CHAPTER 714: CHAPTER 713: MORE THAN HALFWAY DONE

"I devoured a world called Heavenly Country?"

Plop.

Lei Zhe’s body collapsed, his stomach swollen like an overinflated balloon, on the verge of bursting.

But he shook his head and focused closely, finding only emptiness within his belly, no sign of it being stuffed with food; it was all an illusion, all a farce.

"Damn it!"

In a rage, the Lin Chef forcefully summoned the Gourmet Demon lurking within him, "Watch me devour all these false worlds! Eat them up, digest them!

In reality.

Lei Zhe’s struggle seemed to last an age, but in real time, he had just tasted the food.

"Huh?!"

Tiqie Xianzuowen, who was scrutinizing the dish, suddenly looked up, casting a sharp glance at Lei Zhe, whose face was unpredictably shifting, as if to warn him.

Catherine and Andrea also sensed something immediately.

"This madman!"

Andrea’s face shifted subtly as she muttered under her breath.

Catherine glanced around at the numerous cameras, her expression flickering, about to rebuke, but suddenly, Lei Zhe gasped for air, opened his eyes, and staggered back two steps in a panic.

"Where’s the demon inside me?" Cold sweat ran down Lei Zhe’s forehead.

"Come out!"

He yelled.

"Come out to me!"

He continued yelling.

His body remained extremely slack, Lei Zhe realized; his feigned hysteria appeared so thin-skinned.

Not only his body felt steady as if anchored in a harbor but also full of warmth.

Even his soul was illuminated by a peculiar light.

"A swelling warmth!"

Lei Zhe touched his arm, dumbstruck.

His skin was breaking out in goosebumps, signaling the emotional turmoil within him—a mix of astonishment and unfamiliarity.

To his delight, he was profoundly satisfied. The so-called Food Tyrant’s Stomach had indeed been overfilled, simply put in two words—

Satisfied!

The unfamiliarity came from feeling happy due to this satisfaction.

"No! It shouldn’t be like this!"

Lei Zhe’s culinary philosophy faced a severe challenge.

"Stop being paranoid. Just answer, do you still want to eat more?"

A voice interrupted.

A small plate was suddenly thrust before him, with tofu, stir-fried noodles, and a dark piece of dried tofu catching his eye, the rich aroma gradually easing his expression.

"No—" He refused firmly.

"Then I’ll take it away!"

The hand was about to retract.

"Wait!"

Lei Zhe, somewhat distraught, reached out and clutched Xia Yu’s wrist tightly, glaring at him fiercely, "This is my food, what right do you have to take it back?"

Seeing Lei Zhe’s murderous gaze, Xia Yu secretly rejoiced.

Look.

No matter if you are a Lin Chef, a food conglomerate giant, possessing the so-called Taste of Food Dominator, you still grovel at his feet.

Or more accurately, groveling before his food, begging.

"I’m sorry, Mr. Lei Zhe, but it seems you have no intention of paying, so this dish isn’t yours. Moreover, you just ate two bowls, I won’t quibble over that, consider it a freebie to whet your appetite," Xia Yu feigned, about to take the plate back.

"Don’t—"

Lei Zhe leaned forward wanting to snatch the food.

"Are you sure you can still eat?" Xia ducked back a few steps, looking at him calmly from across the counter.

"Don’t underestimate my appetite!"

Lei Zhe’s eyes fastened on Xia Yu, his shoulders trembling as if he was holding back something.

"Did you find satisfaction then?"

Upon hearing this, Lei Zhe paused, locking eyes with Xia Yu’s playful gaze, and noticed the nearby gazes, his face instantly burning hot, spurring him to reply hatefully, "Satisfied? In your dreams!"

"Goodbye!"

Xia Yu turned around and left without any intention of haggling.

He was very busy.

As for the property documents, sorry, times had changed, he had the strength to make a fortune for himself to invest in property development, so why bother with handouts?

Silence surrounded the area.

People were stunned as they watched the young head chef turn to prepare the food order. They then looked at Lei Zhe, who remained rooted on the spot, trembling with anger, as if he was about to explode. They wanted to laugh but restrained themselves due to the status of the Food Tyrant Chef.

"Ha, haha, hahaha..."

But Andrea, his peer, had no such reservations and laughed until she was in stitches, even with tears coming out of her eyes.

Lei Zhe glared at her darkly.

"Hey, where is your ’Food Tyrant’s Stomach’?" Andrea teased, wiping her tears.

"Humph!"

"Humph what, if you want to leave then just go, no one is stopping you—" the female tycoon continued to taunt verbally.

"Humph!"

Yet, Lei Zhe did not move.

Andrea ignored him, "Then, I’ll enjoy this dish of tofu all by myself!"

Looking at the half-eaten big plate of food, her eyes gleamed.

...

Before they knew it, it was nearing midnight.

Business at Xia’s Chinese Restaurant went from booming during peak hours to quiet before closing.

As for the long queue outside, it was earlier dispersed by Qian Rixiangzi, who explained the situation. Xia Yu personally handed out dining coupons to these loyal customers who showed up on the first night to support them, allowing them to queue first the next evening and enjoy a 10% discount on their bill.

"Chef Xia, thank you for having us!"

At the entrance, Aikawa Hikari, the university student leader, and his club members bowed in unison to the head chef who had personally seen them out.

"Did you enjoy your meal?" Xia Yu asked with a smile.

"Very much!"

"We feel so blessed!"

"Thank you! Thank you!"

The students answered in a cacophony, and from their tone and expressions, it was clear they were indeed satisfied with the evening.

Xia Yu watched as the group of students left.

However, one female student fell behind. She turned around and, without a word, stuffed a sketchbook into Xia Yu’s hands like a startled deer and ran off.

This student, Aoki Yuriko, was somewhat of an acquaintance. Xia Yu remembered her.

"A sketchbook?"

Before he had leisure to flip through it, he turned around only to bump into Qian Rixiangzi, who was wearing a playful expression. She exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Chef Xia has had quite the harvest tonight!"

Hearing the innuendo in her words, Xia Yu didn’t even look up as he crossed the threshold.

Shigong Xiaoci Lang was waiting and pointed towards the staircase where some people were still waiting. In a low voice, he said, "They are all waiting for you."

"Hmm."

Xia Yu responded but at that moment, he communicated with the system.

"Settle the tasks!"

Beep.

Suddenly, his vision was filled with system texts. Xia Yu felt a surge of anticipation.

Tonight, Lei Zhe caused a stir, but it was like having a wealthy boy bring him luck with two tasks related to him.

"Task—’Qilin-Level Food Dominator’s Stomach’ (Completed)."

"Task—’Trio’s First Deduction’ (Completed)."

"Total of 15 Talent Points gained."

"Received [Extreme Enhancement Pill]*1."

"[Food Tyrant’s Stomach] now unlocked, would you like to unlock it immediately?"

Delighted.

He immediately allocated the newly acquired 15 Talent Points to [Heart of Cooking], and thus the data updated:

"[Heart of Cooking] (Purple→Gold), Level Progress: 55/100."

Clang!

Unexpectedly, as the progress bar passed midway, a metallic sound rang through Xia Yu’s ears.

The talent icon was overlaid with a faint layer of gold.

Moreover, a new row of small print appeared in the data section:

"When used in combination with a golden recipe, this talent can now derive a complete food philosophy."