Despite going through a dangerous situation and being short on ammunition, the bucket full of white rice that James carries back still gets everyone excited in an instant.

They don't bother with their fatigue and drive the minibus around the town, then stop at an open section of the road to cook.

Usually, these kinds of tasks are handled by the three old men and the three kids, while the members with combat capabilities are on guard around.

The three old men get energetic right away and have a clear division of labor. One goes to carry stones to build a stove, another takes an iron shovel to dig a water pit in the field, and the other one, along with the three children, goes around to pick up withered branches and weeds for making a fire.

James is on the roof of the minibus, keeping watch with an automatic rifle. Liam, dragging his injured leg, looks around from a stone not far from the minibus, holding a Type 50 pistol with only half a magazine left.

Oliver is half - lying in the grass by the roadside, looking at the sun, thinking that if it weren't for the apocalypse, this would be like a pleasant outing.

Victoria comes over generously and sits down beside Oliver. "Thanks a lot for what you do just now!" she says.

Oliver smiles and replies, "Captain, you're being too polite. We're in the same team. I just do my bit."

Then, looking at the pit dug by the old man, Oliver asks in confusion, "The water in the river looks pretty clear. It should be okay to drink. Why go through all this trouble to dig for water?"

Victoria is a bit taken aback. She thinks this team member's questions are so strange, but still explains, "The XR virus infects not only humans but also a lot of animals. Take the fish in the water for example. Their nature has changed. They've got mutated abilities and will attack anything that gets close to the river. The river water may seem clean, but it's deadly."

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Oliver is surprised that the virus is so powerful and can't help shaking his head. "Seems like the surviving humans are isolated by this XR virus," he says.

Victoria lies down too and says, "Two years ago, many radio stations were still working, and the rescue bases around could still communicate. But as the zombies attack, the bases are breached one by one, and there's less news now. Last year, I hear from a coastal base that most of the marine life has been infected and mutated too. They say a shark can easily tear a frigate apart. I don't know if it's true."

Oliver is shocked. With so many marine creatures, if they are all infected, it will be dangerous for humans to set foot in the ocean. But Dellai Base is an inland province, so they don't need to worry about it for the time being.

Thinking about the ammunition issue, Oliver asks, "How much ammunition is left in the team?" Victoria's expression turns serious. "Liam is the only one with half a magazine of pistol bullets. The automatic rifle is a bit better, with five magazines, but it won't last long against the zombies. Even if every shot hits, it can at most take out about a hundred zombies," she says.

Oliver frowns. In this apocalypse, zombies are everywhere. Without enough ammunition, they can't stop them. Once the zombies get close, the team will be doomed.

Oliver sighs and says, "Let's figure out a way to get some bullets later. If we save this bucket of rice, it should last us until we reach the dellai base." Victoria nods in agreement.

The aroma of the cooked rice wafts over. For those who haven't eaten for days and haven't had rice for over a year, this smell is irresistible.

Victoria, forgetting her image, drools and rushes towards the rice pot. The others are even more eager. Even James and the others who are on guard run to eat. Oliver has no choice but to climb onto the roof of the minibus to keep watch.

After everyone is full, they realize they have forgotten about Oliver. There is only a little bit of rice crust left in the pot. The old man suggests cooking another portion. Everyone know this is not just about food, but also about a person's feelings.

Victoria scrapes the remaining rice crust into a bowl, climbs onto the roof of the minibus, and stammers to Oliver, "Thanks... Oliver. I hope you don't mind. We just can't control our hunger and end up like this. But I promise, this won't happen again in the team. Really, you have to believe me." After saying that, she looks at Oliver nervously.