As silly as it sounds, an oven toaster brought them together.

Ever since Mag had opened his restaurant, he had truly been made to comprehend what it meant for people working in the same occupation to be enemies. 
As such, he wasn't fazed by the antagonistic eyes cast toward him at all. It didn't take a genius to know how much rage and resentment would be boiling in the hearts of these chefs.
None of that mattered to him anyway. He was a man who could see the bigger picture, and he certainly wasn't going to pay any heed to these ignorant chefs.
The butler who had led Mag to the kitchen smiled, and said, "Mr. Mag, here are all of the things that you asked for, as well as all of the ingredients that you requested. If you need anything else, feel free to tell me." 
Mag carefully examined the items on the cooking bench to verify that everything he had requested was ready, and he nodded as he said, "That should be all for now. Thanks for your hard work."
There was no such thing as a gas stove in this world, but Beate had displayed his intelligence to the world by devising a magic stove that derived its heat from a magic formation. The stove was able to provide consistent flame temperature, and the heat was easily adjustable.
All of the chefs in the second prince's manor were naturally using this type of magic stove, while Mag had bought one off the streets, and had taken a long while to grow accustomed to using it.
Prior to coming here, Mag had asked the system to convert the oven into a magic oven as opposed to having to rely on electricity. There was clearly no reliable source of electricity here in Rodu, so that would've been a major problem.
Mag asked Amy to take a seat on a little stool nearby while she ate her biscuits. He then pulled out an apron and chef's hat from one of the bags on the cooking bench before putting them on. 
"Is that the chef that His Highness sourced from Chaos City? He's so young; is he even able to cook anything good?"
"The chefs of Chaos City can't compare to the chefs in Rodu. If you ask me, any of the chefs in this kitchen is a far better chef than him."
"He's not that old, but he sure is a cocky little brat. Look at all the stuff he asked the servants to prepare; is he looking down on the kitchenware in our manor?"
The chefs weren't saying anything, yet the sous-chefs and student chefs were all discussing spiritedly among themselves.
Mag merely smiled upon hearing these barbed words. These were the most elementary playground insults, and they certainly weren't going to hurt him. Instead, he was struck by the urge to laugh.
Most of the chefs in the kitchen were already middle-aged men, so they weren't as eager to air their views as the young sous-chefs and student chefs were, but many of them were looking at Mag with disdain in their eyes. The most renowned chef in Chaos City, Head Chef Beate of Ducas Restaurant, had studied cooking in Rodu.
Of course, they would be able to tell whether Mag was the real deal once he began cooking. They were all esteemed chefs, and had to maintain their poise and dignity. Otherwise, if they were to also deliver verbal insults toward Mag, they would be stooping to the level of the student chefs.
However, they were going to air their opinions once Mag's dishes were ready, and they were going to thoroughly enjoy stomping him into the ground during that process.
Mag pulled out his condiments one by one and placed them in the positions that he was accustomed to. He then reached into the water tank beside him, and pulled out a kirin carp that was still swimming about energetically.
He knocked the fish unconscious with the hilt of his blade, and proceeded to remove its scales with a long and thin knife. He then sliced several gashes into the fish's body, pulling out some small fishbones in the process. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, a small pile of tiny fishbones had accumulated on the cooking bench.
A portly chef turned to his student with a derisive sneer, and said, "Heh, do you all see that? That's the worst way to prepare a kirin carp. The scales of the kirin carp are the most delicious parts of its body, and it's what makes the kirin carp so beautiful. Not only has he removed all of the fish's scales, he's also sliced so many unsightly gashes into the fish's body. The entire fish is going to fall apart during the cooking process, and the end result will not only be hideous, but also very unpleasant to eat."
As he was the chef that was the most proficient at cooking fish in this entire kitchen, Matthew's evaluation was naturally regarded to be correct, and all of the student chefs immediately began to suck up to him.
"So you're saying the rank fish scales are the most delicious part of a fish; no wonder you can't cook a good fish." Mag placed the cleaned fish into the marinating condiments before pursing his lips as he scoffed, "The most rank part of a kirin carp's body is its scales. Furthermore, they seal off the flesh of the fish, preventing other flavors from seeping in while trapping the rank odor, making the fish completely bland and tasteless aside from an overwhelming rank flavor. As for the cuts I'm making in the fish, this is to let in more flavor as well as to remove the fishbones. There's no point in telling you this, though; it's a technical skill that not everyone can master."
Mag's voice wasn't very loud, but the entire kitchen immediately fell silent. Contemplative expressions appeared on the faces of the chefs, while the student chefs were trying to gauge the chefs' reactions before saying anything, in fear of saying something wrong if they were to speak too soon.
Matthew's face immediately became flushed with rage and humiliation. He didn't think that Mag would dare to rebut him in front of so many people. He pointed a trembling finger at Mag, and retorted, "T-that's nonsense! I've cooked fish for over three decades! When I first started cooking fish, you were still in your diapers! Do you think I have less experience than a brat like you?"
"Perseverance and dedication are indeed qualities worthy of respect. Stubbornly following the wrong path for over 30 years is also very much commendable." Mag nodded with a smile.
"You… You…" Matthew was trembling with rage, but he couldn't find a counter to Mag's insult. In the end, he swept his hand through the air with clenched teeth, and spat, "You've got a very sharp tongue; let's see if you can back up that big mouth of yours!"
Mag wasn't someone who would allow others to push him around. The fat chef looked as if he wanted to kill Mag, but he couldn't do anything, and Mag was feeling very content upon seeing this.
He felt as if his sharp tongue from his past life was awakening from its dormancy again.
During the fish marination process, Mag prepared the ingredients for both the steak and the braised chicken. When he opened that bottle of wine, Mag could clearly sense that the eyes of everyone in the kitchen had lit up.
The fish was being grilled in the oven, the chicken was being braised in a pot, and the steak was being seared in a pan. Mag was cooking three dishes at the same time.
The aromas of beef and red wine wafted throughout the kitchen along with the scent of the braised chicken that was escaping from the pot. Only the aroma of the fish had been completely sealed off by the oven.
However, everyone had already fallen silent.
Nothing could make people eat their words more effectively than actions. All of the people in this kitchen were either chefs or aspiring to become chefs. They had all been cooking for a long time, yet they had never encountered a dish that was making it difficult for them to repress their drool, making them want to inhale its aroma with all their might.
However, Mag had managed to achieve this.
"It smells so good! I've never smelled such a fragrant dish. Both the chicken and the beef smell simply extraordinary," a student chef couldn't help but praise, and everyone nodded in agreement with this sentiment. Many of them were unconsciously getting up on the tips of their toes, trying to catch a glimpse of what Mag was putting into his pot and pan to create such an alluring aroma.
"Hmph, even if he can cook a good beef dish and chicken dish, his fish may not be on par," Matthew harrumphed coldly, but his fists were already clenched with anxiety.
"Ding!"
A crisp notification sound rang out from the oven, and Mag plated the steak before opening the door of the oven.


In Chaos City on the Norland Continent, there is a strange restaurant.

Here, elves and dwarves share tables. Beastmen are prohibited from making a din, and giant dragons can only seat around the tiny square in front of the restaurant. Even demons have to bring their own stools…

But it is such a strange restaurant that has long lines outside every day.

Elves are stuffing kebabs, paying no mind to their manners; giant dragons are sitting around a hot pot, strainers in their hands; demons are eating nice-looking dango…

"There's no other place on this continent where you can find food like that! The boss here is a genius!" a customer provides such a review. Then, he gives a furtive look at the door. "Also, don't you think of kidnapping the boss away or dine-and-dashing, or you will suffer a tragic death."

"Eat, pay, or you will be beaten to death." says a cute little girl in her childish voice as she trots forward. A five-meter tall dragon shivers when it meets her eyes.

It was six days after the food truck mission and the three-star meal ended. No missions were given after that. Since they worked hard in the truck for a week, they might have given them a break, or maybe the judges were just busy.

There were no missions, but an episode aired on TV. The 7th episode. The team mission at the time was shown. It was the one where Kaya and Jacob formed their own teams and Jacob messed up. Also…

Cho Min Joon looked behind him. Peter was looking at his phone with his butt against the cooking station. He had no other choice. It was Kaya and Peter who were mentioned the most after the broadcast. Martin was a pro. He wasn't the type to edit Peter's parts out just because he felt bad.

All the things Peter said were broadcasted. Despite the fact that he was now more mentally mature, it was too much to just ignore. He made personal attacks after all. Cho Min Joon understood Peter. He knew that he was less mature and didn't have many good human experiences, so he had a hard time controlling himself.

But the public didn't know that, and even if they did, they wouldn't have cared. All they heard was what he said on TV. Peter became a villain, and many people expressed their rage and demanded he pay the price.

Some people were suspicious. Although his words were harsh, they wondered if Kaya might have started it, but Kaya couldn't completely cover up Peter's wrongdoing. After all, he even burned the Tandoori chicken after that… So people had no choice but to feel angry. Cho Min Joon sighed as he said,

"… Don't read the comments."

But Peter couldn't hear him. There was no way he could. Kaya couldn't either, and even if he tried not to, he would eventually get back on the internet without realizing it.

Compared to him, Cho Min Joon was better off. To be more exact, his love line was more conveyed than his abilities, but after his perfect palate was revealed, things turned around. Everyone started to think that there must have been a reason for everything he did. The foreign aspect of being Asian became wings for Cho Min Joon. People thought that Cho Min Joon was a genius that was out of their realm.

And to be honest, he didn't hate that. It was a little burdensome, but it also made him excited and smile. People liked him. People who he didn't even know anticipated his next big thing. That was a fascinating thing for him.

"We're going to start filming! Please put your phones away!"

The staff's voice rang through the house. Peter immediately put his phone in his pocket. Not long afterward, the judges entered. As usual, they said a few words to hype them up before Joseph spoke in a calm voice, "You'll see a box on your cooking station. When I count to three, please open the lid. One, two, three!"

The lids all opened at the same time. Some sighed of relief while others frowned. Cho Min Joon was the latter. Inside was a large piece of meat. To be more exact, a piece of meat and bone.

A t-bone. It was a part that also had sirloin and tenderloin attached. Joseph spoke in a serious voice, "The t-bone isn't the most delicious part of a steak. That all depends on the person, but I can say this for sure. The t-bone steak is the hardest to make. If you cook it all at the same temperature, the sirloin will cook faster than the tenderloin, but we want all of the parts to be cooked equally.

Everybody sighed. This mission was all about technique. If they made one mistake, it was over. But what Joseph said next gave them some relief, "But don't be too nervous. This mission is just a warm-up, but 1st place will get a prize. You'll be exempted from disqualification in the next mission."

In response, the contestants' eyes sparkled. Cho Min Joon sighed out of relief. It wasn't enough to go after 1st place. In Korea, it wasn't easy finding t-bone. Most meat shops just sold sirloin and tenderloin separately. They rarely sold t-bone. It was hard to find at large supermarkets as well.

So he didn't have much experience with it. When he looked at the meat, it was less than 2 centimeters thick. It wasn't thin, but it wasn't thick either. When it came to steaks, the thicker ones were easier to cook.

It was inevitable. The thinner it was, the less time they had to keep it over the fire. It was common to just sear the outer region and then end up overcooking the inside.

