Chapter 3: Hot Pot and the Girl
Jiang Ming did not believe that Tang Xian possessed a superpower similar to the Mind Reading Technique.
No matter how powerful the gifted ones were in the mining area, once they left, they would be no different from ordinary people.
Items from the mining zone could be brought into reality, but the abilities from there could not be taken out.
He could only be certain that Tang Xian had likely made ample preparations for himself and Bai Ling.
He did not need to know how Tang Xian did it. But if Tang Xian didn't cheat, if someone capable of scoring full marks had prepared for an action for six years, then that action was bound to go smoothly.
...
...
Sichuan peppercorns bobbed, and tripe tumbled; the boiling chili oil broth was also steeped with ingredients known as oyster mushrooms and fried tofu puff.
These were ingredients that were now hard to come by.
While reviewing the task handbook, Tang Xian swished ingredients in the hot pot.
Unlike the temps, the formal workers' tasks in the mining area were not limited to mining at the fringes.
Rather than mining, taking on the task of hunting the creatures of the mining area to obtain their core minerals was a far more effective way to get rich.
If one could explore an unknown region and discover new mining sources, their fame would spread to the upper echelons of every fortress.
Tang Xian did not care about fame or wealth, but he did plan to take on a few tasks to improve his living conditions—mainly his diet.
He had recently seen ChaoShan Fish Balls and salt and pepper slipper lobster in an old book on gourmet food, which suddenly piqued his interest in Cantonese cuisine.
Fortuitously, the antique shop had received new stock recently, and a local heavy from the lower level gave Tang Xian a tip about several Cantonese-style stoves, all from the ruins of Yangcheng.
This immediately sparked Tang Xian's interest in hunting the creatures of the mining area.
Besides that, he also wanted to buy a set of the Twenty-Four Histories and some Western history.
Human civilization had undergone a great purge. Only one in ten of the surviving people remained.
Coupled with many historical documents located in the ruins of ancient cities filled with nuclear radiation, humanity's understanding of the past had become unclear.
This was perhaps the most peculiar aspect: people mastered technologies similar to the Pyramid and quantum transition, yet many existing civilized technologies had been forgotten.
It seemed that the upper stratum of power holders was also disinclined to trace these civilizations, shifting all strategic goals to the mining area itself, seeking a chosen one capable of defeating the creatures of the mining area, wanting to crack the rules of the seven-day survival limit in the mining area.
Tang Xian did not understand but was grateful that the art of cooking and culinary skills were still preserved in the earliest models of stoves.
After leaving the mining area, no matter how much time had passed, one would need ten hours before they could re-enter the mining area through the rift.
While waiting rather bored, Tang Xian started thinking about how to handle the upcoming task.
At that moment, the door was knocked on.
He furrowed his brow but still opened the door.
"Sir... Do you need service?"
It was a young girl, whose figure was enchanting, mature beyond her years with curves in all the right places.
"Don't look for me to do things that go against the socialist core values," Tang Xian decided and closed the door promptly.
Such women were numerous, their ability to mine and exchange for goods limited compared to the more robust men, and they were even "taxed" by some old temps.
Most women chose to turn themselves into commodities.
Tang Xian had not encountered this before. Commodities also pick their buyers. This was also why Song Zhe was often successful.
Most women could not wait a lifetime for the opportunity to showcase their figures to those in the second layer or even higher.
The girl before him was very young, looking a couple of years younger than himself. She also had a cute face.
If she had changed into clean clothes and done her hair at a nicer salon on the second level, she would have been a stunningly beautiful young lady.
"Please, just let me stay for one night..."
As Tang Xian went to close the door, the girl became anxious.
"I decline."
Tang Xian was resolute and applied a little force with his hand. Everyone had their own choices and lives to live.
Having spent time on the first level, he had seen too many tragedies, which had hardened his heart. Moreover, the data in his sight indicated that this girl was not being honest.
But suddenly, he paused.
He saw the girl swallow, her cute little nose twitching faintly as she inhaled.
The aroma of duck intestines and beef tripe steeped in the chili oil broth wafted out.
At the opportune time, the girl's stomach let out a growl.
"Fine, come in," Tang Xian abruptly opened the door.
The girl instantly looked up, grateful, then noticed that his face was surprisingly good-looking.
"Sit on the floor. The room is small and doesn't have much furniture. At least there are enough bowls and chopsticks," he said.
"Thank you," she replied.
After washing the dishes, Tang Xian handed them to the girl.
She was somewhat befuddled when she received them.
She had eaten nutrient meals that were akin to porridge and usually consumed with a spoon. Hence, she had never used chopsticks her entire life.
Too embarrassed to ask, she watched Tang Xian eat, trying to mimic the way he used chopsticks.
But she wasn't quite successful at it.
Tang Xian ate his food in silence, enjoying duck intestines, blood curd, tripe, and tofu puff.
He wasn't planning to keep the girl around to fulfill humanity's highest mission; he just simply... wanted someone to appreciate the deliciousness of hot pot.
Tang Xian looked up: "Why aren't you eating?"
"I... I don't know how to use these..."
The girl was just clutching the chopsticks in her hand.
Tang Xian had indeed forgotten about this; he had learned from a booklet that the ancient people of Huaxia always ate with chopsticks.
They were cumbersome to use but looked rather aesthetically pleasing.
So he endured the inconvenience and learned how to use them.