Chapter 156 Spicy and Sour Lemon Boneless Chicken Feet

The inkstone crouching at her feet seemed to sense something as well, raising its fluffy little head and staring intently into the void with its golden pupils, as if it could also see the invisible light curtain. It let out a very soft "meow" in its throat, as if in agreement.

Su Xiaonuan's eyes quickly scanned the list.

Strangely, this area did not show any trace of wanted criminals. Instead, in a specially marked column, there was a piece of information marked in bold gold font: [National Key Protected Person: Code Name "Bluebird"].

There is another line of smaller print below:

This person possesses core data on a cutting-edge technology related to national security and is currently in a semi-hidden state.

Bounty offered on the dark web: $200 million.

Current location: within this area.

Protection level: Highest.

Su Xiaonuan suddenly realized!

No wonder!

No wonder this seemingly ordinary night market is teeming with so many "colleagues" whose acting skills range from superb to terrible!

It turns out they weren't there to catch any vicious criminals at all, but were carrying out a much higher-level security mission—protecting "Bluebird," a "national treasure" worth two hundred million US dollars!

Presumably, this "Bluebird" lives in seclusion in a nearby house, or occasionally comes to this night market.

These plainclothes officers, disguised as stall owners, were there to conduct close-range surveillance without alerting any potential threats, ensuring the absolute safety of "Bluebird."

The argument between those two "fried chicken collarbone" colleagues just now was probably not simply a matter of poor acting skills. It was more like a deliberate attempt to create a small disturbance, clear out the area, check for suspicious persons, or rehearse some kind of emergency plan.

Having figured all this out, Su Xiaonuan looked at the somewhat comical yet significant "human comedy" unfolding before her, and couldn't help but smile slightly.

She lowered her head and touched the smooth surface of the inkstone, continuing to crack sunflower seeds with mixed feelings.

Mmm, this melon smells delicious.

Her spicy and sour boneless chicken feet stall is probably going to become the most "authentic" business in this special area today.

She needs to manage it well and not let her "peers" down. By the way... see if she can also contribute her modest efforts to protect this "Bluebird".

After all, someone who can be secretly protected by so many police officers must be someone she respects.

However, at this moment, Su Xiaonuan's mind was not completely immersed in this special "colleague" atmosphere.

Su Xiaonuan temporarily suppressed her heavy doubts about Fu Lilian and the crescent moon mark. Her immediate priority was to complete the task of setting up a stall and... deal with the name that had just appeared on the system panel, flashing an ominous red light.

This is a target with a crime value of 62. The system indicates that it has an indirect connection with the "Crescent Moon" organization, and the crimes are illegally stealing trade secrets and illegally selling other people's privacy.

How to hook this cunning "fish" that is used to hiding behind the computer screen requires careful planning.

"I need to think of a way to make him fall into the trap on his own..." Su Xiaonuan pondered to herself while her hands kept moving as she focused on preparing the sauce for the [Spicy and Sour Lemon Boneless Chicken Feet] she was going to sell today.

She took out the yellow and green lemons from the system store, which exuded a fresh fruity aroma, cut them in half, and squeezed out plenty of juice with skillful force. The golden lemon juice fell into the glass bowl, along with some fruit pulp fibers.

Next are the small red chilies. Wash them, remove the stems, gently flatten them with the back of a knife, and then cut them into small, bright red chili rings that make your mouth water just looking at them.

Mince the garlic cloves into a fine paste, chop the tender leaves of the cilantro, and add appropriate amounts of salt, sugar, a touch of oyster sauce for flavor enhancement, and a special blend of light soy sauce with an extremely rich flavor profile.

Finally, she took out a small mortar and pestle, put in a few plump white sesame seeds and a little coarse peppercorns, and gently crushed them to release the rich aroma of the sesame seeds and the slight numbing sensation of the peppercorns. Then she added boiling hot oil—with a "sizzle," a complex and impactful spicy aroma burst forth, intertwining with the refreshing sourness of the lemon to create a captivating and unique fragrance.

As soon as she finished preparing the sauce, the tangy, spicy, refreshing, and assertive flavor created ripples like a pebble thrown into still water.

The "internal conflict" that was caused by fried chicken collarbones was quickly resolved by a middle-aged man wearing a clean chef's apron, with a calm face and sharp eyes, and the night market regained its superficial harmony.

However, the fragrance that Su Xiaonuan was emitting was clearly more attractive.

The two vendors in the vicinity finally couldn't hold back any longer.

One was a man named Lao Chen, who sold handmade noodles. He looked to be in his thirties, with dark skin and strong hands. The other was a young man named Xiao Li, who was in his late twenties and still had a student-like air about him.

The two exchanged a glance, suppressing the saliva rising in their throats, and casually strolled over, their eyes fixed intently on the tempting, fragrant sauce in front of Su Xiaonuan.

"Boss, what are you making...? It smells so good!" Old Chen rubbed his hands together, trying to sound like an ordinary customer attracted by the food, but his overly straight posture and subconscious glances around still betrayed some of his professional habits.

Xiao Li nodded vigorously beside him, his eyes filled with longing: "Yes, yes, this smell alone makes me feel like I could eat three bowls of rice!"

Su Xiaonuan knew perfectly well who they were, and with a perfectly timed, slightly proud smile on her face, she explained, "This is the sauce. I'm using it to sell boneless chicken feet with spicy lemon today."

"Spicy and sour boneless chicken feet with lemon?!" they both exclaimed in unison, their eyes instantly lighting up like searchlights. They looked at each other again, both seeing the same longing and... a kind of "go-for-it" determination in each other's eyes.

Old Chen scratched his buzz cut sheepishly and chuckled, "Um... boss, you see, could we... could we buy two servings to try?"

Xiao Li nodded frantically in agreement, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Su Xiaonuan found it somewhat amusing, but on the surface she was very enthusiastic: "Of course! Please wait a moment, gentlemen, it will be ready soon!"

She was happy to have the opportunity to get closer to these "peers," and maybe they could even exchange information in the future.

The two were overjoyed upon hearing this, and quickly asked about the price. They paid readily and then sat down at the small folding table set up next to Su Xiaonuan's stall. Their backs were still straight, but their eyes were already fixed on Su Xiaonuan's worktable.