"You won't use a separate sauce for it. Just use salt and pepper. Remember, the most important part is to cook all of the regions equally, and flavor is important, too. You may begin! You have 10 minutes."

Cho Min Joon immediately turned around. There was no particular method of cooking t-bone, it was all about experience. When steak houses hired chefs, they usually evaluated them based on how they cooked t-bone, so that made him realize how difficult this was.

It wasn't hard to get the right flavor. All he had to do was overlook the part of making it cook equally. The sirloin would be medium while the tenderloin would be medium-rare. Some customers liked to enjoy the differences in those two parts.

But there were those who wanted both parts to be cooked the same. The perfect chef was able to provide customers with both types of t-bone.

What he had to focus on now was the cooking method. When he looked around, Kaya was getting a grate. He saw something that he couldn't understand. Peter was heating up the oven. Allan must have wondered the same thing because he approached Peter himself.

"… How do you plan on cooking it?"

"After cooking it in the oven, I'm going to sear the outer side on a pan and then rest it."

"Do you think you can control how the oven cooks it on both sides?"

"As long as I just place the tenderloin part on the pan first and cook it a little more, it should be fine.

"I'm not sure. Let's keep an eye on it."

Peter's face grew dark. He thought there was potential, but Allan's remark made his confidence go down, but he couldn't change his plans just because of one remark.

Most of the contestants were seasoning the meat. 5 minutes passed. As soon as 5 minutes passed, the contestants began to move faster.

Cho Min Joon put some pepper and salt on his. He then put it on top of a greased pan. As it made a refreshing cooking sound, Allan asked, "Do you have experience cooking t-bone?"

"No, not really."

"Focus on the range of the fire that touches the pan. That'll help you a great deal."

He was intending to do that anyway, but Cho Min Joon just smiled. There was no need to respond sharply to an intention to help.

Like Allan said, controlling the heat was key. Cho Min Joon tilted the pan and put the tenderloin where the fire was the hottest, but it couldn't be too different in temperature either. Then the tenderloin could end up more overcooked than the sirloin.

All chefs gave different tips regarding how to cook steak. Some said one could flip it more than twice while others said to fillip it every 30 seconds to a minute. Cho Min Joon flipped it every minute. When he did it that way, the juices gathered in the middle making the meat nice and juicy.

Rather than who was right and who was wrong, it all depended on the person. Cho Min Joon checked the time as he flipped the steak. He didn't use any arosser methods. It would only distract him, and the added oil could make the meat cook differently, and Cho Min Joon wasn't so skilled that he could calculate what the additional oil would do to the meat.

The predicted score was 6. It couldn't have been better. He cooked it without any sauce, so the score couldn't have been higher.

What Cho Min Joon wanted was medium. After flipping it three times, he put the meat on top of a paper towel. As long as he waited a minute for the juices to come back… He was certain that both sides would be cooked well.

The buzzer rang. The 12 contestants took their hands off of their plates, but Cho Min Joon stared at his. The cooking score of the t-bone steak after resting was 6. It was as the recipe predicted.

The judges called the contestants up one by one. They cut into the sirloin and then the tenderloin. If they were cooked differently, they didn't even taste it. That was the case for Peter.

"I asked you if you could do it well. Look at this."

Allan showed the cut meat to Peter. One side was medium and the other side was rare, and the rare part still had blood in it. Emily sighed.

"I know this isn't a disqualification round, but this is too much. You can't experiment with food like this."

"… I apologize."

Peter responded with a pale face. He was already pressured because of the negative comments online. They didn't know what else to say to that face. They sent Peter back and called up the next contestant. It was Anderson's turn. Joseph cut into both sides and smiled.

"Both sides are medium well-done. They're not burnt either. You cooked it perfectly. I'm impressed, Anderson. You haven't been able to show off your full potential until now. I feel like you've returned."

"Thank you."

Anderson answered without a smile. It was too early to be happy. He wasn't the 1st place yet. They praised him after tasting it. All the contestants commented that the medium-rare steak was nice and moist.

Cho Min Joon understood that evaluation. After all, Anderson's steak showed up as 7 points. The fact that he achieved that score with just salt and pepper meant that he would have reached 8 points with proper sauce.

Next up was Cho Min Joon. He carried his plate with confidence. As soon as Emily cut into the meat, she nodded.

"Medium. It's equal throughout. There's a slight difference… but I don't think any customer would complain about this. You haven't cooked t-bone before, have you?"

"No, ma'am."

"Then this is impressive. And the texture… Hm. It's not bad, and it's juicy, too. Good work."

Compared to Anderson's praise, Cho Min Joon's was a step down. He felt a little disappointed, but he had no choice. Experience meant a great deal when it came to cooking.

The last contestant to be evaluated was Kaya. She carried her plate to the front. Joseph looked at the plate with great interest.

"You're the only one who cooked it on a grate, Kaya. Are you confident in your job?"

"My top skill is using fire. If I didn't cook, I might have become an arsonist."

"I'll take your word on that."

Joseph cut the meat with soft hands. Kaya was right. Medium. The meat was perfectly cooked to look pink inside, both the sirloin and tenderloin. Joseph slowly put it into his mouth.

When Joseph took his first bite, his face was bright, but as he took his second and third bites, his face turned strange. Same with the other judges. Kaya looked at the judges with anxiousness.

"You cooked it well. But Kaya, I think you forgot something. When you cooked the meat, did you cook the outside first before you cooked the inside?"

In response, Kaya looked surprised. She was so busy cooking the sirloin and tenderloin at the same time that she forgot to cook the outside in order to contain the juices. Cho Min Joon just stared at Kaya. Unfortunately, her steak was a 5. It was understandable. There was plenty of fire flavor, but there wasn't much juice.

'I didn't know Kaya can screw up like that.'

Besides fighting with team members because of her personality, this was the first time he saw her mess up. Joseph spoke in a caring voice, "You seem to know where you messed up. That's okay, Kaya. All chefs make mistakes. Please go back."

"… Yes, Sir."

Kaya walked back with a sad look on her face. It was clear who took the 1st place. There were a few contestants who cooked it equally, but there was only one person who did it perfectly—Anderson. Cho Min Joon glanced at him. He tended to be consistent in his output, but the more he watched, the more impressive he got. He lost to Kaya and took 2nd place, but that meant he would've won if she wasn't there.

"We've chosen who came in 1st place. It was unanimous. Anderson, congratulations! You're excluded from the next disqualification round. Please go up to the 2nd floor!"

"Thank you."

Anderson answered calmly and began walking. While the other contestants stared with jealousy, Allan said, "Then let us announce our next mission. Some of you might not like this one."

Allan then glanced over at Cho Min Joon. Cho Min Joon twitched his eyes. He felt anxious. Allan continued in a calm manner, "This mission… is a dessert."

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.

There were many wild animals in the United States; when it was hunting season, people could get a variety of game meat for food.
The Playboy was not the only one who brought meat. Blacktooth Robbie also brought a similar gift: a large piece of tenderloin, which would make an excellent steak. Steak, however, also required more effort to prepare. Big Quinn directly rubbed the meat with a layer of butter.
There were also some people who brought wild pork meat. Li Du had eaten this chewy type of meat before.
Whether it’s wild pork or wild beef, they had eaten or seen it before. There was even one who brought wild goose meat, which was really rare and strange.
Big Quinn cured the peacock meat by marinating it using a mixture of red wine, gin, Japanese miso, and olive oil.
When it was noon, it was time to eat.
American parties did not have many rules in regards to meals; most of the time parties just had buffet-style meals. Hans’s party was like a do-it-yourself buffet. Everyone took the prepared or marinated meat and the like, and barbecued it themselves.
Li Du had originally wanted to show off his culinary skills by preparing some dishes. However, there were too many people to entertain. Now that he was very popular, everyone wanted to talk with him. Therefore, he had no free time.
With the large assortment of food at this treasure hunter party, there were mostly burgers. This was the easiest meal to prepare and could enable the guests to fill up their stomachs in the fastest possible time. Big Quinn had prepared a lot of burger ingredients and placed them on the table for the treasure hunters to mix and match.
Li Du put two of them into the oven designed by Big Quinn, which had different layers for cooking. In this way, when the fire was lit, the flames would not rise directly to the top.
"Three-zone oven?" Lu Guan seemed intrigued by the oven; he squatted near it to take a closer look.
Li Du asked, "What about it?"
"Well, this is a high-grade oven—one that is very troublesome to make. Look, the top layer is a low-temperature zone, the highest temperature zone is around the center and the bottom layer is the middle-temperature zone. They all have different roles."
This type of oven was very suitable for grilling burgers. The meat could be placed in the high-temperature for quick grilling, then moved to the mid-temperature zone where the meat inside would be thoroughly cooked. When it was fully-cooked, the meat was placed in the low-temperature zone to stay warm.
But as this was a complicated process, Hans got impatient after grilling his burger in the first zone and ate it after it was ready, skipping the step to place it in the mid-temperate zone.
After chewing on the burger two times, he asked, "Is this the wild beef? It’s too lean, the meat doesn’t smell good at all."
Big Quinn walked over and took a look. "Nope, it’s pork. Just that it’s too lean. Come, put some butter on it. Remember not to use the tongs to press the burger during barbecuing or the oil inside will be squeezed out."
Li Du also made himself a burger. He took two slices of bread and a piece of wild beef as he had never eaten that before.
"Don’t use too much seasoning with the wild beef," recommended the Playboy. "Friend, just try sprinkling some coarse salt and black pepper powder. This way, you can taste its original flavor."
Li Du added some vegetables since he didn’t add much seasoning.
He added lettuce, tomatoes and onions to make a big, fat burger and worked hard to barbecue the beef. When it was ready to be eaten, Hans grabbed the burger from him.
"Come back here, you thief!" cried Li Du angrily.
Hans cackled and had a naughty smirk on his face. "Thank you for your present, Li!"
Looking at the group of people cracking crude jokes and playing around without a care, York suddenly envied them and murmured, "Seems like living life like this isn’t too bad after all."
"Live like these barbaric and foolish bumpkins?" Frank laughed condescendingly. "No, just kill me. Our aim is to stay at Beverly Hills where our next door neighbors are Hollywood stars and politicians. As for these fools? They can go to hell!"
Not too far away in the distance, Lu Guan, who was playing with his big golden retriever, shrugged. He went to look for Li Du and commented, "Wanna know some information? Those Two have new criticisms of you..."
Li Du’s story of how Shang Yang had gained prestige and trust seemed to work. From the beginning until the end of the party, more than 10 people came to him and told him some so-called "insider news."
Not only treasure hunters there disclosed information to him, but Li even received a call from another city. When the party wrapped up, Li Du got a call from Kevin Zhang, whose Chinese name was Zhang Kai. He was working in Page Town.
If one did a search on the Internet for Page Town in Chinese, one would get results for the city of Pécs. Pécs was a famous city situated between the Danube and Drava rivers. It was one of Hungary’s most attractive cities.
The Hungarian city Pécs had a pleasant climate and a long history. The city was host to magnificent museums and had the richest Turkish architecture in Hungary.
There was also a place called "Page" in the United States, which was where Zhang Kai was working. Both Page in America and Pécs in Europe shared the same Chinese name, but there was a huge gap between them in size and population.
In the United States there were many such places. This was due to the first immigrants to Americans were from Europe. In order to cherish the memories of their homeland or simply for easy remembrance, there were many places named after European cities.
Li Du had only heard of the European city of Pécs. He was somewhat nonplussed and asked, "Hello? You’re calling from Hungary?"
The voice over the phone sounded startled and replied, "No, I’m in America, in the state of Arizona."
Li Du looked at Hans and consulted him in a low voice. "Is there a place called ‘Page’ in Arizona?"
Hans nodded his head. "Of course, it’s located in the northeastern part of Arizona. It used to belong to the Hopis."
Li Du nodded to himself and continued to answer the phone, "Hello, Mr. Zhang, may I know the purpose of this call?"
Zhang Kai proceeded to use Mandarin to converse with Li, "Hi brother, I’m currently working at Glen Canyon Storage. The company’s planning to hold an auction soon, a storage unit auction."
Li Du listened quietly. So someone’s giving me auction information? he thought.
Zhang Kai said, "Not sure if you know this: Page is a very popular tourist spot with three to four million tourists coming here annually. Over here, there is a lot of storage units filled with items.
"There will be a total of 45 storage units put on auction with various sizes—the large, medium, and small units. Some of them contain good things inside. Will you be coming for the auction?"
Li Du did not reply immediately. Instead, he asked, "How do you know me? Were you introduced to me by Mr. Ma Zhi-an? Are you also a member of the Chinese Mutual Aid Association?"
"Yes, Brother Ma has informed all the members in this line of business," replied Zhang Kai in a straightforward manner, "saying that we have another member working as a treasure hunter. And if there’s a good storage unit, we will inform you about it."
Li Du was quite moved by Ma Zhi-an’s goodwill, for this act would greatly help his line of work.
After exchanging contacts with Zhang Kai, Li Du ended the call and talked to Hans. "There’s an upcoming auction in Page, we need to set off right away."
Hans nodded and said, "Yes, there’s one with 45 storage units put up for auction."
"You need to be mindful of such news," preached Li Du. "There are 45 storage units, there could be something worthwhile in them."
Hans felt wronged. "I noticed it, but I didn’t know you were interested. Page is situated in the northeastern part of Arizona. It’s rather far away."
Li Du replied firmly, "As long as there’s money to be earned, we’ll go. Even if it’s really far."
Hans immediately disclosed another auction. "There’s also an auction in a storage company in Las Vegas with 20 storage units—might have better things in there."
Li Du replied, "Not going."
Hans was speechless.


