You were supposed to hoard supplies, why the heck did you hoard zombies!

At the dinner table, a tin can without any labels sat squarely in the middle.

The lid had been opened, revealing the delicious soup inside.

The fragrance of meat permeated the air.

However, the three women sitting around it showed no intention of reaching for it, simply focusing on the food surrounding the can as if they hadn't noticed this additional dish at all.

Zhang Ye's gaze slowly turned to the always perceptive Professor Ai.

The woman's hand trembled, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and her previously rosy cheeks instantly paled.

"Cough cough cough."

"I think I feel a bit unwell."

"You all go ahead and eat, Zhang Ye, I'm going to rest for a while."

Without waiting for Zhang Ye's response, she was already making a move to stand up, intending to head towards the staircase.

Liu Qingqing, who had been paying attention to this side, immediately called out, "Sister Ai Bing, don't move, I'll come over and help you up!"

As she spoke, her body was already leaping from the chair, ready to dash over.

"Stop!"

Just then, a man's voice suddenly rang out.

Zhang Ye sternly tapped the dining table, his gaze sweeping over their faces: "Sit down!"

"Oh."

"If we must sit, then we sit."

"Why so fierce!"

Liu Qingqing rolled her eyes at him and obediently sat back down.

Ai Bing, who was sitting across from her, stopped coughing as well.

Her complexion once again grew rosy.

At this moment, Luo Xin had already reached into the can with her chopsticks, grabbing a large piece of meat.

After a slight hesitation, she opened her mouth and swallowed it.

The chunk of meat, mixed with the soup, slid down her throat.

That long-missed flavor.

So delicious!

Before the two beside her could react, she was already scooping several more pieces of meat into her bowl, and in the face of their horrified stares, she gobbled it up with rice.

Could eating a rat taste this good?

As Liu Qingqing watched, a sense of admiration appeared in her eyes; Luo Xin was indeed the most straightforward and hearty as usual!

Impressive!

But Ai Bing noticed something amiss in the situation.

She raised her eyebrows and reached for the remaining half can of meat, her gaze quickly focusing on the red and white meat inside.

"Chicken meat?"

"This isn't rat!"

Ai Bing suddenly exclaimed in disbelief, looking towards Zhang Ye.

"Who told you it was rat meat?"

Zhang Ye's expression also showed a hint of helplessness.

He had intended to give the three women a surprise.

But who would have thought that a freshly canned limited edition chicken meat from the factory would sit on the table untouched by anyone?

The only one who had dared to pick up the chopsticks was Luo Xin, whose cravings were always blatant.

"Didn't the farming department set up a chicken farm a few days ago?"

Zhang Ye said, pointing at the can in her hand, "This is the result."

"Can they supply steadily now?"

"How much?"

Ai Bing immediately inquired.

The expression on the woman's face was indescribably excited.

Her decision was indeed correct; Zhang Ye was indeed the person who could bring hope to everyone.

"Not much."

"With the current efficiency."

"About five hundred pounds of chicken meat per week."

Honestly, compared to the past, this amount was pitifully small.

Any random farm could produce more than this.

But now is not the past.

It's the apocalypse.

As for the condition of those breeding farms on the outskirts of cities, almost no one knows.

But combining that with the situation in the urban districts, it's actually quite easy to guess.

Either they would become a paradise for zombies, where mutated owners and employees devoured all the chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep until nothing was left, or the animals themselves mutated and became part of the dangerous post-apocalyptic world.

No matter the scenario, it was no longer possible to provide people with a large amount of meat and eggs like in the past.

That was why Zhang Ye had decided to establish the Breeding Department.

If you want it done right, do it yourself.

The five hundred pounds of chicken might not seem like much, but it was of great significance, symbolizing that the company's breeding technology had officially entered a new phase of development.

It also meant another option was added to the survivors' menu.

That was chicken.

However, given the current production,

chicken canned food was destined to be a delicacy only the upper class within the safety zone could enjoy for the time being.

Ai Bing naturally understood this principle, so the excited look on her face did not fade away but instead grew stronger, and even her gaze at Zhang Ye revealed a subtle sense of gratitude.

"All right, stop dazing."

"If you two don't start eating now, someone here will finish it all."

No sooner had Zhang Ye's words fallen than Liu Qingqing reached over with her chopsticks into Luo Xin's bowl.

"Give it here!"

"You're already so plump, and yet you're still eating so much!"

Luo Xin became frantic immediately, crying out in protest.

"Who are you calling plump!"

"This is called being fit, understand!"

The two girls quickly started scuffling, completely lacking the amiability they had shared in bed over the past days.

Meanwhile, Ai Bing also began to enjoy this rare delicacy.

They actually ate canned meat quite often.

There was plenty in the warehouse.

But this was the first time they were having canned chicken made from mutated chickens.

Compared to regular chicken, the meat of the mutated chickens was firmer, and it seemed especially smooth soaked in the broth.

Just as Zhang Ye was about to try some, the doorbell suddenly rang.

Then a girl walked in.

It was Tian Miao.

After entering, she glanced at Zhang Ye carefully and then reported, "Director Zhang, something happened in Zone Four."

Zhang Ye's buttocks had just lifted but he sat back down instantly.

"Zone Four?"

"What happened?"

Zone Four referred to the southern part of the industrial zone where several of the company's factories were located.

It only comprised about one-fifth of the industrial zone.

To the north was the hydropower plant.

"Station Chief Zhou said over the walkie-talkie that someone was… was..."

"Eaten... by crayfish..."

The girl stuttered for quite some time before she finally finished speaking, only to find the three people in the room gazing at her in shock.

Zhang Ye felt a whirl of dizziness, as if his brain had been churned by a turbulent river.

It took him a while to regain his composure.

"Eaten by what?"

He suspected he had misheard, so he asked again directly.

"Crayfish."

"Station Chief Zhou said so,"

Tian Miao said, looking down and clearly nervous.

To be honest, she had felt the same shock when she had heard the news over the walkie-talkie.

Crayfish eating people?

Who would believe that?

But the tone of Zhou Xiong at the time was clearly not joking.

And he didn't have the nerve for such a joke.

After his initial surprise, Zhang Ye gradually recovered and guessed what might have happened through his contemplative gaze.

Perhaps some accident had also occurred in the big river that crossed the industrial zone.

Had the crayfish mutated as well?

As he pondered this, he suddenly heard Luo Xin excitedly shouting, "Crayfish?"

"Where is it?"

"Where are the crayfish?"

"Hurry, hurry, have Zhou Xiong catch a few and send them over!"