Chapter 20: A Rare Moment of Warmth at the End of the World

Mohr couldn't take it any longer. "Boss, do you need me to shut him up with my fists?"
The others glared at Jenner indignantly.
Li Changsheng shook his head. "He's right. This place really is about to explode. Vi, how much longer can the energy last?"
"With minimum power usage, we can run for two more days, sir," Vi's voice responded.
'Impossible!'
Everyone cried out in shock, struggling to accept it.
Li Changsheng gestured for calm. "Vi, if we have a hundred liters of diesel, how long can we hold out?"
He had just investigated—the CDC's backup power was driven by diesel engines, generating electricity.
"Converting 100 liters of diesel to electricity yields roughly 1000 to 1500 kilowatt-hours. The CDC's minimum daily consumption is 90 kilowatt-hours. Based on these numbers, the CDC can operate at minimum power for about fifteen days."
Li Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the group. "Alright, the good news is we have a hundred liters of diesel in the RV trunk. The bad news is, from now on, solving this damned power issue is our top priority!"
Fifteen more days!
Diesel was hardly a problem, not with the Boss around!
Everyone cheered at his words.
Li Changsheng let out another long breath. "Alright, as Vi suggested, let's get familiar with the environment, and then..."
He paused. "Then we'll hold a celebration."
Cheers erupted.
...
Night had fallen. The CDC's lights were dim.
Everyone had moved their luggage and the diesel from the RV.
Li Changsheng personally helped Daryl pour the diesel into the empty barrels in the underground generator room.
Watching the generator run steadily, they finally felt at ease.
Jenner was locked in a small room by Li Changsheng.
For now, the energy crisis was solved.
The journey had left everyone tense, though none spoke of it.
Now, finally settled, Li Changsheng decided to let everyone relax.
He told them to use hot water, take a proper bath, and enjoy a good meal.
The CDC had its own emergency supply warehouse, packed with canned food, compressed biscuits, energy bars—plenty of high-calorie items.

But there was no time to inventory everything.
Though he'd already devised a resource distribution plan, all CDC supplies belonged to the camp, and anyone wishing to access them would need contribution points.
But seeing everyone so happy, he decided to start resource management tomorrow.
Today, he'd let it go.
...
The CDC was divided into aboveground and underground sections, each split into central, west, and east wings.
Li Changsheng arranged for everyone to stay in the west underground dormitory, instructing Vi to restore power to these rooms.
Hot water and air conditioning for two days wouldn't drain much power, especially since he still had several diesel tankers in his storage space.
So he let everyone use freely.
After hot showers, everyone lay on soft beds, smiles of genuine happiness on their faces.
Amy emerged from the bathroom, sitting beside a small tea table where coffee steamed in a mug.
A relaxed, cheerful atmosphere filled the space.
Andrea was already washed and waiting for Amy at the tea table.
Amy smiled. "This feels wonderful. It's been so long since I had a proper bath."
Andrea nodded, sipping her tea with a smile. "Indeed, it's a rare feeling. Last time I felt like this was two months ago."
Amy paused. "You know, Andrea, I once thought I'd never have days like this. Every day felt like a struggle at death's edge. But now, I can hardly believe I have it."
Andrea replied, "I used to be hopeless too. It was only because of you that I kept going. But now, I have a little hope for the future."
Amy's gaze grew deep. "Though I don't know what we'll become, I know that with him here, we'll live a better life in this world..."
The central underground level was the recreation area—over three hundred square meters, complete with bar, wine cabinet, billiards, and card games.
Daryl had already finished washing up, wandered around the wine cabinet, picked out a bottle of red, and tossed it to Mohr on the sofa.
"It's unbelievable to find such good wine at a time like this."
Mohr took the bottle. "Tonight, I'm drinking my fill. The Boss, that miser, will confiscate all this tomorrow." He raised the bottle and took a hearty gulp.
"Tsk, such waste," Daryl scoffed, eyeing Mohr with disdain, then took a big drink himself.
Daryl stretched out on the sofa, then suddenly remembered something, whispering, "Mohr, you bastard, you finally did one thing right."
He meant Mohr dragging him onto Li Changsheng's team by force.
Mohr shook his head. "Daryl, you don't know—on the day the Boss saved me, I swear I saw God himself..."
...
Tara and Columbus wandered the recreation area and came to the billiard table.

Tara picked up a cue and struck with force.
With a crisp sound, the ball traced a beautiful arc and landed smoothly in the pocket.
Columbus watched from the side. "Nice shot!"
Tara was pleased by the compliment, grinning smugly. "Haven't played billiards in ages. It feels fantastic!"
He gestured toward the cue and looked at Columbus. "Want to try?"
Columbus smiled awkwardly. "I don't know how..."
"Little wimp..."
Little Rock sipped cola through a straw and asked Wichita, who was applying makeup, "Wichita, are we still going to Pacific Amusement Park?"
Before meeting Li Changsheng, Pacific Amusement Park was her and Wichita's destination.
They'd heard it was free of walkers.
Wichita applied eyeshadow. "No, we're not. Isn't this place good enough?"
She had wanted to visit the amusement park because she saw no hope of surviving the apocalypse and didn't want to die with regrets.
But now, with such a safe camp, there was no need for amusement parks.
Thinking it over, Wichita explained, "I asked that guy just now, and he said..."
Wichita imitated Li Changsheng's tone: "'Are you out of your mind? The whole world is full of walkers. Why would the amusement park be any different? Hmm? Is the park owned by your family?'"
"And that's how I got roasted by him, that damned guy!"
"Ha ha..."
Little Rock laughed heartlessly; it had been a long time since she'd seen Wichita embarrassed.
Everyone finished tidying up and gathered in the recreation area.
The tables were piled with food and drink.
They sat together, Daryl glanced around and noticed Li Changsheng was missing. "Where's the Boss?"
Amy shrugged, a little helpless and a little concerned. "He's still studying the CDC's layout. Said we should celebrate on our own, he won't join."
Wichita remarked, "Just like all the Chinese I've met—workaholics."
Amy raised her brows. "There's one more bit of bad news. The Boss said we should drink less, eat our fill, go to bed early, and get up to work tomorrow..."
"What?"
"There's no use protesting. I saw the Boss already has a 'task list' written up..."