Live Streaming Food Stall… But in Dog-Blooded Novels – CH55

Chapter 55

Universal Live Streaming Room

The sudden, unexpected plot twist drove the entire audience into a frenzy!

[Yu Ming: (Wiping tears emotionally) Liang Liang, you came to save me. I knew it! The bond we’ve built over the years is unbreaka—]

[Liang Liang: (Indifferent) Move aside, old man. It’s my turn to eat.]

[…Yu Ming, don’t look at the negative comments.]

[Ahhhhhh! I can’t take this anymore! This world is too twisted, too insane! I’m writhing on my bed like a worm!!! Why, why—why is the deep, lifelong bond between Yu Ming and Liang Liang, which was built up over an entire book in the original story, not even as strong as Boss Jian’s spicy hot pot?!]

[Actually, it makes sense. As someone who has tasted Boss Jian’s fried rice, I think I have the right to speak on this. The sheer deliciousness of it truly makes people forget things. User [Gu Tiancheng] has gifted [Jian Yunlan] a Luxury Cruise x1.]

[…The person above is speaking from experience now. ‘Forget things?’ CEO Gu, are you referring to forgetting your own biological son? Ahhh, I’ve heard legends of Boss Jian’s “Forget-Your-Own-Child Fried Rice,” and it truly lives up to its name.]

[At this moment, even Liang Liang has joined the collective consciousness of Boss Jian’s food devotees. :))]

[Loyalty? Family? Friendship? Love? None of them stand a chance in front of Boss Jian’s cooking!]

*

Spicy Hot Pot Stall, Lotus Pond Community Entrance

Even his never-missing flying knife had been intercepted—by a huge dog that appeared out of nowhere.

At first, Pao Hui was so shocked that he fell to the ground.

The people around him started pointing and laughing, treating him like a complete joke.

Being mocked by so many people, Pao Hui stared at the person standing at the center of the crowd—Jian Yunlan, radiating an overpowering aura of spicy hot pot fragrance. His anger burned furiously within him.

Humiliating. Absolutely humiliating.

He couldn’t swallow this shame!

Fine! Since your pheromones are stronger than mine and you’ve embarrassed me in front of everyone, then I’ll just go all out and take you down with me!

A reckless impulse surged through Pao Hui’s mind. He pulled out his sharp knife and, at a speed no one expected, charged straight at Jian Yunlan.

“I’LL TAKE YOU DOWN WITH ME!!!”

He lunged forward with explosive force.

Wang Dajian and Duan Qiongzhi couldn’t stop him in time.

Yu Ming, caught between heartbreak and exasperation, instinctively stood up, reaching out to block Pao Hui—but Pao Hui was too fast! Even Yu Ming couldn’t stop him!

Everyone watched in horror as he dashed toward Boss Jian.

What if Boss Jian was too focused on serving customers and didn’t dodge in time?!

But just five or six meters away from Jian Yunlan, Pao Hui suddenly—stopped moving.

More precisely, he wasn’t stopping of his own will…

He was lifted off the ground by the scruff of his neck, like a stray cat being picked up by its owner.

The one holding him had golden eyes, half-lidded with a lazy air, and let out a disdainful tsk.

This man was tall, with long silver hair cascading like a waterfall, tied high into a ponytail. He wore an ornate war robe embroidered with golden patterns, shoulder guards made of polished ox bone, and carried an oppressive aura, as if he had stepped on countless corpses to reach his throne.

The crowd instinctively held their breath.

In the suffocating silence, the man—Taotie—spoke in a voice as cold as frost:

“Who gave you permission to touch what’s mine?”

“……”

His tone was icy.

Under the silver-white moonlight, the sharp edges of his bone armor looked even more menacing. His beast-like pupils showed no emotion, yet they gleamed with a golden brilliance, cold as winter snow.

Pao Hui’s face contorted in terror, his voice trembling like he had seen a ghost:

“A… a ghost…”

With a flick of his wrist, Taotie tossed Pao Hui aside effortlessly. A mysterious force bound Pao Hui’s hands together, and he crashed into a table and chairs, eyes rolling back as he passed out completely.

