Chapter 74: The Malice of the World

In the end, Bai Renzong stubbornly finished the entire bowl of beef offal noodles. Truth be told, halfway through, he had already lost consciousness; his mouth felt as though pressed to a hot iron, his whole scalp tingling, sweat pouring off him like a spring.

When he was done, Bai Renzong could no longer distinguish whether the wetness on his face was sweat, snot, or tears.

“We’re leaving!” Bai Renzong stood up and departed as soon as he finished eating.

“Sorry, he’s a bit out of it now… The noodles were really good,” Han Jiayi managed to suppress her laughter as she greeted the owner. “We’ll upload the video once it’s ready, please don’t worry.”

“Ah, good, good.” Zhao Lun nodded gratefully. “Thank you! You’re always welcome here…”

Never coming back! Bai Renzong roared inwardly as he staggered forward in a daze.

Han Jiayi hurried over to grab his arm, frowning, “Hey, what are you wandering about for? The car’s this way!”

Wang Bei also took the time to greet the owner, “Wishing you prosperous business, I’ll be back again.”

With that, Wang Bei followed behind, chuckling, “This episode is going to be explosive!”

Back home, Bai Renzong found his memory of eating the noodles somewhat blurred; his mind had been addled. By the time he regained his senses, he was already sitting with Han Jiayi in front of the computer, ready to play ‘Last Days Alive.’

“What’s our plan for today?” Han Jiayi asked with a smile.

“Ah…” Bai Renzong replied numbly, struggling to recall yesterday’s plan.

“Hmph…” Han Jiayi covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. His dazed look was rather adorable; if only he’d stay like this.

“Oh, right.” Bai Renzong nodded. “Today we need to collect seeds and tools for planting.” He reminded Han Jiayi, “You stay home and cook, then sort the supplies we gather. Wait for me to return.”

“Hey, what’s this loudspeaker for?” Han Jiayi asked curiously as she looked at the items in the storage box.

Bai Renzong thought for a moment, unsure how best to explain. So he operated his character to grab the loudspeaker, equipped it in his left hand, then switched on his headset mic, cleared his throat, and said, “Hello? Any zombies out there? If so, would you mind coming over? There’s a fresh newbie here—come eat her.”

In the game, Bai Renzong’s words were amplified through his character’s microphone, echoing throughout. A few scattered zombies in the distance heard the sound and began shambling toward them.

“This actually works?!” Han Jiayi exclaimed in amazement. “This game is incredible!”

“It’s hardcore,” Bai Renzong shook his head. “Surviving in this game is almost harder than surviving the apocalypse yourself. In real life, you wouldn’t make operational mistakes, but here, the bizarre game mechanics and zombie glitches are maddening.”

At this, Bai Renzong suddenly paused, staring at Han Jiayi. Their eyes met.

Seeing Bai Renzong’s earnest expression, Han Jiayi felt a little embarrassed. “Why are you staring at me…”

“Hey!” Bai Renzong slapped the table. “Why am I playing games? I should be editing the video!”

“Are you confused?” Han Jiayi retorted. “Xiaobei told you before, didn’t she? She’s editing this episode, and you agreed.”

“I did?!” Bai Renzong asked in disbelief. “My mind was scrambled from the spice…”

“Relax,” Han Jiayi replied. “Xiaobei’s editing is great. When I was a chef at the restaurant, she always helped me edit my videos. She’s no worse than you—maybe even better. Just enjoy your game.”

“All right then,” Bai Renzong rubbed his forehead. “I’ve taken a hit today. I’ll rest tomorrow.”

But the next morning, as Bai Renzong ate breakfast and watched the video Wang Bei uploaded, he realized resting was wishful thinking.

The video was titled “What kind of place leaves Old Bai speechless with deliciousness?” but the content…

The beginning was fairly normal, but every detail of Bai Renzong being overwhelmed by the spice was annotated.

For example, when he first coughed and his brow twitched, subtitles popped up: “Watch the eyebrows.” Then, as he coughed, another caption added, “About to lose control.”

Bai Renzong hadn’t realized he had such expressive reactions.

At the end, the bloopers replayed his entire ordeal with the spicy noodles in fast-forward.

A simple food review, transformed by embellishments into a comedy!

“You little rascal… You’re just too clever!” Bai Renzong frowned and scolded Wang Bei, who sat opposite him.

“What? Look at the comments, the response is great!” Wang Bei protested, hiding behind Han Jiayi.

Han Jiayi was struggling not to laugh. “Come on, it’s all for popularity. People like the real you. No need to put on a facade, right?”

“That’s not the point!” Bai Renzong frowned. “My style is food reviews and restaurant exploration, serious content. You made it something else entirely!”

“No way!” Wang Bei insisted. “Look at the replies—they’re serious!”

Bai Renzong checked, and indeed, the comments far surpassed previous episodes.

Many were from unfamiliar IDs—clearly fans who had followed him but rarely commented, now drawn out by the video. The replies were all genuine, recommending various restaurants.

But on closer inspection, the recommendations were all notorious for their spicy dishes: XJ Stir-fried Rice Noodles, AH Beef Flat Noodles, SC Spicy Boiled Beef.

Bai Renzong fell silent. His fans apparently wanted him dead.

“Well, at least it’s popular. Didn’t you say the same thing when you posted my bloopers?” Han Jiayi giggled, resting her cheeks in her hands. “The video landed on the homepage—over two million views, tons of bookmarks.”

At that moment, Bai Renzong felt the world’s malice. He felt like Niu Jieshi from ‘Slaughter’—everyone wanted him gone.

However, beneath the mischievous comments, there were also serious ones from fans who had visited the restaurant after watching. “Discovered this place on my daily commute, went specially to try it. The broth is incredible, deep flavor, and seriously spicy! Anyone who loves spicy food shouldn’t miss it!” “Super spicy! I usually eat chili like water, but had to drink a whole cup of mung bean soup after trying their beef offal noodles! Highly recommended, delicious!”

“Tsk…” Seeing these comments, Bai Renzong could only concede. After all, the video really had promoted the restaurant and brought new customers.

“I think this should be a regular feature,” Wang Bei said, laughing behind her hand.

“I agree!” Han Jiayi raised her hand happily. “You have to scout spicy places for everyone who loves it!” She turned to Bai Renzong, eyes sparkling. “Right, Mr. Spicy Bai?”

Bai Renzong smiled faintly. “Yes, once a month, Han Mumu.”

Then the two locked eyes, while the culprit Wang Bei felt lucky to have escaped punishment and focused on her breakfast.

(Thanks to Tiejue, Unique re, Little Red Riding Hood’s Big Red Robe, Purple Maple, Proud Bacteria, YSJX Jie Xuan, Moonlight Falls, A Cup of Coffee Without Sugar, Zhou 1020, Song in the Rain, Book Friend 20170226105324082 for their monthly tickets. Thanks also to Book Friend 20180829094647873, Batianglongwang, Ming Ming Ming Ming Ming Ming for their two monthly tickets.)