# Chapter 491: A Warm New Year's Eve! (Bonus Chapter)
Mountain Cat almost choked to death!
"What? Where are you going? Metropolis in the US? Are you crazy?!"
"It's already a complete mess over there because of the Bose body situation! Every internationally famous organization is gathered in Metropolis plotting over the incantation analysis data!"
"Just in the spatial system alone, Metropolis has three stacked up, not to mention the other powerhouses! As the second spatial system user in Huaxia, no one wants to see you rise up; they all want you dead!"
"If you stay in the country, they can't touch you, but once you go abroad, it'll be like a sheep walking into a wolf pack! You'll die!"
Jiangnan grinned: "But I'm not a sheep!"
With that, he told Mountain Cat about Katerina's situation, and Mountain Cat fell silent...
Jiangnan: "I know it's dangerous to go there!"
"But do you remember what happened in Suka Town? Back then, with the nuclear crisis, the town could've been blown to pieces at any moment!"
"I made one phone call, and Katerina still came to help me. Was she not afraid of death? No!"
"It's the same with this matter now. I'm not trying to be some hero, but she trusts me, and I, Jiangnan, have to live up to that trust!"
"Besides, the key is in my hands, so maybe I can get my hands on that incantation analysis data too!"
Listening on the phone, Mountain Cat's gaze gradually softened: "I'll talk to the higher-ups and see if I can get you some resources. Wait for my news!"
Half an hour later, Mountain Cat called again!
"The higher-ups have approved this operation, but the Secretary-General wants to meet you before you leave. There are some things he needs to discuss with you. When do you plan to set out?"
Jiangnan grinned: "To...
Before he could finish, he paused, then smiled: "I'll stay home and finish celebrating this New Year first!"
Mountain Cat: "Alright! I'll pick you up at the academy at one in the morning. Wait for me!"
Hanging up the phone, Jiangnan walked out of his room. Xia Yao was in the kitchen humming a little tune while furiously chopping dumpling filling!
She had been in an excited state all day since morning!
Zhong Yingxue was kneading dough!
Xia Yao: "Eww~ you stink! Go take a shower, then come help us wrap dumplings! We need to send some to the elderly at the nursing home! There's a lot of work to do!"
Zhong Yingxue laughed: "I also prepared some coins to put inside the dumplings. Whoever eats one will get rich!"
Jiangnan watched this scene, his eyes full of tenderness.
"Wrap them! Wrap lots! Put coins in all of them!"
Zhong Yingxue's face darkened: Are you planning to eat dumplings filled with coins?
"I'm going to buy something. Wait for me to come back, and we'll start wrapping!"
With that, he teleported away, pulled out the key, and bought 50 identical metal mini USB drives that looked exactly like the key!
He snickered to himself: "50 should be enough, right?"
Sitting in front of his computer, Jiangnan opened the key. Using his own technical skills, he cracked the key's program and modified one instruction in the code!
Just one character!
But because of that single changed character, the entire key lost its unlocking function!
Maybe Jiangnan's skills weren't enough to crack the security program without the key, but modifying the key's code was still within his ability!
"Heheh~ I'm such a little genius!"
Then he copied the key program 50 times and loaded them onto each of the 50 metal mini USB drives!
He patted his hands together, looking very satisfied!
Then he went to the living room to help Zhong Yingxue and the others wrap dumplings!
Xia Yao was wrapping her dumplings with a very serious expression!
Jiangnan: "Hey? Wolfbane? Are we supposed to be eating steamed buns for New Year's in this house?"
Xia Yao: (⑉Ծ^Ծ⑉)
Looking at the thing in her hands that looked more like a steamed bun, her face turned bright red!
"It's... it's fine as long as the filling doesn't leak out!"
Zhong Yingxue: "Pfft~ mmm!!!"
Jiangnan: "Snow Snow, don't laugh! The 'tangyuan' you wrapped isn't any better! How did you manage to roll it into a ball?"
[From Zhong Yingxue: Resentment +233!]
To Jiangnan's surprise, Wu Liang's dumplings were the most beautiful—small and delicate!
A tough guy with a gentle touch, huh?
"Bear Two! Are you sneaking bites of the filling again? It's raw!"
"I didn't!"
"Next time, lick the filling off your bear paws before trying to deny it!"
The atmosphere was very cheerful. Watching Zhong Yingxue put coins into the dumplings!
Jiangnan slyly used Spatial Wormhole to mark all the dumplings with coins!
When it's time for the New Year's Eve dinner, watch me dig out all the dumplings with money inside!
I'll be rich for the whole year next year!
As he wrapped, Jiangnan's eyes suddenly lit up!
Wait! Putting in coins is so outdated! I have diamonds! Tons of them!
What about putting diamonds inside dumplings? If someone found one, wouldn't they get even richer? Make even more money?
Saying it, he did it!
Jiangnan pulled out a handful of diamonds and, amid Zhong Yingxue and Xia Yao's horrified stares, frantically stuffed them into dumplings!
