Fear of food

Chapter 122 Return, Settlement

Monroe said with interest, "Since it's a transaction, tell me what you want and what you can give up."

Chen Qi said calmly, "The only bargaining chip I can offer, and the only thing you are interested in, is myself."

"What I want is very simple: I want my parents and friends to become normal people again."

Monroe giggled and said, "But you're in our hands right now. Are you going to use what we already have to make a deal with us?"

Chen Qi laughed as well: "Are you really sure you can take me down? Don't forget about the Nightmare Eaters. Do you know their plans? How confident are you in dealing with them?"

"If I also join the Nightmare Eater Clan, how much of a chance will you have left?"

"If I had to choose one side to ally with, I would say the Nightmare Eaters would be more in my best interest. At least my mother and friends could be saved, while allying with you would only save my father."

Marilyn Monroe immediately stopped smiling.

Chen Qi's actions were less of a transaction and more of a threat.

Both the Nightmare Eaters and the Nightmare Clan are vying for him, and neither side is entirely confident of victory. Whichever side he sides with will greatly increase their chances of winning.

The Nightmare Clan can do without Chen Qi's cooperation and allegiance, but they cannot bear the risks that come with Chen Qi's allegiance to the Nightmare Eater Clan.

"Your father is in our hands, and we can release him at any time. But your mother and friends are in Jinghai City. Are you planning to ask us to go to Jinghai City to help you rescue them?"

Chen Qi shook his head: "I doubt you could do that either. As far as I know, the last time your group went to Jinghai City, you were kicked out overnight."

Monroe wasn't annoyed, and asked curiously, "So what do you want us to do?"

Chen Qi smiled and said, "It's very simple; these are all things you're good at."
-
Jinghai City, located within a temporary base in a village or town.

Xu An'an, Zhuifeng, Dabing, and Ganshui all looked up at the same time, their eyes fixed on Peanut, who was on the phone.

No one knew what they were saying on the phone, but even Peanut, who was usually very composed, couldn't help but widen his eyes.

"it is good!"

"Yes!"

"I'll make the arrangements!"

Peanut hung up the phone.

"How's it going, Captain Peanut?"

Any news on the cookies?

After Chen Qi entered Jinghai Medical College, he went missing and never came out again, which made them very worried.

Although Chen Qi had instructed him before going in that he might stay inside until they swapped bodies.

But just now, a call came from Chang Le City saying that they had news of Chen Qi!
Peanut didn't even notice being called "Captain Peanut," and said somewhat absentmindedly, "They said he successfully got out."

"You're out?" Zhui Feng was taken aback. "Where did you go?"

"Of course he left the contaminated area; he walked out of the contaminated area of ​​Changle City all by himself."

Gan Shui's expression changed: "Could the biscuit have been completely parasitized already?!"

The others' expressions changed instantly. Indeed, considering Chen Qi's previous predicament, they couldn't imagine how he had managed to escape.

How does a person escape from a dream, trapped in a dream without teammates or official rescue? How does he manage to walk out of the contaminated zone surrounded by a group of Nightmare Clan members?
Peanut shook his head: "I don't know either, but they've confirmed his identity. He's still a cookie, not contaminated, not parasitized."

The mirror beside him said, "If you're still worried, I'll test him again when he gets back."

Baozi said calmly, "There's no need for that. There's more than one person on the other side with similar abilities to you. Since you said there's no problem, then there's no problem."

Peanut glanced around and said, "Biscuit is already on the plane back. I'm going to drive to the airport to pick him up. Who wants to come along?"

"I!"

Several people raised their hands simultaneously.

In the end, Peanut only brought Xu An'an and Zhui Feng along, as there were too many people and one car couldn't fit them all.

They arrived at the airport and waited for a short while before seeing Chen Qi walking towards them with steady steps.

As soon as Zhui Feng saw Chen Qi, he rushed over and gave him a bear hug: "Biscuit, you've gotten a lot stronger!"

Indeed, Chen Qi now looked well-proportioned and was no longer the same as before; he was even more robust than the average person.

The smooth muscle lines exude a sense of power.

Chen Qi greeted the group with a smile, then got into the car.

"Are you in a hurry this time?" Peanut asked.

"A little, but let's go back to base first. I need to go and eat the source of the pollution there."

Xu An'an looked at Chen Qi's back and asked, "Has the candied hawthorn been digested yet?"

"Hmm." Chen Qi nodded and took out a grimace cookie from his pocket.

When he emerged from the dream and returned to reality from the so-called "interlayer," he found himself holding this cookie in his hand.

It's clear that he had already digested the candied hawthorn while he was in the dream.

"How did you escape from the dream?" Peanut asked as he drove.

