Chapter 236

Chapter 236

"Aaaaaah—"

Amid the pale faces of the passengers who had been dead for three days, the sightseeing bus charged toward the large truck with an unyielding bravado.

In the backseat, Wang Jue and her companion could no longer sit still. Though this was a replay of events, the inevitable deaths were still upon them. Just as she began to move, Qin Yu, who had been almost invisible in the front seat, took off his glasses, and an unusual aura enveloped the cabin.

Wang Jue was shocked. "Who are you?"

"You can trust him. Of course, you can also choose not to, but it won't stop anything," Qin Yu said seriously.

Wang Jue, suppressed by an aura that was different yet equally terrifying, veins bulging on her forehead, bit her tongue in pain. The sharp pain spurred her to break free from the pressure and without hesitation, she raised her gun and fired.

The special bullet shot out, trailing sparks.

"Wow."

Ji Xinghai saw the bullet coming. His smile grew even brighter as he floored the accelerator. As the bullet grazed his hair and shot through the window, the blue sightseeing bus finally collided with the red truck at a frenzied speed.

At the moment of impact, they could see the driver's face, filled with disbelief, as if asking, 'Why are you seeking death?'

Seeking death?

He never sought death.

A sharp light flashed around the sightseeing bus, forming a peculiar energy layer that pushed the truck apart with overwhelming force.

Simultaneously, the bullet from Wang Jue's gun pierced through the newly created gap and struck the bizarre driver right between the eyes. The driver's eyes widened, and black smoke billowed from his head.

Ji Xinghai extended his hand, and the energy layer formed a transparent giant palm, grabbing the dissipating black smoke. As he closed and opened his fingers, only a handful of black coins remained.

The passengers, who had been waiting for the expected collision pain, cautiously opened their eyes. Inside the car, everything was dark, and outside, the road, the truck, the blue sky, and white clouds—all had vanished.

The vehicle slowly came to a stop. The passengers looked around in confusion, realizing they were at Huimin Road Institute Station, the starting point of the sightseeing bus.

It turned out the bus had returned to reality.

The blue sightseeing bus had not reached its final destination, suggesting it had deviated from its planned route, perhaps becoming free.

And what about them? Were they free too?

As low-level bizarre beings, the passengers could not speak beyond their scripted lines; they merely wept silently. Since becoming part of the bizarre domain, they had relived the same day repeatedly, including the final tragic crash. Although they no longer felt physical pain, the emotional torment remained just as intense.

'Waaah, will we no longer have to crash every day?'

The passengers shed tears unnoticed, while the malevolent human flicked his index finger: Freedom? There would be no freedom, only continuous work for 24 hours.

The protective energy shield transformed into a gaping mouth, swallowing both the bus and its occupants without notice.

Ji Xinghai, Qin Yu, and Wang Jue appeared at the station entrance, surrounded by slightly thinner white mist. The benches and signposts within the mist were still broken and tattered.

Wang Jue observed the changes around her, knowing the blue sightseeing bus had been eliminated, but she couldn't understand how it was done. And there was that person...

Wang Jue looked at Ji Xinghai but first met Qin Yu's eerie gaze. Those eyes held countless evils, evoking memories of past sufferings. But Wang Jue was strong enough to withstand the painful recollections, growing stronger despite them.

"Are these two humans or bizarre beings? Or like the pair in Bauhinia City, are they cleaners bound by a special contract?" thoughts raced through Wang Jue's mind.

If they were bizarre beings, the man in black must be extremely terrifying, capable of triggering all painful memories with a single glance.

But even more frightening was the young man in white, whose aura enveloped the man in black.

"You have defeated the S-class bizarre being 'Blue Sightseeing Bus.' Do you want to bind it as an employee of the Magic Food House?"

The prompt from the Magic Food House appeared, along with another contract floating above the blue sightseeing bus, awaiting a final decision.

Ji Xinghai had a hunch that if he chose to make the bus an employee, it could not be recorded in the Gluttonous Eating Scripture; he had to choose one or the other.

"Not even a little room for cheating," he muttered and selected 'Confirm.'

Becoming an anomaly in the Gluttonous Eating Scripture allowed only a half-hour appearance, but as an employee of the Magic Food House, it could appear continuously. He needed the latter.

