The One Month Old Banquet The month-old celebration was a small, intimate affair. The attendees included Asu Ment’s family of five, Jiang Siwei, Sang Ye, Lin Changli, Du Yuan, Wu Jianing, Melusine, and Rong Cheng, whom Du Yuan had summoned back.
Rong Cheng had recently been promoted to Colonel; the Empire was not in the habit of wasting S-rank Sentinel talent. Wu Huansheng remained at the Snow Mountain base but sent two traditional "Long-Life Locks" as gifts.
Rong Cheng burst into the West Building kitchen, nearly catching Lin Changli and Sang Ye in an embrace. "Master! Senior Sister! I'm back! I'm starving—is there food?!"
Sang Ye quickly prepared a welcoming bowl of Yangchun Noodles with two poached eggs. "Welcome home," she smiled. Once Rong Cheng had eaten, the real work began: the Ten-Dish Banquet.
In Shifang Grotto tradition, the banquet had to feature ten dishes to symbolize "Perfection". The menu was a fusion of East and West: Deep-Sea Rose Lobster, Steamed Red Coral Grouper, Pan-Seared Foie Gras, Butter Roasted Chicken, Garlic Butter Bread, Mao Xue Wang, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Peking Sliced Roast Duck, Mango Mousse Jelly and Long-Life Noodles
The kitchen was a whirlwind of activity. Lin Changli and Rong Cheng handled the massive one-meter-long Rose Lobsters, cleaning and steaming them with garlic and chili. Sang Ye prepared the Butter Roasted Chicken, marinating it in rosemary, lemon, and honey.
Du Yuan focused on the Mao Xue Wang. Asu Ment had specifically requested something spicy and heavy to counter weeks of bland postpartum soups. The kitchen was soon filled with the sharp, sinus-clearing aroma of dried chilies and peppercorns hitting hot oil.
Meanwhile, Sang Ye and Lin Changli assembled the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. This prestigious dish featured abalone, sea cucumber, scallops, ham, and chicken, all sealed in small jars with lotus leaves and simmered to perfection. Using Interstellar technology, they achieved in hours what usually took an entire day.
For the Mango Mousse, Rong Cheng added gelatin to fresh mango juice, pouring it into baked cheese-and-mango cups to create a layered, vibrant dessert.
Finally, Du Yuan prepared the Long-Life Noodles—two incredibly long, unbroken strands of dough for the twins. As the infants couldn't eat yet, the parents ate on their behalf, lifting the noodles high without breaking them, as per tradition.
When serving the Mango Mousse, Du Yuan handed the bowls to Asu Ment and Jiang Sili, but only after cutting a small corner off each jelly.
"In our world, we say 'A little less than full is better than total perfection,'" Du Yuan explained softly. "Don't force things to be perfect. Consider it my blessing to you."
Asu Ment smiled brilliantly. "Thank you."
…
While the West Building celebrated, the rest of the base enjoyed the same ten dishes sent by robots. Shan Cha ate with her mother in the hospital. The food—the springy lobster, the melt-in-the-mouth foie gras, the rich, savory stew—was beyond anything she had ever known.
Suddenly, her terminal pinged. It was a message from Sang Ye, inviting her to the hot springs that night.
When Shan Cha arrived, she was mesmerized by the flowers blooming around the spring.
"Do you like them?" Sang Ye surfaced from the water. "These camellias are called 'Eighteen Scholars.' I transplanted them just for your visit."
As they soaked in the spiritual waters, Sang Ye laid out her proposal: "I can save your family business and help it expand. I’ll provide the ingredients, recipes, and tools; you handle the military and school procurement. We split the profits 70/30. But there is a danger."
Sang Ye’s eyes grew serious. "The S-rank Guide, Song Yu, uses dream implantation. He plants nightmares in Sentinels to trigger riots. He hurt someone close to me, but I have no evidence. I need you to gather information. His actions must have left a trail."
Shan Cha went cold. Song Yu had two loyal A+ Sentinel guards who were on the verge of breakthrough. But she didn't hesitate.
"I agree," Shan Cha said, her eyes dark. "Do you know why my mother suffered a mental riot when I was a child? Before it happened, she received grooming from a new Guide. She had nightmares for weeks until she finally snapped and threw me down the stairs. We never suspected the Guide. If it was him... I will find the proof."
Two women, both victims of the same man's malice, looked at each other in the steam of the hot spring, a silent pact sealed.
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