Chapter 166
The customers queued in front of Jian’s Simple Porridge Stall fell into stunned silence.
…Half were mesmerized by the aroma of the seafood porridge, while the other half were shocked by the unbelievable scene unfolding before them.
Drip, drip.
Glittering droplets fell like stars onto the snow, leaving tiny craters in the silver-white expanse.
People stared dumbfounded—
The cold wind had blown back Mu Dongsheng’s cloak, revealing his face.
Half of it was shrouded in an indescribable shadow due to the parasite, but the other half… was breathtakingly beautiful.
His skin was pale as snow, carrying a faint, sickly pallor, but his upturned phoenix eyes, tinged red at the corners, shimmered with unshed tears. The wind tousled his hair.
And then there were the glistening droplets trailing down…
Someone at the back of the crowd, straining to see, caught only a glimpse of Mu Dongsheng’s upper face and sighed:
“Ah! A beauty in tears! Captain Mu’s looks are truly unmatched!”
But those at the front fell into an even deeper silence.
He was beautiful, but—
“T-tears? Are you sure those are tears?”
“The beauty’s ____ fell like broken pearls. Fill in the blank.”
“…”
“…Drool?!?!”
Following the trail of glistening liquid upwards—
Mu Dongsheng’s upper face remained peerlessly elegant, his eyes locked onto the bowl of seafood porridge in Murong Miao’s hands, shining with an almost feral light.
But his slightly parted lips, his bobbing Adam’s apple, and the torrent of drool cascading from the corner of his mouth—unswallowed, steaming with desperation—dripped down his flawless jawline like broken pearls, plopping audibly into the snow…
Squad 11: “…”
They had imagined countless reunion scenarios—heartwarming, tear-jerking, bittersweet.
But never in their wildest dreams had they envisioned this!!!
Gulp, gulp.
Mu Dongsheng swallowed hard, forcing his gaze away from the steaming seafood porridge to look at his squad.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, feigning composure. “It’s… good to see you all again. I—”
But he couldn’t finish.
Because—
At that moment, Boss Jian lifted the lid off the seafood porridge bucket.
Earlier, when Murong Miao had bought a bowl, Jian Yunlan had checked the porridge’s condition and added a fresh batch of seafood.
Seafood porridge thrived on freshness. First, golden shrimp oil was stir-fried to extract its umami. Then, when the porridge base reached a rolling boil, the quick-cooking ingredients were added, allowing the residual heat to gently poach them:
Tender oysters slid into the porridge, trembling slightly as the boiling liquid enveloped them, their flesh tightening instantly. Their juices infused the porridge, rich but not greasy.
And now—the timing was perfect.
—A billowing cloud of steam and fragrance erupted as the lid was lifted!
The rich aroma instantly flooded every inch of the surrounding area, violently hijacking everyone’s attention.
In the uncovered bucket, the milky-white porridge swirled as the ladle stirred, releasing waves of savory-sweet fragrance. The rice grains had fully dissolved into the broth, invisible yet fragrant.
Plump scallops, shrimp tinged pale pink, crab roe—all submerged in the creamy porridge, bubbling gently. A thick layer of rice oil glistened on the surface, and the intoxicating aroma of seafood and porridge permeated the air…
“The seafood porridge is ready! Available for purchase now!” Boss Jian announced.
Boom.
The sheer weight of those words—who could understand?
Every head in the crowd turned robotically, click-click, locking onto the source of the steam and fragrance.
Mu Dongsheng and Squad 11 were no exception.
Faced with such temptation, Mu Dongsheng could no longer maintain his act. His hand, which had been wiping his mouth, only smeared the drool further. The floodgates of hunger in his brain had been blown open.
His mouth hung wide open, his attempts to swallow futile as the drool surged forth like a bursting dam—rumbling, roaring, an unstoppable torrent, the sound of cascading water unending—
Mu Dongsheng’s eyes were now firmly glued to the porridge bucket, unable to tear away.
Squad 11: “…………”
After just a few days apart, their once-heroic, dashing, and peerless savior had turned into a drooling faucet of gluttony.
Fine.
But Squad 11 didn’t have time to dwell on this.
—Because of the earlier commotion, many had gathered around Mu Dongsheng, putting them dozens of meters away from the porridge stall.
And now, as the lid of the seafood porridge bucket was lifted, it was as if the gates of heaven had swung open—white doves fluttered, angels blew their trumpets, and even the flickering lantern light seemed to glow with divine radiance!
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. The onlookers, the emotional bystanders, Squad 11…
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
…Just three seconds.
