[A Kung Pao Chicken that does not look as good as it tastes]
Ever since Jiang Feng had stumbled upon the discovery that he could actually see the descriptions of the dishes his father made, his life had taken a dramatic turn...
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The next dish was about to be served, and yet the diners were still busy arguing to each other which one was tastier. As the emcee reminded them to vote accordingly, they had no choice but to cast their votes one by one. 
It was la Reverie who served their next dish to the diners. After their successful Fuji Apple Chicken Salad, they presented Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil. 
"Hmm, so they have Bruschetta this time. I'm really tempted to eat what they have there." Huang Shenghao's stomach rumbled. 
"You want to eat again. Didn't you just have breakfast before we started?" Lu Xinyi laughed. 
"Hey, you should know what I feel, Sister Lu! Aren't you curious to know what those dishes they have tasted like?" he retorted. Someone with a black hole stomach like him should understand. 
Lu Xinyi tapped her chin and thought about it. Since she started attending Silver Leaf, she barely paid attention to her opponents' dishes and only cared for its execution. 
"I haven't really given it a thought before," she admitted then realized this might be one of the reasons why Huang Shenghao's skills were better than hers. Huang Shenghao studied his opponents' dishes for future references, paying attention to the details and methods used on it. 
"Don't mind him, Xinxin. Shenghao probably knows how they made their Bruschetta right now and just thinking to eat for free again." Tian Lingyu reiterated what his sister pointed out earlier. 
Making Bruschetta wasn't complicated to do anyway. One could think of it as summer on toast. It's just a mixture of chopped tomatoes, balsamic, basil, and garlic spooned over olive-oil brushed slices of toasted baguette or rustic bread… something that Huang Shenghao himself could do without breaking a sweat. 
"Good choice for them. It is a great appetizer for the season. With it being summer and grilling season, they fire-roasted the tomatoes instead of blanching and toasted the bread while they were at the grill." Tian Lingyu added before returning to his station to start plating for their entrees.
The Bruschettas served were gone in under five minutes leaving the diners satisfied for what they've eaten. After cleaning their plates, they wondered what Oriental Bliss would serve next. 
"Thank you for waiting! Our next dish is called Drunken Chicken. I hope all of you will enjoy and get intoxicated from the wonderful deliciousness this dish has," Huang Shenghao said before passing the plates to be served to the waiters. 
Each plate had sat bite-sized pieces of chicken with a shiny, bouncy skin, surrounded by wine-spiked aspic.
As Lu Xinyi placed her buns to the steamer to cook, she took an excess plate and tasted the drunken chicken Huang Shenghao created. Summer was coming to an end in a few weeks, but for areas of the country still experiencing lingering heat, this cool and refreshing dish was really appropriate at this time of the year. 
Drunken Chicken was also on her father's recipe book and the difference with Oriental Bliss' version wasn't too far. The drunken chicken was traditionally made with a whole chicken, but no matter how delicately she cooked the chicken, the breast meat was never as tasty as the dark meat.
The first time she made this, she used a whole chicken. The second time, Lu Xinyi used just the leg quarters and was much happier with the results. There were two techniques: one could use to cook the chicken.
The more traditional way was to poach a whole chicken gently in a pot of barely simmering water. The plus side was that the huge pot of water would transform into the most delicious chicken broth that's great for soups. Or one could just steam the chicken.
The dark meat was way more forgiving of the higher heat in the steamer. No one liked dried out, cardboard chicken breast no matter how much booze one soaked that sucker in. After steaming, the chicken legs released about a cup of gelatin-packed chicken stock concentrate.  After it's mixed with Shao Hsing rice wine, it solidified into delicate aspic.
The jello, gelatin, aspic… whatever one wants to call it was the best part! 
It's nothing like the strangely-colored, rubbery concoction ubiquitous. This chicken and wine-flavored aspic hugged each piece of chicken and melted instantly in one's mouth, serving as a built-in self-basting system for the chicken.
Regardless of which method the chef choose to cook the chicken, the drunken chicken was best served cold. It could be served alone as an appetizer or with a bowl of noodles in hot chicken broth or fluffy white rice for a juxtaposition of temperatures.
There's one catch—the Chinese cleaver. After cooking, it's traditional to use the Chinese cleaver to chop the chicken into bite-size pieces that could be easily picked up with chopsticks.
One decisive 'twack' was designed to cut through skin, meat, and bone. This wouldn't work using a regular chef's knife. A Chinese cleaver was heavy-duty because the weight of the knife should most of the work.
The trick was to aim well and make one strong decisive movement. Even a split-second of hesitation would translate a botched cut job where the cleaver couldn't make it all the way through the bone or bone shards.
Among all the family recipes of the Ji family, Lu Xinyi thought that their Drunken Chicken was one of the best. Huang Shenghao didn't need to change that much, and it came out succulent, tender, juicy, and full of aroma from the wine and chicken stock.
"How is it?" Huang Shenghao asked with a grin. He was confident in his remastered version of the Ji family's Drunken Chicken. He only made sure to steep the chicken the night before. 
"You know it's lip-smackingly good." She gave him a thumbs-up. "It was excellent. Tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. The flavor and moistness of the chicken are incredible. The key is using a good wine because the chicken will taste like the wine you use—bad wine means a bad taste."


[Status: Completed]

“You’re not taking me to bed. Ever.” 
“Who said it had to be on the bed?” 
“What?! You wouldn’t dare kick me off the bed, and I will not share it with you!” 
“The only reason I would force you out is so I can have you on the floor.” She gritted her teeth and glared at her grinning husband. 
“Go fuck yourself!” she hissed. 
“Only if you show me how,” he winked back. 

Once the tabloids released an article claiming business tycoon Shen Yi was gay, his family forced him to date and seek a relationship to stave off the false accusations. After many failed encounters, Shen Yi came upon Lu Xinyi.

Orphaned since childhood, Lu Xinyi had no safe haven left the moment her boyfriend and her best friend betrayed her. Losing her only treasures left, she felt like dying inside as soon as she boarded that ship. However, after a week-long cruise with Shen Yi, she struck a deal with him. Now the Young Madam of the most powerful Shen family, Lu Xinyi turned into a better version of herself. She would not only fight back against those who had hurt her, but she had also taken a shot at accomplishing her father's broken dream.

Attending the country's most prestigious culinary school, Silver Leaf Academy, Lu Xinyi was compelled to compete not only for herself but also for her husband’s pride. Through Shen Yi's love and support, she dreamed to emerge victorious one assault after another from a family that she had long abandoned. Oh, but love for food can be a dangerous thing! As Lu Xinyi and her friends struggle to survive the competition and schemes, more and greater challenges await her, putting her love (for food and Shen Yi) to the test. 

---------------------
Little Miss Series
(1) Little Miss Devil: The President's Mischievous Wife
(2) Little Miss Witch: Revenge of the Tainted Angel
(3) Little Miss Sunshine: Conquer the Emperor's Heart
(4) Little Miss Trouble: The Emperor's Rebellious Consort
(5) Little Miss Heiress: The 30 Days Free Trial Lover
(6) Little Miss Fae: Banshee in the Modern World
(7) Little Miss Immortal: The Nine-Tailed Imperial Consort
---------------------
My Other Books
(1) PS I'm (Not) Over You
(2) Gourmet Empress: Hubby, Why's Your Name on the Menu?

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Little Miss Devil Book Cover 2019 anjeeriku

There were a plate of sweet and sour pork, a plate of kung pao chicken, a plate of Mapo Tofu, a bowl of Napa cabbage soup and a bowl of rice.

All of it looked extremely delicious as Long Ao Zhen could felt that he was almost drooling over the meal.

Jiu Wei as a perfect housewife role model, also didn't forget to serve a good quality chinese tea and an expensive jade chopsticks for Long Ao Zhen to use.

In the cold day such like today, those hot dishes were very tempting and one could imagine just how delicious it were.

Long Ao Zhen was quite hungry when he saw the dishes but he couldn't help to think about Shi Ying. She must be hungry but she couldn't eat...how sad is it.

So despite the delicious-looking food in front of Long Ao Zhen eyes, he didn't eat much. He only finished his rice, the soup and the Kung Pao chicken. 

As for the pork, there were still quite a bit left and for the tofu, Long Ao Zhen only took a bit because he didn't like tofu.

Well Long Ao Zhen "didn't eat much" but for those who saw it, he did eat much! It was just that Long Ao Zhen appetite had always been quite a wonder. He ate a lot usually. 

Long Ao Zhen despite being a mythological beast and a powerful cultivator, ate a lot of human dish. He could ate two bowl of rices and 5 dishes every time he ate. Long Ao Zhen usually ate three times a day.

Yep. Another foodie like Jiu Wei. 

Long Ao Zhen was praising Jiu Wei cooking skill in his heart as he gobble up the dishes. Even though he didn't finish all of it, he still ate a lot for a normal standard.

Who could finish a portion of kung pao chicken, a bowl of cabbage soup and ate nearly all the sweet and sour pork plus a bowl of rice like Long Ao Zhen? 

