Chapter 116: The System Wouldn’t Be Outrageous Enough to Turn Mosquito Corpses into Ingredients, Right?
The sight of the mutated mosquitoes gave every customer present quite a fright.
Even though they rationally knew they were safe within the white light, the terrifying memories of encountering mutated mosquitoes had accumulated over years, and were not so easily dispelled.
Fear had become an ingrained conditioned reflex.
The few individuals who had been about to step outside subconsciously retreated several paces.
Only after recalling that this was the Chinese Restaurant—an absolute sanctuary—did they halt their steps.
Facing such grotesque, hideous swarms of mutated mosquitoes, not fleeing straight back into the dining hall was already a testament to their nerve.
“The rainy season… has just begun, and the mutated mosquitoes have hatched already?”
“Does it have anything to do with… that bizarre hail earlier?”
Under the canopy, someone swallowed hard, staring at the swarm lingering outside the perimeter.
“Here they come!”
Right on cue, the swarm surged forward in unison, hurling itself toward the barrier of white light.
The high-frequency buzz-buzz-buzz of vibrating wings sounded right beside their ears.
Some clenched their fists, eyes glued to the white barrier; others shut their eyes in sheer panic; while a few, holding absolute faith in the protective light, quietly reassured those around them, “Don’t worry, it’s fine.”
Swoosh—
The instant they touched the outer edge of the white glow, the maddening hum ceased.
Before the eyes of the gathered crowd, the entire swarm of predatory mosquitoes dissolved into thin air.
“Over here too!”
Along another flank of the protective perimeter, a second swarm descended.
If anything, this cluster was larger than the first.
Yet the outcome was identical.
The moment they lunged toward the humans, the white light passed immediate judgment.
“!”
“…Whoa.”
“I’d heard the Chinese Restaurant’s white light was invincible, but I didn’t think it was this absurd!”
“…Then it seems we don’t have to be afraid of them after all.”
“Exactly… I drank the lemongrass tea anyway, so what do I have to fear?”
“Right! Everything the boss sells has miraculous effects. Why don’t you test out the mint and lemongrass tea?”
“Good point!”
The scene had injected a heavy dose of courage into the onlookers, making them fully appreciate just how terrifyingly potent this barrier was.
—Whispers that the boss’s white light offered absolute safety had circulated for a while.
Supposedly, several regular patrons had witnessed and experienced it firsthand.
However, multiple iterations of the story had evolved by word of mouth.
Some claimed earlier visitors had watched mountain-sized clumps of mutated bamboo shoots get erased clean by the barrier.
Others alleged that malicious agitators had lured ferocious mutated horrors to the restaurant to stir up trouble, only to end up vaporized alongside the beasts.
Still others theorized that the barrier was so formidable—completely purging every trace of toxic miasma—because it actively absorbed the energy of nearby mutants.
Why were there no mutated beasts around the Chinese Restaurant? Because when night fell, the white light allegedly captured and devoured them on its own!
Rumors abounded in every flavor, but those who had personally borne witness were few and far between.
The spectacle right before their eyes firmly validated the restaurant’s claim of absolute safety.
It acted as a potent shot of adrenaline for everyone watching.
Before long, a few patrons who had consumed the lemongrass brew banded together into small groups, determined to step outside the glow and give it a try.
Overcoming deep-seated dread was never easy, but having the white barrier as a safety net made all the difference.
They tentatively stepped forward, inching out with extreme caution.
Their mindset was clear: the instant anything felt off, they would dive straight back under the shield.
Buzz-buzz-buzz—
The wild was nothing like the flattened interior of the city, and nobody bothered clearing stagnant puddles out here.
Sure enough, a dense mass of mutated mosquitoes erupted from a large pool of water in the distance.
Greater in number and substantially larger than the previous batches.
Catching the scent of warm human flesh and blood, they surged airborne and hurtled straight toward the group.
Their flight speed was blistering.
The scavengers broke into a cold sweat, pivoting on their heels and bracing to bolt.
—Yet a mere three paces away from the group, the rabid swarm abruptly ground to a halt.
The insects formed a tight perimeter around them, leaving a distinct, untouched vacuum around the humans.
“Well I’ll be! It really works!”
“Told you so! Nothing to fear!”
“Oh, shut it! If I hadn’t grabbed your collar just now, you would’ve bolted back inside already, wouldn’t you? Haha!”
The crowd nestled within the white light chuckled along.