Everyone stared, dumbfounded.

After a long pause, a child’s excited voice shattered the silence.

“Moon! Light! Ultra! Man!!!”

Chen Shuoshou and his little friends rushed forward, circling around Taotie in excitement.

“You must be Moonlight Ultraman, right? You always appear whenever there’s danger! Ahhh, Moonlight Ultraman, we’re your biggest fans!”

Taotie: “……”

Everyone: “…………”

Where, in all of this, did this guy look like a justice-driven superhero?! If anything, he seemed more like a final boss bent on world destruction!

“It’s not that you were in danger,” Taotie pointed toward Jian Yunlan, “it’s that he was in danger. That’s when I show up.”

Jian Yunlan, happily dipping tripe into his hot pot, looked up at Taotie with a bright, innocent expression:

“?”

Taotie: “……”

Why wasn’t he praising how cool he looked?

“AHHHH!!!”

A high-pitched scream erupted from the crowd.

Xu Moran clutched her face, recording with her phone as she dramatically collapsed backward:

“SO CUTE…!!!”

Two devastatingly handsome men. One was a cold and proud silver-haired warrior, the other a ridiculously beautiful yet chaotic spicy hot pot (?) boss—this was practically a web novel coming to life!

Meanwhile, the other onlookers were still trying to process what had just happened. But one thing was absolutely clear:

This mysterious newcomer was insanely hot.

As they exchanged glances, hushed whispers spread through the crowd:

“Damn, he’s so good-looking… Whoo! He looks like a character straight out of a video game, with that silver high ponytail~~”

“Could he be a cosplayer? Probably cosplaying a character from some obscure anime, right? He really has the vibe.”

“What’s his relationship with Boss Jian? He just said Boss Jian is his person, and that he’d show up whenever Boss Jian is in danger. Could it be—”

Taotie raised his chin slightly with a proud expression, his gaze carrying a hint of expectation.

“—Could it be that he’s Boss Jian’s bodyguard?” a customer speculated seriously.

Taotie: “?”

The crowd immediately started discussing:

“I think so. He’s so tall, all those muscles, and he’s even wearing shoulder armor… Well, protecting such a precious spicy hot pot vendor like Boss Jian must be tough.”
“A super handsome bodyguard!”

Taotie couldn’t take it anymore. He furiously retorted, “I am NOT a bodyguard!”

At that moment, Jian Yunlan had just finished cooking another bowl of spicy hot pot. While serving it to the customer, he casually clarified, “Yes, he’s the Moonlight Hero… No, wait, he’s an employee at our spicy hot pot stall. Please don’t randomly touch the employees.”

Having been brainwashed by the kids’ “Moonlight Hero” chants, he almost misspoke.

The customers obediently responded, “Understood, Boss Jian! Got it, Boss Jian~”

They then lined up in an orderly manner again, as if nothing had happened, though some occasionally sneaked glances at the silver-haired hottie.

Meanwhile, Yu Ming also got in line with Liang Liang, reminding him, “Liang Liang, if you want spicy hot pot, you can ask me instead of snatching my food, okay?”

Liang Liang held an empty bowl in his mouth and let out a whimper, “Awooo—woof!”

With his head tilted up and his big, watery eyes, he looked like an innocent pup.

But deep inside, his thoughts were:

…Cut the nonsense, old man.

Boss Jian’s spicy hot pot—I can still eat three more bowls!

At this moment, a few remaining thugs nearby couldn’t take it anymore.

—Hey, they were still here! But this group of people was acting as if they were invisible. Wasn’t that way too disrespectful?!

This was beyond humiliating!

They refused to believe that, with their collective cunning and experience in wrecking countless street food stalls, they couldn’t handle a mere spicy hot pot stand.

“Ughh, brothers, release all our pheromones and go all out!”
The leader of the gang raised his fist.

“Yeah! Let’s see if they still look down on us now!”

With that, the seven thugs charged into the crowd like toxic gas bombs, leaving a trail of disgusted exclamations in their wake:

“Ugh, it reeks, yuck!”
“Stay away from me, ahhh!”
“The stench is so bad I might throw up my dinner from last night…”

However, just as two of the thugs rushed in, they suddenly saw a lotus lantern flash before their eyes.

