Chapter 62
The moment the fried chicken vendor arrived, the trio of Jiang Wolong, Lin Feng, and Cui Hu immediately followed.
The advantage of choosing to go through the chicken coop instead of the hole was flexibility!
From inside the chicken coop, they could observe everything around them. The moment the fried chicken vendor set up shop, they pinpointed his location and headed straight for it.
Heh, and it was perfect because there were three of them. After getting the first three servings of fried chicken, they could sneak back and pretend they hadn’t been there.
The plan was flawless.
The trio moved swiftly with the determination of athletes, their eyes locked on the tricycle, running fast.
No one could outrun them when it came to chasing down the fried chicken vendor—
Suddenly, a ghostly figure sped past them like lightning!
The figure ran so fast that it kicked up a gust of wind, sending dust flying.
Leaving them in the dust, the figure passed the three of them and stopped right in front of the fried chicken stall.
Jiang Wolong and the others were stunned, unable to stop him.
They could only watch helplessly as the person stopped at the stall.
“Boss, I’ll have a serving of fried chicken,” Fu Changfeng said, wiping the sweat from his forehead and smiling.
Jian Yunlan was a bit surprised.
He hadn’t expected business to come in so quickly!
But he quickly reacted, heating up the oil and dipping the marinated chicken legs into the batter before dropping them into the oil.
“Okay, salt and crispy chicken, one order for ten yuan.”
Soon, the oil was hot enough.
Jian Yunlan scooped a full ladle of chicken pieces and dropped them into the oil. The sizzling sound of hot oil filled the air, and the evenly sized chicken pieces quickly turned a light golden color.
Fu Changfeng stood by, appearing calm, but his eyes were fixed on the frying pan.
He almost imperceptibly swallowed.
At this moment, the trio of Jiang Wolong and his group arrived, out of breath.
“Boss, I’ll have one!”
“What kind of fried chicken is it today? I’ll have one too!”
“There are three of us… you’ve already sold one, right?”
They looked at the composed Fu Changfeng beside them.
Fu Changfeng smiled and gave a subtle nod.
…Damn!
Jian Yunlan replied, “Yes, I can only sell two more before I have to move to a new spot.”
The trio was upset.
There were three of them, and only two servings of fried chicken—how were they supposed to divide it??
“I’ll say something fair,” Jiang Wolong said, exchanging a look with Lin Feng. “In terms of seniority, the eldest and second should eat first.”
Cui Hu immediately became displeased: “Why don’t you talk about respecting elders? The second and third should eat first!”
Lin Feng shrugged: “I have no opinion.” He wins either way.
Jiang Wolong, with a serious face, said, “Wait a minute, I’ve thought it over. The ‘dragon’ in Longteng Summer Camp is my dragon. I’m the legitimate son, while you, Lin Feng, are the illegitimate son. So I should go first—”
The three of them glared at each other, unwilling to give in.
The argument quickly escalated into a fight, with punches and kicks being thrown. They looked quite disheveled.
A perfect example of “two peaches killing three men”…
Oh, no, I mean “two fried chickens killing three men.”
Fu Changfeng cast them a disdainful glance.
Useless.
But soon, his attention returned to the fried chicken.
Because his portion of fried chicken was already hot and ready…
Jian Yunlan waved the slotted spoon, and the crispy fried chicken chunks fell into the takeout box. He then sprinkled a layer of sparkling pepper salt on top.
“Be careful, it’s hot.” Jian Yunlan handed the takeout box to Fu Changfeng with a smile.
Fu Changfeng carefully took the box.
—Each piece of salt and crispy chicken was perfectly sized, golden and crispy on the outside. A gentle touch caused golden crumbs to fall, and the steam was rising.
At the same time, the delicious aroma of the salt and crispy chicken wafted up.
The smell of the fried chicken itself, mixed with some spices and the fresh scent of the chicken, created an intense fragrance that almost seemed tangible.
Just inhaling it made Fu Changfeng feel like he was lacking oxygen.
