CFSMS -Chapter 249 Here Comes Little Blackie

What gave Shan Hanzhi the worst goosebumps was a type of insect called a bamboo worm.

It had a cylindrical body, creamy white skin, and a plump, chubby appearance. Tiny black dots sat on its head.

The moment Shan Hanzhi focused on those black dots, it felt as though she had gazed into the abyss itself.

She couldn’t take it anymore.

“Boss Lu, my Shui Shang is tending the furnace at home. I need to go check on it.”

To keep anyone from discovering this weakness of hers, Shan Hanzhi threw out that excuse and immediately turned around with a stiff back, leaving without looking back.

No matter how one looked at it, that retreating figure resembled someone fleeing in panic.

Lu Wu held back a laugh. The excuse was obviously fake.

Already can’t handle it?

“What about the rest of you?”

She teased the others.

“Ahem… we’re really looking forward to it.”

Qin Zhan forced those words out.

Truthfully, he wanted to leave too.

But when he met Boss Lu’s teasing gaze, he hesitated.

After all, he had to fulfill his duty as Tool Guy Number One.

They’re just bugs, right?

Close your eyes and swallow. It shouldn’t be that difficult.

This time, who else but me?

The more he thought about it, the braver he became. Qin Zhan almost wanted to prove himself on the spot.

“Alright then. Don’t forget to come support me tomorrow.”

Pretending not to notice the terror in Qin Zhan’s eyes, Lu Wu smiled brightly.

“Definitely.”

“For sure.”

The others hurriedly echoed their agreement, though their voices sounded distinctly reluctant.

Even those who already knew how incredible her cooking was reacted this way after seeing the insect feast menu. Lu Wu was now eagerly anticipating the reactions of tomorrow’s new customers.

There was a hint of excitement—and schadenfreude—in her steps.

After watching Lu Wu leave, the group exchanged several meaningful glances in the middle of the street.

A scheme quickly took shape.

“Didn’t the Bun Cult’s members say they were looking for Boss Lu? As fellow members of the Bun Cult, we should learn to share.”

Qin Zhan spoke righteously, his expression incomparably sincere.

He, Qin Zhan, was wholeheartedly seeking benefits for his companions. His conscience was perfectly clear.

“Good point. How about this—you notify the Bun Cult people, and I’ll make a post on One Realm Connect to tell everyone Boss Lu is setting up a stall here tomorrow.”

There were countless customers who had been yearning for her food.

Once Lu Wu’s whereabouts were exposed, hordes of food lovers would undoubtedly flood into Tianyi City to share in this joy.

Good things should be enjoyed by everyone.

Without wasting time, Lou Xiaotian pulled out his One Realm Connect communicator. After a brief moment of thought, his fingers began flying across the screen.

《Good News! Good News! Boss Lu has returned with her delicious food to reward both new and old customers! Limited quantities available—first come, first served! Miss it and regret it forever!》

The post exploded almost immediately.

During the half month Lu Wu had spent setting up stalls in West Province, the food lovers of South Province had been drooling so hard their eyes were practically glowing green.

The moment they saw Lou Xiaotian’s post, countless hungry customers packed their bags and set off without hesitation.

After going hungry for too long, their rationality had dropped to dangerous levels.

They completely overlooked one crucial detail.

Previously, Qin Zhan and the others had gone to great lengths to hide Boss Lu’s location. Yet now they were actively broadcasting it.

Something was obviously suspicious.

But the food lovers no longer cared.

All they knew was that if they didn’t get to eat Boss Lu’s cooking soon, they were going to lose their minds.

At the same time, the Bun Cult’s message board was equally lively.

“Boss Lu is back! This is great!”

“Hehehe… Boss Lu, my Boss Lu! Let me inhale a few breaths of you—ahhh, that’s the stuff.”

“Getting a ride together. Leaving from Hong’an City. Anyone joining?”

“You people actually believe this? Be careful not to get scammed.”

“Then why does your location keep getting closer and closer to Tianyi City?”

…

Some were celebrating.