For a moment, they froze, their souls seemingly yanked into another dimension.

In that dreamlike realm, they saw… a woman.

A stunningly beautiful woman.

She wore an elaborate palace robe, her long black hair flowing like mist, exuding an air of unparalleled charm. Behind her, nine golden fox tails swayed gracefully. Reclining on a couch, she held a long smoking pipe in her hand and lazily glanced at them.

The thugs were instantly captivated.

But before they could fully indulge in their fantasies, the woman’s voice rang out, laced with irritation, “Oh? So, it was you lot disturbing my master’s business, huh? Hmph.”

“Wait, gorgeous, no, we were just passing by—”
Before they could finish, a pair of giant chopsticks descended from the sky and picked them up.

The woman had grown enormous—like a towering giant—or rather, they had shrunk.

With a smile on her face, she casually tossed them into a sizzling oil pot.

As the burning pain consumed them, they screamed in agony before losing consciousness.

—Meanwhile, back in reality, everyone only saw the two thugs suddenly freeze, staring blankly ahead. Then, in the next moment, they burst into tears and fainted on the spot.

“Those two are acting really weird.” The crowd shook their heads. “No idea what scared them so badly. Could it be that Boss Jian’s pheromones directly overwhelmed them? That’s actually possible.”

Inside the lotus lantern, Hu Danggui smugly crossed her legs, “Hmph, child’s play.”

Meanwhile, the remaining two thugs, who hadn’t even managed to rush into the crowd yet, were swiftly blocked by Wang Dajian and Duan Qiongzhi, the fitness enthusiasts leading the defense.

Last time, they had been caught off guard by the stinky attack. This time, they came prepared, having stuffed their noses beforehand.

Now, they were breathing only through their mouths!

“Come on, little brother, let big sis play with you.”

Duan Qiongzhi stretched her ankles, her powerful legs moving effortlessly like a sleek lioness toying with her prey. She smirked, “Didn’t you just say we’re all about flashy but useless moves? Come on, let’s see you try.”

The thugs’ faces turned pale with despair.

If this woman kicked them even once, they’d be sent straight to meet their great-great-great-grandmother!

Meanwhile, Wang Dajian cracked his knuckles with a hearty grin and said, “Xiao Duan, don’t scare them. We just want to teach them to turn over a new leaf, to stop overestimating themselves and thinking they can mess with Boss Jian, right?”

“But if they refuse to change their ways…” Wang Dajian narrowed his eyes, his arm muscles tightening, veins bulging.

The thugs: “….”

Another express ticket to the afterlife!

Two of the gangsters huddled together, completely losing their will to fight against this wall of muscle.

They couldn’t win. No chance at all.

So weak! Not even a shred of backbone. The bystanders shook their heads in disappointment.

Suddenly, a sharp cry of pain came from the other side—

“I was wrong, I was really wrong! Please don’t press charges against me…!”

The customers turned their heads.

Near the tables of the food stall, a man in a neatly tailored suit and gold-rimmed glasses was speaking politely to two more gangsters.

No one knew exactly what he had said, but the two thugs were now collapsed on the ground like puddles of mush, kneeling and kowtowing desperately.

The customers: “?”

They moved closer and heard Lu Ling calmly reciting:

“Your actions have seriously violated Article 234 of the Criminal Law.”
“The maximum sentence could be between three to ten years in prison.”
“This is not considered a crime of passion.”
“The law is strict and inescapable. Do you really think you can evade legal consequences?”

A relentless barrage of legal jargon, amplified by the weight of the law, hit with the force of a mental nuke.

At first, the thugs had scoffed, acting tough, saying, “Who cares?”

But soon, they couldn’t withstand the legalese onslaught. Their mental defenses crumbled, and they broke down sobbing, swearing they would turn over a new leaf.

The crowd: It’s the ultimate verbal takedown! Lawyer Lu just used the Art of Persuasion Jutsu!

Behind Lu Ling, Song Jing’an held little Xia Xia.

With shining eyes, Xia Xia looked up at Lu Ling in admiration. “Daddy is so cool!”