At least in Shi Ying former world, that could be considered a lot.

After dinner, Jiu Wei came in to serve Long Ao Zhen a cup of tea. With Jiu Wei good skill in brewing tea, the tea was soon served in front of Long Ao Zhen.

Jiu Wei used his most precious tea cup for Long Ao Zhen. It was a white porcelain chinese tea cup with a pattern of a beautiful blue snowflake. That cup was Jiu Wei favorite cup.

Long Ao Zhen admitted that the tea cup was beautiful. It was pleasing to the eyes and Long Ao Zhen mood subsconsciously became better.

Long Ao Zhen took the cup slowly and sniffed the tea aroma first. The tea aroma was very fragant and calming. It was suitable with Long Ao Zhen preference.

"Slurpp" then, Long Ao Zhen sipped the hot chinese tea brewed by Jiu Wei in an elegant manner. He also closed his eyes to have a better taste of the tea. 

"Good tea" Long Ao Zhen praised Jiu Wei from the bottom of his heart. Even though the tea in the dragon palace was much better than this, in the lower realm it was already considered a good quality tea. 

Long Ao Zhen won't be that cruel to compare the tea in lower realm and the tea in upper realm. It was not fair.

"Thank you for your praise your highness" Jiu Wei eyes were brimming with happiness when Long Ao Zhen praise him. 

Ayy it was a right choice for him to learn how to do house chores back then! Thank God he was also a foodie. Jiu Wei never expected Long Ao Zhen to be a foodie too! When he first ask to have a dinner, Jiu Wei was already suspicious.

Now seeing how Long Ao Zhen ate almost all of his cooking, Jiu Wei was certain that Long Ao Zhen must be a foodie like him! 

Yeahh fellow foodie! Huhuhu other beasts thought that he was weird to have a liking to a human meal. Well human food were just too delicious compared to a raw food beasts usually eat.

As Jiu Wei often spent his time alongside human, naturally he also developed a habit like a normal human.

In the original novel "XXX", The female lead, Meng Yue Ming was able to captured Long Ao Zhen not only with her unique personality but also with her skill in cooking delicious food.

After Long Ao Zhen finished his tea, he asked Jiu Wei quite an important question. "Where do i sleep?"

Jiu Wei cave only had 1 bed which was currently occupied by Li Shi Ying. It was not possible for Long Ao Zhen to sleep on the floor right?

When Jiu Wei heard the question, he felt as if a thunder strike him from above with a loud DUARRR sound.

He...he forgot about it!! His cave only had 1 middle-sized stone bed because Jiu Wei lived alone. Now Long Ao Zhen was going to sleep for a night here, where should he sleep??

COMPLETED SERIES

I'll find you even if we are worlds apart -Long Ao Zhen 

---------
Transmigrated into a trash body of general's daughter as female lead? Peh! Too mainstream! Transmigrated to be a villainess? Common! What about transmigrating and ending up as cannon fodder? Have read it before! 

From that many options to transmigrate how could she, Li Shi Ying a very ordinary English department college student, suddenly wake up in the crippled body of the female lead's ex-maidservant?! Heaven, this is too unfair! 

In this world where only the strong are respected, she can't cultivate? No problem! Dozens of high-rank spiritual beasts fight over protecting her! 

Beast Tamers are rare? Hmph! The beast language is her hometown language! 

Can't be an alchemist or array master? Who cares? She could just become a translator! Without a translator, all those rare jobs wouldn't even exist! 

Watch how she rules over the world without having a single bit of cultivation energy in her body! 

But, can someone please tell her how she suddenly became the Dragon Prince's wife? Momma, she wanna cry!!! 

This is a perfect story for those who are bored with the usual cultivation novel. 

Warning: Smut scene in chapters 7-9!! If you don't want to read it, just skip those chapters. 

If you like to read perfect grammar then this book might not be your cup of tea, but I'm still learning. So, it will become better in later chapters. 

Other project:
1. The CEO's Office Boy is a Girl (completed) 
2. 101 Days To Date Mr Target (coming soon) 

Follow my Instagram: zehell2218 for Q & A and other fun information! 

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*This cover is mine, it is commissioned.* 

Big thanks to my editors: Overlord_venus, Kuma, DarkAngel84

Proofreader: Lilian

"And what would this little girl wants to do?" Now the emperor's interest was completely piqued with anticipation.

"This humble daughter will be singing a song." Tang Kexin decided to go all out. Of course, she shouldn't perform too well. It was as Ye Lanchen said, Tang Kexin had been a fool for eighteen years. If she were to suddenly do something high-leveled and difficult, it would definitely arouse suspicion.

She knew that the emperor was just on the spur of the moment, and his expectations of her weren't that high. As long as there was something special and new, the emperor would surely be satisfied.

"<Cough…> The title of this song is 'Everyone is jubilant'." Tang Kexin cleared her throat with an obvious determination as she solemnly announced the title of what would she be singing. She chose the song because it was simple, fun, and interesting which fit the characteristic she wanted to project. And also, it met all the standards she required to pleased the Emperor. 

She once had a mentally challenged child patient who liked to listen to a certain funky song. So, for her to render her treatment to the child without a glitch, she had to sing this song to calm the child while doing procedures. And for her to learn the song superbly, to get the beatings and lyrics synchronised, she listened to it day and night over and over again until it was imprinted into her brain! After she was transferred to the military post, she hadn't seen that child again and that she hadn't sang that song for a very long time, but who would have thought that she would be singing it again today, but this time to fascinate an emperor.

"Hmm, the title is tantalising. Not bad, not bad... Zhen could not wait to hear it!" Sure enough, when the emperor heard of the title, he nodded repeatedly, his eyes full with anticipation.

The others, on the other hand, were with different look on their faces.

Tang Kexin once again cleared her throat and began to sing…

"Chinese cabbage, chicken hair, macaroni and wheat a dish of green and white 
What kind of dishes were fried? 
What kind of dishes?! 
Happy Sheep, Beautiful Sheep, Lazy Sheep, Boiling Sheep 
What sheep? What kind of sheep?! 
Every sheep is jubilant 
They are a little flock of sheep 
All the little sheep are very kind 
They were so kind that they could only be seen on the prairie 
Lazy beauty sunning 
However in the neighbor there lives a wolf
Although sometimes there is no sun 
Only the Sheep Village has music 
The singers and the jingles are all crazy

Chinese cabbage, chicken hair, macaroni and wheat a dish of green and white 
What kind of dishes were fried? 
What kind of dishes?! Happy Sheep, Beautiful Sheep, Lazy Sheep, Boiling Sheep 
What sheep? What kind of sheep?! 
Every sheep is jubilant 
The day when the wolf came was very ordinary 
The wolf's howl sounded like it was hungry
Little sheep love to graze but would not afraid to fight a wolf if they have to 
Although it was a small flock of sheep 
They sing together at every festival 
Sunshine Air Grass and Flower Fragrance 
It was so crowded that it filled up the prairie

Chinese cabbage, chicken hair, macaroni and wheat a dish of green and white 
What kind of dishes were fried? 
What kind of dishes?! Happy Sheep, Beautiful Sheep, Lazy Sheep, Boiling Sheep What sheep? What kind of sheep?! Every sheep is jubilant 

Chinese cabbage, chicken hair, macaroni and wheat a dish of green and white 
What kind of dishes were fried? 
What kind of dishes?! 
Happy Sheep, Beautiful Sheep, Lazy Sheep, Boiling Sheep 
What sheep? What kind of sheep?! 
Every sheep is jubilant 
Everyone rejoiced..."

After Tang Kexin finished singing, the hall was quiet, too quiet... Majority of the people stared at her with wonder, like she's someone sort of an unknown entity. But a few had not shown any reaction, or they're just good at masking it.

"Was it not good?" Seeing everyone's reaction, Tang Kexin lightly batted her eyelashes

What kind of reaction was that? She felt that there was nothing wrong with the song though.

"Hahaha…!" The emperor was stupefied but burst out in laughter after sometime Tang Kexin finished singing. "That was special! This girl is interesting. Very interesting, indeed!"

Now it was obvious, the emperor was pleased and satisfied. 

He had seen too many formal performances that he found Tang Kexin's unusual talent show refreshing, even more fascinating than those countless formal performances. 

The corner of Ye Lanjue's lips slowly curled up. Indeed, it was as he expected.

However, the Crown Prince didn't show much of an emotion, he just tightened his grip on his armchair.

"Eh? What was that singing about? This prince only heard of dishes and sheep." Ye Lanchen smirked. The song she sang was very amusing and special. It was much more interesting than the boring performances he had seen in the past, but he didn't want to admit it in front of her.

"Then is His Majesty satisfied?" Tang Kexin didn't pay attention to Ye Lanchen. What she cared the most right now was the emperor's reaction and his promise. She had thought so hard for the sake of this promise of fulfilling one of her wishes.