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?! 


Didi's foul humor lasts all the way home. Pip's quiet doesn't hold out, though, and that's part of the problem. Before they're even in sight of the collection of bits and scraps that Didi's Dad declared their house, the crow opens his beak.
"You really need to tell Tarvis about the way Jackus spoke to you." Didi snorts, knowing doing so will reap no benefit. "Look, the main house light is on. You're in trouble, young lady." She grinds her teeth together, not bothering to remind him he's the reason she's out so late. Besides, Dad knows better than to give her grief. She's the only one who takes care of him. A bit of scowling and crossed arms and he'll be backing off any kind of harangue he might try to deliver.
The crow, on the other hand... simply doesn't know when to shut his trap. Didi's forehead aches from frowning as she stomps the last quarter mile for home, strongly considering letting Pip stay broken the next time he decides to fly off with those reprobate cousins of his.
"You just be careful the next time you're near Jackus's territory," Pip says, just as sure as if that's something she hadn't considered with her own brain, the silly creature. "And that means giving up on any idea you might have to go back to those gunslingers."
She's smart enough to admit she's irritated more by his understanding of her motives than the words he's actually saying. No matter. Maybe she could deactivate his voice box, just for a little while.
His chest feathers puff up, for the life of her as though he's some pontificating wise man, cyborg eye brightening as he glares at her. "Don't think I can't hear your mind whirling, Didi."
She pushes through the front door, enough oil on the old entry to someone's long-lost spacer swinging easily inward at her touch. Its original design called for a slider, but she likes the action of that push the best, the satisfying way its perfectly balanced weight moves with ease under her fingertips. Took her weeks to get the pulley system holding it in place just right, fiddling and finagling until the barest brush of her touch would move it. The latch catches as she swings it shut, locking with a faint click behind her while Pip sighs on her shoulder. The security grid she's wired up hums to life, sealing them off from the outside world.
"What am I going to do with you?"
She's already moving through the front entry to their home, lined with salvaged parts she has, as yet, to find a use for. Dad doesn't complain about the junk inside-he's as bad as she is when it comes to sorting through what's there for his own use. She keeps it tidy, at least, the metal parts piled high to the ceiling of the back half of a cargo bay welded with plasfoam to the front twenty feet of a scrapped housing module. She likes the impressive way the ceiling of the bay curves upward over the front of the main house, like some kind of grand foyer she's seen in vids. A thin veil of plas hums as she passes through it, popping out her mouth guard and nose filters on the other side. The house itself has its own protections from the stink and chemicals of the planet, enough her exposure to outside every morning gives her a start at the stench.
The kitchen is empty, stove dark and cold. She lucked out on the heating node from a plasma generator, more than enough power to run the rusting old cook unit. She pulls open the front doors, both handles sliding in her grip, and frowns at the interior. Won't take long to reheat a slab of the slush mole she caught and skinned two days ago. As long as Dad hadn't finished it off for lunch.
She can hear him puttering in his lab on the other side of the wall, the thin metal not much of a sound insulator. At least he hasn't noticed she was gone, after all. While Didi is certain she can win out on any argument with Dad, she'd rather not have to. He's so much more pliable when he's happy.
The cooler lid creaks when she opens it, stacks of mole steak piled on one side wrapped in protective plas, steam rising to the surface as hot air meets cold. Two steaks should do it and, though the memory of slaughtering the creature is still close to the surface-she hates killing anything, food needs or not-her mouth is already watering at the thought of grilled mole steak.
Pip hops down on the counter, a slab of petrified wood someone dumped near the edge of the sludge creek, the perfect size and shape for the new center island she built to give her a place to prep food. Dad used to handle all this, but Didi finds it easier to take care of dinner. Especially if she actually wants to eat and not starve while his focus on work keeps him distracted.
"Didi!" Dad's voice drifts through the wall, tinny from the vibration of the metal between them. "That you?"
"Home, Dad," she calls back, the generator kicking in with a grunt of disagreement. She kicks it in irritation even as it jerks itself to life, the interior of the oven instantly hot. Flesh sizzles when her fingers slip, the tips touching the rack as she slides the pan with steaks inside. Didi hisses softly, sucking at the singed spots, slamming the oven door.
"Dinner?" He sounds plaintive, boyish.
"Coming." Didi sighs, eyes Pip who clacks his beak at her. "We have time," she says, scooping up the feathered cyborg and carrying him toward the other door in the kitchen. The narrow hall on the far side feels oppressive to her at times, mostly because she hasn't made replacing the glowtubes in the ceiling a priority. Every time one goes out, she adds scavenging more to her list, but somehow it always ends up on the bottom. Her boots hum against the fake wood floor, made to replicate natural veining but always looking flat and dull to her. The wall panels are the same color, adding to the closing in feeling she gets. She pushes through the swinging door first on the right and into her own workshop.
She found this particular bubble of awesome herself, about a year ago, and convinced Tortley from three territories over to trade her a transport of the unit for a fix of his favorite skimmer. Dad hated it when she showed off her skills to the other squatters, but the trade was worth it, in her estimation. It had to have been some kind of expensive sunroom or greenhouse in the past, a piece of a rich family's place. She adored the pale green plasglass, unbreakable but breathable, containing its own filter system. Tubes of fleximinum formed the curved shell's frame, carrying the power and water supply like its own ecosystem. The air inside is so fresh she takes a huge breath, loving how it makes her feel alive, even after the day she's had. She's acutely aware of how badly she smells as she does, grimacing while she crosses to the large, metal table in the center of the room and clamps the protesting Pip into the large vice protruding from her work surface.
A quick glance at the pot of green on the far side of the room and she makes a decision to add some peas and lettuce to dinner. She has some spices she traded with Putter a few weeks ago for a handful of her peppers. More mouthwatering as she harvests her precious greens.
"If you don't mind," Pip's chill tone makes her laugh as she turns, the succulent morsels of freshness tucked into a small pouch she carries back to him. He's on his side, awkwardly posed, unable to move as the magnetized clamp holds his metal body in place. "Honestly, Didi."
"A bit of patience, bird." She strokes his feathers a moment. He mutters before closing his eyes, a soft purr emerging. "Your right leg is still a disaster."
He holds still as she retrieves some tools, finally able to straighten him out. It will take his organics time to cover the wound, but at least she's managed to shut down his nerve centers so he doesn't feel pain.
Her task done, she releases him from the vice. Pip stands, shakes, examines his leg.
"You're welcome." She tosses her black hair at him before scooping up her greens and heading for the kitchen. Pip wings after her, muttering to himself.
Dad is bent over in half, staring into the open oven when she enters. He glances up, smiles at her past his round-rimmed glasses. "Smells great."
She rolls her eyes, slamming the door on him. "House is hot enough."
Dad grins, shrugs his narrow shoulders, pushing one long fingered hand through his brown hair. He's so nondescript, so ordinary. But he's hers. Didi tosses the bag of greens on the counter, has to slap his fingers from stealing a pea pod. Pip snags one, flies off with it, hooting laughter while Didi shakes her head at the both of them.
"Good day?" Dad helps her retrieve plates, cutlery. She's proud of the set he scrounged for her, all matching even though most are chipped and the metal is faintly rusting. Proper table settings, even old and tired ones, make her happy for some reason.
"Good enough." Her luck he doesn't know the time, isn't aware after all she's been out so long. She licks juice from the greens from her fingers as she shreds them and piles them on the sides of the plates, sticking her tongue out at the crow who hops in agitation from leg to leg. Dad's already fetching the steaks, a steaming, dripping slab appearing at the end of his fork. She taps the release on the stool tucked under the table and settles in, not even bothering to criticize when Dad begins shoveling food into his mouth.
She's doing the same thing.
Pip flutters over and, though she swore she'd not share after the day he put her through, she divides up her portion and offers him bites between her own.
Dad straightens from hunching over his plate, gaze settling on Pip's damaged leg. "What happened?"
Didi's no tattle, though Dad is aware the silly corbie tends to take off from time to time. Pip, on the other hand, can't keep his fool beak shut.
"Your daughter," the ratting bird says before she can stop him, "has been out beyond territory again, Tarvis."
Dad winces, turns to Didi who glares at Pip. Yes, removing his voice box for a little while is an excellent idea.
"You know how I feel about that, Deeds." Dad's quiet, not angry. He's rarely angry. More scared and she knows why. It's dangerous out there.
"And you know if I didn't we wouldn't have half the things we do." She meets Dad's eyes with her own level gaze. "That spool of silverwire you needed for your invention. Think that came out of thin air?" Well, it did, she remembers. When it fell off the back of the dumpall.
Dad hesitates. "Is that where you were all day?"
She's not about to turn in the damned bird, though she should. "How's your steak?"
Pip tuts around a crunchy bit of peapod he's stolen from her plate. "Tell him about the trash rats, Didi. And your run-in with Jackus." Dad chokes on his sip of water, eyes huge behind his glasses while Didi's chest tightens, fists clenched around her cutlery. Maybe she'll just disassemble the farging bird. Make an entirely new-faithful-creature from the old. Or, maybe she'll dump his feathered behind in the sludge creek. "Oh, and the gunslingers."
Her turn to choke. "Pip!" She can't help it. How dare he share that with Dad? It's their secret.
Dad's anxiety rises visibly on his face. "You found gunslingers?"
Didi is forced to nod, though she keeps her voice steady and calm, a miracle in her estimation. "A whole cargo hold of them, Dad. Someone dumped them here."
Dad nods, head down, food forgotten, it seems, as he goes still. "How horrible."
Didi agrees, though he seems to be taking it personally. "Why horrible? They aren't active or anything." Not that she could tell, anyway.
Dad sits back, pushing his glasses up on his nose, arms crossing over his chest. His long-sleeved shirt rides up his narrow forearms, the rolls of the cuff hanging softly aside, exposing faint scars on his pale skin. She's often wondered what happened to him, where the scars came from. But Dad won't talk about it and it's easier not to ask. "Horrible," he says, "because they were people once, Didi." He looks off in the distance. "Like you and me. Hurt, beyond repair under normal circumstances, placed in metal bodies and turned into soldiers." Dad shudders, running his hands over his arms. Didi's heart constricts but she doesn't know why. "Just seems a tragedy for them to end up in a place like this." Their home. Dad often speaks of Trash Heaven like it's more hell than heaven. But despite its faults, it's all Didi knows. Protectiveness rises inside her, the need to defend her planet. Except he's right.
It's just a pile of trash.
"I never thought gunslingers would end up here." Dad pushes his plate away. Pip hops closer, helps himself, the greedy guts. Didi doesn't try to stop him. Waste not, want not. "But, I guess even their usefulness comes to an end eventually."
"They were decommed over fifty years ago." Pip pauses in his gulping. "What's the big deal?"
"They were meant to be disposed of like real people," Dad says, almost whispers. "Not tossed like garbage." He stands before Didi can ask him how he knows. Dad knows a lot of things he won't talk about. "I need to get back to work." He leaves her there, head down, hands in his pockets. Only stops and pauses when he reaches his lab's door. When he turns back, his smile is kind and, like always when he takes the time to truly see her, Didi's heart warms up so much she hugs herself from the joy of it. "Thanks for dinner."