One day, she would study law too and become just as badass as her dad.

…May this innocent little girl have the best of luck.

The last remaining thug, seeing all his comrades completely defeated, felt his legs go weak.

He knew it was over.

Clenching his teeth, he quickly turned and tried to sneak away unnoticed.

But before he could slip out, a group of aunties surrounded him.

They were dressed in yoga pants, holding large floral fans, looking like they had just finished their square dancing session.

Their sharp eyes scanned him from head to toe before they burst into laughter, whispering to each other.

The thug: “???”

The aunties started pointing at him, clicking their tongues.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Look at you, wandering the streets all day. You must be one of those wannabe street punks, huh?”

“Shameless. I remember you! When you were little, you ran around my house in crotchless pants, pooping everywhere! No hygiene at all… And now your pheromones smell like rotten eggs? Truly unfortunate for your family!”

“Did you flunk out of school and decide to become a thug? Carrying around sticks and knives, thinking you’re tough, huh? HAHAHA!”

“And you have the nerve to cause trouble for Boss Jian’s stall?!”

The aunties clutched their stomachs, laughing heartily.

Leading the charge were Auntie Xu Lijun and Auntie Song Lanzhen, with Auntie Han, Auntie Li, and the rest providing moral support.

They didn’t even need to use curse words.

The problem was, these thugs had grown up in this neighborhood. The aunties, now in their fifties or sixties, had seen them all as kids and knew everything about their embarrassing pasts.

They remembered the time one of them scored a zero on a math test and got chased around the neighborhood by his dad with a belt.

Or that other time when one of them had diarrhea and couldn’t hold it in, leaving a mess in the middle of the street…

Every single humiliating childhood memory was dug up and recounted with delight.

—The verbal damage was devastating.

The last thug could no longer lift his head. He wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.

But the aunties’ voices wrapped around him in full 3D stereo surround sound, leaving him nowhere to escape.

“Don’t worry, young man,” one auntie patted his shoulder.
“Trust in our neighborhood gossip network. For the next thirty years, you and your buddies will be the hot topic of all our tea-time discussions! HAHAHA!”

The thug: “……”

AAAAHHHHH!!! I CAN’T LIVE LIKE THIS!!!

He stared up at the sky, his soul leaving his body.

And with that, every single thug had been completely KO’d.

Thugs vs. Spicy Hot Pot Stall—Spicy Hot Pot Stall WINS!

Meanwhile, other food vendors had already called the police.

The officers had responded quickly, but the customers had cleaned up even faster.

By the time the police arrived, the thugs were already subdued—hands tied, thrown onto the ground, faces burning with shame, unable to lift their heads.

“Now you’re embarrassed? Should’ve thought about that earlier!” the officers scolded.
“Handcuff them all!”

The police quickly arrested the gang for public disturbance.

Just then, one sharp-eyed officer spotted something in the crowd.

Xiao Liang pointed at a large gray dog, “Captain, isn’t that Da Hui?!”

The officers turned, and sure enough, there it was—the big gray dog with a missing notch in its ear.

“So this is where Da Hui ended up.”
“I knew it!”
“Is that young man his owner?”

—A few days ago, they had rescued a batch of dogs from a dog thief’s operation at the local market.

The thieves had cunningly removed all the dogs’ collars and name tags, trying to pass them off as livestock dogs for resale.

Most of the dogs, having no collars or name tags, remained at the pet hospital.

This wasn’t a long-term solution.

Fortunately, the station wasn’t too busy recently, and Officer Xiao Liang specialized in police dogs. In his free time, he would take the rescued dogs out to look for their owners.

This big gray dog, being particularly intelligent and perceptive, had become quite popular at the police station.

Today, while Xiao Liang was walking and training the dog in the district, the dog suddenly perked up its ears as if catching a familiar scent. Without warning, it broke free from the leash and ran off!

Turns out, it had come here.

Led by Xiao Liang, several police officers approached Yu Ming and Liang Liang.

The tall Xiao Liang, standing over 1.8 meters, gave a polite smile. “Hey, kiddo, are you Big Gray’s owner?”