"En, I am very satisfied! So, I have decided that no matter who Xin'er like in the future, Zhen will be her matchmaker. I will definitely bestow you that marriage!" The Emperor was truly very satisfied, and on the spot announced his decision.

When Ye Lanchen, who was standing on the side, heard the emperor's words, his body staggered as he fumbled around to support himself from falling down.

"What are you doing?" The emperor looked at him with curiosity. "Why are you so excited?"

"No, no." When he heard the emperor's words, a picture suddenly flashed through his mind. He was stunned by the image that his mouth agape with incredulity!

However, Tang Kexin was dumbfounded. This was not what she wanted, this wasn't it! Why did the emperor thought that it was about her marriage she was hankering about?! 

Alas, for a young girl commoner like her, to negate the Emperor's decision was something unheard of... Tang Kexin could not help but sighed with frustration! 

"Xin'er, looks like you really don't have to worry about your marriage now..." The empress was obviously pleased with the result. The corners of her lips and eyebrows raised as she beamed.

"She is gentle and virtuous, spirited and charming, beautiful and generous, slim and graceful. And just like a flower in bloom, everyone adores her, so naturally, she doesn't need to worry about her marriage for now...!" The Emperor borrowed Tang Kexin's words and made a rare joke.

"Pufft..." The empress couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at Tang Kexin. The more she looked at her, the more satisfied she became.

Tang Kexin felt frustrated in her heart. She was so frustrated she didn't want to say anything anymore. If she had known earlier that things would turn out this way, she wouldn't have made any effort whatsoever.

Ye Lanjue swept his gaze over her slightly depressed face. His ice-cold eyes seemed to have a faint trace of a smile on them. It was very subtle. If one didn't look carefully, it would be almost impossible to see.

"Now, now! It's getting late and Zhen is hungry. Everyone stay and have dinner with me. Attend to the young woman so she will be comfortable...!" It was rare for the Emperor to be this happy and animated.

"This humble daughter thank His Majesty..." Tang Kexin barely opened her mouth, but naturally she could not refuse. A few people answered in succession.

"Then Xin'er will stay in the palace tonight. Chenqie will have someone to inform the Prime Minister's Estate." The Empress' eyes twinkled, her eyes filled with excitement, but her expression didn't give out much of a change.

"Alright." The Emperor didn't think too much and agreed without hesitation.

The atmosphere in the dinner hall wasn't too bad. From time to time, the emperor's laughter rang out in the whole hall, indicating that he was really in a good mood. Everyone outside Kuan'An Palace was surprised to hear this, because the Emperor had never laugh out loud so easily before.

After dinner, the crown prince, third prince, and the fourth prince took their leave, but the emperor didn't move. He had no intention of leaving, with a clear intention of staying behind.

Tang Kexin knew that in the imperial harem, the emperor's favour and attention were everything. And the empress would be happy that the emperor had decided to stay in her palace tonight.

But to Tang Kexin's surprise, she didn't sense any joy from the empress' expression. Instead, she felt that the empress' attitude was sort of an indifference if not unwilling. Thinking that it might be due to her being around, Tang Kexin made an excuse to leave the hall.

However, not long after she left, the Emperor walked out of the room as well. His expression was grim and somewhat cold, without a trace of the good mood he had had earlier.

Watching the emperor leave with a cold expression, Tang Kexin's heart skipped a beat. Weren't they fine just now? How did the mood change so suddenly? What happened?

"Xin'er." The empress called out, waking her up from her pondering. Tang Kexin quickly turned around and saw the empress widely smiling at her as she walked gracefully towards her. The empress' all smiling astonished her so much that she temporarily not able to respond accordingly.

The emperor just left with a gloomy face, yet the the empress wasn't affected? Not worried? Her smile was even more natural and genuine.

"Will you sleep with me tonight?" The Empress took her hand and held it affectionately, her smile became even more gentle and radiant.

"Oh..." For the first time, she felt that her brain wasn't at work as she couldn't reason out the empress' action just now. Who could tell her what was going on?

Lying on the bed, listening to the empress endless telling of stories with such tender, Tang Kexin suddenly felt as if she was in a dream.

It was already late at night. Tang Kexin closed her eyes, and the empress's voice stopped. The entire room quieted down.

After an unknown amount of time, the empress slowly raised her body to gaze dotingly at the sleeping Tang Kexin. Her mellow expression just now, was replaced with anxiety. "Xin'er, I just want you to be safe and sound... and to be happy. That's all I only pray..."

Xia Yu made a wish to eat until he vomited. And this particular wish brought him to a completely strange spirit world which was full of cuisines.
What, Chef God System?
"You need to not only satisfy normal people's appetite but also all kinds of devils and ghosts. Use your food to move them!" the old man said to him coolly.
So, Xia Yu would never stop running on the road of becoming a Chef God.
 

Li Du walked out of the police station after pushing open the door.
Brother Wolf sighed, "Boss, we have dealt with the police many times, maybe too many."
Li Du sighed as well. "What does this mean?"
"It means we are troublemakers," said Yang Dong who came to pick them up and now stood next to them, grinning.
Li Qi glared at him once and said, "Don't talk nonsense."
Li Du waved his hand and said, "It's okay. We are not at work. We are all friends in our leisure time. Just joke with me as you wish."
Li Qi always felt this was not appropriate to do so, so he changed the topic. "Boss, according to our Chinese customs, I will arrange a banquet for you to sweep away the bad luck. These fraudsters are so arrogant. The security in Seattle is getting worse day by day!"
"It is the same all over America." Yang Dong said angrily. "It is better when one is staying in a hotel. Before, when we lived in a slum, I would be afraid when night fell. I was scared when I used to hear the sound of gunshots."
Li Qi led the way and the two cars drove off one after the other.
They happened to be in the harbor area, in which the Chinese restaurant was also located, and the cars didn't take long to reach there. They took a few turns in the streets and finally stopped.
The size of the restaurant was small. It was located between two factory buildings. The place was teeming with people and was considered a strategic location.
It was already time for dinner when they reached the place. When Li Du and the others went in, they found that there were not many customers. Fast food was the main fare in the restaurant, but there was no line at the counter. Only a few tough black guys were sitting around a table and eating in silence.
Li Du was puzzled and asked, "Old Li, the food here isn't something, is it?"
Li Qi showed a confident attitude as if all things were under his control. He calmly said, "Trust me, boss."
He said no more, then went in and shouted something.
A wizened old man with gray hair popped his head out of the kitchen and smiled. "Li Qi, is that you? The same old three dishes?"
Li Qi said in a similar accent as the old man, "No, Uncle Hua. I brought my boss here. Please prepare a few nice dishes, as nice as you can. My boss treats me very well."
The wizened old man said in a sonorous voice, "Don't worry!"
Soon, there was the sound of a roaring fire and the clatter of the spatula and the wok from inside. A Chinese girl with a pretty face wiped the table swiftly and said, "Brother Qi, come and have a seat here."
When Li Du and his men sat down, the small restaurant felt a little crowded.
Yang Dong chuckled and said, "It is the boss's first time in such a cheap restaurant, is it?"
Li Du smiled and said. "What do you think I am? The second generation of a rich family, born with a silver spoon in my mouth? I have probably eaten in small restaurants and at roadside stands more than you did."
Yang Dong's family was better off than Li Du's. Yang Dong went abroad to study and directly applied for a green card, while Li Du came to the United States by taking the study visa.
Li Qi said, "Boss, you have to try the dishes later, Uncle Hua's Cantonese cuisine is absolutely unique!"
Uncle Hua, the cook, was still busy, and the waitress brought out a few plates of cold dishes. There was honey sauce barbecued meat, oyster sauce corn diced chicken, steamed white duck, pickled chicken feet, and in addition to those there was a bottle of liquor.
Li Qi poured the wine for Li Du and motioned as he said, "Boss, taste this. Uncle Hua distilled it himself. Nice pure grain liquor is rarely available in America."
After a sip, Li Du could definitely appreciate the strength of the beverage and only thought that it wasn't spicy enough. He tasted a faint aroma and sweetness that suggested it was a type of rice wine.
While they were drinking the liquor, hot dishes began to appear on the table. There was prawn Chee Cheong Fun, fried beef, boiled shrimp and so on, served one after the other.
Li Du did not act too polite. He picked up the chopsticks, and as he chewed, he could not help nodding, "Hmm, it is very good, it is really delicious!"
Li Qi dipped a shrimp in the sauce and laughed. "Well, isn't that tasty? Uncle Hua is something special. His ancestors used to work in the royal kitchens before. He used to cook in the central government when he was in China."
Hearing this, Li Du was surprised and asked, "Since he is so good, why didn't he stay in the old country? He must have been a top chef back home, right?"
The restaurant was tiny, and Uncle Hua in the kitchen overheard every word of their conversation.
The old man pulled back the curtain at the door, popped his head out and smiled. "Boss, don't listen to Li Qi. How would I be so great? I am a big pot cook. I did cook for the central government in China, but only a few big pot dishes. Haha, it's nothing to mention…"
Li Du's heart was moved by the man's humility, and he asked, "Does the boss cook good big pot dishes?"
Li Qi nodded, gave a thumbs-up and said, "I have never seen anyone cook better than him."
When they were talking, someone pushed the wooden door open with a bang, and a few rowdy young men came in cursing and shouting.
"F**K, get out, get out!"
"Hey, is the money ready? I had given you the last warning on Monday!"
"If you don't have the money today, I swear you are dead... F**k!"
When the young men peered into the restaurant, their mouths suddenly closed, and their eyes opened wide while surprised expressions appeared on their faces.
Li Du looked at these young people and laughed. It was too much of a coincidence. He actually met some acquaintance here; weren't these the same young men that Brother Wolf had beaten up at noon?
The youngsters were the thugs that the old cheaters hired to frighten Li Du and his men before. The result was Brother Wolf beat them up fiercely, and now they had black eyes, swollen lips, and limps.
However, they had nothing to do with the fraud itself, so the police did not bother to seek them out for trouble, and Li Du was too lazy to prosecute them. The two old swindlers were locked up at the police station while their hirelings were free.
The two sides now bumped into each other. Brother Wolf stood up again, and then slowly clenched his fist.
The young menʼs faces were suddenly as pale as chalk and they turned to leave.
Li Du tapped the table once and said, "Hello, gentlemen, what are you doing here?"
The young men were silent and wanted to leave the restaurant quietly.
Brother Wolf lunged up to block them and said, "Didnʼt you hear? Our boss asked you something."
The young man who looked like the leader turned around cautiously and said, "Excuse me, sir. What can I do for you?"
Li Du asked, "What did you say just now? You were here to ask for money, right? What are you asking the money for?"
The owner of the restaurant came out, wiping his hands and standing at the kitchen door.
The young man gulped and said. "Itʼs none of your business, sir..."
Li Du raised his eyebrows, and Brother Wolf slapped the youngster back-handed.
The young men were immediately angry, but they were conscious of danger as they recalled Brother Wolfʼs formidable fighting skills. They could only suppress their anger and stood in the doorway in embarrassment.
Li Du could guess what was going on. These bullies must have targeted Uncle Hua, an old Chinese man. They might have become used to come to his restaurant to eat and drink and blackmailed him for money.
Unless one had local connections, they could not do much against such bullying and intimidation, because the local police could not be bothered to hand this kind of thing. They would not be able to do it even if they wanted to.
Bullies were like a perennial pest. If the victims called the police to deal with them, they would be arrested for a few days, and then the police would release them. When they were released, they would deal with the owners in a worse way.
Whets more, sometimes the police could not even catch them. They would come to the door for money and destroy the shop or restaurant when the owners tried to defy them. Then they would quickly disappear, and when the police came to catch them, there would be nobody in sight.