***



I’m an international, multiple award-winning author with a passion for the voices in my head. As a singer, songwriter, independent filmmaker and improv teacher and performer, my life has always been about creating and sharing what I create with others. Now that my dream to write for a living is a reality, with over a hundred titles in happy publication and no end in sight, I live in beautiful Prince Edward Island, Canada, with my giant cats, pug overlord and overlady and my Gypsy Vanner gelding, Fynn.

Trash Heaven has been Didi Duke’s home for as long as she can remember. The dumping ground of the galaxy provides her with everything she’s ever needed or wanted. Except, maybe, the attention of her inventor father, always busy with his next creation. Good thing he’s passed on his talents to his sixteen-year-old daughter. With the company of her best friend—the cyborg crow, Pip—Didi is happy to scour her territory for treasures discarded as trash. But, when an evil Underlord kidnaps her father, Didi can no longer hide herself away in the garbage. Her plan to resurrect a retired cyborg gunslinger and rescue her dad leads her into danger and the heart of the rotting planet—Trash City. She’ll figure out the rest of her plan—eventually.

Deuce : Then i shall be the first one who tries them...

Ace : Hey, you're not the only one...

Law : Yesh... Don't go ahead...

Leyla : Relax guys... How about i pour to all of you and drink at the same time...

They all nodded to her and after she brought a few glasses for all of them she went to the jars and picked one as she shook it...

There was no sound coming from it, indicating it was empty, it was the same for the next four of them and as she shook the sixth one it was heavier and was making giggle sounds...

She open the lid and then started pouring first on the boys waiting for them to taste it...

Leon had placed the two huge plates in front of them and went to the kitchen to finish the rest...

As they took a sip, a wave of heaviness hit them while slowly gulping down the aftertaste of the red wine...

Deuce : Good wine...

Ace : So heavy....

Law : Perhaps with 3-4 glasses we will be out before we know it...

Law : It has a sweet yet heavy texture...

Leyla : Good, then here, you can all enjoy...

Leon : Not just them everyone can drink...

Leon : The previous two plates i set on the table were...

Leon : Beef brisket, bottom or top round, or chuck set in a deep roasting pan with potatoes, carrots, onions, and whatever else your chef threw in to be infused with the meat's simmering juices...

Leon : The pot roast could be anointed with red wine or even beer, then covered and cooked on the stovetop or in the oven.

Leon : So the wine you have on hand is perfect to go with this...

Leon : As for the other one it is dehydrated meat shrivelled almost beyond recognition an unlikely source of so much gustatory pleasure, but jerky is a high-protein favourite of backpackers, road trippers, and snackers everywhere.

Leon : It's a slice of mixed fire-cured meat with animal fat. Beef, turkey, chicken, venison, buffalo, even ostrich, alligator, yak, and emu. 

Leon : Peppered, barbecued, hickory-smoked, honey glazed. Flavoured with teriyaki, jalapeno, lemon pepper, chilli.

Leon : Prepare to chew long and hard. You've still got your own teeth, right?

Olivia : Oh, you used the small pieces of meat i was saving through the months...

Leon : Yes, as i thought they would go to waste if they stay unused for long...

Leon : As for the two i brought now...

Leon : Grill skirt steak over the fire, wrap with anything bread related. You can spread on it various of condiments such as grilled onions and green pepper, pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and sour cream...

Kuina : But i can only see the meat here with a white sauce...

Leon : Yeah, i only dipped it in milk and grilled onions as the others have finished...

Leon : You should finished these first before the next ones come out...

Olivia : Don't you need help to prepare all these??

Leon : Not quite... When i start with one dish i think what else could i create with the leftovers and create a different dish at the same time...

Olivia : You mean that when you cook with one set of ingredients you add 3-4 more in the leftovers and create another??

Leon : Pretty much...

Leon : The last two dishes are taking too long because they need to be cooked until high-level texture...

Olivia started tasting the dishes that were in front of them while Leon went to check the other two dishes...

After 15 minutes of cheating as he used his flames to cook and roast them faster in the stone oven, he served them the last two...

He started explaining that one of them was made with meat, vegetables a trinity of celery, peppers, and onions along with rice, shrimp and andouille sausage.

Although he did say that because he lacked sausage he added bacon...

As for the last one, it was the major plate of the day...

Pork or beef, slathered or smoked roasted with different kinds of seasonings with the help of his flames along with a sauce he managed to come up adding all the previous juices from salads and different dishes he created...

2 Siblings...... Leyla and Leon, As they went a road trip with their private plane..... on the road of return never would they have imagine themselfs in a new adventure......

Little Sage placed her new iron toys back in the box and carefully placed it inside the kitchen.
As she scurried back outside, she told Gus, "We can play later! Let's cook first!" 

Little Sage waved her spoon and placed it inside her nearest pocket. She thought if she put it there, then she can take it out anytime to taste everyone's work.

Gus remembered his old chef garbs back on earth. There are small pockets in the shoulders of his uniform. Cooks use that pocket to place their tasting spoon inside, so they can taste their dishes anytime they need to. Maybe it's about time the kids need cooking garbs. thought Gus

"I also want to help, Gus."  said Sarah as she showed up from behind, she tied her hair back and rolled up her sleeves. Gus nodded at her and also gave her a chef's knife of her own. 

Gus divided the work into several stations to make them work more efficiently. Holding his own personal knife, Gus has demonstrated to everyone how he dismantled One Minotaur carcass and One Orc carcass. Everyone was amazed at Gus' knife skills as he cut the carcass flawlessly. All of them thought that blade arts can only express its beauty on the battlefield. But Gus has proven them wrong! All of his movements were swift, decisive and clean as if Gus was dancing. All the organs and intestines were taken out quickly and neatly.

The kids have started copying his hand movements as they observed and memorized where to cut the carcasses. 

Piece after piece, Gus placed the different cuts of meat on the kitchen table for everyone to remember what the different parts are called. Sarah and kids suddenly got all nervous, because they are afraid to ruin Gus' cooking.

Gus collapsed his body and morphed each part of him into multiple Gusford juniors!

"A Gusford jr. will guide you on what to do, if you ever get confused with your work! The Gusfords also has the ability to assist you. Everyone! Don't you want to learn how to cook? Don't you want to feed delicious food to your hungry neighbors? This is the time to show them what you guys can do! Remember! I'm always by your side!" 

After Gus encouraged his Kitchen Brigade, their fear melted away and was replaced with their eyes burning with excitement!

The most laborious part of cooking has begun! The First Station is called The Vegetable Cutting Station. They are responsible for doing the prep work for vegetables such as Onions, Potatoes, Garlic, and tomatoes.

These responsibilities went to the Ladies. Sarah, Gretel, and Cindy has a Gusford Jr. of their own.  Each Gus has taught them how to use their knives properly and told them the different cuts and sizes of the onions and potatoes needed. 

Each Gusford Junior jumped into the ladies' dominant hand and transformed into a thin armored glove. They were surprised as their hand moved and cut the onions sticks for Minotaur teriyaki, the thin onion slices for the onion soup, and finally the ring slices for the onion rings. 

The gloves also demonstrated the different sizes and cuts that will be done for mashed potatoes, french fries and potato chips. After Gus demonstrated, The glove gave back full control to the wearer to let them cut for themselves. Gus figured, they should give the least attention to garlic and tomatoes for now, as crushing them was not as laborious as the other prep work. Gus' creative teaching method amazed Sarah and the girls. They realized they can actually learn a lot and finish on time if they keep this up! 

With Gus' "Valued Patron" Passive in effect, the girls didn't get tired and they prepped the vegetables with ease! Anybody who wears the armor will enjoy Gus' stat bonuses! Cindy instantly fell in love with her paring knife as she can meticulously cut the vegetables precisely to the sizes as she wanted. Gretel loved her knives as well. She told Gus, that she wants to learn Cleaver techniques the next time they cook.

The Boys were in charge of the Butchery Station. They handled The Minotaur and Orc meats which Gus has primarily cut for them. Griffin was being taught how to dismantle the 2nd Minotaur Carcass while Ray was dismantling the Orc Carcass. They Cut the Carcasses with ease, as Gus' "Valued Patron" passive is in effect. They Dismantled the Luscious Fresh Meats as if they were cutting butter with a hot knife. They were able to dismantle the meats quickly and even moved on with marinating the meats with soy sauce and garlic for the minotaur teriyaki and soy garlic porc. 

Next, Gus has instructed Ray and Griffin to Roast the bones in the oven. The bones will be turned into soup stock for the onion soup and sauce base for Porc balls in tomato sauce. Griffin loved mincing the Meat for the porc balls and Minotaur Salisbury steak as he was able to go all out on his cleaver. Ray also loved slicing the different slices of meat for porc chops, teriyaki minotaur, and orc bacon. Ray was able to cut the slices for teriyaki minotaur effectively, as his fillet knife can bend!

The brothers even let Little Sage help, by giving her the 6 tenderloins and the mounds of Orc belly cuts from the carcasses to marinate for herself! Gus taught little Sage, to cure their favorite meat dish, the ever-popular bacon! It was adorable seeing Little Sage shouting "Ya! Ya!" As she massages the marinade in the tenderloins, the ribs, as well as The Salt in the Orc Bellies, to become Bacon!

