Fifty two days have passed on the wall. Mai Ge doesn't remember exactly how many grilled fish he's made. He only knows that he used to be able to catch even the smallest Colorful Grass Carp and let it escape, but now he can complete the entire process of scooping up the largest Colorful Grass Carp from the tank, stunning it, killing it, and cleaning it in fifteen seconds.
Mai Ge thought even the fishmongers at the market might not be as skilled as him.
Waiting for the system's judgment, Mai Ge remained remarkably calm. He'd already been rejected countless times. If it was rejected again, he'd just move on to the next one.
He should blame his past life for being too demanding, always making nitpicking requests. He was already eating the authentic grilled fish that was widely recognized, yet he still added even higher demands. The things he made difficult for others in his past life have now become things difficult for himself.
"If I'm going to do it, I'll do it perfectly, otherwise how can I live up to the restaurant's reputation?" Mai Ge thought to himself, a smile appearing on his face. Compared to the tedious practice in the Chef God Trial Ground, seeing the joyful smiles on Amy and the guests' faces as they tasted the food made it all worthwhile.
"Based on the standards previously set by the host:
1. The fish skin is crispy but not burnt, and the fish meat is as tender as tofu, yet firm but not falling apart. Achieved!
2. The broth is oily but not greasy, fragrant and spicy but not pungent, achieving the perfect spicy and savory flavor. Achieved!
3. The fish aroma is enticing and distinct, not masked by other side dishes and spices. Achieved!
With all three standards achieved, congratulations, host, on mastering the skills of Spicy Grilled Fish! You have also unlocked the ability to purchase the necessary ingredients for Spicy Grilled Fish and the corresponding access to the required kitchen utensils."
The system's voice rang out, carrying a hint of encouragement.
"Looks like I have quite a talent for grilling fish." Mai Ge smiled, looking at the grilled fish covered in bright red sauce and chili peppers on the stainless steel plate. He couldn't help but swallow hard, all he had to do was put it on the alcohol burner to simmer, and a delicious Spicy Grilled Fish would be ready to serve.
"Host, would you like to try the grilled fish? If not, I can teleport you away from the Chef GodTrial Ground now." the system said.
"I won't taste it this time. I'll wait to eat with Amy. But System, can I stay here for a while? There are still a few hours until morning. Could you bring that sword in so I can practice my swordsmanship in this Chef God Trial Ground?" Mai Ge shook his head and said with a smile.
He had already planned this out. He could only practice for an hour each night, and he also needed to consider his stamina, recovery, and other factors.
But things are different in the Chef God Trial Ground. He can practice day and night without worrying about stamina or needing rest. After dozens of days of non-stop practice, he should be able to perfectly master the strongest swordsmanship he can use in his current physical condition.
The second way to unlock the Chef God Trial Ground – the Sword God Trial Ground!
"The Chef God Trial Ground were created to help the host quickly master cooking methods. It might not be appropriate for the host to do other unrelated things here, would it?" The system's voice carried a hint of hesitation.
"What's inappropriate about it? It's just sword practice. There's no one else here. System, you clearly gave me 365 days. I diligently practiced and completed the learning tasks ahead of schedule, and I'm free to arrange the remaining time. That should be perfectly reasonable, right?" Mai Ge said earnestly, without a trace of embarrassment.
"Making the long sword materialize requires additional energy, and if the host wants to practice swordsmanship, I will definitely need to expand the space, this..." The system stopped halfway through its sentence, but the meaning it wanted to express was already very clear.
"System, just tell me, how much do you want? I won't give you more anyway." Mai Ge said, pursing his lips.
"Huh? How did you know what I was going to say?" the system asked in surprise.
"Heh, should I be stupid enough to ask, 'System, are there any restrictions?' That would make me look like an idiot." Mai Ge rolled his eyes. Everyone knew the system's true intentions.
"A flat fee of 10 gold coins each time." The system paused for a moment, as if after careful consideration, before speaking.
"The price is fine, but in that case, I need an empty room of about ten square meters." Mai Ge nodded, the price was cheaper than he had expected.
When traveling, some people choose to take a cheaper but longer bus to save money, while others choose to take a high-speed train or plane to save time.
People with little money save money by spending time, while people with money save time by spending money—this is a common phenomenon.
Mai Ge felt it was worthwhile to exchange 10 gold coins for dozens of days of non-stop sword practice.
He could now be considered half rich, because he knew where his earnings would go even before they were in his hands.
"Deal!" the system replied decisively. A flash of white light appeared in the kitchen space where Mai Ge was, and everything disappeared, turning into a closed room of about ten square meters. Mai Ge also had his long sword in his hand.
"In that case, I'll practice the sword techniques I can now to their fullest potential before going out. That's a good way to improve." Mai Ge gripped the long sword in his hand, its feel and weight were exactly the same as the one he held outside.
In the enclosed space, a long sword continuously thrust out, its light radiating in all directions, seemingly tireless.
…
In the largest conference room at the headquarters of the Aden Square Catering Association, the association's key members were gathered, their expressions somewhat grave.
Robert sat in the middle, his expression somewhat unpleasant, a piece of paper in his hand that he had crumpled into a ball at some point.
"Alright, let's leave it at that. This restaurant's actions have completely disrupted the order of this year's food rankings and caused dissatisfaction among many restaurants. Today is the eighth day, and the final rankings will be determined in two days. We can't let the food rankings lose credibility in the eyes of the customers." The large, overweight man, weighing at least 250 jin (about 125 kg), sitting at the head of the table, said with a serious expression, "Therefore, tomorrow morning, we'll first remove this restaurant from the list, then thoroughly investigate its abnormal increase on the list, and post the investigation results and penalty notice."
"The president is right. We can't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch. This restaurant completely ignored the rules from the beginning and should be permanently removed from the list."
"Yes, a restaurant that has only been open for less than a month is actually trying to break into the top 20 of the list. If it succeeds, won't it embarrass our Catering Association?"
Everyone present immediately echoed and expressed their agreement.
Warren smiled slightly. He had just received 100 dragon coins today. It was just for a small restaurant. Young Master Cyril was really willing to spend money. But now that he had received the money, he naturally had to handle things well so that he could ask for more next time.
"President, I visited this restaurant on the very first day the list came out. There were no issues with the number of customers, service, food quality, or prices. I don't think Restaurant Mai Mi should be removed from the list." At that moment, Robert looked at Warren with a serious expression and said.