Chapter 219 - 190: Grand Opening (Part 2)

Chapter 219: Chapter 190: Grand Opening (Part 2)

Zhang Peng felt as if he were being stabbed with countless needles. His stomach churned on a bed of pins, every inch, every fiber, every last cell pierced and then pulled back out. The dense, sharp pain contorted his features, and he clutched fiercely at his stomach...

Xu An, who had been watching Zhang Peng closely, immediately pulled a carton of pure milk from a cooler filled with ice on the other side. He stuck a straw in it and handed it to Zhang Peng. Feeling the cool relief, Zhang Peng took the milk without hesitation, stuck the straw in his mouth, and downed the entire carton in a single gulp.

Xu An handed him another carton. Zhang Peng took it and chugged it down. Another carton, another gulp. Carton, gulp...

After downing five cartons of milk in a row, the pained expression on Zhang Peng’s face finally eased, and the deep red flush began to fade. As he recovered, the right hand holding his chopsticks trembled slightly. His brain was screaming, ’Eat! Keep eating! Get that ten-thousand-yuan prize!’ But his body refused to move...

After a brief struggle between his body and mind, Zhang Peng sighed, gave up on the idea, and put down his chopsticks. He left the stage dejectedly. After taking just two steps, he was stopped by the paramedics on standby, who only let him go after checking his blood pressure and confirming it was normal.

With Zhang Peng’s trailblazing experience fresh in their minds, everyone in line, whether they were there for the ten-thousand-yuan prize or simply wanted to try the Hellish Braised Flavor, had second thoughts. But some suspected Zhang Peng was a plant hired by the owner to discourage the competition. There was one person, however, whose eyes went wider and brighter than headlights the moment he smelled the spice.

’This is the stuff! The owner of this shop isn’t messing around! The flavor is so authentic. I love it. I absolutely adore it!’

The tall, thin middle-aged man could hardly wait to shove through the crowd, rush to the challenge stage, and see how this Hellish Braised Flavor tasted with a good drink.

One skeptic after another sat down at the challenge stage to test their limits, but very few managed to pass the first round. Most of those who did pass the first round chose to go for the ten thousand yuan instead of the three hundred, and, as expected, ultimately failed. One of them even had such a severe reaction that he had to spend half an hour recovering in the ambulance. When he came to, he wore a look of bitter indignation and joined the other failed challengers sitting on a roadside planter, determined to see who could possibly win the grand prize.

This time, the crowd finally started taking the Hellish Braised Flavor seriously. This was followed by a deep sense of curiosity. Just how spicy was this Hellish Braised Flavor that so many people would flee in disarray after just one bite? They really, really wanted to try it!

Xie Yuting let out a huge yawn as she reviewed the footage on her camera. She had come hoping someone would claim the ten-thousand-yuan prize. But so far, only three people had even won the second prize. If no one won the grand prize, the story wouldn’t have much of a hook.

Those who couldn’t be there because of work were glued to their group chat, watching a livestream from a group member at the scene. Every time the words "Challenge Failed" appeared in the chat, everyone would post a thumbs-up emoji. ’Their failure means the grand prize is still up for grabs,’ they thought. ’We still have a chance!’

Just then, a tall, thin middle-aged man sat down at the challenge stage. He slammed the bottle of baijiu in his right hand onto the table with a SLAM and said to Xu An in an incredibly arrogant tone, "Bring out the Hellish Braised Flavor and the Shuanshuang Spicy together. And make it quick!"

Hearing this, the crowd perked up. ’So arrogant! So brazen! I wonder if this guy is the real deal or just putting on a show?’

"I’m sorry, sir, but for your health, you’ll need to finish the half-pound portion of Hellish Braised Flavor and pass a health check before you can try the Shuanshuang Spicy." Xu An recited the warning for the thirteenth time. Like the others, the tall, thin man looked impatient and opened his mouth to argue, but Xu Dongliang, who was standing behind Xu An, coughed twice. The man instantly fell silent and obediently took the Hellish Braised Flavor that Xu An handed him.