Everyone’s eyes gleamed green, locking onto the porridge bucket like zombies surrounding a city.
Knees bent, ready to sprint, and then—
Charge!
These were battle-hardened mercenaries from the Eastern Base, so their speed was nothing to scoff at. Most of Squad 11 joined the sprint—except Murong Miao, who already had a bowl in hand and was happily slurping away, exempt from the competition.
Yet, even as everyone dashed forward, a shadowy streak of black mist suddenly shot past them at an inhuman speed, leaving the crowd in the dust in an instant!
It was Mu Dongsheng.
While others were still charging toward the porridge, Mu Dongsheng had already overtaken them and skidded to a stop beside Boss Jian;
By the time the crowd reached the stall, Mu Dongsheng was already chatting and laughing with the boss;
And just as everyone lined up, eyes glued to the stall, Mu Dongsheng was already accepting a bowl of porridge from Boss Jian…
Is this the speed of a top-tier mercenary? They gazed at him with awe.
After receiving the porridge, Mu Dongsheng didn’t start eating immediately. Instead, he waved at Squad 11:
“Come over! I talked to Boss Jian—we each get a bowl!”
…The familiarity of the scene made Squad 11 freeze for a moment, as if transported back to their days of fighting side by side.
Whether it was rare ruins resources, mutant cores in the wild, or quirky little novelties in the base, Mu Dongsheng had always waved them over like this, spoken like this.
And they would go to him.
Stand beside him, shoulder to shoulder.
*
The once-desolate and frigid Death Desert now flickered with countless small lights.
The brightest came from Jian’s Simple Porridge Stall. On the tricycle, the lids of the two large porridge buckets were lifted, and Boss Jian worked swiftly, ladling out steaming bowls one after another to eager customers.
The line remained long, with mercenaries from the Eastern Base continuously arriving from afar, joining this feast like a festival.
Some stuffed their hands in their pockets, rubbing them occasionally, their breath forming white puffs in the air. Others chatted quietly with family and friends, their expectant gazes drifting toward the steaming pot.
There weren’t enough seats or light for everyone, but people lit their own stoves and lanterns, sitting right on the snow with their bowls, savoring this rare delicacy.
Most were clustered in small groups.
At first glance, it was hard to believe this was happening in the heart of the terrifying Death Desert. Despite the barren wasteland and the ever-looming shadow of death, for many, this was the first moment of peace they’d felt in a long time.
Though the future remained uncertain, free from the Eastern Base’s oppression, surrounded by loved ones, holding a bowl of Boss Jian’s piping-hot porridge, and…
Their savior, Mu Dongsheng, had returned.
The nine members of Squad 11 lined up with Mu Dongsheng at the center, each holding a bowl of porridge. A small campfire flickered in the middle, conjured by their abilities.
They exchanged glances, emotions swirling, but no one spoke, as if words couldn’t capture the moment.
The atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension and awkwardness.
“…How about we save the heartfelt reunion for later and just eat the porridge first?”
Mu Dongsheng suggested.
If they waited any longer, the porridge would get cold—what a waste that would be!
Everyone immediately agreed: “Sure.”
Honestly, this rare reunion should have been a time for heartfelt words, but everyone’s attention was already fully absorbed by the porridge. They just hadn’t wanted to be the first to start eating. Now that Mu Dongsheng had given the green light, they eagerly dug in!
“I’m eating first.”
Wang Li, never one to wait, lifted his bowl and pressed it to his lips, tilting his head back for a big gulp.
The next second, he gasped: “Damn, this is amazing!”
The hot, fragrant seafood porridge was velvety and smooth, the broth perfectly cooked—warm with a hint of scalding heat—flowing down his throat and into his stomach in an instant.
Wang Li couldn’t help but close his eyes, savoring the rich umami of the seafood and the lingering fragrance of rice in the piping-hot porridge…
For the first bite, he only drank the broth. For the second, he scooped up a spoonful of seafood soaked in the porridge.
The shrimp was tender and springy, bursting with juices and porridge flavors the moment he bit into it.
And the oysters—cooked directly in the scalding porridge—were unbelievably fresh and delicate, their crisp texture delivering an indescribable satisfaction. Paired with the warm rice, the smooth, savory taste was absolutely divine!
“……”
Seeing Wang Li’s reaction, the rest of Squad 11 dropped all pretense of restraint, lifting their bowls and gulping down the porridge with gusto!
So Mu Dongsheng going be finishing his seafood congee by the gulps as well?