Ultimate Series, Past Lives Revealed

36: Jinbao San as a guinea pigThe next day, sunlight streamed through the windows onto the slightly noisy classroom of Class One. It was lunchtime, and students were flocking to the cafeteria, but just then, Wang Dadong suddenly shouted, “Jin Baosan, wait up!”

Jin Baosan, who had already stepped across the threshold ready to enjoy his lunch, heard the shout, and his hurried steps came to an abrupt halt.

He quickly turned around, his Face plastered with a flattering smile, and scurried over to Wang Dadong, bowing and scraping as he said, “Haha, Brother Dong, what business do you have for little old me?”

Wang Dadong smiled, gently pushed Jin Baosan’s head away, and said generously, “I’m in a good mood today. How about I treat you to a meal?”

Arthur Wang, Ding Xiaoyu, and Hao Jiaqi, who were sitting nearby, exchanged glances. They all knew very well that Wang Dadong’s so-called treat wouldn’t be simple.

Especially when they recalled the bizarre dish Heartbreak Man had prepared yesterday, the three couldn’t help but frown simultaneously, their stomachs churning with nausea.

Hao Jiaqi, looking as if a spectacular drama was about to unfold, excitedly leaned toward Ding Xiaoyu and asked in a low voice, “Xiaoyu, what do you think? What kind of amazing effect will this dish have? After all, it was made according to the recipe rewarded by the heavenly screen! It definitely can’t be too bad, right?”

Ding Xiaoyu felt Hao Jiaqi’s sudden closeness, and his cheeks instantly felt warm, his ears involuntarily turning red.

His gaze became shifty; he didn’t dare look directly into Hao Jiaqi’s curious and expectant eyes, stuttering in response, “I... I don’t know. We’ll only find out if we keep watching.”

Arthur Wang, who had been observing their interaction, couldn’t help but tease them with a laugh: “Xiaoyu, why are you so easily embarrassed? You were just talking to Jiaqi.”

Hearing this, Hao Jiaqi turned to Ding Xiaoyu, her eyes full of mirth, and playfully reached out to gently pinch Ding Xiaoyu’s slightly red cheek, giggling, “Xiaoyu, you’re so cute!”

Ding Xiaoyu called out shyly, “Jiaqi!”

Although the sound was not loud, it caused the surrounding students to look over.

At this moment, Jin Baosan laughed heartily and said, “Haha, I knew it! Brother Dong loves me the most!”

His smug look suggested he took this favor for granted.

Wang Dadong waved his hand grandly, announcing he would treat Jin Baosan to a meal.

This sentence was like a heavy bomb, instantly detonating among the Class One students who hadn’t yet gone to lunch.

Everyone was in an uproar, their surprise evident.

Little Spicy exclaimed with a Face full of adoration, “Wow, Big Boss, you’re amazing!” Admiration and envy sparkled in his bright eyes.

However, Sister Sha glared at Jin Baosan with displeasure, then turned coquettishly to Wang Dadong, whining, “Dadong, why aren’t you treating me!?”

She put her hands on her hips and pouted, looking both cute and slightly willful.

Wang Dadong quickly comforted Sister Sha gently: “Little Sister Sha, this dish is a bit special!”

Hearing this, Jin Baosan became even more cocky. He raised his chin and laughed at Sister Sha, “Haha, Sister Sha, you don’t need to be sad, you still have me, haha, Brother Dong still favors me the most.”

Upon hearing this, Sister Sha’s eyebrows shot up. She roared, “Jin Baosan, do you not want your internal injuries to heal?!”

Her eyes were sharp as knives, looking as if she would pounce on the ignorant fellow the next second.

Seeing this, Jin Baosan quickly shrank his neck, but still refused to back down verbally: “Sister Sha, if you’re unhappy, tell Brother Dong. He’s the one who said he’d treat me.”

Wang Dadong shook his head helplessly and intervened, “Alright, stop arguing. Jin Baosan, I’ll give it to you, but you must finish it. Eat it right here in the classroom; I will supervise you.”

Just then, a strange light flashed, and Wang Dadong slowly produced a mysterious dish from behind him.

The moment the dish appeared, the previously noisy classroom instantly fell silent, as if time had frozen.

Even the usually boisterous Jin Baosan seemed to have been struck by a freezing spell, his eyes wide and his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg, his Face filled with disbelief.

He stared intently at the dish, as if he had seen something terrifying.

Sister Sha, however, was beaming with delight. She put her hands on her hips and laughed triumphantly at Jin Baosan, “Haha, Jin Baosan, this dish was specially prepared for you today! You must eat every last bit, not a single drop left! And I will personally supervise you here to see if you dare try any tricks!”

Yet, immediately after speaking, Sister Sha unconsciously retreated several steps, staying far away from the dish, as if afraid of getting contaminated.

The rest of Class One also gathered around, curiously examining the mysterious dish in Wang Dadong’s hands.

Everyone looked at each other, their Faces showing indescribably strange expressions.

Someone whispered, “Can this thing really be eaten? Will we die immediately if we eat it?”

Another person guessed in horror: “Could it be... Brother Dong has always been dissatisfied with Jin Baosan, so he specially got this poisonous dish to take the opportunity to poison Jin Baosan?”

In an instant, the classroom was filled with chatter, everyone whispering and exchanging all sorts of strange ideas.

Hearing these discussions, Jin Baosan’s Face instantly turned ashen, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

He nervously took a step back and stammered, “B-Brother Dong, I suddenly remembered I have something very important to attend to. I have to leave right now!”

Before he finished speaking, he turned and tried to run away.

But how could Wang Dadong let him escape so easily?

