Cthulhu Panel: One organ mutates every day

Wayne stood in the lobby of the Grand Hotel, looking at the crowded streets outside.

They basked in the afternoon sun, their steps mingling with the cacophony of jazz music, their faces beaming with joy and happiness.

Because the door to the hotel lobby on the first floor was open, some smells from outside the street wafted in.

That was the aroma of all kinds of delicious dishes.

The savory aroma of stewed beef bone broth, the caramelized sweetness of roasted pork chops, the rich sweetness of cream cake, the honey-scented crème brûlée, all interspersed with the pungent smell of freshly fried hamburger patties and the wheaty fragrance of buttery bread…

The flavors of dozens or even hundreds of foods, dishes, fast food, and desserts blended together, so thick they were almost tangible, and kept pushing up Wayne's head through his breathing tract.

[Perception Lv.1 - Observation of the Microscopic] Progress 65.8%

Wei En swallowed hard; it really smelled delicious and made him very hungry.

With the sun shining brightly outside, lively jazz music playing, and delicious aromas wafting through the air, it wouldn't hurt to go out and take a look.

Wayne walked toward the open glass doors of the Grand Hotel.

Stepping out the door, I stepped into the night.

Above the pitch-black night sky, the bright moon hangs high.

Under the pitch-black night sky, the entire street was shrouded in a cold, pale moonlight, and all the streetlights were lit.

The kitchen lights of the roadside restaurants were still on, the neon signs of the jazz bars were flickering, and the tram tracks stretched along the road.

The loud jazz music from the direction of Times Square continued, and the crowded people on the street, bathed in the dim yellow light of the night, kept their happy smiles on their faces as they surged forward step by step.

"It is indeed dinner time. We can't keep going hungry." Wayne nodded to himself and was about to walk out onto the street.

Suddenly, he felt a continuous and intense vibration in his wrist, like the buzzing of a bumblebee's wings, as if a motor were running at high speed...

The vibration lasted only a few seconds and then stopped quickly, leaving no trace.

What is shaking?

Wayne felt that, according to his usual habits, he should check something now.

That seems to be... something very important, or some kind of instrument.

But what exactly should we check?

Huh? Where was that vibration just now?

Wayne brushed a strand of hair from his forehead, shook his head, and couldn't figure out what he had missed checking, nor could he find the source of the tremor he had just felt.

Moreover, he felt like he had some kind of plan before going downstairs...

What exactly were we planning to do...?

At the same time, the aromas of various delicacies transformed into a thick, substantial substance, constantly pressing against my forehead.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Wei En relaxed his thoughts.

I've missed three meals, and right now, nothing is more important than filling my stomach.

Times Square smells amazing and is so lively; going there might be a unique experience.

And so, under the cover of night.

Wayne walked onto the street and mingled in the crowded throng. The anticipation of filling his stomach unconsciously transformed into an expectant smile on his face.

Such a gathering, covering almost the entire city, is truly rare.

It would be a regret in life not to experience it firsthand.

He looked up at the distant street under the night sky, where a huge crowd stretched all the way to the center of Times Square.

At the edge of the horizon, the red, blue, and gold neon signs on the Times Building flickered, their light and shadows undulating on the crowds on the street.

The outlines of the brick buildings of the department store in the distance, reflected in the moonlight and neon lights, appeared blurry and indistinct.

The city's night scene is a picture of bustling metropolis, but at this moment, people from all over the city have gathered on the streets leading to Times Square.

Wayne squeezed through the crowd and walked for a while. Suddenly, a gray-haired girl's face, larger than a building, flashed into his field of vision before disappearing.

He rubbed his eyes, thinking it was just his imagination.

He could no longer tell whether he had walked away on his own initiative or had been pushed along by the crowd.

The only thing we know is that he's getting closer and closer to the center of Times Square.

Gradually, he heard continuous cheers around him. Among the muffled cheers, a few syllables were very clear, saying "Eating Contest".

It turned out to be a competitive eating contest.

Wei En understood immediately.

I was wondering where this huge commotion came from, that it would alarm the entire metropolis and bring the whole city to a standstill. Turns out it's a competitive eating contest.

That makes sense now.

Food is the most important thing for people.

Heaven is on my side! I have the ability to "eat," so can I also sign up for the competition to fill my stomach?

It is about 300 meters away from the center of Times Square.

Wei En tiptoed, his gaze passing over the layers of heads.

You can already see a high platform erected in the center of Times Square, on which sits an extremely long wooden table piled high with almost no two different kinds of food.

The spotlights were shining brightly.

The platform is surrounded by a "wall" made up of people.

In the crowd, countless arms held up plates of food and dishes, passing them to the wooden table.

Inside the "walled area," a row of stoves is set up, and a team of chefs in white uniforms are cooking new dishes and preparing new desserts.

Once it's ready, it's immediately served on the wooden table, with great enthusiasm and enjoyment.

