A common saying passed down since ancient times is "money makes the mare go."
The parents of class A, being the first to learn of Lu Mingming opening a shop and securing early booking for investment, naturally offered a small bit of help in Lu Mingming's search for the young cubs, as they put it.
With the parents' permission, Lu Mingming gave the class A cubs a box of fresh Earth board games to pass the time.
The remaining class A parents sat in a row along the long table, resembling a meeting, and listened intently to the developments of the matter.
Lu Mingming frankly informed everyone about the threatening text messages she had received.
"How dare they be so audacious? It's these dregs of society that are causing Xingfuxing's stellar source to gradually decline!"
The old man's face flushed crimson with anger.
Stellar source?
Lu Mingming learned of this for the first time.
The old man quickly took a sip of warm tea to calm himself.
Knowing that Lu Mingming was young, he took the initiative to explain:
"When you pass the competition, you will bring Xingfuxing's stellar source to the main planet."
The woman in white, while manicuring her nails, added:
"Xingfuxing was originally no less inferior to the major planets of the main planet. Because the cruel Wu clan leader has been draining its energy for years, it has declined."
At this, everyone's faces darkened.
Lu Mingming, surprised to hear such a secret, opened her mouth slightly.
The woman in white continued: "This place was a sacred land of the Wu Ancestor a hundred years ago! Except for that incident, the entire Wu clan was annihilated by the Alliance Leader. It's somewhat pitiable.
Speaking of which, Teacher Mingming, what are your plans? Do you have a solution?"
Lu Mingming lowered her gaze: "I have some leads, but... it has something to do with Gu Defen's eldest son."
Upon mentioning Gu Defen, the parents immediately zipped up their lips.
After the disappearance of the Alliance heir, Gu Defen's influence in the struggle for the throne grew so strong that it became known to everyone.
Monkey Brother quickly said:
"Don't worry, we can handle his son. It's best not to confront him directly, especially since there's a commercial relationship."
In essence, none of them wanted to get involved in politics, fearing they might lose their heads for no reason.
To make up for it, others eagerly offered their assistance.
Some families, who had made their fortunes in high technology, could deploy small listening and monitoring devices.
Others stated that their companies had ample resources and could provide a small amount of firearms to support the team.
Some also mentioned that their relatives had marketing companies online, which could help Lu Mingming reverse her public image.
In short, the parents were indeed nobles; there was nothing they couldn't do that Lu Mingming couldn't think of.
"How about this,"
Lu Mingming pondered for a moment.
"Tomorrow I will go to the small forest in the northwest as planned. If I don't report back safely within half an hour, please come in and look for me as soon as possible.
Also, if I provide a draft, could I ask friends who have finely crafted equipment at home to help me make some items?"
If she had to go alone, with everyone else waiting outside, Lu Mingming would need a protective treasure.
And for this protective treasure, Lu Mingming's first thought was of the renowned hidden weapons in her hometown.
Compared to the firearms of the interstellar era, they were naturally no match.
Since the request was to go alone, it was likely that the opponent's weapons were not numerous.
It would be best to increase her self-preservation ability by one point.
"No problem."
The silent man agreed.
"Send me the draft directly on the Star Net."
A impromptu meeting led to a satisfactory agreement between both parties.
At lunchtime, Lu Mingming cooked as usual.
At the request of the parents, Lu Mingming showcased her unique skills by making steamed fish.
The ingredients were provided by the nobles, featuring specialty fish from the Xingfuxing coast, caught by professionals and delivered quickly.
According to the nobles, this was the odorless, boneless Fu fish, cultivated in advance after Lu Mingming released the method for preparing fish. This was the first taste test.
After modification with high technology, the Fu fish had no scales, and its movement in the water was as pure as snow, with a faint silver sheen.
After being gutted and cleaned, the flesh was visibly firm and tender, with only a single backbone running down the middle.
If launched, it would surely be very popular, but unfortunately, in the past, there were no methods for cooking fish, so no one was willing to invest effort and money in this business opportunity.
Lu Mingming also called for the chefs to help, as she had to prepare at least six fish.
After carefully scoring the Fu fish, Lu Mingming added a small amount of ginger, scallions, and salt for marination.
Even without the pungent smell, all the steps for making steamed fish had to be followed.
Fortunately, it wasn't too difficult, and the chefs were quick learners.
After marinating, Lu Mingming placed sliced ginger and scallions at the bottom of the plate and steamed it in a pot.
Today, the class A cubs were not eating in the cafeteria. At the parents' request, the school provided unique "private rooms."
Before the people even arrived, the slightly sweet aroma of steamed Fu fish wafted from the corridor.
To preserve the natural sweetness and freshness of the modified Fu fish, Lu Mingming only heated a small amount of soy sauce and poured it over.
In fact, without additional seasonings, Lu Mingming's superior fish cooking skills, far beyond the interstellar era, were enough to make this steamed Fu fish so delicious that one would want to swallow their tongue.
Both the parents and cubs of class A had waited too long, their eyes fixed on the steaming plate of steamed Fu fish, mesmerized.
The parents were the first to start, managing to retain some composure. They elegantly used chopsticks or forks to place a bite into their mouths and their eyes lit up with delight.
This trip was indeed worth it!
The Fu fish was tender and smooth, and the steaming brought out its full moisture, bursting with a fresh and savory flavor in the mouth.
The hot soy sauce poured over the surface of the Fu fish created an extremely crispy golden crust, making it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a rich texture.
The dish, just out of the oven, was very hot. Even though their tongues felt numb from the heat, everyone was reluctant to spit out the fish in their mouths.
Seeing them panting and desperately trying to swallow the fish despite the heat, Lu Mingming found it both amusing and exasperating.
The little cubs, seeing this, all wanted to imitate them.
Just as Alpha was about to reach for his chopsticks, he saw the piece of fish he had been coveting snatched away by the old man.
He helplessly moved to another side, only to have it all devoured by the old man again.
Alpha: Why didn't you save any for me!!!
The little fellow couldn't help but cling to the old man's arm, shaking his elbow back and forth with such urgency and greed that it was irresistible.
As Alpha struggled to prevent the old man's excessive plundering, the fish slowly cooled down in their scuffle.
The old man said helplessly:
"Cough... You're still young. Eat whatever you want. I don't have long to live."
Taking advantage of the cub's distraction, the old man quickly stuffed the fish into his mouth.
Lu Mingming herself admitted defeat to his agility.
The old man snorted: "This little fellow is too inexperienced. Keep practicing!"
A rare battle for food had begun among the cubs and parents.
Indeed, good food can blind people!