After saying goodbye to the Ancient One, the night in the mountains of Kamar-Taj completely fell.
A cool evening breeze carried the faint scent of incense in the woods, making Lynn feel much more relaxed. He raised his hand and opened a short portal, stepping out and returning directly to his private penthouse apartment in Stark Tower, New York.
The room was quiet and empty, with only a faint, pleasant fragrance lingering in the air.
Lynn casually grabbed her coat from the sofa, took out her phone, and expertly dialed Natasha's number.
The call connected quickly, and Natasha's calm and gentle voice came from the other end of the line, tinged with a hint of fatigue from continuous work.
"You're back? Everything went well?"
"Successfully, everything is settled."
Lynn leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the myriad lights of New York at night, and said casually, "I'm back on Earth. I'll call and see if there's any situation there, and if Ultron has made any new moves."
I could hear soft tapping on Natasha's keyboard; she was clearly still checking the backend data.
"There are no abnormal signals. Ultron remains silent and dormant, with no new developments, and is most likely still focusing on forging a new body."
Hearing this reply, Lynn was completely relieved.
As long as Ultron doesn't cause trouble, this is a rare period of free time for rest and recuperation.
She glanced at the time on the wall; it was just past dinnertime, and her stomach was empty. Lynn asked casually, "Have you guys had dinner yet? If not, I'm free, I can pack some Chinese food to take home."
Natasha paused, her tone tinged with helplessness, "I've been monitoring Ultron's progress and sorting through base data all day, I haven't even noticed if anyone's eaten. Wait a minute, I'll go ask the others and call you back later."
"Okay, no rush."
After hanging up the phone, Lynn stood by the window and began to ponder.
He's been in the Marvel Universe for so long, either busy watching movies or chasing Natasha, and has hardly had a proper meal of his hometown food.
He was already tired of the Chinese food in New York's Chinatown; it was all too sweet and bland, with perfunctory seasoning, and either sour or sweet.
It had absolutely no Chinese flavor; it tasted bland and tasteless, and couldn't satisfy my cravings at all.
He had been craving authentic Sichuan cuisine back home, known for its heavy oil, spiciness, and numbing spiciness.
Since I had some free time today, I decided to go back to Chongqing for an authentic meal and pack some leftovers for everyone as a treat for all the people who had been working so hard these past few days.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lynn raised his hand and traced spatial patterns in the air. A pale blue portal instantly opened, and on the other side of the portal was the bustling, vibrant streets of Chongqing at night.
The evening breeze carried the unique humid heat of the Mountain City, the streetlights were bright, and the night market stalls and restaurants were bustling with people. The familiar, rustic atmosphere instantly enveloped me.
Just as Lynn was leisurely strolling through the shops and choosing a restaurant, her phone vibrated; it was Natasha calling back.
"I asked around, and nobody's eaten yet; everyone's hungry. Tony was just saying he wanted to eat the sweet and sour chicken from that shop at the end of Chinatown. Where are you planning to get some to go?"
Hearing this, Lynn couldn't help but chuckle, then explained helplessly, "Tell him to forget about the sweet and sour chicken. I'm in Chongqing, China right now, and I'll bring you some authentic China food later."
Natasha was clearly silent for a moment, probably not having realized the speed of his teleportation.
Lynn continued, "They don't have American-style sweet and sour chicken here. Could you ask Tony if he can eat it? If he can, I'll pack some to go; if not, let him go hungry. Anyway, everything I'm taking back is authentic Chinese food, no modified versions."
There was another brief silence on the other end of the phone, presumably because Natasha had turned to ask Tony.
Less than half a minute later, Natasha's voice came again, tinged with suppressed laughter. "He eats. He says he'll eat anything you bring, no matter the flavor. Ordering food and delivery is too slow these days, so he's been waiting for you to feed him."
"OK."
Lynn smiled and agreed, then hung up the phone to focus on choosing a shop.
He's always been picky when it comes to food. Trendy restaurants are flashy but the food is usually mediocre. The real delicacies are always hidden in the old-fashioned restaurants in the back alleys, where the atmosphere is lively, the taste is authentic, and the portions are generous.
He randomly picked a clean-looking, authentic, and well-established Sichuan restaurant that was always packed with customers, and went inside.
The owner greeted the guests warmly in fluent Chongqing dialect. Lynn, familiar with the place, immediately ordered a string of signature dishes.
Boiled sliced pork, signature boiled fish, Geleshan spicy chicken, Sichuan-style Mapo tofu, spicy dry pot, shrimp in a pot, dry pot cauliflower, stir-fried spicy cabbage—all authentic local dishes, all with a rich, numbing, and spicy flavor.
After ordering Sichuan cuisine, he turned around and walked to the old-fashioned hot pot restaurant next door, where he ordered a complete hot pot set to go.
