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The rating for this basket of dumplings on the menu was only Desolate Rank. Because Xue Xi's technique was still unrefined, a few of the dumplings had their openings burst by the steam, causing the gelatinous filling inside to melt from the heat and leak out along the sides.

In an instant, the fresh, savory aroma of crab spread throughout the restaurant, firmly capturing the attention of Li Guangming, who was waiting outside. His nose twitched incessantly, and he couldn't stop swallowing his saliva as he inhaled the hunger-inducing scent.

Li Guangming gazed longingly at the table. Xue Xi brought over a perfectly intact dumpling, and with every step she took, the soup dumpling wobbled three times.

Li Guangming was from Yangzhou City in the Jiangnan Base City. He had heard the elders in his family mention the reputation of the Jingjiang Crab Roe Soup Dumpling and knew how to eat them. Unfortunately, in the current era of Monster invasions, no one had the energy to put into such complex delicacies, which had been replaced by nutrient solutions and simple meals. This was why he was so fixated on this famous dish.

The steamed soup dumplings were placed on the table, each the size of a fist, round as a full moon and crystal clear. Sitting in the bamboo steamer, they looked like bells, and when lifted with chopsticks, they resembled lanterns. With the slightest movement, the soup inside could be seen trembling, delicate as a baby's skin and seemingly ready to burst at the slightest touch. Li Guangming felt that just looking at them was enough to make him drool, let alone eating them.

With a sense of reverence, Li Guangming set the crab leg straw aside. According to the elders, anyone who used a straw to eat soup dumplings in the old days was considered a heretic.

Following the mantra—lift gently, move slowly, open a window first, then sip the soup—he used his teeth to bite a small hole in the skin, letting the heat escape, then held the opening to his lips and sucked in the broth. The thick, rich soup, carrying the fresh sweetness of crab and the savory fragrance of meat, traveled from his lips straight to his throat. It was incredibly delicious!

After sipping the soup dry, he peeled back the skin to reveal the crab meat and crab roe lazily spread at the bottom. Li Guangming used his chopsticks to pick them up and slowly put them into his mouth. The crab meat and roe were truly exquisite, and Li Guangming thought with satisfaction that the patient wait had been well worth it.

Finally, he dipped the dumpling skin in vinegar and ate it with ginger strips, bringing the experience to an end. Still wanting more, Li Guangming gritted his teeth and ordered two more baskets. After the delicious meal, he slumped back in his chair, clutching his full stomach.

He gave a thumbs-up to Xue Xi, who was waiting for his review: "Thick but not oily, rich but not greasy, the skin is as thin as paper, and the soup is fresh and delicious. Should I say, as expected of you, Boss Xue?" As he spoke, he tapped the projected 'like' button a few times. "By the way, Boss, pack a few more for my teammates, and prepare three extra for my family to try as well."

Having received the 'like' and the payment, Xue Xi beamed with joy. Upon hearing Li Guangming's request for takeout, she thought for a moment and said, "You saw it yourself just now; the soup dumplings are very fragile. I'm afraid they'll be shaken to pieces on such a long journey. Will that be okay?"

Li Guangming replied dismissively, "That's nothing. At worst, you can put one dumpling in each box. It wouldn't be a problem for them to eat them separately, and they can always come back next time to enjoy them properly. Let's do it that way; I'm going to pay now."

Shrugging, Xue Xi saw no reason to turn down money since he insisted. As for whether his family would contract the RR Virus like she had, Xue Xi didn't think so. She had been infected because she had arrived in this world without any defensive capabilities. As for the indigenous people of this Earth, even if they hadn't developed antibodies, anyone who had survived the Great Nirvana had essentially been infected and evolved.

She took a stack of plastic takeout boxes from the warehouse and, wearing plastic gloves, carefully lifted the soup dumplings from the steamer one by one into the boxes. After packing them up, Xue Xi added some condiments and handed them to Li Guangming, who was ready to depart.

After saying goodbye, Li Guangming headed toward the military base, preparing to rendezvous with his teammates there.

Xue Xi, now free, took out the last crab roe soup dumpling from the steamer and rubbed her hands together to enjoy it. In the quiet afternoon, sunlight brushed across her bangs as she sat alone by the window, savoring this earthly delicacy.

On the other side, after returning to the base at full speed, Li Guangming sent people to deliver the three portions of crab roe soup dumplings to his home. After distributing the rest to his teammates, he slipped into the training room without a word.

He had felt something was off halfway through his journey; his cells were constantly sending out signals of hunger. He sped up to return to the base and went into seclusion, skillfully operating the Guidance Technique that accompanied his secret manual. His cells, which usually reached saturation after half an hour of absorption, were now like bottomless pits, crazily absorbing Cosmic Energy.

A while later, a refreshed Li Guangming was surprised to find that he had silently broken through to the War God level, and the cultivation acceleration effect within his body was still running. "This million was worth every damn penny! From now on, I am also a War God, a true pillar of humanity!"

That night, news of Li Guangming's breakthrough to the War God level spread across the internal network of the Thunder Martial Arts Hall. He had even passed the verification of the War God Palace. According to his own account, he was only able to break through the bottleneck because he had consumed the new delicacy from the Cat Ear Restaurant—the 'Crab Roe Soup Dumpling'.