"Here is the ordinary challenge, and here is the advanced challenge. Whichever one you’d like to join, just find a seat there.
The winner is decided in one round. There will be 3 rounds today, each lasting 5 minutes. Contestants, please know your limits. Don’t force yourself to eat if you can’t, as the hotel will not be responsible for any incidents.
Alright, now... let the contest begin!"
As Chu Jiangyue finished speaking, a 5-minute countdown appeared above the contestants.
The steamed buns were all prepared in advance, so Chu Jiangyue only needed to ensure that no one cheated during the contest.
On Shen Zhigui’s side, only Lin Xuyuan was participating. Song Chengjun’s fire ability users were partially in this round, with the rest prepared for the following two rounds.
The contest was happening in a newly opened small square outside the restaurant, with the ordinary and advanced challenges on the left and right sides respectively. Spectators were either on the outer lawn or inside the restaurant.
Chu Jiangyue directly moved a chair to sit in the middle of the restaurant entrance, overseeing the contestants below.
The participants in the contest were all men, and Chu Jiangyue lightly frowned, realizing that there might be a need for competitions suitable for women in the future.
The 5-minute duration was neither too long nor too short, and while Chu Jiangyue was preoccupied with other thoughts, it passed by unconsciously.
"Time’s up, all contestants please stop."
At Chu Jiangyue’s words, the contestants stopped stuffing steamed buns into their mouths.
Each one with their mouths full, still trying to swallow after being told to stop.
Above each contestant was a record of how many buns they had eaten, but only Chu Jiangyue could see these statistics.
"This round’s ordinary challenge winner: Contestant 3, Li Li; Advanced challenge success: Contestant 6, Lin Xuyuan!
The reward of 3 free meals has been distributed. The advanced challenge winners can come to me to claim the Fire Fruit.
The hotel will deduct the price of the buns eaten by those who did not win or successfully complete the challenge from their account balance. Please check promptly. If there are any issues, feel free to come to me for appeal.
In 10 minutes, the second round will commence. Those wishing to sign up can choose their spots now."
As for successful appeals, it depends on Chu Jiangyue’s mood.
"I’m in, I’m in!"
"I missed it earlier, there’s no way I’m missing this one."
"Hey, hey, why are you pushing? Don’t crowd!"
...
Many guests used various tactics to secure a spot.
Lin Xuyuan, who succeeded in the advanced challenge, came over at this moment: "Boss Chu, I’m here to claim the Fire Fruit."
Chu Jiangyue took a Fire Fruit from the system backpack and handed it to him: "Congratulations."
Seeing the fresh Fire Fruit, Lin Xuyuan’s eyes lit up: "Thank you, Boss Chu!"
His stomach was still full from eating for this Fire Fruit.
Still, just by eating to the point of fullness, obtaining a fruit that could instantly restore 30% of his superpower was extremely worthwhile to him.
Not to mention, there was also a week’s worth of 3 free meals.
For the next two rounds, the competition spots were still highly sought after.
Hua Country’s tradition of enjoying the spectacle drew many to join the crowd. People sitting inside the restaurant watching the excitement felt awkward to just sit without ordering anything, so they would order a little something to place on their table.
It was similar to the interest of onlookers.
Chu Jiangyue’s eyes curled into a smile watching the restaurant’s increasing revenue.
After 3 rounds of competition ended, the crowd gradually dispersed, and Chu Jiangyue began to address the shortcomings of today’s contest for improvement in the next day.
However, the saying ’things go bad at the extreme’ made sense. At 9 p.m., Chu Jiangyue saw Ling Feng’s trio, whom he hadn’t seen for several days, and... Jiang Zhenzhen, who had killed Cui Hao.
Was it fair to say she was incredibly lucky? No abilities at all, yet she still managed to encounter Ling Feng’s team and bring them back to the hotel.
"Boss Chu! This lady said she’s a good friend of yours. I felt sorry for her and brought her over."
Ling Feng smiled, seemingly looking for some credit from Chu Jiangyue.
Chu Jiangyue glanced at Jiang Zhenzhen, who had kept her head down and hid behind Ling Feng, his lips curving slightly upward though his smile didn’t reach his eyes: "Who could have guessed, Captain Ling turns out to be such a helpful soul?"
Given Chu Jiangyue’s reaction and Jiang Zhenzhen’s behavior since arriving at Jianglin Hotel, hiding from Chu Jiangyue, Ling Feng understood completely.
He realized he had been tricked by a woman!
Unwilling to be the losing party, Ling Feng turned to glare at Jiang Zhenzhen: "You freaking lied to us?"
If it wasn’t for her claim of being college roommates with Chu Jiangyue, he would never have stopped to rescue her.
"Brother Ling, I didn’t lie! Yueyue and I really do know each other; we really are roommates!"
"She’s right about that part. But... our relationship isn’t great."
"Yueyue, did you misunderstand me? We were fine before..."
With Cui Hao dead by her hand, she was now just a plain woman with some looks. Walking alone in the post-apocalypse, a woman like that could easily meet a grim fate.
Jiang Zhenzhen was now desperately trying to regain Chu Jiangyue’s trust, hoping she would generously provide her with food and drink.
In recent days, she had secretly observed Chu Jiangyue, noting that after returning to his cabin daily, he would cook his own meals.
The aroma was even more domineering than the braised pork from the restaurant.
Thus, Jiang Zhenzhen deduced that Chu Jiangyue’s cabin must hold a lot of supplies, at the very least not less than the restaurant.
"Oh, who didn’t go through a blind phase when young? Now that my eyes are clear, I can’t stand rubbish."
Jiang Zhenzhen heard the sarcasm in Chu Jiangyue’s words, but her thick skin allowed her to pretend she hadn’t.
"Yueyue, you promised me before that when I got my Identity Card, you’d give me Gold Coin. Cui Hao and I’s room fee expires tomorrow.
You know I’ve always been in poor health and can’t go out on my own. If it weren’t for Brother Ling this time, I..."
"Stop! Don’t call me Brother, I don’t have a sister. Just call me Captain Ling."
Bringing someone back to trouble Boss Chu made Ling Feng himself feel troubled. He always found the "Brother Ling" title too sweet and misleading.
But at the time, thinking she was a good friend of Boss Chu, he tolerated it.
Now exposed on the spot by Boss Chu, Ling Feng wouldn’t tolerate it anymore.
If he had known earlier, he would never have taken a shortcut and brought back such a hassle.
Having been bluntly rejected by Ling Feng, Jiang Zhenzhen’s eyes reddened instantly.
If she was still the former goddess in a pure white dress, perhaps someone’s heart would have ached for her, but being tormented and haggard by Cui Hao over this period, her clothes were dirty, the goddess image was utterly gone, and with her about-to-cry look, she only seemed pretentious.
"Yueyue..."
Ling Feng ignored her; Jiang Zhenzhen could only place her hopes on Chu Jiangyue.