NOVPUB52: Chapter 40 Joining
52 -40 Joining
At last, the three enjoyed a dinner of spicy chicken, sweet and sour pork, mapo tofu, and a dish of stir-fried vegetables.
The mapo tofu mixed with rice was spicy and fragrant, the tofu soft and tender, making it particularly satisfying.
The fried spicy chicken had a crispy exterior and a tender interior, spicy without being dry.
One bite, despite its spiciness, made you crave another.
The sweet and sour pork and vegetables were also tasty, all prepared by a skilled chef.
Overall, the meal left the three very content and softened the psychological shadow cast by the dishes Gu Yanzhi had cooked.
“Sister, I want to go.”
After dinner and tidying up the garbage, the three sat on the sofa chatting.
Gu Yanzhi and Song Zhao relayed the invitation Chu Guodong had extended to Gu Yanlin today.
Recently, Gu Yanlin hadn’t been just leaving early and returning late for nothing.
Since he started working at the city government, soldiers patrolled regularly, significantly improving public safety, reducing the incidence of roadside robberies.
During casual conversations at work, Gu Yanlin learned that Chu Guodong’s Team 532 was originally a Special Forces team.
Chu Guodong himself was one of the most distinguished members, having earned multiple honors for the country.
Before the apocalypse, the government pulled them together to form a rescue team.
Although many rescue teams were organized, Team 532 was the most exceptional.
They were assigned the most urgent and challenging missions, a testament to their capabilities.
Moreover, the mission in City C was undertaken because multiple teams sent by the country had failed, either unable to enter or disappearing without a trace.
Chu Guodong’s team volunteered for this task despite family objections and came to City C with determination.
Had they not encountered the extreme cold upon their arrival, their fate might have been grim.
Knowing all this, Gu Yanlin admired them.
If possible, he too hoped to make his own contribution to the country, doing whatever he could.
Moreover, he had never forgotten the enemies of his sister—not just the deceased Gu Qiang and his family but also the so-called influential figure she had mentioned.
According to the timeline, that “influential figure” might now be in City C.
He needed to rapidly improve his own strength to help his sister at the most critical moment.
Besides, with his sister spending every day with her husband and her combat strength, her safety was assured.
Moreover, Gu Yanlin had been contemplating his future direction.
At 18, he couldn’t just drift along, relying on his sister.
He had thought about working in the government later, hitting multiple targets at once: finding something to occupy himself, contributing to the country, and gathering information on that “influential figure” to seek vengeance.
Now, an opportunity had practically fallen into his lap.
Why wouldn’t he accept it?
Gu Yanzhi and Song Zhao discussed it further with Gu Yanlin, and upon confirming his sincere intentions, they agreed to his decision.
However, joining Team 532 wasn’t so simple.
Chu Guodong’s invitation was one thing; Gu Yanlin still had to pass an assessment to officially join.
Chu Guodong wouldn’t joke with his brothers’ lives.
Although he admired Gu Yanlin’s skills, he needed to ensure he truly had the capability and good character before letting him join.
Gu Yanzhi and Song Zhao took Gu Yanlin to the 14th floor, where Zhong Junfeng was currently treating Chu Guodong’s wounds.
“Miss Gu, Mr.
Song, Xiao Gu, please come in.” The door was opened by Lin Rui.
They had completed their day’s tasks and were now resting on the 14th floor.
“Sister Yan Zhi, how did you all come?” Yin Meng, who was holding some medicine, had just come out of Chu Guodong’s bedroom and greeted Gu Yanzhi with slight surprise.
Gu Yanzhi nodded slightly, “We’re here to find Captain Chu for some matters.”
“Junfeng is changing Brother Chu’s bandages, you might have to wait a while.” Over these many days, Yin Meng and Zhong Junfeng had grown very familiar with everyone in Team 532.
Apart from work, they also trained with the team members on the 14th floor until they returned home to sleep at night.
In the chaos of the past few months, they also learned how crucial it was to have the ability to protect themselves in turbulent times.
Now, with this opportunity, they had requested the team to include them in their regular training.
Team 532 also valued these two who were responsible for their captain’s health, and even customized a special training plan for them.
They couldn’t match the long-term trainees in intensity, but with the plan, as long as they persevered for a few months, dealing with minor scoundrels all by themselves would not be an issue.
“Song Zhao, Xiao Gu, you’re here!” Chu Guodong, having heard the noise outside and just finished changing the bandages, came out directly.
Zhong Junfeng was still inside tidying up things.
“Captain Chu,” Song Zhao had just begun to speak when Chu Guodong interrupted him.
“Didn’t we agree that we are friends?
Just call me Dongzi.
Why call me Captain Chu?
It’s so impersonal.”
“Dongzi,” hearing Chu Guodong say this, Song Zhao compliantly called out.
“Hey, I’m older than you, so I’ll take the role of your older brother.
Zhao, my younger sister and brother,” Chu Guodong agreed happily.
“What, have you thought it through?”
“No, my younger brother wants to join our team…”
Chu Guodong, of course, welcomed the idea from Gu Yanlin.
They agreed to set the entry assessment half a month later and Song Zhao and Gu Yanzhi then left.
As for Gu Yanlin, they left him there to learn and gather experience from the other members of Team 532.
For these many days, their guides for the missions had always been the rotating members of Team 532, so Gu Yanlin was already quite familiar with them.
Especially Zhao Rui, who, although three years older than Gu Yanlin, had a lively character.
The two had become close friends during these days.
Upon learning Gu Yanlin had agreed to join the team, an excited Zhao Rui pulled him aside, chatting non-stop, eager to pass all his experiences to Gu Yanlin.
Of course, although he was a carefree person, he knew what should be said and what shouldn’t.
In the next half-month, besides leaving early and returning late for ice-breaking tasks daily, Gu Yanlin spent several extra hours training on the 17th floor in the evenings to prepare for the entry assessment.
Gu Yanzhi, meanwhile, did not give up on her dream to become a chef, concentrating daily on researching recipes at home.
Although her skills were still quite average, the food she made was no longer as terrible as before and could pass muster.
The significant progress boosted Gu Yanzhi’s confidence, and she spent even more on ingredients.
Worth mentioning is that Song Zhao spent all day with Gu Yanzhi, occasionally stepping into the kitchen to prepare a couple of dishes.
However, he was very talented; his first attempt at cooking was quite delicious, causing a jealous Gu Yanzhi to ignore him for half a day.
Still, Song Zhao tried to make amends humbly, and after much coaxing, he personally made her a dessert.
After Gu Yanzhi finished eating, she felt even more defeated.
Truly, comparisons could be odious, and different standards could make one distraught.
She had diligently practiced for almost half a month, and her creations were barely palatable.
Some people, on their first try, not only succeeded but could also innovate, managing to make highly complex desserts.
