Suneo pulled a long face and patted his empty backpack.
"My premium canned food, my barbecue sauce, and even the snacks I brought specially-all gone!"
"This camping trip has been such rotten luck!"
Shizuka sat to one side, her hair still a little wet, her tone calmer than the others'.
"Everyone, stop arguing. Doraemon must have a way."
Doraemon sat on the beach, looking down at the soaked camping map with a helpless expression.
"Honestly, who could have expected a wave to hit us out of nowhere?"
"The food and tools got swept away, and the tent's gone too."
Nobita immediately raised his head.
"There is a way!"
"Doraemon, get out the Gourmet Tablecloth!"
"As long as we have that, we can conjure up anything we want to eat!"
Gian clapped his hands.
"That's right!"
"I want hamburgers, fried pork cutlets, curry rice, and a gigantic steak!"
Suneo instantly perked up too.
"I want a French feast!"
"And fancy desserts!"
Shizuka said a little shyly, "If possible, I'd like hot soup and sandwiches."
Doraemon sighed.
"You lot always think of this the moment you run into trouble."
Despite his words, he still reached into his 4D Pocket and rummaged around.
"Let me see. Gourmet Tablecloth, Gourmet Tablecloth..."
A moment later, he pulled out a neatly folded tablecloth.
Nobita's eyes lit up at once.
"That's it!"
Gian and Suneo rushed over too.
"Hurry up and spread it out!"
"I'm starving!"
Doraemon set the tablecloth on the beach, but just as he unfolded a corner, his expression suddenly changed.
The tablecloth vanished.
There was no sound, no light.
It simply disappeared right before everyone's eyes.
All that remained in its place was an unfamiliar scroll and a tiny pale blue ball of light.
Nobita froze. Gian froze. Suneo froze too.
Shizuka covered her mouth.
A few seconds later, Nobita let out a scream.
"Doraemon!"
"Where's the Gourmet Tablecloth?"
Gian shot to his feet.
"Hey! Why did the tablecloth disappear?"
"Where's my steak? Where are my fried pork cutlets?"
Suneo clutched his head, on the verge of falling apart.
"No way! Without the Gourmet Tablecloth, what are we supposed to eat on an island like this?"
Doraemon stared blankly at the scroll and Chakra Seed on the beach, his round hands trembling.
"That's strange..."
"I definitely took it out."
He bent down to pick up the scroll, then looked at the pale blue ball of light.
The moment his hand touched the scroll, a flood of information suddenly surged into his mind.
Chakra Refinement Technique.
By extracting physical energy and mental energy, one could condense a power called chakra.
The Chakra Seed could help one get started.
After mastering it, one could practice ninjutsu and even become a ninja.
The more Doraemon read, the more bewildered he became.
"Chakra?"
"Ninjas?"
"Is this a training method that lets people refine a special kind of energy?"
Hearing this, Nobita hurried over.
"Doraemon, what's this?"
Doraemon scratched his head, his expression complicated.
"It seems to be something you can practice to become a ninja."
Gian immediately complained.
"What's the use of being a ninja?"
"I want food right now!"
Suneo shouted along with him, "Exactly! Even if we can become ninjas, that won't let us conjure up French food right away, will it?"
Nobita cried even louder.
"My dorayaki set meal is gone!"
Doraemon put away the scroll and Chakra Seed, stamping his foot in anger.
"I don't know what's going on either!"
"It looks like someone secretly swapped out the Gourmet Tablecloth."
"But they didn't take it for nothing. They left this Chakra Refinement Technique and Chakra Seed."
Shizuka asked, "Can we get the Gourmet Tablecloth back, then?"
Doraemon lowered his head and thought for a moment.
"I'm not sure."
"This is so strange. I'll have to take these back to the future for inspection."
Gian plopped down on the beach, clutching his stomach and wailing.
"But what do we do now?"
"I'm starving to death!"
Suneo slumped to the ground too.
"This camping trip is ruined."
Nobita went so far as to lie on the sand and roll around.
"Doraemon, hurry up and think of something!"
"How are we supposed to keep camping without the Gourmet Tablecloth?"
A row of dark lines appeared across Doraemon's forehead.
"There's just no dealing with you."
He reached into his 4D Pocket again and pulled out a pink door.
"The Anywhere Door."
"Let's head back first."
"The food and tools are gone, and something's happened to the Gourmet Tablecloth too. We'll have to put this camping trip on hold."
Nobita immediately scrambled up.
"Let's go home!"
Gian and Suneo had no objections either.
"Food first!"
"I'm going to prepare even more food this time!"
Shizuka looked at the messy beach with some regret.
"I thought this would be a really fun camping trip."
Doraemon opened the Anywhere Door, revealing a familiar room on the other side.
They walked through with their heads hanging.
The island camping trip had become a complete disappointment because of the sudden disaster at sea and the vanished Gourmet Tablecloth.
The scene slowly faded away there.
Fang Xu's consciousness returned to his room.
The next instant, a tablecloth appeared out of thin air in Fang Xu's hands. It was exactly the Doraemon gadget he had been hoping for, the one that could solve his food consumption problem-the Gourmet Tablecloth.
Fang Xu looked down at the tablecloth in his hands, his breathing growing a little heavier.
The tablecloth was small and neatly folded, with a simple pattern on its surface. It looked utterly unremarkable.
But the notifications in his mind nearly made him laugh out loud on the spot.
[Exchange complete.] [Obtained: Blue Fatty's Gourmet Tablecloth.] [Notice: After spreading out the tablecloth, say the name of a food or drink to generate the corresponding finished product.] [Notice: Unlimited quantities. No ingredients required.] [Notice: This item's hidden dangers have been removed. It can be used normally.]
Fang Xu stared at the words "unlimited quantities," with only one thought in his mind.
What a steal.
This wasn't an ordinary food gadget. It was an ATM for cultivation resources.
His biggest headache lately had been eating.
Once he practiced the Thunder Body Tempering Technique, his body became a bottomless pit.
He needed meat, eggs, fish, and medicinal meals too.
His wallet grew thinner by the day.
Now everything was sorted.
Blue Fatty had delivered a meal ticket straight to him.
Without another word, Fang Xu spread the tablecloth over the table.
Suppressing his excitement, he said, "Whole roast lamb."
As soon as he finished speaking, white light flashed across the tablecloth.
The next moment, an entire roast lamb, golden brown and glistening with fat, appeared right on the table.
Its skin was crisp, and fat dripped down its legs. The scents of cumin and meat mingled, instantly filling the entire room.
Fang Xu swallowed.
"Orange juice."
A large pitcher of chilled orange juice appeared beside it, with ice cubes in the glass as well.
Fang Xu picked up the glass and took a gulp.
The cold, sweet-tart orange juice flowed down his throat, seeming to wash away some of his post-training fatigue.
"So refreshing."
He picked up a small knife, cut off a large piece of lamb, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Crisp outside and tender within, it burst with juices.
Fang Xu's eyes lit up as he ate.
This tasted far better than the grilled meat he usually paid for.
More importantly, it was free.
He ate more than half the roast lamb and drank half the pitcher of orange juice.
The depletion caused by the Thunder Body Tempering Technique seemed to be replenished little by little.
When he finally finished eating, Fang Xu leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.
"I'll never have to worry about paying for meals again."
After resting for a while, his interest stirred again.
It can conjure ordinary food, but what about medicinal meals?