C10 The Buffet Was a War

Feng Manlou was too preoccupied to pay attention to Ye Qingling, who was all disheveled. The moment the waitress brought out a plate of garlic oysters, he was determined to keep them to himself!

A group of guys who had come to indulge with friends spotted the oysters and made their way over.

The waitress's plate held just over forty oysters, clearly not enough to go around.

And so, a bloodless battle commenced.

Feng Manlou, who had secured the prime spot, suddenly felt pushes from the left, right, and behind. Glancing down, he noticed two guys had wedged their legs next to his in an attempt to throw him off balance.

Damn, those crazy buffet scenes online weren't just for show; they were genuinely intense!

Watching the waitress approach with regal poise, Feng Manlou, who was resolutely holding his ground, couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.

Lucky for him, he had acquired the system the day before, or he might have missed out on these garlic oysters.

As the onslaught from his rivals intensified, Feng Manlou spread his arms to fend off the encroaching hands, widened his stance to shoulder width, and slightly squatted down. He adopted a subtle, high horse stance, rooting his feet to the ground as if they were anchored.

The three boys surrounding him were taken aback to find they couldn't budge this average-looking, skinny fellow!

The tall guy on the left, standing at 1.8 meters, thought to himself, "This kid is tough as nails. I've been grabbing rebounds for years and have never come across someone like him!"

The solidly built guy on the right mused, "This is interesting. Aside from the occasional older man or woman, I've never faced such a formidable opponent at a buffet."

The boy behind him, with the thick legs of a seasoned football player, wondered, "Such a steady block—could this guy be on the school's soccer team?"

Their competitive spirits flared, and they each put in an extra thirty percent effort.

Yet Feng Manlou remained as immovable as a stake driven deep into the earth, unaffected by their covert exertions.

Seeing their faces flush from the crowd, Feng Manlou couldn't help but bask in a sense of achievement.

The Five-step Fist, a beginner Fist Technique, enhances the practitioner's overall physical condition and balance, and is particularly beneficial for strengthening the lower part of the body's foundation.

The Five-step Fist that Manlou had mastered for free through the system was equivalent to what an ordinary person would achieve after about ten thousand hours of practice. It was certainly not something that these average students, who only played basketball or soccer after class, could match.

The waitress had anticipated witnessing another fierce showdown and was surprised when a slender boy managed to secure the top spot. She clicked her tongue in amazement and, after setting down the stainless steel tray, couldn't resist glancing back several times.

Manlou paid no mind to the stainless steel tongs meant for serving food. He deftly scooped up nearly twenty garlic oysters onto his plate and turned around with a beaming smile.

"Excuse me, guys, make way. Let's not get any garlic sauce on your clothes, okay?"

The three boys, who had been trying their utmost to compete, caught their breath and nodded, stepping aside to make room.

In this subtle contest of wills, they had been soundly defeated and accepted their loss with full hearts.

This fellow wasn't just any privileged heir; he clearly had some martial arts skills.

In his past life, Manlou had only had oysters a few times at banquets and wasn't sure about the price, but given the eagerness of the students, they were surely not cheap.

Contemplating his milestone in his plan to break even, his mood soared.

Haha, knowing martial arts really does come in handy, especially when it comes to getting your money's worth at a buffet.

Spotting salt-baked beef tenderloin in the hot food section, he filled another plate to the brim.

Back at his seat, he noticed Ye Qingling covering her face, not touching her chopsticks, which puzzled him. "Didn't you want to eat at the buffet? Why aren't you eating? Never mind, start with the oysters; they're pricier and tastier than beef or lamb."

Qingling snapped out of her daze to find a full plate of oysters before her, confirming that her secret of being a big eater had indeed been revealed.

"Don't you like this? If not, I'll start eating," Feng Manlou said, his head spinning from Ye Qingling's complex gaze that mixed annoyance with a touch of grievance and a subtle plea. Considering his plan for a comeback, he simply began to eat.