Yu Ming looked at the officers and quickly understood what was going on.

“Yes.” He nodded and pulled out his phone, showing them pictures of him and Liang Liang together as proof of ownership.

The officers examined the photos carefully.

Since Liang Liang had already been stolen once, they couldn’t let it happen again.

But… judging by the way the dog was sticking so closely to Yu Ming, it seemed unlikely to be a lie.

After verifying the photos, the officers let out a sigh of relief. Xiao Liang then recounted the past few days—how they had rescued Liang Liang from the market with the help of some kind-hearted people.

No wonder Yu Ming hadn’t been able to find Liang Liang nearby. It had already been taken to safety by the police.

“While I was walking the dog today, Liang Liang suddenly broke free and ran toward you,” Xiao Liang scratched his head with a sheepish smile. “It probably sensed danger and wanted to protect you when it saw those thugs. Right?”

Yu Ming: “…”

The other diners who knew the truth: “…”

Liang Liang, meanwhile, was happily licking the last bits of broth from an empty Spicy Hot Pot bowl, its big gray tail wagging excitedly. “Awooo!”

Xiao Liang continued his mental dramatization of the story, looking deeply moved. “So, to reward it for protecting you, you bought it Spicy Hot Pot?”

Yu Ming: “…..”

For a moment, he was speechless, then let out a helpless smile. “Let’s… just say that’s what happened.”

There was a trace of vulnerability in his eyes.

Seeing this, Xiao Liang decided not to press the matter further.

The officers patted Yu Ming on the shoulder. “We can tell you’re a good kid. You probably helped a lot during that mess with the thugs… Take care of yourself, alright?”

Upon hearing this, Yu Ming’s eyes dimmed slightly.

“Actually…” He bit his lip, looking at his rolled-up sleeves. “I didn’t really help much. It was everyone else who took care of things.”

That was the truth.

Yu Ming had rushed over, determined to help.

But in the face of the diners’ strong muscles, impressive combat skills, and sharp words, he found himself completely useless. He could only stand by and watch as Jian Boss and the others swiftly took down the thugs.

For the first time, Yu Ming realized how powerless he was.

He… was really useless.

His head lowered, and the usually upright posture of his back slumped slightly.

Like a small, drooping sapling.

In another reality, countless bullet comments flooded across the screen—

[Yu Ming, I won’t allow you to think of yourself like this QAQ]

[(Crying) Yu Ming, do you even realize how incredible you are in other timelines? You put your future and even your life on the line to save others, suffering serious injuries!]

[You’re too capable—that’s why you took everything upon yourself and endured so much hardship…]

But in this timeline—

The autumn breeze quietly passed by, and the streetlights cast soft, fragmented light.

No one spoke.

No one knew what to say to comfort this stubborn, solitary teenager.

Then, breaking the silence, a voice rang out in the distance—serious and firm: “What nonsense are you talking about? You helped a lot.”

Yu Ming’s head shot up.

A glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes as he turned toward the voice—

At the Spicy Hot Pot stall, Jian Yunlan, wearing an apron, gave him a bright smile and a big thumbs-up. “You peeled so many grapes for me at the fruit dessert stall earlier!”

Yu Ming: “…”

Everyone else: “…………”

Yu Ming: Thanks, I was just feeling a little down, but after this compliment from Boss Jian, I kind of want to die now.

“…..” Jian Yunlan coughed. “Uh, that’s not what I meant. I just mean… you’re still just a kid—”

At that moment, Jian Yunlan realized—some people were meant to run food stalls, not give motivational speeches.

He quietly lowered his head and went back to grilling skewers.

—Reliable adults of Lotus Pond Neighborhood, the rest is up to you!

Meanwhile, Auntie Han, who had been listening in, suddenly understood what Boss Jian was trying to say.

As she thought it over, Auntie Han suddenly had a realization and said to Yu Ming, “That’s right, Yu Ming. You helped fix our pipes before, carried sacks of rice, and even walked our dog.”

“You also carried my child to the hospital when they had a high fever.” This came from Lu Ling and Song Jing’an, a married couple. Yu Ming had once carried Song Shixia to the emergency room. Without him, they wouldn’t have known what to do.

