Surviving the Apocalypse with my Multiplier System - Chapter 151

Chapter 151: Gifting the Gifts
They quietly walked down the long driveway, pushing the handcart and enjoying each other’s presence.

It was already evening, and the crystal-clear skies allowed the stars to twinkle like small diamonds.

As Rayne walked, she pointed out various constellations to Julian as they happily chatted. Before long, they arrived back at the farmhouse just in time for Fred to make his way back from the second house that had just been set up for the newcomers.

“Hey, what’s all this?” he asked, noticing the handcart covered with a small blanket.

Rayne smiled. “This is a little thank-you gift from us for your hospitality. We’re planning on heading back tomorrow.”

“Oh, did you find the person you were looking for?” Fred asked.

“Yes, we’ve had a chat with him. He’s still thinking things over, but hopefully, he agrees to come back with us,” Rayne smiled.

They chatted a little more until Rita came over with Molly. “Hey, guys, it’s almost dinner time. Come inside and warm up, it’s getting even colder out here,” said Rita.

Fred helped Rayne and Julian bring the handcart up the steps and onto the porch before he uncovered it to see what sort of gift they had prepared.

As soon as the blanket was lifted, Fred, Rita, and Molly all gasped at the sight!

Fred immediately reached for the high-end bottle of whisky, looking at it speechlessly.

“How… What?? No, no! This is way too precious! We can’t accept this!” said Rita. Her words snapped Fred out of his daze, allowing him to join in.

“She’s right! This is way too precious. I don’t even know how you got a hold of all of these items!” Fred cried out.

Rayne smiled. “We travel a lot and have had the opportunity to loot a lot of places over time. Please accept this, as we have more where that came from.”

After a few more minutes of convincing, Rayne finally got Fred to accept the gifts on behalf of the settlement.

Everyone on the ranch that evening was in good spirits. The refugees from the city were now eating the first hot meal they had had in weeks, which even brought some of them to tears.

The dinner tonight was similar to what they had the previous night, just a little more watered down. Since there were now more people to feed, they needed to stretch their resources further.

Rayne was happy to see that the original residents had accepted the new ones well, and there were no major arguments.

Fred had already reorganized the task assignments to include the new residents, integrating them as quickly as possible.

After dinner, Jonah approached Rayne and Julian before they retired back to their RV.

“Hey! I just wanted to let you guys know that I’ve made up my mind. I’ll go back with you,” he said with a determined expression.

He spent the entire evening thinking about their proposal, and he realized that there was a part of him that was also fascinated with the red substance. As a once highly regarded chemist, his interest was piqued by this frightening new drug.

Rayne smiled happily. “Awesome! We will leave tomorrow. Let us know if there’s anything you need. Since you’re part of our team now, feel free to ask for resources.”

Jonah thanked her and went back to the farmhouse, where he planned to spend the rest of the evening saying goodbye to his fellow scientists.

Rayne offered to let him stay in the RV with them, but he declined, saying that he had already made his sleeping arrangements for the night.

After discussing a few more details, Rayne and Julian went back inside their RV to spend some time together.

After such an emotional confession, they didn’t have too much time to be alone since they had to worry about bringing the refugees back safely.

Rayne lit the stoves and turned on the space heaters, making the interior of the RV nice and warm. She also turned on the water heater so they could enjoy a nice hot shower after spending the entire day out in the freezing cold.

Once the water heater had time to warm up, Rayne was the first to jump in and shower. While she didn’t suffer any psychological trauma from being fondled by the Blood Skulls’ leader, she still felt gross and wanted to properly wash off any part of her body he touched.

Only when the hot water hit her skin did she realize how cold she really was. Her whole body felt numb from the long exposure to the cold, and that was with her wearing clothing made from nanofibers.

She stayed under the stream of hot water until the water heater began to run out of hot water. She quickly got out and dried herself before putting on a soft hoodie, sweatpants, and fuzzy socks.

Julian was waiting in the living space for his turn to shower but was met with Rayne’s apologetic face.

“I’m sorry. I used up all of the hot water. I’m going to refill the water tank now, so it will be a few minutes before the water is ready,” she said, looking guilty.

Julian shook his head, thinking that Rayne was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. He didn’t mind waiting a few more minutes and was happy that she could enjoy a long, hot shower.

A few minutes later, the water heater was ready, and Julian went to shower. He had already chosen some clean clothes from the closet that Rayne had previously filled with his things.

While he was showering, Rayne was scrolling through her system panel while lying on the soft couch.

She was looking for something comforting to eat. Although she felt that the dinner at the farmhouse was good, it wasn’t enough for her big appetite, especially after such a long and eventful day.

She wanted something warming and delicious, and just as she found what she was looking for, Julian came out of the bathroom, letting out a cloud of steam with him.

“Hey, would you like anything to eat? I found a chicken pot pie in here, and it’s calling my name!” she asked while looking over at him.

Her thoughts were slightly distracted as her eyes couldn’t help but feast on the sight in front of her.

Julian was wearing a fitted, long-sleeve black shirt and gray sweatpants. He was drying his wet hair with a towel as he walked over.

Rayne felt her heart race as her cheeks flushed. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world that this handsome, caring, thoughtful, and loving man loved her.