Zach Darnell had generously offered to treat everyone to dinner. Naturally, the rest of the group—Lucas, Leon Graves, and Noah Chen—didn't refuse. But that didn't mean they were going to let him pay for everything.
They weren't looking to make Zach their permanent sponsor. They'd just met, after all. The meal was more about getting to know each other than about someone footing the bill. Everyone insisted on paying their own share. It was the polite thing to do.
They made their way to the university cafeteria together.
The place was buzzing with life. Although it wasn't the usual meal time, the cafeteria was still full of people and still serving food. Today was the official day for freshmen to report, so there were even parents around, helping their kids settle in. Because of that, the university cafeteria had gone into 24-hour service mode just for the day.
The four roommates were curious to see what kind of food they'd be eating for the next four years. Might as well try it now, right? After all, if the food turned out terrible, they'd have to start scouting good restaurants outside campus!
Each of them picked up a tray and chose their food, then found an empty table to sit together.
Though Zach had said he would treat everyone, the others had already secretly paid for their own meals, making it impossible for him to do so. He grumbled a little but accepted defeat. Instead, he walked off and returned with four bottles of cold drinks, placing one in front of each of them with a flourish.
"There. I fulfilled my promise!" he said proudly.
Lucas and the others accepted the drinks with a smile and thanked him.
Lucas took a bite of his meal and raised his eyebrows. "Hey, this food is actually pretty good!"
Zach grinned, happy to have someone validate his taste. "Haha, I heard the head chef here is an S-Level professional chef. There's no way the food wouldn't be good!"
Lucas blinked. "S-Level chef? You mean he cooks all this himself?"
"Of course not!" Zach laughed, shaking his head. "The cafeteria serves hundreds—maybe thousands—of meals a day. No one person can handle that alone. I bet he leads the kitchen, and a bunch of A-level chefs assist him."
Lucas nodded thoughtfully. That made more sense. Ever since his parents had mentioned it during their conversation a while back, he'd looked into chef professions online. He knew that an S-Level chef could charge over 100,000 yuan for a single table of food. Definitely not something the average student could afford.
An S-Level chef's meal wasn't just about taste—it also came with temporary buff effects, kind of like a stat-boosting potion.
Lucas took another bite and chewed more carefully. "Although it tastes nice, I don't think it's that amazing. Probably not the chef's personal handiwork today."
He opened his career panel to check for any status buffs but found none. That confirmed it—the meal wasn't crafted by the head chef. Probably because the ingredients weren't of high enough quality, or because it wasn't made to order.
Maybe if he wanted a real taste of the chef's skill, he'd have to book a personal meal—if that was even allowed here.
"You're spot on," Zach said proudly. "My personal chef is S-Level, and trust me—his cooking is way better than this."
Lucas, Noah, and Leon all turned their heads slowly to look at Zach, shock written all over their faces.
"Wait... WHAT?!"
Leon leaned over, eyes gleaming. "Brother, did you just say your chef is S-Level? Where have you been all my life?! I must be your long-lost twin!"
Everyone burst out laughing, nearly choking on their food.
They continued to eat and chat, the atmosphere growing more comfortable. Soon enough, the topic veered into one area all boys are bound to discuss—girls.
"Man, have you guys noticed?" Leon began. "The girls here are seriously good-looking."
Zach nodded in agreement. "No joke. I've already seen a few stunners since we got here."
"Same," Lucas added casually.
"Look over there," Noah chimed in, pointing subtly. "The girl by the window, eating alone... isn't she gorgeous?"
"She's alright," Leon said, shaking his head. "But the senior at the orientation office—you know the one who helped us earlier? She had the sweetest smile I've ever seen."
"You think that's good?" Zach said. "I passed by a girl on the way to the dorms. She was drop-dead gorgeous. I swear, face like an angel, body like a goddess. I couldn't stop looking."
"Who is she? What department?" Leon asked quickly.
"No idea. I think she's a freshman like us, though."
Even Noah, the shyest of the group, leaned in a little with genuine interest.
Then suddenly, Leon's eyes widened.
"Wait—look over there! That's her! That's the one I was talking about!"
Everyone's heads turned.
And there she was.
A breathtaking girl, clearly a Transcendent-level student, with long dark hair and a refined presence. She was getting her meal, but everyone around her seemed mesmerized. Her appearance had caused a mini stir in the cafeteria, with people whispering and sneaking glances.
Lucas saw her too. His expression changed slightly—but he didn't say anything.
"Leon, you've got excellent taste!" Zach gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. "That's next-level beauty, man."
"Yeah," Noah whispered, cheeks flushing. "She's... really beautiful."
"I wish she were in our department," Leon muttered. "Wouldn't it be amazing if she were in our class?"
The four of them had already confirmed that they were in the same department and class, which made the thought even more exciting.
Then, something unexpected happened.
"…Wait… She's looking this way!" Noah said in a panicked whisper.
The group straightened up instantly, each pretending to eat seriously while sneaking sideways glances.
"She's walking over!" Leon's voice cracked slightly.
"Relax!" Zach hissed, trying to stay cool. "There are plenty of empty tables. She's probably just coming to sit near us, not with us."
But then...
She stopped right in front of their table.
Zach's jaw twitched.
Noah's hand trembled as he lifted his drink.
Leon looked like he'd forgotten how to breathe.
Lucas, on the other hand, kept calm.
The girl looked directly at him.
"Lucas, are you here to report too?" she asked with a gentle smile.
Everyone's eyes turned to Lucas.
"You... you know her?" Leon asked, stunned.
"Yeah," Lucas nodded, finally speaking. "Hey, Alexis Lane. It's been a while."
Alexis Lane—the campus beauty Lucas had a huge crush on back in high school. They'd met just a few days ago by coincidence, so seeing her again now was both surprising and delightful.
So many emotions flooded the table. Surprise, curiosity, and more than a little jealousy.
Zach leaned in and whispered to Noah, "Did Lucas just casually say hi to the prettiest girl on campus like it was nothing?!"
Noah nodded slowly. "We're in the presence of a legend…"
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End of Chapter 47
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