"Haha! This meat soup truly smells wonderful! Come on, let's eat!"
Han Zhongguo laughed as he took a bowl from the server. Several other officials also took their bowls. In truth, they had been craving it for a while, but they had not dared to eat until Di Ping gave the signal. They had all felt the young man's strength and authority.
Di Ping, upon seeing his bowl full of meat, said nothing. This was the privilege of leadership, a concept that applies everywhere—even in the animal kingdom. For example, after a lioness hunts, the males eat first, and only afterward do the females get to eat.
There was no need for unnecessary complaints—if one desires to rise to a leadership position, they must endure the burdens that come with it, even when there is little personal gain. Di Ping was pragmatic and immediately began to eat.
Lu Hai, who had delivered the meal, finally relaxed. He had feared Di Ping might be a naïve young man, upset by having more meat in his bowl than others, and would cause trouble.
The managers from the base, standing nearby, observed Di Ping's calm reaction, and seeing that he did not say anything and simply began eating, they exchanged relieved glances and also started eating.
Earlier, when they had taken their bowls and saw the abundance of meat, they had felt uneasy, fearing Di Ping might get angry.
At this moment, Ge Zhongping, holding his own bowl, had a smug look on his face. He believed that Di Ping would surely lose his temper. He had pegged the young man as someone with idealistic values who would react angrily to such a situation.
If that happened, the others would surely resent Di Ping and begin to feel that following him had no future. Then, Ge Zhongping could easily consolidate power by quietly rallying them to his side.
However, things did not unfold as he had hoped. The world was not as simple as he had imagined.
When he saw Di Ping glance at the bowl of meat without saying anything and then proceed to eat, he was completely taken aback.
A sense of fear crept over him. He had thought Di Ping was just a forceful and straightforward young man, easy to manipulate, but now he realized he had misjudged him.
This young man was much more complex and mysterious, with a flexible mindset. Such a person was far more dangerous. How could someone like that make things easy for him?
As he considered this, his hand holding the bowl trembled slightly, the weight of the bowl seeming unbearably heavy.
Han Zhongguo and Lu Guoliang, too, were surprised. They had feared Di Ping would react poorly and lose the support of the people. However, they were pleasantly surprised to see that he handled the situation so well. They exchanged smiles, relieved that their worries had been unnecessary. Now, they could finally eat, their hunger and cravings overwhelming them.
At this point, many of the soldiers who had participated in the battle began to eat as well. They exchanged glances when they saw Di Ping eating and, feeling reassured, relaxed and enjoyed their own meals.
The meat that Lu Hai delivered was no ordinary fare. This idea had come from Ge Zhongping himself, hoping to provoke Di Ping into making a mistake, to create the perception that following him would not lead to any real benefits.
Ge Zhongping had hoped that by making Di Ping appear unreasonable, he could weaken the loyalty of the leadership and later rally them to his side. However, instead of causing trouble for Di Ping, his plan had backfired, strengthening the young man's position. This only made more people respect Di Ping. Ge Zhongping could not suppress his bitter feelings as he looked at the meat in his bowl, losing all appetite.
Di Ping, not being a naive newcomer, understood the intricacies of the world. His years of experience in business had taught him that the world was not black and white, and that there was rarely a clear distinction between right and wrong. Different stances led to different perspectives.
Though he did not necessarily rely on these people, he understood that where there were people, there would be social hierarchies. This was a fundamental aspect of human nature. Whether humans were innately good or evil, as long as they gathered together, there could never be absolute fairness. There would always be some at the top and others at the bottom, otherwise, society would be a disorganized mess. People banded together to pool resources and face risks.
This was a principle even early humans understood. So why did so many people still naively believe in the concept of absolute fairness?
Di Ping swore he had never tasted such delicious dog meat before. Although he had eaten it before the apocalypse, it was nothing compared to the mutated dog meat he was eating now.
Each bite was full of flavor, the meat tender and succulent, without a trace of strange taste. It had a unique freshness, as if he could see a green landscape in his mind.
Especially when the meat settled in his stomach, a warm sensation spread from his belly and flowed throughout his body, heightening his senses.
Though the warmth was subtle, he could feel its comforting presence. After finishing the bowl of meat, Di Ping felt full, a sensation he hadn't experienced since his enhancements. Usually, he could eat five or six bowls of rice without feeling satiated, always hungry. Now, after consuming the mutated dog meat, he actually felt satisfied.
Moreover, his stomach felt as though it had a small sun radiating warmth, and this warmth spread throughout his body. It felt as if every cell was alive, every pore was breathing. He felt incredibly pleasant.
The fatigue of the day seemed to vanish. His muscles, which had been aching, now felt relaxed. The small discomfort he had felt before gradually disappeared. Not only did he feel mentally sharper, but it also seemed as if his body was subtly strengthened. While the effect was less pronounced due to his already enhanced physique, for an ordinary person, the impact would be much more noticeable, especially in terms of physical recovery.
Di Ping was elated. He now realized that these mutated meats could actually enhance physical strength. If consumed regularly, they would undoubtedly be beneficial. For ordinary people, they could be a treasure, not only strengthening the body but potentially unlocking latent potential as well.
It was only now that Di Ping understood why he had been eating so much before. As his enhancements progressed, ordinary food no longer met his body's demands. Now, only mutated animals or plants, foods rich in energy, could nourish him adequately. He regretted not keeping more of the mutated beast meat to consume—he had underestimated its value.