190: Chapter 19 Top-Tier Chef, Buffed

At this moment.

The atmosphere on the deck was as festive as New Year's.

The sea breeze had dispersed the previous scent of blood, replaced by a soul-stirring aroma of meat.

The luxury kitchen area, originally intended for open-air parties, was now in full swing.

The rich, savory scent of braised beef mixed with the fresh sweetness of steamed seafood aggressively wafted into everyone's noses.

In front of the cutting board.

Liu Ting took off her glasses and casually tied up her messy hair.

Her gaze was focused.

It was as if she weren't facing a cutting board, but a battlefield.

D-rank Talent [Precision Cooking], activate!

Shua, shua, shua!

The blade flashed in rapid succession!

A piece of freshly thawed Mutated Brute Beef was sliced into uniform, clearly textured pieces within a few breaths.

As her fingertips moved rhythmically, a faint shimmer seeped into the ingredients.

"Remove the gaminess, enhance the freshness, lock in the energy..."

Liu Ting muttered to herself, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

Under the empowerment of her talent, ordinary soy sauce and salt seemed to undergo a qualitative change, stimulating the most primal deliciousness from deep within the ingredients.

*Slurp...*

Beside the stove, a loud sound of swallowing echoed.

An Nuonuo, like a greedy cat smelling fish, stood on her tiptoes and clung tightly to the edge of the counter.

Taking advantage of Liu Ting's distraction, she quietly hooked her finger, and an imperceptible current of air swirled toward the freshly cooked braised meat.

Her large eyes were filled with a craving for carbohydrates and protein.

"Sister Tingting, is it ready yet? Can I taste a piece for the Captain first? Just one tiny piece!"

"Go away, the sauce hasn't even thickened yet!"

*Smack!*

Before Liu Ting could speak, a fair and slender hand tapped An Nuonuo on the forehead.

Li Yaozhi withdrew her hand and scolded with a smile, "The Captain hasn't even come out yet, and you little foodie already want to steal a bite?"

Even as she said this, her own throat was unconsciously bobbing.

Especially under the influence of the [ring of gluttony], her hunger was doubled.

"I'll help too!"

Xia Xin rolled up her sleeves, squatted to the side, and began washing vegetables.

On a rattan chair not far away, Xia Mo sat with her head lowered.

She held a freshly peeled Deep-Sea Devil Shrimp, carefully removing the vein.

On the other side.

The petite barber, Wen Wen, was holding scissors and trimming the hair of Tang Ran, who was covered in blood and had wild, messy hair.

"Don't move, or I'll mess it up."

Amidst the snip-snip of the scissors, Tang Ran's wild and unkempt look gradually became clean-cut and handsome.

The gentle-mannered tailor, Su Qing, was using the ship's lights to swiftly sew and mend everyone's damaged combat suits.

This scene of everyone performing their duties was exactly what Chen Du wanted.

They were no longer scattered sand fighting alone, but a complete, warm "home."

"Dinner's ready—!"

With Liu Ting's joyful shout, dishes radiating energy fluctuations were brought to the table one by one.

Amber-colored braised mutated beef, with strength flowing through its texture;

Steamed Devil Ray emitting a faint blue steam;

And that plate of wild fruit dessert that seemed to be breathing.

Before the apocalypse, this table of food would have just been a hearty home-cooked meal.

But in this apocalypse where human life was as cheap as grass and one could kill an entire family for a piece of moldy bread, this was a feast that even gods wouldn't trade!

*Creak—*

The door to the top-floor Captain's cabin opened.

Chen Du had changed into a clean black shirt, his hair half-dry, clearly having just taken a cold shower.

He adjusted his breathing in front of the mirror for three seconds, and only after confirming his hand holding the wine glass was no longer trembling did he push the door open.

At this moment, he forcibly suppressed the exhaustion and ferocity in his eyes. His collar was slightly open, and he wore his signature lazy smile.

He had returned to being that elegant, powerful, and omnipotent head of the household.

"Wow! The Captain is out!"

The girls immediately stopped their fooling around and looked at him in unison, their eyes full of expectation and admiration.

Chen Du's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on the table full of delicacies.

"Not bad."

He walked to the head of the table and sat down, without giving any long-winded leadership speech.

He simply raised his wine glass and swirled it.

He said faintly, "Being alive feels great! Everyone, eat and drink your fill!"

A simple sentence, yet it made everyone present feel a sting in their noses.

In this hellish world, being able to live and sit here eating a hot piece of braised meat was the greatest luxury.

"Let's eat!"

With Chen Du's command, the restraint at the dinner table vanished instantly.

Liu Ting, Wen Wen, Su Qing, and the taciturn medical student Xiao Mei looked at the meat piled like a mountain in their bowls, and tears couldn't stop falling.

Yesterday, they were still being auctioned like livestock in cages, liable to become playthings at any moment.

Today, they were sitting on a luxury yacht, feeling the sea breeze, and eating food fit for the gods.

This intense sense of contrast hit their souls hard.

"Sob... It's real... It really tastes like beef..."

Liu Ting stuffed beef into her mouth while crying.

She didn't even bother to wipe the tears falling into her bowl as she wailed indistinctly, "Yesterday, I almost got beaten to death for half a piece of moldy bread..."

"I wouldn't trade this life for a god's! Long live the Captain! Waaaah!"

"So pathetic!"

Xia Lai, with a chicken leg in her mouth, smirked as she reached out to snatch a shrimp from Lin Keke's bowl.

"Children won't grow tall if they eat too much meat. Your Second Sister is kind-hearted and will help you share the burden!"

"Wow! Second Sister, you're cheating! Sister Xia Mo peeled that for me!" Lin Keke shouted in anger.

Xia Mo ignored the duo and silently placed a peeled shrimp in Chen Du's bowl, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.

The dining table was full of laughter, scolding, and the warmth of life.

Chen Du unhurriedly cut his steak, and seeing this scene, his gaze softened slightly.

Raising this boatload of girls was expensive, but... it was indeed easy on the eyes.

Moreover, this sense of belonging was something the cold survival game couldn't provide.

After everyone had eaten their fill.

Liu Ting stood up somewhat awkwardly, as if reporting for work:

"Um... Captain, everyone."

"Because I used mutated beast meat and processed it with my talent, eating this braised meat can increase Strength by 2 points for 24 hours."

"Also, that fish soup... it can accelerate the recovery of mental energy, by about 3%."

As soon as these words were spoken.

The entire place went silent for a second.

Even Tang Ran, who was slumped in her chair picking her teeth, widened her eyes.

Without a word, she grabbed the remaining half-pot of fish soup from the table.

*Gulp, gulp!*

She tilted her head back and downed it all in one go!

*Burp—!*

Tang Ran wiped her mouth boldly.

Feeling the warm current surging within her body, she gave Liu Ting a thumbs up: "Awesome! This isn't just cooking, this is practically a mobile health potion!"

Only then did everyone realize.

This girl with glasses, who looked weak and easy to bully, was actually a top-tier team-wide BUFF provider!

Chen Du nodded in satisfaction, his fingertips lightly tapping the table.

This was the strategic value of lifestyle class players.

In this dog-eat-dog world, there were many people who could fight.

But people who could keep others "consistently fighting" were rarer than giant pandas.

"It warms the stomach and adds BUFFs..."

Chen Du took a sip of red wine, his gaze sweeping over the group of women radiating happiness, and he made a decision.

"This time, I've truly found a treasure!"

"Since everyone's status is fully restored, then the next part of the plan can be accelerated."