While everyone was busy hustling and bustling, a childlike size Gus' paused and took a good look at Sarah and the kids as they work in the kitchen. It's as if time slowed down. The difference when he first met them compared to the present is like Day and Night. Gus can see the sparkle in their eyes, as they prepare the food. Gus saw Griffin asking Cindy the garlic slices he needed for his marinade, He even saw the quiet Ray asking Gretel if the minced onions are ready for him to mix in the Salisbury steak and Porc balls! Gus was really satisfied to experience a busy kitchen once again. Gus snapped out of it and realized he has to get back to work as well. He was in charge of making the sauces, off all dishes, and baking unleavened bread. 

Now that the prep work is finished, Cooking can now finally start!

A passionate cook transports to a medieval world where Magic and Mystical creatures exists. He regret not being able to reach the apex of cooking back on earth before he got transported. But now that he is on a totally new world with unknown ingredients, will he be able to continue his dream of making unbelievable new dishes? 

But there is always a catch, how can he serve dishes as a monster? With his modern knowledge and dishes from Earth, what will be the impact on this brutal and underdeveloped world? 

You will never look at ingredients the same way ever again!

‐----‐--------------------------------------------
Hi guys! Author here! I am new to writing, So pls. be gentle :p i just want to share my passion of cooking in writing format. As a fan of webnovels, its my dream to make one of my own.

In the afternoon, the hot sun burned like a fire.

Meng Ying Ying sat on the yard swing, gently swaying back and forth. The sun shone down on her smooth flawless skin, highlighting her seductively supple snow-white thighs. However, in stark comparison to this, her delicate face slowly became dirty as tears continued to trickle down like broken pearls on her cheeks. Seeing her weak appearance would make most people get a strong urge to unconditionally protect her.

A heartless voice resounded in the air.

"I finally found you!"

"I am starving to death, do you not also provide meals?"

Chu Tian walked over. His hair was messy and unkempt and his eyes half closed. It looked like he just got out off bed.

Meng Ying Ying turned her head and groaned: "You just woke up? It's already afternoon!"

Chu Tian righteously said: "The room you arranged for me to live in was small and dirty. I can live with that; however, it did not even have an oil lamp, let alone pots or pans. In addition, the small window barely provided any ventilation inside the room, making it an oven. How do you expect me to sleep?"

Meng Ying Ying was surprised for a moment: "Really?"

"Of course! The mattress was too firm, and when I slept on it, it made my back ache!" Chu Tian stretched out his body, displaying an uncomfortable look : "Fortunately, I was witty and clever. I forced open the warehouse door and got some materials to improve the condition of the room. All of this took the whole night, so by the time I got done, it was already morning. I was tired and sleepy so naturally I would have slept till noon."

So that's how it is.

Wait a minute!

He pried open the warehouse door!

This guy is a daredevil!

Chu Tian noticed there were tear stains on Meng Ying Ying's face: "Hey, why are you crying? Could it be that you are moved by my tragedy and my self-improving, never giving up attitude?"

Meng Ying Ying rubbed her eyes, angrily said: "Nonsense! I am sad because I got expelled by teacher. I couldn't care less if you live or die!"

Chu Tian waved his hands: "Ai, and here I thought it was something big. Just an ungrateful old man, though he is kind of rude."

Meng Ying Ying extended her legs, in a flash jumped off the swing; and stood in front of Chu Tian with both hands on her waist: "Don't talk nonsense. Even though I got expelled, I still got my tuition back. This means I got four years of free education. What did he have to gain?"

Chu Tian made a long yawn, sluggishly said: "Naïve. I'll tell you this straight. The contents on the homework I helped you with is worth as much as the whole Scrivener Guild. That geezer kicking you aside clearly means that he wants the credit for himself."

"Can you not lie for once? Zhang Li Qing is a honourable person, why would he do such thing!" Meng Ying Ying stood before Chu Tian: "Also, I got expelled; therefore you are unemployed. I'm going to return you back to the slave market and get my money back!"

Chu Tian got surprised: "What? You can return?!"

Meng Ying Ying humphed: "Of course. Three-day return policy, seven days exchange!"

My god!

What the hell?

Why does the slave market of this era have such a humane service?

"Slow down! Slow down! I can prove to you that I am worth far more!" Chu Tian did not even think: "How about this. I'll treat you to a feast."

"You? Treat me to a feast?"

"That's right. Everything is ready. All we need is food and condiments."

Chu Tian left Meng Ying Ying baffled: "You don't even have the ingredients and condiments, and you say that everything is ready?"

Chu Tian continued without feeling any shame: "Oh please, where am I going to find the money? But trust me, you won't be disappointed!"

What does Chu Tian have up his sleeve?

Meng Ying Ying had not eaten for a long time, so she indeed felt hungry. She decided to eat her fill before discussing the painstaking problem with her sister; as a result, she led Chu Tian to the food storage.

"Two pieces of Moonlight Yak's steaks."

"One silver turtle."

"...."

Chu Tian finished picking the ingredients.

While they walked back, Meng Ying Ying frowned and said: "All the meat you have picked is from beast. Although their meat is nutritious, it does not taste good; and also indigestible!"

"Oh yeah? Says who!"

"This is common knowledge!" Meng Ying Ying now seriously doubts Chu Tian's cooking, "Beasts are creatures that can cultivate. Their body contains large amount of magical power. Their toughness is ten to hundred times that of human body. If even a soldier's sword has a hard time just cutting through it, what will our teeth be able to do?? Because the meat is too tough, a normal person's stomach cannot handle it. If you eat it but can't poop it back out, it might result in death!"

"You barbarians, you really do not know how to enjoy life."

"What do you mean? Calling me a barbarian. What makes me barbarian! Return! Return! "

"Stop yelling return for every little thing. We have slept on the same bed already and have skinship together so you saying all these things makes me sad."

"Jerk! You dare to speak of that again!" Meng Ying Ying was furious and exploded like thunder: "I must get my return!"

"Calm down! Calm down! I'll admit my mistakes alright?" Chu Tian soothed the enraged missy: "Now then, I will demonstrate to you what a civilized person can do, in order to compensate for your emotional damage."

Chu Tian appeased her quite a while; thus, after a long time, he finally got her to follow him to his small room.

It was as Chu Tian had said; the room was hot, humid, and dark.

The moment Meng Ying Ying opened the door, she was instantly petrified. Her eyes widened; she could not believe what she was seeing: "What…..what are these things?"

A few strung up glass casing hung from the ceiling. Each glass ball bloomed with bright light; making the small room luminous and comfortable.

A teapot lay on top of the broken table. Even without fire, it continuously emitted sound without weakening; like it was constantly boiled on boiled on top of a fire.

Hu Hu! (whistling sound)

Wind echoed in the room. It turns out there were four blue magical arrays configured on the four walls in the room. The four magical arrays interacted with each other, shifting the air in the room; creating a gentle breeze. One would feel fresh and cool even if they stayed in the room during a hot summer.

"What is going on with this glass? Why is it so bright!"

"This is called a electric light bulb."

During Chu Tian's time, the light bulb had already gone out of fashion.

However, in this day and age, the light bulb had not been invented yet.

Most people used candles or oil lamps while the higher ups used crystal lamps. The former was inconvenient and also not bright enough while the latter's cost a lot; making it unaffordable for lower and middle class family.

The appearance of the light bulb was definitely a milestone for civilization.

Meng Ying Ying's eyes were wide opened: "How come light bulb emits light?"

Chu Tian began to explain: "In the principle of conversion between electricity and light. There are a total of five magic arrays. One for collecting magical energy, one for converting magical energy into electrical energy, one for storing electrical energy, one for controlling electrical energy output, one for converting electrical energy into light energy; when you chain all the five together into a single magical array and activate them at the same time, the light bulb will emit light."

Meng Ying Ying was just about to say something.

Chu Tian rudely interrupted her: "Alright, don't ask anymore. Even if I were to explain, you still won't understand."

Meng Ying Ying did not bother to blame Chu Tian for being rude, she pointed at the teapot and said: "How come your teapot gets hot by itself?"

"Just with a simple heating magical array."

"How come there is a breeze in the room?"

"Because of the fan magical array. I wanted to create an air conditioner, but the material wasn't available so I had to make do with what I got."

Meng Ying Ying was like an inquisitive child, and so she asked about everything in the room: "Aiyaya, so many strange and rare stuff, you really do have some strange abilities!"

Chu Tian laughed: "Now you won't return me back to the slave market right?"

"That depends on how you perform!" Meng Ying Ying was an exuberant, insatiably curious person. When she saw new things, she would forget all the troubles she had. Her mood became better and she carelessly sat down: "Hey! Did you not say that you will treat me to a feast? I already brought all of the ingredients here, but there is no kitchen!…..Ah! If you dare to troll me, I will return you!"

Chu Tian magically pulled a frying pan out: "Why would you need a kitchen? Watch, I'll fry you a steak!"

Chu Tian imbued the frying pan with his magical power; the magical array under the pan lit up.

There was no trace of fire at all!

The air above the frying pan started to deform; as if it was subjected to high temperature.

The strangest aspect was, the high temperature was locked within a small region of few centimetres high. The area around the pan and the panhandle remained cold.

Chu Tian threw the moonlight cattle steak into the pan.

Chi La! (sound of frying meat)

The moment the steak made contact with the pan, it made a sizzling sound.

Even though Chu Tian did not use fire; the pan acted like it had thousands of densely packed small fires, evenly heating up the steak.

After about thirty seconds, Chu Tian gently flicked his wrist and flipped the steak. The side of the steak that was on the pan changed colours completely.

Moonlight yak was classified as a beast!

A normal chef would find it difficult to cook this ingredient!

A normal flame would not be able to cook this ingredient!

Beast meat had high toughness and would not conduct heat well. Sometimes when cooking it on fire, even when the outside was burnt, the inside would still be raw. Even if you slice it up and then cook, people would still have a hard time digesting it.

The heat released from Chu Tian's frying pan seemed to contain a superior penetration attribute. It penetrated into every cell and removed the tough characteristic of the beast meat, bringing out its deliciousness and nutrition.

Chi! Chi! Chi! (sound of frying meat)

The steak was continuously flipped; savoury fat seeped out from the edges.

Chu Tian saw that the meat was almost ready, and added sea salt, black pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, and a variety of seasonings.

The whole process took about eight minutes.

The steamy steak was finally ready to be served.

"Here you go miss, your meal!"

Chu Tian put the steak onto Meng Ying Ying's plate. The steak was around three centimetre thick, and had a pink centre with juice slowly seeping out. The whole steak was thoroughly cooked and tender. This had gotten Meng Ying Ying's mouth watery and she could no longer wait to cut it with a knife.

Normally, a beast's flesh was very tough and unable to be cut; however, she was able to easily cut through the meat with a normal knife.

Meng Ying Ying picked up a piece of meat and put it into her mouth.

"Wu Wu Wu….."

Meng Ying Ying's eyes shined like a bright star and could not stop eating; immediately had cut another big piece. Her whole mouth became oily and could not speak clearly: "Wa! I have never eaten such a good beast meat before!"