“Brother Yu Ming always protects us when there’s danger!” said Chen Shuoshuo and the other children.

“Yeah, yeah! Whenever we have an emergency and can’t find anyone, Yu Ming is always the first to help.”

“And when my family was moving, there were so many things we couldn’t carry—thank goodness for him…”

“Our neighborhood wouldn’t be the same without Yu Ming!”

“Woof!”

As the voices of praise continued, Yu Ming’s back only curved lower and lower.

He shrank into the shadows of the trees, making himself smaller.

“But I… I couldn’t stop the thugs. I couldn’t protect everyone.”

His lifelong dream was to serve his country, to protect others, to be someone reliable and trustworthy.

Yet, at the most critical moment, he had failed.

If not for Jian Boss, his staff, and the diners at the mala tang stall, who knew what would’ve happened with those knife-wielding thugs?

Just as Yu Ming was sinking into self-doubt, someone patted him on the shoulder.

He turned around and saw the diners from the Spicy Hot Pot stall, led by Duan Qiongzhi.

The light behind them cast long shadows, and in the rustling of the leaves, their figures appeared tall and dependable. Against the backlight, Duan Qiongzhi smiled and said to him—

“You’re still just a kid. From now on, dangerous things like this…”

“Leave them to us adults.”

—Xiao Liang added in a small voice, “And us police officers.”

Yu Ming was still not even eighteen—a kid.

A kid who could peel grapes, carry rice sacks, and fix pipes—that was already incredible.

The worries of the world should be left to the adults.

The bad guys—let the adults take care of them.

No need to push himself too hard.

“…”

Yu Ming’s breath hitched slightly, his eyes widening.

The dark clouds drifted away with the wind, revealing a full moon. The shadows of the trees swayed gently.

The moonlight cascaded down in a soft, silvery glow, blending with the autumn breeze, the warm lights of the food stalls, and quietly settling in Yu Ming’s eyes.

His gaze, like the flickering stall lights, shimmered faintly, gathering a hint of unshed tears.

Duan Qiongzhi clenched her fist. “Besides, with Jian Boss backing us up, we’ll never lose!”

The diners nodded resolutely.

Yu Ming: “…”

The tears… went right back in.

But at that moment, his once-slumping back straightened again.

Like a small sapling standing tall.

He clenched his fists and, together with everyone, looked toward the warmly lit food stall. “I have to become stronger. That way, I can help protect Jian Boss and the Spicy Hot Pot stall in the future!”

Duan Qiongzhi patted him on the shoulder, smiling. “Welcome to the team.”

“…”

Meanwhile, the police officers, who were busy handling the thugs, suddenly froze when they heard the name “Jian Boss.”

Xiao Liang hurried over, grabbing Yu Ming’s hand. “Jian Boss? Did you just say Jian Boss? Where is he?”

Yu Ming, confused, nodded and pointed to the food stall. “The Spicy Hot Pot stall—Jian Boss owns it.”

The moment the officers saw the young man running the stall, they got excited.

A Spicy Hot Pot Stall. Jian Boss. The physical description matched. And he was right here in this area…

It all added up!

This was the very person they had been searching for—the one the market vendors had described, who had saved police dogs and other stolen pets from the hands of dog thieves!

Because there were so many Spicy Hot Pot stalls, they hadn’t thought of this connection before. It wasn’t until Yu Ming mentioned “Jian Boss” that it clicked.

Xiao Liang, filled with enthusiasm, pulled out a red banner and walked up to the food stall. “Jian Boss, to thank you for saving the dogs, this is a small token of appreciation from our station. Please accept it!”

The red banner fluttered in the wind, its golden words gleaming—

“Miraculous Hands Bring Life, Savior of Our Dogs!”

Right then and there, the officers started clapping.

Jian Yunlan: “…”

He stared blankly at the banner in his hands.

Miraculous hands? Savior of dogs?

Sure, he’d smacked a few people around at the market… but what did that have to do with dogs?

A bunch of question marks popped up in his head.

Meanwhile, the diners looked at Jian Boss with even more admiration.

Oh my god.