They love gold, and they love silver. Even more so, they love gems that dazzle, like stars across the skies. 
Firearms, jewelleries, and precious metals; A collector’s world will not be complete without antiques.  
Storage auctions, old goods trade, re-estate sales and gold-digging. But the truth is, if one wants to make money, then the supreme way is through searching for the legendary treasures. 
Holding the fort, there’s an ocelot, a wolf, and an Andes condor. At the side, there’s a loyal hound, an irascible ape, and an African honey badger. Who said that you can only rely on humans when treasure hunting?! 

"I don't know," Jia Zizai said. "It looked very disgusting. Mr. Wang said don't underestimate the bugs. If you are bitten by them but not treated in time, it could be life-threatening."
"Is it that serious?" Hu Mei asked.
"Several people have died because of these bugs," Jia Zizai said. "There might be even related to the venom secreted at the hot spring."
"No wonder Mr. Wang said time was short."
It was not until now that they understood the meaning of Wang Yao's words.
"How did he know?" Hu Mei asked.
"He smelled a unique smell in the water," Jia Zizai replied.
Wang Yao drove in front to lead the way to the restaurant in Xia Village, where they always went.
"Hello, welcome." The manager came to meet them when he saw them.
Many guests had come for dinner. There were only five tables available.
"Our signature dish, stewed fish in a cauldron, has been improved," the manager said. "Would you like to taste it and give us some suggestions?"
"OK," Wang Yao replied
All the dishes were served quickly. The fish was served last. The fish soup was white, and it smelled delicious.
"It looks delicious."
"This is fresh carp we picked up from the reservoir," the manager warmly said. "All the carp we selected were about three pounds. We also used angelica, ginseng, and other medicinal materials while cooking it to make it more delicious and nourishing."
"It's time to taste it," Wang Yao immediately said when he heard about the additional medicinal herbs in it.
"OK, taste it," the manager said. "I hope you enjoy it. I will treat you this meal."
"You don't have to do that," Wang Yao said. "You are too kind."
"It's no problem at all," the manager said. "It's settled, so please enjoy. Call me if you need anything else."
"OK, no problem!"
"Come on, let's try this fish."
"Yeah, let's try it."
The fish soup was delicious, and the fish was perfectly cooked.
"Well, it's delicious!"
"It's really delicious. I haven't eaten such delicious fish for a long time," Jia Zizai said.
Wang Yao drank the soup and carefully savored it.
"Sir, what do you think?"
"It is fine." Wang Yao smiled.
He could guess what was in it just by tasting it. There was ginseng, wolfberry, Huangjing, and other medicinal ingredients. Of course, those medicinal ingredients were not as good as those he grew on Nanshan Hill. In fact, they were all low-cost medicines. After all, a business aimed to make money and was not for charity.
"Sir, let's enjoy the wine," Jia Zizai said, holding up his glass.
"Thank you," Wang Yao said with a smile.
"As for this fish, do not eat it too much." Wang Yao picked up a piece of fish and tasted it.
"Why? What's the problem!" Jia Zizai spit out the fish he was chewing.
"There is no big problem," Wang Yao smiled and said. "It's just that there is some conflict between the two flavors of Chinese medicines. The most serious issue might be diarrhea."
"Ah, that's fine," Jia Zizai said. Afterward, he put another piece of fish into his mouth.
"Yes, it's delicious, Sir. How can you tell there is a conflict between ingredients just by tasting it?"
"One medicine is licorice," Wang Yao said. "That is a commonly used Chinese medicinal material. Its function is to reconcile all kinds of drugs, but it conflicts with the carp. That is why I say it is not suitable to use it."
"Is there anything else? What about the other medicinal ingredients?"
"Another medicine causes conflict to chicken."
"Chicken? Is that in here?"
"A small amount of chicken soup was added to it," Wang Yao said. "The carp and chicken soup are slightly offensive."
"Isn't there a famous dish called Farewell My Concubine that uses carp and chicken?"
"Like what I said, eating less is OK," Wang Yao said. "It could cause some discomfort in the stomach but nothing very serious."
"I didn't know I'd learn more just from eating with you," Jia Zizai said.
In addition to stewed fish, there was also a distinctive spicy fried chicken dish.
"Well, both of these dishes were very good," Pan Jun said. "I can see why people would come here for dinner. Even people from the county would want to taste these dishes."
After eating, Wang Yao returned to the mountain village.
"Would you like to go and drink some tea with me?"
"Don't drink tea immediately after eating fish," Wang Yao said. "You should wait for a while."
"Let's play poker. Do you like to play?"
"No, thank you. I'll go back to the clinic to study these bugs. You just enjoy your evening."
"Fine."
"Thank you, Sir."
"You're welcome," Wang Yao replied.
He walked back to the clinic and took out the glass bottle containing the poisonous insects. Several bugs were crawling inside.
Wang Yao gently opened the lid of the bottle. At first, the bugs were manic. They seemed to want to jump out. He didn't know why, but the bugs suddenly gathered together and laid at the bottom of the bottle. It was as if they had encountered something terrible, such as a creature they greatly feared.
"Why didn't they have this reaction when they were in the hot spring?" Wang Yao asked aloud. "Didn't they respond fast enough?"
He returned home and took a rabbit from the cage.
"What are you doing with the rabbit?" Zhang Xiuying asked.
"I need it for an experiment," Wang Yao said with a smile.
He put the rabbit in a cardboard box. Next, he put a bug into the box. The bug did nothing for a moment. Suddenly, it jumped on the rabbit. After a while, the rabbit began to twitch. Apparently, it was poisoned.
"It is so aggressive now!"
Wang Yao took the bug out and put it into a glass bottle. He poured a bowl of medicine soup made with detoxification grass into the rabbit's mouth and quietly waiting for the medicine to take effect. Within an hour, the rabbit was better. The abnormal symptoms it had shown disappeared. Wang Yao put some leaves and grass into the box, and the rabbit began to eat.
"It is quite toxic."
Wang Yao did several other experiments to understand some of the characteristics of the poisonous insects.
He thought, This kind of poisonous insect grows where the geothermal is extremely hot. Its toxins are related to heat poisoning. It should be medicinal, but it is poisonous. Therefore, it is necessary to control the metering when it is used.
…
Thousands of miles away in southern Yunnan…
In a well-decorated hotel, in a private room, Guo Zhenghe was meeting a man in his 40s. He was thin, and his hair was a little yellow. His spirit was worse.
"Uncle Xu, I will count on you," Guo Zhenghe said.
"Childe, you are too polite," the man said. "You can order me to do anything you need."
"Uncle Xu, just call me Zhenghe. I feel awkward when I hear Childe from you." Guo Zhenghe filled the middle-aged man's glass with wine.
"I prefer to call you Childe when there is no other one here, but I'll call you Secretary Guo when I'm outside, right?"
"This is OK," Guo Zhenghe said.
"What business do you need me to do?" the middle-aged man asked.
"Enjoy the meal first," Guo Zhenghe said. "We will talk about it after eating."
"That is good."
After three rounds of drinking and five dishes, Guo Zhenghe passed over the bag of information that had suddenly appeared in his office.
"Read it first."
The middle-aged man opened the bag. He read the contents of the first page. His face changed. He read it very carefully.
"Where did these things come from?" the man asked.
Guo Zhenghe carefully explained what happened, including how this portfolio appeared on his desk without any notice.
"Did the boy have any contact with these strange people?" the man asked.
"So far there was no contact," Guo Zhenghe said.
The middle-aged man was silent for a while.
"I saw the news before I came here," the middle-aged man finally said. "A strange thing happened in a place under your control recently. In a village, 11 people were killed in three days, right?"
"Yes, that is the case," Guo Zhenghe said. "The criminal investigation experts in the provincial capital have already come and investigated the case."
"Can I see the relevant information?"
"No problem," Guo Zhenghe said. He took out another portfolio, which looked well-prepared.
The middle-aged man carefully read it. It had more information, so it took longer to read it. Guo Zhenghe was not in a hurry and quietly waited.
"I have no evidence, but based on my experience and feelings over the years, most of these people did not die naturally. They were killed," the middle-aged man said.
"But no evidence of homicide was found on them," Guo Zhenghe said. He preferred the idea that these people died unnaturally, but everything needed to be evidence-based. What he lacked most now was evidence.
"So, someone sent you this information," the middle-aged man said.
.