“So that’s how the mint and lemongrass tea drives pests away! Incredible—they can’t even get close. We can totally head over to the farm to dig wild vegetables now!”
“Stay sharp though; what if other mutant beasts are lurking out that way?”
“Easy enough! Aren’t the city guards patrolling along the trail? If worse comes to worst, just run back and lure the monsters straight into the light to kill them.”
“Hey… that’s actually not a half-bad idea.”
Hardly had the words left the man’s mouth when an overeager volunteer put the theory into practice.
Seeing how those who drank the lemongrass tea had sauntered out unharmed, a bystander grew overjoyed and stepped forward to try his luck.
He took a stride forward, and the moment his heel cleared the boundary of light, the circling swarm suddenly shifted targets, plunging toward him in a frantic frenzy.
“!”
Only then did he remember: he hadn’t ordered the mint and lemongrass tea earlier. He had drunk the chrysanthemum, goji berry, and tangerine peel tea—it had zero insect-repellent properties!
Crap, crap, crap!
He whipped around and scrambled back toward the light.
Hot on his heels, the dense mass of mosquitoes lunged straight into the barrier.
Naturally, they evaporated into nothingness on the spot.
“Wait a second…”
The man who had scrambled back into safety seemed to have stumbled upon a whole new world.
The bystanders who had witnessed the sequence had their eyes light up as well.
Those who drank the mint and lemongrass tea were completely ignored by the pests. Those who hadn’t would naturally become the prime targets of the mutated swarm—but with the Chinese Restaurant’s protective shield right there…
Couldn’t they effectively use themselves as bait to exterminate the entire swarm?
Ha! Today was finally their turn to turn the tables and play the predator.
These bloodsucking fiends loved chasing people, didn’t they? Let’s see them chase this!
Several customers who had just polished off their meals eagerly adjusted their face wraps and rain hoods, scanning the terrain around the restaurant with hungry, calculating gazes.
…
Ling Jing wiped her hands on a clean towel, having just helped serve another bowl of mutton soup.
Standing in the main dining hall, she caught the raucous clamor drifting in from outside.
Bits and pieces carried over… “Run, run faster!”
“Kite them! Keep kiting them!”
“The swarm you pulled looks the biggest so far!”
“Watch this, I’ll try luring two clusters at once!”
What on earth are they doing?
She stepped toward the entrance, casting a glance outward.
The diners lounging under the awnings had congregated tightly along the perimeter of the light, thoroughly absorbed in watching the spectacle.
Her curiosity piqued, Ling Jing poked her head out the door and glanced toward the densest gathering.
—Beyond the protective barrier, a heavily bundled customer was sprinting back for dear life from across the barren flat.
Pursuing closely behind was… mosquitoes?
Whoa, look at the size of those things.
Hideous, terrifying, and thoroughly revolting.
Ling Jing watched as the runner led the swarm straight into the white barrier, followed immediately by cheers and applause from the onlookers sheltered inside.
Someone was even tallying up the count.
“Sixteen in your batch! Two short of Ah-Qing’s record.”
“Mine were way bigger, though!”
“We never agreed on size; the bet was purely on headcount.” A tall woman rested her hands on her hips, extending an open palm. “Three City Coins. Pay up.”
“Fine, fine, here. Let’s go another round!”
…Having this much fun?
Ling Jing arched an eyebrow.
She couldn’t help but wonder if the city guards—who had arrived before dawn to haul away an enormous catering order of hot drinks and roasted potatoes—were having just as lively a time.
Their prior arrangement stipulated that official bulk orders should not interfere with regular business hours.
Since what they requested this morning were entirely automated staple items with ample reserves to replenish the stock, she had agreed to the sale.
The tea was effortless to brew, and the roasted tubers replenished on their own, so Ling Jing had filled the order without fuss.
Wait… with this many mutated mosquitoes swarming on the very first day of the rainy season, when the authorities arrived tonight to collect the rest of their order… surely they wouldn’t haul over a mountain of dead mosquito carcasses, would they?
The system wouldn’t be outrageous enough to turn mosquito corpses into edible ingredients, right?
She hurriedly brought up her system HUD.
By now, the white light had undoubtedly pulverized an impressive number of the pests.
Phew. Thank goodness. Not a trace of mosquito meat had appeared in the ingredient inventory.
Even if it had…
Ling Jing wouldn’t know the first thing about cooking it anyway!