He opened the container and picked up his chopsticks. Just as the crowd thought the man was about to start eating, he picked up the bottle of baijiu, twisted off the cap, poured a capful into his mouth, and let out a satisfied "Aah" before finally picking up a piece of the braised food and putting it in his mouth.

The man then proceeded to alternate between a bite of braised food and a swig of baijiu, finishing the entire half-pound portion. Slightly tipsy, he shot Xu An a defiant look. "Finished. Where’s the Shuanshuang Spicy?"

A paramedic stepped forward to measure his blood pressure and perform a basic check-up. He then nodded to Xu An. "Everything’s normal."

The crowd’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. Xie Yuting adjusted her camera, aiming it at the tall, thin man on the stage. She zoomed in steadily until he filled most of the frame.

Hearing the paramedic’s report, Xu An took out an exquisite ceramic box painted with flowers, insects, birds, and beasts from a drawer and handed it to the man. "If you feel any discomfort, please stop eating immediately," he warned earnestly. "Please prioritize your health!"

Pfft—

The man scoffed and impatiently snatched the ceramic box. He pressed a latch, and the lid sprang open, revealing two wrinkled Shuanshuang Spicy peppers inside. An aroma even more terrifying than the Hellish Braised Flavor wafted out. Even though the crowd had smelled it three times already, they still found it incredibly unsettling.

This time, the man didn’t bother pouring the baijiu into the cap. He tilted the bottle back and took a huge swig, then nonchalantly picked up one of the Shuanshuang Spicy peppers and tossed it into his mouth, starting to chew.

His expression was normal. His physical reaction was normal. His demeanor... ’That look on his face... he’s enjoying it, right? I’m not seeing things! That’s a look of pure enjoyment!’

’It has to be fake, right? It can’t be. The last three people who ate it lost all control of their facial muscles; their features were twisted like something out of a sci-fi movie. But this guy looks like he’s just eating a regular bar snack. Could he be the real plant hired by the owner?’

With one Shuanshuang Spicy pepper down, fine beads of sweat finally broke out on the man’s forehead, and a faint crimson flush appeared on his dark complexion, but his expression and movements remained completely normal.

’It’s over,’ everyone thought. ’Looks like the grand prize is gone.’

This thought didn’t just cross the customers’ minds; it flashed through Xu An’s as well. ’Even the wisest person can miscalculate,’ he thought. ’I can’t believe a monster like this actually exists in Hai City, someone who can eat a Shuanshuang Spicy without even flinching. From the looks of it, he could probably handle two more without a problem. The grand opening event has only been running for a little over an hour, and the grand prize is about to be claimed?’

The camera faithfully captured Xu An’s pained expression. A few people in the crowd noticed the change in his eyes and couldn’t help but chuckle, sharing their discovery with their friends. Word spread from one person to the next, and soon, most of the crowd had caught wind of Xu An’s fleeting look of anguish.

’Looks like this guy isn’t an actor; he’s the real deal! It’s sad that the grand prize is gone, but seeing the owner have to take a big financial hit... that’s actually pretty fun to watch.’

Under the crowd’s expectant gaze, the man finally reached out again, plucked the last Shuanshuang Spicy from the box, and tossed it into his cavernous mouth. His teeth ground together like gears as red juice trickled from the corner of his lips, running down the fine lines of his skin. One chew, two chews, three chews. His Adam’s apple bobbed with a swallow. The man closed his eyes in satisfaction, savoring the long-missed taste of the Shuanshuang Spicy for three seconds. Then, he opened his mouth wide and showed it to the crowd and Xu An, proving he had truly swallowed it and hadn’t cheated.

CLAP—

A single clap broke the silence, rousing the stunned crowd. Everyone began to applaud generously. In front of Xu’s Braised Shop, the applause was thunderous and seemed to go on forever.

Nearby shopkeepers and passersby were drawn by the sound of the applause and came over to see what was happening. Xie Yuting rushed forward, her large camera in hand, and fixed the lens on the man’s wide-open mouth.