Some were losing their minds.

Some had already sprung into action.

Massive numbers of customers began converging on Tianyi City.

In South Province, Lu Wu was practically a celebrity.

Within half an hour, posts about her return with a brand-new menu had completely flooded One Realm Connect.

Anyone who paid even a little attention would receive related notifications.

Whether they were independent diners or organized foodie groups, everyone launched into a carnival that belonged exclusively to food enthusiasts.

---

For the time being, Lu Wu was completely unaware of all this.

She was busy processing insects.

There were many different species, and each required a different preparation method.

Inside the rented courtyard, cages and basins filled the space as insects crawled and wriggled about.

The densely packed bugs were enough to make anyone with trypophobia faint on the spot.

Lu Wu worked steadily with her tools.

Meanwhile, in the farthest corner of the courtyard, the three little ones huddled together, craning their necks to watch while stubbornly refusing to come any closer.

It wasn’t that they were afraid of bugs.

There were simply too many of them.

The tiny creatures occupied the entire courtyard. Some crawled across the ground while others emitted strange noises.

The scene was simply too beautiful to disturb.

Seeing the three little quails, Lu Wu didn’t force them.

Looks like this menu really does have a tremendous psychological impact on customers.

Even the usual volunteer taste-testers had found excuses not to come despite her personal invitations.

One claimed it was raining and they needed to bring in their blankets.

Another claimed they had helped an old lady cross the street and ended up getting falsely accused.

“Pfft…”

Chuckling, Lu Wu placed the bamboo worms into lightly salted water to soak.

The most troublesome insects to prepare were grasshoppers.

Their wings and spiny legs had to be removed before being soaked in salt water—a massive undertaking.

She grabbed a grasshopper from a cage.

Its greenish-brown body was full of vitality.

Perhaps sensing its impending fate, the insect struggled desperately in Lu Wu’s hand, kicking with its legs in an attempt to cut her skin and escape.

The effort was far too weak to harm her.

The scissors snapped shut.

Its wings and hind legs instantly separated from its body.

Handling everything alone was too slow.

Lu Wu straightened up and snapped her fingers.

Under the sunlight, the shadow behind her twisted into all kinds of strange and bizarre shapes.

Soon, however, the transformations stabilized.

A small humanoid black figure suddenly sprang out of Lu Wu’s shadow.

Its entire body was pitch-black.

No distinguishing colors.

No facial features.

Its silhouette closely resembled those unidentified shadowy suspects that often appeared in detective anime.

Little Blackie shared a mental connection with Lu Wu.

Without needing any instructions, it immediately began helping process the ingredients.

This was a reward she had obtained from the Cotton Candy mission lottery.

Its name was:

【Here Comes Little Blackie】

The name alone made it obvious that the skill wasn’t particularly serious.

Just like now, it allowed a little black figure to emerge from her shadow.

As everyone knew, internet haters possessed limitless power online.

In reality, however, they were little more than cannon fodder.

Little Blackie had absolutely no combat ability.

But thanks to its mental connection with Lu Wu, it was perfect for assisting with food preparation.

Even with Little Blackie’s help, Lu Wu still couldn’t free up her hands.

There were simply too many insects.

To preserve freshness and flavor, all the insects she had purchased were still alive.

Some were soaking in water.

Others were being cut apart.

Of course, every one of them shared the same final destination:

A pot of scorching hot oil.

To avoid making customers physically uncomfortable, Lu Wu planned to prepare the entire insect feast in advance.

Then she would carefully plate everything and let customers choose what they wanted.

---

Inside the kitchen, oil bubbled furiously in the wok.

Just as Lu Wu picked up a skimmer, a figure appeared at the kitchen doorway.

It was Old Man Li, who had climbed over the wall from the neighboring courtyard.

Like the three little ones, he stood at the entrance watching Lu Wu work, hesitating to step inside.

“Grandpa Li, which kind do you like? I’ll make it first and let you have a taste.”

Respecting the elderly and caring for the young was a traditional virtue.

Lu Wu decided to continue upholding it.