Not only was his Spicy Hot Pot delicious, but he was also such an upstanding person…

“Woo woo woo! As a customer of Jian Boss, I’m so proud!”

“Yeah! Jian Boss is truly a legendary figure.”

“How can he be so handsome, so talented, so kind, and such an amazing cook???”

“Jian Sect!”

The customers gazed at the young man wielding his ladle, stirring the Spicy Hot Pot, their eyes sparkling with admiration.

Surrounded by the misty steam of the broth and the warm glow of the food stall’s lights, Jian Yunlan looked almost divine.

They had to buy ten thousand more bowls of Spicy Hot Pot to support Jian Boss!

After delivering the banner and dealing with the thugs, the police officers on the scene found themselves reluctant to leave.

…Because the smell of the Spicy Hot Pot was just too enticing!

“Boss, we’re not exactly in a rush to head back to the station,” Officer Xiao Li whispered to the captain. “And everyone’s hungry—we went straight on duty without dinner. So, how about…”

All eyes hungrily turned toward the food stall.

The customers, on the other hand, looked back at them warily and sorrowfully.

The competition was already fierce enough as it was—woo woo woo!

Even Captain Wang, his stomach growling from the tantalizing aroma, hesitated before saying, “Alright, let a few of you go buy some.”

Old Wang took off his hat and looked toward the food stall, thinking: This smell… it really is incredible.

It seemed that what they said was true—Jian Boss wasn’t just a great person with impressive skills, his cooking was out of this world too!

Though the customers were desperate to get their hands on their Spicy Hot Pot as soon as possible, their respect and gratitude for the police officers led them to begrudgingly step aside, allowing Xiao Li and the others to cut in line.

The officers had been on duty all day and were indeed starving. The moment they sat down, they dug in hungrily. At first, it was just about filling their stomachs.

But after a few bites, they were stunned.

“Holy crap! This beef is so tender, and the chili oil makes it insanely fragrant!”
“Yeah! The ox tripe is so crispy and delicious!”
“The potatoes are amazing!!! Potatoes are the best thing ever!!!”
“They said the Spicy Hot Pot owner is called Jian Boss… With this god-tier cooking skill—ahhh!”

Thirty seconds later, all the officers turned their burning gazes toward their captain.

“Captain Wang, I want to transfer to the Lotus Pond community for patrol duty!”
“Yeah, yeah! I think Lotus Pond has way too many street thugs. We need to strengthen police presence!”
“Agreed~”

Captain Wang: “What the hell are you all yapping about! Stop dawdling and get back in the car!”

The officers left reluctantly, looking back with every step.

…It was easy to imagine that for the next few days, the security at the entrance of Lotus Pond Community would be exceptionally good.

That night, Jian Yunlan was in high spirits, cooking with unmatched enthusiasm. The customers ate with pure joy. Though there had been a minor incident with the thugs, it didn’t affect the popularity of the Spicy Hot Pot stall one bit.

More and more people were drawn in, joining the line. The longer Jian Yunlan cooked, the more hyped up he became.

Then, at some point—before he even realized it—he had already sold out all one hundred portions. The ingredients were completely gone.

“Today’s Spicy Hot Pot is sold out,” Jian Yunlan regretfully announced.

“AHHHHH!!!”

There were still more than thirty people waiting in line. Their faces filled with despair as they looked at each other, devastated.

The next second, they made a bold decision.

The customers who hadn’t gotten a bowl swarmed Jian Boss, grabbing at him pitifully.

“Jian Boss, we see there’s still some broth left in the pot. You’re just going to throw it away anyway, right? Why not… let us have it…”

Jian Yunlan: “…”

From the first day he started selling wontons, customers had been asking to scrape the bottom of the pot.

But today was the most sincere, most desperate plea he had ever heard.

Dozens of teary eyes stared at him, silently pleading:

“If we can’t get Spicy Hot Pot, at least let us taste the soup!”

Faced with those pitiful gazes, Jian Yunlan sighed in defeat.

“Alright.”

Woo woo, damn that Chef God System! If not for the system, he could’ve kept cooking for three days and three nights, feeding the entire Lotus Pond Community to their heart’s content!

