A Group-Wide Boost, a Celebration Feast, and a Visit from the Director! (Continued)

He returned to the sofa, his consciousness shifting back to the Land of Mist, to continue cultivating his spiritual power.

Almost two hours later, the doorbell rang again, and my phone started buzzing.

Shen Xing knew that Qin Lang and the others must have arrived this time.

Sure enough, a bunch of emojis appeared in the discussion group, interspersed with a short text.

"Xiong Da, open the door! We're here!" (Cilantro Who Loves to Play)

"I'll drive it."

Before Shen Xing could reply, Yu Feifei, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen, quickly walked to the front gate, and opened the gate to the yard.

Xu Jiayi and Qin Lang carried two bags of groceries and stepped into the yard.

When they saw the tall figure standing at the door, they froze in place.

"When did you arrive?" Xu Jiayi frowned slightly, staring at her with an unfriendly expression.

"Hehe, you arrived last night." Yu Feifei gave her a provocative look. "And I even spent the night here."

"Holy crap, they're going all in!?" Qin Lang exclaimed in surprise.

Xu Jiayi, standing next to her, was pale-faced and completely dazed, as if she had suffered a huge shock.

"Don't talk nonsense." Shen Xing pushed the wheelchair over. "She came over at noon and was just preparing ingredients in the kitchen."

Upon hearing this, the two people at the door both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Haha, look how scared you were, your face turned pale." Yu Feifei laughed so hard she almost fell over. "How was it? Were you heartbroken just now?"

Xu Jiayi gave her a cold look. "Shameless, sneaking into a man's house and dressing so scantily to seduce him."

"I didn't steal it, I did it openly and honestly," Yu Feifei said righteously. "If you're so capable, why don't you wear it too?"

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Shen Xing quickly interrupted, "Stop, do you want to come in or not?"

"Yu Feifei, you should say less."

At his urging, the two empresses snorted and chose to temporarily cease hostilities.

Qin Lang and Xu Jiayi carried the ingredients into the room and headed straight for the kitchen.

Unlike the seafood that Yu Feifei brought, they mostly bought meat and vegetables, such as ribs, beef, and leafy greens.

The three of them were preparing ingredients in the kitchen, and then the two female chefs began to showcase their culinary skills.

Xu Jiayi picked up a handful of dried chilies and poured them directly into the hot oil. With a sizzling sound, the entire kitchen was filled with a strong spicy aroma.

"Your taste is way too strong!" Yu Feifei frowned, fanning herself with her hand. "With so much chili, who could eat this?"

Xu Jiayi glanced at her. "Heh, as Jiangcheng native, how dare you say you can't handle spicy food?"

Yu Feifei calmly replied, "Eating too much chili will cause internal heat and irritate the skin, making you prone to acne."

"Look at me, I eat a light diet, and my skin is so healthy!"

"That's because your stomach isn't up to par. So, don't force yourself to eat what you can't handle, or you'll just overeat," Xu Jiayi said sarcastically.

"Hehe, I'll say the same to you." Yu Feifei retorted lightly.

The two started talking back and forth, and it seemed like they were about to start arguing again.

Shen Xing and Qin Lang exchanged a glance and silently withdrew from the battlefield.

Let them argue all they want, I can't control them anyway.

Next, the two chefs argued and worked in the kitchen at the same time.

As time passed, the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen into the living room, making mouths water.

Shen Xing and Qin Lang sat on the sofa, browsing the forum while waiting.

Meow~

A soft meow rang in my ears.

Shen Xing turned her head and immediately saw a milky white kitten appear on the windowsill. "Huh? Duoduo, what are you doing here?"

The milky-white kitten blinked, jumped down from the windowsill, and then strolled leisurely around the living room.

Shen Xing was speechless, thinking to himself that this cat had lived here for a few days and really treated this place as its own home.

It's alright, its owner is here anyway, we can just let her take it back later.

"The food is served!"

Yu Feifei called out and walked briskly out of the kitchen carrying a plate of hairy crabs.

Xu Jiayi followed closely behind, holding a plate of stir-fried pork with chili peppers.

Before long, the table was filled with all sorts of dishes.

However, these dishes present two completely different styles.

The items on the left are all seafood and sashimi, mainly prepared by steaming or blanching, with exquisite plating and light colors.

The dishes on the right are all home-style dishes, such as braised pork trotters and stir-fried pork kidneys, all covered with Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers.

"Whoosh!" Qin Lang exclaimed, swallowing hard. "This plate of hairy crabs looks delicious! I'm digging in!"

He was about to pick up his chopsticks when he suddenly felt a murderous gaze upon him, and he paused, saying, "Uh... but I prefer braised pork ribs, a simple home-style dish. It looks so appetizing."

He quickly added, while moving his chopsticks to the cuisine on the right.

