Before everything goes out

"etc."

Before entering the house, Li Fei suddenly called out.

Everyone heading towards the villa, including Niu San, instinctively stopped and looked back at him in confusion.

"What's wrong, my benefactor?"

Zhang Cheng was completely bewildered.

"We won't go inside."

Li Fei smiled, his tone not harsh.

"Won't you have some? This is top-quality wild game, braised mute rabbit. Big Mouth was a cook before he left the city, so his skills are definitely top-notch, trust me."

"Eating is fine, but it has to be outside."

Li Fei pointed to the sky.

The clouds were thin and the sun was shining brightly.

"The weather's nice today, let's eat outside, soak up some sun and shake off any bad luck, what do you say?"

of course.

Sunbathing is just an excuse.

The main reason Li Fei didn't enter was that "one should always be wary of others."

Even if the three of them were fully armed, and even if Zhang Cheng kept calling him his benefactor, he couldn't just walk into an unfamiliar villa like that.

Actually.

After those people said they had never seen Snake Seven, he considered leaving and not staying any longer.

but.

Thinking that these people might know more about Huanzi, he decided to stay for lunch. Once they got to know each other better, he could naturally ask them for more information.

It's not just about the ring, it's about Changjiang City, it's about the amusement park...

Even about the world outside of the entire Shuanghe Village.

"Alright! Then let's do as our benefactor says and bring the table out."

Zhang Cheng agreed quite readily.

This reaction made Li Fei feel quite good.

The expressions of the people around him changed slightly, seemingly dissatisfied with Li Fei's suspicious nature, but considering that he had saved their lives, they didn't say anything more.

soon.

Under Zhang Cheng's arrangement, two large wooden tables were set up in the open space in front of the villa.

Add to that benches, plastic stools, computer chairs...

Various miscellaneous chairs were arranged around the table, and the hunter's family sat down neatly.

This is the end.

Listening to their various casual conversations, Li Fei gained a clearer understanding of the group's situation.

In terms of division of labor, they can be roughly divided into two groups.

The first wave focused on external affairs.

The group of five men and one woman, led by Zhang Cheng, were mainly responsible for hunting in the mountains, collecting supplies, or patrolling the small area to ensure the safety of the villa.

The second group, from within the Lord.

The three men I saw at the villa entrance.

Besides these three, there was also a chef nicknamed "Big Mouth," who didn't show up because he was cooking...

at the moment.

The one with the wide mouth who keeps bringing dishes to the table is him.

"Just leave your things here, we'll leave after we finish eating."

Li Fei gave the two people traveling with him a wink.

To prevent any unnecessary accidents, he did not remove the gun hanging on his body, but simply took off the heavier pack from his back and placed it at his feet.

"That's what I think too."

Niu San nodded.

Following Li Fei's example, She Qingqing took off her backpack, put on her gun, and sat down side by side.

Looking at the heavy backpack, Zhang Cheng casually asked:

"Why didn't our benefactor come in a car with so much stuff on his back?"

Li Fei replied:

"The car broke down."

Zhang Cheng chuckled:

"Oh, we really have to thank you for breaking down, otherwise we might not have met you guys and we might be in big trouble!"

As they were talking, all sorts of dishes were served.

Steamed cured pork, stir-fried bracken, braised pork, packaged instant noodles, and a large plate of stir-fried pork slices with vegetables of unknown variety.

The variety is limited, but it includes both meat and vegetables, so it's quite comprehensive.

Most of them are southern cuisine, so they are spicy and stimulating.

Sitting at the table, smelling the long-lost aroma of food, the three of them swallowed hard.

Zhang Cheng was right. Just by looking at the presentation of the dishes, you could tell that this chef named Big Mouth was indeed quite skilled.

Not only is the cooking skill excellent, but the seasonings are also complete.

There were even dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and glistening lard—things that Shuanghe Village doesn't have.

"Here! My benefactor, take the first bite."

Sitting next to Li Fei, Zhang Cheng made a "please" gesture in a very professional manner.

The three reacted differently to this.

She Qingqing's expression shifted slightly, hinting at a desire to eat, but she didn't immediately pick up any food.

Niu San, who couldn't wait any longer, grabbed his chopsticks and started dipping them into the bowl...

He picked up a piece of fatty pork belly from the bowl, but then noticed that Li Fei next to him hadn't touched his chopsticks, so he slowly put it down.

He got it.

Even though it was time to sit down and eat, Li Fei still didn't trust these people.

"It's alright, we don't need to be formal at the dinner table, we can all just eat together."

Li Fei picked up his chopsticks and gave this call to action.

Zhang Cheng laughed heartily and naturally greeted the people around him:

"Our benefactor is indeed straightforward. Let's not beat around the bush and just eat!"

Under the seemingly casual gaze of the three people, Zhang Cheng and his group did not refuse and immediately started eating.

After confirming that all the dishes on the table had been eaten, Li Fei picked out a piece of cured meat and fed it to Er Tong under the table.

