Having eaten and drunk her fill, and carrying the blind box of braised food she'd won at the event, Lin Mengjuan happily embarked on her journey back to her rented apartment. Sitting on the bus, she looked at the photos she'd taken that evening. She hadn't realized it when she was taking them, but now, looking at them, she was astonished to find she'd taken nearly a hundred.
I took more than twenty photos on the short 300-400 meter walk from the bus stop to Xu's Fast Food Restaurant; I also took more than ten photos under the interesting information standee, including solo shots, group photos with friends I chatted with in the group, and some photos with some enthusiastic social terrorists; then I went up to the second floor and saw the spectacular beverage tower and the wonderland of braised food, and took thirty or forty photos in a row, recording the scene from almost 360 degrees.
Looking at so many similar photos, Lin Mengjuan considered deleting some of the duplicates. But each one had subtle differences, and deleting them would be a shame. She decided to upload them all to her online album.
I created a new album in my social media space and uploaded all the photos I took today. After uploading, I logged out of the space and returned to the chat interface. I found two people in the Haishi takeout ordering group discussing Xu's Fast Food Restaurant's 'braised food tasting' event. They were describing it so vividly that it made me really want to go.
However, the two were so focused on eating that they didn't take a single picture of their meal. Now, when they talk to netizens about it, most people think they're exaggerating. Even though the two are trying to deny it, everyone assumes it's just a face-saving attempt after their lies have been exposed.
Seeing the two people looking weak, pitiful, and helpless, Lin Mengjuan couldn't bear it in the end. She opened her photo album in QQ and selected a few perfect-angle photos of "drinks, mountains, braised food, and ocean" to send to the group.
'[Photo][Photo][Photo]'
"What a coincidence! I just participated in this tasting event too, it was really great! (Laughs while covering mouth)"
As soon as Lin Mengjuan posted this photo, everyone who had just been arguing with the two people about whether they were bragging fell silent. The group chat was as quiet as if it had been muted. After a long while, someone finally typed "Holy crap," followed by a series of neat and orderly "Holy crap"s.
'When did this activity start? I've never heard of it before, you three traitors! You didn't even tell us about such a good thing!'
'Yes, traitor, expel him from the group!'
I saw this event; it only lasted about ten minutes from announcement to deadline. Only the masters of slacking off (those who are considered "procrastinators") could participate.
''
Seeing everyone's envious and jealous comments, Lin Mengjuan couldn't help but smile smugly. "I saw the event, I snagged a spot, I participated, I got to try 108 different flavors of braised food, and I even brought home a blind box of braised food! Hehe, this is something you can only dream of!"
Thinking of braised food, Lin Mengjuan felt she could smell a somewhat pungent yet familiar aroma. She twitched her nose a few times, then looked down at the blind box of braised food on her lap, sniffed it closer, and realized the aroma was coming from it. She instinctively took two deep breaths, trying to pinpoint what it was.
Cough cough—cough cough cough—
Almost the instant the smell entered her nasal cavity, Lin Mengjuan began to cough violently, her body bent over and her face flushed red.
The smell was so pungent! After finally calming down, Lin Mengjuan immediately tied the plastic bag with another tight knot, sealing all the gaps completely. The faint smell instantly became barely noticeable.
'The blind box braised food contains a mystery flavor that will only be revealed on the opening day.'
Xu An's words suddenly popped into Lin Mengjuan's mind. Could this smell be the mysterious flavor of braised food the boss had mentioned? The smell alone was so suffocating; she wondered what it would taste like. Would it be as consistent as its aroma, or would it smell terrible but taste delicious, like durian or stinky tofu?
The half-hour drive passed in a flash, and the bus soon stopped at a stop near the rental house.
Behind the bus stop was a 24-hour convenience store. Recalling the smell she had just smelled, Lin Mengjuan hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked into the convenience store. She took out a 1-liter bottle of Coke from the freezer, paid, and left.
Lin Mengjuan placed the Coke and the blind box of braised snacks on the coffee table, turned on the fan, and lazily lay on the sofa, taking out her phone to check group messages. The Shanghai takeout order group had quieted down, but the Xu's Fast Food restaurant group chat was incredibly active at the moment.
It's been over an hour since the 'braised food tasting' event ended, and most people's first action upon returning home is to open their blind boxes to check if they contain the new flavors Xu An mentioned. They're hoping to be the lucky one among the 66 participants. Unfortunately, 32 people have already shared the types of braised food they received in their blind boxes in the group chat, and all of them are the standard varieties.
Seeing everyone in the group discussing the new flavor of braised dishes, Lin Mengjuan immediately recalled the smell she had caught on the bus. She quickly sat up from the sofa, reached for the still slightly cool braised food, and untied the knot in her heart.
A strong, pure spiciness exploded in the room. Almost instantly, Lin Mengjuan heard coughing and the clattering of windows closing coming from the rooms on either side. However, Lin Mengjuan was prepared; the moment she untied the lid, she pinched her nose tightly with her left hand. Therefore, she only felt a slight tightness in her throat, a little redness in her eyes, and a slight tightness in her skin.
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