In an inaccessible village, there were a few houses on the hillside. 
People from far away were attracted here and the mountain road was crowded with luxury cars, because, in this town, there was a young man with incredible medical skills  who could cure all kinds of illnesses!

The most famous Chinese imperial cuisine restaurant in Beijing was Fangshang Restaurant in Beihai, and had over eighty years of history. Even though it had stopped operating for a while many years back, they were able to preserve their original recipes.
Feng Zhixiang led Ling Ran in through the main hall so that they could take a look at the imperial-style interior design of the restaurant. He then said with a smile, "I've talked to the people running the restaurant so that they'll ask their head chef to make our dishes. Do give them a try. By the way, Academician Zhu, you've stayed in the south for a long time, haven't you? Are you okay with northern dishes?"
"Certainly. I'm okay with them." Zhu Tongyi, too, cut an authoritative figure as he nodded and said, "The buildings in the north are large and elegant, unlike the small buildings in the south. They feel very crowded and stuffy. However, those in the south put more effort into cooking, and this is why southern dishes have a more delicate taste to them."
"I like Suzhou cuisine too." Feng Zhixiang had no intention to argue with Academician Zhu about whether Southern or Northern cuisine tasted better. He smiled and said, "Some of the dim sum you eat in Beijing has been modified by chefs from the south, and the origin of the Peking opera can be traced to the Huiban opera. [1] Besides, a lot of people in Beijing enjoy Huaiyang cuisine." [2]
There was finally a hint of a smile on Zhu Tongyi's face, which made him look ten years younger than his actual age. He nodded and said, "You're being objective indeed."
"All right, let's give the Chinese imperial cuisine in Beijing a try and judge it objectively." As Feng Zhixiang spoke, he led Zhu Tongyi and Ling Ran into a private lounge. There were already three people inside there, and they immediately rose to welcome the newcomers.
"Little Fatty over here is our driver this time." Feng Zhixiang pointed at the plump resident doctor who had lost some weight and weighed in at 266 pounds today. He then pointed at the man beside the plump resident doctor and said, "Department Director Li Yuan is the department director of the General Surgery Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Beijing Medical University, and he has been wanting to meet Ling Ran. This is…"
"My name is Qu Yue, and I'm the sales executive of Vital Health." Qu Yue who was dressed very much like a gold collar worker would be paying for the food, and she was very good with words.
"Why don't you guys take a seat first?"
Everyone introduced themselves to each other, and someone offered Feng Zhixiang a glass of spirit, of which he politely rejected. Feng Zhixiang then started a topic, and everyone started chatting.
He knew how Ling Ran was like as a person, and he knew that Ling Ran did not like to operate on ordinary cancer patients. He was worried that they would do something wrong and Ling Ran would refuse to operate on Xu Jinyi. At that time, he would not know what to do.
Qu Yue smiled and raised her hand to call a waitress. She said, "Can you repeat my orders? Why don't you guys see if you have anything to add?"
"All right." The waitress was a not-so-young woman. She lowered her head to look at her notepad. "You ordered Empress Dowager Cixi quadruple plate, braised sea cucumber with scallion, Spirit of a Dragon, sauteed fish fillets…"
After the waitress repeated all the orders, Qu Yue looked at everyone, especially Ling Ran, with a bright smile. "Do you guys want to add anything?"
"That's enough. There's a lot of dishes, and it'll be impossible for us to finish all of them." Zhu Tongyi seemed like he wanted to laugh as he looked at Qu Yue.
People always treated doctors like royalty when they had a favor to ask. This was something all doctors were very used to.
Zhu Tongyi was rather curious about what Qu Yue wanted, to the point that she would spend a few thousand RMB treating them to a meal.
Ling Ran, though, did not ponder about Qu Yue's intention. He merely said, "It's too much food indeed."
"Don't worry about it." Qu Yue waved and gestured to the waitress to start preparing their food. She then quickly continued, "Doctor Ling, with so many surgeries every day, you're probably very tired lately…"
"I haven't been operating on that many patients lately." Ling Ran pouted a little as he said this. In comparison, when he was in Changxi Province, he got to carry out freelance surgery a lot more frequently and could operate on patients in Yun Hua Hospital too. The hospitals in Beijing took a lot of things into consideration, and he only got to operate on a patient or two every time he went for a freelance surgery.
If it were not for the fact that Zuo Cidian, Zhang Anmin, and the others were very excited about performing surgeries in Beijing and withheld him from leaving, Ling Ran would have gone back to the south already.
Feng Zhixiang cleared his throat before quickly changing the topic and talking about Chinese imperial cuisine.
Li Yuan effortlessly joined the conversation.
Li Yuan was already a little over the age of sixty and rarely acted as chief surgeon nowadays, but he often met various people. Together with Qu Yue and the picky Academician Zhu Tongyi, the atmosphere in the private lounge soon became lively.
Ling Ran enjoyed the food very much too.
If a person were to convert the popularity and taste of food from various areas into data, if you disregard the flavor, Beijing food would probably score so highly that it was ranked as one of the top cuisines in the country. However, Beijing food was by no means bad in quality. 
This was especially true for dishes that originated from other areas but became renowned in Beijing. 
Braised sea cucumber with scallions was one of them. Aside from its expensive price tag, one could not find any fault with it. It was also one of the most iconic braised dishes among Shandong cuisine, and its fame was on par with that of braised pig intestines. Braised sea cucumber with scallions could be likened to a young Leonardo DiCaprio, while braised pig intestines could be likened to a middle-aged Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former was so hot that it could drive young women mad, and many young women dreamed about locking him up in their homes and hiding them from the world so that they could have him alone. The latter could have nine s*x partners a day if he wanted to, and if he were a dish, that dish alone would be enough to fill up the bellies of everyone at the table.
Ling Ran felt rather satisfied as he savored the tender braised sea cucumber with scallions. However, he somehow missed Boss Shao a little.
The food in Fangsheng Restaurant was pretty good, and the decor was beautiful too. But in Boss Shao's restaurant, aside from ordering the food available on the menu, there were always things to look forward to.
The barbeque in Boss Shao's restaurant was pretty good. Moreover, the customers there were always in for a surprise, as Boss Shao would always greet them with new arrivals such as bamboo rats as well as freshly slaughtered baby lambs and cows.
As Ling Ran thought of this, he could not help but whip out his phone and look at Boss Shao's WeChat timeline. Boss Shao had posted the photograph of an X-ray scan two days ago.
"Colles' fracture!" When Ling Ran saw the X-ray scan, he could not help but call out the name. 
"Doctor Ling, does the food not suit your taste buds?" When Qu Yue saw that Ling Ran was using his phone, she was astonished. This was because three renowned doctors were present in the private lounge. Other junior doctors who were Ling Ran's place would probably...
Her gaze fell upon the plump resident doctor beside her. Ever since they started eating, the plump resident doctor had been refilling everyone's glasses with water or alcohol every time they became empty. The way he served everyone diligently provided a sharp contrast to Ling Ran's demeanor.
"Doctor Ling, why don't you give this kung pao chicken a try? I specifically ordered it. It looks ordinary, like something you can get in any restaurant, but it's actually a Chinese imperial cuisine. It's different from the kung pao chicken you get in Shangdong and Sichuan restaurants. Nowadays, they often serve this dish in state banquets." As Department Director Li Yuan spoke, he took a clean spoon and scooped some kung pao chicken for Ling Ran.
"Yeah, I've tried it. It tastes really good." Ling Ran was pretty satisfied with the flavor of the food. Even though it was not the best that he had tasted lately, it could be considered one of his better meals.
"Ling Ran, you might not know that Department Director Li is Xu Jinyi's teacher. Yes, I've taught Xu Jinyi before too." When Feng Zhixiang saw that everyone was already full, he decided to put down his chopsticks.
Li Yuan put down his chopsticks too. He said in a sentimental manner, "Back when Xu Jinyi was my student, he often spoke of Department Director Feng. At that time, we were conducting research related to the pancreas and treating patients with pancreatic problems. Every time we finally got a break, it would be so late that all the restaurants around the hospital had closed, so we had no choice but to be contented with some steamed buns."
"There was no food delivery yet at that time." Qu Yue covered her mouth as she spoke and giggled.
"We even found instant noodles expensive. You know, only doctors who make it high up the ladder make a lot of money." Li Yuan paused for a moment and said, "Xu Jinyi is probably at the prime of his life now… He's a department director, and his skills are better than ever. The hospital he's at is willing to support him too, so it's really time for him to spread his wings."
"That's right."
"When you think about it, doctors are pretty pitiful creatures. Even though they have the energy to have fun when they were young, they did not have the time and money for it. By the time they are fifty or sixty and finally have all the money in the world, they won't have the energy to have fun anymore." Li Yuan shook his head.
"Department Director Xu Jinyi is suffering from cancer. Liver cancer." Feng Zhixiang looked at Ling Ran and said, "He would like you to operate on him."
"Hepatectomy?" Ling Ran put down his chopsticks too.
"Yes." Feng Zhixiang nodded.
Zhu Tongyi cleared his throat a few times and said, "Both of you are his teachers, right? Why aren't you taking all the factors into consideration? Department Director Xu is less than sixty years old, isn't he? Even after he receives hepatectomy, there might still be a recurrence in the future. Instead of wasting time on selecting a chief surgeon, he should receive surgery immediately."
Ling Ran hummed in agreement. "Receiving surgery as soon as possible is the best course of action."
Feng Zhixiang said, "After receiving hepatectomy, Xu Jinyi plans to receive follow-up treatment at Anderson Cancer Center in the United States. He's racing against time to get the paperwork done right now. Anderson Cancer Center has the best cancer treatment plans in the world. So, if you're willing to operate on Xu Jinyi, he could be said to be getting all the best possible treatments available in the world…"
"But that wouldn't ensure his survival." Ling Ran shook his head. The fact that nothing was guaranteed was the cruelest part of cancer.
"Xu Jinyi would be satisfied," Feng Zhixiang said, "Sometimes, isn't the patient's satisfaction all that matters?"
Ling Ran was stunned for a moment.
Zhu Tongyi cleared his throat again.
"Department Director Xu will continue working after he's back in the country." Feng Zhixiang stopped Zhu Tongyi from saying anything. "The people in Beijing would always remember the fact that the department director of the General Surgery Department of Donghuang Regional Hospital immediately got back to work after receiving hepatectomy from Doctor Ling Ran."


