Chapter 039 Surviving The Apocalyptic Era

　　"Hmm? Maybe your Lord has truly fallen head over heels this time," Chu Mufan chuckled.

　　"Why do you think so?" Youyou asked in confusion.

　　"Think about it. He decided to marry her in such a hurry—it must be love at first sight. And now he’s making such a grand arrangement and coming here in person. He’s clearly announcing her status as his ninth wife to everyone. She must mean a great deal to him!" Chu Mufan analyzed.

　　"I see… That makes sense," Youyou said, suddenly understanding.

　　They sat there for a while longer, watching groups of people stream into the cafeteria one after another. Most were men, the majority dressed in camouflage uniforms—undoubtedly members of the search teams.

　　The standard camouflage fabric was durable, breathable, and quick-drying, perfect for outdoor operations. Its loose cut allowed full freedom of movement for tactical maneuvers and hand-to-hand combat, making it one of the most popular outfits among survivors in the doomsday era. At the Shennongjia Camp, every new member admitted to the search teams was issued a set of official camouflage.

　　Search team members held high status within the camp. Before long, even ordinary survivors who weren’t part of any search team would go to great lengths to get their hands on a camouflage uniform, believing wearing it set them above others.

　　From Youyou, Chu Mufan had learned that Captain Star was the only one in all the search teams who disliked wearing camouflage. He always preferred his worn leather trench coat, and rode his Harley motorcycle wherever he went. His whole demeanor exuded a cool, striking charm...

　　As they talked, Brother Ma jogged over with a grin and plopped down beside Youyou. She had to edge closer to Chu Mufan, sitting right up against him...

　　"I asked Xiao Zhao to cover my work for a while. The crowd’s getting bigger and bigger, so I came to save us a seat!" Brother Ma said cheerfully.

　　"Why haven’t the Lord and the others arrived yet?" Youyou glanced around and asked.

　　"We just got word over the radio—they’re on their way. They told us to finish preparing all the dishes and wait to serve them until they get here. They’re holding a small private wedding ceremony in the villa district first, then they’ll come over afterward." Brother Ma told everything to the two.

　　Just as he finished speaking…

　　Firecrackers burst outside, followed by the screech of car brakes! At the sound, everyone inside the cafeteria swarmed toward the windows to watch the commotion.

　　Chu Mufan stayed seated where he was. His movements were still sluggish, and the small windows were already packed tight with people. With his current frail strength, he would never be able to push through the crowd to catch a glimpse anyway, so he saw no point in joining the bustle...

　　Seeing that Chu Mufan made no move, Youyou remained sitting beside him as well. She had never been one to crowd around for excitement. Besides, she had no desire to squeeze into the throng.

　　Brother Ma, however, reacted instantly. The moment the firecrackers went off, he was the first to dart over to the windows. His speed and quick reflexes suited his lean frame perfectly—sly and nimble as a monkey.

　　After a flurry of noise outside, the Lord walked in high-spiritedly, surrounded and escorted by a crowd of attendants...

　　He was around forty years old, portly and out of shape, dressed in a neat grey suit with a tie. The suit looked tailored from premium fabric. Around his thick neck hung a thick gold chain, with a palm-sized jade Guanyin pendant dangling from it, glaringly conspicuous. His wrists and fingers were covered in gold, silver, and ornamental trinkets. Even Chu Mufan thought the man must feel weighed down by all the bling...

　　Yet no fine suit or expensive jewelry could hide his potbelly. Dressed like this, he looked nothing like a survivor of the apocalypse, but rather like a wealthy village tycoon.

　　In his right hand, he held a beautiful woman clad in a white wedding gown. She was tall, air-skinned, and lovely-featured. The form-fitting white gown accentuated her curvy figure. Her face was heavily made up as a bride, and like the Lord, she was draped head to toe in gold and jewels, as if determined to flaunt her status as the powerful Lord’s new wife...

　　Makeup was already a lavish, unnecessary luxury in the apocalypse. Judging by her elaborate attire, countless resources and manpower must have been spent gathering those ornaments and cosmetics.

　　Even beneath the heavy makeup, her natural looks and figure were outstanding. Coupled with her charming, coquettish every gesture, she possessed a beauty that could captivate a nation. It was no wonder the Lord had fallen for her so quickly...

　　Still, as Chu Mufan stared into the bride’s alluring, smoldering eyes, he couldn’t shake a strange sense of unease—though he could not put his finger on exactly what felt wrong...

　　Behind the bride and groom followed a group of burly men dressed in formal attire. From their refined clothing, it was clear they were the core leaders of the camp...

　　Brother Ma hurried back to his seat and leaned in to whisper to the two of them, “Heh, you two missed it! They showed up in a whole convoy of luxury cars. The Lord’s wedding car leading the way was that gas-guzzling stretched limousine. Even before the apocalypse, a scene this grand was rare to see!”

　　His words struck a chord in Chu Mufan’s heart, reminding him sharply of the miserable plight in the main camp—children, women, the elderly, all wandering on the brink of starvation and death...

　　Truly, the wealthy feast while the poor starve to death on the roadside. How cold and cruel this world has become…

　　……

　　The wedding celebration went on, undisturbed by Chu Mufan’s inner resentment...

　　The portly lord in his suit led the beautiful woman forward, grabbed a microphone, and stepped into the open space at the front of the cafeteria.

　　“Today is my joyous wedding day, as I, Hu Gao, marry Qian Xiaomei. Everyone here is like family to me. Thank you all for your continued support. I declare—besides the feast laid out before you, every one of you will get a cup of wine, and there will be extra food tonight! Eat your fill and drink your fill today! Hahaha!”

　　The crowd erupted into cheers and thunderous applause.

　　It was no wonder they were so excited. To these survivors, wine was a rare, precious luxury. In this cruel doomsday, only intoxication could numb their endless sorrows, letting them indulge in fleeting oblivion...

　　For a moment, they could forget the despair of the world around them.

　　……

　　The banquet began. Everyone picked up their chopsticks and dug into the lavish spread. There were chicken, duck, meat, and rich delicacies far beyond anything Chu Mufan had tasted in a long time. He picked up his chopsticks and ate heartily.

　　Several young men emerged from the kitchen pushing trolleys loaded with unwrapped glass bottles of liquor. Working in pairs, they went from table to table, filling each disposable cup with strong white spirits...

　　Neither Chu Mufan nor Youyou cared for alcohol. They poured themselves plain cold water to wash down their meal and left the wine untouched in their cups. Chu Mufan had long been starving, so he focused entirely on enjoying the feast, while Youyou sat beside him, occasionally helping him to dishes and pouring him water. Feeling guilty, Chu Mufan spoke with his mouth full, mumbling clumsily: “Hurry and eat too. Don’t wait on me—I can manage myself. If you don’t eat such good food, how will you have the strength to take care of me?”

　　Youyou smiled at his words and began eating slowly on her own.

　　As for Brother Ma, he wandered from table to table with his cup, proposing toast after toast. Yet his face turned red after only a few sips, making it obvious his alcohol tolerance was quite low.

　　……