Early morning, real world.
Snap!
The spatula lightly pressed against the edge of the pot, and the egg cake flipped in the air.
[Chubby Chef] I was listening to the aerospace news on TV when the shovel went a little off and the edge of the pancake brushed against the edge of the pan and was about to slide out.
His hands were faster than his eyes. Two fingers hooked the porcelain plate next to him and caught the egg cake firmly without even a drop of hot oil spilling outside the table.
An arm carrying side dishes stretched out from behind the apron. His wife looked at the plate and gave him a sideways glance:
"Didn't you brag to me in bed last night that today's cake will be golden and crispy and even better than the state banquet? Are you just here to listen to the news and don't even need the pot?"
"Isn't this catchy?"
"Don't be proud, the bottom side is not cooked through yet."
[Chubby Chef] I looked down and slid the egg cake back into the pot honestly.
He worked in the workplace canteen for 20 years. Before the popularization of games, he had to carry a soup bucket weighing 100 kilograms with his apprentice; now he is Second Advancement, holding an integrated steaming cabinet weighing several tons with one hand, and letting his apprentice install casters underneath, so he doesn't even have to breathe.
His wife also passed away early Second Advancement. Last time when the stove was replaced, the two of them moved the entire equipment into the kitchen by themselves, and the maintenance technician was only responsible for taking over the wiring.
Neighbors have long been accustomed to this kind of thing.
His body, his senses, and even the tiny details between his fingers have all changed. Now, this ordinary pan is so light in his hand that he can flip a few slices of pancake into distinct layers. Just now, he was just fascinated by the news.
He shook the pan again, and the egg cake turned half a circle against the bottom of the pan, and a line of brown appeared on the edge.
The professional skills of dealing with mycelium in the game cannot be brought back, but the enhanced eyesight and hands have been used on the stove every day.
At the bottom of the stove, a small, high-efficiency heating module that had just been installed in the community last month was shining with a faint blue Wei Guang.
The knob was turned half a click to the left, and the fire was smooth and tight, without the odor left by burning gas. This set of civilian stoves, which rely on spiritual energy for heating and are equipped with high-efficiency heat-conducting materials, has been installed in batches in the canteens and central kitchens of major institutions. What satisfies his wife the most is that cooking in the hot summer no longer feels like steaming in a sauna in Taishang Laojun's alchemy furnace.
The couple sat at the dining table, slurping corn noodle porridge, and the morning news was playing on the thin-screen TV on the wall.
In the lens, a heavy-duty unmanned industrial return boat with a dark silver coating on its entire body glides smoothly on the Gobi runway. Ground support vehicles surround it and open the sealed hatch.
"Hey, you brought back another boat?"
[Chubby Chef] Holding the newly spread egg pancake in her mouth, she pressed the remote control to amplify the sound.
When I watched the full round-trip live broadcast for the first time, what was sent up was still two tons of raw materials and energy storage modules filled with spiritual energy, and what was brought back were mainly empty containers and ordinary processing waste;
But this time, when the special shock-proof alloy container was pushed out by the ground crew, the camera zoomed in--
Rows of Orbital Factory processed components with a cool matte finish are neatly embedded in the anti-collision foam.
The news also mentioned the repeated test flights during this period: the hull was dismantled and inspected, insulation parts were replaced, working fluids and energy storage were replenished, and the low-altitude re-ignition that was not completed on the first flight was also completed in subsequent supplementary tests. Now these components are about to be sent to the ground for testing.
The chief engineer of the ground assembly base leaned over to check the laser barcode, raised his bloodshot eyes and grinned at the camera, his molars shining brightly in the morning light.
"Daughter-in-law, you said..." [Chubby Chef] chewed the cake and looked thoughtfully at the sky outside the window, "If an orbital city with tens of thousands of people is really built up there in the future... Will we also have to recruit chefs to open canteens?"
