I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

Just as Ryan turned to rush into the dark woods, a hand grabbed his arm from behind.

"Hello!"

Lin Mo called out to him.

Raine turned around in confusion and saw Lin Mo shaking his head vigorously at him, then pointing to the ground and waving his hand.

He couldn't understand, but the gesture made it clear: Don't go, don't light a fire.

Why? Renn looked puzzled.

In the swamp at night, fire is essential for survival; it can dispel the cold and darkness and scare away wild animals in the forest.

Lin Mo was also anxious. He couldn't explain why open flames and cooking smoke would be like a large target in military operations, giving away all the positions.

He could only gesture as he quickly contacted Long Fei through his headset.

"Dragon, Ryan was going to gather firewood to start a fire, but I stopped him. He thinks we need a fire tonight."

Long Fei's calm voice came through the channel: "Stay put, I'm coming."

A moment later, Long Fei came over carrying a black tactical bag. His footsteps were very light, without making a sound.

He put the bag on the ground, unzipped it, and what was inside made Ryan's eyes widen again.

That wasn't a flint, nor was it a tool for starting a fire by rubbing sticks together.

Long Fei first took out a flat metal water bottle, then took out a palm-sized black cube with heat dissipation grilles on the surface. There were several interfaces and buttons on one side of the cube.

He took a wire from the block and inserted it into the groove on the base of the kettle.

He pressed the button on the black square, and a tiny dot of light, about the size of a mung bean, lit up.

After doing all this, Long Fei said to Lin Mo:

"Use military-grade ration packs. Have him watch over them. After the water boils, put the ration pack in and heat it for two minutes. If it's too dry, you can add water, or you can eat it directly."

After saying that, Long Fei glanced at the bewildered Rein, didn't explain further, turned around and left to continue checking the camp's defenses.

It's just standard logistical support procedures; there's no need to waste time.

Lin Mo squatted down and began to operate.

He unscrewed the kettle lid, poured in drinking water, then pointed to the black square with the green light on, then to the kettle, and gestured for Ryan to wait.

Ryan approached with some skepticism, his eyes darting back and forth between the black cube and the kettle.

There was no fire, no glowing embers, not even a wisp of smoke.

The only sounds were the chirping of insects in the swamp at night and the occasional rustling of equipment as the team members moved around.

A minute passed.

The kettle was quiet.

The confusion on Renn's face deepened, and he even reached out to touch the cold metal kettle.

Lin Mo grabbed his hand and shook her head.

Just then, a very faint buzzing sound began to emanate from the bottom of the kettle.

Ryan leaned closer and heard it.

Then, he saw the surface of the water in the kettle begin to tremble slightly, and wisps of tiny bubbles rose from the bottom of the kettle, more and more, faster and faster.

In less than three minutes, the water in the kettle began to boil violently, and white steam billowed out of the spout.

The water boiled.

Renn suddenly straightened up, took a step back, and looked as if he had seen a ghost. His entire worldview seemed to have been shattered by a hammer.

He pointed at the boiling kettle, then at the black cube, his mouth wide open, making "hoarse" sounds in his throat, unable to utter a single word.

What kind of power is this? A gift from the gods? Or powerful magic that he doesn't understand?

Lin Mo ignored his shock, took a sealed soft bag from another fast food package, and threw it directly into the boiling water.

Ryan's gaze was drawn to the bag again.

Two minutes later, Lin Mo used tactical folding pliers to scoop the bag out and put it on a metal plate.

He used a knife to cut open the bag.

"Sizzle—"

A rich and domineering aroma of food, unlike anything he had ever smelled before, wafted out of the bag and savagely assaulted Renn's nose.

It wasn't the charred aroma of roasted meat, nor the delicate fragrance of stew; it was a complex and sophisticated blend of several spices, so enticing that it left Ryan's mind blank.

Ryan's Adam's apple bobbed, and saliva welled up in his mouth.

Lin Mo carefully poured the food from the bag onto the plate.

Bright red chunks of meat, tender stewed potatoes and carrots, all coated in a thick sauce.

And the pile of glistening, plump white rice grains next to it—everything exudes a deadly allure.

Lin Mo opened another bag and poured himself a portion as well.

He knew that the best way to get others to believe in something completely unfamiliar was to take the lead himself.

He picked up a folding spoon, scooped up a large spoonful of rice and braised pork with sauce, and stuffed it into his mouth in front of Ryan.

He chewed with a satisfied expression and gave Ryan a thumbs up.

As Ren watched Lin Mo wolf down his food, he looked down at the plate placed in front of him. The aroma kept wafting into his nose, tantalizing his empty stomach.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally took the plate and spoon.

He imitated Lin Mo, carefully scooping up a spoonful, which contained only a few grains of rice and a little sauce.

He brought the spoon to his lips and first gently licked it with the tip of his tongue.

A burst of umami flavor exploded in my mouth.

His eyes suddenly widened.

Without further hesitation, he put the whole spoonful into his mouth.

The soft, sticky rice mixed with the savory sauce and the melt-in-your-mouth chunks of meat create a delightful, layered flavor experience that's simply irresistible.

"Ugh!"

Renn gave a satisfied hum, chewing rapidly with his eyes shining.

"It smells so good!"

He mumbled incoherently in his local dialect while waving his spoon around, shoveling spoonful after spoonful into his mouth with all his might.

The way he ate was completely different from his previous image as a resolute and ruthless hunter captain.

Lin Mo couldn't help but laugh when she saw him like this.

At this moment, Long Fei, who had arranged everything, walked over.

He glanced at Ryan, whose mouth was greasy from eating, then at the empty fast food bag next to him, and his lips seemed to twitch.

He said nothing, only to Lin Mo:

"Tents are limited, so we'll take turns keeping watch and resting tonight."

He pointed to a single-soldier tent that had already been set up not far away.

"You and him, squeeze in and sleep in that tent."

Lin Mo wasn't dissatisfied. In this kind of environment, having a place to shelter from the wind and rain was already a luxury.

He nodded quickly and said to Long Fei, "Thank you for your hard work, Captain Long."

Long Fei nodded, said nothing more, turned and disappeared into the night, continuing his patrol of the camp.

After finishing his portion, Lin Mo drank a few sips of hot water and felt warm all over.

He patted Ryan on the shoulder, who was still struggling with his plate, and pointed to the tent.

Raine looked up and saw that he had licked the plate clean, making it even shinier than when it was first taken out.

He let out a loud burp, his face beaming with unprecedented satisfaction.

He looked at Lin Mo, then at the tent, and nodded heavily.

Ryan stood up, picked up two empty plates and a water bottle, and walked to the washing area designated by the team members. He followed the example of the others and carefully rinsed them with clean water.

As Lin Mo watched his retreating figure, the awkwardness she felt from the hug had long since vanished.

It smells so good! It's a law that no one can escape.