Old Tricks Again

Because Districts 7 and 8 were geographically close, they had always maintained a friendly relationship. Unlike the other districts that constantly tried to undermine District 8, District 7 never caused any trouble. As a result, the soldiers from District 8 didn’t feel any resistance towards their District 7 counterparts. In fact, they were quite happy to have them around. After all, who could guarantee that the Zerg would always mount small-scale attacks? What if a bigger one came?

Just like the previous incident when the red-thread worms decimated Districts 3 and 4.

The bodies of the soldiers who died in Districts 3 and 4 had already been cleared from the battlefield, but the stench of blood still lingered.

Now, it was Districts 7 and 8 working together to sell giant lobsters. Even though both districts sold them at the same price, people still preferred to buy from District 8 first. Only when District 8’s supply ran out did they turn to District 7.

Meanwhile, as the battle with the Beast Tribe escalated, casualties in the other districts kept rising.

On the Zerg front, things were unusually quiet, likely because the Zerg had been eaten by humans so ferociously that they didn’t dare move. Though the red-thread worms had proven effective, they needed at least six months to recover their strength after one deployment.

Naturally, the Zerg wouldn’t send them out again anytime soon, and other Zerg were terrified of being eaten. Sure, they had once eaten humans, but there was a vast difference between eating and being eaten. What’s more, the higher-ups among the Zerg could also access StarNet, and after watching videos of how humans were cooking and consuming Zerg, they were utterly horrified.

So, for now, the Zerg remained still.

However, the battlefield against the Beast Tribe was heating up. Districts 7 and 8 were soon called to assist there.

Mo Mo led his troops to the Beast Tribe battlefield, while Ye Mo kept a close eye on District 8’s situation. When she saw the enemy they were facing—massive wild boars—her eyes lit up. These wild boars were about the size of elephants, but she could still tell the difference between a boar and an elephant.

Aunt Yu, watching the screen, was stunned. “That’s a mutated beast! Its skin is incredibly thick. It’s not easy to take them down.”

Ye Mo turned to her. “Has anyone ever eaten the meat of these mutated beasts?”

“That meat’s said to be poisonous,” Aunt Yu replied, shaking her head.

Ye Mo was incredulous. “Who said that?” Wild boar meat, poisonous? Just because it mutated didn’t mean it would suddenly become toxic, right?

“Well, that’s what the StartNet says,” Aunt Yu hesitated. After all, the StarNet had once claimed that Zerg couldn’t be eaten, but they turned out to be quite delicious.

Watching Mo Mo and his team take down one of the mutated boars, Ye Mo immediately had it sent over to her for investigation.

Upon receiving the massive beast, Ye Mo started studying it. After some time, she concluded that the meat wasn’t poisonous, although it was indeed a bit tough. Roasting it wouldn’t work, but boiling might be the solution.

Ye Mo began her cooking experiment, seasoning the meat and simmering it in a large pot. She wasn’t streaming this time, treating it as a personal experiment, but she did record the process.

After about two hours, the meat began to soften, and a rich aroma filled the valley.

Aunt Yu, who came to help, exclaimed, “This smell is amazing! Is this really the mutated boar?”

“Pork is the most fragrant of all meats,” Ye Mo smiled.

“I agree! It smells way better than the Zerg meat. I’m drooling already,” Aunt Yu said, almost salivating.

Ye Mo checked the pot again. The meat was now tender, though still a bit firm. She took a piece out and offered it to Aunt Yu for a taste.

Aunt Yu beamed with delight. “It’s delicious! So fragrant!”

Ye Mo quickly asked, “Is it soft enough?”

“Yes, it’s ready!” Aunt Yu was too absorbed in eating to lift her head.

Ye Mo dished out the rest of the meat, keeping ten catties for herself and sending the remaining 90 catties to Mo Mo.

By now, Mo Mo’s team had taken down nearly ten more mutated boars. With their defensive formations in place, they could take down as many as they wanted.

When Commander Mo received the 90 catties of boiled boar meat from Ye Mo, the fragrant aroma quickly spread across the battlefield.

Mo Mo and his guards only managed to take a single bite each before they were surrounded by other soldiers.

Mo Mo was at a loss. This was supposed to be his wife’s gift, but now everyone was after it. In the end, under his guards’ supervision, the soldiers of District 8 all got to sample a tiny piece. When they learned it was from the mutated boars they had just killed, they were pumped with excitement and charged back into battle with renewed vigour.

Ye Mo then decided to livestream her cooking process again, and this time, Mo Mo sent people over to learn directly from her. Each team from Mo’s forces sent two people to learn how to cook the boar meat, jotting down every detail and ingredient.

Even though the steps were simple, when the fragrance filled the air, every viewer of the stream began dutifully noting down the recipe and waiting eagerly for District 8’s marketplace to reopen.

The smell was incredible. Those watching the livestream were practically drooling.

Seeing all the support, Ye Mo selected ten lucky viewers and sent each of them half a catty of the cooked meat. As for the rest, it was all packed and sent to Mo Mo—she had noticed he barely got two bites earlier.

This time, Mo Mo was smart. With meat already cooking on the battlefield, he didn’t even unpack the batch Ye Mo sent over.

Though his soldiers had cooked the meat well, Mo still thought his wife’s version tasted better.

District 8 soon put the boar meat up for sale, priced at ten star coins per catty, and it sold out instantly. District 7, sticking close to District 8, also profited greatly from the sale.

Meanwhile, the people of Districts 3 and 4 were losing their minds. Why did District 8 always seem to make a fortune, while they only suffered losses and casualties?

Districts 3 and 4 submitted a request to the Interstellar Alliance, asking to swap battle zones with Districts 7 and 8. After all, it was time for their turn to benefit.

When Mo Mo received the Interstellar Alliance’s notice, he sneered. With no Beast Tribe threat currently present, he dismantled his formations and led his troops out of the area without looking back. After all, he had made it clear that if such last-minute swaps happened again, he would no longer follow the Interstellar Alliance’s orders.

(End of Chapter)