Wang Dadong’s figure flashed, moving like a phantom instantly to stand in front of Jin Baosan, blocking his path.

Wang Dadong stared fiercely at Jin Baosan and declared firmly, “Trying to run? No way! You must eat every bit of this dish today, or don’t even think about leaving this place!”

Seeing that escape was hopeless, Jin Baosan instantly collapsed onto the ground like a deflated balloon, wailing loudly: “Brother Dong, please spare me! I’m still young, I don’t want to die prematurely like this! I still have my elderly grandmother at home who needs me to support her. If something happens to me, what will my grandmother do?!”

Hao Jiaqi looked at Jin Baosan with disdain, rolling her eyes and saying contemptuously, “Jin Baosan, can you show some backbone? Look at how pathetic you are!”

Xiaoyu looked shyly at Jiaqi and said, “Let me wash my eyes!”

Jiaqi immediately beamed and chimed in, “Xiaoyu is the best!”

The veins on Wang Dadong’s forehead bulged as he roared with wide eyes, “This dish of mine is absolutely normal! It was meticulously prepared by Heartbreak Man using the super terrifying recipe rewarded by the heavenly screen!”

Jin Baosan stared at the dish suspiciously and muttered, “If it’s so normal, why aren’t you guys eating it?”

At this, Arthur Wang crossed his arms, a playful smile playing on the corner of his mouth, and said, “Jin Baosan, we are kindly inviting you to taste it. That gives you immense Face and honor, you know, since the Arrogant One paid for this out of his own pocket.”

Jin Baosan looked at the bizarre-looking dish before him, shaking his head like a rattle drum, and pleaded timidly, “Can you please not make me eat it? I’m really scared...”

However, Wang Dadong refused him without mercy, threatening fiercely, “No! Either you obediently eat it, or I’ll find people to force-feed you!”

Just then, Hao Jiaqi, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up: “Jin Baosan, this dish has miraculous special effects. Don’t you want to try it out?”

The “special effects” mentioned by Hao Jiaqi instantly piqued Jin Baosan’s interest, and a glimmer of hope reignited in his desperate heart.

After all, ever since his Special Ability was crippled, he had been trying everything to find a way to restore it.

With this thought, Jin Baosan hesitated repeatedly, but finally steeled himself and took the daunting dish from Wang Dadong’s hands.

As soon as he brought it closer, a pungent, unpleasant odor assaulted his nose. “Ugh…”

Jin Baosan felt his stomach churn and nearly threw up on the spot.

But under the expectant gaze of the crowd, he had no choice but to suppress his nausea, nervously extend his chopsticks, and tremblingly pick up a small piece. He closed his eyes, as if going to his death, and put it into his mouth. Because he was so scared, he didn’t even dare to chew, swallowing it whole like a date.

Wang Dadong, Hao Jiaqi, Ding Xiaoyu, and Arthur Wang all stared intently at Jin Baosan. The moment Jin Baosan put the mysterious dish into his mouth, his expression instantly became extremely colorful, as if he were undergoing a major taste adventure.

The dish seemed to contain every flavor imaginable in the world, along with many unimaginable and indescribable tastes. After Jin Baosan managed to swallow the food, he immediately picked up the water cup in front of him and guzzled down the entire glass of water.

Ding Xiaoyu then spoke, “Jin Baosan, you must eat it all to feel the effect!”

Wang Dadong patted his chest in lingering fear and exclaimed thankfully, “Phew, luckily I didn’t try it. Just seeing Jin Baosan’s current appearance, I can guess how terrifying that taste is!”

Jin Baosan looked pitifully at Wang Dadong, pleading bitterly, “Brother Dong, this taste is simply too complex and too strange! I can’t even describe it in words! Please, can you just let me stop eating it?”

However, Wang Dadong was unmoved and replied categorically, “No, you must finish it!”

No matter how much he was persuaded, Jin Baosan kept his lips tightly sealed, absolutely refusing to eat another bite.

Even if they told him he could recover his Special Ability if he finished the dish, no temptation could shake his determination to refuse tasting it now.

Arthur Wang looked at Jin Baosan and warned, “You’d better honestly eat it, otherwise, you’ll be suffering later!”

Wang Dadong crossed his arms, his eyes sharply focused on Jin Baosan’s followers—Da La, Little Spicy, Shark, and Axe—and commanded in an unquestionable tone, “Da La, Little Spicy, Shark, Axe, the four of you, personally feed your boss!”

The four people whose names were called exchanged terrified glances.

They knew well that Wang Dadong, as the boss of Class One, had inviolable authority. Although they were extremely reluctant, no one dared to openly defy his command.

Thus, the few of them could only brace themselves and apologize to Jin Baosan.

“Boss, please be magnanimous and don’t blame us. We are doing this under duress... We are truly sorry!” Saying this, the four rushed forward and pounced on Jin Baosan like hungry tigers, pinning him down.

Shark quickly picked up a spoon, steadily holding a plate of the food, and prepared to force it into Jin Baosan’s mouth.

Seeing this, Jin Baosan’s Face turned deathly pale. He struggled desperately and yelled, “Hey! You can’t treat your master like this... Help!”

However, his faint resistance was useless against the combined strength of the others.

Just then, Hao Jiaqi couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle, teasing, “Hmph, he brought this upon himself! If he had just eaten obediently from the start, why would he end up like this?”

Ding Xiaoyu, standing beside her, nodded in agreement: “Jiaqi is right.”

At this moment, Jin Baosan looked exactly like a wronged wife, teary-eyed and pinned to the ground, unable to move.

He was sobbing and whimpering, occasionally letting out dry heaves.

Anyone unaware of the situation might truly mistake him for a pregnant woman refusing to eat properly due to morning sickness.