A Seafood Feast

The world chat channel was as lively as ever.

["Checking in! Today is the fifth day of grinding. Let's go, we got this!"

"I've found enough food to last me a week. Right now, I'm just lying in my car, warming up by the fire. Who's more comfortable than me?"

"Brothers, after trekking for five hours, I finally found a river! I'll be setting up camp here for the next few days. Just saw some fish jumping in the water—looks delicious!"

"I'm stuck in the desert while you guys are freezing in winter. I never knew deserts could be this cold! I need a T-shirt during the day but a thick coat at night. I seriously can't take this anymore."

"Does anyone know where Su Chen is? Please tell me—I want to marry him!"

"Are you crazy? Keep dreaming."

"I've reached a lake, so water is no longer a problem. Hahaha!"]

…

People were starting to migrate, most of them heading toward lakes.

Surviving by the lake was much easier than in the forest.

With just a simple fishing rod, even an ordinary person could fish for food.

Fishing was far easier than hunting sheep, digging for supplies, or aimlessly searching for loot boxes.

It was a test of patience—just a rod, some bait, and a little stool to sit on while waiting for a fish to bite. No special skills required.

The air was fresh here, filled with the sounds of birds and the scent of blooming flowers.

However, one still had to stay alert. The cave rats had taught Su Chen a lesson—monsters didn't only come out at night; they were just more active then.

Even in the daytime, it was necessary to stay cautious.

Without the threat of monsters, this place would be a paradise—a perfect retreat for a relaxing vacation.

Su Chen was starting to enjoy life here.

He counted his haul: more than a dozen crayfish, two large carp, a pound of clams, and five oysters.

The lake didn't seem as abundant as he had expected. With a high-quality fishing net like his, he should've been able to catch at least half of the lake's inhabitants.

This amount of seafood wasn't nearly enough. After all, he had three mouths to feed.

At the very least, he needed to double it.

Just as he was about to enhance his catch, a dark shadow slowly emerged from the grass.

Su Chen's legs tensed. He instinctively stepped back and swiftly pulled a pistol from his waist.

"Big bro, spare me! I'm not a bad guy—I just came here to fish!"

Xi Bowen's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode.

He had just gotten his fishing rod and was dreaming of fresh fish to replenish his protein.

But instead of fish, he was about to get shot!

"So, not a monster, huh?"

Su Chen recognized Xi Bowen—an expert bragger and a hilarious guy.

He relaxed, lowered his gun, and patted Xi Bowen's shoulder.

"Sorry, man. Thought a monster was crawling out of the grass."

"It's all good! I was just worried you'd kill me on the spot. Damn, bro, you're really doing well—you even have a gun!"

"Just lucky. Found a blueprint and made it myself."

"Still, that's some insane luck! If I had that kind of luck, I'd already be in the top 100 worldwide."

"My bad for scaring you earlier. Here, take a scallop as a peace offering. Hope you catch some big ones today."

Xi Bowen's eyes lit up, and he practically started drooling.

"Thanks, bro! Not gonna lie, even though Su Chen and I wiped out that barbarian tribe the other day, I barely managed to grab any food."

Su Chen casually wiped his hands on his pants, glancing at Xi Bowen every now and then.

Good thing he hadn't recognized him—his full-body armor that day had done its job.

Even better that Su Chen hadn't enhanced his catch just now, or the system might have been exposed.

Xi Bowen stared at the bucket of seafood, looking genuinely shocked.

"Damn, bro! There's this much seafood in the lake?"

Su Chen decided it was time to leave.

"Yep, this is just an hour's worth of fishing."

Hearing this, Xi Bowen quickly baited his hook and cast his line into the lake.

His eyes were wide open, staring at the water like a hawk, afraid he might miss a bite.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Su Chen quietly grabbed his bucket of seafood and slipped away.

Ten minutes passed.

Thirty minutes passed.

Xi Bowen still hadn't caught a single fish. Something felt off.

He turned his head—only to realize that Su Chen was long gone.

"Where did he go? No way… he didn't just fish up everything in the lake, did he?"

Another twenty minutes passed, and still no luck.

Xi Bowen was now convinced.

"Damn that big guy! He tricked me! Just wait till I see him again—I'll make sure he pays!"

With no other choice, he picked up his useless fishing rod and trudged back. Even the worms on his hook had been completely ignored.

Sighing, Xi Bowen just wanted to find a quiet corner to cry. Another day wasted, and his food supplies were running low.

Back at Su Chen's RV

Su Chen carried his bucket of seafood inside and activated his enhancement ability.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! Enhancement successful. The quantity of seafood (fish, crayfish, clams, scallops) has been increased by 100 times! Taste quality: superb.]

"Time for a seafood feast!"

Su Chen had all the necessary tools—grill, pot, even a full set of seasonings.

Tonight was going to be a feast!

He set up the grill and pot outside, extended the RV's awning, and created a cozy outdoor cooking space.

Plugging in the electric stove, he prepared the hotpot base—oil sizzling and fragrant spices filling the air.

He set up the charcoal, and soon, the simple grill was ready to go.

Hearing the delicious aroma, Er Bao and Jun Ma trotted over, their noses twitching in excitement as they watched Su Chen skillfully cook.

Er Bao, with a sweet voice, whined, "Smells amazing! What's on the menu today?"

Jun Ma shot him a sideways glance and snorted.

"Ugh, just eat and stop acting cute."

"Alright, alright, enough bickering. Can you two help wash the seafood?"

Before things could escalate into a full-blown argument, Su Chen stepped in.

Er Bao and Jun Ma immediately jumped into action, eager to show off.

After some scrambling, Er Bao washed a single live fish, while the horse cleaned an entire bucket of crayfish.

(T/N: don't ask me how they are doing this, i don't know.)

Su Chen chuckled and decided to be fair—grilling the fish and making a spicy crayfish stir-fry.

As he cooked, he couldn't help but praise them.

"You two did a great job! Now get ready to taste the Master Chef's cooking!"

After a few more steps, the seafood feast was finally complete—colorful, aromatic, and mouthwatering.

Since he didn't have a table or chairs, Su Chen spread a few cloths on the ground instead.

Er Bao and Jun Ma were both growing, so he had cooked plenty.

In fact, this was enough for an entire family!

"So good!"

Meanwhile, Xi Bowen, still carrying his fishing rod, was wandering near Su Chen's RV, drawn in by the irresistible smell…