"Met a snow ferret you like? Okay, I'll go ask later to see which color sack the snow ferret prefers."
Ansheng nodded lightly in agreement, as the Spirit Beasts emerged from Qinling, imitating Master Fuli in hopes of finding a home that guarantees food, lodging, and entertainment, settling down there, and fully investing themselves in the evolution wave.
The Security Bureau's environment is decent, with a monthly supply of Spirit Particle Potion.
But not all Spirit Beasts prefer to stay in the same dorm building with others, especially the small-sized ones who are mindful of the dangers from the big ones.
Not necessarily intentional harm—sometimes, a mere playful roll could accidentally flatten a small Spirit Beast under a larger one's backside.
Anyway, Yuyu's family is quite wealthy, and herself, a heavyweight Furi enthusiast, would save the snow ferret a lifetime of detours by welcoming it.
"Alright, I'll send Yuyu a message." Momo nodded and sent Yuyu a message saying the little fox agreed to help negotiate with the snow ferret.
"Xiaolan, come to the canteen for a midnight snack!"
Ah Qing cheerfully walked into the room, calling out to the gamers.
"Tonight we've got boneless sauna chicken—" She picked up the little fox with a big smile.
"... Sauna chicken?"
With Ah Qing's words, everyone present looked at her with a big question mark.
There were three cooks for the midnight snack: Ah Qing, Lingren, and Miaomiao. However, the highest culinary level among them was instant noodles with eggs, preferably non-burnt.
Though no technical prowess is needed for sauna chicken, knife skills are tested. A careless chef could easily blood-sacrifice their cleaver in a forced enlightenment.
"Not me, I just helped with the veggies. Miaomiao is doing it alone." Ah Qing looked slightly embarrassed but reassured everyone that there's no blood on the chicken.
Arriving at the canteen's back door, opposite the water basin used to store swill buckets.
A group of Spirit Beasts and Doggies, drawn by the aroma, lay by the windowsill, yearningly gazing at the pressure cooker inside the canteen.
"Everyone's here? Preparing for the midnight snack!"
Miaomiao, in an apron, smiled and indicated for everyone to sit: "There are two more dishes inside; once I stir-fry them, we can start eating. Lingren, help transfer the chicken bones from the pressure cooker to the sauna pot..."
"Oh…" Lingren took out the pressure cooker cooled by cold water in the vegetable basin.
"This..."
Momo was shocked, looking at the neatly prepared table setting and sliced chicken, completely unable to believe it was Miaomiao's culinary knife-work.
"Phew—"
A falcon cheekily flew out from the kitchen, landed on the table, and politely opened its wings, clapping like a human:
"Welcome Master Fuli to inspect work progress, paying tribute and learning for the tireless service provided to the people. This way please, let me pour you a coke..."
The falcon let out a loud screech, flicked its wings, pulled out a chair, inviting Ansheng and Ah Qing to sit down.
"Who taught you this spiel…"
Ansheng glanced sideways at the falcon, teasing.
"I changed positions, started reading two books with Fat Cat and Old Ox; it'll come in handy someday."
The falcon said cheerfully: "Come and try my partner's craftsmanship; under our guidance, knife-work ensures the meat is palatable, cut against the grain without jamming teeth."
"Eh? I did wonder how Miaomiao's cooking improved so quickly; turns out there's a master chef behind it."
The falcon's screech turned into speech beside Ah Qing:
[I, the master chef, personally guarantee the quality of the output. If it's not good, I'll eat it!]
"Eat your nonsense! This picky fellow!" Miaomiao came out with the dish, rolled her eyes, pulled the falcon's neck, and tossed it aside.
The meat is too large; the falcon doesn't peck, saying tearing the meat might get blood smell on it, making it inconvenient for outings.
It doesn't eat raw meat, claiming parasitic illnesses could cost a fortune in medical bills.
It doesn't eat takeaway, saying it's eaten it to death, plus the Security Bureau's reimbursement quota is overshot. Catching free ingredients at the School of Animal Science is the way to go.
Seeing the falcon working hard daily, beating up underwear thieves, Miaomiao still put in some effort.
At least, she has rich experience in quickly dismembering chickens.
"By the way, Ah Qing... Are you really going to eat it? This mushroom, in my hometown, is usually deemed poisonous."
Miaomiao took off her apron, wiped her hands, looking at the lone black speckled mushroom floating on the pot of chicken soup, with a hint of worry.
In her old Yunnan province home, no one would ever pick such mushrooms, let alone put them in the pot.
This mushroom in a pot leads only to wasting one chicken and a pot, nothing more.
"Xiaolan inquired for me with Principal Li, this mushroom of unknown origin has no poison."
Ah Qing cautiously, with a smile, lifted that lone black enoki mushroom with her chopsticks.
"If Ah Qing is poisoned, you die, understand?" Ansheng pondered, looking at the black group in the skull.
"Pff?"
Returning to its happy old nest, the black group probed a question mark from its forehead, softening.
"Ah-uh—"
With everyone watching intently, Ah Qing opened her mouth and ate the mushroom, softly chewing.
"Um..."
The mushroom tasted of no earthiness, only a subtle fragrance and sweetness, extremely savory, bringing warmth and joy to Ah Qing's cheeks.
"Delicious, just too small..." Ah Qing smacked her lips a bit, disappointed.
"Do you feel unwell?" Momo held a phone with 120 dialed on the screen.
"What's there? Moreover, if it's poison, wouldn't it take time?" Ah Qing bowed her head, looking at herself, feeling nothing amiss.
Just then.
As soon as Ah Qing spoke, her large eyes turned vacant, and she began to squint.
"Um..." Ah Qing sat blankly in the chair, as if entranced.
"Really? A mushroom can get someone drunk?" Seeing Ah Qing's expression change startled Ansheng seated on her lap.
Cheeks flushed with bewilderment and wandering eyes crossed.
Ansheng once saw Ah Qing like this, back during last year's Mid-Autumn Festival in the hospital; she accidentally injected Spirit Particle Potion, became a Martial Arts Grandmaster, almost sending Uncle Jinlong to a wheelchair.
Ah Qing's translation system for animal language seemed upgraded, akin to a patch, improving context and transmission according to machine translation extent.
Ah Qing was evolving...
"Xiaolan..."
Ah Qing, increasingly befuddled, reached out, cupping Huhu's chest, with a radiant smile:
"The mushroom tastes great..."
"Sadly, just one. Oh, I just ate the mushroom, let's kiss!..."
"Eek—"
Ansheng, with a face full of tension, lifted her paw to stop obviously drunk and still obsessing over her, Ah Qing:
"Appreciate the sentiment, Huhu, but if you wish to kiss, please brush your teeth, queue up at Fat Cat's..."
"Current bookings suggest possibly by New Year's."
"Also, take the pot and run, as Ah Qing's drunken moods are notoriously bad, she loves hitting Spirit Beasts drunk."
"Huh?"