The hot steam from the hotpot filled the dojo, warming the atmosphere.
The beef, perfectly cooked in the boiling broth, was dipped in Bang Gu's special sauce, and its delicious flavor instantly bloomed on the tongue.
Saitama's chopsticks moved so fast they almost left afterimages. His mouth was full, and he mumbled, "Delicious! Old man, your beef is even better than the one on sale!"
Bang Gu smiled faintly and said, "If you like it, eat more! For martial artists, replenishing the body's energy is fundamental!"
"It really brings back memories. The dojo used to be so lively back then..."
Genos, as always, stood by Saitama's side, analyzing the optimal cooking time for various ingredients and then precisely placing them into his teacher's bowl.
"Teacher, according to my calculations, A5 Wagyu beef should remain in the broth for 7.8 seconds to maximize its umami and tenderness."
Saitama's chewing slowed. He glanced at the meticulous Genos beside him, and suddenly thought of something. After swallowing his food, he asked,
"You eat too... Oh, no, Genos, with your current body, do you have a sense of taste?"
"Please do not worry, Teacher," Genos said. "Dr. Kuseno fully considered compatibility with daily life when designing this body, equipping me with a complete taste and digestive system."
After speaking, he picked up a piece of beef and put it into his mouth.
Lin Mo sat comfortably in his seat, slowly savoring the food, feeling quite relaxed.
After his spiritual power increased, he could clearly perceive everyone's emotional fluctuations—Saitama's pure joy, Genos's meticulousness, and Bang Gu's subtle thoughts.
To be honest, he really liked this atmosphere. No monsters, no world-ending crises, just friends, delicious food, and warm lights.
This moment of tranquility was more precious to him than any increase in power.
After a hearty hotpot meal, Charanko, the chief disciple, swiftly cleared away the dishes and served freshly brewed fragrant tea.
Bang Gu took a sip of tea, his gaze sweeping over the three of them with a hint of undetectable cunning.
Lin Mo raised an eyebrow, a premonition of unease striking him—Don't tell me, old man, you have another new idea?
"Everyone," Bang Gu put down his teacup with a crisp clink, successfully drawing everyone's attention.
"Since you've come to my 'Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist' dojo, how can you not experience the dojo's unique features?" His smile grew even brighter, carrying a hint of "mischief."
"We've eaten and drunk, so why don't we play a little game to exercise our minds? How about it?"
"I might not be able to beat them in strength, but I refuse to believe I can't beat them at a game I've played since childhood," Bang Gu thought to himself, his inner old rascal fully exposed.
He took out three identical, flawless white porcelain teacups from the tea set, and then pulled a tiny red bean from his pocket.
He inverted the three teacups on the tatami mat, arranged them in a row, and then, in front of everyone, placed the red bean under the middle teacup.
"The game is simple," Bang Gu's hands pressed down on the two outer teacups, his eyes instantly sharpening.
"I will quickly switch the positions of the teacups, and what you need to do is to keep your eyes on the one with the red bean. When this old man stops, just point out which cup the red bean is under."
Isn't this the Three Shell Game played on the streets! Lin Mo's eye twitched.
However, his hanging heart also relaxed; as long as it wasn't a martial arts competition, playing a game was harmless.
He watched Bang Gu with interest. Anyway, he had nothing else to do, so he might as well play with this old man.
"Oh, oh! That sounds fun!" Saitama immediately perked up.
Genos also began to analyze: "Tracking high-speed moving objects requires extremely high visual persistence and dynamic capture capabilities. My sensors can perform slow-motion capture at 240 frames per second, so theoretically, there should be no problem."
"Then, this old man shall begin."
Before Bang Gu finished speaking, his hands had already turned into a blur!
The three teacups seemed to lose their weight under his hands, sliding, exchanging, and colliding rapidly on the tatami, emitting a series of dazzling crisp sounds.
The entire process lasted only three short seconds. When Bang Gu's hands stopped, the three teacups had quietly returned to their original positions.
Bang Gu's speed was extreme, but everyone present was no ordinary person.
"On the right," Saitama pointed to the rightmost teacup, saying without hesitation.
"I agree with Teacher's judgment," Genos also nodded. "According to my tracking records, although there were 17 exchanges, the initial teacup containing the red bean did indeed end up on the right side."
Bang Gu smiled slightly and lifted the teacup on the right.
It was empty.
"What?!" Saitama and Genos were stunned simultaneously.
Bang Gu then lifted the middle teacup, and the red bean lay quietly there.
Bang Gu explained, "During the exchange, I had already transferred the red bean to another cup. What you saw was merely what I wanted you to see."
Bang Gu laughed, clearly very pleased with himself.
Saitama scratched his head: "Wow, what an amazing trick."
After the explanation, Bang Gu's gaze fell on the three of them again, and he said with undiminished enthusiasm, "How about it? Shall we continue?"
"Of course! Again!" Saitama's fighting spirit was fully ignited. "This time I'll definitely see it clearly!"
"Then, it begins."
Bang Gu's hands once again turned into blurs.
This time, his movements seemed even faster than before. Lin Mo only saw a blur of white shadows flickering before his eyes, and in less than a second, he completely lost track.
What the hell am I looking at... He had no idea where that bean was.
Left? Middle? Or right? A one-third chance. He even suspected that Bang Gu might have hidden the bean directly in his hand.
The high-speed moving illusions made his eyes feel a stinging soreness. He instinctively blinked, trying to alleviate the discomfort.
Just then, an unexpected incident occurred that no one could have foreseen.
A beam in the dojo, loose from age, had a tiny speck of sawdust, the size of a grain of rice. Due to the slight vibrations caused by everyone's earlier activity, it finally broke free and floated down.
Its trajectory was precise and direct.
When Lin Mo closed his eyes and then opened them again in the next instant, that tiny speck of sawdust happened to land on the bottom edge of the leftmost teacup, and then was gently bounced to the side by the smooth curve of the cup wall.
The entire process took but a moment.
Aside from Lin Mo, who saw it by chance, no one else noticed this detail.
"Stop," Bang Gu's hands came to a halt.
The dojo was silent.
Saitama was still the first to speak. He frowned, pondered for a moment, then pointed to the right and said, "It's on the right." This time, his tone seemed less certain than before.
Genos followed closely: "The initial cup's final position is still on the right side; this is beyond doubt."
"Although no evidence of the object's transfer was captured, the probability for the right side is highest."
Everyone looked at Lin Mo, waiting for his answer.