The male supporting character was actually myself.

Behind the armored mask, Zhang Yan narrowed her phoenix eyes and sneered, "Little girl, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're in your own backyard!"

"Sister, you said it yourself, this is my own doorstep, of course I can do whatever I want." Guan Xiaoyue used her jetpack to leap directly into the half-open door and replied without any politeness, "Either send someone in to get the supplies; or if you're cowardly, just leave. Don't say I'm breaking the rules—we agreed to settle the bill at the destination, who can you blame for not coming in to get them?"

Zhang Yan's semi-automatic rifle ultimately proved useless.

It wasn't that she was afraid of trouble, but her equipment couldn't keep up with that wretched little girl. The fully powered armor and jetpack could easily dodge the shots, not to mention that the other girl's figure was blocked by the half-open door...

"Fine, I'll go in!" Zhang Yan huffed, grabbing his gun and leaping off the motorcycle. He instructed, "If I'm not out in ten minutes, you'd better get out of here!"

"Boss, let me go!"

"I'll go get it. Boss, you're the backbone of the Wild Wolf Gang. How can you always rush to the front when something happens?"

"Alright, stop arguing. Let me go and deal with this arrogant little brat!"

"I go!"

"Let me go!"

…………

Looking at the group of brothers scrambling to get there, Zhang Yan felt a surge of warmth in her heart. "Stop yelling, she wouldn't dare do anything. Does she really think I'm a pushover? Wait here, and if I'm not back in ten minutes, remember to get out of here."

The brothers argued for a few more minutes, and finally sent one of the most ruthless and skilled fighters to accompany them.

The two entered the half-open gate, which resembled the gaping maw of a wild beast, one after the other, in the darkness.

"What's that smell? It smells so good!"

As soon as Zhang Yan entered the hall, he smelled a strong fragrance. Although he didn't know what it was, his still-developing DNA instincts kicked in.

"Gurgle~"

A soft rumbling sound came from her stomach, and her lips and tongue, yearning for food, involuntarily secreted saliva.

"That smells like the food Brother Chen prepared for the refugees." Guan Xiaoyue pointed to the shelter gate and laughed, "Want to take a look? I guarantee you've never seen anything like it before!"

Zhang Yan glared at him with his phoenix eyes, "Stop talking nonsense, what about the rest of the payment?"

"The payment is with me."

Suddenly, a deep, magnetic male voice rang out slowly and deliberately. She immediately became alert, raised her gun, and aimed it at the source of the voice.

Jiang Chen was carrying a huge iron barrel, more than a meter tall, on a small cart toward the shelter. Seeing this, he smiled and pointed to the steaming rice porridge mixed with vegetable and meat scraps, saying, "It's dinner time. Why don't you eat before you go? We can talk about our cooperation."

"Cooperation?" Despite her restraint, Zhang Yan still shamelessly took two deep breaths of the fragrant aroma filling the air, her mouth watering even more. She swallowed and asked warily, "What kind of cooperation do you want to discuss?"

"How did the Wild Wolf Gang perform today?" He didn't answer, but looked at Guan Xiaoyue instead.

The other party glanced at Zhang Yan, who was on high alert, and then nodded, saying, "He's a bit of a smooth talker, but he's very trustworthy. On the way, we encountered a surprise attack from a cannery. They were indeed very capable; only a few of them were injured, and they managed to break through with the convoy without wasting too much time. Later, when we encountered a group of monsters, they also took the lead and eliminated them quickly."

"Since Xiaoyue speaks so highly of you, I'll get straight to the point." Dressed in casual clothes, Jiang Chen walked forward with a slight smile, gesturing for them to follow. "Come and see how my shelter is!"

Zhang Yan swallowed hard, his eyes glued to the large, fragrant metal bucket on the cart, unable to look away, and subconsciously followed it forward.

"Boss, be careful, I'll go check it out first!" the younger brother hurriedly reminded her, then blocked her way and went forward himself.

A few seconds later, seeing the refugees who had been cleaned and changed into brand-new clothes patiently waiting in the huge shelter, the younger brother was stunned for two seconds and asked, "You really are a shelter? What can you do with a bunch of old, weak, sick and disabled people?"

He followed the aroma and saw more than a dozen large iron barrels on the corridor platform, all filled with a thick soup. He could vaguely see green and light brown lumps inside. He couldn't help but ask again, "What is this stuff? Why does it smell so good?"

Guan Xiaoyue glanced at it but didn't say anything, because she had never eaten it before either...

"This is called vegetable and minced meat porridge. It's made by boiling rice with water, then adding fresh vegetables and minced meat," Jiang Chen patiently explained. "If a person doesn't eat for a long time and only relies on nutritional supplements, they won't die, but their digestive system will deteriorate."

Especially since these refugees have been hungry for a long time, they need to slowly get used to swallowing food.

"Being hungry for too long and then overfed can be fatal, but they also need sufficient nutrition to gradually rebuild their bodies. This type of thin, non-sticky porridge is the most suitable."

