Before everything goes out

"Awesome!"

As Niu San ate, he kept praising it and giving a thumbs up.

"Wow, impressive, kid! I didn't believe what Li Fei said earlier, but I never expected you to be so professional!"

"He cooks better than my father, no, he cooks better than everyone else in our village."

She Qingqing kept eating with her chopsticks while talking, showing great interest in her food.

"It seems we won't have to suffer anymore."

Li Fei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The thought of having to eat Niu San's cooking every day from now on is agonizing.

"Ugh~"

Hearing the three people praising him, the little mute boy smiled happily.

of course.

Actually, he has been smiling ever since we met, but compared to the numb smile that resembled an animal performance before, his smile now is truly from the heart.

"What are you waiting for? Let's eat together!"

Looking at the little mute boy grinning foolishly at the table, Niu San greeted him like this.

The little mute boy picked up his chopsticks, but just as he reached out, he remembered something and withdrew his hand, then timidly looked at Li Fei.

"Let's eat together, there's no need to ask anyone's opinion."

As Li Fei spoke, he placed a piece of beef into the other person's bowl.

This is the end.

The little mute boy moved his stool closer to the table and began to eat heartily.

Seeing him relax a little, Li Fei felt much better.

Needless to say, this child must have suffered a lot over the years. He doesn't expect to change him in a few days, but only hopes that he can get better as much as possible before handing him back to his parents.

But speaking of which...

This little mute doesn't even have a tongue, yet he can cook dishes like this. His skill level is clearly not just a matter of luck; he must have undergone specialized training.

"So where did you learn to cook?"

As soon as Li Fei asked the question, he regretted it.

The question was too complicated, and seeing the little mute boy's efforts to gesture, he quickly interrupted.

"Never mind, never mind, let's eat first."

after that.

The group devoured all the dishes on the table in a flash.

They even used compressed biscuits to soak up all the soup in the plate and ate it all up.

"Not bad, really not bad, but if I had to say, I felt the flavor was a bit bland towards the end."

Niu San picked his teeth while making a smug comment.

Under normal circumstances, this statement would be fine.

However, after questioning Zhang Cheng that afternoon, Li Fei became more sensitive to the word "indifferent."

"You said the flavor was a bit bland?"

"Hehe, my family's cooking is quite strong in flavor, it's fine, just make sure it suits your taste."

Niu San scratched his head sheepishly.

Li Fei then looked at She Qingqing on the other side.

"And yours? Is the flavor bland?"

"It's not that the seasoning is bland, it's just that the flavor definitely diminishes towards the end..."

She Qingqing stopped abruptly, her face stiffening, as soon as she uttered the words.

Like Li Fei, she immediately realized the problem.

Zhang Cheng mentioned this afternoon that corrupt people find normal food tasteless, but they find human flesh delicious.

In other words.

With her sense of taste diminishing, she and Niu San may be turning into corrupt individuals.

"What's wrong? Why do you two look like that?"

Niu San hadn't reacted yet, just staring blankly at the two of them.

Li Fei frowned deeply.

After a moment of silence, he slapped his forehead and asked Niu Sanwen.

"Speaking of which, didn't you also say that the marching rations you ate at the Huanzi camp at noon today didn't taste very good?"

"Yes, to be honest, it really doesn't have much flavor."

Niu San looked completely at ease.

Li Fei and She Qingqing exchanged a glance, becoming even more certain of their guess.

Although there were no obvious physical changes, their sense of taste for ordinary food did indeed weaken.

If Zhang Cheng wasn't lying, then this is undoubtedly a sign of a normal person turning into a corrupt one.

From "latent" to "dominant".

Although there haven't been any major changes in their bodies yet, perhaps in the future, as latent corrupted beings, they might one day completely lose their sense of taste, undergoing a true mutation...

Just like the villagers who were taken away by Fan Yaodong's team.

"Wait, something seems off."

Li Fei sensed something was wrong amidst Niu San's still bewildered expression.

They had previously discussed that the decay caused by the ineffectiveness of this type of "Tai Sui" meat varies from person to person.

Like She Qingqing, she did not become corrupt along with the villagers who were abducted.

Even today, it's just that my sense of taste has weakened.

This is a fact.

However, Li Fei is now somewhat skeptical of this fact.

