Not long after Qin Xiaoxia started chatting with South Wind, he decided he wanted their team to create the Statue of Comir.

The main reason wasn’t that their technical skills were particularly high. On the contrary, Qin Xiaoxia understood that this group’s sculpting ability was likely only a little better than a mediocre amateur’s.

But their advantage lay in their lack of real-world experience. Aside from ceramics and forging, this was likely their first time taking on a sculpting job. Furthermore, their small group was full of young people—the kind of kids who looked like slackers to outsiders.

In short, they were the agreeable type—easy to dupe if any problems arose.

There were no blueprints for the Statue of Comir, so the technical requirements were surprisingly low. As long as they weren’t complete novices, it would be fine.

As the saying goes, age brings cunning. The more demands Qin Xiaoxia made, the more those old hands would dare to hike up their prices and act high and mighty.

Truth be told, Qin Xiaoxia’s pockets weren’t exactly deep. He had some savings, but they wouldn’t last long. It was best to be frugal for now. If he really hired a professional company or team, he might not have enough money even if he threw in everything he had.

Besides, for a project like creating the Image of Order—something that could trigger a special mutation at any moment—Qin Xiaoxia was more inclined to use young people like South Wind and his friends, especially since they weren’t doing too well for themselves.

Once they started sculpting the Statue of Comir and managed to endure the anomalous phenomena of the first phase, they wouldn’t be able to just walk away, even if they wanted to.

"Hwoh hoh hoh~ Hwoh hoh hoh~"

Seeing that South Wind had caved and was now discussing the agreement with Qin Xiaoxia, Doudou suddenly let out this strange laugh in his direction while munching on some lamb.

For some reason, a cold sweat broke out on his back.

’I guess I really am coming down with a cold...’

South Wind thought back to the two sneezes he’d let out not long after getting off the train and tried to reassure himself.

...

"BURP~~~"

Gou Junbao let out a long, satisfied burp.

"BUUURP~~~~~"

South Wind’s burp wasn’t short either.

Even though it was a buffet, eating with Qin Xiaoxia and Doudou felt like a competition. You couldn’t help but eat much more than usual.

By the time they felt like they couldn’t eat another bite, they were already stuffed to the gills.

The two of them stared, dumbfounded, at the two gluttons across the table who showed no signs of stopping.

The buffet had already been going on for over two hours.

Even the most oblivious person would have noticed that the waitstaff had cleared the plates from their table an excessive number of times.

But now, the empty plates were piled high once more. They were almost tempted to start stacking them at their feet.

Qin Xiaoxia and Doudou were eating to their hearts’ content. The service at this Han Feng Garden was truly top-notch; they’d actually refilled the ingredients so many times.

The last place they went to had been much worse. They didn’t restock the food, and what they had wasn’t even fresh.

There were still two plates of fatty beef slices and a platter of fish balls left on the table.

Doudou picked up the oil dispenser from the table and began dripping oil onto the grill paper.

One drop, two drops... after a few more tries, it ran dry.

"Big Cousin, we’re out of oil."

Qin Xiaoxia picked up the empty dispenser and glanced at it, then his eyes drifted toward the other tables.

The dispensers on those tables were mostly full, but since every table was occupied, it would be awkward to go and grab one.

Then, the two of them very naturally turned their gazes to the surrounding waitstaff, who were pretending to be nonchalant but were in fact keeping a close eye on Table 66.

The owner, who was also acting as the floor manager, felt his heart clench. Fortunately, Table 66 didn’t call out.

Qin Xiaoxia checked the time. It was already past one in the afternoon. He ultimately decided to maintain his "composure."

"South Wind, are you staying at your cousin’s place right now?"

"Huh? Oh, no. My cousin got me a room at a hotel. He’s bringing a girl home."

When Doudou saw that Qin Xiaoxia hadn’t asked for more oil, he knew the meal was probably winding down.

He buried his head in the remaining food in the hot pot and on the grill. Upon hearing South Wind’s words, Doudou looked up at Gou Junbao.

"Didn’t you and your girlfriend just break up again?"

Gou Junbao’s expression instantly darkened.

"Ha, kids say the darndest things! Don’t mind him. Brother Gou, are you two full?"

Gou Junbao opened his mouth to reply, but all that came out was a long "BUUURP~~~"

"Looks like you are. Doudou, let’s head back after you finish what’s on the table. We still need to take South Wind to the old house to get him familiar with the place and make some arrangements."

"South Wind, you’re welcome to stay there temporarily if you’d like."

South Wind’s eyes lit up at the offer. Staying in a hotel was both inconvenient and uncomfortable. If the house was decent, it was definitely worth considering.

"Big Cousin, I’m finished!"

While the others were talking, Doudou had already cleared away the final obstacles on the dining table.

With business concluded and the meal finished, they all stood up, rubbing their bellies.

In truth, Qin Xiaoxia had been full for a while, but strangely, he didn’t feel stuffed. He felt as if he could keep on eating. He figured this must be what it was normally like for Doudou.

In contrast to the big-and-little pair, who looked perfectly fine, both Gou Junbao and South Wind had to use their chairs for support as they stood up. They were simply too full to move.

Doudou hopped down from his chair, scampered over to the buffet counter, and swiped two apples, giving one to Qin Xiaoxia.

As the four of them approached the exit, every employee in the restaurant breathed a collective sigh of relief, watching them leave as if they were sending off the Plague God himself. No one even bothered to point out that they weren’t allowed to take fruit to go.

"Safe travels, and welcome back any time!"

The hostess at the door recited the line out of habit, which made Doudou suddenly spin around to look at her, his eyes gleaming. It gave the poor woman a fright.

The other customers in the restaurant had actually noticed Table 66 long ago. It just would have been rude to gawk at them while they were eating. However, it did ignite a competitive spirit among the Han Feng Garden patrons.

After all, everyone was there to eat. Seeing such ferocious eaters was a novelty, but they had their own meals to attend to.

Their enthusiasm was contagious, which indirectly made everyone else’s meal more enjoyable and caused them to eat far more than they normally would.

However, wave after wave of customers came and went—some rubbing their bellies, others leaning against the walls for support—but Table 66 remained standing strong.

The rate at which Han Feng Garden went through ingredients during lunch was nothing short of terrifying.

Now, seeing the group of four finally leaving, the owner let out a huge sigh of relief.

When he heard the hostess’s "welcome back any time," his heart momentarily seized up.

Doudou’s Perception was also quite sharp.

He was all too familiar with the staff’s reaction. With a hint of disappointment, he thought, ’I wonder if we’ll be able to come back to this place again.’

After leaving Han Feng Garden, Gou Junbao went straight back to his office. He hadn’t actually taken the day off; the nature of his job just allowed him to step out frequently. Still, it wasn’t good for him to be away from the company all day.

Next up, Qin Xiaoxia and Doudou would take South Wind to see the old house and find out what he and his team would need.

To project his "boss-like aura," Qin Xiaoxia decided it wouldn’t be appropriate to take the bus back. So, he shamelessly pestered Gou Junbao into driving them back to Qingzhen.

When South Wind saw the old Dawn Association building, he was deeply impressed.

This classical building, a fusion of Eastern and Western architecture, was not only imposing but also possessed a unique, alternative beauty.

The passage of time hadn’t diminished its grandeur; instead, it had added a sense of profound history.

It seemed this Boss Qin was truly a man of means.

PS: Thank you to book friends "Cute Loli of Paradise" and "I’m not sure" for the 500-coin donations, and to "Blood Race Night Blade" and "Dark★Silent_CosmosО" for the 100-coin donations.

This was yesterday’s second Chapter o(╥﹏╥)o