Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

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After everyone took their seats, the seating arrangement was as follows:

Meng Qingxi, Zhang Huaide, Qin Meng, Tang Xiaolian, Zhou Hongyu, Yan Yu, Zhao Yuanzhen, Lin Ning, Chen Lingyun, and Su Yunjin.

The spicy hot pot was situated right in front of Zhou Hongyu, who, true to her name, clearly had no intention of touching the clear broth pot.

Yan Yu picked up the communal chopsticks and dipped a duck intestine into the spicy pot. After it was cooked, he tasted it.

Yep, it was extremely spicy.

But that was only to be expected. With a divided pot, those who couldn't handle spice would stick to the clear broth, while the spicy side had to satisfy the chili-lovers with as much heat as they desired.

"Let's eat, everyone, eat up," Zhang Huaide said with a smile, seeing Yan Yu begin to eat. "Let's dig in and drink up, ha!"

By now, everyone was hungry, and since it was a group of young people without too many formalities, they all reached out for the food with their chopsticks.

Immediately after, Yan Yu felt like he was "caught between two mother bears."

"Bear" didn't describe their size, but their wild way of eating. Zhao Yuanzhen didn't need to be mentioned: In her previous life, she was merciless and unscrupulous in killing, and now she handled her chopsticks with the same fearlessness. First sampling every dish on the table to test the flavors, she then began zeroing in on her favorite, the eel.

The eel was sliced into segments, its blood a deep red, thick like syrup. To girls like Lin Ning and Su Yunjin, they couldn't help but turn away with a frown of discomfort, but Zhao Yuanzhen wasn't the least bit disgusted. She scooped up the plate with a whoosh and poured it into the hot pot.

Zhou Hongyu, though quiet, ate vigorously. She firmly clamped her food with her chopsticks, submerged it in the spicy broth to cook, and upon retrieving it, rolled it in a dish of chili powder until it was coated with a fiery red cloak, before bringing it to her mouth—Yan Yu felt spicy just watching her.

With these two formidable women setting the pace, the men at the table no longer held back and began to really enjoy their food.

"Come on, pour the drinks," Zhang Huaide tapped the table, and Qin Meng immediately came over to fill his glass. "Us men will drink, but the ladies can do as they please, ha."

After hearing this, Lin Ning opened the large bottle of soy milk on the table and filled the glasses for the girls nearby.

"Is Zhou Hongyu still drinking?" Tang Xiaolian asked to confirm.

"Mm," Zhou Hongyu replied coolly, her gaze shifting toward Yan Yu's glass.

"Then I'll have a drink too," Yan Yu said.

The beer was low in alcohol content because they would be facing the Mysterious Realm the next day, and nobody wanted the scandal of someone showing up hungover. Just the thought of upper management inquiring into the matter was enough to know it would be a major hassle.

Everyone toasted and drank together, and the atmosphere grew much warmer.

"Captain Yan," Zhang Huaide stood up, speaking with enthusiasm, "this is our first meeting, so here's a toast to you. I heard that the captain sparred with you before; I hope you won't hesitate to instruct me tomorrow so I can learn from you."

While there was a hint of "seeking revenge for past grievances", he didn't show a trace of hostility. Yan Yu, amused, clinked glasses with him:

"Sure, what do you want to learn?"

"Of course, your triple-speed lightning assault," Zhang Huaide said, complimenting him.

"Ah, there's nothing much to learn there," Yan Yu waved his finger dismissively, looking pleased with himself. "Aren't you the deputy captain in charge of commanding? How about I teach you some tactical planning instead, how's that?"

"That works too," Zhang Huaide smiled unabatedly, finishing the drink in his glass and subtly watching Yan Yu's expression.

It was hard to read... Completely different from the captain.

"Deputy Captain Chen Lingyun," Tang Xiaolian also stood up, smiling sweetly, "we're both envoys in the team, how about I toast to you?"

"Sure," Chen Lingyun stood up in response.

These two girls were sitting right across from each other, and neither was very tall, creating a somewhat comical situation where they had to stretch their arms to clink glasses.

"Speaking of tomorrow's Mysterious Realm..." Tang Xiaolian was about to speak when she suddenly heard Yan Yu say:

"Alright, alright, this isn't a private room. We don't discuss official matters in public places, ha."

Zhang Huaide subtly shook his head. Seeing this, Tang Xiaolian could only laugh and sit back down.

The subsequent toasting proceeded much more harmoniously, with everyone chatting about life's amusements and trending topics online, steering clear of any forbidden sensitive content.

"By the way," Tang Xiaolian toasted Yan Yu and then asked with a hint of mischief, her gaze roaming over the four girls opposite, "Is Captain Yan single right now, or do you already have a girlfriend?"

