NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: A Sense of Accomplishment
Devouring the second serving of egg fried rice, Tang Zi fully embodied the essence of a hearty eater.
He put down the plate and smacked his lips with a satisfied expression clear on his face.
As of right now, he is about 60% full, and he felt that he could probably eat another serving of this delicious food.
“Boss, I want another bowl.”
Another one?
Qi Han couldn’t help but look at Tang Zi a few more times.
It’s no wonder he was surprised. The amount in two servings of egg fried rice was already quite substantial. If he hadn’t been extremely hungry in the morning, he wouldn’t have been able to finish two servings himself.
But now this guy wants a third serving?
Glancing at Tang Zi’s physique, Qi Han suddenly understood.
With such a big stature, it’s normal to eat a bit more.
Of course, just to be safe, he kindly reminded the Tang Sect disciple, “If there’s any food wastage, you will be blacklisted from this establishment, and you won’t be able to come here again. Are you sure you still want it?”
Huh?
Tang Zi’s eyes brightened, and he looked at Qi Han with a hint of appreciation.
‘This boss is interesting’
Tang Zi himself came from a humble background and had experienced poverty in his childhood, so he naturally understood the value of food.
Moreover, as a hearty eater, wasting food was the biggest vice.
So he laughed and waved his hand, “Don’t worry, boss, I can finish it.”
Qi Han nodded and returned to the kitchen to prepare another serving, placing it in front of Tang Zi.
With the third bowl of fried rice, Tang Zi ate at a much slower pace than before.
On one hand, he was already 60% full and couldn’t eat too quickly.
On the other hand, he found that eating slowly seemed to allow him to savor the deliciousness of the egg fried rice even more.
Every bite was filled with rich egg and onion flavors, leaving a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth.
‘It’s taste so fucking good’.
Due to his position, Tang Zi traveled between Heaven Dou City and Shrek City every 3 days. At this moment, he secretly made up his mind that every time he came to Shrek City, he would patronize this shop!
Unbeknownst to Qi Han, the small shop had already gained its first loyal customer.
There’s only so much egg fried rice, and even if you savor it slowly, it eventually comes to an end.
Reluctantly placing down the plate, Tang Zi’s slightly bloated stomach reminded him that he couldn’t eat a fourth serving.
He had to stop.
“Boss, the bill, please.”
“Thank you for your patronage, 15 Gold Coins.”
Tang Zi nodded and took out 15 Gold Coins from his pocket, handing them to the boss.
“I’ll come again next time,” he said, turning around and leaving.
As the customer departed, a faint smile appeared on Qi Han’s lips.
Being recognized and appreciated for the first dish he made in this life, Qi Han felt a sense of accomplishment.
He suddenly felt that the thousands of failures he experienced in the system space were worth it.
【Main Quest 2: First Pot of Gold
Please use your culinary skills to earn 100 Gold Coins.
Quest Description: The beginning of the path to Food God may be these seemingly insignificant 100 Gold Coins~
Quest Reward: Random Recipe Drop x1, Spirit Power level +1
Quest Completion: 15/100】
Glancing at the quest progress, Qi Han smiled slightly.
At this rate, he would be able to complete the quest in just a few days.
Although Qi Han was full of enthusiasm, his fame was still not high, and there was only one customer, Tang Zi, during the entire lunchtime.
As Qi Han closed the shop, the system’s prompt came once again.
【Ding!】
【Quest Triggered!】
【Time-limited Quest: Taste Local Cuisine
Please go to Shrek City’s Food Street within 6 hours and taste at least 5 types of local cuisine from the Douluo Continent. Waste is not allowed.
Quest Description: As a master of cuisine, continuously absorbing new culinary skills is extremely important. Host, please strive tirelessly and be a lifelong learner.
Quest Rewards: Optional 2 Star Recipe Fragment x 1】
Hmm?
Qi Han looked at himself lounging on the recliner and fell into contemplation.
When did he trigger a quest?
Could it be that a mature system can trigger quests on its own?
A Time-limited quest?
Looking at the 6 Hours time limit, Qi Han pondered.
It seems there are other types of quests besides the main quest.
Just by reading the quest, it was easy to understand.
The Food Street was right next door, only a few minutes’ walk away. Unlike his small shop, it didn’t close from morning till night, so he could still go and eat there now.
The key issue was that he had to eat more than 5 types without wasting food.
For Qi Han, this wasn’t a big problem. He just needed to choose smaller portions of 5 different snacks.
And with the fifteen Gold Coins he had just received, Qi Han didn’t need to worry about not being able to pay.
It could be said that this quest posed no difficulty for Qi Han.
However…
Qi Han looked at the quest reward and became curious.
“System, what are 2 Star Recipe Fragments?”
【Recipe Fragments of choice, once you gather the specified quantity, you can exchange them for any Recipe from the 2 Star Recipes.】
Hmm?
Qi Han’s eyes instantly lit up.
The number of stars doesn’t matter; the key point is that I can choose.
That’s much better than random selection.
“How many Fragments do I need?”
【For 2 Star Recipe Fragments, you need four to exchange for one Recipe.】
Qi Han understood the system’s meaning. “The number of Fragments required varies based on the star level?”
【For 1 Star Recipe Fragments, you only need one to exchange for one Recipe. For 2 Star Recipe Fragments, you need four to exchange for one Recipe. For 3 Star, 4 Star, and 5 Star, you need 9, 16, and 25 Fragments respectively.】
Tsk tsk tsk.
Qi Han couldn’t help but click his tongue.
‘To exchange for one at the 5 Star level, you need 25 Fragments. That’s really difficult to gather, isn’t it?’
‘However, if I want to exchange 1 Star Recipe, I only need 1 Star Fragment?’
A thought sparked in Qi Han’s mind.
The problem with the current small shop is obvious.
It’s the lack of fame and the dishes that he sells are lacking in varieties.
So the priority is to increase the variety of dishes.
‘If I can exchange 2 Star Fragments for 1 Star Fragment, I can immediately add a few more dishes to the small shop.’
At least the egg fried rice won’t be alone.
Well, it’s not alone to begin with.
As this thought arose in his mind, the system’s voice appeared timely.
【Different star-level Recipe Fragments cannot be exchanged with each other. Please do not harbor unrealistic thoughts, Host.】
‘Damn it!’
‘Well, no matter what, 2 Star Recipe Fragments are still good things. I just need to gather three more to exchange for a 2 Star dish in the future.’
Qi Han vaguely remembered that most meat dishes seemed to belong to the 2 Star category.
For Qi Han, who loves meat, the anticipation instantly filled him.
After closing the door of the restaurant, Qi Han pocketed the money that he had and left.
Speaking of which, when he hurried to Shrek City before, Qi Han lived frugally and even bought random food to get by. He hadn’t really tried the delicacies of the Douluo Continent.
Although it was past mealtime, the Shrek City Food Street was still bustling with people, and the aroma of various foods mixed together, making Qi Han, who had already digested the two servings of egg fried rice, involuntarily shed tears of longing.
After observing for a while, Qi Han quickly spotted a stall. There was a long queue in front of this simple stall, indicating that it was doing noticeably better than the others.
Getting closer, one would notice that the aroma of the food at this stall was particularly strong.
Moreover, judging by the portion size that customers held in their hands after purchasing from this stall, it seemed to be a snack rather than a main course.
Great, it perfectly fits Qi Han’s requirements.
‘Let’s try it first!’