48: The crayfish can’t go home. Will its parents be worried?

Meanwhile, Chen Fang, under Pan Pengpeng's instruction, completed a series of essential and important tasks.

He cut the pork tenderloin and cucumber into strips of varying thickness.

He rolled the minced meat into oval-shaped lion's heads.

He peeled and minced the garlic, sending garlic bits flying everywhere.

Watching his random target-locking knife skills, Xie Yunxuan silently took two steps back, his respect and awe for this senior growing deeper.

As he chopped pieces of ribs flying, only to quickly snatch them before they hit the ground, a faint electronic voice echoed in his mind.

“I… I thought the host was a hexagonal warrior capable of becoming the protagonist of the world. ε = (´ ο ｀ *)))”

Chen Fang was not at all self-conscious and retorted in his mind, “Hmm? So you think you’re not doing enough, and you want to give me cooking skills?”

The system fell silent.

Chen Fang snorted in his mind.

Heh, trying to CPU him? The system should think about how it became a negative emotional value system.

…

Finally, when Pan Pengpeng, who was in charge of cooking, finished three dishes, the ingredient preparation was mostly complete, with only the crayfish left to process.

Chen Fang and Xie Yunxuan walked up to a basin of crayfish, where Zhenzhen was squatting nearby.

She seemed to be seeing crayfish for the first time, her eyes full of curiosity, squatting half a meter away, hugging her knees, staring at the slowly crawling crayfish in the plastic basin.

One red crayfish was perched on the edge of the plastic basin, staring wide-eyed at her.

Xie Yunxuan casually asked, “Zhenzhen, what are you thinking about?”

Zhenzhen looked up, her gaze sincere as she looked at Xie Yunxuan, “Brother, the crayfish can’t go home, will its mommy and daddy be worried?”

Xie Yunxuan blinked.

Why would she think of this question?

Crayfish… Oh, because it has “little” in its name, she probably thought crayfish were baby lobsters?

Seeing living crayfish for the first time, she probably tended to treat them as animal friends rather than food?

“Um… you’re very kind-hearted.” Xie Yunxuan chuckled awkwardly, “But crayfish’s mommy and daddy are also crayfish, you know.”

Zhenzhen nodded, looking at the crayfish that had been staring wide-eyed at her for two or three minutes, “Then if it can’t go home, will its mommy be worried?”

Xie Yunxuan held his breath.

How to answer?

If he gave a realistic answer like “Who knows where its parents are? Crayfish don’t have a family concept,” would realism colliding with a childlike question make her cry?

Even if she didn’t cry, if he answered poorly, he would be criticized by netizens—“You claim to be a top student, yet you have no emotional intelligence!”

Xie Yunxuan was sweating profusely.

The answer needs to not destroy her innocence, and also allow for family reunion? Damn it, why did he have to ask her that question?

Just as Xie Yunxuan was at a loss, a figure beside him moved!

He turned his head to see Chen Fang squatting down, smiling gently at Zhenzhen, and saying softly, “No.”

Zhenzhen looked up and asked, “Why not?”

Chen Fang smiled faintly and said, “Its whole family is here.”

Xie Yunxuan’s mouth slightly opened.

Zhao Jin, who had just arrived, widened her eyes.

Three words simultaneously appeared in both of their minds—You are ruthless!

But Zhenzhen didn’t seem to think so, letting out a sigh of relief, her eyes curving as she smiled, “They’re reunited, that’s pretty good.”

The bullet comment section of the live stream, which had also been discussing how to answer, suddenly went blank for half a second, then erupted in exclamations.

“Holy crap, hahaha, you’re a living Yama King.”

“Oh no, how are we going to eat these crayfish for lunch today?”

“Eat them all, let them reunite in your stomach.”

“Eight generations, from top to bottom, wiped out.”

“Silly child, hahaha.”

“Director Chen is really venomous after his image collapsed.”

