Procurement

Chu He stared at the large pile of animal offal being discarded like trash, his eyes growing brighter, and the strange smile on his lips widening.

Kachi and Xia Yao, standing beside him, felt a chill run down their spines seeing him like this.

"Hey, Little He He."

Kachi asked in a tentative, somewhat uneasy tone, "You... you're planning to make food out of these, right?"

"That's right!" Chu He turned his head, his smile blindingly bright, "These are all good stuff! Treasures!"

"Huh?" Kachi's delicate face instantly showed extreme surprise. "But these things have such a strong smell! They stink!"

Xia Yao's face was also filled with confusion, and she bluntly added to the insult.

"Besides, intestines and stomachs are full of… well, shit!"

"Hahaha!" Chu He burst into laughter at her bluntness. "Just wash them clean with water! You have to trust my skills!"

He leaned closer to the two of them, lowering his voice mysteriously.

"Oh, and you two have an important mission."

"You have to help me taste-test! Once the aroma drifts out, many Anomalies will be attracted here, so you two need to eat with all your might!"

Chu He gestured with exaggerated expressions, "You have to look like you haven't eaten in hundreds of years and have suddenly stumbled upon the most exquisite delicacy! Understand? You need to put your soul into it!"

"Didn't you agree to help me with promotion? This is your debut stage!"

Kachi and Xia Yao exchanged glances.

They could see blatant disgust and deep loathing in each other's eyes.

Make them eat these stinking things, which were treated as trash and possibly still covered in feces?

And they had to look like they were enjoying it?

This was worse than torture!

However, a memory suddenly flashed through Xia Yao's mind: Chu He's shredded meat from the venomous Nightmare Serpent a few days ago, which had made her soul tremble with its aroma.

She also remembered the bloody warning from Gluttony House.

If it didn't taste good, Little He He... would be eaten.

Looking at Chu He's eyes, burning with absolute confidence, all her hesitation and disgust were instantly crushed.

In their place, a resolute determination took hold.

No matter what Chu He made.

She would eat it without hesitation!

Kachi keenly caught the change in Xia Yao's expression. She saw Xia Yao nod heavily at her, her eyes seeming to say: Trust him!

"Gulp." Kachi swallowed hard.

Seeing that he had successfully convinced the two queens, Chu He immediately perked up and walked towards the butchers who were discarding the "trash."

The butchers, who looked like orcs, were burly with muscular physiques, wearing blood-stained leather aprons.

After a brief exchange, Chu He got a definitive answer.

They really didn't want these things!

"Since you don't want them, why not do me a favor and let me handle them for free? It'll save you the trouble of throwing them away."

Chu He said sincerely, patting his chest and taking charge.

The orc butchers looked at him as if he were an idiot, muttered a few words, and then waved their hands dismissively, agreeing.

Chu He didn't hesitate, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work.

Soon, five or six huge black bags were filled to the brim.

A full three to four hundred pounds!

Looking at the heavy "spoils of war," Chu He was completely satisfied.

Chu He arranged with the orc butchers to pick them up later, and they readily agreed.

Next was the major shopping spree.

Cookware, bowls, chopsticks, tables, chairs... those were easy.

The most crucial part was the raw ingredients for the hot pot base.

Salt and rock sugar were basic seasonings.

There was no white liquor, but there was a substitute called "Black Rye Strong Liquor," brewed from a plant monster called Black Shell Wheat. It had an extremely high alcohol content and felt like fire burning down your throat.

Although there were other types of liquor, this Black Rye Strong Liquor was the cheapest. For these Anomalies who ate pig slop, he didn't need to buy any high-quality liquor to flavor the hot pot base.

There was no white flour, only a dark, coarse flour ground from the Black Shell Wheat monster.

The most outrageous thing was the chili peppers, ginger, garlic, green onions, and onions.

They were... all alive!

Each with tiny root-like legs, they were hopping around in special incubators. When grabbed, they would even let out shrill squeaks.

According to Kachi's explanation, these were the lowest-class D-Class plant monsters. They used to be wild, but now they're all contracted and farmed by Anomalies, forming a complete industry chain.

Since Myriad Phenomena City had no concept of "Hot Pot" at all, there were naturally no matching hot pot tables.

Fortunately, things like induction cooktops and portable gas canisters were available.

The three of them bustled around and shopped for quite a while, finally managing to buy everything they needed.

Kachi waved her little hand, and various pots, pans, bowls, utensils, tables, chairs, seasonings, and ingredients turned into streams of light, which she absorbed into a seemingly ordinary small pocket hanging from her waist, adorned with a crystal pendant.

"Is that... a storage bag?" Chu He's eyes widened in astonishment.

"This is called a Star Law Pocket, a specialty of our Star Law Clan," Kachi puffed out her little chest and explained proudly. "Depending on the internal space, the price ranges from one million to ten billion Ghost Coins! This one I have is not much, only a hundred million."

"Look at Yao Yao's black belt; that's also a pocket made by our clan!"

"Of course, there are many varieties like bracelets, necklaces, backpacks, and so on."

Chu He's jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

A hundred million?

And "only"?

Although Chu He knew Kachi and Xia Yao's families were very wealthy, he was still incredibly surprised.

With the shopping complete, the group returned to the slaughterhouse.

The final challenge was the five or six large bags of animal offal that emitted a strong, pungent odor, practically acting as biological weapons.

Chu He looked at Kachi with a smile.

Kachi's little face instantly scrunched up, and she shook her head like a rattle drum.

"No, no! Absolutely not! How can I put such a stinky, dirty thing into my noble and adorable Star Law Pocket!"

Helpless, Chu He turned his pleading gaze to Xia Yao.

Xia Yao's expression remained blank as she silently turned her head to the other side, her gaze drifting towards the distant sky.

Fine.

He couldn't count on these two young ladies.

Chu He sighed in resignation, accepting his fate. He could only reluctantly take matters into his own hands, carrying three bags in each hand, like a refugee fleeing famine, he trudged along the road.

The weight of five to six hundred jin was nothing to his current physique.

But the smell, mixed with blood and the unique stench of offal, that shot straight to the crown of his head, was a double torment to his mind and nostrils.

Along the way, every Anomaly they saw subconsciously took three steps back, covered their mouths and noses, and showed undisguised disgust and disdain on their faces.

"Ugh... what's that smell!"

"What is that human doing carrying a pile of garbage? Did he just get it from the slaughterhouse?"

"Is he crazy? Even dogs wouldn't eat this stuff!"

"Look at the two highnesses beside him! My goodness! Such noble bloodlines, how can they be following a lunatic picking up trash?"

Kachi and Xia Yao suddenly felt regret. If they had known, they would have endured the discomfort and put these things into their pockets. It was too embarrassing.

Under countless disdainful gazes, Chu He gritted his teeth and finally hauled these large bags of "biological weapons" back to the entrance of Gluttony House.

He didn't rush into the ominous-looking attic.

Instead, he set up the purchased stove and a huge iron pot in the open space in front of Gluttony House!

He took a deep breath, threw the processed lard into the pot, and lit the fire!

Sizzle--!

The oil quickly melted under the high heat, emitting thick smoke.

Next, Chu He dumped an entire bag of live, wriggling chili peppers, wailing ginger, and twisting garlic cloves... all at once!

BOOM!

An extremely potent, complex aroma of intense spiciness and spices exploded like a olfactory bomb!

The smell was so strong, so aggressive, it pierced the air, forcefully washing over everything around it, even overpowering the ancient and hungry aura emanating from Gluttony House itself!

The entire intersection fell silent.