Oysters might look daunting, but the meat inside was no larger than a slice of smoked ham. Watching Feng Manlou devour five oysters in the blink of an eye, Ye Qingling felt her cravings intensify.

As Feng Manlou unapologetically reached for his sixth oyster, Ye Qingling decided that since her secret of being a big eater was out, there was no point in hiding it anymore. Today, she would indulge without restraint!

No sooner had she said she would eat than she did just that, promptly picking up an oyster and placing it on her plate.

"Hey, have some consideration for a lady, will you? Leave some for me!"

"Oh, alright, I'll save half for you."

"That's more reasonable."

The Student Union members were shocked to see Department Head Ye, known for her ladylike demeanor, unabashedly competing with the man in slippers for food.

"My goodness, is that really the goddess Ye Qingling we know? What on earth has this man in slippers done to her?" they wondered.

Some girls, not part of the Student Union, speculated to their boyfriends that the pair must have been together since high school; otherwise, Ye Qingling wouldn't be so uninhibited.

"Only girls who've been with their boyfriends for a long time would reveal their love of food like that," they reasoned, as the guys around them nodded in agreement.

The two of them quickly polished off nearly twenty garlic oysters. Ye Qingling, having eaten seven or eight, rocked contentedly in her chair.

It had been ages since she'd had the thrill of competing for food, and it felt wonderful! Snatching food seemed to make even the most ordinary oysters taste as exquisite as imported ones.

Reminiscing about her childhood, Ye Qingling recalled how she used to enjoy vying with her brother for food before she became the "young lady" her parents spoke of. Whether it was crab, chicken legs, braised pork, or ginseng chicken stew, every meal was a battleground. Even though she often lost more than she won, she always thought the food back then tasted incredibly delicious.

Regrettably, once she started elementary school, her mother placed a jade pendant engraved with the Buddha around her own neck and told her brother, "Ling'er is grown up now and will begin wearing emerald. You can't roughhouse with your sister anymore."

From then on, she faced no competition at the dinner table, which made even the most exquisite dishes seem bland.

Feng Manlou tossed the oyster shell into the trash beneath the table and stood up, saying, "You go ahead and eat; I'll grab some other things."

"Hold on!" Ye Qingling called out to him.

"Yes?"

"Grab some lettuce; just the light meat can get too rich!"

With that, she stood up too, "Never mind, I'll come with you. You look so clueless, I doubt you know what's tasty and what's not."

She hit the nail on the head; Feng Manlou had never been particular about food and drink in either of his lifetimes and had little idea of what was delicious and what wasn't.

"That's perfect. You be the strategist, and I'll be the raider. We'll aim to sweep up all the delectable and pricey dishes."

Her declaration made the three who had just engaged in a "Mount Hua Debate" with him feel overwhelmed.

The dish of baked lobster had just been cleared, signaling that a serving of cheese-baked lobster would soon arrive.

A tough fight was inevitable!

Having dined at the restaurant many times, Ye Qingling knew well that cheese-baked lobster was next – a dish second in cost and taste only to garlic oysters and steak.

She instructed Feng Manlou to stand by while she grabbed a plate of vegetable and fruit salad, some tripe for the hot pot, and various greens.

As a dozen boys rose to their feet once more, Ye Qingling and Feng Manlou exchanged nods, as solemn as warriors ready to entrust each other with their lives.

"Give it your all. How much lobster we get depends on you."

"Rest easy, comrade. With me here, I assure you we'll snag at least half!"

With their plan in place, Ye Qingling also picked up a pot of barley tea to drink.

To truly enjoy a buffet, indulging in drinks is a definite no-go. First off, beverages—especially fizzy ones—take up too much stomach space. One glass and you might as well forget about eating anything else. Plus, the high sugar and calorie content are far from healthy.

Granted, letting loose and eating to your heart's content isn't exactly the epitome of health, but adding sugary drinks to the mix only compounds the problem.

As Ye Qingling settled back into her seat, she caught sight of a tall, handsome guy striding in through the entrance. Her mood instantly shifted from sunny to overcast.

Why did he have to show up? He's such a nuisance.