69: Chapter 69 The First Team Building Activity of the Lying Flat Club (Hot Pot Party)

Tianqiong War God Academy, Dormitory 404.

This place was once a legendary haunted house, where eerie cries would ring out every night of the full moon. But since Gu Fan moved in, the atmosphere had abruptly mutated into a some sort of indescribable "resort" style.

At this moment, in the center of the dormitory, a large iron pot with a diameter of a full meter was set atop several simple Spirit Stone stoves. The red oil broth inside was boiling frantically, emitting an inviting "gurgle gurgle" sound.

That was a peerless soup base Gu Fan had prepared using the remaining half-bag of [Karma Boiling Powder] as a base, mixed with "Heavenly Fragrance Spicy Beef Tallow" exchanged from the System Mall.

The aroma.

An extremely overbearing aroma.

This scent wasn't just simple spiciness like ordinary hot pot; it seemed to possess a certain magic, capable of directly triggering the deep-seated desire for energy within biological genes.

The aroma followed the cracks of the doors and windows like conscious tentacles, quickly spreading to the surroundings.

In the dormitory hallway, passing students stopped one after another, sniffing hard.

“Holy crap! What's that smell? It's so fragrant!”

“This smell... it's a hundred times more fragrant than the braised pork from the Second Canteen! Is someone refining high-grade Medicinal Pills?”

“Medicinal Pills my ass! This is hot pot! Who's so insane that they're cooking hot pot in the dorm at noon? Are they trying to kill us with temptation?!”

And at the source of the sin—inside Dormitory 404.

“Pres... President, is this really appropriate?”

Xiao Fan sat upright, holding a pair of half-meter-long custom chopsticks in his hand. Looking at the meat slices bobbing in the pot, his Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty.

He was a man determined to become a War God; how could he indulge in the desires of the palate?

But... this meat smelled too good!

“What's inappropriate about it?”

Gu Fan sat cross-legged on the carpet, holding a bowl of prepared dipping oil, looking completely at ease. “In this life, it's all about eating and drinking. What is Cultivation for? Isn't it just so we can eat something good and get a peaceful night's sleep?”

“But, the Club Management Center's side...” Xiao Fan was still a bit worried.

“Don't worry, let the bullet fly for a while.”

Gu Fan picked up a crystal-clear slice of meat and swirled it in the oil dip. “Come, try this. This is tenderloin from the Rank 5 Vicious Beast 'Flame Savage Bull.' It cost me quite a few points to exchange. It's said that eating it can strengthen the kidneys and virility... oh no, strengthen the body.”

Before Xiao Fan could move, a large creature lying nearby that looked like a lion but had the head of a husky—Wangcai—could no longer hold back.

“Woof-woo!”

Wangcai let out a low growl similar to a dog's bark and was about to pounce into the pot while drooling.

“Shoo, shoo, shoo! Do you know the rules? The leader eats first.”

Gu Fan tapped Wangcai on the head with his chopsticks and then stuffed the meat slice into his own mouth.

“Sss—ha—refreshing!”

The meat slice melted in his mouth. The rich meat fragrance mixed with the spicy stimulation instantly filled his entire mouth.

Just then, a sudden burst of hurried and angry footsteps came from outside the dormitory door.

Next came a roar filled with a sense of justice:

“Gu Fan! What are you doing!”

“It's the middle of the day, and you've filled the entire dormitory building with the smell of hot pot! This seriously affects other students' rest and Cultivation! You are in serious violation of school rules!”

“Open the door for me!”

Bang, bang, bang!

The pounding on the door was deafening.

Xiao Fan was so startled his chopsticks shook, and a slice of meat fell onto the table.

“It's over! It's 'Ghost Griever' Teacher Li!”

Xiao Fan's face turned pale. “He's notoriously rigid. Last time, a student got a major demerit just for cooking instant noodles in the dorm!”

“Calm down.”

