When Li William descended to the dining room, the ambiance had shifted from the intimate moment his parents shared back to the everyday warmth of family life. The breakfast table was a display of culinary diversity, much like Li William's dual heritage, with a spread that included both Chinese and Western options: soy milk, fried dough sticks, buns, chicken steak sandwiches, and vegetable salads.
Li Wenhua had prepared the Chinese dishes, showcasing his skills with traditional breakfast staples, while Mary had crafted the Western items, her specialty lying in foods from her cultural background.
"Come on, baby, eat!" Mary encouraged as Li William settled at the table. He started with a sip of soy milk, then took a hearty bite of the sandwich.
After savoring his meal, Mary eagerly asked, "How is it? Better than Aunt Sam's next door? I made some tweaks today—less dressing and a crispier chicken steak!"
Caught in a familial and somewhat competitive inquiry about the sandwich—which stemmed from a previous comparison made by their neighbor, Aunt Sam—Li William knew the drill. His mother's competitive streak, especially when it came to Western cuisine, was no secret.
However, this morning, Li William saw an opportunity to test the new system he had acquired. Feigning a critical palate, he replied thoughtfully, "It seems... it's not quite there yet. The chicken could be crispier, and the dressing is still a bit heavy."
Mary's face fell at the feedback, and she retreated to the kitchen to adjust her recipe. As she did, Li William heard the system activate in his mind:
[Involution behavior detected, start to obtain involution value.]
Moments later, the system updated:
Involution value +1
Li William pondered the efficiency of the system. "At this rate, maximizing points will be challenging without constant opportunities to critique," he mused, realizing the practical limits of invoking involution in everyday scenarios.
This realization came to a head when, after several iterations of sandwich-making, the limitations of his young appetite clashed with the demands of his experimental feedback loop. Eventually, he had to concede to the deliciousness of his mother's effort just to end the cycle.
"Well, this is right!!!" he exclaimed, more out of necessity than critique, his stomach near bursting.
Mary, satisfied with the approval, beamed with pride.
Li Wenhua then chimed in with exciting news, "William, your mother and I are planning a trip to Diagon Alley this afternoon, the bustling hub of the magic world. Would you like to join us?"
The prospect of visiting Diagon Alley thrilled Li William. Despite his reservations about the strength of wizards compared to other beings like mutants or the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, the allure of the wizarding world was undeniable.
"I want to go!" he responded enthusiastically, eager to explore the magical community firsthand.
"Great, it'll be a family outing!" Li Wenhua declared with a smile.