“Ah, I envy his brain so much. Is there anyone else like me who racks their brain every day to harass friends, just to get three words—You are sick! It feels so good to hear those three words.”

“Understand, understand. Act like an idiot, get scolded, and then leave satisfied. Who said he was a loyal dog? He’s clearly a sword mound.”

Guangying Entertainment’s Market Research Department, in a corner of the open-plan office.

Employee Xiao Li also couldn’t help but laugh. He immediately decided: Chen Fang absolutely cannot continue on the loyal dog path!

He watched the bullet comments and laughed for another two seconds, then opened his chat software and clicked on a chat window.

Assistant Sun had asked him to observe Chen Fang yesterday, to give him a rough result first, and then write a detailed analytical report. So now he could tell him the result.

Xiao Li quickly typed: “Assistant Sun, I collected and analyzed Chen Fang’s recent online comments this morning, and observed him in the adventures live stream for two hours. Chen Fang is highly likely to change his path. I will send you the persona analysis before this evening.”

The other side quickly replied: “Understood, thank you for your hard work.”

Xiao Li sent an emoji and continued to slack off watching the live stream under the guise of working.

…

In the village chief’s modern kitchen.

The four of them, Chen Fang, pondered. Zhenzhen grew up with her grandmother, and her usual meals were more homely. She hadn’t seen crayfish before, and it was possible that after gazing at the crayfish for three minutes, she had befriended them.

Bringing her friends to the dining table would be too cruel. More importantly, there was a risk of causing a live broadcast incident.

Eating anything was pretty much the same for them, so it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Let the crayfish live for another half a day, and then, during dinner when Zhenzhen wasn't watching, take their lives and turn them into spicy crayfish.

Therefore, the last dish for lunch was changed to steamed white shrimp, letting the crayfish’s relatives die first.

After the three novices, Chen Fang, finished processing the white shrimp, the director, seeing that they had nothing to do, motioned for them to help out at the fire pit next door. Pan Pengpeng and Zhenzhen were left to watch the steamer, and they were to join them after 10 minutes.

Xie Yunxuan was still washing his hands. Chen Fang and Zhao Jin felt a bit silly standing by and waiting, so they walked out of the kitchen first and waited for him at the door.

Away from the camera, Zhao Jin breathed a sigh of relief, raised her hand to re-tie her ponytail which was about to come loose, leaned casually against the wall, and took a few breaths of fresh air. The wall might not be clean, but she had worn this pink hoodie when she experienced farm work in the fields, so she wasn't afraid of getting it dirty anymore.

Chen Fang yawned, his gaze sweeping across the village chief’s yard.

Suddenly, Zhao Jin’s voice came from beside him, “Piupiu.” Some young people like to call others with sounds like “puchi puchi” or “biubiu,” and Zhao Jin was one of them.

Chen Fang turned sideways, “Hmm?”

Zhao Jin propped her chin with her index finger and thumb, tilting her head to observe him, a hint of slyness flashing in her eyes, “Teacher Chen, has anyone ever told you that you resemble a historical figure?”

“Zhuge Liang?”

Zhao Jin shook her head.

“Xu Gong of the North City?”

Zhao Jin raised an eyebrow, her tone higher, “Huh? No.”

“Pan An?”

Zhao Jin shook her head, looking at him, “The King of Yue, in a certain sense.”

Chen Fang instantly realized which King of Yue she was referring to.

Goujian.

In the sense of homophonic names.

Heh, well-hidden. The second dimension truly doesn’t deceive me, pink on the outside but black on the inside.

Chen Fang nodded, “Looks like we’re kindred spirits, likewise.”

Just then, a voice came from beside them: “Eh, Goujian? Why?” Xie Yunxuan walked over, his gaze clear and bewildered.

Zhao Jin stood up straight and smiled, “I’m complimenting him.”

Xie Yunxuan pouted. Chen Fang was hogging the limelight so much, how was he like someone enduring hardships? Clearly, he himself was more like it, wasn't he?