Chapter 420

The Red Spider, quick as lightning, grabbed a pile of tomatoes and carrots, then suddenly remembered she couldn't cook, and said awkwardly: "Uh… how about we blend these vegetables into a paste and put the bomb inside?"

"That won't work. The Meat Mountain is lazy, not stupid. It'll taste the paste. We only get one chance."

Blood Lion Roared picked up a cleaver, but he hadn't cooked for years himself; staring at the cutting board, he was momentarily lost.

As food is life to the people, the dining industry in Slum Street is highly developed, offering everything from energy bars, self-heating meals, and pre-prepared dishes for quest use, to luxurious dishes cooked by master chefs from every nation, and even fantastical dishes made from extraordinary creature ingredients that grant special buffs.

Thanks to the cheapening and widespread adoption of space-type gear, many players buy food on Slum Street before heading out on missions.

This trend also annoyed many veteran Transcendents, who constantly posted on forums: "Today's players are worse than the last generation—too pampered. Back in our day, fighting in the Killing Grounds, we had none of this luxury—we slept under the open sky, ate rat and cockroach meat, drank radioactive wastewater, and when we got heaty, our piss shot out flames."

It had the same vibe as "When my parents walked to school as kids."

"Let me handle it."

Binary Tree took a deep breath, pulled out his phone, and activated a summoning skill.

【Skill Name: Summoning Technique · New Oriental Chef Hotline】

【Type: Universal】

【Effect: On-Demand Chef. Instantly summon a professional chef to quickly cook a dish using available ingredients】

【Cost: 30 Spirit Points, 20 Game Coins】

【Cooldown: 24 Hours】

【Requirement: One mobile phone】

【Note: The summoned chef varies each time—skill levels differ. If you get along well with the chef or pay extra tips, your chance of summoning them again increases.】

【Note: "Just another cooking job." The cannibal chef stirred his spoon as he spoke.】

This skill was something Binary Tree accidentally obtained from a loot box when he was still Level 5. He'd never replaced it, and it still sat in his skill bar.

One reason was its low cost—it didn't clutter his skill slot.

Another reason was that this skill held the potential to create miracles—chefs have combat power too!

People like Master Gangster, Sanji from One Piece, Senji from Dungeon Meshi, and even Prigozhin, former leader of the Wagner Group, were all chefs.

There's even anime like Food Wars! where battles destroy continents, and SpongeBob SquarePants, a ridiculous comedy.

The phone rang, and with a flash of Bai Guang, a plain-looking, bald middle-aged man in a chef's uniform appeared before them.

【Unknown Character.】

Binary Tree rapidly scrolled through his electronic brain's database of known works but found no match for this man's identity.

"You're the employer, right?"

The bald chef solemnly placed his chef's hat on his head, professionally pulled out various knives from his belt, glanced at the stove, and asked: "French cuisine?"

"Yes."

Binary Tree had used this skill many times before; he spoke quickly and confidently: "Make a large quantity. Taste just above average is fine."

"Got it."

The bald chef's eyes flashed cold light; his hands moved so fast they left afterimages, grabbing red wine, beef, thyme, potatoes, peas, and other ingredients from the shelves to begin cooking the classic French dish: Beef Bourguignon.

Under the skill's acceleration, the complex steps of simmering, searing, sautéing, and stewing were completed in just ten minutes, filling two massive barrels—enough to hide the bomb.

But

"Bro, this tastes wrong." Hui Yu scooped up a spoonful, spat it out immediately: "What the hell is this?"

"Let me try." Blood Lion Roared also tasted it with a spoon; his expression shifted several times.

It wasn't delicious—it was inedible.

Bitter, astringent, sour, spicy, fishy—all these complex flavors mixed together made one wonder: was this French cuisine or the Filipino dish pagpag?

"Pff—"

The bald chef ignored the criticism, pulled out a cigarette from nowhere, lit it, and said: "Don't rush. There's still one final step."

He reached into his chest, yanked something out, and pulled a plain white plastic bag with no label. He cut it open and dumped all the blue crystalline powder inside into the barrel.

The next second, an unimaginable, overwhelming aroma erupted—the previously foul-smelling beef bourguignon instantly transformed into something miraculous, making everyone's mouth water.

"Holy shit."

Hui Yu was utterly stunned: "What the hell did you just add?!"

In Li Cheng's Info-Synthesizing Glasses view, the freshness value of the stew in the barrel had exceeded 100—off the charts.

"Mushroom extract. It bursts with umami on the tongue, lingers long, carries a meaty fragrance, and makes you want to eat more the more you eat."

The bald chef grinned proudly: "Diluted, it's called Yunmian Dake. Diluted again, it's called US dollars. Diluted again, it's called Hong Kong dollars.

Heisenberg and Gustavo Fring both get their supply from me.

One customer used this seasoning to cook his shoes. After eating, he woke up the next day—and the shoes were still in the closet."

??? Did he just hallucinate from eating?

Binary Tree, looking pained, pulled out two gold bars as tips and handed them to the bald chef.

The chef glanced around, then promptly shoved the gold bars into his pocket and vanished.

Whatever the bald chef could or couldn't cook, whatever tech or chemicals he'd dumped in the seasoning—this barrel of beef bourguignon wasn't meant for players.

Blood Lion Roared pulled out the Special Plastic Explosive from the Thunder Strike Guild, molded it into pea-sized pellets, and tossed them all into the barrel.

Then, with the Red Spider, they carried the iron barrel up onto the Meat Mountain's head.

Perhaps the aroma of the stew was too overwhelming—even the Meat Mountain, who refused to breathe on its own, closed its eyes and willingly opened its mouth, revealing a crack.

Blood Lion Roared and the Red Spider lifted their respirators and poured both barrels of stew into the Meat Mountain's mouth, then immediately jumped down, returning to the armored truck to wait silently.

The Meat Mountain's body blocks electromagnetic signals, so remote detonation was impossible; thus, while molding the plastic explosives, Blood Lion Roared had embedded multiple Casio F-91W watches as timing devices.

Time was up…

Gurgling—

The Meat Mountain's already enormous belly swelled unnaturally, then—

Boom!!!!

The blast of fire swept through the kitchen, sending unsecured kitchen equipment flying easily, while chunks of flesh and blood smelling of charred fragrance scattered across the ground.

The Meat Mountain fully awakened; half its belly vanished into thin air, exposing pale-white ribs and its bloated intestines.

Even so, it was still alive, its wounds healing at frightening speed, its massive body shifting with effort, a low growl rumbling from its mouth.

"Hold on tight, we're charging through!"

There was only one chance. Blood Lion roared and floored the accelerator, the engine letting out bursts of thunderous roar, and the heavy truck, like a siege ram, slammed into the gap in Meat Mountain's belly.

(End of chapter)