Ling Ran, a med school senior, begins to see the world like a game UI. He uses it to pave his way towards graduation, a residency, becoming the greatest doctor in the world... And finally getting a Transformer from his newbie packs? Maybe. We don't know yet.

 "Go!"
 At this time, Wei Xiao Bei did not have time to waste with him. With a light kick, he sent Shan Bing out like a wild goose. Shan Bing originally thought that his face would be planted in the ground, but when he was kicked out, he actually landed with both feet on the ground.
 Boss is getting stronger!
 Shan Bing was rejoicing. If he had not been acquainted with Wei Xiao Bei, the Hua Yang Group might just be beaten up by others. Let alone bankruptcy, they might already be dead.
 When Shan Bing left, Wei Xiao Bei moved to the kitchen.
 It was already night time, but Zhu Xin Yi and Huang Kun were currently training Xiao Bai Ling and Che Mei Han.
 It was only at this time there were only a few people so it was more convenient to teach them properly.
 Wei Xiao Bei felt that he was too busy with many things after returning to the Dojo. He felt he had treated Che Mei Han coldly and so he went to the kitchen to make something to comfort Che Mei Han.
 Wei Xiao Bei did not use ingredients from the storage bracelet to make the dishes. After all, those ingredients could be turned into Immortal Quality dishes. It would be a waste to cook them in the real world.
 Furthermore, if he truly gave Che Mei Han an Immortal Quality dishes, it could actually harm her.
 After all, just because they are high quality didn't necessarily mean they would be better, especially if the other party did not have any endurance, it would be the same as eating poison.
 Wei Xiao Bei busied himself and made chicken soup.
 The chicken was the free-range chicken that Zhu Xin Yi had placed in the freezer. With Wei Xiao Bei's cooking skill, the finished product immediately gave off a fragrant smell that quickly spread to the outer practice ground, causing everyone's nose to twitch.
 Huang Kun was the first to speak, "Who is stewing chicken soup!? Do you still want to live?"
 "Would you actually die if you can't eat it?"
 Zhu Xin Yi smiled and slapped Huang Kun's head. Who knew if she did this because of her admiration for the Master. Zhu Xin Yi's behavior was becoming more and more similar to Wei Xiao Bei.
 "Senior Sister, could it be that you don't feel unwell after smelling that?"
 Huang Kun looked at Zhu Xin Yi with displeasure as he rubbed his head. His Senior Sister was a bit too ruthless.
 "So fragrant! This is much more fragrant than food from a 3-Star Michelin restaurant!"
 At this time, Andre could also not endure anymore. Since he came from a place where food was lacking, Chinese delicacies were already occupying his mind. However, this was the first time he smelled such delicious food.
 Xiao Bai Ling smiled without speaking. Although Che Mei Han's concentration was slightly distracted, she still continued to train.
 For an orphan like Che Mei Han, she was quite tough.
 Especially now, Che Mei Han felt the gap between her and Wei Xiao Bei was too big. Thus, she wanted to get a lot stronger. At the very least, she did not want to be Wei Xiao Bei's weakness. If she could help him, it would much better. 
 Thus, Che Mei Han's diligence even received other people's admiration.
 "No good! I can't endure any more! Let me steal a bit!"
 Huang Kun's was drooling. He closed his eyes and his nose suddenly twitched. He followed the smell and moved toward the back.
 However, before Huang Kun moved, Wei Xiao Bei's voice sounded, "Everyone should take a break and come to the dining room for a midnight snack."
 Master?
 When everyone reached the dining room, they found the source of the delicious smell of chicken soup that they were drooling over. 
 Wei Xiao Bei originally wanted to cook for Che Mei Han alone, but with so many people in the outer practice ground, Wei Xiao Bei was a bit embarrassed to let Che Mei Han eat alone. Thus, he called in everyone.
 The quality of Wei Xiao Bei's dish need not be discussed as everyone praised it repeatedly. 
 Even Andre was puzzled, "How could there be such delicious chicken?"
 Huang Kun rolled his eyes, "Old An, don't say it anymore. You only had turkeys where you're from. Their meat simply can't compare to chicken."
 Huang Kun's words were from the bottom of his heart.
 Previously, when Huang Kun went to Denmark, he criticized the food non-stop. The main problem was bird meat.
 It was indeed so. Chinese chicken meat and turkey were two different things.
 Andre did not argue and took the chance while Huang Kun was cursing to take the last piece of chicken from his bowl.
 When Huang Kun noticed it, he could only grit his teeth in anger as he had no way to steal something that was already in Andre's mouth.
 After eating the midnight snack, everyone all went to sleep as it was quite late.
 Seeing Che Mei Han leave with Zhu Xin Yi and Xiao Bai Ling while talking and laughing, Wei Xiao Bei's heart itched a bit.
 Humans were like that. The best way to describe it was, 'Having tasted the marrow, the longing for its savor grows'.
 Even Wei Xiao Bei who was very strong-willed had a hard time holding back after experiencing it once.
 Naturally, Wei Xiao Bei still restrained himself. Let alone others, if Zhu Xin Yi noticed their relationship, he would lose a lot of respect. 
 After all, Che Mei Han was only 16 years old!
 If Wei Xiao Bei saw this scene before everything happened, he would fiercely call the other person a monster.
 The next day, Shan Bing made a phone call saying that the three Jade Artifacts had been submitted to the auction company. They would begin their auction the following week.
 After settling this matter, Wei Xiao Bei relaxed a bit. After leaving the Dojo, he directly went to the old apartment street and prepared to enter the Dust World.
 After all, Ao Yan only gave him a total of three days. Two days had already passed as he busied himself.
 .... 
 After entering the Dust World, he went to the desert area and directly to Ao Yan. Nothing else happened along the way.
 When Wei Xiao Bei arrived, Ao Yan's eyes widened in surprise, "How did you gain so much strength so quickly?"
 Ao Yan was truly powerful to notice this with just one look.
 As Wei Xiao Bei pondered if he should keep silent or not, Ao Yan shifted his attention and impatiently urged Wei Xiao Bei to begin cleaning.
 However, Ao Yan truly loved to sleep. He was originally excited to supervise Wei Xiao Bei, but before Wei Xiao Bei finished his preparations, Ao yan yawned and hung down his head. 
 "Too tired. No good, I'll sleep for a bit." The soft voice came and soon, Ao Yan had fallen asleep.
 Seeing Ao Yan fall asleep, Wei Xiao Bei did not know whether to laugh or cry.
 Naturally, Wei Xiao Bei also knew that even if Ao Yan had fallen asleep, he could not run away.
 It must be known that Ao Yan's Dragon Soul was still monitoring him. If he ran away, he might not be able to escape being killed by Ao Yan!
 Naturally, Ao Yan sleeping made Wei Xiao Bei relax a lot even if he did not escape.
 If it was any other person, a 100-meter long dragon observing them work was not a good feeling.
 At this time, the volcano that had swallowed up the Mutated Farmer's Market solidified. The black volcano and ash white cement remained mixed together, appearing very strange.
 Wei Xiao Bei walked to the edge of the solidified volcano and began to dig.
 It was not too hard. 
 This made it easier for Wei Xiao Bei. 
 If the volcanic rock was very hard to the point that the Digging Pig could not dig through it, then things would be problematic.
 Wei Xiao Bei then gave his orders and moved the nearby Digging Pigs and Fire Giants to help dig the volcano.
 While the Digging Pig and Fire Giant were busy, Wei Xiao Bei bred 10 more Digging Pigs.
 However, this was already the limit. At this time, the Life Altar's flesh reserves had been cleaned out.
 Wei Xiao Bei had to pull out a Flame Giant corpse. After cutting the better quality meat, he extended his left hand and tendrils shot at the corpse.
 With the 30,000 flesh reserve of the Life Altar, a single Flame Giant could not fill it up.
 Wei Xiao Bei had used up 10 Flame Giant corpses to fill it up.
 A Flame Giant could replenish 3,000 flesh. This already wasn't too bad. 
 After replenishing, Wei Xiao Bei began to create a new creature template.
 After all, other than the cooled off volcano, he still had to deal with the Fire Dragon excrement.
 The Digging Pigs would have no problems in dealing with the cooled volcano, but if they were tasked to deal with the lake of Fire-Dragon excrement, just the high temperature would be enough to kill them.
 At this time, Wei Xiao Bei could not help but rejoice at the 5,000 Evolution Points that he had left himself. If he did not leave them, then he could only personally deal with the excrement.
 The Digging Pig's were not fast at digging the cooled volcano. Wei Xiao Bei could take his time in creating the new template.
 There was no doubt that he needed a creature with resistance to fire to deal with the excrement. Moreover, he needed them to be at a certain level.
 Wei Xiao Bei had tried the Fire Giant. Although the Fire Giant could resist the heat, it could only stay at the edge of the excrement lake. If it jumped it, it would immediately receive damage from the high temperature.
 Moreover, the Fire Giant was a bit weaker. It might look big, but it was a lot weaker than the Digging Pig.
 If the Digging Pig could resist the high temperature of the excrement pool, then just like that, the problem would be solved.
 Thinking up to here, Wei Xiao Bei began to think about the new template. He immediately tried adding his [Flame Immunity (Low)] to the Digging Pig.
 However, his action immediately failed.
 The reason was that he did not have enough Evolution Points to do so.
 According to his calculation, placing [Flame Immunity (Low)] to an existing creature template would require more than 10,000 Evolution Points.
 In truth, this was not excessive if Wei Xiao Bei's difficulty in gaining the skill was considered.


