“Xiao He, can we dig in now?” Thunder Brother asked, drooling, his eyes full of longing.
“Ah… well…” Lin Xiaohe’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. After hesitating for a long time, she turned her head to the side, not daring to look at the fragrant little lobsters.
“Let’s load them into the car first. This is a custom order for a friend.”
Ah…
Everyone’s heads drooped in disappointment. It felt like all the strength had been drained from their bodies. Their footsteps were heavy as they loaded the lobsters slowly and reluctantly.
Lin Xiaohe struggled for a moment, then made a small concession: “Leave two behind for the sample.”
In the food business, you have to set aside a small portion of the day’s ingredients and seal them up.
She was just following the rules. It definitely wasn’t because she was craving them!
“Awesome!” Thunder Brother carefully picked out the two plumpest little lobsters, then quickly loaded the rest into the vehicle.
The sooner the work was done, the sooner they could eat. Hehe.
Just after the robot took the spicy little lobsters away, an unexpected visitor showed up at the farm.
“Xiao He, what’s that smell? Is it edible?”
Chu Huai had come to Satellite No. 3 for two reasons. First, he wanted to check on the progress of the test fields. Second, he wanted to smooth things over with Lin Xiaohe.
He flipped over a bright red little lobster, his nostrils flaring. “Mmm, that smells really good. It’s a bit like the Procambarus clarkii from Cold Star. Do you peel these to eat them, too?”
Cold Star crayfish are a type of seafood that wealthy people in the Federation love to eat. The meat is springy and has a tiny hint of sweetness. However, they’re not easy to farm. If you take them away from Cold Star, they die within a day or two.
When the Cold Star crayfish die, the flavor becomes much worse.
So, many rich folks take a spaceship to Cold Star just to enjoy a seafood feast or two.
“This is called a little lobster. It’s not a Cold Star crayfish.” Lin Xiaohe warned him with a blank expression, “Don’t you dare eat it casually. If you get a stomachache, I’m not taking responsibility.”
Chu Huai burst out laughing. He took out a small knife, pried open the little lobster’s shell, and pulled out a piece of tender, springy white meat. He dipped it in the sauce and unceremoniously popped it into his mouth.
“Mmm, delicious! Way better than Cold Star crayfish.”
Lin Xiaohe advised him worriedly, “Stop eating. It hasn’t been tested yet. Who knows if it’s harmful to the body.”
“Don’t worry. I have a super 3S physique. No poison can take me down. Let me test it for you.”
Chu Huai feasted happily. Ever since his mental strength was damaged, he hadn’t enjoyed eating this much in a long time.
The spicy, numbing flavor was incredibly bold. It filled his mouth, stimulated his taste buds, and made him want to take another bite after the first one.
Everyone stared at his bulging cheeks and his bobbing throat as he swallowed, unable to stop their mouths from watering.
Lin Xiaohe’s father said awkwardly, “Marshal Chu, is it really that good?”
“Mmm-hmm. It’s great!”
In less than ten minutes, Chu Huai had nearly finished an entire little lobster.
Lin Chiyang became anxious and quickly said, “Marshal Chu, please spare some for us!”
Chu Huai stuffed the last piece of lobster meat into his mouth, then smiled sheepishly. “I’ve tested it for you. It’s fine. Go ahead and eat without worry!”
Just as he finished speaking, he fell flat on his back with a thud.
Huh?!
Lin Xiaohe leaned closer. Chu Huai’s eyes were closed, and there was a smile on his lips, but he was completely motionless, like a dead man.
“Chu Huai? Dean Chu? Marshal Chu? Stop fooling around. Get up.”
Chu Huai’s breathing gradually grew faint.
The smile froze on Lin Xiaohe’s face, and a sense of panic rose in her heart. “Don’t scare me like that! I’m warning you, if you’re joking with me again, I really will commit the ultimate blasphemy against my teacher!”
The others sensed something was wrong and crowded around.
