After drawing cards, the evil god became my source of吐槽 (tu cao, a form of humorous commentary/criti

Chapter 60 Catfish Boss Hot Pot Restaurant (8)

The aroma of hot pot still lingered in the air.

An Jing sat in his seat, his face darkening, and said nothing more.

She saw it.

Not only her, but Bai Tianjiao, Shao Ling and Xu Xiaoyi also gradually realized something, their faces turning pale and cold.

The attitudes of most of the diners at the other tables had completely changed. Some were wolfing down the pieces of meat floating in the red oil, stuffing them into their mouths without even chewing, their cheeks bulging.

Some had a trickle of blood from the corner of their mouths, yet they continued to repeat, "Delicious, delicious, delicious..."

A boy of about ten years old sat at a table, tearing a piece of meat skewer with his little hands, his cheeks rosy and his smile radiant.

His parents sat opposite him, no longer speaking, just numbly chopping up the meat on their plates and handing it to him.

Not far away, a group of young people who looked like college students had been crying and refusing to eat meat when they first entered the venue, but now each of them had a blank stare, mechanical movements, and flushed faces, as if they were some kind of fanatical believers.

“They’re enjoying themselves,” Shao Ling said in a hoarse voice.

“It’s not enjoyment,” An Jing stared at the boy, “it’s pollution. They’ve been completely corrupted by spiritual pollution.”

She finally realized it.

Those three dishes were of extremely poor quality; no one could stomach such bizarre food.

She initially thought this was just a manifestation of pressure, that the catfish owner was trying to pressure them into not finishing their food and waiting to pay the bill.

But now she's realized:
This was intentional.

How could the other party have deliberately handed her the knife?

The catfish owner deliberately set out a rule by serving three more bad dishes, so that she could give a reasonable and justified negative review, and the catfish owner would accept it all.

It deliberately prevented her mysteries from eating.

The paper umbrella woman, the Grim Reaper, the blood-scented doll... they are all mysterious.

An Jing couldn't think of any other reason why the other party wouldn't let them eat, other than the fact that the meat might have some other use for the mysterious creatures.

For a moment, An Jing's thoughts, which had become a little clearer, began to wander again.

What exactly does the catfish owner want to do?
An Jing's mind raced, but the rules were rigid; she couldn't take initiative outside the dining table, nor could she communicate with other tables.

Right now, she can't think of a better solution. But all she can do is watch others die.

"...Then are they not far from death?" Xu Xiaoyi finally couldn't hold back anymore, her throat tightened and her hands trembled, "Those people, those children."

They were only able to eat thanks to An Jing, who had a mysterious help.

Otherwise, the outcome would be the same.

You either finish one round of food and pay the bill, or you force yourself to eat several rounds; if you don't finish, you'll be punished.

Eating meat and vegetables can lead to mental pollution, while vegetarian dishes fill you up after just one bite.

No matter which way you go, it's a dead end.

“They can’t hold on any longer.” Bai Tianjiao said in a low voice, “I just saw that table… there were four people sitting there when they sat down, but now there are only three left.”

An Jing nodded slowly, her gaze sweeping over the table.

The seat where the girl in the red dress sat was empty; the plate had been removed, and not a trace of blood remained.

The shadowy waiter remained standing in his original spot.

“He’s dead.” An Jing’s voice was calm, yet as cold as ice.

"Her bill has been settled."

This is what is known as mandatory checkout.

Because she didn't finish eating.

Perhaps there were too many people at the table, or perhaps she still had a shred of reason left, but in any case, she didn't finish her meal.

Others, whose minds had already been corrupted, ate everything clean.

It's clear that we've reached a point where if you have any sense, you'll die.

“That’s their murder logic,” An Jing said slowly. “They force you to eat at first, breaking down your psychological defenses. Once you accept it, you gradually become addicted. Once you’re trapped, you can never get out.” “What’s terrifying is… you think you’re alive.”

At that table was a male college student who was gulping down food with his mouth agape, making gurgling sounds. The people around him who were still somewhat rational started to pinch him, but he forcefully pushed them away.

He yelled, "Don't disturb my meal! This is the most important meal of our lives! What do you know?!"

The laughter grew increasingly maniacal and louder.

At the service counter not far away, a middle-aged man was fighting with his wife for the last piece of meat. His eyes were almost frantic as he shouted, "Forget about the child! If she can't eat it, that's her fate! Eat! Eat it now!"

Some of them may appear to be alive, but they are actually not far from death.

“These people…” Shao Ling gripped her arm tightly, her voice trembling, “this damned, mysterious magnetic field.”

She couldn't imagine what that process would be like.

Gradually stripping away rationality, leaving only the instinct to swallow and satisfy, they wallow in the red oil and blood until death.

“...Stay calm,” An Jing replied.

She had no gentle words to offer, nor could she provide any comfort.

All she could do was hold on until the end and find a way to break the deadlock within the rules.

But the cruel reality is that she has no right to save them.

The rules did not allow her to stand up or cross the table to interfere.

She can't even make eye contact with the boys at that table anymore, and she can't even have a real conversation with them.

The other party has been severely mentally corrupted.

"What should I do..." Xu Xiaoyi kept muttering, covering her head with her hands.

Bai Tianjiao clenched her back teeth so hard they almost bled.

An Jing's gaze grew increasingly clear.

The true nature of this restaurant is never a simple matter of whether or not to eat human flesh.

It is a spiritual hunt.

It was a continuous collapse of reason, where even the will to survive could not be maintained.

Even Shao Ling and the others felt despair because they hadn't eaten.

What about everyone else?
Those who remain rational will be infected by this situation, begin to despair, or decide that they might as well just die in a daze along with them.

Suddenly, a crisp, sharp click came from a corner of the restaurant.

A woman's head rests gently on a plate.

Her child, still sitting opposite her, whispered, "Mom, what's wrong?"

But she didn't move again.

The shadowy waiter walked over, cleared away the unfinished plate of food, and took away her body as well, as if disposing of a pile of kitchen waste.

The child paused for only two seconds before lowering his head again to eat the food on his plate.

It was as if nothing had just happened.

An Jing's hand slowly tightened, her heart aching as if it were being choked.

The catfish vendor smiled at this moment.

His eyes were fixed on An Jing as he smiled, seemingly mocking her overestimation of her abilities.

The more this happened, the calmer An Jing became.

"Calm down, everyone. Even if we die in the end, I will never die numbly like them."

"Haven't you heard the saying? It's better to be painfully awake than comfortably numb."

"Isn't this the mysterious purpose behind turning us into this? Even if I can't do anything about it, I won't let it have its way so easily."

(End of this chapter)