Chapter 40: Ling Feng Brought Jiang Zhenzhen Back

“This side is for the regular challenge, and this side is for the advanced challenge. Everyone can choose whichever they want by finding a spot over there.

Each match is a single round. Today we’ll have three rounds, each lasting five minutes. Participants, please know your limits—don’t force yourself to eat if you can’t, the hotel takes no responsibility for any incidents.

Alright… the competition starts now!”

As soon as Chu Jiangyue finished speaking, a five-minute countdown appeared above the participants.

The meat buns were all prepared in advance; Chu Jiangyue only needed to make sure no one cheated during the competition.

On Shen Zhigui’s side, only Lin Xuyuan participated. The fire-element ability users Song Chengjun brought took turns—some went in the first round, the rest were set for the next two rounds.

The competition took place on a small square outside the restaurant, newly opened for this purpose. The regular challenge and advanced challenge were on the left and right sides, respectively. Spectators were either on the outer lawn or inside the restaurant.

Chu Jiangyue placed a chair right at the center of the restaurant entrance and watched the competition from above.

All the participants were male, causing Chu Jiangyue to frown slightly—she thought about designing competitions suitable for girls in the future.

The five minutes passed quickly as Chu Jiangyue attended to other matters.

“Time’s up. All participants, stop eating.”

At her command, the participants reluctantly paused, mouths still full of buns, some still trying to swallow.

Above each participant, a record showed how many buns they had eaten—but only Chu Jiangyue could see it.

“First place in the regular challenge this round: Participant #3, Li Li. Advanced challenge successfully completed by: Participant #6, Lin Xuyuan!

The three free meals reward has been issued. Those who completed the advanced challenge can claim their Fire Fruit here.

The hotel will deduct the cost of buns eaten during the challenge from the balance of participants who did not win or succeed. Please check your balance and report any discrepancies to me.

In 10 minutes, the second round will begin. Those who want to sign up can now choose a spot.”

Whether an appeal would succeed depended entirely on Chu Jiangyue’s mood.

---

“I’ll go, I’ll go!”

“I missed the last round—I can’t miss it this time!”

“Hey hey, don’t push! Stop shoving!”

…

Many guests resorted to all sorts of tactics just to secure a seat.

Lin Xuyuan, who had succeeded in the advanced challenge, came over: “Boss Chu, I’m here to claim my Fire Fruit.”

Chu Jiangyue pulled a Fire Fruit from her system backpack and handed it to him: “Congratulations.”

Seeing the fresh Fire Fruit, Lin Xuyuan’s eyes lit up: “Thank you, Boss Chu!”

For this single Fire Fruit, he was still full from the previous round.

Yet, just by being a little full, he got a fruit that instantly restored 30% of his abilities—definitely worth it.

Not to mention, he also had a week of free three meals.

---

In the next two rounds, the spots remained highly sought after.

Due to the traditional Chinese curiosity for spectacle, many people came just to watch. Those sitting inside the restaurant couldn’t just sit empty-handed, so they would order something small to place on the table—similar to casual onlookers enjoying gossip.

Chu Jiangyue watched the steadily increasing restaurant revenue and smiled broadly.

After the three rounds, the crowd gradually dispersed. Chu Jiangyue began addressing the shortcomings in today’s event to improve for tomorrow.

---

However, as the saying goes, extremes often reverse. At 9 p.m., Chu Jiangyue saw Ling Feng and his two companions she hadn’t seen in days—and… Jiang Zhenzhen, who had killed Cui Hao.

Could she call it luck? Without any special skills, she still managed to encounter Ling Feng’s group and get brought back to the hotel.

“Boss Chu! This lady says she’s your good friend. I felt sorry for her, so I brought her back,” Ling Feng said with a smile, as if hoping to gain credit.

Chu Jiangyue glanced at Jiang Zhenzhen, who kept her head lowered behind Ling Feng, and her lips curved slightly—though the smile didn’t reach her eyes: “I didn’t expect Captain Ling to still be a helpful person?”

Chu Jiangyue’s reaction, along with Jiang Zhenzhen avoiding eye contact since entering the hotel, left Ling Feng stunned.

He had been played by a woman!

Ling Feng wasn’t someone who took losses lightly. He turned his gaze sharply to Jiang Zhenzhen: “You tricked us?”

If not for her claim that she and Chu Jiangyue were college roommates, he wouldn’t have stopped to rescue her.

“I didn’t, Brother Ling! I really know Yueyue—we really were roommates!”

“That part is true. But… our relationship wasn’t that close.”

“Yueyue, did you misunderstand me? We were fine before…”

Cui Hao had been killed by her. Now, Jiang Zhenzhen was just an ordinary woman with a bit of beauty—someone walking alone in the apocalypse would meet a grim fate.

She now desperately wanted to regain Chu Jiangyue’s trust and get food and drink without conditions.

Recently, she had been observing Chu Jiangyue, noting that after returning to her cabin, she cooked for herself.

The aroma was even more overwhelming than the restaurant’s braised pork.

Thus, Jiang Zhenzhen concluded that Chu Jiangyue’s cabin surely had plenty of supplies—at least no less than the restaurant.

“Oh, everyone’s young and reckless once in a while. Now your eyes are open, and you can’t tolerate trash,” Chu Jiangyue said, a subtle jab.

Jiang Zhenzhen immediately caught it, but thick-skinned as she was, she pretended not to hear.

“Yueyue, you promised me before—when I got my identity card, you’d give me coins. Cui Hao and I’s room rent expires tomorrow. You know my health is poor and I can’t go out alone. If it weren’t for Brother Ling, I…”

“Stop! Don’t call me Brother. I have no sister. Call me Captain Ling.”

Rescuing someone only to make Boss Chu uncomfortable also bothered Ling Feng. He had always felt “Brother Ling” sounded too sweet and misleading.

Before, he tolerated it thinking she was Chu Jiangyue’s friend. Now, with Chu Jiangyue undermining him in front of everyone, he wouldn’t.

Had he known, he wouldn’t have taken the shortcut today and brought back trouble.

Rejected clearly by Ling Feng, Jiang Zhenzhen’s eyes turned red.

If she were the flawless goddess she used to be, someone might have pitied her. But after being tormented by Cui Hao, she was now haggard, dirty, and lost her divine image. Her pitiful act only came across as affectation.

“Yueyue…”

Ling Feng ignored her. Jiang Zhenzhen now had only Chu Jiangyue to rely on.