One day, Wei Xiao Bei gets dragged into The Dust World, a post-apocalyptic world ruled by monsters from myths, legends, games, etc. He also gains the power to travel between it and the real world, as well as the power called the 'Status Panel'. With this power, he chooses to strengthen himself to explore the vast mysteries and terror of the other world. What mysteries await him? What is The Dust World?
Author's Synopsis:
What the hell is this? What the hell happened here?
How did my room become so ruined after a single night?
The floor and table were covered in dust, his new poster of Zhang Liang Ying that had just been posted on the wall a few days ago had already become yellow and tattered all over. Even Zhang Liang Ying’s beautiful face became monstrous as if an old devil was looking at him with a terrifying smile.
The walls were covered by a mist of cobwebs and the fruits placed on top of the coffee table were withered and rotted to the point that the mold on them had turned black. The fruits below even seemed to have turned into mush. The aluminium framed window that the landlord had just installed not that long ago was now covered in a layer of white ash and the glass was filled with cracks and covered in dust.
The computer beside his bed was also covered by cobwebs and was accompanied by an empty water glass with a withered worm inside of it.
Dust filled the air making Wei Xiao Bei choke as he tried to breathe.
Everything seemed to be ash gray without any light as if looking at television static.
After just one night, it seemed like everything in the room had aged for centuries or even millennia.
Mother… is this a dream?
This must be a dream!

"… Mirror?"

Chloe mumbled in a confused voice. It was understandable. What they got was a mirror. Joseph smiled and said, "Yes, it's a mirror. Look into it. What do you see?"

"Me."

"That's the theme of this mission. You. You can do a signature dish of yours or make a dish that defines your life. You can also make your favorite dish or what you're the most confident in, but you must make it so that we'll be touched when we taste it."

"That's a sensitive theme."

"In life, things are always more vague than direct. The same goes for cooking. We'll give you 20 minutes to come up with a recipe and 30 minutes to cook. You may begin."

In response to Joseph's explanation, Chloe stared into the mirror. She hadn't even put on a cream that day. What was she supposed to cook…? Maybe she got too used to cooking what they told her to cook. This felt all too unfamiliar.

While Chloe wondered what to make, Cho Min Joon was faced with a conflict. The only time when he made something of his nature was the Korean meal he made for the vegetarian mission. A part of why he made that was because he wanted to express his roots as a Korean, but he was also stimulated by Chloe. Chloe's 6-point potato soup. He thought that was weird, but everyone else enjoyed that dish.

That was when he realized he didn't have to be so hung up about points. A homemade meal could taste just as good, but the result was not so good. The judges liked it, but they said it wasn't appropriate for the mission.

'Is it different now?'

But his head told him now. If it didn't work then, it wouldn't work now. Of course, he could make it so that his Korean dish scores higher, but at that point, the dish would no longer be homemade and be too fancy.

Cho Min Joon got rid of his temptations and thought of a recipe. He didn't even consider any that had low scores. His life depended on this mission. He couldn't show off a bad dish. Warmth and comfort. Those things didn't get acknowledged in this competition. This wasn't a Grand House Wife, but Grand Chef, so he had to make a dish that would sell.


'But what dish describes me? Korean? Italian?'

Cho Min Joon was unable to answer his own question. He had eaten Korean food the most in his life, but when it came to cooking, he made more Western dishes such as Italian. After that was Japanese. He actually never really cooked Korean food. It was usually as simple as bulgogi, spicy pork, or marinated fish. When it came to actual Korean food, it was too much work for a single man to cook.

"Did you decide?"

"Not yet."

In response to Chloe's question, Cho Min Joon shrugged. He noticed Anderson and Kaya looking over from the side. Seeing them looking over with frowns strangely comforted him.

'Which dish did they like the most?'

There were only 4 dishes that he had made that scored 8 points. Spicy stir-fried chicken, pork ribs, risotto, and curd and jelly. They were all different. They all had different nationalities. The spicy stir-fried chicken and pork ribs were Korean and Japanese while Risotto was more Italian and the curd was European, but it was also foolish to try to make a decision based on those four dishes.

"My favorite dish, what I'm the most confident in…"

Cho Min Joon mumbled to himself. There wasn't a dish that he loved the most in the world. If he had to choose, he probably would have picked the 10-point calf cheek at Rose Island, but it wasn't because he liked calf cheek. That dish was just perfection.

'If I opened a restaurant, what restaurant would I open?'

He had asked this question to the other three before. At that time, he said he wanted to open a fancy restaurant, but that was a very vague answer. He couldn't start a fancy restaurant without dishes with identity.

When it came to identity, Cho Min Joon was a variety. He had made all sorts of different dishes for way too long, but when it came to a dish that he would be the best at making… He had to consider all the ingredient combinations separately. After all, he couldn't show off his full potential in establishing a balance with the score system alone.

'… Fruits. A dish with fruit sauce.'

