Chapter 44: Delivering Some Benefits  

Huang Ming took the stairs instead of the elevator and arrived at Room 1707. After scanning the area and confirming no one was around, he sent a message to Li Chang'an. 

Within moments, Li Chang'an opened the door. Huang Ming stepped inside and quickly closed the door behind him. 

"Damn, Ming! Where'd you get this gear? This is insane! So badass!" 

The moment he entered, Li Chang'an couldn't help but run his hands over Huang Ming's combat suit as if it were some rare treasure. 

Comparing his own suit to Huang Ming's, Li Chang'an suddenly felt his gear was lackluster—especially after having just bragged about it to Zhou Ting. 

Talk about eating his own words! 

Huang Ming took off his helmet and kicked Li Chang'an lightly. "Quit groping me, you fatass. I'm not into that. Shut up and listen—we're short on time. I'll get you one later." 

"I knew you wouldn't forget about me, Ming! No rush—just give it to me whenever it's ready." The guy really had no sense of boundaries. 

Huang Ming kicked him in the butt again. 

The commotion seemed to have disturbed Zhou Ting. Hearing the noise outside, she opened her bedroom door and walked out barefoot, wearing a lacy nightgown. 

Her hair was greasy, her delicate face slightly sallow—clearly, she hadn't bathed in a while and was likely malnourished. 

Stretching lazily, she sauntered toward Huang Ming. But when she bent over slightly, the view from her neckline nearly spilled out—making it impossible for Huang Ming to look away. 

"Ming! It's you! So this is the 'mission' Li Chang'an mentioned tonight!" 

Huang Ming awkwardly rubbed his nose and averted his gaze. 

He wasn't planning to tell her they were rescuing Lu Yusi. Instead, he decided to throw them a bone. 

"You guys haven't showered in a while, huh? Want to clean up?" 

"Wait—for real? I can actually shower?" Li Chang'an exclaimed. 

"Yeah, dumbass. Stop overreacting, or I'll kick you again!" 

Li Chang'an immediately covered his butt and took several steps back. 

Zhou Ting, witnessing this, looked at Huang Ming with even greater reverence. 

"Ming... you're not joking, right? Right now, we don't even dare brush our teeth or wash our faces, let alone shower." 

She stared at him in disbelief before sniffing her own greasy hair—only to recoil at the sour stench. 

Huang Ming shrugged and didn't answer directly. Instead, he walked into the master bedroom's bathroom and the shared bathroom, filling both water heaters to the brim—enough for them to enjoy a proper hot shower. 

He then placed five large water jugs next to each bathroom—ten in total—so they could use them for brushing their teeth and washing up in the mornings. 

"Alright, the water heaters are full. Enough for a nice, hot shower. The jugs are for your daily routines." 

From his dimensional space, Huang Ming then took out two crates of milk, two boxes of bread (one each), and finally, three steaming hot burgers—giving one to Zhou Ting and two to Li Chang'an (since the latter would need extra energy for the mission). 

"You two look pale—clearly malnourished. Drink a bottle of milk daily. Eat the burgers while they're hot—they won't taste as good cold." 

"Fatass, we leave once you're done eating." 

Li Chang'an nodded eagerly, his eyes practically glowing at the sight of two burgers. Saliva nearly dripped from his mouth. 

What were burgers without soda? Huang Ming pulled out a vintage 1982 Coke and let them pour themselves glasses. 

Li Chang'an, already familiar with Huang Ming's abilities, wasn't fazed. He tore into the burger wrapper and took a massive bite—grease nearly oozing from the corners of his mouth. 

Zhou Ting, however, stared in utter disbelief at Huang Ming's display of conjuring items out of thin air. Her pretty eyes blinked rapidly, as if questioning reality. 

Staring at the crate of milk, the box of bread, and the hot burger in her hands, she felt like she was dreaming—or hallucinating. 

But she quickly snapped out of it after noticing Li Chang'an's nonchalance. Pinching her own cheek to confirm she wasn't dreaming, the realization that she could finally take a proper shower overwhelmed her. 

In a burst of emotion, she suddenly rushed forward and hugged Huang Ming tightly. Even through the combat suit, the soft pressure was impossible to ignore. 

Huang Ming quickly pushed her away, only to see her eyes reddening—as if on the verge of tears. 

His kindness wasn't out of pity. Since he'd placed her with Li Chang'an, he couldn't let her languish. Plus, her intel today had been useful. Maybe she'd prove valuable in the future. 

Still, he gave her a warning. 

"Zhou Ting, if you want a better life, I can absolutely provide it. But you need to be worth it. I don't lack women around me. If you remain mediocre, you'll only get the bare minimum—forget about showers. Understood?" 

Zhou Ting held the burger in one hand while wiping away budding tears with the other. 

Determined, she nodded. 

"Don't worry, Ming. I'll work hard. Whatever you need in the future, I'll do my best." 

Huang Ming gave a slight nod and patted her shoulder, urging her to eat the burger while it was hot. 

Zhou Ting unwrapped it and took delicate bites. 

Before the apocalypse, she would've worried about the calories. Back then, she craved burgers but never dared indulge. Now? She couldn't care less about her figure—she just savored the moment. 

Soon, Li Chang'an wolfed down both burgers, then stared blankly at Huang Ming as if hoping for more. 

Huang Ming kicked him again. 

"Don't overeat this stuff—you'll get fat. Have you been exercising? I don't want you getting outrun by zombies." 

"Relax, Ming! I've been working out! Right, Zhou Ting?" 

Zhou Ting, still chewing, nodded in confirmation. 

"Alright, get ready. We're heading out." 

Huang Ming checked the time—11:20 PM. 

Before leaving, he handed Zhou Ting a machete from his dimensional space. 

"For self-defense. Exercise when you can. If you ever develop any special skills, let me know." 

"Thank you, Ming!" 

Zhou Ting took the machete, looking at him with determined gratitude. 

Huang Ming simply smiled, put his helmet back on, and kicked Li Chang'an—who obediently followed him out the door.