The most exquisite part was the cold-tossed wild vegetable dish.
Purslane and dandelion greens had definitely been blanched in boiling water by Qi Wanyi, then tossed with minced garlic, chili oil, and a few drops of precious aromatic vinegar.
The wild vegetables maintained a crisp, tender texture, carrying the unique, fresh fragrance of the mountains, with a tangy, spicy kick that was incredibly appetizing.
“So delicious!”
Cheng Shuili couldn't wait to shovel a mouthful of rice, then picked up a piece of scallion-braised lamb and stuffed it into her mouth.
“Mmm—” She squinted her eyes in bliss. The lamb was impossibly tender, the fragrance of the scallions and the savory sauce perfectly fused together, and the slightly sweet glaze coating the rice made her want to go back for another bite.
The few people in the group chat were also acting like lunatics, throwing out compliments as if they were free. Even the usually silent Ai Lin had sent several messages of praise.
Cheng Shuili looked at this bunch of starving wolves and shook her head helplessly. She was clearly the composed one—no wonder she was the boss!
Liang Shanbo swallowed the last of her lamb soup in small gulps, couldn't help but let out a satisfied burp, and collapsed onto the sofa while rubbing her round, stuffed belly, only then freeing up a hand to send a message in the five-person group.
【Liang Shanbo vs. Pig】: Sister Wanyi, what are we eating for dinner?
Cheng Shuili saw this message just as she finished washing the dishes, and she replied with a touch of annoyance.
【Angry Crow Takes Flight】: Bread for dinner. No discussion.
A chorus of wails instantly filled the group chat.
Qi Wanyi, on the other hand, was quite happy—another meal saved!
At two in the afternoon, Cheng Shuili finally received a reply from Glory Shines on Blue Star.
【Glory Shines on Blue Star】: I think I must have entered an epic-level dungeon. You must have been in a hell-level one, right? I can't believe you came out so fast!
Zhao Hong sent this message entirely based on the instinct of being completely shocked.
He used to think that even if the Crow had some ability, she surely couldn't compare to the friends he had around him who trained every single day.
Or to put it more bluntly, every achievement the Crow reached was inseparable from luck.
The old Zhao Hong would have thought that luck made the Crow who she was.
But at this very moment, he was truly convinced. How could luck have made the Crow? It was the Crow who possessed absolute strength. And because people like them couldn't see this strength, nor understand it, they could only vaguely attribute it to luck.
This escape room challenge was a pure test of psychology and intelligence. If she could still take the top spot on the full-server leaderboard...
Zhao Hong shook his head. It would be strange if she didn't, right?
Cheng Shuili replied as soon as she saw the message.
【Angry Crow Takes Flight】: I have some new information.
【Angry Crow Takes Flight】: The next disaster is a famine. Be prepared. Also, these are gifts for you.
“You have sent a gift to player Glory Shines on Blue Star...”
Even if Zhao Hong grew three more brains, he would never have guessed that the Crow contacted him this time for this reason!
His fingers trembled slightly as he pressed against the virtual keyboard. He considered that what he gave the Crow last time wasn't much, yet this person was so incredibly sincere—not only telling him the next disaster was a famine but even sending him food.
In a famine, these were life-saving items!
How was he supposed to repay her?
Zhao Hong rummaged through his own supplies, finally choosing a few vehicle cards to send to Cheng Shuili.
“You have received a gift from player Glory Shines on Blue Star: Vehicle Cleaning Card x1, Designated Player Duel Card x3!”
【Glory Shines on Blue Star】: I hope these are useful to you.
They were useful enough, I suppose.
Cheng Shuili picked up a 【Designated Player Duel Card】. These things had become a bit of a plague lately; why were these cards everywhere? Su Rui had opened over a dozen of them from crates in the last few days alone.
Xinxue and Liang Shanbo also said they had opened several from supply crates.
Was the system mass-producing these?
Cheng Shuili had a sudden flash of inspiration. The frequency with which these appeared was just as high as the frequency of water before the extreme heat disaster. Could it be that this item would be needed during the famine?
She sat cross-legged on the floor and pondered for a while, but no matter how she thought about it, she couldn't figure out what use these could have.
However, she had plenty of game coins, plenty of supplies, and formidable strength. Plus, there would definitely come a day when these would come in handy.
She would just have Xinxue collect a few; it was better to be safe than sorry.
At three in the afternoon, most people had come out of their dungeons, and the regional channel became lively once again.
Cheng Shuili hadn't forgotten her main business. She was in a rush for a small motor, and waiting for Xinxue to open one would take too long, so she simply asked directly on the regional channel.
【Angry Crow Takes Flight】: Small motor. Who has one? Private message me.
“!, caught a live big shot!”
“Crow boss, look at me! I have two motors! But neither of them are small motors. Do you want them?”
She obviously didn't want those.
“I do have a motor, but big shot, could you leak a little info on the next disaster? You must already know, right?”
They wanted to trade a motor for information? Too stingy.
Cheng Shuili felt nothing but disdain, but the regional channel was led astray by this message.
“Yeah! The Crow must already know what the next disaster is!”
“Crow big shot, since you know what the next disaster is, why not just make it public? We’re all survivors; isn't helping each other what we should be doing?”
“Exactly! You have so many supplies, yet you’re hoarding information? If we don't survive, can you live with that on your conscience?”
“@Angry Crow Takes Flight, you’re the number one on the leaderboard. With great power comes great responsibility. If you stand by and watch us die now, who will trust you in the future? Besides, you’re ranked first; no one would dare mess with you anyway. Wouldn't making the info public be better for everyone?”
“I’m begging you... I have an elderly person and a child at home. If the disaster comes and we aren't prepared, can you bear to watch us die?”
“Heh, why put on such a cold and arrogant act? Isn't it just because you got a bit lucky? Do you really think you’re some kind of great savior? Hoarding info instead of sharing it—so selfish!”
“Crow, think about it. If you help everyone now, we’ll help you if you’re in trouble later. Wouldn't that be mutually beneficial?”
“I get it now. She’s definitely waiting for the disaster to hit so she can sell her supplies at a high price! She’s keeping quiet on purpose just to make money off our lives!”
“@Angry Crow Takes Flight, don't play dead! Come out and give us an explanation!”
“Damn it, I hate these arrogant types the most. Hoarding intel and waiting to watch the show, huh?”
“Crow, if you don't say anything, don't blame us for not helping you later. You brought this on yourself!”
Cheng Shuili: “...”
She really found these beggars annoying. One or two of them—the moment she said anything, they were just like mosquitoes, buzzing and buzzing until they were right in her face.
First of all, she had no obligation to make intelligence public. Secondly, the faces these people made while engaging in moral kidnapping were truly disgusting. Cheng Shuili sneered, her fingers tapping out five words on the virtual keyboard.
【Angry Crow Takes Flight】: Do I owe you something?
Those five short words made the boiling regional channel fall silent for a few seconds.
Immediately following that, another wave of indignant, shamed-into-rage cursing erupted:
“Don't act so high and mighty! Not sharing info is just selfish!”
“Exactly! You have so many supplies, what’s the harm in helping everyone?”
Su Rui was driving, so Cheng Shuili had plenty of time.
She went back to roast them one by one.
Rate on N.U.
