[COD] Newbie's Rise to Power

Oh, she learned this word from YN.

ch.294: New Year's Eve

February 11, 2021, Lunar New Year's Eve.

In the mountains, it always gets dark much faster. It was only lunchtime, and the surroundings were already dim.

You were wearing a coat and scarf, and the rabbit fur hat that Wang Zhiqiang had just given you. He was leading you toward a room in the base.

As soon as you open the door, the warmth instantly dispels the chill from your body and allows you to see the room illuminated by the lights.

A dining table was specially placed in the small room, on which were placed many Chinese dishes and several plates of plump white dumplings.

You looked at Wang Zhiqiang in surprise: "Brother, did you do all of this by yourself?"

Wang Zhiqiang said proudly, "That's right! Even abroad, Chinese children still celebrate the Chinese New Year!"

You immediately added praise: "Brother, you're amazing! You can actually make so many dishes that look, smell, and taste delicious. Look at the color of this braised beef, and those dumplings look like they have thin skins and lots of filling!"

"You're not only a military warrior, but also a culinary master in the kitchen!"

"A man who can cook is a rare gem! And I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful boyfriend!"

You spoke jokingly and generously, showering me with praise.

Wang Zhiqiang pinched your cheek with one hand and covered his own face with the other, his voice tinged with laughter.

"Stop praising me, stop praising me, or I'll shut you up."

But you took advantage of the situation, pulling away his hand that was covering his face and tilting your head to ask him a question on purpose.

"How do you plan to cause a traffic jam? Let me think about whether I should continue praising you."

Wang Zhiqiang stared blankly at you, but his words were a hesitant refusal:

"Baby, not now..."

Just as you were about to ask why not, the door was suddenly opened, and Koenig's tall figure appeared in the doorway.

You looked at Wang Zhiqiang with a puzzled expression, and the latter responded innocently.

"There were more than ten dishes, so it was clear that it wasn't just for the two of us, but they insisted on coming!"

Koenig scoffed, "Don't even think about monopolizing YN."

"Don't block the door, move aside."

A low, hoarse voice came from behind Koenig.

Koenig turned to the side, revealing the man behind him who always wore a skull mask.

"Lieutenant, you're really annoying."

Koenig made no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction.

The ghost turned around, its brown eyes meeting the blue, drooping eyes opposite it, its voice low and oppressive.

"König, is this how you talk to your superior?"

Koenigha chuckled, his tone smug: "I'm on vacation today, so don't put on airs in front of me."

In fact, Ghost really didn't have any airs of a superior, otherwise Koenig wouldn't have been able to speak to Ghost so casually.

But Ghost has been robbing him of things lately, which makes him resentful towards Ghost.

Ghost: "Only elementary school students think they're free when they're on vacation."

This statement is tantamount to mocking Koenig for being naive.

Koenig was not to be outdone:

"Only old men like to lecture!"

The atmosphere between the two immediately became one of icy conflict!

A drawn military knife suddenly appeared between the two, followed by a lazy voice.

“If you keep arguing and ruin her anticipated family reunion, I won’t mind making sure you can never reunite again.”

Kruger was wrapped in a black net and wore a dark gray down jacket. To protect his head from the wind, he pulled up a hood with a fur collar, which covered his entire face, softening his sharp features and adding a touch of fluffy cuteness.

Especially when standing between Koenig and Ghost, two people who were more than ten centimeters taller than him, the contrast was magnified even more.

But his imposing presence did not lose its power because of this apparent weakening.

He was essentially a strong and formidable soldier.

Kruger's words silenced the room for a moment, and everyone turned to look at you.

On your side, wait until they finish arguing before deliberately keeping a stern face.

"If you're here to argue, then you're not welcome."

Blizzard once said that you need to express your dissatisfaction appropriately so that they will take your emotions seriously.

Koenig panicked first and took two steps toward you, but was deliberately blocked by Wang Zhiqiang.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost my temper at this time."

He looked at you through Wang Zhiqiang, his blue, downturned eyes filled with longing, longing for you to forgive his impulsiveness.

The ghost was silent for a while, then surprisingly softened its tone and apologized.

"Feel sorry."

Kruger sheathed his saber and walked towards you with a relaxed air.

"If you keep giving that look, that big oaf is going to cry. Smile."

You look at Koenig, imagining him crying, and suddenly you're amused.

"Pfft, don't make such weird jokes."

Although Koenig sometimes appears very straightforward, he is not the type to cry easily. After all, he is someone who can face death with equanimity, so why would he cry over just a few words from you?

Even when he revealed his 'weakness' in front of you, afraid of being disliked by you, he only looked bewildered.

You looked at Koenig and greeted him with a smile, "I accept your apology. Come and sit down."

Soon, Blizzard, Rowe, Soap, and Yuri also entered the warm room.

They also brought along a few bottles of their treasured wines.

Soon, the room was filled with various conversations and laughter, but mainly you, Soap, and Blizzard's voices, which were the most lively and loud.

Before the meal began, you picked up your wine glass and stood up.

The wine glass was raised on the table, followed by your smiling voice:

"Cheers to the upcoming New Year!"

ch.295: Zodiac Guardians

"Cheers~"

"cheers!"

The others also raised their glasses, and the clinking of the dozen or so glasses together produced a crisp sound!

Then it was time to eat. Although they rarely ate Chinese food, trying it occasionally was quite a novel experience.

Moreover, Wang Zhiqiang's dishes tend to be on the lighter side, which is more palatable to them.

Wow! This salad smells so sweet and delicious!

As you marvel at the blizzard, you look at the plate of mixed vegetables on the table.

You explained with a smile, "Blizzard, that's not a salad, it's a cooked, cold vegetable dish."

The vegetables chosen are all crunchy, simply blanched and then served cold. They retain their light and crisp texture but lack the slight bitterness of raw vegetables, and a touch of white sugar further accentuates their natural sweetness. The rich aroma of sesame oil and Sichuan peppercorn oil adds a unique flavor to them.

"This braised beef tastes good, I like it."

The soap gave the braised beef a good review.

"Oh no, my teeth!"

Koenig suddenly exclaimed!

He then reached into his mask, and when he extended his hand... he was holding a silver coin between his index finger and thumb.

You and Wang Zhiqiang both exclaimed "Wow!" and congratulated Koenig amidst the puzzled looks of the others.

You explain, "Kornig, you're so lucky! The person who finds the silver coin will have good fortune this year!"

Wang Zhiqiang chimed in, "I'm so envious, why wasn't it me who got to eat it?"

Koenig's eyes widened: "Really? Then I forgive it for attacking my teeth!"

"And what if you get a candy?"

Blizzard suddenly spoke up, then said that she had just eaten a piece of candy, but she had chewed it up.

"I thought it was some kind of creative filling."

You smiled and said to her, "Candy represents sweetness. May you have a sweet and lucky new year."

Luo Wei immediately praised, "That's a wonderful blessing!"

Soap asked curiously, "How many blessing dumplings are left? I'm sure I can get one!"

Yuri: "Is there anything that represents longevity?"

Wang Zhiqiang smiled mysteriously: "You'll know once you try it!"

So everyone else started attacking the remaining dumplings, hoping to win a blessed dumpling for themselves!

Watching everyone else eat so enthusiastically, you shift your gaze to the ghost who is having difficulty eating because of the skull mask, and feel a pang of pity.

So you pulled out a piece of paper from the side and walked behind the ghost.

"Lieutenant, you should eat something too. I'll take care of it for you."

Others didn't react with surprise when they heard what you said.