After all, dogs have a keen sense of smell, and smell is an extension of taste. If there's anything, it certainly won't escape their mouths.

"Woof~"

Ertong made a loud call and bit into the meat without hesitation.

"It seems I was overthinking it."

Li Fei picked up his chopsticks, no longer on guard.

Seeing him like this, Niu San and She Qingqing finally got to work as well.

...

...

Fragrant.

It smells so good.

After taking a bite, Li Fei realized that the dish tasted even better than he had imagined.

Niu San, who has lived in the village for many years and hasn't had a good meal in a long time, ate with his chopsticks at lightning speed.

Although thinking this way might hurt feelings...

But at this moment, he genuinely felt that compared to these wild game dishes, the noodles cooked at home were simply bland and tasteless.

soon.

More than ten people ate loudly, and more than half of the various dishes in the several large basins were consumed.

While they were enjoying their meal, Zhang Cheng seized the opportunity to get closer to Li Fei.

"My benefactor, the one sitting across from you is Qianmei, who knows a bit about nursing. And that's Huzi, a skilled hunter. Half of the food on our table is thanks to him."

Zhang Cheng generously introduced each of his companions.

Seeing that the groundwork had been laid, Li Fei didn't object. He moved closer and opened his heart.

"My benefactor, actually I could tell just now that you didn't trust us by not coming in, right? I understand. When you're out in the world these days, the most important thing is to be careful..."

"Qianmei, you're so well-read, what's that saying again? 'Beware of what kind of boat?'"

"Brother Cheng, that's called 'better safe than sorry'~"

Across the table, Qianmei smiled and echoed her sentiments.

She, who was the most seriously injured in the previous battle, has now been bandaged up and there is no obvious pain on her face.

No.

It wasn't just her.

Li Fei had already noticed that these people spent most of their time hunting in the mountains, and none of them were physically weak; this was evident from their calm expressions while he was bandaging them...

He was not a simple, honest farmer like his fellow villagers, but a ruthless man who had experienced many battles.

"Yes! Better safe than sorry!"

Zhang Cheng slammed his hand on the table and gave Qianmei a thumbs up.

"My benefactor, you should be careful, but you should also be able to feel our sincerity and enthusiasm."

Besides, you guys are military officers. Even if you encounter those roadside robbers in the city, they'll have to go around you, don't you think?"

Li Fei did not answer, but simply nodded silently.

Zhang Cheng's words are not without reason.

Apart from the three of them who were carrying guns, the weapons of the others were put back in the villa as soon as they returned.

This can be considered a proactive gesture of goodwill.

In comparison, the man who carries a gun while eating does seem a bit petty.

"I'm glad you understand."

As Li Fei spoke, he pointed to the pack at his feet.

"We're not going to take your things for free. There's some military rations in this bag; you can take some if you're interested."

"Oh, no need, no need!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng waved his hands repeatedly.

"Our benefactors saved our lives, so it's only right that we treat you to a good meal. We absolutely do not need any supplies!"

"Okay, actually I see you have plenty of food and drink here, even the seasonings are so complete, did you bring them all from the city?"

Li Fei asked this question.

of course.

He wasn't interested in cooking; he just used the topic to ask about Changjiang City.

The reason he took a detour was mainly because he wasn't sure what he, as "Huanzi," should know, and what he shouldn't know...

If I ask too directly, I'm afraid I'll give myself away.

"Yes, to be precise, it was brought from the amusement park in the city."

Zhang Cheng corrected it in this way.

"From what you're saying, life in paradise is pretty good?"

Li Fei then extended the topic.

"It's not exactly better, but it's certainly better than this desolate wilderness. Judging from your words, my benefactor, you've never been to Paradise yet?"

Zhang Cheng raised an eyebrow.

"Never been there."

Li Fei replied.

"Never even heard of it?"

Zhang Cheng raised an eyebrow again.

The way the question was asked made Li Fei realize that something was wrong.

Whether he had never been there or never heard of it, was it that important to Zhang Cheng?

He frowned slightly, but before he could speak, Niu San wiped the grease from his mouth and pointed to the almost empty plate of stir-fried meat slices, saying:

"Hey guys, what kind of meat is this? The cured pork smells good, the roast pork is sweet, it's really delicious! Can you take some more for us later?"

"hehe."

Zhang Cheng sneered and used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth.

Watching him chew with a smile, Li Fei felt a jolt, as if an electric shock had struck his mind, and he suddenly remembered what Niu Wenbing had mentioned...

"The flesh of decomposed wild animals has a faint, foul odor."

Why?

"Why can't you taste any foul smell in the game that these hunters bring back?"

The moment this thought popped into his head, Li Fei realized one thing: no matter what kind of meat it was, it could never be ordinary wild game.

next second.

When he realized this and looked at Zhang Cheng again, he found that Zhang Cheng's smile had frozen, his face had turned from white to black, and he had a chilling look in his eyes.

"It's human flesh."

Zhang Cheng chewed the meat slices thoroughly and swallowed them in one gulp.