Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Dislike
Heath stroked his chin, thinking that the Charmander in front of him was likely the runaway Charmander Sister Maple had mentioned. This was also discussed in today's Viridian News.
Charmander's Trainer had offered a reward of 10,000 League Coins to reclaim the Charmander, so now everyone in Viridian City was searching for it.
At this moment, in Heath's eyes, the Charmander didn't look like a Pokémon but rather like 10,000 League Coins dancing in front of him, tempting him greatly.
"Hello?" Heath motioned for Zorua and Farfetch'd to stand guard to prevent Charmander from escaping, then greeted it with a friendly smile.
However, Charmander seemed to ignore him, persistently trying to pry open the toolbox lid, even using its teeth, which made Heath wince. If Charmander damaged its teeth, would the 10,000 League Coins decrease?
"Are you in a hurry?" Heath decided to switch languages, but Charmander still didn't respond and kept biting the box lid, making Heath suck in a breath.
Zorua rolled her eyes in exasperation. This Trainer definitely wasn't a transformed legendary Pokémon; otherwise, he wouldn't be this dumb.
Suddenly, Charmander jumped up and bumped its head on the cabinet top with a "duang" sound. Heath nodded, reassured of the cabinet's quality.
"Hello, Charmander," Heath smiled warmly, hoping a friendly face would help.
But the next second, Charmander blew a puff of black smoke at him, causing Heath to cough uncontrollably. By the time he cleared the smoke, Charmander was gone.
"When did this little one escape?" Heath asked, looking at the soot-blackened faces of Zorua and Farfetch'd.
"I don't know. The smoke blocked my vision," Zorua grumbled, fussing with her fur. She had spent a lot of time grooming herself, and now that Charmander had ruined it, she was furious.
Farfetch'd shook his head too. Heath now understood why this Charmander had managed to evade capture for so long. Its smoke screen technique was masterful, making its escape skills top-notch.
"Ten thousand coins..." Heath sighed. How long would it take him to save up that much?
"Do you have any food?" Mr. Armin's voice interrupted Heath's thoughts. Heath stood up and nodded quickly. Business must go on.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Armin burst out laughing upon seeing Heath. Heath touched his face and realized he still looked like a soot-covered chief. He quickly washed up and returned to normal.
"Haha, Heath, what happened to you? Did you go coal mining?" Mr. Armin laughed, clutching his stomach.
"I was burning some charcoal and got smoked," Heath explained, making up an excuse. He had actually made charcoal yesterday.
Mr. Armin laughed for a while longer before stopping, leaving Heath somewhat exasperated. Was it that funny? Just a soot-blackened face?
"Mr. Armin, what would you like to eat?" Heath asked.
"Have you got anything new on the menu with your new food cart? I mean, something like what you served at lunch," Mr. Armin asked after some thought.
Heath nodded, noting Mr. Armin's lingering amusement. Making people happy was interesting, as long as they could still order.
"For lunch, I recommend spicy chicken," Heath suggested, recalling the spicy chicken he had made earlier, with leftover ingredients ready to use.
Mr. Armin's interest was piqued. He had been eating Heath's food for three years, usually ordering jianbing or sometimes egg fried rice. He had always been curious about dishes like spicy chicken, which Heath had mentioned but never made due to previous debts.
So Mr. Armin decisively ordered the spicy chicken. After Heath prepared it, Mr. Armin took a few bites, his expression turning peculiar.
"What's wrong, Mr. Armin?" Heath asked.
"Well, I don't really like the taste," Mr. Armin admitted reluctantly. Heath wasn't surprised; he had anticipated this possibility when he started making the dish.
In this different world, it was even more unlikely for everyone to have the same taste preferences.
It seemed Mr. Armin didn't like spicy chicken.
Heath sighed inwardly, wishing he had something that could reveal customers' preferences.
He suddenly remembered and secretly took out his magnifying glass to inspect Mr. Armin.
[Human, consumption leads to prion disease, increasing the likelihood of madness. Not recommended for consumption.]
Heath felt disappointed, not because of the inedibility warning, but because the magnifying glass could only identify species, not individual identities or preferences, greatly limiting its usefulness.
[Special task triggered: Chef's Eye]
[Chef's Eye: A skilled chef can always discern each customer's tastes and preferences. Satisfy 100 customers with your dishes to earn the Chef's Eye (Beginner) and unlock the next task.]
Heath was stunned. This task was perfect. With the Chef's Eye, his ability to serve customers would improve dramatically.
"Mr. Armin, may I ask what kind of flavors you like?" Heath asked eagerly, determined to complete the task.
"Hmm, I like... slightly salty food," Mr. Armin replied after some thought.
Heath was a bit taken aback. So Mr. Armin had a heavy palate. Salty dishes could be tricky.
He glanced at Farfetch'd, who was happily playing with Zorua, and remembered a dish from his previous life that might suit Mr. Armin's taste.
However, that dish was time-consuming to make, so it wasn't feasible for now. Instead, Heath made Mr. Armin a serving of egg fried rice and told him to come back after work to try a new dish, hoping the afternoon would be enough time.
"Please make sure to come, Mr. Armin," Heath said cheerfully, waving goodbye.
(End of the chapter)
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