Chapter 2: I've Found a Powerful Patron Already

"As military rations?"

These three words struck Fan Tong like three icicles, piercing straight into his marrow.

His entire body of fat shuddered violently, and cold sweat, the size of beans, rolled down his temples, dripping onto the grease-stained floor beneath his feet and splashing into a tiny oil blossom.

The Xu Da before him did not exude even a shred of overt killing intent, yet the pressure emanating from a man who had walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood was more biting than the northern wind, pressing down on him until he could barely breathe.

Transmigration, a system, braised pork... countless thoughts swirled into a tangled mess under the shadow of death.

Rebellion? He wouldn't dare, even if he were given ten times the courage.

As military rations? His blubber was certainly thick enough, but he didn't want to die!

"Clang!"

Fan Tong loosened his grip, and the massive bone-cleaving knife crashed heavily to the ground. His voice was laced with a sob, yet his words were unusually clear: "Commander! I am wronged!"

"My flesh, this strength of mine—it's all ancestral! Whenever I get hungry, the strength just wells up from the marrow of my bones! As for this knife, it's... it's just a kitchen tool I use for chopping beef bones!"

Li Hu, standing nearby, spat in disdain. Pointing at the polished ceramic bowl in front of Fan Tong, he rushed to report: "Commander, don't listen to his gibberish! He stole the very piece of prime pork belly that I intended to offer to you!"

Xu Da's gaze fell upon the empty bowl, then drifted through the air, lingering on the lingering, soul-stirring aroma. His Adam's apple moved imperceptibly.

Fan Tong steeled himself. Arguing was useless; he had to win by playing a wild card!

He abruptly raised his head, the terror still on his face, but his words carried the pride of a chef: "Captain Li, stop gilding your own lily! That dry, rank scrap of meat you tried to 'offer' the Commander—could it ever produce a divine flavor like this? My craft is what you call turning stones into gold!"

"You!" Li Hu was so choked with rage his face turned beet red.

"Go, bring what is left in the pot," Xu Da commanded his personal guards coldly, ignoring Li Hu entirely.

The guards soon brought the pot. It contained only some congealed meat jelly and a thick layer of savory sauce; not even a morsel of meat remained.

Xu Da frowned, then actually extended his index finger, dipped it directly into the viscous sauce, and brought it to his mouth.

In that moment, time seemed to stand still.

Xu Da's eyes widened sharply!

Having spent half his life on the battlefield, he had tasted his share of delicacies, but this mellow, domineering flavor that surged straight to the crown of his head was unprecedented! Especially on this Northern Expedition, where salt and oil were scarce and his tongue had been numbed by months of dry rations, he was instantly and utterly conquered by this taste!

He looked at Fan Tong, feeling a growing sense of familiarity.

Surname Fan, rotund and tall, incredible culinary skill.

***

Xu Da's gaze toward Fan Tong shifted. The icy scrutiny slowly faded, replaced by a complex, inscrutable light—surprise, curiosity, and even a hint of nostalgia.

"Your name is Fan Tong?" Xu Da's voice softened significantly.

"Yes, I am Fan Tong."

"Is your father the Fan Jian who was in Luzhou all those years ago?"

Memories surged through Fan Tong's mind as the blurry image of the original owner's father suddenly sharpened. He nodded vigorously: "That is indeed my father!"

A rare, wistful smile appeared on Xu Da's face. "Back in Luzhou, your father was the fattest and strongest man I had ever seen. Once, when we were surrounded by the Yuan army, he literally smashed through an earthen wall and carried me out on his back... Like father, like son. This blubber of yours, this strength—it’s in your blood."

That single sentence was like heaven-sent rain, extinguishing the executioner's blade hanging over Fan Tong's head.

So, the original owner's late father had once served as a human shield for Xu Da!

That was a connection as solid as they come!

Li Hu, standing to the side, was completely dumbfounded. He never could have dreamed that a fat pig caught stealing rations would have such a history with the Commander!

Xu Da's face turned cold again as he turned to Li Hu: "His craft is a hundred times more valuable than that scrap of meat you had. If every soldier of our Great Ming could eat a hot meal like this before battle, would our morale not soar? Captain Li, tell me, how exactly did you 'offer' this meat to me? Was it delivered to my tent, or into my mouth?"