"Hey hey hey! Aren't your diamonds really stinky? They smell awful! Can those dumplings even be eaten?"
"I'm telling you, don't boil them in the same pot as our dumplings, or they'll get contaminated!"
"Dumplings with diamond filling? Seriously?"
Jiangnan looked smug: "They're only a little smelly. Totally negligible, okay?"
"What can I say? The family can afford it!"
They watched TV and wrapped dumplings all the way until evening. They boiled a ton of dumplings and delivered them to the nursing home for the elderly folks spending the New Year there!
Grandpa Wang took the dumplings, smiling happily, his six white teeth looking especially warm!
Jiangnan grinned: "Enjoy your meal, Grandpa! Eat slowly! May you get rich in the new year!"
Grandpa Wang was deeply moved: "Good lad! Thoughtful! Truly thoughtful!"
Back in his room, Grandpa Wang opened the food container, picked up a dumpling, and took a bite!
The aroma spread everywhere, oil dripped from the corners of his mouth, and it was delicious to the max!
He couldn't help sighing with emotion: Young people these days are really good!
They remember to send us old folks dumplings for the New Year!
With that, he picked up another dumpling and bit into it!
"Crack!"
A crisp sound, and one of his white teeth was sent flying!
"Mmph!!! Ugh-wah~"
Grandpa Wang's face contorted in pain, and he spat out a huge mouthful of dumpling!
What the hell kind of filling was in this dumpling? Did they stuff it with crap? It stank to high heaven!
Looking at the three large diamonds hidden in the dumpling filling in his palm, Grandpa Wang was completely dumbfounded!
Diamonds? Are you kidding me?
Other families put coins in their dumplings for New Year's, and your family puts diamonds?
You can't be this extravagant, can you? Are you trying to get rid of whatever teeth we have left?
[From Wang Fugui: Resentment +666!]
This wasn't a dumpling—it was a front-tooth killer!
Looking at his tooth that had been knocked flying, Grandpa Wang wept tears: "Sigh... one less chance again!"
At this moment, sounds kept coming from the nursing home!
"Crack!"
"Mmph! Ugh-wah!"
[From Ding Hongyan: Resentment +666!]
[From Li Baoku: Resentment +333!]
...
Back at the villa, Jiangnan sat on the sofa, utterly bewildered. Why was he getting so much resentment?
Was the dumpling filling too salty? No, it wasn't!
They tasted pretty good. How strange~
At eight in the evening, the dining table was covered with a feast of delicious dishes!
Jiangnan grinned: "Come here, everyone! I have gifts for you!"
Hearing the word "gifts," Xia Yao and Zhong Yingxue's eyes sparkled as they quickly gathered around!
"Wow! Gifts? What is it? What is it?"
"Excited!"
Even Wu Liang and Bear Two looked expectant!
Jiangnan placed the beautifully wrapped gift boxes he had prepared earlier on the coffee table. Each one had a name written on it!
"Here—everyone gets one!"
Xia Yao was so excited she jumped up! "Thank you, Xiao Nan!"
She hurriedly grabbed hers, full of anticipation, and tore open the gift box!
Inside lay four pieces of a deep red, translucent material!
Two arm guards and two leg guards, all engraved with exquisite patterns!
Xia Yao was stunned: "Wow! This is way too beautiful!"
She couldn't wait to put them on. The size was perfect, and they were extremely comfortable. She was absolutely in love!
Jiangnan smiled: "Try moving your wrist downward!"
Xia Yao gently moved her wrist!
"Clang!"
Three crimson claws shot out from the arm guard, sharp and menacing!
Xia Yao: (*ﾟﾛﾟ)~Whoa!
"Oh my god! They're wolf claws! So cool!"
She pounced on Jiangnan and started kissing his face wildly! She truly loved them!
Meanwhile, Zhong Yingxue opened her gift box too!
Inside was a neatly folded, form-fitting, deep red chainmail that could protect the torso and half the arms!
It was woven from extremely tiny links, and this was the most labor-intensive piece!
Zhong Yingxue stared at the chainmail in a daze, her little face flushed with excitement. It was just exquisite!
"Snow Snow, do you like it?"
"Like it! How could I not? I'm going to wear it every day from now on! Hehe!"
Wu Liang and Bear Two's gifts were much larger!
They opened their boxes!
Wu Liang's was a blood-red full-body shield. When he pressed the mechanism on the handle!
The top and bottom of the shield could also pop out broad axe blades for chopping and smashing!
Wu Liang hugged the shield and kissed it twice, his face red with excitement!
"Nan Ge is awesome! Haha!"
Bear Two's was a pair of double-sided battle axes, blood-red all over, extremely thick and heavy, with wide axe blades—domineering and unmatched!
The pair of axes used almost a third of the material!
Bear Two's eyes gleamed: "I love it! Nan Ge is the best!"
——
Author's note: