After sweeping through the table like a storm, Mo Yucheng was finally full.
He picked up a napkin and dabbed the oil at the corner of his mouth, his movements elegant and refined—completely at odds with his earlier ravenous devouring.
Just as he was about to pay and leave, the restaurant doors swung open. A group of men in suits and sunglasses, looking like Men in Black bodyguards, strode in.
Behind them, at the very center of attention, walked a young lady.
She was stunning—long orange hair cascading down her back, a sweet and refined face, and a body that made eyes stick like glue. Every step she took sent her chest bouncing in rhythm, like two mischievous white rabbits.
"Who the hell comes to a restaurant with such a huge entourage?" Mo Yucheng muttered, picking his nose.
"No way—it's her?!"
The diners at the next table shot to their feet, their eyes wide with disbelief. And they weren't the only ones. One by one, the other patrons all wore the same shocked expression.
Mo Yucheng's curiosity was piqued. "Hey, brother, who's this girl?"
"You mean you don't know her?" the man scoffed, staring at him like he was some backwater bumpkin.
Mo Yucheng studied her carefully. "She looks familiar… but I can't place her."
"Of course she looks familiar! You're clearly not a total hermit." The man cleared his throat and leaned in conspiratorially. "That, my friend, is none other than Nakiri Erina! In the culinary world, they call her the God Tongue. Rumor has it she's also the heir to Tōtsuki Academy!"
His tone dripped with reverence.
"Ohh, Nakiri Erina! That's why she looked familiar."
Mo Yucheng finally remembered. Nakiri Erina—main heroine from Food Wars: Shokugeki no Soma. He'd heard of her, though he wasn't into food anime himself, so his knowledge was surface level at best.
"Lady Erina, it's an honor beyond words to have you grace our humble establishment!"
A balding middle-aged man with a beer belly came rushing out, dabbing at the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief. Despite being the restaurant's owner, in front of the young lady, he looked utterly servile.
"No need for pleasantries," Erina said coolly. "Bring out your chef's dishes. I'll taste and judge them one by one."
Her gaze swept the room before she sat down—right at the table next to Mo Yucheng.
The owner barked orders at the staff. "Quickly! Bring out the food! Don't keep Lady Erina waiting!"
"Yes, sir!"
Mo Yucheng smirked and decided to stay a little longer. Clearly, the owner had invited Nakiri Erina to review his food.
After all, a word from the God Tongue could make or break a restaurant. One scathing remark, and a chef's career could be over. One word of praise, and they could soar.
Soon, waiters wheeled in a polished food cart, accompanied by the visibly nervous head chef in a white uniform and tall hat.
As the dishes were laid out, Erina began to taste them—one by one.
Each dish, she only took a single bite.
A little wasteful, perhaps.
The owner and chef stared, holding their breath, watching her every move.
At last, Erina put down her chopsticks and closed her eyes.
Gulp.
The two men swallowed hard, too terrified to speak.
Moments later, she opened her eyes—disappointment plain in her violet gaze.
"This is what you call top-class cuisine? To me, these dishes are nothing more than crude, poorly executed trash."
"The ingredients are premium, but the cooking is abysmal. You can't even control the heat properly."
"That's impossible!" the chef exploded. "I've been in this profession for fifteen years! I even studied at the top culinary academy in Shenzhou! There's no way my cooking is as bad as you claim!"
Erina flicked her hair, leaving a faint fragrance in the air, her expression disdainful.
"You can't control heat, your seasoning order is wrong, and your timing is sloppy. And you dare say your cooking isn't trash?"
"As for that so-called Shenzhou Academy… I believe you studied there, yes. But I can say with absolute certainty—you never graduated, did you?"
"I…"
The chef's face flushed red as he lowered his head, unable to refute it. She'd hit the nail on the head. He hadn't graduated—he hadn't even been qualified to.
"What a waste of my time."
Erina rose and strode toward the exit.
No one noticed the hatred in the owner's eyes as he watched her leave.
Mo Yucheng, however, smiled faintly. "Interesting. For her to be so sharp and picky… I wonder what kind of food would actually impress her?"
He thought the meal he'd just eaten was pretty decent. But to her, it was garbage.
Now he was curious—what did real cuisine taste like?
"Looks like I'll need to make a trip to Totsuki Academy someday. See what kind of food can satisfy the God Tongue."
After paying his bill, he too departed.
Back at his apartment, Mo Yucheng sprawled on the bed and opened the chat group.
[Mo Yucheng: I'm back, family!]
[Shinobu: Welcome back, Mr. Mo Yucheng.]
[Stelle: Bastard! Pay me back!]
[Mo Yucheng: No money, no problem. All I've got is my life. picks nose.jpg]
[Lumine: I'll be leaving for Inazuma tomorrow. Should arrive the day after or so. Will you come?]
Having someone who knew the plot along would certainly make things safer.
[Mo Yucheng: We'll see. If I'm free, I'll go. If not, then I won't.]
[Kiana: Damn it! Failed my exam again. I've got remedials tomorrow.]
[Kiana: Anyone got a photographic memory skill? Upload it—I'll buy!]
[Rina: As if we'd have something like that.]
[Stelle: The Space Station has relics that boost memory, but… no way Herta would lend them.]
[Mo Yucheng: Got any relics that boost looks?]
[Stelle: Not that, but there are drugs that increase attraction to the opposite sex.]
[Mo Yucheng: Big Sis Stelle! Hungry, food, feed me!]
[Stelle: Nice try. Not falling for it again!]
[Mo Yucheng: Tch…]
After a bit more banter, Mo Yucheng logged off and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
"Whoa—who's this handsome guy?!"
The reflection in the mirror made him freeze.
"This… is me? I'm this handsome?!"
Sure, he'd always looked decent—but not this drop-dead, heaven-defying handsome.
Could it be… a side effect of the system's earlier body enhancement?
Yeah. That had to be it.