"Childish." Yu Feifei scoffed, about to say something, when she suddenly noticed a figure under the sofa. "Hey, Duoduo, what are you doing here?"

Shen Xing asked, "Didn't you bring it?"

"No." Yu Feifei picked up the milky-white kitten and rubbed its head. "This little guy must have followed me when I went out."

Xu Jiayi sneered, "Like master, like pet. She just likes to run to men's houses."

"That's still better than some women." Yu Feifei narrowed her eyes, equally unwilling to back down, "She's even jealous of a cat, what man could stand that?"

"Stop!"

Shen Xing spoke up again to stop him.

The two tall beauties exchanged a glance, each snorted coldly, and then lowered their heads to eat.

Qin Lang had been itching to show off for ages, and now he was practically burying his head in the dining table.

Shen Xing also started eating, trying a few bites of both dishes, and they all tasted quite good.

He was also very generous with his praise.

Xu Jiayi and Yu Feifei were delighted to receive praise from Lord Shen, and the atmosphere at the dinner table gradually became harmonious.

Qin Lang also took a few photos and posted them to the discussion group.

Although Xia Wanyin couldn't see them, she knew they were having a party and sent several envious emojis.

"I really envy you all living in the same city, so you can meet up anytime." She sent a voice message.

Qin Lang laughed and replied, "Wanyin, you're welcome to come to Jiangcheng sometime. We can get together then, and Shen Xing can show you around."

"Okay." Xia Wanyin sent a happy emoji, then asked, "Is that alright, Shen Xing?"

Shen Xing was taken aback for a moment, thinking to himself, "Why are you asking me this kind of question? Just ask if you want to."

However, he still replied, "No problem, just let me know when you're coming, and I'll bring Fried Chicken to pick you up."

"Yay!"

Xia Wanyin sent several jubilant mouse emojis in a row, clearly overjoyed.

Next, everyone chatted and enjoyed the food.

Of course, there were bound to be some bickering between Xu Jiayi and Yu Feifei during the process.

The two tasted each other's cooking, occasionally offering harsh critiques.

Of course, although they complained, they didn't stop eating, and even ate more than the other person.

Perhaps this is what they call "saying one thing but meaning another."

After a few rounds of drinks, the doorbell suddenly rang in the living room.

Everyone stopped eating, their faces showing confusion.

After all, they've all arrived. So, who will it be now?

"I'll go take a look."

Qin Lang immediately got up and quickly walked to the door.

When he saw the surveillance footage, he exclaimed in shock, "Holy crap, Chief!"

At this moment, four distinguished figures stood outside the door.

Besides Director Zhang Yu, who was dressed in a sharp suit and had a robust build, there were also Zhou Zheng, wearing a gray trench coat, Elder Wang, who was using a cane, and Jiang Rong, who was dressed in business attire, among others.

They waved to the security camera.

Shen Xing hurriedly told Qin Lang to open the door and let the director... no, let the director and the others in.

A moment later, four figures entered the living room one after another, and were slightly taken aback when they saw the sumptuous dishes on the table.

"Everyone's eating," Zhang Yu said with a smile. "I was originally planning to wait for you at the Handling Bureau, but since I had some time this afternoon, I decided to take you all for a visit."

"Did I disturb you?"

"No, rather, you've come at the perfect time," Shen Xing said with a smile. "We haven't been here long, let's all sit down and have something to eat."

Xu Jiayi stood up immediately and strode towards the kitchen. "I'll go get some bowls and chopsticks."

Soon, the four members of the Anomaly Handling Bureau were pulled to sit at the dining table.

Director Zhang and Elder Wang were somewhat amused and exasperated, but they still picked up their chopsticks.

Zhou Zheng and Jiang Rong, on the other hand, were very casual, showing off the food without any restraint, like starving ghosts reincarnated, and soon their mouths were full of oil.

About an hour later, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and were lounging lazily in their chairs.

Zhou Zheng patted his bulging belly and exclaimed with emotion, "It's so delicious! I haven't had such authentic Jiangcheng cuisine in years. It's just like my mom's cooking, only a little too salty."

"And the seafood was a bit bland; it would be better with some more seasoning."

These words immediately caused the two empresses at the table to narrow their eyes, and a great battle was about to break out.

However, they also knew that now was not the time to start a war.

Zhang Yu straightened his expression and said, "Alright, let's get down to business."

"I've come here mainly to discuss two things with you."

The living room fell silent as everyone's eyes turned to him.

Zhang Yu continued, "The first thing the higher-ups want me to ask Shen Xing about the hidden level."

"For example, what you encountered inside, and how you entered the hidden levels, etc."

He paused, then added, "Of course, it's your freedom and right to say or not to say. At least in Jiangcheng, no one can threaten you."