The Strange Chef

Things proceeded simply from there.

Wang Chao filled out his team application on the spot and passed the review process with flying colors. Half an hour later, he became a substitute player for the Jiangcheng City Table Tennis Team, temporarily receiving a basic living allowance of five thousand yuan per month, with room and board included, and entering a semi-closed training mode.

Wang Mei received his call and urged him to train hard and bring glory to China. After delivering a grand speech about duty and righteousness, she quietly asked him if the five thousand yuan was real.

Wang Chao confirmed it was, adding that there were bonuses for good performance.

Wang Mei was very happy and hung up the phone. She then went to explain things to Tony teacher on her son's behalf, but we'll leave that for another time.

Although Jiang Shan outwardly showed disdain for Wang Chao, his actions were honest. He personally took Wang Chao to the dormitory, helped him with all the chores, and finally took him to the supermarket to buy daily necessities.

Wang Chao, who had maintained an air of composure throughout, finally embarrassed himself at this point.

He had no money...

He genuinely had only a little over ten yuan on him, and the balance in his phone had never exceeded double digits for years.

Even the five hundred yuan Tony teacher had advanced him a few days prior was confiscated by Wang Mei that same evening.

So, in the end, he had to rely on a kid to pay for him, which caused the pretty cashier at the supermarket to look at him several times. The hint of disdain in her eyes, though faint, was still picked up by Wang Chao.

After being busy until past nine o'clock, Wang Chao finally returned to the training ground.

"I'll be taking you for now," Tian Qi told him. "Your current problem is that your physical fitness is severely below standard. Don't practice ball for the next few days; focus on improving your physical condition."

Wang Chao happily accepted.

The team members were all young. Although there had been some minor friction at Mingyue Stadium initially, it had mostly been forgotten after a few days.

After watching Wang Chao play two matches today, they felt more admiration for him.

Therefore, even as Wang Chao trained his stamina nearby, teammates continued to greet him proactively, and some politely asked him for guidance in the future.

By the end of the morning, Wang Chao had recognized most of the team members.

However, he still hadn't seen Tian Zhengguang.

At noon, Jiang Shan took Wang Chao to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was large and offered a wide variety of dishes. Looking at the basins of colorful dishes behind the transparent window, Wang Chao felt a rare sense of anticipation.

"Pickled Cabbage Fish!"

"Mao Xue Wang!"

"Crystal Shrimp!"

"Stir-fried Beef!"

"Pine Nut Corn!"

"Oyster Sauce Lettuce!"

"Rice!"

"Noodles!"

"Buns!"

"Wraps!"

"Tomato Soup!"

"They have absolutely everything!"

"It's really quite a spread..."

Since arriving in this world, he hadn't eaten a good meal in a long time.

Every morning was steamed buns and boiled eggs, lunch was bento boxes with Tony teacher, and dinner was pickled vegetables and fermented bean curd – as simple as possible.

As a result, seeing the vibrant dishes now made his mouth water uncontrollably, and his stomach rumbled appropriately.

"Thank goodness the Chinese table tennis scene in this world hasn't started with the scientific nutrition meal trend yet..."

He remembered clearly that in his previous life, the concept of scientific meal planning and precise calorie counting had originated from a certain country that lived quite comfortably. During those years, that island nation began to develop table tennis nationwide and achieved considerable success, and their scientific meal plans were subsequently recognized by countries around the world. Eventually, even China's national team began to pay attention to their diet.

He didn't know if their performance improved, as they were already number one in the world, leaving no room for further improvement. However, one thing was evident: there were indeed fewer overweight players on the national team because of it, which could be considered a good thing.

But the national players complained a lot in private because lunch was no longer something to look forward to. Those precisely portioned and controlled meals made them want to cry.

"Bro, over here, over here," Jiang Shan pulled him forcefully to the side. "Don't go over there."

"Why?" Wang Chao didn't understand.

Those were all delicious foods, and they were free. Why shouldn't he go there?

Jiang Shan didn't explain, only saying, "Trust me, you won't regret it."

Wang Chao observed the kid. He was well-proportioned and stood tall, very standard. Then he looked at the kid's plate: broccoli, carrots, vegetable soup, beef, chicken breast, and rice.

He understood.

Although the kid was young, he had strong willpower and was a master of weight control, and he wanted to drag Wang Chao along as a fellow traveler.

But Wang Chao wouldn't oblige!

Wang Chao broke free from Jiang Shan's hand and happily went to scoop a spoonful of braised pork belly, a spoonful of beef stew, a spoonful of pickled pork with chili, and a spoonful of spicy diced chicken, finally adding a large scoop of rice. He piled his tray high before returning to sit down, ready to eat.

Jiang Shan nudged his pant leg and gestured with his mouth, signaling him to look over there.

At some point, a cook wearing a white chef's hat and a full chef's uniform had silently followed him over, sat down at the empty table next to him, and was staring intently at him.

Wang Chao was a bit bewildered.

Jiang Shan didn't dare say much, only vaguely prompting, "Don't ask questions, eat quickly. Eat as much as you can, don't waste it."

"I'd waste it?" Wang Chao sneered. "Do you know that ever since I transmigrated, I haven't had a single full meal? I could eat a whole cow right now!"

He beautifully picked up a trembling, tender piece of braised beef, narrowed his eyes slightly, and shoveled the entire thing into his mouth with the dripping sauce. Just the texture on his tongue made him feel like his soul was ascending, and he couldn't help but take a gentle bite.

"Mmm..."

"So salty..."

"Why does this Beef Stew with Potatoes have such a strong vinegary taste?"

He almost spat it out, but at that moment, the cook sitting behind him spoke.

"Salty? It seems I still haven't quite mastered the amount of salt..."

"It has a vinegary taste because I added balsamic vinegar. Vinegar helps dissolve the fibers, making the beef more tender and delicious during the stewing process."

"However, I stewed it for a full three hours. The texture of this beef should be excellent. What do you think, young man?"

Wang Chao forced a smile, swallowed the overwhelmingly salty mouthful he had, and nodded, "It's really good."

After speaking, he grabbed the mineral water beside him and took several gulps.

"Try this Spicy Diced Chicken next. This time, I specifically bought a thermometer and a timer just to ensure the oil temperature during frying was precise enough to tighten the skin while keeping the inside juicy."

Wang Chao, with a bit of psychological preparation, ate a piece of chicken.

Hmm, it was okay. Not as terrible as he'd imagined, just a little undercooked. Wang Chao spat out a chicken bone and saw the bloodstains on it...

"This Braised Pork Belly is my specialty. You should try it too," the cook enthusiastically introduced.

Wang Chao ate a piece of the Braised Pork Belly.

It was soft and tender, but the flavor was a bit bland. He didn't know if it was because there was no salt, no sugar, or if ginger and garlic were omitted during the initial stir-fry.

What Wang Chao couldn't figure out was why, despite the bland taste, the Braised Pork Belly had such a rich color. It looked glistening and rosy, almost like plump cherries, captivating his soul.

"You wouldn't understand this, would you? I learned a new trick online. Just add a small handful of Red Yeast Rice while stewing, and it will achieve this color. What do you think, am I very talented?" the cook explained cheerfully.

Jiang Shan ate his meal silently, finishing his diet meal quickly. He stood up, patted Wang Chao on the shoulder, and left directly. As he walked away, his expression seemed to be holding back laughter, and perhaps a bit of pity.