"Is this what you wanted?" Kelvin looked expectantly at Felix. "I saw your mission saying you were collecting, but..." But this is just a worthless bug.

Kelvin was terribly afraid that Felix would be unwilling to be the scapegoat, and his face was particularly anxious and tense.

Felix took the item from Kelvin's hand. It was wrapped in a piece of cloth, feeling soft to the touch, and the bundle occasionally twitched. He opened the cloth, and sure enough, inside was a pile of bugs.

"How can you use bugs to make up the numbers!" someone nearby shouted, seemingly disapproving of Kelvin's actions.

Kelvin pushed the person behind him, "When you speak, put your hand back. He didn't say not to."

Kelvin understood this person's intentions; he wanted to condemn him to elevate himself, and then go to Felix to demand a "friendship premium."

"Stop using your cunning merchant tricks, what do you know!" Kelvin pointed to the bug in his cloth bag and said, "This bug is colorful, it's a paint bug!"

"What paint bugs or no paint bugs..." The man actually remembered that Felix collected materials that included paint bugs, and the price was quite high. But having just belittled Kelvin, he didn't want to contradict himself now.

The paint bug was something none of the people present had heard of before, but the mission emphasized the peculiar appearance of this insect. Coupled with the high commission, they had some impression of it.

A limp worm the length of an adult's thumb, with a plump body in various colors such as red, black, purple, and more. The thing Kelvin took out now perfectly matched the description given by the task.

Felix didn't get involved in the human squabble but instead dove into the basket in front of the small blackboard.

The small blackboard immediately displayed:

[30 paint bugs deposited, 300 gold coins can be exchanged.]

[Name: Paint Bug]

Level: 3

A very cute and useful little bug. This little bug is very weak, no different from ordinary bugs, but because it is extremely rare, it is classified as level three.

Breeding Experience: From the first to the fifteenth of each month is the growth period for paint bugs, a crucial time for the generation and storage of paint. From the sixteenth to the end of the month is the maturation period for paint bugs. During this time, as long as you feed the paint bugs well and establish a good relationship with them, you can harvest the paint from their bodies.

Paint bug diet: fresh leaves and dew.

Paint beetle rest time: During the growth period, they may occasionally fall asleep and need to be wary of predators and other dangers; in the mature period, they return to the normal routine of daytime activity and nighttime rest.

This was indeed the paint bug that Su Yao's seeder particularly needed, and it was something indispensable for various subsequent machines.

After confirming there were no issues, Felix nodded and said to Kelvin, "Take it all, as much as you can."

Kelvin burst into laughter as soon as he heard it, his previously furrowed brows now completely relaxed. "That's great! I actually have another pack!"

As he spoke, he indeed took out another cloth bundle from his person. This bundle was slightly smaller than the previous one, but it also contained 15 pieces.

In just a few minutes, Kelvin had earned 450 gold coins.

Kelvin looked at the "shady dealer" who had just spoken. His beard twitched with pride as he said, "It's nothing, really. My youngest son insisted on playing with it, so we kept this bug at home for a while. Don't be too jealous; maybe you just need a good son."

"You!"

The "unscrupulous merchant" could tolerate everything said before, but the last sentence was truly unbearable, and he was about to fight Kelvin on the spot.

The other mercenaries made a move to stop them, but the only ones who genuinely tried to intervene were the friends of the two individuals. The rest were there due to mutual interests and had their own agendas.

Even this "unscrupulous merchant" had two different attitudes yesterday and today. On the road, he flattered Kelvin, expressing gratitude and admiration at every turn. And now, aren't they about to fight?

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

The situation was heading in the wrong direction, and Felix was forced to speak up to stop the two: "We do not accept items from troublemakers."

Money is still a bit more important. Whether it's Kelvin or the "shrewd merchant," they came all the way here just to make a profit. They can't afford the consequences of causing trouble.

Fortunately, both of them had friends in the team. Just now, friends were the only ones who genuinely cared for them, and now it was the same. They were also the only ones willing to speak up and help the two find a way out.

Kelvin gave an awkward smile, "Boss, don't be angry. We didn't mean to cause trouble. You should still collect what you're owed. The child is about to start school, and things are really tough at home."

"Yours is done, next one please."

Felix truly handed the gold coin he had just withheld from Kelvin into his hand.

450 gold coins were no small amount. Clinking in Kelvin's hand and glinting in the sunlight, they truly shone brilliantly!

The mercenary next to him looked at the gold coin in Kelvin's hand with extreme envy and hurriedly squeezed to the front to ask Felix if he would accept his items.

However, with Felix's recent reminder, no matter how anxious these people were, they didn't dare to cause a commotion. Although their bodies were crowded together, the hands passing things to Felix still followed a certain order.

