Everyone had something they disliked

Heath rubbed his chin. He figured the Charmander in front of him was probably the runaway Sister Feng had mentioned. The Viridian Voice had reported on it today, too.

Charmander's Trainer had offered a reward of ten thousand League Coins to get Charmander back, so Viridian City was now full of people searching for the Pokémon.

At that moment, Heath no longer saw a Charmander. He saw ten thousand League Coins dancing in front of him. The temptation was irresistible.

"Hello?" Heath signaled for Zorua and Farfetch'd to stand guard nearby to keep Charmander from escaping, then greeted the Pokémon with a cheerful smile.

But Charmander acted as though nothing had been said, busily prying at the lid and even using teeth. Heath winced at the sight. If those teeth got damaged, would the ten-thousand-coin reward be reduced?

"Konnichiwa?" Heath decided to try another language, but Charmander still didn't react, stubbornly biting at the lid of the box. Heath sucked in a sharp breath.

Zorua rolled her eyes helplessly. This Trainer definitely wasn't a Legendary Pokémon in disguise. Otherwise, how could he be so stupid?

Then Charmander suddenly jumped up and smacked headfirst into the top of Heath's cabinet with a clang. Heath nodded. Apparently, the cabinet was pretty sturdy.

"Hello there, Charmander." Heath gave a warm smile. You wouldn't hit someone who was smiling at you, after all.

But the very next second, Charmander spat a mouthful of black smoke at him, leaving Heath coughing nonstop. By the time he cleared the smoke, Charmander was gone.

"When did that little rascal get away?" Heath asked, looking at Zorua and Farfetch'd, whose faces had been blackened by the smoke.

"I don't know. The smoke blocked my view just now." Zorua irritably fussed with the fur on her head. She had spent so much time grooming it! That Charmander was awful!

Farfetch'd shook his head, too. Heath finally understood how this Charmander had managed to stay hidden for so long with so many people hunting for and trying to corner the Pokémon. That Lava Plume had been masterfully executed, and those escape skills were first-rate.

"Tsk. Ten thousand coins." Heath sighed. How long would it take him to save that much?

"Heath, got anything to eat?" It was Mr. Yan Ning's voice. Heath stood up and hurriedly nodded. He still had a business to run.

"Pfft!" To Heath's surprise, Mr. Yan Ning burst out laughing at the sight of him. Heath touched his face, only then realizing it was still blackened like a tribal chief's. He hurriedly washed it and finally looked normal again.

"Hahaha! Heath, what have you been doing? Mining coal?" Mr. Yan Ning laughed so hard that he clutched his stomach and could barely breathe.

"I was burning some charcoal and got caught in the smoke." Heath came up with an excuse. He had indeed made charcoal, anyway, just yesterday.

Mr. Yan Ning laughed for another long while before finally stopping. Heath was rather speechless. Was it really that funny? My face just got blackened by smoke, didn't it?

"Mr. Yan Ning, what would you like to eat?" Heath asked him.

"Hmm, you've got a new food truck, so do you have any new dishes? I mean something for lunch." Having regained his composure, Mr. Yan Ning thought for a moment before asking.

Heath nodded. He noticed that Mr. Yan Ning was still suppressing a smile, but as long as he wasn't laughing too hard to order, that was fine. Heath thought making other people happy was pretty enjoyable, too.

"For lunch... I'd recommend Chongqing Spicy Chicken." Heath thought of the Chongqing Spicy Chicken he had made before. He still had some of the seasonings left, so he could make more.

Mr. Yan Ning immediately grew interested. He had been eating at Heath's stall for three years, always ordering Jianbing Guozi, with an occasional switch to Egg Fried Rice when he got tired of it. Along the way, he had also heard Heath mention dishes like Chongqing Spicy Chicken.

He had always been curious, but because Heath had debts to repay, he had never made those dishes before. Now Mr. Yan Ning could finally give his taste buds a treat.

So Mr. Yan Ning promptly ordered a serving of Chongqing Spicy Chicken. Heath prepared it and brought it over. Mr. Yan Ning took a few bites, and his expression turned a little odd.

"What's wrong, Mr. Yan Ning?" Heath asked, looking at him.

"Nothing... I actually don't really like this flavor..." Mr. Yan Ning sounded a little embarrassed. Heath wasn't surprised, though. He had prepared himself for this possibility before he started cooking.

Although Chinese cuisine was second to none, even people from different provinces in China might dislike one another's local dishes. And this wasn't even the same world. There was no way everyone would enjoy the same food.

Apparently, Mr. Yan Ning didn't like this dish.

Heath sighed inwardly. If only I could get something that showed me what flavors my customers liked.

Heath paused, then discreetly took out the Magnifying Glass and aimed it at Mr. Yan Ning.

[Human. Consuming this will cause prion disease and increase the likelihood of madness. Consumption is not recommended.]

Heath was a little disappointed-not because he couldn't eat him, but because the Magnifying Glass could only identify species, not identities. It couldn't show him what he wanted to know, either, which instantly made it much less useful.

[Special quest triggered: Chef's Eye]

[Chef's Eye: An excellent chef can always discern every customer's tastes and requirements. Have one hundred customers express satisfaction with the dishes you prepare to obtain Chef's Eye (Beginner) and unlock the next quest.]

Heath froze for a moment. This quest couldn't have come at a better time. If he had this Chef's Eye, his ability to cater to his customers would improve by who knew how many levels.

"Mr. Yan Ning, may I ask what sort of flavors you like in your food?" Heath looked at Yan Ning, his eyes shining. One hundred customers-I'm going to win them over!

"Huh? Me? I... I like eating... Hmm." Mr. Yan Ning immediately sank into thought and only gave an answer after a while.

Things that were a little salty.

Heath paused. So Mr. Yan Ning liked stronger flavors. Still, a dish that was a little salty really did present a bit of a challenge.

Heath glanced at Farfetch'd, who was happily playing with Zorua, and suddenly thought of a dish from his previous life that should meet Mr. Yan Ning's requirements.

However, it was fairly troublesome to prepare, so he couldn't serve it to Mr. Yan Ning right now. It would take quite a long wait.

So Heath made Mr. Yan Ning a serving of Egg Fried Rice instead and asked him to come try the new dish after work. An afternoon should be enough time.

"Make sure you come back, Mr. Yan Ning!" Heath waved with a cheerful smile.