On the darker side, it's possible that these two have already undergone some degree of mutation, but he just doesn't know it.

Just like Zhang Cheng.

He wouldn't have noticed the mushrooms growing all over his chest unless he opened his collar.

If you don't see the mushroom, no one will know it's a decayer.

"Have you noticed anything lately? Like increased strength, or maybe something growing on your body?"

Li Fei asked this question.

Upon hearing this, Niu San finally realized what was happening.

He exchanged a glance with She Qingqing beside him and immediately realized what Li Fei was worried about. After this reminder, he frowned slightly and spoke.

"I don't really feel anything, but I can't be sure. Can you guys take a look?"

He said this.

In front of several people, he took off his shirt, turned around in place shirtless, and then groped his legs.

"If you ask me, becoming a monster isn't so bad; it'll give me the strength to take revenge..."

Niu San rubbed it while muttering to himself.

but.

That was just what he said previously.

Now, having witnessed the evil deeds of Zhang Cheng and his gang, the thought of possibly turning into a monster sent a shiver down his spine.

If, after his corruption, he didn't become a good person like the village chief, but instead turned into a man-eating monster...

That would be troublesome.

He fidgeted anxiously for a while, and then secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Look, I don't have anything growing on my body."

It really doesn't.

Li Fei didn't doubt that Niu San was deliberately hiding something, but he was afraid that Niu San had grown something without him noticing.

Like a tumor.

Cancer patients may not be able to immediately detect the lesions in their bodies.

Following closely behind Niu San, She Qingqing also quickly checked everything, then shook her head.

"I don't have any either."

Despite this, the solemnity on their faces remained undiminished.

They used to think they were an exception, but they never expected that as they moved further away from Shuanghe Village, they would also slowly change.

Perhaps one day, they will also lose their sense of taste, or even turn into cannibalistic monsters.

"Oh, speaking of this..."

Li Fei suddenly thought of something and asked the two of them.

"Where's the Tai Sui meat? Quickly bring it out and let me see."

She Qingqing nodded.

He took a plastic bag out of his backpack under the table.

When the contents were laid out on the table, the serious expressions on the faces of the three men eased somewhat.

The meat from the Tai Sui was still solid, sitting in clumps in my pocket, showing no signs of thinning.

"Logically speaking, after traveling this far, the Tai Sui meat should have dissipated by now. The fact that it hasn't dissipated yet means that some conditions must have changed."

Li Fei rested his chin on his hand, his brows furrowed.

After much thought, setting aside the limited individual differences, there are only two major variables.

One.

Bai Xiaowu and his gang of Tai Sui's kids have already left Shuanghe Village.

Perhaps as they move further away, the influence of Tai Sui will also expand?

Just like the underground river is the main signal station, Bai Xiaowu and others who branched out are the signal transmitters?

He wasn't sure.

two.

The destruction of the entire Shuanghe Village left only three people out of the original sixty-odd villagers.

With a significant reduction in the number of people, the energy consumed by the Tai Sui (the Grand Duke Jupiter) in transmitting signals will be much less, thus increasing its influence range considerably.

He wasn't sure either.

These two points.

He wasn't sure exactly what caused the change.

After all, this world is mysterious and wondrous, and any change could cause subtle shifts that he could not foresee.

The only thing that is certain is...

They need to be more careful going forward.

First, gather more information about corrupt individuals to see what happens after corruption.

Secondly, pay close attention to changes in your body, and take appropriate control measures if any issues arise.

"Huh?"

The little mute's voice pulled the three of them out of their somber mood.

He didn't understand the meaning of the conversation, but he did notice the change in atmosphere.

"It's alright, don't worry, there's always a way out."

Li Fei comforted the group in this way.

However, given the undeniable fact that one's sense of taste has diminished, this offer has very limited comfort.

then.

In an unsettling atmosphere, the group finished their dinner.

I used the villa's toilet to wash up, checked all the things I needed to bring tomorrow, and then sent Ertong out to keep watch overnight.

Before bed.

A circular table lamp was lit and placed on the table in the center of the living room.

Bathed in a gentle glow, the group lay down on the sofas.

Resting their heads on those soft pillows, the day's fatigue finally overwhelmed them, and despite their unease, they quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Silent all night.