His wife slowly swallowed the pickles in her mouth:
"Yes. But when I hire a chef, I don't want to hire someone who is just looking at the sky and can even cook pancakes half-cooked. Clean the pot first."
Half an hour later, the game hatch closed and the nerve connections unfolded.
His consciousness suddenly fell in the torrent of data. When he opened his eyes again, the tip of his nose was already filled with the familiar aroma of herbs and the desolate breath of Weathered Dead Shell.
Liver Region east side, Bone Lighthouse Outpost.
[Chubby Chef] After putting on her apron, before she could reach out and lift the thick wooden lid of the big iron pot, a familiar figure was already sitting on the pony by the threshold.
Yesterday's Angler.
At his feet lay the biochemical leather bucket filled with more than half a basin of running water. A silvery-white live fish was flicking its tail happily inside, and two titanium alloy fishing rods newly tied with acid-resistant fishing lines were inserted diagonally next to it.
"Good morning, boss." Angler looked serious, "How much is the processing fee today?"
[Chubby Chef] looked down at the fish, and then at the two new equipment comparable to Heavy Spear:
"... Are you planning to eat one and catch all the food for me for the next week?"
"Last night, when I posted the photo to the water friends, the group of sour chickens insisted that I spent money to get the dead fish from the logistics net bag. Some people even bet a sum of Bio-Energy, saying that I will never catch the second fish."
Angler fiercely pushed the basin toward the corner of the table, his eyes red:
"I'll fry yesterday's one first! Brown both sides and add more spicy food! I'm going to play a first-person 4K mukbang on the fishing forum today and let them bite their teeth into pieces through the holographic screen!!"
[Chubby Chef] gave a thumbs up on the spot:
"That's it, I'm sure it will be so good that they follow the network cable and smash the glass in your house."
Under the big iron pot, he unscrewed the energy storage stove sold in the workshop, and the fat slid across the hot bottom of the pot. The strong and pure aroma of oil instantly swept through the entire shanty market like a strong wind!
Scrape the scales off the fish, cut it diagonally with a knife, wrap it in a thin layer of seasoning powder, and slide it in against the edge of the pot -
Stab--!!
White steam rose up, and the alluring burnt aroma mixed with the spicy aroma of chopped wild onions exploded violently! The Tier Three Berserker who were hunching their necks and preparing to go to the front line to change defenses suddenly moved in unison, and their Adam's apples slid violently.
"Boss, what buff will you get after using this potion? Strength or movement speed?"
"Fry fish to add moisture and heat."
"... How can you sell so well without attributes?!"
[Chubby Chef] Without raising his head, he held the spatula in his hand like a skillful flower knife and pointed at the wooden sign hanging outside the tent door.
Under the fine print he wrote yesterday, he suddenly added an arrogant comment with red paint:
[There is no panel bonus, purely for the pleasure of the mouth.]
The crowd of onlookers was stunned for a moment, and burst into a few good-natured laughs and curses. However, smelling the burning aroma that reached straight to the sky, two or three melee brothers who were not short of money pulled out folding stools and sat down:
"Damn, here's a bowl of soup! I've been chewing on biochemical nutrients for half a month, and my mouth is almost like a bird!"
The fish in the pot is turned over, and the golden and crispy skin sizzles in the hot oil.
As soon as Angler's holographic video was connected, hundreds of dense barrage greetings exploded in the light curtain.
Angler picked up a piece of steaming garlic cloves with no expression on his face, blew twice slowly, stuffed it into his mouth, and even closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"... Fuck! You're talking on the mic! What on earth does it taste like?!"
Angler didn't even raise his eyelids, he picked up a large piece of fish belly with his backhand, and even the chewing sound was adjusted to the highest decibel in the entire frequency range.
There was an instant burst of incompetent rage from the other side of the light screen, slamming the keyboard.
[Chubby Chef] was watching with excitement. Just as he turned around to take out the new and improved snacks from the refrigerator, the light at the door was suddenly blocked by a silhouette.