Jian Yunlan scooped up the remaining broth into takeout containers, left and right, handing them out to the customers. They clutched their soup containers, taking deep, reverent breaths as if they were holding an elixir of immortality.

—Ah, the taste of Jian Boss!

“I’m going to take this soup home and enshrine it!”
“Me too! It’s a family heirloom now!”
“I wonder if I’ll ever get to actually line up for Jian Boss’s food before I die… Haha.”

Jian Yunlan: “…It’s not that dramatic!”

But at least after getting their soup, they were finally willing to let him go.

Jian Yunlan hopped onto his tricycle, while Taotie sulked in the back seat. Just as he was about to start pedaling, a crisp, childish voice rang out from not far away—

“Farewell, Boss! Farewell, Moonlight Hero~”

Jian Yunlan: “???”

Who’s the boss?!

Behind him, a few kids—both boys and girls—clasped their fists in a serious salute toward Jian Yunlan’s tricycle.

Leading them, Chen Shuoshuo grinned wide, revealing a missing front tooth, and said cheerfully, “Jian Boss, you and Moonlight Hero helped us drive away the bad guys. From now on, you’re our boss!”

Hanging from the tricycle was a lotus lantern, inside of which Hu Danggui—who had clearly contributed but remained unnoticed—felt utterly wronged: QuQ

Damn it! Besides Moonlight Hero, there was also a Lotus Fairy!

He had to find a way to make a proper appearance…

The kids continued shouting loudly at Jian Yunlan, drawing curious and amused smiles from the surrounding pedestrians.

They said:

“Boss! From now on, we’ll follow you!”
“Moonlight Hero, you’re so cool! You have to protect the boss well, okay?”

Taotie: “…”

I! Am! Not! A! Bodyguard!

*

Meanwhile.

Just before Jian Boss packed up for the night, Yu Ming slipped into the crowd and managed to buy two more bowls of Spicy Hot Pot—one for himself and one for Liangliang.

The long-separated Yu Ming and Liangliang simply squatted under a tree, eating their Spicy Hot Pot in quiet companionship.

Interestingly, Jian Boss had specially prepared Liangliang’s portion without salt or extra seasonings—it was just plain, boiled meat—so even a dog like Liangliang could eat it without any trouble.

…It turned out that Liangliang was also someone Jian Boss had rescued.

Bathed in the serene moonlight, Yu Ming’s dark, bright eyes remained fixed on the lively figure at the heart of the Spicy Hot Pot stall.

Jian Boss was nearing the end of his shift, but there were still many customers waiting. So, he continued working tirelessly, barely pausing for a moment.

For a split second, Yu Ming was reminded of his childhood—of the time before his father passed away.

Back then, his father had held him in his arms, smiling as he asked:

“Mingming, what kind of person do you want to be when you grow up?”

The young Yu Ming, influenced by the heroes in TV dramas, had answered firmly:

“I want to be strong, responsible, and able to protect others!”

At the time, “someone who protects others” had been a vague, blurry ideal in his mind.

But now, that figure was becoming clearer…

Yu Ming looked at Jian Yunlan, meticulously cooking Spicy Hot Pot in the midst of the bustling crowd.

—At the food stall, Jian Yunlan’s eyes were focused, beads of sweat clinging to his forehead. The warm golden light illuminated his profile, casting a silhouette that looked gentle in the glow of the night.

Gentle, yet strong.

Across time and space, Yu Ming softly answered the question his father had once asked him:

“Dad, I think… I want to be like Jian Boss.”

A strong person.

A person who can protect others.

A surge of passion burned in Yu Ming’s heart.

This passion—the urge to do something, the longing for the future, the conviction in his ideals—kept him awake that night.

Lying in bed, staring at the moonlight streaming through the window, Yu Ming’s gaze grew brighter and more determined.

He silently envisioned the person he wanted to become.

And with that thought, he drifted into a deep, dream-filled sleep…

That night—Yu Ming underwent his second-gender awakening.

He transformed into a strong Alpha with eight-pack abs.

“…”

The Multiverse Livestream Chat: “?????????? BRO, WHAT???”