Felix's goal was to gather materials, and after seeing a few people settle down, he turned a blind eye and didn't insist on them lining up or speaking less.

The items handed over by several people were exchanged one by one, resulting in Su Yao receiving a large pile of things, and nearly three thousand gold coins were given out in the end.

"Would you like to try the new dish?" Su Yao smiled as she invited the members of the Wind Blade Mercenary Group and Annie's family.

She was able to gather everything by the morning of the fourth day, thanks to the help of these two groups. So she specially created a new dish that evening.

Apart from the mushroom and egg soup she made shortly after the restaurant opened, Su Yao had hardly ever stepped into the kitchen. Today, she happened to collect some ice powder seeds, which sparked her interest in cooking.

Of course, cooking couldn't just involve making an extra bowl of ice jelly. Su Yao also specifically went to the system mall to buy several pounds of pork, beef, and lamb, as well as various ingredients and dipping sauces, preparing for a hot pot feast.

In the summer evening breeze, a few lanterns were hung in front of the inn, and Peng Er and Peng San cheerfully carried out a large table. The others were also helping, setting plates, arranging ingredients, and placing stools.

Of course, the busiest one was Su Yao. As soon as Su Yao finished cooking the base ingredients, the ice jelly was already being devoured by a few greedy mouths. Outside, there was even a Zhan Xing who, taking advantage of the others' distraction, ate the raw beef.

Su Yao sighed, holding a bowl and teaching everyone how to eat hot pot, from how to cook it to how to tell if it's done, step by step, very carefully. But among the group, there was a disobedient non-human, Zhan Xing, who secretly ate the lamb again.

"Zhan Xing! If you sneak another bite of raw food, there will be no ice jelly for you tonight!"

Zhan Xing had been looking forward to Su Yao bringing this dish ever since he saw it at noon. Now, being told he couldn't eat it was more painful than being killed. So, as soon as he heard this, Zhan Xing immediately put down his chopsticks obediently and followed the instructions.

After making sure everyone had learned, Su Yao waved her hand and gave the order to start the evening's hot pot feast.

"Roar, roar, roar! Hot, hot, hot!"

"Cooked is indeed tastier than raw!"

"Exciting! Such a thrillingly spicy thing!"

"Hahaha Peng Er, if you can't handle the spice, just don't eat it. Your mouth looks like a sausage already!"

"Ice jelly with fruit, and a breeze in the evening—this life is just too pleasant!" As mercenaries, they rarely had the chance to enjoy such things. Of course, to enjoy it, they needed to have these things in the first place, which they had never even heard of before.

"Boss! I want more shrimp balls!"

"Coming!"

Su Yao didn't expect the group to be so receptive to hotpot, and their appetites had significantly increased compared to usual. Peng San alone ate three servings of shrimp paste, two bowls of egg fried rice, and various other hotpot ingredients.

"I really love hotpot, the atmosphere is just perfect." Ya had a bit of sweet rice wine, and her personality became even more cheerful than before. "Everyone is chatting and laughing, even Felix started asking me what other dishes I wanted to add. I'm so touched!"

As one of the only two special employees in the store, Felix was rarely willing to communicate with Ya, which had always caused Ya some psychological stress.

Today at the dining table, Ya and Felix sat together. Since it was inconvenient for Ya to serve herself, Su Yao helped her with the dishes. Felix also occasionally took the initiative to talk to Ya and assist her, which had never happened before, making Ya feel a different side of Felix.

Su Yao hadn't expected that Ya had been harboring such feelings all this time. She reached out to hold Ya gently and whispered words of comfort: "Felix just isn't very talkative, you don't need to feel pressured. Your races are different, whether it's lifestyle or preferences, they're all different. Don't compare yourselves, and don't force yourself to adapt for my sake."

Yazhen is too kind and always thinks of others first, so she constantly worries about everyone else, putting herself last.

But Su Yao didn't want that. "In my hometown, there have been many stories about elves. The content of these stories varies, but there is one common thread: everyone agrees that little elves like you are born of nature, the most faithful little believers of nature, so you should always be happy."

"Don't think too much, have some more wine and go to sleep. Tonight, the little snake and the man-eating flower are on watch, so you don't need to worry about anything. Trust me, little elves should be carefree."

Some things are easier said than done, but after drinking and clearly receiving Felix's kind intentions, being carefree at this moment is quite simple.

After a few sips of rice wine, Yageng felt even dizzier. Su Yao stood up, said something to Felix, and then took him back to the dormitory.

Felix was full, but he still sat in front of the table. He had drunk quite a bit of rice wine, but unfortunately, he wasn't drunk, nor did it make his mind any clearer.

Su Yao came back again. Without Ya between them, they sat even closer.

Felix asked, "Do I need to change? Do I need to adapt to others?"