To make it easy to carry and cook directly at home, he specifically only ordered pure brass cookware, a secret-recipe beef tallow hot pot base, fresh meat and vegetable ingredients, and a full set of dipping sauces, emphasizing convenience, affordability, and authentic flavor.
Both restaurants are well-established and serve food quickly. Before long, two large stacks of takeout boxes and a complete set of hot pot ingredients were ready. The aroma was enticing, and the red oil was glistening. You could smell the rich, spicy, and savory flavor even through the packaging.
Lynn easily lifted everything with one hand, opened a portal, and stepped back into the SSC headquarters' public dining room.
The restaurant was bustling with activity. Wanda, Pietro, Thor, Tony, Natasha were all there, sitting up straight and eagerly waiting for Lynn to bring back the food.
Everyone was already used to seeing the portal appear out of thin air and the full of takeout boxes in Lynn's hands, but they were full of anticipation for the heavy meal.
Lynn first placed a stack of Sichuan food takeout boxes next to the table, then turned around and stepped into the portal again to retrieve all the hot pot utensils and ingredients that had been taken from the shop next door.
He moved with practiced ease and method. First, he placed the brass hot pot on the simple heating stove in the middle of the dining table, then opened the rich and flavorful butter broth, put it into the pot, added enough water, and brought it to a boil.
Then, all the Sichuan food takeout bags were opened, and plates of steaming hot, glistening red oil, authentic Sichuan hearty dishes were placed on the table one by one.
In just a few minutes, the once clean and tidy dining table was completely covered with a table full of bright red dishes.
The glistening chilies, plump Sichuan peppercorns, and vibrant red oil create an intensely aromatic and numbing spiciness that instantly fills the entire restaurant, creating a powerful and impactful flavor.
The once bustling restaurant instantly fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone stared blankly at the table full of bright red dishes, their faces filled with shock and hesitation; the air seemed to freeze.
Tony was the first to break the silence, his lips twitching wildly, looking utterly hopeless. He pointed at the table full of dishes, his tone cautious.
" Lynn, I'm asking you seriously, are you sure these are all vegetables? Or some new kind of hellish punishment meal?"
He chuckled and complained, "We've been behaving well lately, haven't we? We haven't been slacking off or causing trouble, so why are you retaliating like this?"
Upon hearing this, Lynn rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand. This is authentic, top-notch Chinese food, the pinnacle of Chongqing's local cuisine. One bite and I guarantee you'll be amazed to the point of jumping for joy. It's a hundred times better than your cloyingly sweet and sour chicken."
Thor, listening with curiosity, widened his eyes and asked, "Jump up? Is it because it's delicious, or because it's spicy?"
Lynn was too lazy to explain to these foreigners who had never eaten authentic Sichuan food. She pursed her lips and continued to organize the dishes methodically.
Once all the dishes were laid out and the hot pot broth began to bubble, releasing a rich, spicy aroma of beef tallow, Lynn pointed to the table full of delicacies and introduced them one by one.
"The one in the middle needs no introduction, Chongqing hot pot, with an authentic beef tallow broth, rich and spicy, the longer it cooks, the more fragrant it becomes."
"These two large platters contain boiled pork and boiled fish; the meat is tender and flavorful, with a numbing and spicy kick that penetrates to the bone."
"This is spicy chicken and Sichuan-style Mapo Tofu; over there is spicy dry pot, shrimp in a pot, dry pot cauliflower, and stir-fried spicy cabbage. All are popular local dishes, a truly authentic taste of Mountain City."
After the introductions were given, no one dared to touch their chopsticks.
Their eyes darted around, cautiously glancing at the table full of bright red chilies and peppercorns, then turning to look at the composed Lynn, their faces full of hesitation.
Seeing everyone's cowardly appearance, Lynn couldn't help but curl his lip, secretly complaining to himself that these foreigners had no luck with food.
Without waiting any longer, he picked up his chopsticks and took the lead in picking up a large mouthful of glistening, flavorful boiled pork slices. The pork slices were coated with red oil broth, and the spicy aroma instantly filled his nostrils.
He couldn't wait any longer; it had been so long since he'd had such a flavorful, robust, and authentic Chinese meal.
One bite, and the numbing spiciness explodes on the tongue. The meat is tender and chewy, with a lingering numbing sensation and a penetrating spiciness. The domineering and addictive authentic Sichuan flavor instantly soothes all his fatigue.
Lynn ate with a satisfied expression, eating heartily without showing any signs of being bothered by the spiciness, thoroughly enjoying her meal.
Seeing how much he enjoyed his meal, everyone finally put aside their concerns and picked up their utensils, tentatively starting to eat.
Natasha was the first to try it.
