📖 Chapter 2 – The Golden System Awakens
Raj collapsed onto his narrow hostel bed, exhausted yet exhilarated. smell of fried potatoes and garlic chutney still clung to his hands and clothes. His little experiment—his stall—had not just worked, it had thrived. He had sold out.
As his eyes closed, the golden panel appeared once again, shimmering faintly in the darkness.
> [Mission Complete: 100 Plates Sold]
Reward: Ingredient Analysis Unlocked.
Raj sat up instantly. "Ingredient Analysis… what's that?"
The panel expanded, showing an image of a raw potato. Text appeared beneath it:
> Potato (Freshness: 92%)
Shelf Life Remaining: 3 Days
Special Note: Frying within 24 hours increases crispiness by 5%.
Raj's heart skipped. He quickly picked up a tomato from his grocery bag.
> Tomato (Freshness: 68%)
Shelf Life Remaining: 1 Day
Warning: Likely to spoil soon. Use immediately.
His jaw dropped. "This… this is insane! I can literally see the quality of ingredients now. No chef in the world has this advantage."
The panel blinked again.
> [New Mission Generated]
Sell 500 plates of food within 14 days.
Bonus Condition: Earn 20 repeat customers.
Reward: Skill – Recipe Creation.
Raj's eyes lit up. Recipe Creation? That meant he could invent completely new dishes with system guidance. Fusion food. Innovation. The kind of thing that could make him stand out from every other stall.
He lay back down, staring at the ceiling fan spinning lazily. "From here on, it won't just be vada pav. I'll make something new. Something unforgettable."
---
The Next Morning
By 6 AM, Raj was already awake and sketching recipes in a notebook.
Paneer-stuffed vada pav.
Cheese-chili vada pav.
Chocolate pav (for dessert lovers).
He chuckled. Some were wild ideas, but the system seemed to hum with approval when he thought of bold innovations.
At 8 AM, he wheeled his cart out again. The students were already waiting, some of them from last night.
"Bhaiya, yesterday's was amazing! Give me two more!"
"Same chutney, na? Don't change it!"
"Add extra garlic one for me!"
Raj's heart swelled. Repeat customers already? This is working.
The panel confirmed it:
> [Repeat Customers: 6/20]
---
The Rival Returns
But across the street, Shankar was fuming. His own line was shorter than usual. The man's thick mustache bristled as he shouted to the crowd, "Today, only ₹3 per vada pav! Cheaper than anywhere else!"
A few customers wavered, drawn by the low price. But the students who had tasted Raj's food yesterday shook their heads.
"Shankar's tastes the same as always."
"Raj's… feels different, yaar. It's like home food, but better."
"I'll pay more if I have to."
Raj caught Shankar's furious glare but ignored it. He focused on frying the next batch. The Golden Frying Pan hissed as the oil bubbled, releasing an aroma so rich that even passersby turned their heads.
The line at Raj's stall grew longer. Shankar's stall… shrank.
---
The Experiment
That night, Raj decided to test a new chutney. Using the Ingredient Analysis, he selected the freshest coriander and chilies, grinding them with ginger. The system chimed:
> [Fusion Hint: Add lemon juice for +12% freshness and lasting flavor.]
Raj obeyed, squeezing in the juice. He dipped a spoon and tasted. The tang cut through the spice perfectly.
The next day, when he served it, customers gasped.
"Bro, this is next level!"
"Better than yesterday's!"
"Add this chutney every time, please!"
The panel blinked.
> [Plates Sold: 172/500]
[Repeat Customers: 14/20]
Raj grinned. He was already on his way to clearing the mission.
---
Shankar's Counterattack
That evening, Shankar slammed his hand against his cart, watching Raj's stall swarm with customers. His pride, his dominance, his income—it was all slipping away.
"Enough," he muttered. "If taste won't do it, I'll finish him another way."
Raj didn't notice the dark look in Shankar's eyes. He was too busy frying, smiling at each customer, feeling the warmth in their voices.
For the first time in years, Raj wasn't drowning in regret. He was alive. He was winning.
And this was only the beginning.
The evening rush hit like a storm. Students poured out of classrooms, office workers trudged toward buses, and the street filled with the familiar smell of fried snacks.
On one side of the lane, Raj's cart glowed faintly golden as the frying oil bubbled in his enchanted pan. On the other, Shankar's stall burned brighter than ever, a giant banner draped across it:
"Today Only! Vada Pav ₹3 Each!"
The crowd gasped. Three rupees? It was practically free. People surged toward him.
Raj tightened his grip on his spatula. So, he's really playing dirty now.
The system chimed:
> [Rival Action Detected: Price Undercutting.]
Customer Loyalty Test in Progress.
Raj braced himself. Would the students abandon him?
A group of them crossed over to Shankar's side, tempted by the price. But then one of them bit into the vada pav. His expression soured.
"It's… normal."
"Yeah, nothing new. Same chutney, same taste."
"Raj's yesterday was better."
Slowly, they drifted back to Raj's stall.
Shankar's face turned red. "Fools! You're paying double for the same thing!"
"No," one girl said firmly, holding up Raj's vada pav. "This isn't the same. His food feels… alive."
The line at Raj's cart grew again, stretching past the college gates.
---
The Food Speaks for Itself
Raj worked tirelessly, frying, assembling, serving. The new coriander-lemon chutney shimmered a vibrant green, its aroma cutting through the night air. Each bite left customers licking their fingers.
> [Plates Sold: 291/500]
[Repeat Customers: 19/20]
Just one more loyal customer needed.
Then, a familiar face stepped forward—it was the same boy who had tasted Raj's very first vada pav. He grinned. "Bhaiya, I came back for more."
Raj handed him a plate, his hands steady despite the rush.
The boy bit in, eyes lighting up once more. "Still the best. I'll eat here every day."
> [Repeat Customers: 20/20]
Bonus Condition Complete.]
Upcoming Reward: Recipe Creation Skill.
Raj's chest swelled with pride. Not because of the XP. Not because of the glowing panel. But because people truly loved his food.
---
Shankar's Rage
Across the lane, Shankar slammed his ladle into his frying pan. Oil splashed. Customers flinched and backed away. His stall was nearly empty now, while Raj's crowd only grew.
"You little brat…" he muttered under his breath. His eyes gleamed with something darker than rivalry. "If you won't leave the street, I'll make you leave."
Raj didn't notice. He was too busy serving his hundredth customer of the night, the golden panel glowing faintly behind him.
This wasn't just a stall anymore. It was the spark of an empire.
And Shankar… was only the first enemy on his path.