Chương 13: Division of Labor

Claire wasn't about to stand on ceremony. After all, the few boiled eggs she had taken back were devoured in the middle of the night. Before she had even stepped through the door, the rich aroma wafting from Vince's apartment had her mouth watering.

"Pour your own soy milk, and dish out your own noodles from the pot. Don't be shy, but whatever you eat, I'm deducting from your share of the supplies..." Hearing this, Claire's hand—which was mid-pour over a massive bowl of soy milk—paused for a second. But she quickly rationalized it. Let alone deducting it from her unearned supplies, even if Vince didn't give her a single scrap of loot, as long as he provided her with daily meals, she wouldn't have a single complaint.

Through their interactions over the past two days, she knew Vince was cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Plus, she could tell he didn't actually care that much about a few bowls of noodles.

"Mhm, deduct away. As long as it's enough to fill me up..." Gulp, gulp, gulp... As the rich, smooth soy milk flowed down her throat, it felt as if time had rewound to the peaceful days from just three days ago...

"Su, what are your plans moving forward?" Vince watched Claire. Her eyes were closed, savoring every sip of the soy milk as if she were drinking divine ambrosia. He could tell she was lost in a daydream again. He felt a bit bad interrupting her bliss, but he had to bring her back to reality. His words had the intended effect. Claire opened her eyes, the light in them visibly dimming. She silently scooped herself a bowl of noodles from the pot, deliberately fishing out a few chunks of meat to place on top.

She took a few bites with her head lowered, then suddenly looked up at him.

"Vince... are you... are you throwing me away?" Vince was instantly dumbfounded.

"Huh?" Why does that sound like I'm some scumbag abandoning his mistress? He certainly didn't remember their relationship developing to that stage...

"Can't we just do what we did yesterday?" Claire's large eyes, which had just brightened from eating meat, suddenly misted over. A familiar terror gripped her heart, and she spoke in a panicked rush.

"We can team up! I'll walk in front! If we find supplies, you just give me a cut... a third... no, a quarter is fine!" Hearing her frantic pleading, Vince realized they had gotten their wires crossed. Still, this wasn't a bad thing. With her expectations set this low, she would be much more receptive to his actual arrangement.

"Don't get worked up just yet," Vince said, calming her down.

"I thought things over last night, and I have a proposal. Listen to it first and see if you're up to the task."

"Do you know how to cook?" Vince asked right off the bat.

"I do! I used to cook for myself every day! I've just been too stressed and miserable to have the appetite for it lately..." Claire immediately caught the implication. He wasn't saying she was useless; he had a new job for her! Her spirits instantly skyrocketed. After finishing her massive bowl of noodles, she jumped up to dish out another one. This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

She even served a bowl for Vince, reluctantly picking the choicest pieces of meat from her own bowl and placing them into his. Vince watched her slip into full-on 'eager lackey' mode. Rendered speechless by her blatant attempt to curry favor, he pushed the meat-heavy bowl back in front of her.

"Cut the act. Just eat your food..."

"Now, let me tell you my plan moving forward."

"There are twelve units in this building. Besides the two of us, I doubt there's anyone else left alive." Vince gave her a brief rundown of his strategy: he intended to sweep the apartments above and below them, clearing out the zombies. This would allow him to gather supplies while simultaneously eliminating any internal threats within the building. Claire was clearly starving. After finishing the noodles, she tipped the bowl back and downed the remaining broth with loud gulps.

Her chest rose and fell heavily as she swallowed—a spectacular sight that landed squarely in Vince's field of vision.

"... So, whose apartment are we starting with?!" Having finally eaten her fill, Claire let out a long breath, slammed her bowl onto the table, and looked at Vince with heroic determination.

"Not we. Me..." Having confirmed her attitude, Vince continued outlining his plan.

"Your mission isn't to clear zombies with me."

"Then I...?" Claire looked at him in confusion.

"I'm going to clear the threats in this building, floor by floor, room by room. Because of that, I won't have time to do a lot of the mundane chores..."

"Like washing clothes, cooking meals, or maintaining basic hygiene in the safe zone..."

"Plus, the supplies I find will need to be sorted and organized. So, I need an assistant and quartermaster," Vince said, looking at her seriously.

"That's it? It's that simple?" Claire found it hard to believe. Weren't those just basic household chores? That was all she had to do?

"Of course it's not just that. Those chores will take up some of your time, but not all of it. So, I expect you to use your free time to physically train."

"I don't know what you did for a living before this, but in this new world, if you want to survive, getting stronger is the only way." He was saying this to Claire, but he was also reminding himself. Facing that mutated monster yesterday had drastically deepened his understanding of how dangerous this world truly was. It wasn't just Claire; he needed to get much stronger, too. As for his demands of Claire, it was simply because the day would eventually come when they had to leave this building.

When that happened, he didn't want her to be dead weight dragging him down. Besides, having someone handle the logistics was incredibly beneficial to him right now. It would save him at least three to four hours every single day. Nighttime exploration was out of the question due to poor visibility, making daylight hours all the more precious. Vince looked into Claire's eyes and spoke with grave sincerity.

"My reaction speed and combat experience were drilled into me from years of dealing with wild predators. I probably can't teach you that..."

"But once your body is back in shape, I'll craft some proper weapons and armor for you. When the time comes, you will have to fight. You will have to kill zombies..."

"You got that text message too. The government has a quarantine zone, but it's too far away from us right now."

"Even with a mountain of supplies, staying trapped in this building just means living an extra month or two. It's a dead end."

"We're going to have to leave eventually. I don't want you to be a burden when that time comes..." Hearing this, Claire finally understood Vince's true intentions. He wasn't speaking to her like she was a weak, helpless beauty next door. He was speaking to her like a potential comrade-in-arms. Not just a partner for their future journey, but someone he was willing to entrust a critical portion of his entire survival plan to. Hearing his long-term strategy for the first time, Claire felt a surge of excitement.

She answered with fierce determination.

"Don't worry! Leave the cooking, cleaning, and logistics to me!"

"I used to hire personal trainers at the gym, so I know how to work out! When the time comes, I swear I won't be a burden!" Since Vince was taking her this seriously, she absolutely wouldn't slack off!

"It's fine. You don't need to promise me anything. It's your own life..." Vince admitted to himself that he didn't actually know what the future held. He had his system; he could continuously grow stronger by killing zombies and increasing his Max HP. But as for Claire's future potential? He couldn't guarantee a thing. But for now, it was a win-win situation. Claire secured her three meals a day, and Vince optimized his time. Plus, having a drop-dead gorgeous woman at home cooking and cleaning for him every day...

at the very least, it was exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

"Go wash the dishes first..." Vince had officially begun his life as a wasteland lord.