Having spent years on missions, she possessed exceptional adaptability and a wide range of tastes. She took a small bite of Mapo Tofu. The tender tofu, coated in chili oil, melted on her tongue with a fresh, fragrant, spicy, and numbing sensation, the spiciness just within her comfort zone. She nodded slightly, a hint of amazement flashing in her eyes.
"It smells very good, and the flavor is very strong."
With Natasha's approval, the group became much bolder.
Wanda, being cautious by nature, picked a piece of dry-pot cauliflower coated with a little broth. It was slightly numbing and spicy, fresh and delicious, and her eyes lit up instantly. She slowly relaxed and began to eat it in small bites.
Pietro followed closely behind; the young people embraced it, devouring the spicy chicken with gusto, getting more and more addicted and unable to stop.
Thor, uninhibited by formalities, possessed a powerful physique as the God of War of the God Realm. He was completely unafraid of spicy food, eating meat and hot pot with gusto, thoroughly enjoying himself and exclaiming that it was the most satisfying meal he had ever tasted.
Tony, however, completely switched to the extreme "pulling mode" of being both afraid of spicy food and craving it.
He prefers American sweet flavors and rarely tries this strong, heavy, pure spicy flavor. He carefully blew on a piece of boiled pork several times before daring to put it in his mouth.
The next second, an intense spiciness shot straight to my throat, and a fiery burning sensation exploded in my mouth and rushed to the top of my head.
Tony froze instantly, his eyes widened, he gasped for breath, and his cheeks flushed red at a visible speed.
"Cough cough--hiss!"
He gasped for breath, grabbed the ice water next to him in a flurry, and gulped down half a cup.
The ice water briefly relieved the burning sensation, but just two seconds later, an even stronger numbing and spicy aftertaste surged up, making his tongue numb and his lips red and swollen.
"My God! What kind of devilish smell is this?!"
Tony gasped for breath, tears welling in his eyes, and complained with a pained expression, "You China call this delicious? This is clearly legal torture!"
Lynn laughed heartily at his disheveled, jumping-legged appearance, and slowly added, "I told you it was authentic Sichuan cuisine. You said you'd eat whatever I said, no one forced you."
Logically speaking, after being exposed to such spiciness, a normal person would have given up long ago.
But Tony was stubborn and greedy. Even though his face was flushed red from the spiciness and he was constantly panting, his mouth was full of honesty.
Having just finished complaining, he looked at the glistening, flavorful slices of meat on the plate and couldn't resist the urge to eat. After hesitating for two seconds, he picked up another small piece and carefully put it in his mouth.
It was still the same intensely spicy flavor, still making him grimace and jump around, but this time he tasted the freshness and aroma behind the spiciness. The meat was tender, flavorful, and became more and more fragrant with each chew, making it irresistible.
A classic case of experiencing both pain and pleasure.
For the next ten minutes or so, Tony was completely trapped in an endless loop.
He took a bite of food, gasped for breath from the spiciness, and frantically gulped down water. He kept complaining that it was too spicy and that he would never eat it again, but his chopsticks never stopped moving.
Especially the boiled fish and spicy chicken, the fresh and delicious flavors completely captivated his taste buds. Even when his tongue was numb and his lips were swollen from the spiciness, he couldn't bear to put down his chopsticks.
"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"
Tony, inhaling deeply as he ate, looked both conflicted and engrossed, unwilling yet unable to stop. "It's spicier than ever, but how come I'm getting more and more addicted? This flavor is poisonous!"
Everyone present was amused by his cowardly yet gluttonous appearance.
Thor ate the fastest and most voraciously, living up to his reputation as the God of Thunder, with his physical abilities at their peak. He devoured hot pot, spicy dishes, and other hearty meals, thoroughly enjoying himself and exclaiming that it was the most delicious food on earth.
Wanda and Pietro gradually got used to the spiciness and enjoyed the meal, occasionally taking a few bites of hot pot, creating a wonderful atmosphere.
Natasha has a moderate palate, specifically choosing mildly spicy and flavorful dishes, eating elegantly and contentedly, maintaining a steady pace throughout.
The restaurant was filled with steam, the hot pot was bubbling, and the aroma of spicy and savory food permeated the air. All the tension and fatigue from the day's preparations and the trials in the God Realm completely dissipated during this authentic Sichuan dinner.
Lynn felt particularly at ease watching everyone enjoying their meal.
The meal lasted for over an hour, and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely.
The table was almost completely empty of authentic Sichuan dishes, and the hot pot broth was rinsed clean. Tony was so full that he slumped in his chair, his lips red and shiny, looking utterly hopeless yet still savoring the meal.
He took a long time to catch his breath before finally speaking, "Next time... I can still eat it next time, but it has to be half the spiciness! I've truly experienced the power of the food you described; it's so spicy and fragrant, I just couldn't stop eating it!"
Lynn chuckled softly upon hearing this and began clearing the tableware from the table.