Farfetch'd was very confident. It had watched Heath cook many times and felt that making Three Non-Sticks wasn't too difficult; the steps were just repetitive. However, once Farfetch'd actually started, it quickly regretted it. The initial steps went smoothly, but when it came time to flip the pan, Farfetch'd's wings began to ache terribly!
The muscle soreness from holding the pan and repeatedly flipping it was excruciating. Farfetch'd felt like its wings were about to break from the repetitive motion.
Heath glanced at Farfetch'd and couldn't help but laugh. He was in a good mood now. After all, Farfetch'd had chosen to be interested in something as demanding as Three Non-Sticks.
"This is karma," Heath thought cheerfully, almost wanting to sing a song of joy. During the day, he had suffered, and now he could watch someone else go through the same pain.
No wonder there was a saying that happiness is built on others' suffering. Seeing Farfetch'd struggle made Heath feel as refreshed as drinking a chilled soda on a hot day.
Despite his amusement, Heath knew he still had work to do. He planned to use Twice-Cooked Pork as the main spicy dish for the lunch. He chose black pork for this reason.
The piece of pork Heath bought had a good balance of fat and lean meat. The texture of the fat was excellent. Heath touched it, feeling its smoothness, and then pressed his fingers into it, bringing up some shiny liquid.
The pork was fatty and well-developed, explaining why it was more expensive than the usual quick-grown pork.
This pork was perfect for Twice-Cooked Pork, but it wasn't time to cook yet. Heath just prepped it by slicing and marinating it with his special sauce. This way, the Twice-Cooked Pork wouldn't need extra salt.
After finishing all the prep work for the next day's dishes, Heath clapped his hands and looked at Farfetch'd.
Farfetch'd was exhausted, using both wings to support the pan while flipping it. This was its second attempt at Three Non-Sticks. The first attempt ended up looking like corn mush because it tried to cut corners.
Now, Heath was supervising Farfetch'd's second attempt. Farfetch'd looked even more tired, which was expected after nearly an hour of flipping the pan.
Even an iron man would struggle with the weight of the pan and the repetitive steps required.
Heath didn't intervene, though. He checked the Three Non-Sticks in the pan. Due to the insufficient flipping, there were some small lumps.
"Stop. This batch of Three Non-Sticks is a failure. Try again tomorrow," Heath said, shaking his head. While the difficulty of Three Non-Sticks wasn't high, it was clear Farfetch'd lacked the strength for it.
Heath reminisced about when he first got the Silver Crown. If Farfetch'd had full stamina, would its performance be better now?
"Farfetch'd," Farfetch'd sat on the floor, its wings trembling slightly, making Heath want to laugh.
"Rest well. Continue tomorrow. You'll sleep well tonight, but tomorrow..." Heath chuckled and took Farfetch'd back to his room.
After a day's work, exhaustion would quickly put anyone to sleep, and Farfetch'd was no exception. As soon as it reached the room, it collapsed on a soft cushion and fell asleep.
"Let's see how you do tomorrow," Heath murmured, looking at the sleeping Zorua and patting its head before turning off the lights.
The next morning, Heath woke up refreshed. It was five o'clock. He woke Farfetch'd and Zorua and took them to the bathroom.
"Farfetch'd says its wings are sore," Zorua reported sleepily while brushing its teeth.
"That's normal. Just a little sore? Seems the previous training paid off," Heath said calmly, brushing his teeth and spitting the foam into the sink.
Without regular exercise, sudden exertion would make muscles sore the next day. But Farfetch'd seemed to handle it well, thanks to its practice.
After finishing their morning routine, Heath took Farfetch'd and Zorua to the food truck and headed to his usual spot. He started preparing lunch for 132 people.
This was more than before, but Heath was confident after his previous experience.
Even so, Heath was busy until 11:20 AM, juggling customers and the large lunch order.
"So tiring. Next time, no customers. This is cutting it too close," Heath sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Soon, a van from the mental hospital arrived. Four caregivers, two men and two women who looked as strong as the men, got out. The hospital required strength to handle the patients safely.
Watching the van leave, Heath nervously rubbed his hands. His last prison delivery had been rewarding, giving him a clue and a food identifier. What would he get this time?
With mixed feelings, Heath continued serving his lunch customers. When the lunch rush was over, he hadn't received any task completion notification.
"Maybe they haven't eaten yet?" Heath wondered.
[You completed the mental hospital delivery task. Ninety-three patients were satisfied with your food.]
[You received one special lottery ticket.]
Heath was surprised only ninety-three were satisfied. But seeing the special lottery ticket, he was content. These tickets could be life-changing with good luck. He wondered what he might get.
However, Heath was slightly disappointed that his chef's eye task wasn't complete, meaning they were calculated separately.
(End of Chapter 70)