The person who came had just put away Flight Wings from the outside. There were still a few scattered electric lights on the edge of the protective gear, and the person had already calmed down his breath.
A tall and straight figure stepped in with his broad arms slightly sideways, carefully avoiding the dry green onions hanging on the door frame.
[Thunder King].
Several Berserker who were snorting powder in the tent were choked and coughed violently on the spot, and they uniformly retracted their necks behind the riot collar.
[Chubby Chef] When his hand shook, he almost dropped the porcelain plate directly on the stove.
How could this living god of thunder, who was the first in the entire server to enter Tier Four... how could he sneak into a stall like this where the pot was just set up?!
Dharma King casually leaned the tightly wrapped old Thunderclap Staff against the corner of the table, glanced at the wooden sign outside the door with interest, and raised his eyebrows:
"Is there really no attribute bonus?"
[Chubby Chef] wiped the cold sweat from his palms and coughed dryly. "There really is no... pure lifestyle recipe, Tier Four, should the boss eat empty blue or empty blue?"
"Okay, let's have a bowl of hot soup and some more mushroom slices."
Dharma King pulled up the wooden stool and sat down, took off his leather gloves, his face didn't look like a master Tier Four, and he laughed and cursed:
"I came back with the convoy delivering armor materials to replenish the stock, and took a look at the old staff. This thing can no longer keep up with my full output. The craftsman has asked me to wait until tomorrow afternoon. I have to check whether it can be changed. I am also idle, and I touched it after following the scent."
He shrugged his nose and glanced at the brown and slightly trembling fish skeleton on the plate in front of Angler:
"Do you still have this fish? Give me one of your own."
Angler grabbed the plate like a vicious dog guarding its food. "No more! I caught this one yesterday, and the batch sent by the farm is still in the pond! You have to wait for the next one!"
"Didn't you bring two heavy fishing rods with you?" Dharma King pointed to the edge of the bucket.
"Boss, fishing is all about the law of cause and effect and fate. Do you think you're just trying to kill monsters and download a dungeon? You just drop it?!"
Dharma King smacked his lips regretfully and took the large white porcelain bowl that [Chubby Chef] carefully brought up.
The milky white hot soup fell into the stomach. It was sweet, mellow, and had the unique earthy fragrance of earth mushrooms. It instantly smoothed every tired cell in the body along the esophagus.
Dharma King exhaled a long breath of hot air with faint white steam. The chill in his eyes and Berserk completely melted into a touch of pure tranquility at this moment:
"Shutan... I've been drinking high-energy puree with the front team these days. My throat is as dry as if it's stuffed with sandpaper, and my tongue is almost degenerating."
[Chubby Chef] The hanging heart finally fell back into his stomach, and he smiled broadly, "As long as the boss is used to drinking, there is enough in the pot. If there is not enough, add more!"
"Leave a bowl! Leave a bowl for me too!!"
The curtain of the tent next door was suddenly opened, and [Research Doctor] rushed in with a messy chicken coop on his head and an empty biochemical bottle in his arms.
[Chubby Chef] didn't even look back. "First pay off the pectin you borrowed on credit yesterday!"
"Today I will return all the principal and interest to you!!"
The doctor waved his hand proudly and threw a transfer agreement directly to the chef.
The workshop tried Filter Membrane in three isolation tanks last night, and the target bacteria were indeed captured. The part of the nutrient solution that passed the subsequent test was also put to use again. The manager placed an order for thirty trial filter elements this morning. The subsequent quantities will depend on the effect of continuous use.
The doctor not only paid for the rent of the incubator in full, he even had spare money to buy himself two boxes of Tier Two supplements.
[Thunder King] sitting next to him listened for a while, his eyes fell on the tube of dark red sediment that the doctor carried with him, and he spoke thoughtfully:
"Doctor, your set of 'directional screening, colloid immobilization' biochemical gadgets... can only be used to catch bacteria?"