The blue sightseeing bus, along with its occupants, became employees of the Magic Food House, introducing a new dish.

Boiled Octopus:

Fresh octopus boiled in cold water, then chilled and sliced, served with wasabi soy sauce. Top-tier ingredients prepared with the simplest cooking method to retain their original flavor and energy.

Though it looks ordinary, due to the preciousness of the ingredients, eating it promotes limb regeneration (limited to limbs, full recovery takes 24 hours).

Price: 180 bizarre coins.

This was the first dish priced over three digits and the first dish converted from an S-class domain, marking a significant change.

Ji Xinghai glanced at the menu description and silently looked at Wang Jue: Although he had briefly considered it, the blue sightseeing bus was indeed too considerate.

Wang Jue, feeling watched, tightened her grip on her weapon: Was it time to settle accounts now?

So be it.

Ji Xinghai understood that although they were strangers, they had shared pleasant exchanges, making them friends for those few days.

How could he ignore a friend in need?

That confident demeanor suited the former leader of the North District.

Without saying a word, Ji Xinghai brought out a plate of sliced boiled octopus, with chopsticks laid across it and a small dish of wasabi soy sauce. "Would you like some?"

Huh?

Having experienced countless unimaginable events, Wang Jue thought she had become immune to emotional upheavals. Yet, she found herself bewildered once again. Today seemed particularly filled with moments of confusion for her.

"Why are you giving me this to eat?" Wang Jue couldn’t understand Ji Xinghai.

"I quite like you; let's be friends." Ji Xinghai smiled and pushed the white porcelain plate forward.

Although unsure of what the young man was up to, Wang Jue picked up her chopsticks. Given the strength of this young man in white, if he wanted to kill her, he wouldn’t need such roundabout methods.

The food, especially the rare seafood that was hard to come by these days, was too good to pass up.

The sudden appearance of the food, along with the sudden appearance of the person, made Wang Jue ponder. She initially thought she wouldn't have the mood to taste it, but as soon as the cold octopus slices touched her tongue, a tingling sensation ran through her mouth, awakening all her taste buds.

The simply boiled octopus, paired with a touch of mustard soy sauce, had a chewy texture that was gently cut by her teeth. The mildly spicy dipping sauce perfectly balanced out the slight fishiness, leaving only the fresh, oceanic flavor.

One slice, two slices, three slices...

The porcelain plate was small, holding only about eight or nine slices of octopus. Wang Jue finished them in just two minutes, staring at the empty plate in surprise. Was there some magic to this dish? She wasn’t usually one to indulge in such pleasures, having only intended to try one slice.

But before she knew it, she had eaten them all.

Feeling awkward, she searched for something valuable to repay him for the meal when she suddenly felt a burning sensation in her arm.

It was the broken part of her right arm, experiencing strange phantom pain.

She often had such phantom pains when her arm first disappeared, as if it still existed. But that was impossible; the arm had long been fed to an anomaly, which had since turned into a pile of anomaly coins.

While Wang Jue was puzzled, observing the stump, Ji Xinghai had already updated the new dish through the backend system.

As expected of a domain-type anomaly, the unlocked dishes were extraordinary—likely something many people in this world would need.

He took out a new phone from his space and left it for Wang Jue. "I know you have many questions; perhaps the app on this phone will answer them."

"Do you know me?" Wang Jue asked. Ji Xinghai’s actions suggested they had a deep connection, yet she couldn’t recall ever meeting him.

Logically, someone with such distinctive looks and aura wouldn’t be so easily forgotten, even if they had met briefly.

Ji Xinghai didn’t answer the question. He waved and walked into the white fog with Qin Yu.

Did she really not know him? Wang Jue watched their disappearing figures, lost in thought.

"Boss, they’re so mysterious. Where did they come from?"

Wang Jue’s deputy recalled all the powerful extraordinaries but couldn’t match any of them.

"They came early in the morning and ended up just hitching a ride." Sighing, he turned and accidentally caught sight of Wang Jue’s severed arm. "Boss!"

"What is it? Don’t startle me like that." Wang Jue snapped back to reality.

"Boss, your arm!" The deputy pointed at her arm.

Fine, tiny flesh buds had appeared on the previously healed limb stump, protruding from the smooth skin. In just two minutes, they had formed a shallow layer on her arm.

