Chapter 147 A Taste of the Old World
“Wow, we’ve never had this many guests before-we’ve got to roll out the red carpet!”
The warmth and excitement of the residents caught Hugo and the otherspletely off guard. Since the world had gone to hell, none of them had experienced anything like this-smiles,ughter, genuine hospitality. It almost didn’t feel real.
It was true what they said, “People only have the luxury of kindness when they’re not fighting for survival.”
And here? These people weren’t just surviving-they were thriving.
Hugo stood in awe. Just how wealthy was this ce for everyone to be so friendly?
The answer came quickly.
A giant, fully-automated, unmanned supermarket-right in the middle of camp.
“I’m heading to the store to grab some steaks! Theresa, don’t you dare leave-I have to make you my famous beef bourguignon!”
“I’m gonna butcher a chicken! My husband’s chili-zed skillet chicken is out of this world—you have to try it!”
“I’ll go grab drinks and sunflower seeds! Keep snacking, y’all!”
“I’ve got fresh fruit at home—I’ll bring a basket over!”
Hugo and the others could only gape as locals dashed in and out of their vis, arms full of supplies, chatting, smiling,ughing.
“That over there,” Theresa said, pointing to a sleek modern building, “is our official camp-run supermarket. Whatever you need, you can buy it right there.”
They followed her inside-and werepletely stunned into silence.
Shelves upon shelves of goods.
Bags of pasta. Piles of noodles. All kinds of fresh vegetables. Shampoo, soap, body wash, feminine hygiene products, clothes, shoes, socks-even the kind of junk food no one had seen since the world fell apart.
Potato chips. Sausages. Cookies. Soda. Lollipops…
And it was all for sale. Like the world before.
“Are we… in heaven?” one kid whispered in awe.
Truth be told, the adults were thinking the same thing.
Ten minutester, Theresa gathered everyone and exined the rules of the camp.
“As long as you all put in an honest day’s work,” she said, “I promise every single one of you will live just like the residents you see here. Full bellies, meat at every meal. Everything they have-you’ll have too.”
Hugo’s crew practically glowed with joy.
Everything they have… we can have?
This wasn’t just a good ce-it was a miracle.
After all, these people weren’t naive. They came from K1 Camp. They knew exactly what the other camps were like.
Where others still struggled to stay warm and fed, Theresa’s camp was grilling meat. Where others lived in makeshift shacks, her people lived in proper homes. Where others had to ration, she had livestock, endless supplies, even a full-blown supermarket.
Hell, she even had snacks.
Compared to the grinding misery of Kl Camp, zing Sun Camp was a paradise.
No wonder Lucas had said they were lucky to be chosen toe here.
Lucky? This wasn’t just luck-this was the kind of jackpot people dreamed about.
They’d walked in with hearts pounding, sure they were gambling everything on a mystery. Instead, they’d hit the ultimate jackpot: a super miracle.
It was like Lady Luck herself had kicked them straight into a life offort and hope.
Someone even thought about Josiah and his family-how smug they’d been refusing Theresa’s offer. If only they knew what they had walked away from, they’d be crying their eyes out.
That thought made Hugo and the rest feel even luckier.
Thank God they had said yes. Thank God they hadn’t been as foolish.
That one decision? It had changed the entire course of their lives.
Ding! New residents detected: 21 people. Awarding you 2,100 points. New resident loyalty increased by 10%. Current loyalty: 99%.
Theresa heard the familiar system voice echo in her mind. She blinked in surprise-she hadn’t expected
that.
When she’d first weed David’s family, their loyalty started at 60%. Leo’s group hade in at 80%. They’d all had to work their way up to 99%.
But Hugo’s group? They were all-in from the moment they stepped foot inside.
She smiled knowingly. Of course. After tasting hell, who wouldn’t worship the woman who built them a
slice of heaven?