Gu Fan didn't even look up, still fishing for a beef ball in the pot. “He came at the right time; it's just a matter of adding another pair of chopsticks.”

Teacher Li outside clearly had no patience to wait.

As the teacher responsible for dormitory discipline, he was just about to take a noon nap when he was tempted by this damned fragrance, making his stomach growl and preventing him from sleeping. This physiological torture left him fuming with rage.

“Not opening the door, are you? Fine! I'll see how long you can hide!”

Teacher Li took two steps back, circulating his Grandmaster-level Spiritual Qi and gathering it in his right foot.

“Open up!”

He kicked fiercely at the wooden door, which looked quite old.

This kick was powerful enough to shatter rocks.

However.

Just a split second before the sole of his foot was about to contact the door panel.

【Ding! Detected 'Teacher Li's' malicious intent of violent intrusion with destructive nature.】

【Judgment: Disturbing others while they eat is an unforgivable sin. Damaging public property is even worse.】

【Backlash triggered! Multiplier: 20x!】

【Law of Karma loading: Absolute Lubrication · Silky Combo.】

Creak—

The previously tightly closed door suddenly swung inward on its own, without any external force applied to it.

And it opened completely and very timely.

Teacher Li's full-force kick struck nothing but air.

The massive inertia caused him to instantly lose his balance, and his body involuntarily lunged forward.

Normally, with the reaction speed of a Grandmaster-level expert, adjusting his center of gravity wouldn't be difficult.

But the problem was that on the floor by the entrance, an inconspicuous, round bone had appeared at some point—it was something Wangcai had secretly spat out earlier.

Teacher Li's supporting foot landed precisely and unerringly on this bone.

“Sliiiiide—”

An extremely smooth friction sound rang out.

Teacher Li felt his foot slip, and his whole body felt as if it were on a jet-powered slide.

“Holy crap?!”

He performed a high-difficulty split in mid-air and then, in an extremely standard "sliding kneel" posture with both knees on the ground and his upper body leaning forward, he slid all the way along the carpet.

Friction, friction, friction on this smooth floor.

He slid smoothly all the way from the door to the center of the dormitory, finally coming to a steady stop right in front of that steaming hot pot.

He was less than half a meter away from Gu Fan.

The dormitory was dead silent.

Xiao Fan’s mouth hung open, forgetting to chew the meat in his mouth.

Lin Xue, who had just entered (carrying two bags of rice), saw this scene, and the rice bags in her hands hit the floor with a "thud."

Only Gu Fan seemed to have anticipated this.

Holding the beef ball he had just fished out, he looked at Teacher Li kneeling before him and feigned being overwhelmed by the honor.

“Oh my, Teacher Li, what are you doing?”

Gu Fan quickly put the beef ball into his bowl and reached out to help him up (without actually applying any force). “If you wanted to come, just come. Why perform such a grand gesture? It’s not even New Year yet; I haven't prepared any red envelopes.”

Teacher Li: “...”

He was dazed.

He looked at the boiling hot pot in front of him, smelled the aroma drilling into his nostrils, and then looked at his standard kneeling posture. His face instantly turned bright red.

I want to stand up!

But my knees hurt so much! Although he had Spiritual Qi protecting his body, that heart-piercing thud made him unable to exert any strength for the time being.

Most importantly, that fragrance was simply too much of a foul play.

At this extremely awkward moment, his stomach let out an extremely loud—

“Gurgle—”

This sound echoed in the quiet dormitory like a clap of thunder.

Teacher Li felt like dying.

His dignity as a teacher vanished at this moment.

“It seems Teacher Li is also a man of true feelings. You're hungry, right?”

Gu Fan smiled slightly, like a hospitable host, and casually picked up a pair of spare chopsticks, stuffing them into Teacher Li's still-trembling hand.

“Don't be polite. This is Rank 5 Savage Bull meat; it's remarkably effective for recovering from knee injuries. Come, eat while it's hot.”

Teacher Li held the chopsticks; his hands were shaking, and his heart was trembling.