And this strange healing process continued.

On the other side.

"A Qin, we have a car now!"

"...” Qin Yu, who had once again been enthusiastically hugged by his excited companion, was steaming. Even the intimidating whirlpool eyes seemed less scary now.

He coughed, put on his sunglasses, and resumed his cool, professional bodyguard demeanor.

Leaving the station, with no other impolite anomalies around, Ji Xinghai eagerly summoned the blue sightseeing car. "Now you’re an employee, not just a sightseeing car. You must contribute to the cause of the Gourmet House."

The blue sightseeing car flashed its lights in agreement, and the anomalies inside listened attentively.

"We need our own signature look, something that tells people what we sell at a glance."

The blue sightseeing car transformed, now painted in orange, brown, and yellow—a typical food-themed color scheme that could stimulate appetite.

On both sides of the car, white cursive letters appeared: **Gourmet House**.

"We also need an openable window and an open kitchen. We may not use them, but they must be there."

The red and yellow sightseeing car flashed its lights. One side of the car’s metal body automatically deformed and reassembled, forming a counter that could be opened. But the transformation wasn’t over. The seats inside disappeared, replaced by an open kitchen equipped with a water tank, faucet, oven, and adjusted filtration and power systems.

"The second floor should be converted into rooms with two beds, a temperature control system, and ideally a bathroom."

This was a rather excessive request; this was a sightseeing car, not an RV. Nevertheless, the retired and rehired former sightseeing car calmly accepted these demanding conditions. It quickly covered the second level, designing and arranging two single beds, preparing a bathroom and temperature control system, and even placing a snack cabinet, a small TV, and surround sound speakers.

"We need autonomous driving."

The transformed double-decker gourmet car flashed its lights. Having experienced the anomaly driver, it was more eager than ever to drive itself, though driving required consuming anomaly coins.

"Use as many anomaly coins as you need." Ji Xinghai waved his hand generously.

The gourmet car beeped twice, seemingly expressing its joy through the horn.

It even gave Ji Xinghai a huge surprise.

As an S-level domain anomaly, it could sense nearby anomalies, especially those elusive domain-type anomalies that required special triggers.

They wouldn’t need to inquire about anomalies in nearby human settlements anymore; they could follow the built-in anomaly radar directly to their locations.

"You are the most dedicated employee of the entire Gourmet House," Ji Xinghai praised. Compared to the proactive gourmet car, the other anomalies were mere shadows, needing constant prompting.

The ambitious gourmet car flashed its lights twice, modestly indicating it could continue to strive.

The car and its owner were in perfect harmony.

Ji Xinghai continued to expand his thoughts. The main audience for his food truck would be Extraordinary beings and students who were in trouble. Places where large numbers of Extraordinary beings and students gathered were either near the rifts or in large-scale domain anomalies.

In such chaotic environments, how could he grab attention immediately?

The shouting might be a bit noisy, but he could use neon lights. Neon lights wouldn't affect his daily rest.

"Strong neon lights, stage-level effects. They can be seen through thirty meters of white fog."

Immediately, colorful light strips on the food truck lit up, flashing rhythmically. Despite not being glaring, the light managed to penetrate the dense white fog, visible from over twenty to thirty meters away.

"Oh, impressive. What else can it do? Can it transform into an Autobot?"

Like a child with a new toy, Ji Xinghai wanted to try everything. The food truck, having narrowly escaped the car accident, cooperated fully with his every wish.

Occasionally, some ignorant anomalies passed by, attracted by the neon lights and wanting to get closer. Qin Yu, who had lowered his presence, would immediately react.

The dangerous aura, perceivable even through the white fog, triggered the radar of these passing anomalies, scaring these entities that thrived on human fear into fleeing in panic.

Qin Yu then retracted his aura and continued watching Ji Xinghai play with the truck.

Finally, the final modification plan was determined.

The food truck, colored like tomato and egg stir-fry, was a bulky two-story vehicle. However, its rounded corners gave it a cute and friendly appearance.

The colorful neon lights attached to the "Magic Food House" sign flashed at a cheerful rhythm. The dazzling blue light of the Light Goddess Butterfly penetrated the white fog, landing on the retina.

Standing next to the driver's seat, Ji Xinghai pointed somewhere: "Target, the nearest domain anomaly. Let's go."