Brother Lao Hei pulled out a portable smart scanner he carried with him and placed it on Chu Huai’s chest.
Beep, beep, beep!
The scanner let out a jumble of piercing alarms.
Brother Lao Hei’s face was as somber as still water. “Xiao He, call for emergency rescue. Marshal Chu has been poisoned!”
Oh man!!
I told you so. You can’t just eat things loaded with artificial additives!
The rescue team arrived very quickly.
After scanning Chu Huai with more professional equipment, they immediately requested a transfer to Tigre.
At the same time, the garrison troops on Satellite No. 3 surrounded Lin Xiaohe and the others. “Lin Xiaohe, please cooperate with our investigation.”
Lin Xiaohe and her group were taken to Outpost No. 52 and held separately.
Lin Xiaohe sat in a chair, her expression anxious.
This was an airtight cell. The ceiling, floor, and walls were all a glaring white, coated with a smooth layer of paint.
Lin Xiaohe tried to extend her mental strength out of the cell, but it bounced back.
Clearly, there was equipment in place to block mental probes.
Besides Lin Xiaohe, the room was empty.
Lin Xiaohe: “Can someone tell me how Chu Huai is doing now?”
She really disliked that liar Chu, but she didn’t want to poison him to death!
Still, no one answered.
Lin Xiaohe stood up and paced around restlessly.
These people were doing this on purpose. Deliberately ignoring her to put her under immense mental pressure!
And that was exactly the case.
Deep in the lowest level of the outpost’s monitoring room, a group of people was watching the screens.
The screens showed the interrogations in each cell.
Li Qing had been taken in by the garrison troops while she was still entertaining guests at her Soul Comfort House.
Her face was full of confusion. She racked her brain but couldn’t figure out what crime she had committed.
Her fingers unconsciously clenched tighter. The tension inside her was stretched to its limit.
Finally, a mechanical voice echoed in her cell: “Explain in detail your acquaintance with Lin Xiaohe, and the circumstances of your encounter with her at the port a month ago.”
Li Qing swallowed hard and honestly explained the situation.
“Why did your husband repeatedly check Lin Xiaohe’s goods?”
Li Qing’s heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest. “Because he’s serious and responsible about his work.”
In another cell, Li Qing’s husband was also being questioned.
His attitude was firm: “There was absolutely nothing abnormal about Lin Xiaohe’s goods. I checked three times in a row, and the reports were consistent.”
“Why did you pay extra attention to Lin Xiaohe?”
Cold sweat broke out on Li Qing’s husband’s palms. He replied calmly, “I’m very suspicious by nature. I thought Lin Xiaohe was intentionally getting close to my wife, so I checked a few extra times.”
“According to the surveillance, you told your wife you felt something was off about Lin Xiaohe’s goods. What exactly seemed off?”
Li Qing’s husband’s throat tightened. He gave an awkward smile and said, “That was just a random excuse I made up. If I told my wife her friend was deliberately trying to get close to her, my wife wouldn’t believe me!”
The interrogation ended, and Li Qing’s husband lowered his gaze.
He didn’t know if the garrison troops believed him, but there was definitely a problem with Lin Xiaohe’s goods!
He had to stick to his story: at the time of inspection, Lin Xiaohe’s goods met the standards.
Back in the monitoring room, everyone looked at the white-haired old man wearing a Security Department uniform.
The old man pulled up the farm’s surveillance footage and analyzed it frame by frame.
“The seasoning, oil, and 3D pot were all bought from local shops on Satellite No. 3. The cooking process had no issues. Has the analysis report for the spicy little lobsters come in yet?”
“Yes, everything is normal. No toxic components were found.”
The white-haired old man raised an eyebrow. “And Chu Huai’s physical condition?”
“His mental energy disorder has worsened. There are also issues with his physique. The doctors say it looks like his own immune cells are attacking themselves.”
The white-haired old man tapped the table. “Increase the intensity of the interrogation.”
The trees may yearn for stillness, but the wind will not cease.
