It must also be related to these "stories".

To put it bluntly, the original inhabitants of Hungry Town treat players as puppets to collect various emotions. Once you have no more story and no more value to them, they will disappear.

Having lost his resolve and determination to leave the dungeon, he was successfully brainwashed by the natives and went to the mayor's office to ask to become a member of Hungry Town.

That's why Hungry Town looks more and more lively.

Most of the inhabitants inside are probably players who turned into humans.

But what exactly is the core secret of this hungry town is not what Qi Xu cares about most.

After figuring out Hungry Town, Qi Xu had been searching for Master Chef. If the player he met on the first day wasn't lying, then Master Chef must be in this dungeon.

Qi Xu had a premonition that the shadowy figure wouldn't let Little Master leave so easily, and that... it might even be waiting for him to find Little Master. The reason for targeting Little Master was, needless to say, also because of him.

Qi Xu guessed everything, but had no choice but to follow its plan. It was frustrating, but he had a plan in mind. He trusted the young master chef and the tacit understanding and friendship they had developed over the past two years.

"Today is the last day. You will leave first thing tomorrow morning. You can threaten us or throw a tantrum all you want. This is an agreement we have already reached!"

On the morning of the 7th day, Qi Xu just walked out of the staff dormitory and saw the very disappointing cartoon man in a suit.

Qi Xu kept her eyes straight ahead, completely ignoring him, but her series of small gestures and expressions were clearly a provocation...

Their noses seem to want to be pulled to the sky!

The cartoonish man in the suit had shaky hands...

These past few days, the "Treasure Pavilion" has been making a lot of noise, like hundreds of huskies barking at the same time every night. Although it didn't bother Qi Xu, it made the neighbors around them miserable, and eventually even the NPCs collectively broke down.

Two days ago, they surrounded the "Treasure Pavilion". The cartoon-themed man in the suit apologized to each of the neighbors, while Qi Xu stood by and clapped with a smile, which infuriated everyone.

The cartoon-themed man in the suit gritted his teeth, wanting to punch Qi Xu to death. Qi Xu, of course, felt the same way, so after passing by him, he stopped, turned around, and slapped him across the face, bewildered but not hurt.

The cartoon-suited man's hands stopped trembling, his smile vanished, and he froze on the spot, his pupils suddenly dilating...

I had a... bad feeling.

It seems like... I've gotten into trouble.

"you..."

Qi Xu suddenly felt a strong sense of restraint on his body, guessing that it was related to the slap.

So he immediately said loudly, "I'm so sorry, my hand accidentally touched your face. You're so kind and friendly to players, you won't blame me, right?"

After speaking, he bowed deeply, and sure enough, the feeling of being restrained instantly disappeared...

Qi Xu slapped him again, this time adding a kick as well. The feeling of restraint returned, and Qi Xu apologized again, this time with even greater sincerity.

Sure enough, the feeling of being confined disappeared again.

Only the cartoon-style man in the suit, his face turning purple, remained frozen in place...

When Qi Xu confirmed that the cartoon suit-wearing man wasn't even allowed to lay a hand on the players while being beaten, he laughed—a happy laugh. The frustration of suffering so much in this dungeon finally found some release.

It seems like I've found a way out. Sometimes you really can't be too polite.

You're overthinking it. If it were Sister Yuan, she might be able to clear this dungeon on the first day. No, Sister Yuan is stubborn; she probably won't think of an apology.

The dungeon's intro was just too enticing, coupled with the fairytale-like setting and incredibly kind and friendly NPCs...

Furthermore, the fact that physical stats are sealed makes everyone unconsciously overlook the fact that they can still take action!

Even if some player does try it, they might give up after experiencing that feeling of constraint.

Qi Xu walked outside with a cheerful smile. The "Chef Competition" in Hungry Town was about to begin. If the young master of Chinese cooking was really in this instance, he would most likely appear in this setting, so... it was necessary to go and watch.

In the central square of Hungry Town's main street, a huge stage was erected. The stage was built of dark ebony, with faded red silk hanging from the four corners, rustling in the wind, much like the whispers of the natives hidden behind their masks.

This event not only attracted many indigenous people, but also gamers.

Because its promotional slogan reads, "Win 20,000 Hunger Coins if you bet successfully!"

Anyway, I'm just here to watch the fun. What if I bet right? Then I'll have plenty of good food and drink and won't have to work every day. I can just enjoy myself. Who would want to work like a beast of burden?

Although the business of the Treasure Pavilion has plummeted, players still need to make a living. Having tasted the finer things in life, they simply cannot accept the staff meals...

Therefore, Hunger Coins are still in high demand.

Amidst everyone's anticipation, the contestants for the Culinary God Competition made their appearance, and Qi Xu indeed spotted the young master chef at the very end of the list.

The reason Qi Xu could recognize the cartoon character so quickly was because the cartoon character Little Chef looked so much like him...

It's almost a 1:1 replica, so cute and adorable. It's dressed in a white chef's uniform, with a round head and a round belly. It walks exactly like in real life, with a noticeable shift in its center of gravity from side to side.

Qi Xu's eyes lit up, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief. Putting everything else aside, at least he finally saw the person.

Qi Xu squeezed his way to the front, arriving at the only path for the young master chef to move forward.

She waved at him forcefully, but... the young master's gaze swept lightly over Qi Xu, then he looked forward naturally, his eyes devoid of any emotion, as if he were merely looking at a complete stranger...

Qi Xu's arm, which had been swinging, froze in mid-air. After a moment's pause, he slowly lowered it...

Where...where did things go wrong? Qi Xu stared intently into the eyes of the young master chef, his expression blank and unfocused, looking no different from those low-level NPCs.

Mayor Pighead walked onto the stage with a microphone, waving enthusiastically to everyone, looking very excited...

"The 7th Annual Chef Competition in Hungry Town is about to begin! Today, let's all witness the birth of a new Chef!"

Our 20 participants include residents of Hungry Town and outstanding newcomers. Since we've met by chance, we're like one big, loving family! I hope that no matter the outcome of the competition, our friendship will last forever!

...........