This game is so weird!

"Squad D, receiving orders."

Marcus stared intently at Colonel Hoffman, then nodded in confirmation.

Neither Bard nor Cole had any objections to this; of course, there was no problem entrusting the most crucial task to the war hero Marcus to lead the team.

Even if he was a war hero eight years ago, he was still a war hero.

On the battlefield, no fraudster can ever become a hero and survive.

but……

Bard thought for a moment and then raised a question.

"Colonel, are there any guild warriors assisting with this mission?"

"certainly."

Colonel Hoffman nodded. Although he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, he had learned a great deal about the abilities and sacrifices of Leon and his guild warriors during the Resonator mission, through Anya and Marcus's accounts.

He would naturally not overlook the power from the aliens on such a crucial mission, since at least for now, the two sides have not had any disagreements and share common interests in dealing with the orcs.

As a soldier, he doesn't need to think like a politician; winning is his primary focus.

"President Li, we hope you can also participate in this mission and give us some help."

Upon hearing Hoffman's words, Li Ang smiled warmly and readily agreed, "Of course, we'll go and make the arrangements right away."

……

After confirming the mission plan with Colonel Hoffman, Marcus, Bud, and Cole walked alone on the street.

Dom approached Leon immediately after Colonel Hoffman left, and together they went to the guild to register for Explorer status and collect the contribution points reward sent back by Muyu and the others, and also to buy a set of clothes for his wife.

Anya was kept behind by Colonel Hoffman, who called a group of intelligence personnel into the operations room to discuss the counter-offensive plan after the success of the photon missile operation.

As for Sofia, the other member of Team A, she was standing guard at the door of the intelligence room, saying that she felt it was only safe to have the elite captain personally oversee such an important meeting. When the three of them came out, Sofia gave Bard a lifeless look.

"Where are we going?"

Cole walked heavily down the street, thoroughly enjoying the gazes of the homeless people and a few casual gamers around him.

Since leaving the team to join the Gears and enlist in the military, he hadn't felt this relaxed in years.

He especially enjoyed the fact that the people around him were more curious and surprised by his size than afraid or sad.

"How about we find a place to get some meat first?"

Following the aroma of meat wafting through the air, Bard found the homeless canteen in the center of the square ahead and instantly felt hungry.

Marcus nodded in agreement, then told Dom through his earpiece to meet him at the cafeteria in the square after he finished his business, before leading the way toward the cafeteria.

Previously, while in prison, they were fed an unknown mixture that resembled pig swill. After Dom released them from prison, they made do with military rations that were barely better than pig swill for several days of combat. Only when players provided them with portable food did their meals finally improve.

Needless to say, there's the prison. As for that protein bar, some curious players initially traded one with Bard, but after taking a bite, they almost threw up after chewing for only a short while.

They exclaimed that this stuff was no different from chewing dry flour, and could be described as an odd-tasting version of Greek yogurt.

Although they didn't know what Greek yogurt was, Marcus and the others agreed with his assessment, saying it tasted like dough.

This is assuming players don't know the source of the protein bar's ingredients. If they did, I guarantee not many would want to eat it.

Now that they have the opportunity to improve their meals, everyone is very enthusiastic.

Walking straight into the homeless canteen, an even richer aroma wafted towards them. The three followed the scent past two stalls and arrived at a large pot of stewed meat soup noodles.

In the thick, brownish liquid, several crooked cubes—some dark brown, some light yellow—settled, intertwined and indistinguishable by their boundaries. The broth was as heavy as molten clay, its surface glistening with oil, occasionally a slow bubble would rise, pop, and burst, leaving a ring of tiny oil droplets.

Bard leaned forward slightly, his nose making the judgment before his reason.

A thick wave of heat rushed towards me.

First, there's the aroma of the meat—not the overpowering charred scent from the grill, but a deep, almost sweet aroma released after being sealed for a long time.

Immediately afterwards, a savory aroma wafted in, salty and fresh, like a mixture of sea breeze and earth. He smelled star anise—that unfamiliar, licorice-like spiciness, and a faint hint of pepper.

At the very bottom, hidden beneath all the aromas, was a starchy, warm sweetness—he later learned that it was a gift from the melting potatoes.

The smell reminded him of a fireplace in winter. Although he had never seen this dish before, his body inexplicably relaxed.

"What is this? Give us three servings."

Marcus, Bud, and Cole felt their mouths drooling uncontrollably, and even their taste buds, which had been trained by protein bars to forget the taste of food, were revived.

It wasn't lunchtime yet, and the chef, Wang Laowu, who was preparing the food, replied without even looking up, "30 contribution points."

After saying that, he took out three large bowls, each the size of a helmet, and used an equally large soup ladle to scoop a spoonful of meat broth into each bowl, placing them on the table in front of the soup pot.

"Well......"

Marcus and Bard exchanged bewildered glances. What are your contribution points? Do you have any?

Bard shook his head and didn't say anything.

Seeing that the three people did not move, Wang Laowu cut the cabbage and put it in the freezer to keep it fresh. He then looked up at the three people in front of him.

"Oh my, what a rare guest!"

"Where are you three from? Are you soldiers? What's the situation outside?"

Wang Laowu, the cook who was restricted to a specific area inside the camp, was so excited that his hands trembled. It was the first time he had ever seen soldiers carrying blood-stained guns come here to eat.

Ever since he became friends with the players of the vegetable market simulator and temporarily monopolized all vegetable sources except for the system's fixed dishes, coupled with various delicious and inexpensive synthetic meats that the base somehow obtained, his stall has been offering a wide variety of dishes, and his business is booming, making his name known among the gamers and players.

Of course, due to the hardware limitations of computer games, the quality of his dishes is not very consistent, sometimes too bland and sometimes too salty.

The problem was only solved after he discovered that several games were actually interconnected, and he decided to regularly spend contribution points to hire a virtual player to conduct taste tests.

However, most of the soldiers who arrived were cyborgs on duty at the camp and three guards from the Security Government Alliance. They were short on time and didn't like to chat much, so he didn't have much of a chance to interact with them. The player, on the other hand, had put all his weapons into his bag; he hadn't seen them much either.

So this was the first time Wang Laowu had ever seen a cavalry assault rifle, especially the chainsaw below the barrel covered in dark brown bloodstains, which immediately attracted him.

This thing would be great for sawing bones too!

"Soldiers? You could say that," Marcus nodded. "We're the Gears squad from the Security Government Alliance."

"Boss, how are contribution points calculated?"

"Contribution points are a virtual currency issued within the base. You can get them by going to the guild to complete the procedures and then completing the tasks," Wang Laowu thought for a moment and continued, "However, I heard from the homeless people who come here that after passing the inspection and completing the procedures, you can get 200 points of assistance. If you use them sparingly, you can live in the base for 15 days."

Marcus thought of the homeless people he saw on the street, carrying their belongings and hurrying through different buildings, who did indeed look like they were busy with work.

"Uh, we were brought in directly by people from the COG office and checkpoints," Cole said, rubbing his stomach. "Didn't anyone think about their food?"

"It seems like no one is handling the paperwork for us, and we don't have any contribution points."

Upon hearing this, Chef Wang Laowu generously replied, "Then there's no need, you can just eat."

"Come visit us often, and feel free to chat with me about what's going on outside when you have time!"

Seeing the cold-hearted but warm-hearted boss standing behind the counter, Marcus thought for a moment and took out a Magnum pistol, placing it on the table.

Thank you.

"This is a trophy I seized from an orc officer. Consider it a souvenir."