The doctor was stunned, pushed up the tactical lens on the bridge of his nose, and thought seriously for a moment:
"You can try it on other targets, but you have to re-sample, culture, and screen, and there is no guarantee of success. The current batch only recognizes the Red Foam Fungus strain, and it is useless to apply it on other things. If we really want to use it as a combat load, we must first solve the problem of whether it can stay on the carapace and wounds."
Dharma King nodded and tapped his knuckles lightly on the table:
"If one day we can take the active tissue of Tier Four monsters as samples... let the medicine stick to the wounds of their joints, and add a corrosive load, can our heavy spears and city-breaking arrows be more effective?"
The doctor's eyes suddenly lit up with a dazzling light, and then he scratched his hair frantically:
"There is this research direction! But the antibody itself will not dissolve armor. How to match the load and how to withstand the same level of psychic energy have to be tried separately. I only Tier Two, Tier Four active samples cannot even be safely handled, so I need the help of you and the high-end workshop!"
"As long as the path is right." Dharma King pushed the empty bowl forward and smiled casually, "Try it slowly, and you will really come up with a tactical weapon that can break the defense. I will bring the whole server Tier Three Berserker to sponsor you."
"It's a deal!"
The doctor was so excited that he sat down on the bench, picked up the hot soup and wolfed it down.
The chef took out a small and exquisite white porcelain plate from the back and pushed it in front of him:
"Improved version. Added raspberry fiber as a skeleton, try it."
The palm-sized crystal cold cake stood firmly on the plate, with finely chopped fruit pieces wrapped in translucent pink gel. It looked like a solidified gem in the light, and it no longer seemed to be in a collapsed state.
The doctor picked up a piece and put it into his mouth, chewed it twice, and gave a critical thumbs up:
"The toughness is qualified! The sweetness is full! It can be used as a signboard!"
"Okay!!"
The chef rubbed his hands on his apron excitedly, turned around and opened the door curtain, shouting loudly at the crowd outside who had already been fascinated by the aroma:
"Snacks from the divine chef! The improved version of fruit pulp cold cake is officially launched! Try it first before buying when you pass by!!"
Smoke curls from cooking stoves and crowds of people surge.
Some soldiers held large bowls and talked loudly about which cliffs and faults in the canyon at the front were suitable for Mecha to parachute and take pictures. Some Hunter squatted by the tree stump and took out a pair of hand-polished weathered dominoes and forced passers-by to open the game;
Angler ate it up and wiped it clean. Amidst the shouts and curses of everyone, he bravely carried two fishing rods and fought back to the old water tank.
In less than ten minutes, a long line of small horses was lined up beside the water tank. A few artillerymen who were originally responsible for setting up heavy artillery even tied a hanging line to the barrel and joined the fishing army.
[Chubby Chef] took a moment to look at the income statement in the background.
After deducting the high supply transfer fee, stall management fee and stove rental, I worked hard all morning, and the Bio-Energy I earned could not even catch up with the front row melee to chop two Tier Two bugs in the wild.
But he looked at the steaming, noisy human market in front of him during the war. He lowered his head and looked at the scraped clean bottom of the empty pot, but he couldn't close the corners of his mouth.
The doctor held the second bowl of soup and came over curiously. "You have been counting for a long time and there is not much money. Why are you so happy?"
[Chubby Chef] grabbed the snow-white towel on his shoulders, shook the whip in the air, and turned to look at the longer and longer extra-seat table outside the door. His eyes were full of the simplest and purest enthusiasm and arrogance of ordinary people:
"I'm happy with it!!"
He tied his apron tightly, picked up the cast iron ladle in his backhand, and banged the pot rim:
"Go! Call the engineer company!"
"Just say that I don't have enough use for this little broken iron pot - tomorrow morning, bring me a double-eared dragon pot with a diameter of two meters!!"