It was so, so…so fragrant!
Gulp. Gulp.
Fu Changfeng couldn’t help but swallow.
He couldn’t resist any longer and picked up a piece of salt and crispy chicken with a bamboo skewer, bringing it to his mouth.
As soon as he bit into the first piece of salt and crispy chicken, Fu Changfeng couldn’t help but let out a sigh: “Ah…”
The texture of the fried chicken was so rich.
The first bite, the hot golden crust made a satisfying crunch, and the fragrance and juice inside instantly burst out!
The hot, tender chicken meat was juicy and slightly elastic, and the more he chewed, the more flavorful it became.
This fried chicken was so delicious, it made him truly understand the meaning of “crispy.” With one bite, it felt like the bones themselves would melt.
Especially the fried coating—it was perfectly crispy, and when combined with the tender chicken, the result was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside…
Fu Changfeng even picked up the crumbs that had fallen and popped them into his mouth, not wanting to waste a single bit.
The salt and crispy chicken was salty, but not overly salty. The flavor had evenly seeped into each piece of chicken, enhancing its deliciousness.
After one bite, Fu Changfeng eagerly skewered another piece, wolfing it down.
That was close—he almost starved to death!
But just then, a swift figure came running from a distance, followed by an angry shout that grew closer:
“Dog thief Fu Changfeng, the grudge over the fried chicken, I will never forgive you!!!”
The figure was slim but powerful.
Xiao Xiao rushed toward them, moving like the wind, and like a Valkyrie, she leapt into the air and kicked—
Fu Changfeng instinctively moved to protect his fried chicken, but he couldn’t dodge in time and was sent flying by the kick.
The takeout box flew through the air, tracing a parabolic arc.
The fried chicken chunks scattered through the air like petals, falling like raindrops…
Xiao Xiao froze.
She just wanted to kick Fu Changfeng, not ruin the fried chicken! Ahhh!
The trio, still fighting, immediately stopped and, along with Fu Changfeng and Xiao Xiao, stared up in disbelief.
Everyone present had their eyes wide open.
The moment seemed to stretch on forever.
“Look, it’s raining salt and crispy chicken!”
“Wow…”
“How romantic.”
Xiao Xiao instinctively opened her arms, trying to catch as many pieces of fried chicken as possible.
The trio, with their heads together, opened their mouths wide, trying to catch as much as they could.
Thud. A piece of fried chicken fell into Cui Hu’s mouth.
He chewed, tears welling up in his eyes as he savored the crispy, tender, juicy chicken. He couldn’t help but say:
“Thank you, fried chicken vendor, thank you for nature’s gift…”
Jian Yunlan: “…”
Despite Xiao Xiao and the trio trying their best to catch the falling fried chicken, some pieces still hit the ground and got covered in dust.
What a waste.
The group felt a pang of guilt, almost unable to look.
However, in the next moment, Fu Changfeng moved.
Everyone held their breath.
Was Fu Changfeng going to…?!
Sure enough, the next moment, Fu Changfeng knelt down on the ground and carefully picked up the pieces of fried chicken that had fallen, wiped them with a napkin, and popped them into his mouth.
Even after falling on the ground, it didn’t affect the delicious taste at all!
So delicious!
Fu Changfeng squinted his eyes, showing a satisfied expression.
Everyone: “…”
The live stream: “………Ahhhhhhh!!!”
Meanwhile, not far away, Principal Lao Xu, along with the reporters and teachers, a large group of people, was making their way over…
Let’s rewind ten minutes.
Principal Lao Xu was speaking proudly to the reporters, talking about how strict their summer camp’s rules were and how many excellent students they had trained, such as the exemplary Fu Changfeng.
The next moment, a dark figure darted past him, heading straight for the snack stall!
Principal Lao Xu’s face immediately turned green.
The teachers fell silent.
Even the reporters couldn’t help but feel embarrassed for them.
The slap to the face came too fast.
