Chapter 230: Chapter 228: Enemies on a Narrow Path

「At this time, in an undisclosed location.」

A long cavern, which seemed to have undergone some sort of special renovation, looked like a base of operations.

Inside a particular conference room.

Ten people sat around a long table, their ages spanning a wide range.

There were old and young alike.

The person seated in the middle already had white hair. His expression was serious, yet his features seemed extremely kind.

But though he was silent, his entire being emanated a powerful aura.

The people on either side all looked toward the white-haired man in the center.

"Elder Zong, we all just watched the show. That... Doctor Wen..."

The speaker seemed unsure of how to address Wen Ying, but ultimately settled on calling her by her "Doctor Wen" persona.

"Doctor Wen’s methods... are simply incredible. We’ve already sent people to the show’s location to investigate this matter. If it turns out to be real..."

"I’ve had people make contact with this Doctor Wen. She doesn’t like to be constrained and probably won’t join us. But if an individual like her remains uncontrolled, she could pose a significant threat."

"I’ve seen Doctor Wen’s livestreams and the trending topics. She doesn’t seem like a bad person, just someone who enjoys reading faces and telling fortunes. I also did some digging—she’s all alone, no family. Someone with such a tragic background... I don’t think we should pressure her too much, do you?"

It seemed everyone had a different opinion.

But Elder Zong, seated in the center, remained silent.

After they had been debating for a long time with no resolution, Elder Zong finally reached out and pressed his hand on the long table.

The murmurs of discussion vanished instantly.

"I’m sure all of you are aware of the recent events. The results from the teams we sent out to investigate have come back. Pick up the files on the table and take a look."

Only then did everyone pick up the files in front of them.

The more they read, the more alarmed they became.

"Elder Zong, this... Why have there been so many... supernatural phenomena recently?"

"We can only befriend this Doctor Wen. If she were to go abroad, it would be a tremendous loss for us."

With that one sentence, Elder Zong had settled the matter.

*

The camera focused on Wen Ying’s pocket. It was flat and didn’t look very big—at most, it could fit a cell phone.

But it’s immediately obvious when a close-fitting pocket like that has something in it.

As everyone watched, the pocket showed no change.

It looked as if it contained nothing at all, completely empty.

And yet, from a pocket like this, Doctor Wen had pulled out a spice container larger than the pocket itself, a lighter, Yellow Paper, a ballpoint pen...

And that was just what they had seen so far.

What on earth was inside Doctor Wen’s pocket?

How many things was it holding?

How could such a tiny pocket hold so many things?

This phenomenon was simply beyond everyone’s comprehension.

Could this pocket really be holding even more things that defy scientific explanation?

As Wen Ying held the container of seasoning, the director grew troubled. ’Should I let her use it or not?’

"Doctor Wen, the director says you can’t use items you brought with you."

Hearing this, Wen Ying seemed a little surprised, but it was also what she had expected.

"Fine."

The viewers in the livestream chat only saw Wen Ying stuff the spice container in her hand back into her pocket!

This time, they saw it crystal clear!

They absolutely didn’t miss a single tiny detail!

That spice container, bigger than the pocket itself, was really stuffed by Wen Ying into that small pocket!

The crucial part was!

Everyone looked at Doctor Wen’s pocket, and it was still flat, with no signs of bulging whatsoever!

[I’ve studied magic for decades, but I honestly can’t figure out how Doctor Wen did that! Right in front of the camera with nothing to conceal it, and on a live broadcast! This is something no human could possibly do!]

[If it’s not stage magic, then it has to be real Magic, right? Don’t tell me Doctor Wen transmigrated here from a novel? Isn’t that how all those popular Xianxia dramas play out these days?]

[Art imitates life, the commenter above is right! Doctor Wen is definitely not from our modern scientific era!]

Quite a few people had already recorded this clip of Doctor Wen, replaying it over and over and even sending it to professional organizations for analysis.

After putting the spice container back in her pocket, Wen Ying headed into the woods.

The cameraman followed her. No matter what Doctor Wen did, his only job was to keep filming her.

The anticipated Xianxia-like scene didn’t reoccur. Doctor Wen was simply looking around for something.

She would stop at plants in the woods that no one recognized, looking at them and sniffing them.

Finally, to everyone’s bewilderment, she plucked the tips of many different-shaped plants.

The whole trip didn’t seem to take much time. By the time Song Jiayan and Xu Jiali returned, Wen Ying was already prepared.

Although the two of them had been indulging in certain fantasies, they were still shocked to see everything that had been prepared.

Wen Ying took the simple, fire-hardened clay pot she had made and poured in the water they had fetched.

She boiled the water over the stove, poured some of it into bamboo tubes, and set it aside to cool.

After briefly filtering the remaining water, she poured it back into the pot.

Next, Wen Ying took out the baked potatoes and had the two of them peel off the charred skins.

Once the water was boiling again, she added the dried noodles and the eggs.

Then, the two watched as Wen Ying tossed some small herbs and plants into the pot.

The rising steam and the aroma of food slowly began to fill the air. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

For the three of them, who hadn’t eaten all day, the fragrance was overwhelmingly appetizing.

Using simple chopsticks made from thin bamboo shoots, she served the noodles, egg, and broth into clean bamboo tubes.

There was one portion for each of the three of them.

The cameraman hadn’t eaten either. Seeing the three of them eating with such relish, he couldn’t help but swallow hard.

Then, he pulled a squashed, flat piece of bread from his pocket and started gnawing on it.

He washed it down with a bottle of water he had brought.

The sudden, stark contrast gave the cameraman the strange feeling that they were the ones on vacation, while he was the one participating in a survival show.

’This is so unfair. I wonder if the director can appreciate how I feel right now?’

"Brother Fu Yao, the smell is coming from this way! Let’s walk faster, maybe we can catch up to them."

Meng Xiaoyi’s voice drifted over from a distance.

The three people eating didn’t seem to hear, as they continued their meal without breaking stride.

"Sister Yingying, this is so delicious! This is the best meal I’ve ever had in my entire life!"

Song Jiayan nodded as he ate.

He felt the same way.

Wen Ying smiled. "It’s only because you’re hungry. This is just simple egg noodle soup."

"Either way, the soup you made is the best, Sister Yingying!"

As she spoke, Xu Jiali finished her portion and ladled some more for herself.

This was the scene that greeted Jiang Beibei, Xie Fu Yao, and the others when they arrived.

They had originally deduced the location of a hidden supply cache, which lay in this direction, requiring them to pass through this area.

But halfway there, they had caught the scent of food.

Being famished, they naturally quickened their pace.

They never expected to find Wen Ying, Song Jiayan, and Xu Jiali eating a meal!

Eating?

Where did they get food?

And was that a house, a stove, and a pot of cooked noodles before them?

Bits of egg were even floating in the broth!