He wanted to throw the chopsticks down, give a stern lecture, and then leave coolly.

But he couldn't do it.

The aroma was like a toxin that had taken control of his brain. His body instinctively could not resist the temptation.

“Just... just one bite...”

Teacher Li found an excuse for himself in his heart. “I'm doing this to check if this meat is contraband! Yes! I'm here to enforce the law!”

He tremblingly picked up a slice of meat and put it in his mouth.

Boom!

His taste buds exploded.

Teacher Li's eyes instantly widened.

This is... too delicious, isn't it?!”

All the delicacies he had eaten in his life seemed like pig feed compared to this one bite of meat.

“This meat... the texture is chewy, it's full of Spiritual Qi, and the heat control is just right...”

Teacher Li evaluated while chewing indistinctly, the anger on his face long gone, replaced by a look of satisfaction.

“Is it good?” Gu Fan asked with a smile.

“Go... good.” Teacher Li nodded subconsciously.

“Then do you still want to confiscate it?”

“Confiscate? Confiscate what?” Teacher Li picked up another piece of tripe. “Confiscating such good stuff would be a reckless waste of God's gifts! Mmm... this tripe is so crunchy!”

Beside them, Xiao Fan and Lin Xue looked at each other, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes.

Is this the President's method?

Winning without shedding blood!

Without using a single move, just by relying on a hot pot meal, he had turned the famous 'Ghost Griever' to his side?

And even made him eat while kneeling?

“Incredible... too incredible...” Xiao Fan looked at Gu Fan with eyes full of worship. “Is this the highest Realm of the 'Way of Food'?”

【Ding! Detected 'Teacher Li's' extreme emotional contrast from anger to joy, and self-persuasion resulting from 'being soft-handed after taking someone's benefits.'】

【malice points +1000】

【Obtained special achievement: Hot Pot Diplomat.】

Gu Fan curled his lips happily.

He earned malice points. Although he gained an extra person mooching a meal, it wasn't a loss.

“Everyone, don't just stand there, sit down and eat.”

Gu Fan called out to the still-dazed Lin Xue. “Student Lin, you bought rice? Perfect. We'll use the final broth to cook porridge; that's the essence.”

And so.

A bizarre yet harmonious scene appeared in Dormitory 404:

The Devil King Gu Fan, who made the whole school tremble with fear, was sitting around a large pot with a female special agent carrying rice, a hot-blooded idiot, and a teaching instructor known for his severity, all sweating profusely as they scrambled for meat.

From time to time, Teacher Li's admiring voice could be heard: “Oh, these duck intestines can't be cooked for too long. 'Seven up, eight down,' don't you understand? You young people just don't know how to eat!”

However, happy times are always brief.

Just as everyone was eating with their mouths full of grease, Teacher Li's communicator suddenly rang.

He answered the call, and his expression instantly changed.

“What? The club rating people are here? They specifically want to check the 'Lying Flat Mutual Aid Society'?”

Teacher Li put down his chopsticks and looked at Gu Fan with a complicated gaze.

“Gu Fan, trouble is here.”

“This time it's a surprise inspection conducted by the Student Union and the Academic Affairs Office. The team is led by that Zhao Tiezhu, the president of the 'Elite Martial Arts Society.' It's said he has a grudge against you.”

“They have a Dissolution Order in their hands. If you can't show any decent club achievements...”

Teacher Li glanced at the near-empty hot pot. “Relying on this hot pot alone probably won't get you through.”

Gu Fan put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and his smile remained calm.

“Zhao Tiezhu? Oh, the cousin of that unlucky guy who was sent flying like a jet during the last competition?”

Gu Fan stood up and stretched, his joints cracking and popping.

“Just right. A walk after a meal keeps you healthy until ninety-nine.”

“Since they want to see results, I'll show them.”

Gu Fan walked to the door and looked back at the three worried people (and a dog).

“Let's go, my minions.”

“Go tell them what true—club culture—really is.”