The sudden sound of footsteps interrupted Hu Tao and Xiangling's chatter.
Xiangling looked up, and upon seeing the new arrival, her expression turned into one of exasperated relief. "Dad! You finally made it. I thought you weren't coming."
It was indeed her father, Chef Mao.
"I actually meant to close up Wanmin Restaurant an hour ago, but I got dragged into watching a movie by an old friend halfway here."
Chef Mao chuckled awkwardly, then his eyes lit up with excitement. "Xiangling, you absolutely have to see it! It only takes an hour, but I guarantee it will open your eyes to a whole new world!"
He spoke with genuine enthusiasm, convinced his daughter hadn't experienced the magic of the cinema yet.
"A movie?"
Xiangling looked surprised. "I've heard about them, but I haven't gone to see one yet."
On her way here, she had heard people buzzing about it. Even Lady Ningguang had casually mentioned movies during dinner last night.
So that's why her dad was so late—he was at the cinema. And judging by his reaction, it was worth the delay.
"Is it the cinema Lady Ningguang opened?"
Hu Tao's eyes sparkled. "It's open already? I passed by this morning on purpose to check, but it was closed. If it's open now, we should definitely go watch it later! Maybe we can drag Yanfei along too."
She was actually quite curious. Hearing Ningguang talk about it over dinner had piqued her interest.
"Yeah," Xiangling nodded. "We'll go find Yanfei later, then head to the movies."
"Mhm-hm!"
While the girls planned their outing, Chef Mao happily pulled out a heavy bag of Mora—one million, to be precise. He handed it to Felix with a respectful and grateful tone. "Shopkeeper, I'd like to open ten jars, please."
"Sure."
Felix accepted the payment and nodded. "Take your pick."
"Come here, Guoba! You choose."
Chef Mao scooped up Guoba. He was convinced the little bear was a lucky charm. After all, the Instant Noodle Recipe had been discovered thanks to Guoba knocking a jar over last time.
Guoba, having just run over to Xiangling, found himself hoisted into the air. He blinked, then looked at the shelves lined with jars.
He pointed a chubby finger at a few of them.
As Guoba made his selection, Felix waved his hand, and the chosen jars floated down, landing gently in front of Chef Mao.
Soon, ten jars were lined up on the counter.
Looking at the row of clay pots, Chef Mao grinned broadly.
Smash.
He broke the first jar.
Shards flew, and a bottle of water fell out.
[Ganten Spring Water]: Mineral-rich spring water with an excellent taste.
"Just... water?"
Chef Mao stared at the bottle. If he wasn't mistaken, this was just ordinary water.
"Yep," Felix nodded. "Just mineral water."
"That's a shame."
Chef Mao sighed. Not the best start.
Undeterred, he smashed the second and third jars.
Smash. Smash.
Two blue, fungus-like plants tumbled out.
[Sea Ganoderma]: A plant species that only grows in specific ocean regions and on islands. Though it looks like a fungus, it is actually a substance secreted by soft-bodied organisms.
Chef Mao recognized them instantly. Sea Ganoderma.
He sighed again. His luck didn't seem great today. Or maybe Guoba's picks were off?
He glanced at the bear.
"Lu..."
Sensing the skepticism, Guoba wriggled out of Chef Mao's arms and scampered back to Xiangling.
"Looks like your luck isn't the best today, Dad," Xiangling giggled, scooping Guoba up. "But I got a new food recipe earlier! When we get back, we can make a new snack. The ingredients are super cheap and convenient."
Thinking about the Popcorn recipe in her head made her excited. It was so simple!
"Really?"
Chef Mao's eyes lit up. If his daughter got a recipe, they were already winning. The Instant Noodles had shown him just how explosive a hit product could be for Wanmin Restaurant. Another recipe with cheap ingredients? Just thinking about the profits made him giddy.
Smash. Smash.
Two more jars broke.
This time, two glowing white orbs floated out.
Chef Mao's eyes widened.
Experience Orbs!
Last time, he had obtained the Coffee Mastery experience. Fusing with it had instantly taught him everything about coffee production—from bean selection to brewing. He had been shocked to learn how low the cost really was; the raw beans were practically ignored in the wild!
Now, two more orbs. If these were for new food techniques...
"Luck's turning around!" Xiangling grinned.
Next to her, Hu Tao sighed. "Boring. Not a fun prop at all."
[Master Carpenter's Experience]: Experience from a master carpenter of another world. Fusing with this grants mastery over various woodworking techniques.
[One Thousand Squats Experience]: Experience from a dedicated fitness enthusiast in another world. Fusing with this grants the muscle memory and benefits of having performed one thousand perfect squats.
"One is carpentry mastery, the other is the experience of doing a thousand squats," Felix explained calmly.
Chef Mao paused.
Not food recipes. Carpentry and... exercise?
It wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing.
Better than nothing, Chef Mao told himself as he reached out to touch the orbs. I already hit the jackpot with the Instant Noodles before. I should be content.
He absorbed the orbs.
Instantly, knowledge flooded his mind. He felt as if he could quit cooking and become a master woodworker right now.
Actually... this could be fun for retirement, he mused. Carving wood, making furniture...
It was certainly more interesting than just cooking all day.
Invigorated, Chef Mao smashed the next three jars in rapid succession.
Smash. Smash. Smash.
From the debris, a red can rolled out, followed by another white orb.
Another Experience Orb!
"Eh?"
Xiangling gasped. "Dad, your luck is actually insane! Three Experience Orbs in one session?"
She hadn't gotten a single one today.
"Shopkeeper, what kind of experience is this one?" Chef Mao asked eagerly.
[100 Sword Swings Experience]: Experience from an unknown swordsman in an unknown world who swung his sword one hundred times.
"Sword swinging experience," Felix chuckled. "It gives you the experience of swinging a sword a hundred times."
"Oh."
Chef Mao blinked.
Well. That sounded like the most useless one yet.
He shook his head and absorbed it anyway.
"Even though he got three orbs, I wouldn't call that 'good' luck," Hu Tao commented, spreading her hands. "Only the carpenter one is useful. Maybe he can make coffins when he retires."
"True," Xiangling agreed. Her dad's luck was a bit weird today.
"As long as it's not an empty jar, it's good luck," Chef Mao said optimistically. "Just the carpentry skill opens up a whole new path for me. It's a fun hobby."
Carpentry wasn't something just anyone could master. It was a solid gain.
With a smile, he smashed the final two jars.
Smash. Smash.
One jar was empty.
But from the other... a small slip of paper fluttered down.
"A paper note!"
Chef Mao's pupils constricted, and a look of pure ecstasy washed over his face.
A note!
The Instant Noodle Recipe had come on a slip of paper just like this one!
It looked exactly the same.
He ignored the empty jar completely, staring at Felix with burning anticipation. "Shopkeeper! Is this another recipe?"
If it was anything like the noodles, Wanmin Restaurant was about to conquer the culinary world again.
"Eh?!"
Xiangling leaned in, surprised and delighted. She remembered the noodle recipe clearly. This note looked identical!
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