“These good-for-nothing kids are ruining the atmosphere of our summer camp!” Principal Lao Xu said angrily. “Let’s go, follow me! I’ll catch this little brat myself and teach him a lesson!”
And so, a large group of people marched toward the snack stall.
Along the way, a curious reporter asked, “How come there’s a snack stall at the summer camp entrance at 4 a.m.?”
Principal Lao Xu explained the “bait plan.”
The reporter: “….”
No one knew who came up with this plan, but they were quite the genius.
As for the snack stall, although Principal Lao Xu didn’t say much, the disdain was clear in his expression.
“Our summer camp’s meals have always been healthy and nutritionally balanced,” he sneered. “But young people, they’re always drawn to junk food. Those snack stalls are easy to set up, selling fried skewers and such. But really, they—”
Before he could finish his sentence, a delicious smell wafted by.
The salty fragrance of salt and crispy chicken mixed with the greasy smell of fried skewers.
Including Principal Lao Xu, everyone was momentarily stunned.
So… so fragrant…
What’s going on? Where did that smell come from?
The snack stall??
Principal Lao Xu forced himself to calm down, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, and said sternly, “It smells good, but it’s all additives. Otherwise, how could it have such a strong scent?”
Even as he spoke, his usually straight posture began to bend slightly.
—Hearing this, the teachers and reporters who had been somewhat swayed now felt reassured.
Yes.
After all, they were older and had cooked before—ordinary people didn’t make food that smelled this good.
The teachers began discussing among themselves:
“Food that smells this outrageous must have lots of additives and spices.”
“Yes, these kids are so easily fooled. They have little life experience, and once they smell that, they can’t control themselves.”
“Probably the only one with enough self-control in this camp is Fu Changfeng… but not everyone is like him. Sigh.”
Indeed.
After several days of almost desperate battles of wits with the students, the teachers had witnessed various crazy antics from students obsessed with fried chicken.
Amidst all this madness, Fu Changfeng was their last bit of consolation.
No matter who fell, Fu Changfeng was definitely not going to!
As the teachers talked, the reporter became even more curious about this student named Fu Changfeng.
What kind of person could make so many people speak so highly of him?
“Fu Changfeng is my student!”
Principal Lao Xu straightened his back again, a bit smug:
“Under my guidance, he is the most disciplined…”
“Hmph, unlike these students, eating fried chicken in the middle of the night.”
The reporter raised his camera, recording the principal’s words.
By now, they had finally reached the snack stall, and the smell was even more intense, causing many to quietly swallow their saliva.
Principal Lao Xu was still speaking excitedly:
“At this hour, Fu Changfeng should be up by now, exercising—”
Suddenly, as if he had seen something, Principal Lao Xu’s face changed.
…From shock, disbelief, to despair.
He hurried forward, frantically blocking the camera: “Stop filming, I told you to stop filming!!”
As Principal Lao Xu looked at the scene in front of the fried chicken stall, his mind began to race through memories.
The hardships of starting the summer camp, the effort it took to gain parents’ trust, the joy and pride of nurturing outstanding students… But when he saw the scene in front of him, all the good memories shattered into pieces!
Just like the salt and crispy chicken in the sky.
Falling, with crumbs scattered everywhere.
And… it still smelled so good.
Principal Lao Xu’s back instantly bent, and he desperately tried to block the camera with his hands, his eyes filled with tears: “No, don’t film it!”
Reporter: “Uh…”
Didn’t anyone tell the principal that this was a live broadcast?!
Although it was 4 a.m. and not many people were watching, there were always bored people in the world.
In the middle of the night, the live streaming platforms were either showing hypnotic videos or game streams by cultivation practitioners, all monotonous.
Who wouldn’t be curious and click on the stream titled “Summer Camp Catches Escaping Students Late at Night” from the Chaoyong News official live stream?
At least five to six hundred viewers in the live stream were curious.
As they watched the screen, they saw salt and crispy chicken flying through the air, with several strange-looking students. Some had their arms wide open, tears in their eyes, others were flying in the air trying to catch the salt and crispy chicken, and some were kneeling on the ground, trembling, scooping up the chicken and putting it into their mouths.