Chen Qi smiled and said, "I got a lot of information about the Nightmare Clan from Sun Xuechao. It was thanks to this information that I was able to escape successfully."

"This intelligence is extremely valuable, including how to kill Nightmares and prevent them from resurrecting, how to find the source of the Nightmare race's contamination, and the truth about how Nightmare parasites hide in dreams... Of course, the authenticity of this intelligence still needs to be verified."

Hearing this, Zhui Feng perked up: "Biscuit, you've done a great job! If this intelligence is true, you'll be Captain Biscuit from now on!"

Peanut also took it very seriously: "Do you remember everything clearly? Don't forget anything."

Chen Qi took out his phone: "I'll call Baozi right now and tell her everything so she can write it down."

By the time Chen Qi relayed all the information he had gathered from Sun Xuechao and Menglu to Baozi, they had already returned to the base.

It was already noon.

"A big pancake!"

"swill!"

Chen Qi couldn't help but smile when he saw his long-lost teammates.

The two of them came up and gave Chen Qi a hug.

We've been apart for so long, and we actually have a lot to say to each other, but time is too tight, and we simply don't have time to catch up.

Chen Qi gave a brief explanation and then hurried off to the back of the village.

There, there was a small, dilapidated house.

Previously, Lin Ning extracted the Class C pollutant from her body in the small, dilapidated house.

The area around the dilapidated house remained sealed off, and no one approached it.

Chen Qi strode inside and found a whole pizza in a corner of the room.

The intense attraction triggered his urge to eat, and his appetite began to swell uncontrollably, causing his mouth to drool rapidly.

Chen Qi picked up the pizza and headed straight for the depths of the back mountain.

Eating at the foot of this mountain might attract nearby villagers who want to protect their food.

It would be much better at the top of the mountain. Even if it could attract some people, by the time they climbed up, he might have already finished eating.

Swallowing frantically all the way up the mountain, Chen Qi could finally start eating.

Looking at this pizza in my hand, it's like a perfect work of art. The crust, baked at high temperature, presents an enticing golden-brown hue with varying shades. The edges are slightly raised, covered with irregular, crispy, caramelized bubbles. Taking a deep breath, you can smell the tantalizing aroma, the underlying scent of rugged wheat. The melted cheese and sauce on top are like a smooth satin covering the pizza, adorned with a few fresh basil leaves, like embroidery on the satin.

Bacon, sausage, and other main ingredients are evenly distributed, emitting a unique meaty aroma that makes Chen Qi's mouth water.

He didn't even cut the pizza; he just rolled it up and put it in his mouth.

With one bite, the aroma of wheat emanating from the crispy, caramelized edges of the pancake immediately filled his mouth, and with each chew, he could feel its excellent chewiness.

As Chen Qi ate, he observed his surroundings. Standing on the mountaintop, he had a great view, with an unobstructed view of the scenery below.

Once he was sure no one was coming to guard his food, Chen Qi completely relaxed and slowed down his eating pace.

He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten so relaxedly.

No one is chasing you, no one is stopping you, there's no need to race against time, no need to get worked up, you can simply enjoy the pleasure that food brings.

The deliciousness of high-quality wild food allows him to temporarily forget his troubles and immerse himself in the enjoyment of the food.

Even if it's just for a moment, in the current situation, a moment of enjoyment seems all the more precious.

As he reached the middle of the pizza, the different textures and flavors of the various ingredients filled his mouth: the chewy texture of the crust, the rich sweet and sour sauce, the gentle envelopment of the cheese, the smoky aroma of the bacon... all these delicious flavors intertwined, creating a rich and layered taste sensation that surged into his brain.

This allowed Chen Qi to experience the happiness and satisfaction that fat and carbohydrates bring.

This was probably the most relaxed experience he had ever had of eating high-end wild food.

It was also the most relaxing meal he had in over a month.

If it weren't for the things he had to do in the afternoon, Chen Qi would definitely have eaten more slowly.

After he finished the entire pizza, another gag-face cookie appeared in his hand.

Chen Qi reached into his pocket with his right hand and put the ghost-face cookies into his left hand.

One piece, two pieces.

Including the one I just got, I have a total of three gag cookies!
This extra piece comes from the Nightmare Clan.

"Just one more serving, just one last serving of high-grade food, and I'll be able to complete my second qualitative leap in ability!"
-
"Finished?"

Seeing Chen Qi walking down the mountain, Zhui Feng asked.

Chen Qi nodded: "Next, I need to go to Jinghai Medical College."

"Where are we going again?" Swill frowned. "But you no longer have the ability to become a parasite!"