Chu Tian became tired and exhausted; however, seeing that the missy was so happy, he satisfyingly nodded.

This body is indeed from a noble. Even though the owner had cultivated before, but he did not even reach the realm of the awakened soul, therefore using magical power to cook took its toll on Chu Tian.

Meng Ying Ying noticed that Chu Tian was extremely exhausted, and an idea popped up. She stood up and asked: "Can you teach me how to use this pan to fry steak?"

Chu Tian knew that Meng Ying Ying was being considerate and wanted to help out; he smiled and said: "It is actually very simple, no need to learn at all."

Meng Ying Ying had put down her utensils and came over: "Let me try it!"

Chu Tian passed the frying pan to Meng Ying Ying: "I placed a 'micro frying array' on the bottom of the frying pan. When you imbue your magical power into it, it will activate. Give it a try."

Meng Ying Ying had the power of 2nd Rank Body Refinement Realm. Even though she did not have a big magic power reserve, her reserve was still few times better than that of Chu Tian's. She poured magical power into the array; the array absorbed it and immediately began to emit an invisible energy.

Chi La!

A burning sound could be heard as soon as she put the steak in.

Meng Ying Ying's face was flushed red with excitement, nervously held the frying pan, "Now what? Now what?"

Chu Tian walked over and held Meng Ying Ying's trembling hands, "No need to be nervous. Stabilize your power output, flip it every 30 seconds. Yup, just like that. Add seasonings in the meantime. Like I said, it's very simple."

The little missy's hands were smooth and tender.

Chu Tian could not help but hold it longer.

Meng Ying Ying's face was red like an apple. Who knows if it was because she was nervous or if she was shy. She just felt a big hand warmly enveloped her own hands. She did not hate the feeling and just let it held her.

A few minutes later, a savoury steak was ready!

Meng Ying Ying was extremely excited and burst out in laughter: "I Meng Ying Ying, can also make a tasty steak!"

Stupid girl, is it even possible to fail with this frying pan? Maybe if the person is brain dead.

It's as if she had achieved something great, she looked very happy and joyful. It's too bad there is only two pieces of steak; if not, we could have more fun.

Meng Ying Ying noticed that there were two tools; one was the frying pan and the other a soup pot. She pointed at the soup pot and asked: "What is this used for?"

"This is for making soup, I put a 'micro soup cooking array' on the bottom. Did we not bring a silver turtle? How does turtle soup sound?"

"I like turtle soup, let me do it!"

Meng Ying Ying volunteered for the job.

She personally cut up the silver turtle and cleaned it up. She put the turtle into the pot with some chicken, mushroom, and ginger. Finally she began to pour magical power into the pot. The whole process was very simple and did not require any learning.

Magic powered cooking does not yet exist in this era; or, at the least, it's still immature.

In Chu Tian's era, magic arrays had seeped into every aspect of life. Magic powered cooking became very common; even though most people knew a few magic arrays used for cooking, those that were really proficient in this field were still uncommon. Because baking, pan frying, stir frying, deep frying, cooking, and roasting all had at least hundreds of different magical arrays used for each. Only a genuine, top level magic chef that had spent dozens of years in order to learn, could actually use all these skills.

Chu Tian was not a professional magic chef; but he still knew the versatile magic cooking arrays. This way he would not have to be forced to eat raw beast meat during travel and exploration.

Fifteen minutes later.

Chu Tian nodded: "It's done."

"This fast? It usually takes us a few hours to cook soup!"

"How can traditional cooking even be compared to magic powered cooking? Ok, open the lid and let us try the soup!"

The moment the lid opened, a strong aroma drifted into the room, which almost made Meng Ying Ying faint. She did not think it was possible for food to give off such an appetizing smell. She quickly brought a bowl over and got a bowl of soup for herself first.

The soup was creamy white, it had exquisite flavour; mellow, fragrant but not greasy, fresh yet not fishy. Even the bones were perfectly stewed; chewy but not hard. The mushroom and chicken were completely dissolved within the soup. This was simply the best the world can offer!

"Hot! Hot!"

Meng Ying Ying looked like as if she had been starving for many days, drank the soup until she is full. Her skin became hot, like her blood was boiling.

Chu Tian on the other hand was very calm and drank the soup slowly: "Beast meat is very nutritious and contains magic power. Magic powered cooking can fully extract these benefits. Your body is still not strong enough so you should limit your intake. It will cause problem if you were to eat too much."

After filling up her stomach, Meng Ying Ying had a flash of inspiration, suddenly stood up and pounded the table: "Chu Tian, I figured it out! Let's cooperate and start a business!"

"What?"

"Let's go earn money together!"

Meng Ying Ying pounced at Chu Tian; grabbed his hands and started rattling. They were separated by a table; Chu Tian was sitting while Meng Ying Ying was standing. When she leaned over, her two naughty big white rabbits became exposed again. Accompanying with her shaking and swaying, the scene was too overwhelming.

Too naughty!

Chu Tian was itching to reach inside and teach them a lesson!

Chu Tian was surprised and asked: "Why did you suddenly think of this?"

Meng Ying Ying did not realize she was exposed, her face red with excitement and said: "I got expelled, so JieJie will be very disappointed. I don't have the face to tell her. Why not use the tuition money that teacher has returned for business? I have the money, you have the skills, we will work together and earn a lot of money, then give her a surprise!"

Chu Tian asked: "What plan do you have?"

Meng Ying Ying had an impatient personality; she pounded the table and shouted: "Who needs a plan! You come out with me tonight! We will sell steak together!"

The youngest Wiseman of the continent, Chu Tian, has traveled 30,000 years back in time to the age of antiquity due to an accident.

This is a prosperous era. Rare herbs, minerals, treasure relics and monsters can be easily found throughout the land.

However, this is also an undeveloped era. Communications, traffic, martial arts and technology are in its early stage of development. Prosperous cities lack lighting while its citizens are uneducated.

Our decisive MC using his future knowledge creates Magic powered light bulbs, magic powered telephones, magic powered cannons, magic powered computers, artificial intelligence, psyche internet. 30,000 years worth of knowledge allows him to create miracles and shine brightly in this era. Allowing him to conquer the land and sit firmly on the throne of the 10 realms.

Seo Ha-ran returned home on the weekend. She ran over without gloves, so her hands were red. Every time she opened her mouth, a white plume of steamy breath billowed out.

She opened the front door and trembled,

"Tae-hyuk, s-sorry. Is Noona late? Are you hungry? I'll cook you delicious food at once!"

Ha-ran took off her coat and ran to the kitchen, but there was an unexpected scene awaiting her. Her younger brother was cooking in the kitchen.

"Eh? Noona came? It's cold out, so sit down and rest. You've been studying for a long time so I will prepare dinner tonight."

"Oh my…"

An apron-clad Tae-hyuk carried food to the table. At first glance, there were many things that looked delicious.

Ha-ran looked at Tae-hyuk with an impressed expression.

"It will only take another 10 minutes. Before that, warm up your body. There is hot water in the bathroom."

"Yes, yes. I came home. My Tae-hyuk is all grown up."

"Aigoo. Ms. Go in and wash your body."

Ha-ran picked clothes from her room and entered the bathroom. The hot water came out, even in the winter.

In their old room in the basement, the boiler would be frozen, if it was only slightly cold outside. In the end, she had to boil water with a portable burner for her younger brothers and clean with lukewarm water. She also had a brief shower with freezing cold water. It was cold enough in winter to make her stunned.

Her eyes turned red as she remembered those times. A smile came to her face as she bathed in warm water.

"Now, shall I see how good my little brother is?"

There were a variety of dishes on the table, such as steak and salad. There were also California rolls that looked appetizing. They were all Ha-ran's favorite foods. However, these things were expensive and not easily eaten.

"W-Wah. Tae-hyuk prepared all of this?"

"In fact, a friend helped me."

"Girlfriend?"

"No, we just study together."

"Ahum. I see. You should bring some back for them."

In fact, An Eun-young had prepared most of these dishes. Tae-hyuk only cut the cabbage, roasted the meat in the oven, and placed it in bowls.

"I don't know if this will suit Chef Seo Ha-ran, but let's eat."

"Yes. But I can't eat so much."

"I will wrap the leftovers and give it to Tae-min."

"Tae-min still hasn't finished?"

"He won't be done until 10 p.m."

Tae-hyuk and Ha-ran chatted as they started to eat.

Ha-ran sliced the steak and was pleasantly surprised. The knife smoothly sunk into the meat, as if she was cutting through tofu. She could feel that the meat was of the finest quality. The red flesh and white fat layer were in perfect harmony. The steak looked so delicious that saliva filled her mouth.

Ha-ran asked gently.

"This seems very expensive…"


 

Tae-hyuk didn't slice the meat. He just tore it with his mouth and spoke while chewing.

"Ah, the local butcher store was having a sale. It wasn't that expensive so feel free to eat.

Of course, it was an absolute lie.

The identity of the meat was Kobe beef, one of the top three wagyu in Japan. It was also the most expensive Chateau brand. It was a dish that boasted a price of over 100,000 won per person, even if it was just the cheap lunch menu.

Ha-ran cut it into small pieces and raised it to her mouth without knowing it was such an expensive meat.

"W-Wah… So delicious…!"

The rich juices ran down her chin as Ha-ran started to energetically eat the steak.

Next, her fork headed towards the salmon salad. Ha-ran was baffled. There were unidentified black things sprinkled into the salad. When she looked closely, they seemed to be fish eggs.

"Huh? What type of fish egg is that?"

"I got it in a 1+1 sale at the mart. It is delicious when eaten with salmon."

"I see."

She didn't know that the fish eggs were caviar, one of the three great delicacies that caught the taste of gourmets all around the world. Just seven ounces of it were sold for an exorbitant price of over $500. That precious food was now being eaten with salmon salad.

"Although it is a little salty… It is unbelievably delicious, and completely changes the flavor of the salmon."

Ha-ran made a sound of admiration with every bite of food.

"It is okay. There is still a lot left so we can eat it with some rice tomorrow morning."

"These ingredients seem expensive…"

"Aish. They are cheap."

Ha-ran's eyes narrowed and she sent him a suspicious glance. Tae-hyuk just smiled like he didn't know anything. It had been a long time since he last met his sister, so he wanted to give her the best foods. The two people faced each other and smiled brightly.

"At any rate, Noona can just study hard and not worry about money."

"That sounds like something I used to say."

Ha-ran twisted her brother's face.

Tae-hyuk once again swore to himself after seeing his sister smiling so brightly. He wouldn't make his sister unhappy unlike the previous life.

This was the only favor that Tae-hyuk could do for her.

"Ah right. Kang-suk hyung says to expect a date. He is preparing."

"Omo. Kang-suk?"

"Yes. I'm sure it will be the best date."

Ha-ran blinked.

She didn't show it on the outside, but it seemed like she was expected a lot.

'The concept of this date isn't Beauty and the Beast, but Cinderella…! The problem is whether Kang-suk hyung can do this properly. If it was Beauty and the Beast then he could do well as the beast.'

The actors were ready, but he was worried about how well Cho Kang-suk could do.

@

At the same time.

In the base of the Nuclear Bomb, the second ranked Kang Han-seong stared at his juniors with cold eyes.

"Hyung-nim helped you… It wasn't for you to look like this."