He suddenly thought of something, and he was obsessed. What he was the most fascinated by with Western dishes was the way they added a fruit sauce or puree with a main, and his most favorite sauce besides pesto was fruit. In Korea, they often used pear, but it was never the main ingredient. A sauce that brought the fruit back to life was a new experience.

But he didn't know what to make as a main, but he decided on duck. Duck seemed easy, but it was difficult to make it delicious. If cooked for a little too long, it became too chewy, and it often smelled gross, but if he was a real chef, he could do it.

As soon as he made his decision, he began to think quickly. He thought of different fruit sauces and compared different cooking methods, which led him to a conclusion.

'8 points.'

If Chloe happened to do her best and get a 9, he would lose, but he had no choice. That just meant he wasn't as good as Chloe. He didn't expect to make something worth 9 points. He had to solely focus on making his dish.

"You may begin."

Allan spoke in a calm voice, and Chloe and Cho Min Joon headed to the pantry. As he got some basil, orange, orange marmalade, duck breast, corn, chicken breast, and paprika, Chloe asked, "Are you confident?"

"I'm not sure. I'll just have to try my best."

"… Yeah. Good luck."

The conversation made them uncomfortable. Cho Min Joon hurried back to his cooking station and heated up his pan. He had to boil oranges, orange marmalade, and chicken broth at the exact proportions.

Some could think this was way too simple to be an 8-point dish. The ingredients were too simple, but Cho Min Joon realized something recently. That even while using the same ingredients, the proportion made a huge difference in flavor. Just a teaspoon was capable of ruining an entire dish. When Cho Min Joon made a dish worth 8 points, he paid attention to all the details. He had to pay attention to reach the result.

Cho Min Joon carefully stirred the sauce. When the sauce seemed to be too watery, he added a bit of corn powder. The corn would make it more savory while also making the sauce a little thicker.

Cho Min Joon kept the sauce hot as he cooked the duck with some paprika. The sauce from the paprika along with the duck's oil started to boil, and the skin began to turn yellow. He didn't add another oil because that would just cover up the orange scent.

He closed his mouth and flared his nostrils. His eyes twinkled while his eyes focused on the sound of the oil crackling. Cho Min Joon flipped the duck breast. The perfect amount of oil sparkled on top of the well-seared skin.

He put the breast on a plate. He drew an 'S' with the orange sauce and sprinkled some paprika around the breast, making for a successful result, but...

"Oh…"

Cho Min Joon groaned.

[Grilled duck breast with orange sauce and paprika]

Freshness: 89%

Origin: (Too many ingredients for an accurate calculation.)

Quality: High

Cooking Score: 7/10

He knew not everything could go his way, but seeing the result made his heart sink. What was the problem? Did he boil the sauce for too long? Or was he not skilled with grilling duck? He didn't know. If he knew, he wouldn't have made the mistake in the first place.

There was only 30 seconds remaining, but he couldn't do anything. He heard a disgusting voice in his heart. It was so despicable that he couldn't believe it.

'If Chloe messed up, too…'

He wanted to throw up. He always talked about the virtue of being a chef. He always called her a friend that he cared for, but that was all he could think. 'If I'm not good enough, I should go home. I don't want to survive if it's not fair.'

But as soon as he looked over at Chloe's plate, he couldn't help but feel relieved. She also had a 7. Pepper glass noodles. He could understand it without even looking at the system window. After all, it was a very homey pepper glass noodles. Compared to what they sold at Chinese restaurants, it used fewer ingredients, and the sauce wasn't that special either. It was average. That was all the pepper glass noodles had to offer. It wasn't a 7 because it was lacking but because it wasn't special.

'… But why? Why did Chloe pick that dish?'

He wanted to ask, but he couldn't. The judges were calling them over. They placed their dishes on the table and Sergei spoke first,

"Neither look that fancy."

"Whether it looks fancy or not doesn't determine if it tastes good or bad."

"But appearance does sway how a person feels before eating. No matter how good it is, if it looks like shit, it won't taste good. I'm not saying it looks like shit, but still…"

"Let's try it first."

The judges began tasting. The first one they tried was Cho Min Joon's because the pepper glass noodles could overshadow his dish.

The sweetness of oranges and the savoriness of the corn that lingered underneath, and in between was duck breast that tasted good but that was it. Rachel spoke without hesitation, "The sauce is decent, but the duck could be better. It seems like you tried to put on as much oil as possible, but traditional duck breast isn't this oily. It is less dry though. You did a good job making the peel crispy… But the oil from the peel doesn't make up for the rest of the meat."

"I agree, but most average people would say this is good, but it's lacking when a food critic tastes it. Min Joon, have you made duck breast before?"

"… I thought I've made it many times before, but if I think about it now, it's not my most familiar ingredient."

"That shows on this plate. It tastes as though you followed a famous chef's recipe but didn't quite get it right."

In other words, they were saying the idea was good but that the execution was poor. Cho Min Joon kept his mouth shut and squeezed his eyes shut as well. Joseph saw this as he asked, "We gave you a mirror as the theme. We wanted you to display yourselves. Why did you make this dish?"

"Because it's the most fun dish to make."

"In what way?"

"Making sauce with fruit and grilling it on a fry pan. These are things that I attempted when I first started cooking, and I found it the most fascinating and enjoyable. Maybe it's because of good memories… But I thought that if I had to display myself, it was best to display my first intention. That's what this is."

"That's good, but you should have gotten rid of the rookie aspect of your first intention…"

Joseph sighed. As soon as he finished, the judges were tasting Chloe's pepper glass noodles. It was delicious, and the Chinese flower bun was warm and soft, and the oil of the meat and the savory flavor of it all was delicious. But… something was lacking.

The judges looked troubled, and Cho Min Joon understood their thoughts. There was no flaw in the dish. The recipe stuck to the basics, but it was too simple. Chinese dishes were all about using the knife and not much else, but when it came to pepper glass noodles, she just had to slice the ingredients and throw them into a pan with a sauce.

"Why did you pick pepper glass noodles? I clearly told you that you have to make something that'll touch us. To be honest, anyone can make pepper glass noodles. We're all familiar with it. Did you think you could touch us with this?"

Chloe hesitated for a moment. She looked in the eyes of all the judges and carefully opened her mouth.

"To be honest, I'm tired."

"… Are you talking about the competition?"

"Uh… sort of, but not really. We always have to make something new. Something unique, something fancy. I like to cook, but I like to cook the same old things. I like the feeling of getting better the more I make the same dish. I enjoy making easy things like egg rolls. Homecooked meals? I'm not so sure if that should be in a separate category. I also don't know if you have to use big plates and put a small amount of plate on it to look like a classy dish."

Chloe vented everything without pausing as if she had been holding it in for a long time. She bit down on her lip while looking miserable.

"Of course, I like this, too. I learned new things, and it's not bad to challenge myself to be more creative, but the theme was a mirror, so this is the kind of person I am. Rather than something fancy, I prefer more average and simple things. That's what that dish represents."

Cho Min Joon listened carefully. He remembered the potato soup Chloe made before, as well as the other dishes she made. Chloe continued. She sounded like she was about to cry, but her face looked confident.

"I'm not ashamed of that dish. I don't' think it's pathetic either because there's no need."

"But that's not the case with customers."

Allan answered with a calm voice. He understood how Chloe felt, but the reality was different from ideals.

"If you open an average restaurant, that's fine. But chefs are always greedy to use good ingredients and create the perfect dish. There will be a day when you have that greed as well, and when that happens, you won't be satisfied with that dish anymore. Don't deny it. Countless chefs that I've watched over were like that. At first, they focused on making average dishes at a cheaper price. They said there was value in making food for average people who just wanted to be full."

Allan paused for a moment. He took a breath and continued with a heavy voice,

"Yes, there's value in that, but it's treated differently. The treatment of your dishes as well as you as people. Go to a nice restaurant. The dish is never left with any food remaining, but in normal restaurants, that's not the case because it's a cheap meal, so they don't feel wasteful for leaving some food, but that also means they have less respect for who made it. If you can keep your belief even in that setting… Then that's not bad, but not many people will think of you as the very best. Fancy restaurants are fancy for a reason, and Grand Chef is a place where we pick the very best. We're here to create a chef that everyone will look up to."

Chloe couldn't answer him. She just looked at her own pepper glass noodles with a tired look in her eyes. Rachel spoke in a calm voice, "Your heart is warm and friendly, but your dish didn't have any ambition while Min Joon's did. Chloe, Allan isn't saying your dish is worthless. He's just saying it's a lonely and difficult path."

"… I understand."

"This dish isn't lacking in any way. It's delicious, and it was cleverly made, but it didn't suit the theme of this competition, that's all."

Chloe closed her mouth. The judges discussed amongst themselves and nodded. Emily opened her mouth.

"We've decided."

Because of his love for cooking, he had thrown away his career as a teacher and had become a chef.
But despite his desires, his lack of cooking skills was the harsh truth he had to face.
But when he reached the age of 30, he had been sent back 7 years back into the past.
Another chance.

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