“I have my own abilities, and I also have derivative foods,” Chen Qi reassured him. “Don’t worry, I’m going there this time to find the Nightmare Eater.”

“Otherwise, he’ll come and switch bodies with me again when it gets dark. This can’t go on forever.”

"Either we find a way to kill him, or even just merge with him again, it would be better than the current situation."

Seeing that they couldn't persuade Chen Qi, the others had no choice but to say, "Then we'll go with you!"

"Biscuit, you should look at us with new eyes after three days of separation! We're not the same people we used to be!" said Chasing Wind. "Everyone has improved while you were gone!"

Gan Shui said, "I now have a derivative food in hand, and I only need one more high-grade food to complete the qualitative change of my ability!"

Xu An'an nodded: "Me too."

Zhui Feng said smugly, "The recent food delivery war has propelled me to new heights! I've undergone a qualitative leap in my abilities, and I've even managed to get my fourth high-grade food item!"

Swill: "Big Pancake can just wait for us at home. It's better to bring a police dog than to bring him."

Big Pancake opened its mouth but said nothing, then lowered its head in self-consciousness.

Chen Qi hesitated for a moment, then, meeting the determined looks in his teammates' eyes, he could only say, "You guys wait for me outside the medical school. If I run into trouble, then come in and help me."

Zhui Feng and the others have recently accumulated a lot of derivative food and have powerful skills at their disposal, so they all want to contribute.

However, Chen Qi's question silenced them: "Are you immune to cognitive distortions?"

In the end, the group had no choice but to agree to Chen Qi's conditions.

Without lingering, the group immediately drove to Jinghai Medical College.

Chen Qi and his four old teammates rode in the same car, chatting about recent events and how they had changed.

Coffee's death, along with a series of other experiences, have greatly affected them, and recently, everyone has been going all out to eat high-end food.

Riding the wave of the food delivery war, Zhui Feng overtook everyone else and became the person in the team who consumed the most high-end food.

Chen Qi asked curiously, "Brother Zhuifeng, what are the effects of your ability's qualitative change?"

"Speed ​​up the reaction time!"

With a hint of smugness, Zhui Feng said, "Before, I was just fast, but not fast in reaction. Now, I'm fast in both speed and reaction, and even bullets can't hit me!"

"That's amazing!" Chen Qi complimented.

"Don't listen to his bragging," Big Pancake revealed the truth. "You can only avoid him if you stand far away, and even then, you have to be fully focused."

Zhui Feng glared at Da Bing: "So what? I can dodge pistol bullets from ten meters away without ever missing. I can take on firearms even without my special moves. If you don't have your special moves, you're just a nobody on the street."

Chen Qi certainly understood the value of the Chasing Wind ability. If one is fast and has a fast reaction speed, then one's skills cannot be weak.

Whether using cold weapons or firearms, they can unleash power that is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

UI.

This statement is not without merit.

Dabing said sourly, "You just caught the wave of the food delivery war."

Xu An'an, too lazy to listen to their bickering any longer, changed the subject, saying, "This food delivery war is really weird. I have a feeling that the Nightmare Clan in Jinghai City is preparing for an upgrade in pollution."

The swill also nodded: "Recently, people in Jinghai City have been eating more and more, to an exaggerated degree, which has led to a rapid increase in pollution, and many people have already shown obvious abnormalities."

Chen Qi picked up his cup, took a sip of water, and asked, "Is there anything unusual?"

More than half a month ago, most of the ordinary people who were contaminated did not show any obvious abnormalities and looked no different from normal people.

It seems that the Nightmare Clan has indeed accelerated its progress in the past two weeks.

After thinking for a moment, Gan Shui asked, "Is it unusual for one person to build a strawberry tower?"

Chen Qi, who was drinking water, almost spat it out: "One person? Once?"

Zhui Fengle said, "That's right, not an exaggeration at all. I don't dare to go into public toilets outside now."

The man with the flatbread shrugged and said, "Eating a lot and pooping a lot is normal."

Xu An'an added, "Also, no one talks while eating. Everyone is very focused and quiet, and there is no waste. Everything is eaten clean."

Speaking of this, Ganshui couldn't help but curse: "Damn it, it's hard for me to even find something to eat now. This version is an epic nerf for me!"

While the group chatted, the car arrived at the entrance of Jinghai Medical College.

This was Chen Qi's first time visiting during the day. The school gates were wide open, and students were coming and going in an endless stream.

As soon as Chen Qi got out of the car, he suddenly felt a faint, imperceptible pull.

His gaze drifted toward a certain spot within the medical school.

"Nightmare Eater!"

He and the Nightmare Eater could actually sense each other once they got close.

Without a doubt, the Nightmare Eater must have sensed his arrival!

(End of this chapter)