I accidentally joined a group of charlatans, so I immediately called the police and handed it over t

The logistics distribution center of Base 001 is currently on high alert.

It wasn't because of an enemy attack.

Rather, it's because a "cooking" operation, even more sophisticated than the manufacture of nuclear warheads, is underway here.

A dozen top nutritionists, dressed in sterile gowns, sat around a huge stainless steel workbench, their expressions as solemn as if they were performing a heart transplant.

"Myoglobin texture detection complete, M9 grade, perfect."

"Deep-sea bluefin tuna belly, thawed at -3 degrees Celsius to maintain cell activity."

"The water from the Alps is filtered through twenty-four layers to ensure a crisp and refreshing taste with a slightly sweet aftertaste."

Li Guobang stood aside, watching these chefs who usually only cooked for state guests now carefully arranging a piece of beef on a plate with tweezers.

His lips twitched, and he felt his worldview crumbling.

"Chen Xi".

Li Guobang lowered his voice and pointed to the plate of raw meat, which was so exquisite it looked like a work of art.

"Are you sure... this is for dogs?"

"Even our best pilots don't get this kind of treatment, do they?"

Chen Xi sat on a chair to the side, toying with the enamel mug he had used for many years.

He looked at the plate of meat, his eyes devoid of appetite, filled only with calculation.

"Old Li, your vision is too narrow."

Chen Xi spoke calmly, his voice as composed as if he were discussing the weather.

"This is not meat."

"This is the bait on the fishing hook."

"This is a strategic missile to break through the psychological defenses of the Heavenly Court's number one war god."

Li Guobang paused for a moment, then remained silent.

Chen Xi stood up and walked to the control panel.

He picked up a small dry ice spray bottle and sprayed it around the plate of meat.

White mist instantly rose up, swirling between the bright red flesh and golden fish fat, like a fairyland.

"This is the 'sample pack'."

Chen Xi nodded in satisfaction.

"Small portions, flashy presentation."

"We want to make that uncultured mongrel dog realize, after just one bite, that it used to live in a garbage dump."

"As long as it feels that the past was a garbage dump."

Chen Xi turned around, looked at Li Guobang, and a cruel smile appeared on his lips.

"Then its owner is a sinner who abuses animals."

……

Zhenjun Temple at the mouth of the Guanjiang River.

The cool moonlight shone on the stone steps in front of the main hall.

The incense here is rarely offered, after all, that True Lord is one who obeys orders but not summons, and he doesn't like to show his power. Mortals' prayers are in vain, so naturally, he comes less often.

Only the twelve hundred grass-root gods remained loyal in guarding this desolate temple.

"Waaah—"

A low, satisfied whimper broke the silence of the night.

The dog lay in its new memory foam doghouse, its front paws tightly clutching an empty plate.

Its tongue continued to lick the bottom of the plate, even though there wasn't a single scrap of meat left.

So delicious.

The sensation of the fat bursting on the tongue, the chewy texture of the meat fibers bouncing between the teeth.

And then there's the icy sweetness of the glacial water.

In its entire life—no, in its thousands of years of dog life—Xiaotianquan had never eaten anything so decent.

It used to think that the meat of the spirit beasts in Heaven was good, as it was chewy and could replenish spiritual energy.

But looking back now, it was absolutely awful!

That's just a lump of wood chips that has energy but no soul!

Yang Jian sat on the divine throne, still holding the scroll of military strategy in his hand.

But his gaze kept drifting to his beloved dog at his feet.

Looking at that greyhound, which was usually fierce and menacing, but now clung to the plate like a lapdog.

Yang Jian's eye twitched slightly.

"Promising."

He gave a soft hum, but there was little blame in his tone; instead, it revealed a hint of barely perceptible doting.

"Now that we've eaten, let's go patrol the mountain."

"Don't stay cooped up here all day; you'll make your bones limp."

Normally, the Celestial Hound would have already leaped up and transformed into a black gust of wind, rushing out.

But today.

It simply raised its eyelids lazily and glanced at Yang Jian.

Then he rolled over, buried his head in the soft dog bed, and let out a loud burp.

I don't want to move.

I've eaten so well, I don't want to move.

This doghouse is too soft, I don't want to move.

Yang Jian was stunned.

