The rating for this basket of dumplings in the catalog was only Desolate Rank. Because Xue Xi's technique was still clumsy, steam had burst through the openings in several dumplings, and the aspic in their filling had melted into soup, spilling out through the gaps.
In an instant, the fresh, savory aroma of crab spread through the restaurant. Li Guangming, waiting outside, fixed his eyes on the dumplings. His nose twitched as he inhaled the mouthwatering scent and swallowed again and again.
Li Guangming stared at the table, practically beside himself with anticipation. Xue Xi brought out a perfectly intact dumpling. As she walked, it swayed with every step.
Li Guangming was from Yangzhou City, in Jiangnan Base City. He had heard the elders in his family talk about the famed Jingjiang Crab Roe Soup Dumpling and knew how it was supposed to be eaten. Unfortunately, with Monsters invading, no one was willing to put in the effort to make such elaborate delicacies. Nutrient Solution and simple meals had taken their place, which was why he was so devoted to this renowned dish.
Once steamed, each dumpling was about the size of a fist, round as a full moon and translucent. In the steamer, they looked like little clocks; lifted with chopsticks, they resembled lanterns. At the slightest movement, the broth inside trembled and swayed. Their delicate skins looked as tender as a baby's, so thin they seemed ready to burst. Li Guangming felt that even just looking at them was enough to make his mouth water.
As if he were making a pilgrimage, Li Guangming set aside the crab-leg straw. According to the elders, anyone who used a straw to drink the broth from a soup dumpling in the old days was a heretic.
Following the eating instructions—lift gently, move slowly, make a small opening, then drink the broth—he used his teeth to make a tiny hole in the skin and let some of the steam escape. Then he pressed his lips to the opening and sucked out the broth. The thick liquid, carrying the crab's fresh sweetness and the meat's rich fragrance, flowed straight from his lips to his throat. It tasted unbelievably delicious!
After drinking all the broth, he peeled back the skin and saw the crab meat and roe spread lazily across the bottom. Li Guangming picked them up with his chopsticks and slowly put them in his mouth. The crab meat and roe were simply divine. He thought with satisfaction that all that patient waiting had been worth it.
At last, he dipped the dumpling skin in vinegar and ate it with shredded ginger. That brought the meal to an end. Still craving more, Li Guangming gritted his teeth and ordered two more dumplings. After that delicious experience, he leaned back in his chair, stuffed to the brim.
He gave Xue Xi, who was waiting for his review, a thumbs-up. "Thick but not oily, rich but not greasy, with skin as thin as paper and plenty of delicious broth. I should've known you'd be this good, Boss Xue." As he spoke, he enthusiastically tapped the like button on the projection. "Oh, and could you pack a few for my teammates? And prepare three more for my family to try."
With the likes and money coming in, Xue Xi beamed. Hearing Li Guangming ask for takeout, she thought for a moment and said, "You saw how delicate the dumplings are. They'll probably get knocked apart on such a long trip. Is that all right?"
Li Guangming replied without a care, "What's the big deal? You can put each dumpling in its own box. They can eat them separately, and next time they come here, they can enjoy them intact. Let's do that. I'll go pay first."
Xue Xi shrugged. Since he'd put it that way, there was no reason to turn down the money. As for whether his family would be infected with the RR Virus like she had been, she didn't think they would. She had been infected because she had arrived in this world with no defenses. The natives of this Earth might or might not have developed antibodies, but anyone who had survived the Great Nirvana had most likely been infected and evolved.
Xue Xi took a stack of plastic takeout containers from the storeroom. Wearing plastic gloves, she lifted each dumpling from the steamer and placed it in a container. Once they were packed, she added some condiments and handed everything to Li Guangming, who was ready to leave.
After saying goodbye, Li Guangming headed for the Military Base, where he planned to meet up with his teammates.
With nothing else to do, Xue Xi took the last Crab Roe Soup Dumpling from the steamer, rubbed her hands together, and began to enjoy it. In the quiet afternoon, sunlight fell across her bangs as she sat alone by the window, savoring this delicious taste of life.
Meanwhile, after rushing back to the base, Li Guangming sent someone to deliver the three portions of Crab Roe Soup Dumplings to his home. Once he had handed out his teammates' portions, he went straight into the training room without a word.
He had sensed something was wrong on the way back. His cells kept sending out waves of hunger, so he hurried to the base and shut himself away to train. He began using the Guidance Technique that went with his cultivation manual. Usually, his cells reached saturation after half an hour of absorbing Cosmic Energy, but now they seemed like a bottomless pit, greedily devouring it.
After a while, Li Guangming, feeling refreshed, was astonished to discover that he had silently broken through to War God Level. What was more, the cultivation-enhancing effect inside his body was still working. "That million really was worth every damn cent. From now on, I'm a War God too—a true pillar of humanity!"
That evening, news of Li Guangming's breakthrough to War God Level spread through the Thunder Martial Arts Hall's internal network. He had also passed the War God Palace's verification. According to his own account, he had broken through his bottleneck entirely because he had eaten a new delicacy from the Cat Ear Restaurant—the "Crab Roe Soup Dumpling."
Before you continue