The Chef Rules the Last Days
Chapter 146 - 143: God Chef Brand Big Iron Pot

Chapter 146: Chapter 143: God Chef Brand Big Iron Pot

Su Mo first stared at the pitch-black cauldron resting on the panel for three seconds, her attention immediately captured by the four characters for "preserving youth."

No woman could resist such a thing, she thought, smiling as she collected the recipe. She definitely had to try making it when she had the chance, especially now that she couldn’t even afford a piece of ginger after her recent upgrade.

When Jianxiong returned, he was holding a large bundle of branches he’d snapped off from who knows where. After setting up the makeshift stove, he waited for Su Mo to begin, "Sister, should we make it a bit smaller? My construction’s a bit too large."

Regaining her composure, Su Mo led Lu Chen by the hand to the ’stove’, which was just a few stones arranged around burning wood twigs.

"No need, it’s the perfect size," she said as she took out the newly arrived cauldron, which was as big as the ones used in the cafeteria for cooking huge batches of food – its comical size evident as she held it.

"When did we get this?" Zhao Changsheng curiously came over, touching and inspecting it from all sides.

"It’s a new addition to the team," Su Mo said with a smile, tossing the pot to Jianxiong to place on the stove.

Su Niang, tugging at Ling Ye, emerged from the tent; he still wasn’t keen on talking and merely pulled her along.

Seven people gathered around the stove.

Lu Chen took out a box of instant noodles from his Space, and Su Mo glanced at it, noting the unopened Old Altar Pickled Cabbage flavor.

Jianxiong casually grabbed a Fire Ability User to start the fire while Lu Chen formed ice cubes with a flick of his fingertips, filling the cauldron.

Operating the cauldron wasn’t much different from using a flat pot; she turned the fire up to the highest setting and the ice rapidly melted before their eyes.

The soldiers sitting not far from them watched their preparations with longing, their own dry rations tasting like wax in comparison.

Rong Bai, feeling guilty for not being able to provide his comrades with a decent meal, rushed over with the sole bag of rice Lu Chen had given, seeking to partake in their cooking session. Su Mo didn’t refuse, reasoning that cooking some porridge wouldn’t be an issue. She simply told them to bring their own bowls and utensils, and she would cook for them later.

Once the water in the pot came to a boil, Su Mo dropped in twenty packets of instant noodles, their aroma quickly wafting and teasing the nostrils of everyone nearby.

Hungry from running for their lives all day, Li Chuan casually tossed his biscuit to the mercenary next to him and walked up to Lu Chen. "Count me in. Given our relationship, you don’t mind, right?" he said.

Before Lu Chen could respond, Su Mo answered for him, looking up and extending her hand toward Li Chuan, "Exchange for a Crystal Core, and only for porridge."

Her instant noodles had an Energy Group effect; these people couldn’t handle it.

"And what about Rong Bai?" Li Chuan raised his eyebrows, his almond-shaped eyes gleaming with mischief as he turned towards Rong Bai.

"He calls me sister-in-law, so he eats for free," Su Mo said, ready to retract her hand, "Otherwise, forget it."

"Here," Li Chuan caught her wrist in a single move and added with an ambiguous tone, "I’ll give."

Lu Chen’s entire mood darkened. He stood up and grasped Li Chuan’s wrist, squeezing so tightly that the latter winced in pain and released Su Mo’s hand, "My dear brother, no need to be so forceful, right?"

Brother? Su Mo was taken aback, looking back and forth between Lu Chen and Li Chuan. The two men were not at all alike; they didn’t share the slightest resemblance.

"Sister! Time for the seasoning! It’s ready!" Jianxiong shouted excitedly in her ear. Snapping out of her thoughts and pushing her doubt aside, she tore open half of the seasoning packet and poured it in.

The smell of the instant noodles in the air spurred everyone’s appetite up a notch.

More soldiers began to crowd around, Lu Chen released Li Chuan’s wrist and hissed fiercely, "Scram."

Unable to help herself, Su Mo looked up at him again. He seemed to utterly despise being called brother.

A pot of instant noodles was ready, and Lu Chen sat back down next to her, his intimidating presence slightly retracted. He took out bowls and chopsticks and started dividing up the food.

Rong Bai was very tempted by the instant noodles, but he didn’t eat, turning to the soldiers behind him with feigned sternness, "Once this pot is finished, it’s our turn to eat."

Although the porridge was bland compared to the instant noodles, having rice to eat these days was already a source of great happiness for them, so the soldiers obediently returned to their posts.

Li Chuan rubbed his wrists, his gaze intensifying as he looked at the backs of Su Mo and Lu Chen. He conjured a pale, otherworldly smile on his face before turning and walking away.

The recent farce had been witnessed by several mercenaries following him. They exchanged glances, not sure what to make of the situation.

Su Mo found the noodles she was eating tasteless, her mind preoccupied with Li Chuan’s earlier address of "brother." Wasn’t he from the Jiang Residence? Yet his last name was Lu. A half-formed guess began to take shape in her mind.

Lu Chen... The Lu Family...

Lu Chen ate his noodles unhurriedly, noticing her melancholic expression he asked, "What’s on your mind?"

Su Mo snapped back to reality and shook her head to hide her emotions, "It’s nothing. Let’s eat quickly."

She had cooked twenty packets of instant noodles, most of which ended up in Jianxiong’s stomach as his appetite had grown significantly since his level up. After the seven of them finished the noodles, a few soldiers carried away the pot to wash and bring it back clean.

The Water Element Superpower User in the squad was a slim male soldier. After dumping the rice in the pot and washing it, his comrades carried it back.

Pretending to be helpful, Su Mo picked up some kindling and threw it into the fire to make it blaze more intensely. She turned the pot’s temperature to the maximum and added all the leftover vegetable packets from the noodle packs.

With the highest flame, the pot quickly began to bubble intensely, its aroma of rice filling the air.

"The fire’s good today; it cooked so quickly," Rong Bai approached and sniffed the rice-scented air, which seemed a bit different from when they cooked it themselves, carrying a hint of sweetness.

Su Mo smiled. Once the porridge was ready, Lu Chen took out some pickled vegetables from his Space, adding to the novelty of their meal as it was something they rarely got to eat. Each soldier received a big bowl of thick white porridge and a large spoonful of pickled vegetables in their own tin boxes, feeling a comforting warmth after the first mouthful.

Especially those superpower users.

"It’s strange, this porridge. It’s sweet and not at all like what we cook ourselves."

"I feel like the Energy Group in my lower abdomen is absorbing more energy."

"Must be an illusion, but eating it makes the whole body feel refreshed. I never realized plain porridge could taste so good before."

"It’s all about skill."

"..."

Su Mo’s hunch was not wrong. Plain boiled porridge normally had no special properties, but given that it was cooked in the God Chef’s Flat Pot, it was unsurprising it contained a trace of energy, as long as no one detected it.

The porridge in the pot was quickly distributed, leaving all the soldiers full. After the pot was cleaned again, Su Mo asked Lu Chen to create ice in the pot, boiling several pots of hot water for the soldiers to take back and use.

The weather had cooled at night, and after their battle through the underground passage, they were practically unrecognizable from the dirt.

Rong Bai was sincerely grateful to Su Mo for this.

While their side enjoyed a jovial atmosphere, life was much harder for the ordinary citizen squads. Apart from the large number of surviving superpower users who had food to eat, the few lucky ordinary survivors had nothing but empty stomachs to contend with.