Especially the one kneeling on the ground.
He was tall, had a dignified appearance, a handsome face, and a pair of gentle, beautiful phoenix eyes. He looked like the protagonist of a novel.
But what he was doing…
The curiosity of the viewers quickly turned into disdain and shock.
[Teacher, is this a summer camp or a mental hospital?]
[How bad must the food be at this summer camp that the students are going crazy over fried chicken?]
[Feeling sorry for the principal for a second]
[+1]
Just as the viewers were getting into the excitement, the screen suddenly cut off.
An off-screen voice spoke: “Ahem, there is a technical issue with the live stream. Please be patient, and we will now play a promotional video for Longteng Summer Camp.”
The viewers: “….”
The promotional video looked very high-end, showcasing an elite team and a prestigious school, with grandiose slogans like “Dreams begin here” and “With outstanding faculty and top-notch education, committed to producing a batch of quality Alpha citizens for society.”
What a bore.
Many viewers were about to leave.
Suddenly, someone in a well-fitting uniform caught their attention in the video.
It was a tall boy, around 1.8 meters, extremely handsome, with gentle phoenix eyes, and a graceful demeanor.
He looked directly at the camera, smiling appropriately. Even the daylight seemed to soften around him as he spoke:
“Hello, everyone. I’m Fu Changfeng, a member of this year’s Longteng Summer Camp. I’d like to share some of the good virtues I’ve learned here, such as honesty, humility, courtesy, and self-discipline…”
The viewers who were about to exit slammed on the brakes.
[Wait a minute]
[???]
[This person, those eyes, this name, so familiar… could it be—]
*
At the fried chicken stall.
Chaoyong News’s live stream emphasized authenticity, with no unnecessary interruptions. But after the principal had pushed the camera a few times, the reporter’s camera malfunctioned, forcing them to pause for repairs: “Let me fix this for a moment.”
Principal Lao Xu let out a sigh of relief.
He glanced at the dazed teachers nearby, then at the students who were crazy for the fried chicken, and then at the stall owner, who was calmly frying the chicken. He felt his vision darken.
“What are you standing around for? Hurry up and catch them!” Principal Lao Xu shouted angrily.
The teachers snapped back to reality and started to approach: “Oh, right, right. The summer camp strictly forbids climbing over walls. All of you, put your heads down and squat—”
Suddenly, a large group of people came running from a distance!
They were all wearing summer camp uniforms, but some had messy, bird’s nest-like hair, some had black mud all over their faces, and some looked like they had crawled out of a sewage pit, running while the muddy water dripped from their bodies…
While running, they shouted:
“Fried chicken boss, the fried chicken boss is over there!! Everyone, charge!!!”
“Boss, I want a portion of fried chicken!!”
“Hehe, it smells so good, it was worth crawling out in the middle of the night…”
When a teacher tried to approach to catch them, the students, like wild dogs, splashed them with black mud.
The teacher staggered back, dizzy.
The students crowded around the fried chicken stall, running together toward happiness.
But when they finally arrived at the stall, they immediately turned on each other, shoving and swearing as they tried to be the first to buy fried chicken.
“I was here first.” “If I hadn’t pulled you earlier, you wouldn’t have even smelled the fried chicken.” “I’ve been chasing the fried chicken boss for three days, I’m buying first!”
Just as one of the students was about to smear mud onto the fried chicken stall owner, a silver dog suddenly leaped out of nowhere.
The large dog moved gracefully, its head held high with a cold gleam in its golden eyes. It walked past the shoving students like a king descending from the heavens, occasionally barking, “Woof!”
Wherever the dog went, the students suddenly calmed down, as if they had seen something terrifying. They couldn’t help but shiver.
The students nervously lined up in order.
Only then did the dog nod in satisfaction.
The teachers: “…”
Ah, they were so frustrated that their authority was now less than that of a dog!
But the fried chicken… why did it smell so good?
