Once the first person surrendered, it was only natural that the second and third would follow. If they didn't want to be eliminated because of hunger, they had no choice but to accept Xia Ping's conditions.
So the hundreds of people who had come looking for trouble with Xia Ping all agreed to his demands and became his temporary lackeys.
Then Xia Ping told Han Shan and the others to give everyone a cup of instant noodles, as an advance on their wages.
A spectacular scene unfolded in front of the villa: more than a hundred students squatted on the ground, eating instant noodles with looks of utter bliss, as if this were the happiest moment of their lives.
Some students even choked up and shed tears.
"My God, I never knew instant noodles could taste this good. This is truly a delicacy fit for the gods!" one student exclaimed, tears in his eyes.
Other students nearby were just as moved. Gazing at the instant noodles in their hands, they said excitedly, "You can say that again! Just look at the broth, the noodles, the seasoning. This is the most delicious dish in the world. No chef could make anything like it."
"I used to think they were junk food and turned my nose up at them. Looks like I was completely wrong."
The other students nodded along. They'd been hungry for an entire day and night, and had spent the whole night dangling in the cold wind. They were nearly at their breaking point. To exaggerate a little, even tree bark would have tasted like potato chips to them.
And instant noodles were far more appetizing than that. They probably tasted better than even the finest delicacies.
"Come to think of it, we should thank Xia Ping. He's taught