A row of ten middle-aged and elderly people in suits sat in front of the long wooden table on the high platform.

Judging from their demeanor and attire, they all belong to distinguished individuals; they are either heads of conglomerates or municipal councilors...

Ignoring the oil stains on their expensive suits and shirts, they buried their heads in their plates, eating heartily with great satisfaction in their chewing and swallowing.

They would occasionally look up to get new food from the wooden table, their faces beaming with happiness and their eyes filled with joy.

He was clearly enjoying the competitive eating contest.

The atmosphere was warm, harmonious, and full of passion.

It turns out that these high-ranking, wealthy, and unassuming figures don't eat as elegantly as they usually do. In fact, compared to their usual polite and elegant demeanor, their eating habits at this moment are rather primitive and ugly, like those of livestock.

That's wonderful, regardless of status, we share joy with all people.

However, at the head of the wooden table sat a gray-haired girl.

Even from 300 meters away, through the dense crowd, the gray-haired girl was crystal clear to Wei En, as if she were right in front of him.

Whether his gaze was directed at the gray-haired girl or not, as long as his eyes were fixed on the center of Times Square, the gray-haired girl was always reflected in his face, every movement and every micro-expression was in front of him.

This could perhaps be described as a distorted perspective effect, not following the imaging principle that objects appear smaller when farther away and larger when closer; instead, objects appear larger when farther away and larger when closer.

In his eyes, the gray-haired girl was like a giant in the center of Times Square, taller than the buildings next to her, making the enthusiastic passersby and contestants look as small as ants.

A giant girl and a densely packed bunch of tiny people.

It is precisely because of this that Wein was able to personally feel the high level of emotion brought about by the competitive eating contest in front of him.

The gray-haired girl had soft eyebrows and eyes, a delicate nose, and thin, light pink lips with a slight sheen. She wore a simple, light gray cotton dress with gray hair, and a gray-blue coarse cloth apron around her neck. Her long, dark gray wavy hair was fluffy and voluminous, blowing out to both sides, giving her a somewhat broken and messy beauty at first glance.

Of all the people present, only her eating could be described as slow, deliberate, elegant, and unhurried.

She had the most empty plates in front of her, as if she had already secured the championship in the competitive eating contest.

A smile played at the corners of her eyes, and as she ate, she would occasionally glance around.

Any area of ​​the crowd that she glanced at would be thrown into an even more frenzied commotion.

She glanced at the tiny ant-like figures holding up their plates, and they became even more enthusiastic. Regardless of age or gender, they cheered and raised their arms even higher, busily moving back and forth, arranging plates and serving more food.

She glanced at the chefs to her side. Their cooking movements were becoming increasingly hurried, and they were sweating profusely with excitement. Their skillful techniques revealed their top-level culinary skills.

She glanced at the group of councilors and business leaders beside her, who were also speeding up their frantic eating, not even having time to wipe the food residue from their mouths, and scrambling to free their hands to fawn over her with the freshly prepared dishes.

She simply took her knife and fork, cut a small piece of meat from her plate, put it in her mouth, chewed it gently, and swallowed it softly.

With each chew and swallow, her lips seemed to reveal a dense array of thin teeth, her jawbone appeared to be twisted and misaligned in the light and shadow, and unknown, tiny soft tissues seemed to wriggle beneath the skin of her neck.

Even the oil stains spilled on her plain dress did not dry, but slowly gathered and crawled, eventually seeming to burrow into her flesh and body.

Behind the gray-haired girl stood a middle-aged man with white hair dressed in a suit.

The middle-aged man with white hair stood upright and meticulously, looking every bit like a "butler".

Whenever the gray-haired girl's gaze swept over him, he would force out a few fawning smiles, but he never displayed any obvious fanaticism.

The whole scene resembled a TV variety show or a movie script.

This gray-haired girl seems to be very popular, receiving the treatment of a star.

She is probably the most sought-after star contestant in the competitive eating contest.

Seeing the atmosphere of the competitive eating contest, Wein had a strong idea in his mind:

I have to go on stage to compete and have a big feast to make up for the meals I missed.

Sitting with those councilors, you're sure to enjoy the finest food.

They definitely can't beat me.

This gray-haired girl looks familiar, like I've seen her somewhere before, but I can't quite remember...

Where have I seen this before...?

While Wayne was deep in thought.

A warm male voice came from the right: "Young Master Wei En, you've arrived too."

Wayne turned his head to look.

A familiar middle-aged man walked out of the crowd; I had just bumped into him on the train yesterday afternoon.

It turned out to be Uncle Harrington.

In such a lively setting, it's a pleasant surprise to run into acquaintances while traveling alone.

"Uncle Harrington, you're here too?" Wayne greeted him with a smile.

Wait, did you run into someone you know?

Uncle Harrington had a mission on this business trip, didn't he?

Would someone also come to these competitive eating contests just to join in the fun?

A strange feeling flashed through Wayne's mind, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the excitement that filled the room.