His command, given by the mighty Erlang Shen, was actually ignored by a dog?

But looking at the carefree look on the dog's face, he couldn't bring himself to kick it up.

"That's enough."

Yang Jian shook his head, a helpless smile playing on his lips.

"Since you're happy now, do as you please."

however.

Yang Jian underestimated the destructive power of the common saying, "It's hard to go from extravagance to frugality."

into the night.

It was time for the Heavenly Court's routine feeding time.

A grass-root deity respectfully entered, carrying a full basin of minced spirit beast meat.

"My Lord, the divine dog's dinner has arrived."

The minced meat was made from a mixture of spirit fish from the Milky Way and wild boar meat from the Immortal Mountain. It was full of spiritual energy, and in the past, as soon as it was served, the Celestial Hound could finish it in three seconds.

The grass god put the basin down, in the same familiar spot.

"when."

The sound of the bottom of the basin hitting the stone slab.

The celestial dog's ears twitched.

It poked its head out of the doghouse and twitched its nostrils twice.

A... fishy smell.

Even if it were spiritual energy, it would smell like an unbearable earthy odor to it now.

It lacks that subtle milky aroma.

It lacks that rich sense of layering.

Even the texture of the meat was so rough.

The light in the celestial dog's eyes went out instantly.

It slowly got up and walked to the food bowl.

I looked down and glanced at the bowl of paste-like substance.

then.

It raised its head and looked at Yang Jian, who was sitting on the throne.

His eyes were filled with disbelief, grievance, and accusation.

It's as if it's saying: Is this all you're going to give me?

You're trying to fool your comrades with this kind of pig swill?

Yang Jian was about to sit in meditation when he felt this burning gaze and opened his eyes.

"Why aren't you eating?"

Yang Jian frowned.

"Waaah..."

The Celestial Hound let out an extremely mournful low howl.

It stretched out its front paws and pushed the food bowl away in disgust.

"Clang!"

The food bowl tipped over.

Minced meat was spilled all over the floor.

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

The grass-root god who delivered the food was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground with a thud, trembling.

Yang Jian's face instantly darkened.

He stared at the mess on the ground, then looked at the stubborn dog.

A nameless anger suddenly flared up.

"Howling Sky!"

Yang Jian roared, his divine might like a prison, and the temperature in the entire hall plummeted.

"What are you doing?!"

"That's spiritual food! So much that countless lesser demons would kill for it, and you dare to waste it?!"

The celestial dog shrank back in fright at the roar.

But it didn't tuck its tail between its legs and beg for mercy like it used to.

It simply retreated silently to the doghouse that Chen Xi had given it.

Curl yourself up into a ball.

His back was facing Yang Jian.

Don't eat.

I would rather die than eat it.

Having tasted such delicacies, let whoever wants to eat this garbage eat it.

Yang Jian looked at that stubborn black buttocks and was so angry that his hands were trembling.

"Great! Excellent!"

"You've gone too far!"

"You're not going to eat, huh?"

Yang Jian flicked his sleeve, and a gust of wind swept away the minced meat on the ground.

"Then you'll go hungry!"

"I'd like to see how long you can keep up this pretense!"

Yang Jian closed his eyes and forced himself into a meditative state.

But his usually calm and undisturbed Dao heart was now in complete chaos.

In the mortal realm, at Base 001.

Chen Xi looked at the message on his phone screen, which had been sent back through "special channels" (actually, he had bribed a local earth god).

[The Celestial Hound went on a hunger strike, overturning its food bowl, enraging the True Lord.]

Chen Xi put down his teacup.

He turned his head and glanced at Wang Yi, who was still unconscious on the hospital bed.

"Old Li."

"We'll postpone the next batch of sample packs by three days."

Li Guobang asked, puzzled, "Why? Wouldn't it be better to strike while the iron is hot?"

Chen Xi shook his head, his eyes a bottomless, icy pool.

"No."

"Giving it to him now would be a timely help, and he would be grateful, but he wouldn't submit."

"We have to wait until that dog gets so hungry it starts destroying the house, and until that true lord is so heartbroken he starts questioning the meaning of life."

"That's what they gave you back then..."

Chen Xi tapped the table lightly.

That's what you call a lifeline.