bookrandom Chapter 415
Chapter 415
Zhong Ming had no idea what the Chen family dynasty had done during this time, or how far the "model family" they had built, with him and his in-laws who had recommended him as "examples," had gone. All he knew was that he had to bite the bullet and have a big meal first.
"Welcome, our hero!" A chef stood imposingly, wielding a wok with a powerful spatula.
There is a unique war between the chefs and their gluttonous customers.
"The injury has not yet healed."
"Food therapy".
"Do not harm your body."
"I have a favor to ask of you." The chef flicked his wrist, the wok gleaming coldly, as if he were twirling a sword.
"I know my food isn't good."
Zhong Ming forced a smile. "Actually, it's alright." He recalled the days after his parents passed away and said this.
“People don’t think so,” he said, showing off his thick arms. He had originally worked there to “suppress diners who liked to fight in the cafeteria.” “Because of you, the reason people come here has changed.”
He seemed to make a "please" gesture, indicating that the two of them should come in and take a look.
When Zhong Ming came in, he froze on the spot, completely at a loss.
On the largest wall in the cafeteria, a huge oil painting hangs, its grandeur covering the entire wall surface.
The painting depicts... the posture of someone returning with the sound of bells.
It was... a person was nailed to a small part of the altar by a bunch of steel pillars, completely naked, and in a state of complete unconsciousness.
Of course, some "artistic processing" was done, giving the painting a more "martyrdom" quality.
But Zhong Ming blinked and looked more closely, only to find that it wasn't like that at all. It wasn't the spirit of sacrificing oneself for righteousness. Although the person in the painting had fainted, his whole body revealed a kind of... unyielding tenacity despite being subjected to severe torture.
Just one glance was enough for Zhong Ming to imagine himself being tortured in an enemy prison, refusing to divulge any secrets.
"Sigh~~"
"The name of this painting is: Willpower." The chef walked to his cooking station, holding a pot in one hand and a spoon in the other, as if he were standing in front of a battle, holding a shield and a sword.
He gestured with his eyes to the large pile of ingredients beside him and said, "A tenacious will and an unyielding belief. Now, there's a strange saying circulating among the cultivators who come here to eat: eating here, eating heartily, and eating without changing expression is a way for you to train your will."
It seems somewhat tragic, yet also somewhat amusing.
Zhong Ming couldn't understand how things were developing; the direction of events seemed even more absurd than a storyteller's tale.
But the chef, with a serious expression and a strong voice, said, "I'm going to launch a rice bowl dish called: Trial."
"So, you asked me to come..."
"In the name of my dearest friend, I beg you to come and have a meal with me when there are many people around. Master Cuihong, this is my most sincere request." After he finished speaking, he bowed deeply to Zhong Ming, his eyes sincere and genuine.
He... seemed to have found the meaning of life: since he couldn't make these dishes delicious, he would give them meaning.
Slogan: Stop being a sissy, eat this meal, and become a man harder than him.
Zhong Ming had thought that his injury would lower his prestige, at least no one would think he was "invincible", but unexpectedly his popularity seemed to have increased.
Essentially, this was a case of being betrayed by a traitor within the camp itself, while the bystanders...
The most familiar trope is that a hero is framed by a villain and suffers great hardship, yet remains steadfast under countless tortures, spitting at the jailers, and ultimately holding on until his brothers arrive to break him out of prison...
Given just a beginning and an end, these people will fill in the gaps in their imaginations.
Zhong Ming did not fall from grace; on the contrary, his popularity soared.
A hero is one who gets betrayed. If you have no value, who would betray you? Huh? A traitor would betray a lowly errand boy like me? A mere ammunition carrier? Only those who are indispensable deserve to be betrayed!
When Zhong Ming realized this, he was completely dumbfounded.
"Chef... I can help you, but could you please minimize... my influence?"
"No problem, I will tell them clearly that I cooked this meal."
'Who's arguing with you about this!' Zhong Ming's mind was buzzing. "I mean, can we take this painting away for now? To put it bluntly, this was a disastrous failure caused by my own carelessness, and I'm not even dressed yet."
"No, the battalion commander specifically instructed that they must not be removed."
Zhong Ming wanted to explain, but his lips trembled and he couldn't open his mouth at all; it was impossible to explain clearly.
......
"This is completely inexplicable!"
He Li Zhenren was covered in sweat, his injured body stubbornly circulating his spiritual energy as he checked Chong'er's body again and again.
"It must be the Gui Water Body, it must have been transferred here. I can't be wrong, absolutely not wrong. It must be because my injuries were too severe and I was delirious. I couldn't find the spiritual root of the Gui Water Body for a while. That must be it."
He didn't care if others heard him; half of his body slumped to the ground, tears streaming down his face, yet he was also excitedly gesturing wildly. If any outsider had seen him, they would have thought he had gone mad.
"Bang bang bang~~" came the very impolite banging on the door from outside.
"What are you doing? Be quiet, the other guests need to sleep." The old woman shouted, and He Lizhen finally quieted down.
He fell silent, but the child in his arms began to cry.
"Second Master, I miss my mother, I want my mother..."
He Li Zhenren looked at him with a complicated expression for a long time, then slowly bent down so that his eyes were level with the child's. With tears in his eyes, he said sincerely, "Chong'er, your mother won't be coming back for the time being. She asked me to take good care of you. You must be well. She said that when she comes back, she wants to see a tall and strong Chong'er. Be good, Chong'er, eat and sleep well, and grow up tall and strong."
Upon hearing this, the child completely ignored what was said next and burst into tears, crying, "I want my mother! I want my mother now! Second Master, I want my mother..."
"Chong'er, my dear Chong'er... Your mother... has gone to find a fellow named Master Cuihong, she'll be back soon. How about I take you to eat candied hawthorns in a little while? Your mother doesn't buy them for you often, does she? Your Second Master will take you..."
The child calmed down a little when he heard about candied hawthorns, but tears still welled up in his eyes.
"My mother said that eating too many candied hawthorns is bad for your teeth."
"Then Second Master will take you to eat secretly, without her knowing. Second Master is good to you..."
Master Heli had a kind face, but inwardly he was in great distress. If his injuries were not treated properly, he might fall back to the Qi Refining Realm. But he would be in seclusion for three to five years. What would happen to Chong'er?
All those words culminated in one final sentence: "Qihong! I'm **%&@!"