Teaming Up with My Enemy to Rule the Apocalypse

There were restaurants here, but you didn’t need to go inside to know the prices would be steep, and the food probably wouldn’t even be that good.

They were better off going back. Then they could eat whatever they wanted.

She could pull cooked food directly from her spatial inventory or take out ingredients and cook herself. Not only would it taste better than anything from a restaurant, but it would also be much more cost-effective.

When Sierra Sullivan voiced her thoughts, everyone else immediately agreed.

As they left the first basement level, the crowds thinned and the noise died down.

It was only at moments like this that Sierra would be jolted back to the reality that she was still in the apocalypse.

The first basement level simply looked too much like a uniquely decorated shopping mall.

When you were immersed in it, it was easy to forget that this was still the apocalypse.

Before they even reached their front door, Sierra Sullivan saw two people standing there.

Even from their backs, Sierra recognized them at a glance: Nathan Thorne and Dominic Crawford.

She had been thinking of looking for them in the next day or two but hadn’t expected them to come looking for her first.

The two men noticed the beam of the flashlight and turned toward the light.

"Sierra? Jayce? Is that you? Are you back?"

Jayce called back, "Yeah."

"You’re finally back! We’ve been waiting here forever. Where have you been?"

"We took a walk around the first basement level," Sierra Sullivan said as she approached them.

Yvonne Shelby took out her key and opened the door. "Come on, let’s talk inside."

The living room had been put back in order that morning, so there was just enough space for all of them to sit.

As soon as they sat down, both Nathan Thorne and Dominic Crawford turned to look at Candice Tate.

Clearly, they had both heard what happened to her.

"Candice, you’ve lost weight!" Nathan Thorne said, his voice full of concern.

Candice Tate used to have fair, soft skin and a cute, round little face. She was absolutely adorable.

But now, her face was smaller than his palm, which made her eyes seem even larger. Just looking at her made his heart ache for her.

Dominic Crawford nodded in agreement. "You really have lost a lot of weight. You need to eat well and put some of that weight back on!"

Candice Tate nodded obediently. "I know!"

Yvonne Shelby looked at them. "You all sit and chat. I’ll go make dinner—"

"Aunt Shelby," Sierra Sullivan said, stopping her. "With so many of us, it’ll be faster if we all cook together."

"What are we making?" Nathan Thorne asked, curious. "I don’t know how to cook."

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help; he genuinely didn’t know how.

"Don’t worry, this is really simple. You’ll pick it up in no time."

"What is it?"

"We’re making dumplings!"

Nathan Thorne smacked his lips. "Making dumplings? Not a bad idea!"

Dominic Crawford, standing nearby, sighed emotionally. "Come to think of it, it really has been a long time since I’ve had dumplings."

For the people of their country, dumplings weren’t just food; they held a deep, sentimental value.

Many holidays were celebrated by eating dumplings.

Yvonne Shelby hadn’t had dumplings in a long time either, so she readily agreed.

Sierra Sullivan pulled a mixing bowl and a bag of flour from her spatial inventory and handed them to Jayce.

Jayce already knew how to knead dough, and being a guy, he had more strength, making him the best person for the job.

Next, Sierra Sullivan took out a large amount of ground meat.

The meat was a thirty-seventy blend of fat and lean—perfect for dumpling filling.

No one asked why Sierra Sullivan had ground meat in her inventory.

Even with a bond as close as theirs, everyone understood that some questions were better left unasked.

Some things were best ignored, even if you saw them; some facts were best forgotten, even if you knew them.

Only then could their relationships remain stable and long-lasting.

Pure meat dumplings are delicious, but they can become overwhelming after just a few. It was essential to add some vegetables.

After getting everyone’s input, they had Candice Tate use her powers to sprout some chives, napa cabbage, and shiitake mushrooms.

Green onions and ginger were also essential, of course.

Fortunately, with so many people, each person could chop one type of vegetable. By working simultaneously, they made quick progress.

Yvonne Shelby’s cooking skills were honed over many years, so she was put in charge of seasoning the filling.

Once Jayce had the dough ready, Nathan Thorne, Dominic Crawford, and Candice Tate took on the task of rolling out the dumpling wrappers.

Sierra Sullivan, Jayce, and Yvonne Shelby were in charge of filling and folding the dumplings.

Nathan Thorne had never rolled dumpling wrappers before, but it wasn’t a difficult task, and he learned quickly.

He not only learned, but he was also able to roll them out quickly and expertly.

Sierra Sullivan had learned her dumpling-folding technique from Jayce over the past few months.

Her dumplings weren’t the prettiest, but she was incredibly fast!

As long as the filling didn’t leak out in the pot, a dumpling’s appearance had no bearing on its taste.

To make a large batch that she could cook and store in her inventory for later, speed was the top priority.

Yvonne Shelby’s technique was similar to Sierra’s—not particularly pretty, but definitely fast.

Jayce, on the other hand, was different. His dumplings were not only beautiful but also folded quickly, a stark contrast to the other two.

As soon as a tray of plump, white dumplings was ready, Sierra Sullivan would sweep it directly into her inventory.

Since they were going to the trouble of making dumplings, they couldn’t just make enough for one meal.

With so many people, they chatted while they worked, deciding to make a huge batch.

Jayce had used up the entire twenty-pound bag of flour!

It took them nearly two full hours of work to finally use up all the dough and filling.

"Great work, everyone. I’ll go start a fire and boil the dumplings...."

"No need!"

Sierra Sullivan pulled two gas canisters and two portable stove tops from her inventory.

She set up two large pots on them and started boiling water in both simultaneously.

With so many people, they needed to cook two pots at once to make sure everyone got to eat.

Using gas was, of course, much more convenient and faster.

The plump, white dumplings were dropped into the pots, and in no time, they floated to the surface, their fragrance beginning to fill the room.

Jayce asked Sierra Sullivan for some seeds, sprouted cilantro and garlic chives, and prepared a sour broth.

Dumplings in sour broth were the absolute best!

Sierra Sullivan also pulled out some chili oil and pickled sweet garlic from her inventory.

Everyone could add whatever they liked according to their own tastes.

Sierra Sullivan liked to add chili oil.

With the chili oil added to the sour broth, her bowl turned a brilliant red.

Her mouth was watering before she even took a bite.

Just as Sierra Sullivan was about to take her first bite, there was a knock at the door. She glanced over instinctively. "Is Mr. Everett back?"

"No," Yvonne Shelby said, shaking her head. "He’s not coming back for lunch. You all go ahead and eat. I’ll get the door."

Yvonne Shelby was already at the door as she spoke.

She opened the door, and a head poked inside.

It was a middle-aged woman with short hair. Her face was unnaturally pale with deep bags under her eyes, but those eyes were staring wide.

"Oh, it really is you guys eating dumplings! I asked all around, and no one else is. You’re all living so well, still able to eat dumplings."

Yvonne Shelby’s brow furrowed slightly. "Mrs. Warren, can I help you with something?"

"What do you think? The smell of your dumplings made my grandson cry his eyes out. So, what are you going to do about it?"