The question was tricky to answer. If he lied and said he had one, it would be like blowing one's own trumpet, inciting ridicule; but if he told the truth that he didn't, this young lady's next question would be: Why not? Aren't there many beautiful girls in the team? Don't you like any of them?

It was a trap, much like when Chen Lingyun had asked Ye Jun.

Naturally, Yan Yu wouldn't fall for it. He laughed:

"Why, are you planning to set me up with someone?"

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Tang Xiaolian was momentarily stunned, only to hear Qin Meng suddenly chuckle beside her and say with a napkin to his mouth:

"Matchmaking... she's still a single from the womb till now."

"Sure," Tang Xiaolian, annoyed with her foolish teammate, maintained a generous demeanor and asked, "What type of person does Captain Yan like?" Your journey continues at empire

At this point, not only the girls from the Pingxi Army were all ears, but even Zhao Yuanzhen, who had been eating nonstop, put down her chopsticks and stopped eating, on high alert.

Right, what was that line the crow guy said in the movie before flipping the table when facing a situation like this?

Her hands secretly supported the underside of the table, ready to flip it at any moment, but then she heard Yan Yu say in distress:

"You've got me there. I can't think of any girl who would truly be worthy of me. Alas—sometimes being too outstanding can also be a troubling matter. Enough of this, I'll finish this drink, and you do as you please."

He drained the glass in one go and then continued to pour and drink by himself, his face full of endless wistfulness and world-weariness.

The expression on Tang Xiaolian's face froze, as Yan Yu's response was so out of her depth that she didn't know how to respond at that moment.

The atmosphere at the dining table suddenly cooled, and Zhou Hongyu slowly turned her head and looked at Yan Yu blankly.

Her beautiful and heroic face, which had always been covered in layers of unmelting frost, now finally softened and shattered, revealing utter disbelief and amazement beneath.

...How in the world did I lose to you, this blind and foolish nobody?

Remembering the last time she was defeated and humiliated, she suddenly lost her appetite. She threw her chopsticks down onto the edge of the bowl and began to drink cup after cup.

Yan Yu and Zhou Hongyu, each absorbed in their drinking, looked like a couple who had just broken up, leading everyone to suddenly feel they "kinda matched."

Then they shuddered and quickly discarded the thought: Matched my ass!

The girls from the Zhendong Army were thinking that if someone proposed matching Zhou Hongyu with Yan Yu, their captain would certainly sneer, "She's worthy?" Meanwhile, the Pingxi side thought that if Yan Yu were to be matched with Zhou Hongyu, she would stand up with her sword and chop the matchmaker into tripe.

"Captain, why are you drinking sullenly on your own?" To break the awkward air, Qin Meng quickly spoke up, "Let me drink with you."

"No more drinking." Zhou Hongyu put down her cup; this low-proof alcohol tasted like water and was flavorless, and she'd rather have some more food.

She turned to call the waitress, "Miss, please bring us another plate of eel."

"You've got a good appetite." Seeing Zhou Hongyu start eating again, Yan Yu also put down his cup and smiled, saying.

"I advise you to eat more too," Zhou Hongyu said indifferently, staring at the hotpot, "because when you lose tomorrow, I'm afraid you won't have such a good appetite."

"Haha." Yan Yu was not offended; he just raised his glass to her and said, "If that day really comes, I will only be happy for you and even more ravenous."

"Boring." Zhou Hongyu ignored his toast and just stared at the hotpot in silence, then suddenly put down her chopsticks, stood up, and said, "Set up a whole array, didn't get a bit of intelligence, I'm leaving."

Seeing the captain taking the lead to leave, the rest of the team also got up, bidding farewell to the Zhendong Army:

"We're off then."

"Enjoy your meal."

"See you on tomorrow's mission."

Regardless of the attitude towards Yan Yu, everyone still had a pretty good impression of the four beautiful girls, so there was no need to put on a nasty face and play the villain at the moment.

At the counter, Zhou Hongyu glanced to the side, and vice-captain Zhang Huaide conscientiously went to pay the bill.

Meng Qingxi, who had been silent the whole time, finally couldn't help but say:

"I haven't eaten enough..."

"Stop whining; we'll go eat at another stall," Zhou Hongyu said nonchalantly.

"Okay, okay, okay." Tang Xiaolian immediately brightened up, hugging Zhou Hongyu's arm, "Hongyu sister, let's go have a meal by ourselves, not with them!"

On the other side, Yan Yu calmly continued to add food into the pot and then looked at the silent girls around him, asking:

"Shall we finish the remaining food before we go?"

"Hmm." Lin Ning sounded somewhat listless.

"What's the matter, tired?" asked Yan Yu in surprise, "Don't want to go to Hongya Cave for pictures? All right then, we'll head back to the hotel after we're done..."

"We do want to take photos!" The mention of sightseeing and taking pictures revitalized the girls, who began to compete eagerly for food.