His position in the circle wasn't low. Rather, his charisma and strong power made him one of the high ranking members. The only thing he was lacking in was his amount of contacts.

Therefore, Kang Han-seong desperately tried to increase the number of his followers. If he added just five more people, then he could become a captain of Nuclear Bomb. He had no intention of being underneath someone in a gang. He planned to grow it as much as possible and turn it into an organization.

Of course, he would do his job, but once he was recognized, he would be able to relax from a high position. The juniors he gathered were his footholds to success.

But what were these pathetic brats? In order to join the group, they had to be able to take money and then hand the money over. They roamed around this area for that reason.

"So… You were beaten up by one person?"

Kang Han-seong caught the eye of a nearby junior, who had one arm in a cast. He couldn't go to the toilet alone.

The sight was enough to make Kang Han-seong sigh.

His juniors bowed their heads.

"I-I'm really sorry. I-If that bastard didn't have the iron pipe then… He is a cowardly bastard."

Kang Han-seong struck the cheek of his pathetic junior.

"Keok!"

"Hey, you jerk. Is that something to be proud of? Aigoo. I can't believe I invested in scum like this…"

"H-Hyung-nim!"

The juniors clung to Kang Han-seong and bowed. No matter how pathetic, they were still people who followed him. In the end, Kang Han-seong's heart weakened.

"I understand, you brats. This strong Kang Han-seong will solve it."

"T-Thank you. I swear allegiance to Hyung-nim."

"I'm getting goosebumps. Stop before you make me sick. Yes, he was wearing the uniform of A High School?"

"Yes, that's right. It is a school in the area. I am sure he goes to that school."

"Hrmm."

A High School was a famous school nearby, not necessarily as a prestigious school, but for the second generation of good families attending it. Therefore, it had an ambiguous position.

In the end, their money entered the wallets of this gang. However, if the school had a good fighter, then he should check it out. Once they met, Kang Han-seong would see about bringing him into Nuclear Bomb. Even if he did have an iron pipe, he had fought four people alone.

"He might not be a good guy. So let's act in moderation and go to A High School."

"H-Hyung-nim, then we…'

"Shit. I'm not your mother. Handle this yourself. Wipe your feet and go home and sleep."

"Yes, I understand. Thank you, Hyung-nim."

Kang Han-seong sighed and started to investigate A High School.

@

-Oh, it must be Seo Tae-hyuk. But he isn't 1st in the school. He did a test a while ago and was ranked 2nd.

–Ah, is that so? Then who is 1st?

–That… An Eun-young. She is completely crazy (about studying).

–Hah. That female is good (at fighting)? [TL: the words in brackets are implied but aren't actually said.]

-Completely brilliant. Seo Tae-hyuk is her apprentice. He can't even compete with An Eun-young.

"..."

"…H-Hyung-nim! I-I'm really sorry. It really was like this."

Kang Han-seong glared at his henchmen.

"There is someone bigger than him? In addition, a woman?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Huhu, I see. I guess I have to believe what you are saying. What type of person is she?"

"I-I don't know."

Kang Han-seong imagined Arnold Schwarzenegger with long hair. At that moment, his palms became damp.

"Ah, I guess I should take a look for myself."

It seemed like it would become a mess if he left the job to his henchmen. In the end, Kang Han-seong decided to go himself.

"So, where is that person called Tae-hyuk now?"

"T-That…"

A henchman stuttered. He was hesitant about something.

Kang Han-seong muttered with annoyance.

"I told you to know for sure!"

"Ah, no. I know."

"Really? Where?"

"I heard he is at a restaurant cafe in the suburbs right now."

It was a restaurant popular with couples.

Kang Han-seong was currently sitting in a factory where the heat wasn't working properly and he was surrounded with the smell of stinky men.

What, a date?

Kang Han-seong's lips twitched. The suburbs were usually deserted, and thus, it wouldn't be a problem if he wanted to beat someone up.

"He is playing very wildly on Christmas Eve. Are 10 people available right now? We have to take care of that bastard, even if we get in trouble."

Kang Han-seong chuckled.

They were still minors, so they wouldn't be punished properly, even if they damaged the restaurant. The laws protected them.

Then he would punish that bastard who ridiculed four of his men.

"It is me. Gather immediately. From now on, we will start a war."

Kang Han-seong mobilized all the strong people.

@

"H-How is it?"

Kang-suk asked nervously as he gazed at the suit that was tailored to his body.

Tae-hyuk raised a thumb.

"Wah… You look really cool. It is like a drama."

The custom made Oxford suit with a expensive price of three million won transformed the bear.

"Really? But this clings to my body too much. If a criminal suddenly appeared…"

"Aigoo. Kang-suk hyung! You should only think about dating today!"

"I understand."

Cho Kang-suk smiled as he placed a handkerchief in his pocket.

"At any rate, the booked limousine will soon come. Then you will go pick up Noona."

"T-Tae-hyuk…"

Kang-suk's eyes turned red.

He thought of the bleak days where he just caught criminals. He never once had a date, yet Tae-hyuk had prepared everything perfectly.

He really was the best brother. Tae-hyuk prepared everything: His clothes, his transportation, and even his reservation at the restaurant. He made Kang-suk practice all of the scripts until he memorized them completely.

"Hyung. I'll be watching from afar. Don't tremble. Have a good time with Noona."

The two men gazed at each other warmly. Soon, a gorgeous limo arrived in front of them. Now he would go and meet the princess.

Tae-hyuk smiled as Kang-suk went to pick up Ha-ran.

"Nevertheless, doesn't a prince need a villain?"

Tae-hyuk knew that the gang he just met were looking for him so he had deliberately leaked information and even bribed people to spread rumors for the past three days. In the end, there was going to be a fight today. Indeed, Kang-suk was the best when catching criminals. Furthermore, what if he fought to defend the princess?

A wonderful scene from a fairy tale would come out. The actors were gathering without knowing they were being used.

"Then it will be the best date."

Seo Tae Hyuk, jailed after being falsely accused. He will be executed without being able to prove his innocence. When he opens his eyes, it’s 15 years in the past?

All credits go to the original creator Han Yeoul
and the team who collaborated to make this book


P.S. This book was made so that you can read it offline, so don't start beef with me over trivial things.

It was a hot and muggy Atlanta summer day as I slowly walked to the second floor of my apartment complex. The morning had gone well; five sales calls and two of those turned out to be winners. My commission check would be a big one next month.

It was a relatively new apartment complex—a lot of singles and parties—and I was glad I had decided to splurge and rent the two-bedroom model. I rationalized at the time that the second bedroom would be my office and vaguely I thought I might get a tax write-off also. The small gym and large pool made meeting other singles easy.

In my first four months at the apartment it was relatively easy to get dates. All the single women wanted to test out the new tenant. However, from my view, none of the women seemed to be keepers, so I kept my options open and continued to party hard.

I kept in shape at the gym and worked hard in my sales territory, which paid off both in money and attracted the attention of the regional sales manager who spotted my sales volume.

Life was good and uncomplicated.

My head was down as I daydreamed about spending my well earned money when I heard someone knocking on a door. At first I thought it was my apartment, but it was Carol's door, which was two apartments down from mine.

A woman stood in front of Carol's door and knocked again. She was about five-foot seven-inches tall with dirty blond hair. She wore a somewhat heavy skirt and coat over a blouse that must have been warm in the summer heat. A small, black rolling suitcase was next to her.

I walked up and said, "Hi."

She jumped and turned towards me; I had surprised her.

"Hey, I'm sorry I startled you. Are you looking for Carol?"

She looked at me before answering. I could see her face clearly now. Along with the dirty blond hair she had blue eyes, high cheek bones and a pixy nose. Those attractive body parts were marred by the sweat on her face, hair in disarray that needed washing, and a body frame that suggested too skinny. She was obviously exhausted.

She had a low, sexy-sounding voice as she answered, "I'm a friend of Carol's and came for the weekend to visit her, but she isn't home even though I told her when I would get here."

I replied, "I'm a friend of Carol's and live two doors down. Carol's mom had a heart attack two days ago and Carol rushed home to Chicago to be with her. I guess she forgot to call you."

"Oh shit," she whispered.

Selling is my occupation and reading people comes with the job. I looked at this woman's face and saw disappointment turning into despair with a tinge of panic. I thought, "She's seconds away from tears or worse."

Impulsively I blurted, "I'm Phil Stockton. Why don't you come to my place and have a cold drink?"

She stared at my face, but it was obvious she hadn't heard me. Panic was now winning over despair.

I grabbed her arm and suitcase and pulled her towards my apartment. She didn't resist.

I sat her in a kitchen chair, turned down the thermostat to seventy, and filled a glass with ice and water. She took the glass and drained it. I refilled it and sat across from her.

"It's none of my business, but my guess is that you need a friend right now."

She stared at the table top and nodded her head. The first tears ran down her face.

"Hey, my name is Phil; what's yours?"

"Holly," she whispered.

"Well Holly, things can't be that bad."

She lifted her head and looked at me. The tears had highlighted her blue eyes. She blushed and stammered, "I've spent the last two days on five different buses. The only possessions I have are in my suitcase and I used the rest of my money to pay for the taxi to get here, and I look and feel like shit."

I quickly said with a smile, "Holly, don't hold back. Just really tell me about your serious problems."

I saw her first, brief smile, but then she lowered her face and stared again at the table.

"Holly, look at me."

She raised her head and stared at me.

"This is not the time to make decisions or even talk about them. I have a sofa bed in my office. You're going to take the longest, hottest shower of your life and then take a nap. I'll get you some towels and a robe and there is a clean toothbrush and shampoo in the guest bathroom. By the time you get out of the shower, I'll be gone making some sales calls. I'll wake you when I get back and we'll have dinner here. Then with a glass of wine or two along with the food, you're going back to bed and sleep until morning. Then we'll talk about your minor problems."

"I can't..."

"Holly, you will. Now stand up and follow me."

Like a little kid she stood up and followed me. I pointed out the office bedroom, the bathroom, and showed her the towels and robe.

"Take your shower. When you're through, your bed will be open and made. I'm taking the phone off the hook and the front door will be locked. I'll wake you at dinner time."

Without a word she walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

I quickly opened the bed. The sheets were clean and I took two pillows and a light blanket from the closet and placed them on the bed.

As I took her suitcase from the kitchen to the office, I heard the shower water start. I left the apartment and double locked the door.

Holly must have been a lucky charm for me—three more sales calls and one more winner. This day had been the best sales day in my career.

After the third sales call I went to my local bar and sipped some beers waiting for the time to pass and wondering about my current situation. She was obviously in a tough spot with an unknown background. She wasn't skinny by choice; it was that she hadn't been eating much. I wondered if she was tough enough to rebound from whatever or whoever had slammed her.

Eventually, I left the bar and went to the grocery store. Two huge steaks, baking potatoes, sour cream, butter, and the ingredients for a salad seemed to be the right combination.

I quietly let myself into my apartment. In the kitchen I turned on the oven and popped in the baking potatoes.

The door to the office was half open. I went to it and looked inside. Holly was sleeping with her back to the door. The sheet had fallen to below her waist; it was obvious she was sleeping nude.

I stared at her naked back and then down to the swell of her bare hips and the top of her ass. Maybe it's just me but a female's bare back is an extremely erotic picture; nature has a way of taking over—my cock was hard and my thoughts were not pure.

