But once they started cooking, how could anyone really stop at just a little?
They made several old dishes, tried out a few new ones, and finally Grandma Ling suggested, "It's still early. Since we have everything here in the space, why don't we make dumplings?"
Although Grandma Ling had been living in the south, she was a true northerner at heart. This year she had missed eating dumplings during New Year, and she had been craving that taste ever since.
Of course, Lan Jin's space had plenty of ready-made dumplings, but anyone who had ever wrapped dumplings knew: handmade dumplings and store-bought ones were completely different.
Since the elder wanted to eat, naturally no one had reason to refuse. And once they decided to wrap dumplings, there was no point making only a few. Lao Gao pulled out a large bag of flour, poured in spiritual spring water, and began kneading the dough.
One had to admit, dough made with spiritual spring water felt as though the dumplings themselves could strengthen the body. While Lao Gao worked the dough, the others didn't sit idle. They prepared all sorts of fillings, set up a large pot, and wrapped while cooking, so the dumplings could be eaten right away.
Once the dumplings were done, they became the main dish for dinner. Everyone ate until their stomachs were full and their hearts satisfied. When they finally came out of the space, the sky was already pitch dark. The way the four of them looked, dazed and unprepared, was almost comical.
"Ahem." Lan Jin cleared her throat and said, "We were too caught up eating and didn't notice the time. Let's just sleep outside for the night."
Lao Gao agreed, "We can, but we shouldn't just lie in the open. If the weather changes at night, we'll be in trouble."
Huang Jinghe added, "There are residential buildings nearby. We can just pick one to stay in. A lot of them must be empty anyway."
"Alright."
After that, the four of them strapped on their skating gear and slid toward the residential blocks.
Meanwhile…
At the gates of H City Base.
Brother Zhang and Brother Li kept craning their necks to look out. But make no mistake, they weren't waiting for Lan Jin and her group, who hadn't returned yet. They were waiting for the ability-user squads who had been sent out on missions and hadn't come back for a long time.
For squads officially registered with the base, each team was issued a satellite phone before setting out, allowing them to stay in contact at all times.
The most important function was to transmit location data, so the base could steer clear of danger and also send precise rescue teams if needed. It sounded familiar, because it was exactly like the case with Su Qinghe's squad.
That team had reported the location and ferocity of the big cat midway, then continued into the dense forest. Before they perished, they left behind one final location signal, which was how Lan Jin's group had found them.
Normally, when squads finished their missions and prepared to return, they had to report it in advance. When nearing the base, they had to check in again.
This might seem troublesome, but with the dangers outside, it was necessary. Without prior notice, the base would be unable to set up the scanning equipment in time. If something happened, who would bear responsibility? To keep everyone inside safe, squads without prior reports were kept outside until preparations were complete.
Last time Lan Jin's group returned, they had gone through the same procedure. First was a temperature check, then a full-body scan to detect any hidden dangerous objects.
These dangerous objects were invisible to the naked eye, but the detectors could pick up chips or anomalies embedded within. Not that the squads carried them intentionally, but accidents could happen.
As Brother Zhang had mentioned before, H City Base had eight ability-user squads. After Su Qing's team was wiped out, Brother Zhang's newly awakened team filled the gap, keeping the total at eight. To ensure security around the base, once danger levels were measured, missions were immediately issued to these squads, who then went out to sweep threats.
Missions were ranked by difficulty. The higher the level, the greater the danger, but also the richer the rewards. Each team chose according to their strength. Naturally, these eight squads varied in strength. Team size was not fixed; as long as the captain approved, members could join. The strongest team had eighteen members, while the weakest had five.
Even so, counting all ability users together, the entire base had fewer than one hundred. Out of thousands of people, fewer than a hundred were awakened. That showed just how rare they were.
And of course, missions always came with casualties…
The base had already extended olive branches to many ability users in the Capital city, otherwise their numbers would have been even smaller.
This time, three squads had reported their return.
The first to arrive was a mid-tier squad. They had left with eight members, but only three returned, all gravely injured. Without sheer willpower, they wouldn't have made it back. After handing in their mission report, they collapsed into Brother Zhang's arms.
Brother Zhang's face darkened. He immediately sent them to the medical unit.
Soon after, the second squad returned. Also mid-tier, they had set out with nine people and returned with five, all badly wounded but still conscious. They too were sent for treatment.
Finally came the most awaited squad—the strongest in the base. Both Brother Zhang and Brother Li had been eagerly expecting them.
But when they arrived, the sight was just as grim. Eighteen had gone out, only seven returned. Worse, their captain was missing his left arm, face deathly pale, looking like he would bleed out at any moment. The scene chilled everyone's blood.
Brother Zhang quickly ordered the medics to take them away. He and Brother Li were left standing there, staring at one another in shock. They were heartbroken at the loss of ability users, but what hurt even more was knowing how much effort it would take to replenish those numbers. That was the real problem.
Still, since Brother Zhang now had abilities, his future missions would take him outside as a squad leader. Matters like this would no longer be his responsibility.
Patting Brother Li's shoulder, he said gravely, "From now on, you'll have to work even harder."
Brother Li gave a helpless laugh. "You really are something…"