Ugly-Cute, Ugly-Cute Comic Fungus~

As for the shop's name—

Jing Yi's initial plan was to simply call it "Food and Desire Empire."

It was especially simple, crude, and straightforward. Though it lacked much depth and was a little embarrassing, people would basically know at a glance what the shop sold.

"Food" naturally referred to delicious cuisine.

"Desire" was part of the second-stage plan. He intended to bring over distinctive clothing from Earth. Not only would he sell outfits for real people to wear, but he could also sell SD Dolls and related products, all positioned as high-end boutique goods. When the time came, real people and Dolls could wear matching uniforms, which would surely satisfy certain people's preferences.

As for "Empire," that was part of the third-stage plan. Once his skills improved, he would add various mech components and mech weapons to the catalog. Perhaps one day, the Federation's finest mechs could only be found here, with orders booked all the way to a hundred years later...

He was getting ahead of himself. In any case, that three-step plan was the general direction Jing Yi had mapped out. But plans could never keep up with changes, and there might be adjustments during the actual implementation.

He was quick with his hands and efficient at work. By the time he had roughly finished setting up the framework, it was still early—not even dinnertime yet.

Jing Yi was still in that excited early stage of starting a business, unable to sit idle even if he wanted to. He simply worked overtime, burying himself in drawing bug-meat promotional comics on his drawing tablet.

Yes, he was just that multitalented. He could even draw a few comics!

Back on Earth, his friends had affectionately called him—the Soul Painter.

Strictly speaking, neither cooking nor handicrafts counted as his greatest hobby. His greatest passion had always been painting! Think about it: he had already become the best at the first two. As for the thing he loved most in his dreams, the cinnabar mark in his heart, the moonlight before his bed—there was no reason not to hone it to the very best, was there?

In Jing Yi's own eyes, his painting skills were practically on par with masters like Van Gogh and Picasso. The world simply did not know how to appreciate him. Perhaps after he died, he would become like those great masters of the past, with a single painting priced in the hundreds of millions and people fighting desperately to buy it.

Unfortunately, his friends—even his most loyal orphanage companions—all believed he had suffered too many blows and had started spouting nonsense in broad daylight.

In everyone's eyes, Jing Yi's works came in only two types.

Proper clothing pattern drafts, and... bizarre heaps of... what the hell were those things?

An artist's life was destined to be lonely. Whenever Jing Yi picked up a brush, he could swiftly enter the zone, his creative passion bursting forth as he drew without a moment's hesitation, as if guided by the gods! He turned a deaf ear to every blow dealt by the common rabble, carrying the air of a great general who said, What the hell do you know? As long as one did not look at his works, it was incredibly easy to fall in love with Master Jing's proud and peerless bearing.

As for the disillusionment that came afterward...

Enough idle chatter.

Jing Yi had now seemingly entered that extraordinary state.

He finished one picture every few dozen seconds, flipped the page as soon as he was done, and worked in one seamless flow!

After drawing with complete focus for over half an hour, he let out a long breath, happily set down his stylus, arranged the finished pictures in order, and uploaded them directly to his personal homepage.

Why did he dare call himself a master? Not revising a draft after putting pen to paper was also one of a master's traits.

What he drew was already the best possible version. Add one more stroke, and it would become superfluous; leave out one stroke, and it would be lacking. It was truly just right.

Still basking in the afterglow of completing his masterpiece, Jing Yi went to the kitchen and made himself a simple dinner. After eating, he looked around the entire house and knew what he should do that night—

Renovate and remodel!

Just like a tiger arriving in a new forest, he first had to patrol the territory, leave behind his scent and claw marks. Otherwise, how would anyone know the forest had changed owners?

Thanks to Jing Xiaoyi's tiger-like territory-claiming operation, his husband immediately discovered that his old den had changed hands.

At first, it was Brown Bear, who was constantly watching the screen, who alerted him.

This had to start with that toxic video posted at eleven in the morning.

The first time people watched it, all their attention went to the food. Though they could not smell its fragrance or taste its flavor, its appearance alone was enough to make mouths water. Anyone who was hungry would be unable to withstand that level of mental assault.

The second time, they would marvel at Madam Qin's skillful, almost showy technique. So damn amazing! They could even see afterimages! Under the lights, a pair of incomparably beautiful hands danced up and down, then conjured up several dishes as though performing magic. It was simply a blessing!

By the third viewing, everyone had learned to appreciate the food and beauty together. Oh my, that slender waist could fit in one hand, twisting this way... then that way... this way... then that way... slurp.

Brown Bear watched it four times.

So he noticed something extra that ordinary people had missed, such as—

"Hey, Eagle Bro, doesn't this look like your kitchen?"

Though Brown Bear looked foolish, burly, and simple-minded, intelligence gathering was actually what he did best. He never forgot any person, scenery, or object he had seen, and he was also highly skilled at deciphering codes and cracking programs. It was not easy for anyone to fool his eyes. He had only visited Qin Meng's residence once, but he already knew the details of that house better than Qin Meng, its owner.