"You really are an asshole Phil," I thought to myself.

I quietly shut the door and went back to the kitchen. One hour later the salad was made, the white wine chilled, the red wine open and breathing, and the charcoals in the barbecue were lit.

I went to the office and knocked. "Holly, wake up," I yelled.

Nothing.

Twice more I tried with the same result.

I opened the door and looked in. She had rolled over and was now on her side facing me. The sheet was still down by her waist and I saw her naked breasts. They were bigger than I had expected with small areolas and somewhat large nipples that were now soft.

I walked up the bed and pulled the sheet up to her neck. Her face, without the stress of her problems, was relaxed and prettier than I first thought.

I stepped back to the door and knocked loudly and yelled, "Holly, time to eat."

Finally she stirred and muttered, "Wanna sleep."

"Holly, open your eyes."

Her eyes finally squinted open. I could tell she remembered me.

I said, "I know you're tired, but you are hungry too. Go wash your face and come out to the kitchen. The steaks will be ready in twenty minutes. Are you going to get up?"

"But I'm really sleepy," she whined.

I repeated, "Dinner in twenty minutes. If I don't see you in the kitchen in five minutes, I'm going to find out how ticklish you are."

He eyes popped open. "You wouldn't?"

I grinned and replied, "I don't think you want to find out."

I closed the door and went back to the kitchen. A minute later I heard her door open and she went into the bathroom.

A few minutes later she entered the kitchen. She had brushed her hair that had regained some gloss from the shampoo. She was wearing a T-shirt with Daffy Duck on the front. The shirt was short exposing two inches of her flat stomach. I could tell she wasn't wearing a bra. She had jogging shorts on and was barefoot.

She smiled shyly at me and said, "I really want to thank you..."

"Holly," I interrupted, "No serious discussion tonight. Just relax and enjoy the food and we'll talk in the morning. Okay?"

She nodded her understanding.

I asked, "White wine, red wine, a drink, or just water?"

"White wine please."

As I poured her wine I asked, "Do you want your steak medium rare or medium; if past medium, you have to cook it yourself since that is a mortal sin?"

She giggled, "Medium rare sir."

"Butter or sour cream or both on your potato."

She giggled again, "Both please, Mr. Boss."

I poured a glass of white for myself and sat down. I said, "I want you to know that right now you are my good luck charm. I'm a salesman and today I made more sales than I've made in the last three weeks, which means one fat commission check a few weeks from now. So we're celebrating with good wine and steaks.

"My name is Phil. I'm twenty-five; never married, but close twice before I got smart; I'm six-feet tall and tend to get fat when I don't work out in the gym. I barely got through college because I never saw a party I didn't like.

"I fall in love often, but cupid only nicks me with the arrows since I fall out of love just as often.

"I can tell a million jokes, but sometimes get tongue tied when asked serious things by pretty females."

She giggled, "I'm twenty-three and..."

I interrupted, "That's all I want to know tonight—you're twenty-three, pretty and female."

"Not even curious?" she asked.

"Oh very curious, but now it's time to cook and eat. We talk tomorrow. I'll be out with the steaks. You set the table, get out the salad and dressing. Take the potatoes out of the oven in five minutes and get the sour cream and butter out of the frig."

She laughed and gave me a mock salute, "Yes Boss."

"And when you're done, join me on the balcony with the wine bottle. My glass will be very empty by then."

She grinned and went to work as I took the steaks to the barbecue.

The balcony looked out over the Buckhead area and as the steaks were cooking I watched the traffic converging to the restaurants and shows in Buckhead. It was the beginning of the weekend, and people were starting early. I felt her presence behind me and turned.

"Your servant with more wine," she deadpanned.

"About time."

She poured the wine into my glass and then poured the rest of the white wine into her glass.

She looked at me, but said nothing at first. Then, "I really..."

"Tomorrow Holly. Tonight your job is to eat a lot, get slightly drunk...no tipsy is the right word, and then catch up on your sleep."

She answered, "Okay, but I just want to say your bark and bite are nothing—you're a nice person."

The steaks were done and we went to the kitchen. I poured the first of the red wine into a clean wine glass for Holly and we ate. I purposely bought very large steaks. Holly had said they were way too big for her, but once she started eating, she never stopped. Her steak, potato and salad with more red wine all disappeared. I thought, "She hasn't eaten in days."

Finally the meal was done. She looked at me embarrassed and said, "I made a pig out of myself. The steak was wonderful, but I didn't even try to talk to you."

I reached for the wine and poured each of us a half glass which killed the bottle. I made a mock toast with my glass held high, "To a great steak dinner, cooked by an expert, and assisted by a person of beauty."

She giggled and then her eyes filled with tears. "Phil, that was a wonderful meal and I really want to..." and she yawned.

"Oh shit; I'm sorry to yawn at you," she slightly slurred.

"Am I still the boss?" I asked.

"Yep," she giggled.

"Stand up, go to the bathroom, and go to bed."

She stood, looked at me with teary eyes, and walked to the bathroom. Minutes later I heard her go to the office. I stood up and found the door open and looked in. Her shirt and shorts were lying next to the bed and she was on her side with her back to me. The sheet was down to her knees as I once again saw her nakedness. I could hear her quiet snores.

I pulled the sheet up to her shoulders and quietly closed the door, cleaned up the kitchen, had two healthy drinks and went to bed. I thought, "Tomorrow should be interesting."

I'm an early morning person no matter when I go to bed, so I woke at sunrise, unsuccessfully tried to go back to sleep, and finally got up. My master bedroom has its own bath so I did my morning things, put on a clean shirt and shorts and went to the kitchen.

The office door was still closed so I stalled for about an hour sipping black coffee, reading the morning paper and then started organizing breakfast. I went to the office door and knocked.

Nothing.

"Holly, wake up."

I knocked again hard and opened the door. She was on her side facing me with the sheet up to her neck. Her eyes were full of sleep, but open and watching me.

I said, "In twenty minutes breakfast will be ready so you better get your butt out of bed, clean up and meet me in the kitchen."

"Are you always this bossy?"

I pretended to look stern and answered, "Twenty minutes."

I walked away leaving the door open. Minutes later I heard the door to the bathroom close, and then the toilet flushed. Almost twenty minutes later she walked into the kitchen wearing the same T-shirt and shorts. I noticed this time she was wearing a bra.

She sat down without talking. A large glass of milk and another of orange juice was in front of her. I put down a plate with three pieces of toast each topped with two poached eggs accompanied by about eight slices of bacon. I put a couple of bagels on a side plate with cream cheese next to her.

She said, "This is way too much food for me."

Fifteen minutes later the food was gone.

She looked embarrassed. "I ate like a pig again."

"You ate like someone who hasn't eaten right for a while."

She blushed again.

"Phil, I want to thank you..."

I interrupted, "There's a great park four blocks from here. I'll clean up the kitchen and let's walk to the park and then have our talk. It's cool right now but later it's going to be really hot, so let's enjoy the morning."

We walked to the park in comfortable silence. I'd point out something interesting every now and then, but I could tell she was getting nervous. We circled the park once along the bike path and then sat down at a picnic table in front of a large pond; ducks were swimming in the water.

It was obvious she didn't know what to say.

I asked, "What's your most serious problem?"

"I'm broke with no job."

I continued, "What's your second most serious problem?"

"I have no place to live in a strange town and have no friends."

"Do you have cancer or a serious illness?"

"No."

"Are you wanted by the police?"

"No."

"Well then," I concluded, "You have a serious short term problem, but will be fine in the long term, and you don't consider me a friend yet."

She grabbed my hand and blurted, "Shit, that was stupid of me. You saved my life yesterday; I was desperate and you took me in. I won't ever forget your kindness."

I covered her hand with mine and quietly asked, "If it will make you feel better, why don't you tell me how you ended up at my doorstep."

She talked for an hour. The first few minutes were stumbling and then everything poured out. She had grown up in a suburb of Chicago. Her father bailed out even before she was born, so she was raised by her mother. They were very poor, but her mom got her through high school and started her into junior college. During her second year of junior college, her mom had a heart attack and died.

Her emphasis in junior college was business and she quickly got a job working for a small business in Chicago. Two years and two promotions later she was starting to make it in the real business world when she met Jim. After three months Jim moved into her apartment. The plan was that they would get married as soon as they had enough money to feel comfortable.

Three months after Jim moved in he lost his job; he had been an alcoholic and had fallen off the wagon. He didn't look very hard for a new job and the small savings they had built up started to disappear. His drinking got worse; he abused her when drunk and their sex life became more like multiple rapes.

Jim came to her office drunk a week ago and demanded money in front of her coworkers and boss. They made him leave, but he yelled he would come back and kill everybody. He had so frightened her company that they told her she was fired. She received a week's severance. When she got home that afternoon she found the apartment had been torn apart in one of Jim's rages. The furniture was destroyed, all her clothes had been ripped apart, and there was an eviction notice on the door. Jim had taken the checks for rent, but never mailed them in for the last two months.

When she went to her bank to get the past due rent money, she found out that Jim had cleaned out their account. The only favor the bank did was to cash her severance check.

She had met Carol at a charity party about the same time she met Jim and had kept lightly in touch with her even after Carol had moved to Atlanta. She called Carol to see if she could stay with her a few days and start a new life. When she arrived in Atlanta, Carol wasn't there; I was.

Holly sat across from me at the park sobbing as she finished her story. The look of desperation had come back as she realized again the mess she was in.

Other then touching her hand, I had done nothing during her story. I wasn't sure what to do. I felt if I hugged her she would completely fall apart and be even more of an emotional cripple, but I had to give her some hope; and I was not unaware that even at this moment, I was attracted to her.

I said, "Holly, you have a big short term problem, but that's all it is. Here's what we're going to do.

"For the first week you have to get back on your feet, and in the second week we start working on finding you a job. Let's go back to the apartment and I want you to write a list of the clothes you need to buy along with other stuff that will get you through one week.

"Do you cook?"

She nodded yes.

"Fair cook or pretty good?"

"I'm pretty good," she admitted

"That makes it easy," I said. You'll stay with me for the first week. You're the official apartment cleaner and cook, except that Wednesday and Saturday we go out to eat. I'll loan you the money for what you need to buy, and you can pay me back once you start making some money."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked.

"You're my lucky charm so far on my selling, and I think behind those tears I see a good person who got unlucky," I answered.

We walked back to the apartment and she started writing her list of clothes and things. When she was done I checked the list.

"I don't see a dress for the restaurant tonight," I teased.

"Restaurant?"

"It's Saturday. We go out to eat on Wednesday and Saturday. Don't you remember?"

She added a dress to her list.

I continued, "Put down a swimming suit."

"I really don't need a swimming suit," she said.

"Well when we go down to the pool this weekend you are either going to be skinny dipping or wearing a suit...it's up to you."

She added a swimming suit to her list.

"Now make up a list of the meals you are going to cook during the week," I suggested.

so these are some different fap stories that I made up. English is not my mother language so sorry in advance. ok enjoy

NOTE:- I DON'T OWN THESE STORIES

steak in oven time

Oven Toaster

A Stay-at-home Dad's Restaurant In An Alternate World

God of Cooking

Treasure Hunt Tycoon

Didi and the Gunslinger

One Piece System In One Piece

A Living Armour owns a Tavern

Miracle Throne

God of Crime

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