After everyone finished their lunch, it had been over half an hour. Fortunately, Chen Mu was quick with his hands and feet; otherwise, they might have ended up having dinner instead of lunch.

Chen Mu made an extra-large version of a giant hand-held pancake for himself and prepared one for Wei Dalei before finally stopping.

Food indeed brought joy to people's minds and bodies. Eating the steaming hot and spicy hand-held pancake, Chen Mu's confidence in the future grew stronger.

Although He Ying had already eaten three rice cakes, she still managed to devour the hand-held pancake completely. After finishing, she licked her lips, seemingly wanting more.

"This is what life is, this is life..." Sun Yuan mumbled as he chewed on the pancake.

Having eaten their fill and quenched their thirst, everyone reclined on the towels, enjoying this rare comfort.

Dong Junwei called He Ying aside, and the four of them sat in a corner of the towel.

"He Ying, what do you plan to do next?"

"I don't know, I can only take it one step at a time."

"Do you want to join us?" Dong Junwei asked straightforwardly.

He Ying seemed unsurprised by the invitation, hesitated for a moment, and then shook her head. "If it were just me, I would definitely be eager to join, but I have three other people in my family. I can't just abandon them."

Dong Junwei looked puzzled. "When we invite you, we naturally invite all five of you."

This time, He Ying was genuinely taken aback. "But... those three people haven't awakened their abilities yet, and even Sun Yuan's ability is not that strong. Would you still want them?"

Dong Junwei smiled and said, "First of all, at times like this, we should all unite. We can't reject someone just because they don't have abilities. Secondly, as Chen Mu said, every yet-to-awaken person is a potential powerhouse, and they might soar to great heights in the future.

"Lastly, Sun Yuan's ability is not bad at all. From what we've seen so far, at least it's not inferior to Zhao Xiaoyan's. If Zhao Xiaoyan were to hear this, your good friend might not let it go."

After hearing this, He Ying still found it hard to believe. "But, in such difficult times, are you really okay with keeping people who aren't contributing?"

Dong Junwei replied, "Not awakened doesn't mean they're not contributing. Take Tang Jing, for example, who would dare say she's not contributing?"

"But... not everyone is like Tang Jing."

"Even the most ordinary person can play their part. Du Jiajia is a great example of this. Besides, do you think all of us here are exceptionally strong?"

Dong Junwei briefly introduced the nine members on their side.

When He Ying heard that someone's superpower was having a skin bump and its only purpose was to scratch an itch, she felt a bit perplexed.

Just then, a surprised voice came from not far away, "This power is amazing!"

Then, Constantine's puzzled voice followed, "Is it?"

"Yes, let me ask you, what is the scarcest thing in the apocalypse?"

"Food?"

"What about after food is taken care of?"

"Hmm... What is it?"

"Entertainment."

"That seems to make some sense," Constantine replied hesitantly.

"So, you see, when others are mentally deprived, you have the ability to have a skin bump that you can scratch for self-amusement. Isn't that power strong enough?" Sun Yuan's voice sounded excited.

"That... actually makes some sense?" Constantine seemed to be having trouble keeping up with Sun Yuan's train of thought.

Can having a skin bump be considered a form of entertainment?But, self-amusement is indeed true.

The usually carefree and humorous Constantine quickly accepted Sun Yuan's viewpoint.

The two of them chatted animatedly.

...

Suddenly, Chen Mu turned back and said seriously to He Ying, "I take back what I said earlier. Can we kick Sun Yuan out? This guy seriously affects the team's morale."

The three of them burst into laughter.

Dong Junwei added, "We can't say what the future holds, but at present, with the school's main base mentioned by Li Xu being out of reach and the threat from Yizhong High School right before us, it's definitely beneficial for everyone to unite."

He Ying seemed to have made up her mind and said, "If you can accept all of us, I can represent them in making the decision to join you. I am willing to follow your arrangements and do my best to help the entire team."

In the short term, her three companions who hadn't awakened their abilities wouldn't be able to contribute much, so He Ying's intention was clear - she wanted to take on their share of responsibility as well.

"That's great."

Dong Junwei was very satisfied with this outcome and waved to Sun Yuan in the distance.

"Dong Senior Sister."

Sun Yuan immediately scurried over.

Dong Junwei was a prominent figure in the school, involved in various activities both on and off-campus, so even the freshmen and sophomores were familiar with her.

"We just talked to He Ying, and we want to invite you to join our team. Are you willing?"

"Can I join too?" Sun Yuan's face showed both delight and anxiety.

"Of course," Dong Junwei smiled. "Your abilities are strong, and you can be a big help to us."

"Really?!" Sun Yuan seemed afraid that Dong Junwei might suddenly retract the offer and hurriedly nodded, "I'm willing, I'm willing..."

This normally carefree guy unexpectedly choked up a bit.

"It's settled then."

Dong Junwei gathered everyone together.

As a representative of Class 4 in their senior year, she formally extended her hand to He Ying:

"Welcome, with He Ying as the representative, to the five students who are joining our big family."

Applause broke out.

...

After a brief but warm welcome ceremony, a question emerged before them.

He Ying's three companions needed to be brought back as soon as possible.

"It's too late today, and with the back-and-forth trip, they might have to spend the night outside. I suggest that tomorrow morning, Chen Mu, Wei Dalei, He Ying, and Sun Yuan go and bring our new members back."

Chen Mu said, "Let's have Dalei stay home to guard, and the three of us will be enough to pick up the new members."

Dong Junwei nodded, "Then let's follow Chen Mu's suggestion. What do you think, He Ying?"

He Ying replied, "I will follow the arrangements."

Dong Junwei smiled, "Since that's settled, let's all rest early tonight, especially Chen Mu. He just came back, and now he's heading out again. You've worked hard."...

With two more members, many things needed to be added.

Sleeping arrangements were manageable.

The previous rooms had some extra space planned, so even with five more people, it wouldn't be too crowded.

The more challenging part was the toilet.

Chen Mu had to add five more squatting positions.

After this return trip, many things would need improvements.

The toilet issue was a priority.

Non-flushable toilets not only posed hygiene concerns but also lacked comfort during use. Having to clean them manually each time was not a sustainable solution.

Thankfully, Tang Jing mentioned she had some initial ideas, but further planning and Chen Mu's cooperation would be required to implement them.

Of course, these things would need to be tackled step by step.

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