When Zhao Shen opened his eyes, he was confronted by the sight of a lecherous and unsightly fat man staring intently at his face, mere inches away.
If he were to become a ferryman in the realm of souls, Zhao Shen would certainly ensure he had no soul to escape from his body.
Suppressing the impulse to immediately log out of the game, Zhao Shen took a step back.
"What do you want? I'm straight; I'm not interested in anything inappropriate."
...
Unaware of his own ungracious demeanor or the purpose of his visit to the novice village, Mu Yichun had stared bewilderedly at Zhao Shen for several minutes.
He showed no hesitation, believing that this moment could stretch indefinitely; such is the worldview of a foodie.
"I beg you, give me another plate! Your rice is simply divine; I can't get enough!"
Zhao Shen suddenly realized that, to his astonishment, his task had indeed progressed by one portion, reducing his goal from 100 to 99. It seemed this man had consumed the inferior dish!
"No, each person is limited to one serving per day," Zhao Shen replied coldly. Even though the stranger had inadvertently assisted him in completing a fraction of his task, his flamboyant demeanor elicited not a shred of goodwill from Zhao Shen.
"Ahem, I apologize; I was merely captivated by your rice. May I have another serving? I'm willing to pay double—no, triple the price!" Realizing his faux pas, Mu Yichun adjusted his tone, desperately appealing to Zhao Shen. After all, for a true foodie, the allure of beloved cuisine is irresistibly tantalizing.
Even with the clear indication that the effect of increased attack power lasted for only 24 hours and was unique, Mu Yichun cared far more about the food itself.
...
"No, this is the rule of the Culinary Master. If you wish to eat more, return tomorrow. If you're hungry, go buy a roasted duck," Zhao Shen decisively rejected him without a hint of compassion. After all, he was a Culinary Master with standards!
In truth, Zhao Shen's heart ached; earning 40 gold coins per dish meant 80 for two, and 120 for three—his entire daily wage was roughly equivalent to 70 gold coins!
"Come on, my friend! After experiencing such exquisite rice, who would want to eat a lousy roasted duck? That would be utterly irresponsible towards one's own life! Trust me, there's nothing money can't fix. I have 1,000 gold coins right here; I want to eat now!" Mu Yichun remained undeterred, convinced that in this world, there was no problem too great that money could not resolve. If such a problem existed, simply throw more money at it!
"My heavens, 1,000 gold coins—that equates to 1,000 RMB! Forget the task; can't I just prepare him a dish right now?" Zhao Shen silently raged against the game system.
Task prompt: "A Culinary Master must begin with standards; only by possessing the highest standards can one attain the status of Culinary Master!"
"Just this once, just this once! A thousand bucks—surely standards cannot be bought with that!" Zhao Shen felt on the verge of tears.
Task prompt: "A Culinary Master must begin with standards; only by possessing the highest standards can one attain the status of Culinary Master!"
"Curse this absurdity!" Zhao Shen exclaimed, utterly defeated.
Task prompt: "A Culinary Master must begin with standards; only by possessing the highest standards can one attain the status of Culinary Master!"
...
"This is the rule of the Culinary Master; money cannot buy the title. I'm sorry, but please don't pressure me," Zhao Shen firmly pushed back the card worth 1,000 gold coins, his voice resolute.
Seeing that Zhao Shen had taken such a stance, Mu Yichun had no choice but to relent. He hadn't anticipated that there existed individuals who treated money with such disdain; regretfully, he inquired, "Very well, my brother, what time do you open tomorrow? I'll be the first in line to purchase!"
"Ten o'clock," Zhao Shen replied after a moment's consideration.
"Great! I have a few matters to attend to, welcoming newcomers to the city. By the way, do you have a guild? Would you like to join mine? We're currently ranked second in the Northern District, with formidable strength." Mu Yichun finally remembered his original purpose for visiting the novice village, though he did not forget to extend an invitation to Zhao Shen.
"Forget it, you go ahead with your business."
While it would be advantageous to associate with such a powerful guild, Zhao Shen understood that only by honing his own strength could he truly shape his destiny. Until he grasped the intricacies of the Culinary Master profession, he was not prepared to make hasty decisions.
Mu Yichun nodded in understanding; how could a master capable of creating attribute-enhancing delicacies settle beneath another's roof? However, he recognized the value of friendship.
Having submitted a friend request, Mu Yichun took his leave.
...
Resolute, Mu Yichun decided that the next day he would bring along friends who shared his foodie passion to savor the rice. The thought of them tasting a single bowl yet longing for a second filled him with a secret delight.
His aim was to introduce them to the magnificent rice, the kind that wouldn't abruptly cut off their enjoyment halfway through—a truly appalling aberration.
As he watched Mu Yichun depart, Zhao Shen also put away the iron wok. The 88 gold coins he had earned from selling rice were sufficient for him to purchase another round of ingredients.
With no further events that night, Zhao Shen reflected on all he had encountered, beginning to analyze his current situation.
"Perhaps I can change my life through this simulation."
Nodding with newfound confidence, Zhao Shen picked up a long-neglected object—the thing known as a dream.
...
On the following morning, Zhao Shen awoke early, perhaps due to excitement, and logged into the game by 8 o'clock.
"Is Zhao Shen here? Can you sell me rice now?" Mu Yichun wasted no time in questioning him upon seeing him online, addressing him as "Zhao Shen" had transformed to "Zhao God."
"Alright, come on over to the same spot as yesterday." Zhao Shen wasted no words; given that he was awake, waiting until ten o'clock seemed unnecessary. He feared he might oversleep.
...
"Here's your rice," Zhao Shen said, directly handing Mu Yichun a plate of Dragon's Saliva Rice.
Without even pausing to converse, Mu Yichun dug in, devouring the dish voraciously.
As Mu Yichun finally set down his spoon, a satisfied expression crossing his face, he closed his eyes for a moment to savor the flavor before exclaiming to Zhao Shen, "This is life! Eating your rice is as addictive as a drug! Today's meal is even more delicious than yesterday's! How is it possible that this rice, devoid of any seasoning or accompaniments, can be so rich in flavor?"
"You think I would divulge my secret?"
Mu Yichun chuckled awkwardly, realizing his question had indeed been quite intrusive, as it pertained to Zhao Shen's personal methods.
"Ding! Congratulations on consuming the Culinary Master's Dragon's Saliva Rice; for the next 24 hours, your attack power will increase by 10."
Checking his attributes, Mu Yichun was astonished to find that with the enhancement of flavor, his attributes had also increased. Although an increase of 10 points in attack power was negligible in the grand scheme, among skilled players, such minor differences often determined victory.
[Culinary Master's Dragon's Saliva Rice]: Enhancement effect, attack power increased by 10 for 24 hours. (Unique effect)
"Zhao God, I never imagined your rice had room for improvement; it can also enhance attributes!"
"Enhance attributes?" Zhao Shen was equally taken aback, realizing that the Culinary Master profession was far more powerful and mysterious than he had anticipated, revealing only the tip of the iceberg. Yet it was enough to impress Mu Yichun.
"Indeed, what you ate yesterday was merely an inferior product," Zhao Shen stated.