Zhang Yan heard his younger brother speak and knew there was no danger, so he stepped forward to take a look and was immediately stunned.

"You spent so much on auctioning off supplies and hired us to escort this group of refugees back, just to feed them?" She stared at the vegetable and minced meat porridge, swallowing hard, and said incredulously, "What are you after? Just this one meal alone... how much supplies did you have to exchange for fresh food?"

Jiang Chen watched as the refugees, who had changed into clean clothes, came out of the communal showers one after another. The ordinary-sized clothes looked empty on their thin bodies. He sighed and said, "There are already very few humans on the wasteland. Let's save as many lives as we can."

I'm not raising them for nothing; I'll assign them tasks once they've recovered in a few days.

Expanding outwards from my shelter requires sufficient manpower. I believe that Xiaoyue's generous spending at this afternoon's auction has already attracted the attention of some people, so I want to talk to the Wild Wolf Gang about cooperation.

"We'll provide food, lodging, and supplies. You'll be responsible for protecting the laborers who are expanding our territory. How about that?"

"Food included?" Zhang Yan ignored the other conditions and immediately retorted, "We're doing dangerous work, how can you expect my brothers to eat?"

Chapter Twelve: A Show of Force

The content is being typed and will be available in 10-30 minutes. If you still cannot access the content, please click on the feedback button in the upper right corner and we will address it as soon as possible!

Chapter Twelve: A Show of Force

She's definitely got the foodie persona!

Jiang Chen's smile deepened, and he gave Guan Xiaoyue a look. "Let the Wild Wolf Gang members who are waiting outside come in. While they're at it, lock the main gate and find them two empty rooms to stay in. Find this young lady a small single room so she can wash up. After I finish distributing the porridge to the refugees, we'll have an extra dish tonight."

"Great!" Upon hearing about the additional dishes, Guan Xiaoyue beamed from ear to ear. "Let's go, sister! Brother Chen's shelter is a paradise in the wasteland. Once the cooperation is finalized, you'll see just how amazing he is!"

Zhang Yan was pushed by her to walk outside and call his brothers in, his eyes reluctant to leave the large iron barrels.

Feeding refugees vegetable and minced meat porridge—that's the epitome of extravagance in the wasteland!

Oh no, anyway, I've been in Liuli City for several years and I've never heard of any super-rich person who would be willing to give fresh food to the elderly, weak, sick, disabled, or refugees!

Mainly...

To grow fresh vegetables and rice in the wasteland, you need your own technological cultivation base. Just finding seeds that haven't been irradiated and won't mutate is already difficult enough; in addition, there are large enough oxygen chambers and culture dishes, and the investment is huge, but the returns are small in comparison.

In addition to the nearly extinct animals, fresh meat is only said to be available from animals that can be farmed in the far north...

Thinking of this, Zhang Yan's expression suddenly changed. "You...you said that was vegetable and minced meat porridge? Where did the meat come from...?"

It's important to know that there aren't many canned goods sold on the market that were salvaged from the ruins of cities before the disaster. And apart from the most expensive special supply which comes from the north, the meat for canneries all comes from shelters.

Some unscrupulous manufacturers even mix the meat of monsters like two-headed cows from the wasteland that have been irradiated into their cheap canned food. Although many people know the trick, they still can't help but occasionally eat a can or two to satisfy their cravings.

She'd rather starve than eat that kind of thing!

"Of course, it's pure canned meat from the ruins of cities before the disaster." Jiang Chen gave her a strange look. "What are you thinking? I have no intention of eating canned meat produced now. Just thinking about it makes me nauseous, how could I possibly eat it!"

Seeing that she didn't quite believe him, Jiang Chen had no choice but to go back to his room and retrieve a can of food from his system space.

"Renjin City Meishida Canned Food Factory?" Zhang Yan obviously knew how to read. She studied it carefully for a moment and confirmed that it was indeed pre-disaster supplies rather than products from canned food factories that were popular on the market. After all, every part of the machines that could be made on the wasteland required a lot of energy, and those guys would not be willing to spend their energy on useless printing instead of figuring out the technology.

The exquisite illustrations and varying font sizes used in the labeling are something even specially made canned goods wouldn't be so refined.

"The world before the disaster was so much better. Even canned food could be made so meticulously." She habitually held the heavy can of meat under her nose and smelled it, and sure enough, she couldn't smell a trace of it.

The picture printed on the can is just too tempting...

Zhang Yan casually stuffed the canned meat into his pocket. "Consider this a deposit. Thanks, Brother Chen!"

"Hey, why are you like this?!" Guan Xiaoyue raised an eyebrow, displeased. "That's a can of pure meat from before the disaster! Do you know how many energy sources it's worth on the black market?"

Then she crossed her arms and sneered, "This isn't just a deposit; it also covers the remaining labor costs. You're getting a good deal!"

Zhang Yan glared at her fiercely, then turned her head to look at Jiang Chen with a smile.

“Xiaoyue is right. The remaining commission for protecting them and bringing them back can be considered a cooperation deposit.” The other party didn’t give her any face at all and even gave her a cold look for her acting on her own initiative. “Even if we reach an agreement, we will only have a cooperative relationship. Don’t really treat my shelter as your own territory.”

I'm the boss here, and Guan Xiaoyue is the housekeeper.

You and the Wild Wolf Gang members need to follow the rules and behave yourselves! Otherwise, I wouldn't mind finding a different partner.

Taking something without asking is thievery, and stealing without permission is theft. I prefer dealing with honest and upright people. If this happens again, please go home.

Although we know from the original story that Zhang Yan is a good person, Jiang Chen still gave her a hard time and made her look tough.

In the wasteland, resources and profits always come first.

This isn't just about the canned goods; it's about the first impression—you have to establish an image of absolute control, otherwise it will be difficult to manage when there are more people in the future.

Sure enough, Zhang Yan glared at him, then her fingers touched the canned meat in her pocket and her eyes softened. "I understand. I won't act on my own again next time."

Instead, the henchman standing to the side couldn't stand it and wanted to draw his gun, but she reached out and pressed it down.

For the guys who risk their lives to make a living, taking on this job means a long-term meal ticket, which is a good thing. They can't give up the good conditions just because the other party gives them a hard time.

Moreover, what the other party said was true; he did get a little carried away when he saw canned meat and wanted to test his bottom line.

Who would have thought that this fair-skinned, handsome young man, who seemed so kind, would turn on you so suddenly...

Zhang Yan was somewhat displeased. When Guan Xiaoyue approached him to discuss cooperation, he had someone investigate her background. She was just a semi-homeless scavenger. How could she suddenly become the housekeeper after only a few days of getting involved with the shelter owner?

The thought of having to take orders from her in the future infuriated Zhang Yan.

Ha, look at that smug little hussy, didn't she get it by climbing into bed?

As Zhang Yan walked out to call his brothers in, he stole glances at Guan Xiaoyue, who looked wary, to see what she thought of her figure.

With a slender waist and long legs, she was indeed well-developed compared to many malnourished and pale-faced girls. As she thought this, she couldn't help but puff out her chest and think to herself, "I'm not bad either. Just you wait and see, I'll get this handsome guy and make him listen to me!"

"Host, they say three women make a drama, and I think a big show is about to start tonight." The little white cat perched on his shoulder and said worriedly, "That white-haired little loli... oh no, she's not white-haired yet. There were too many people and I couldn't see which one it was. What are you planning to do with the little girl?"

As Jiang Chen watched the increasing number of refugees who had cleaned themselves up, a slight smile appeared on his lips as he said softly, "Isn't she a computer expert? Making games with lots of fighting and killing won't have a future in the wasteland. It's better to give her a broader prospect for development—let her slowly figure out and research an artificial intelligence program to use in agriculture and animal husbandry in the future. That would be a good thing for the benefit of the masses."

"Hehehe, the host has arranged everything so well..." Before the fluffy dumpling could even start praising her, she suddenly paused and pulled out the script. "The script has been updated with new plot details!"

While Zhang Yan was taking his subordinates to wash up and before it was time to distribute food to the refugees, Jiang Chen quickly had the little white cat take a look at the script and see what happened next.

The protagonist probably suppressed himself too much and didn't get a large number of gold bars and bricks to exchange for enough money, so he couldn't successfully trigger the face-slapping moment and even failed to get the beautiful landlady he had been longing for.

But the script team didn't give up on him and immediately arranged a turning point.

Two days later, the shelter, having become too prominent, attracted the attention of the Raiders Alliance. Jiang Chen led the Wild Wolf Gang in a fierce battle to protect themselves, but he was seriously injured and died, along with most of the Wild Wolf Gang members.

Coincidentally, the protagonist Chen Luoqi then travels through time and, while knocking and banging in the closed room, arouses the curiosity of Guan Xiaoyue and Zhang Yan.

Since Jiang Chen was already dead, the two women were intrigued and opened the closed door, only to discover that the entire shelter was being supported by a young man who was completely powerless!

Thus, the hypocritical mask of Jiang Chen, the original owner of the shelter, who imprisoned Chen Luoqi, who possessed special abilities, and used the supplies he had painstakingly obtained to pretend to be a good person, was finally exposed.

Chen Luoqi received a warm welcome from everyone in the shelter, and with a surge of protagonist aura, he conquered Guan Xiaoyue and Zhang Yan, successfully embarking on his journey to loot gold bars and bricks to bring back to another world to show off and slap faces...

"I thought the script team would come up with some tricks, but it turns out they still have to kill me off first." Jiang Chen couldn't help but laugh after reading it. "When dealing with me, everyone's IQ was on point, but when it's the protagonist, the whole world is shrouded in an aura of reduced intelligence, right?"

The Raiders Alliance finally wore down the strongest team on this side, but then they just gave up on attacking the remaining group of old, weak, and disabled people so easily. The double standards are too obvious.