Cold sweat poured off Li Hu even more profusely than it had off Fan Tong. He prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing like a machine: "General... I was planning... planning to wait until the battle was over, and then..."

"Until the battle was over?" Xu Da interrupted. His voice was not loud, yet the temperature in the entire kitchen plummeted. "When the battle is over, the soldiers will be in their graves, and you'll bring the meat to my headstone? I ask you, as a company commander, instead of thinking about how to kill the enemy, your mind is filled with schemes and bootlicking? Fan Tong stealing food is a capital offense. You, for framing a comrade and shaking the morale of the army—what is your crime?"

Li Hu couldn't utter a word, only trembling violently.

"Words are empty proof." Xu Da's gaze fell on Fan Tong again. "You say you have boundless strength, then prove it to me."

He pointed to a stone lock near the kitchen door, used to weigh down a jar of pickled vegetables. It weighed at least one hundred catties.

"Lift it."

This was the opportunity Fan Tong had been waiting for! The warm current in his body, transformed from the braised pork, seemed to hear his call and surged instantly. Every ounce of fat on his body seemed to tremble and tighten, converting into pure power!

Fan Tong walked to the stone lock. Under the astonished gazes of everyone present, he extended his thick right hand and gripped the handle.

"Hah!"

He let out a low roar. The lines of fat on his arm tightened instantly, knotting into corded muscle! The hundred-catty stone lock was hoisted up with one hand, seemingly without the slightest effort, held high above his head!

"Good!" Xu Da's eyes flashed with brilliance, and he couldn't help but cheer.

The personal guards behind him had their mouths slightly agape. They were the elite of the army; while many could lift the stone lock, few could do so with such effortless grace as Fan Tong!

This fatty was a man of innate, divine strength!

***

Xu Da walked forward and patted Fan Tong's arm, which was thicker than an average man's thigh, then reached out and tapped the stone lock, producing a dull "thud."

"Fine sinews and bones! That old rascal Fan Jian finally left behind a good seed!"

He turned around, his voice resounding like a bell.

"Fan Tong!"

"I am here!"

"Effective immediately, I promote you to the rank of platoon leader of the Vanguard Battalion's mess unit! You are in charge of all food logistics for the three armies! You have access to all military supplies! I have only one requirement!" Xu Da paused, speaking each word clearly: "Make sure my soldiers are fed well! Give them the strength to kill the enemy when they reach the battlefield!"

Li Hu collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.

Fan Tong, however, was filled with wild joy, an immense sense of happiness making him dizzy. A platoon leader! Though the rank wasn't high, he had finally established a firm footing in the army!

"Thank you, Commander! I will not fail you!" He kowtowed heavily, his voice echoing loudly.

"As for you, Li Hu." Xu Da's voice was frigid. "You are unworthy of being a company commander in the Rui Battalion. Get to the stables and spend a month scrubbing horses for me! When you have washed the stench of horse manure from your very bones, you can return as a common foot soldier!"

Two guards immediately stepped forward and dragged Li Hu away like a dead dog.

Just then, that cold, mechanical voice sounded in his mind again.

[Ding! Congratulations to the cub for completing a brilliant self-rescue in a desperate situation and successfully catching the attention of a big shot.]

[Main mission activated: Restructure Logistics.]

[Mission description: The stomach of an army is connected to its combat effectiveness. Please prepare a military meal that satisfies at least one thousand soldiers and provides them with a positive status buff.]

[Mission reward: Beginner Ogre Bloodline Serum.]

Ogre bloodline serum?

Fan Tong's breath hitched. This system was definitely not something righteous! He hurriedly asked in his mind: "System, if I use this serum, I won't turn into an ogre, right?"

System: "No, I have already refined it. After consumption, you will gain the beginner Ogre bloodline, *nom nom*."

Fan Tong: "That's good, that's good."

He looked at the pitiful sight of Li Hu being dragged away while shivering, and then at the appreciative expression on Xu Da's face.

It looked like he had successfully latched onto a very powerful thigh!