow at Xiaohei’s head. “I used to be a professional hacker. I know the Bihai Grand Hotel has solar power, so I wanted to see if the computers here still work… I’d like to try connecting to the Human Stronghold’s network to see what’s really going on out there…” Xiaohei said cautiously, glancing at Zuo Chen, unsure if this “Beast King” would even understand what a “network” was. If it weren’t for the ferocity he’d displayed just moments ago while hunting down the zombie head chef, he would never have believed that such a cute, chubby Orange Cat could be a ruthless Beast King. Zuo Chen’s eyes narrowed, and Erzi immediately got the hint. He tapped Xiaohei’s head with a crossbow bolt—blood immediately began to flow—and asked coldly, “All transmission systems are down. How are you going to connect to the internet? You dare to lie?” Even cell towers were out of commission, let alone the internet; without power, it was all for nothing. “No, no, no, I’d never dare,” Xiaohei explained frantically. “Nowadays, many power supply and data transmission systems are controlled by artificial intelligence. If we can tap into the main cable, it might still be possible to communicate.” “Tell him to get to it,” Zuo Chen said with a nod. On this side of the revolving restaurant, there was a computer server still running—the Bihai Hotel’s solar panel array was still quite reliable. Xiaohei immediately went to the computer and began trying to establish an internet connection. Rows of code poured onto the screen—clearly, he had some real skills. After trying for over ten minutes with no response from the computer, Xiaohei turned around dejectedly and said, “The main cable is damaged; I can’t connect.” He’d risked his life to get here, only to find it was all for nothing—it was truly disheartening. Zuo Chen nodded; he hadn’t really held out much hope to begin with. Nowadays, aside from the fortress areas where humans were barely clinging to life, everywhere else was in ruins. With no electricity, it would be a miracle to get an internet connection. What really concerned him wasn’t the computer at all, but the giant refrigerator in the revolving restaurant! Having absorbed the zombie head chef’s memories, he now knew the Blue Sea Hotel like the back of his hand. An Zhi asked, “How… how… how many Chimecho?” Zuo Chen shot him a withering glance, not even bothering to respond. He tossed Erzi a bag of rice and told him to steam it. Zuo Chen dug up a few large potatoes from the vegetable patch, grabbed a rack of spare ribs, and started cooking. With plenty of ingredients and seasonings, plus the culinary skills he’d acquired from the zombie chef, he could now cook like a pro. Today, he just wanted to make one of his all-time favorite dishes—braised pork ribs with potatoes! He washed the bloodstains off his body under the garden hose, tied a white towel around his neck as an apron, and put on a tiny white hat. In an instant, he transformed from a gangster boss with a big gold chain and a small watch into a master chef with years of experience. Although not having fingers on his paws made things a bit tricky, his tail was nimble enough to handle the spatula and chop vegetables. He cut the pork ribs into small pieces and diced the potatoes. Heat oil in a wok, add rock sugar, and stir-fry until melted. Add the ribs to the pan and caramelize them! Add a small amount of soy sauce to enhance the color and flavor. Pour boiling water over the ribs until they’re submerged, then add cooking wine. Add scallions, ginger, and garlic, along with Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and star anise. Pour in a small amount of vinegar to remove any gamey odor and tenderize the meat, then add oyster sauce. Add salt and simmer over low heat. Soon the broth began to bubble. Zuo Chen took out a can of beer, opened it, poured it into the pot, and replaced the lid. The aroma of meat, soy sauce, and beer, mingled with the scent of spices, wafted from the pot and filled the air. Erzi and Xiaohei stood nearby, drooling uncontrollably—they couldn’t even swallow fast enough. Erzi was doing a bit better, but the lean and wiry Xiaohei felt as if his stomach had come to life—as if countless tiny hands were reaching out from inside, clawing their way up his throat. He wanted to eat it, he had to eat it—he begged for it! This is fucking braised spare ribs! Oh my god! I never thought I’d get to smell braised spare ribs again in this lifetime! If I could just have one bite, it would be worth dying for! Xiaohei felt his whole body slip out of his control as he slowly crept toward the pot. But he dared only stand two meters away to catch the scent—what if he went any closer and angered His Majesty the Beast King? Zuo Chen paid him no mind, instead setting up a separate stove nearby. He stir-fried the potato chunks in a little oil until their surfaces were slightly charred. Then he hopped right onto the nearby cucumber trellis, lay down beneath a few green leaves, plucked a large cucumber, and, clutching it with both paws, began munching on it while basking in the Sun. A plump Orange Cat, with a white towel tied around its body, held a large cucumber in both paws and nibbled on it bite by bite. Watching this scene, Xiaohei couldn’t help but feel… incredibly hungry!