The teachers’ gazes began to wander again.
Even though they knew it was unhygienic and full of additives, the closer they got, the stronger the smell became—rich and fresh. The unique salty fragrance of the salt and crispy chicken wafted toward their faces, wearing down their willpower…
Xiao Xiao obediently stood in line.
To catch up and give Fu Changfeng a good beating, she used her track and field skills to outrun everyone, naturally ending up at the front of the line.
“Boss, I want a portion of salt and crispy chicken.” Xiao Xiao whispered to Jian Yunlan.
Jian Yunlan: “Okay.”
Soon, the portion of salt and crispy chicken belonging to Xiao Xiao was handed to her.
The steaming aroma hit her face, and the chicken, golden and crispy, was so delicate that it crumbled at the slightest touch, sprinkled with glittering pepper and salt…
“Ah…”
Her eyes widened, and she was about to pick up the bamboo skewer and devour the chicken when suddenly, an old, wrinkled face appeared in front of her.
“Ah!”
Xiao Xiao was startled and her hand trembled.
Principal Lao Xu glared at her with a strange expression, murmuring, “Fried chicken… Who allowed you to eat fried chicken… All the students who climbed over the wall at midnight are going to be locked in confinement…”
Xiao Xiao swallowed, throwing caution to the wind, and pleaded, “Confinement is fine, just let me eat the fried chicken first.”
The principal snorted coldly.
Without hesitation, he snatched the fried chicken from Xiao Xiao’s hands.
“As for the fried chicken… it’s unhygienic and unhealthy. On behalf of all the teachers of the summer camp, I confiscate it!”
The salt and crispy chicken was taken away.
Xiao Xiao’s beautiful eyes, like clear spring water, instantly reflected the gaze of a hunter, filled with murderous intent.
Before being escorted away by security, she turned her head to stare at the principal, as though she wanted to remember his face…
On the other side.
Principal Lao Xu, holding the fried chicken, walked with a stern face toward a nearby trash can, under the envious gazes of both students and teachers.
So many students, even teachers, were tempted by the fried chicken, but as the principal, he had to set an example!
“It’s just fried chicken. Hmph, who hasn’t eaten fried chicken before?”
The principal deliberately spoke loudly:
“You don’t know, this fried chicken probably uses gutter oil. It smells so good, but you can bet it’s full of additives and flavor enhancers—”
The principal held the box of fried chicken, carefully pushing it forward, making sure the aroma didn’t waft up to his face.
He spoke with righteous words, continually trying to hypnotize himself:
‘Street food fried chicken, unhygienic,’ ‘God knows what kind of awful ingredients it uses,’ ‘Smells good, but it might not taste as good…’
But his eyes, nose, and mouth just wouldn’t listen!
Since the moment he took the fried chicken from Xiao Xiao, it was as if his senses had stopped being his own.
His eyes were fixated on the fried chicken, more intensely than when he checked exam scores fifty years ago.
His eyes had become like a microscope, greedily scanning every detail of the fried chicken:
The golden, glistening crispy coating, thin but tightly enclosing the tender chicken inside; the juicy meat with a layer of oil, the translucent, glistening juice flowing, the aroma of the pepper-salt crust, the crisp batter, and the savory meat oil…
Lao Xu’s head couldn’t help but lower more and more.
Gulp, gulp.
His hands tried to pull the fried chicken away, but his eyes and nose were locked on it, his body seeming controlled by two different people, as if he was fighting with himself.
Students and teachers: “…”
The more his brain and nose were tempted, the louder the principal spoke:
“Look at how cheap it is. The chicken is probably frozen. It’s fake! Don’t fall for it!”
At that moment, he reached the trash can.
His hand, still holding the fried chicken box, slowly stretched over the trash can, his face pressed close to the box, greedily watching, breathing in every bit of the fried chicken’s fragrance.
The principal’s wrinkled face twisted with an expression of extreme agony, as though he was gnashing his teeth, saying:
“Today, I must set an example, like fighting against the bad influences… but—”
