To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

Chapter 504: Chapter 296: Give Up? (Part 2)_2

After the demonstration, Wu Wei activated the automatic processing mode, and his Level 6 knife skills quickly cleaned the small fish. Once ready, he placed them into the frying pan, immediately seeing plenty of bubbles surge up as the aroma of the fish began to diffuse.

The oil he was using was what he had left from the day, which looked a bit murky, but after filtering, it was perfect for frying, as it could take the taste of the food to the next level. It was most suitable for an evening snack for himself.

In no time at all, a plate of fried small fish was ready.

The fresh-from-the-fryer fish were piping hot, crunching satisfyingly in his mouth with just the right amount of sea salt sprinkled on top, keeping the boy’s hands busy as he enjoyed the treat.

Meanwhile, Wu Wei was sipping yellow wine, watching the slow ascent of the bright moon, feeling a sense of peace and tranquility, wishing he could stay in this moment forever.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible — he had to work the day after tomorrow.

He had always been sparing with his experience vouchers, but they were about to run out, and then he’d have to slowly accumulate more.

But those things didn’t need too much thought for the time being, enjoying the present was what mattered most.

As he finished his cup of wine, Wu Wei was about to pack up when he suddenly noticed someone walking unhurriedly towards his stall.

The two visitors, a pair, moved with a somewhat stiff gait, and their expressions were rather cold, making them seem a bit different from ordinary people, but Wu Wei couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly was different.

Dressed in casual clothes, they appeared puzzled upon seeing Wu Wei’s food stall as if they had not expected to find a food stall here.

After a brief exchange, they approached and politely asked, “Master, do you have anything left to eat?”

Wu Wei felt that these two were somewhat like Disciples of the Celestial Sect, though the disciples usually looked down on the food of the mortal world.

Moreover, they typically carried an air of arrogance, so Wu Wei was a bit unsure.

The boy didn’t have as many thoughts as Wu Wei.

He simply shared a few of his fried fish, then said, “There are only fried egg noodles left, is that okay?”

“That’s fine. Take your time, Master, we’re not in a rush,” they replied.

Wu Wei nodded and began to prepare food for the two.

The water boiled, the noodles were cooked, and the eggs were fried — Wu Wei had done this process thousands of times, and his fried egg noodles were extremely well-practiced; he could make them with his eyes closed.

A few minutes later, the noodles were ready.

Beyond the moon-like fried egg, several small fish floated on the surface of the noodles, accompanied by a few vegetable leaves — the dish looked simple yet not without elegance.

After the noodles were prepared, the two visitors picked up their chopsticks in unison, first picking up the fish and then the fried egg. The order in which they ate was exactly the same, and it was quite amusing to watch.

They didn’t communicate with each other during the meal; the only sounds were the swaying of the distant sea and the almost imperceptible noise of them eating the noodles.

The boy’s parents arrived, taking away their son, who was sleepy, while casting curious glances at the two individuals eating the noodles. After confirming that Wu Wei could cope on his own and there was no danger, they thanked him profusely and left with the boy.

The two finished their noodles neatly, and after swallowing the last spoonful of soup, they sat still as if their batteries had run out.

It was a long time before they nodded together at Wu Wei, saying, “Master, your cooking skills are truly remarkable.”

Scratching his head modestly, Wu Wei replied, “Just a little trick, nothing special.”

“No, among the ten-denomination foods, your skill is the best.”

The other person nodded in agreement, “The best.”

“The ‘God of Cookery’ competition is tomorrow. If Master has no other engagements, why not go have a look?”

“Have a look.”

Wu Wei looked at them curiously, “But I haven’t been invited.”

“It doesn’t matter, just take us with you.”

“Just go with us.”

After speaking, the two disappeared with a “bang,” and two pieces of paper slowly fell to the ground – they were invitations.

The invitee’s name on the invitation was originally blank, but as Wu Wei picked up the invitation, a name slowly emerged in that spot, revealing itself to be his own.

The front of the invitation detailed the time and place of the God of Cookery competition, while the back bore the phrase, “People regard food as their prime necessity.”

In the corner was the official seal of the Food God Sect, gleaming brilliantly like a moon, carrying an aura that was both ancient and grand.

Gazing at the invitation, Wu Wei asked in disbelief, “Have I… acquired the qualification to participate?”

Realizing it was getting late, Wu Wei had no choice but to pack up, log off, and suspend his game time, then he went to the experience hall’s rest area to have a meal and rest.

Each experience voucher allowed for an additional meal, and to align with the “God of Cookery” promotion, the meals at the experience hall were all meticulously prepared by the chefs.

Many of the popular dishes from the game could be partially recreated by the chefs here, though with less rare ingredients, so they could only replicate an approximation of the tastes.

Even so, being able to taste these delicacies in reality was still very touching, and it made Wu Wei feel that Fang Cheng Studio was truly not short on money; being able to organize such a costly event.

As he ate the chef-made pan-fried egg noodles, Wu Wei pondered the differences between each version, but what occupied his mind was the matter of the invitation he had received.

When he opened the forum, he discovered that people were already fiercely debating it.

The Gourmet Alliance and Freedom Front were in the midst of their final mobilizations, and the forum was abuzz with all kinds of information. Everyone had their favorites and opinions, their disagreements seemingly irreconcilable, the clamor was incessant.

Members from both factions had been selected, each hoping the other would give up soon. What was a fine culinary game became a complete espionage war for them, leaving Wu Wei to marvel at how players’ temperaments could indeed be so different, even leading them to argue over this.

He also glanced at a photo of an invitation posted by someone else and noticed it was identical to his own, which confirmed the authenticity of his invitation.

Not many invitations had been sent out, and the criteria for invitees seemed somewhat opaque. Some who had mastered the highest level of ninth-grade dishes were still not chosen, while others mysteriously received competition qualifications.

Those without invitations couldn’t gain entry, and curiously, both sides had three invitations each. Wu Wei wondered if this was deliberately arranged by the game operators for the sake of the show.

However, others claimed that a total of seven invitations were released, and the identity of the mysterious seventh holder became one of the hot topics of interest.

“I feel it’s probably a secret weapon of the Gourmet Alliance, likely a chef they’ve invited just to spring a surprise attack at the right moment.”

“It could also be a spy from the Freedom Front, waiting for the right moment to deliver a blow.”

“Or maybe it’s just a judge.”

“Regardless, the Gourmet Alliance has posted a bounty. As long as the seventh person helps them, they’re offering a significant reward. Having financial power is indeed great.”

“Why is it like this?”

“There are only seven places in total. Even if the seventh person isn’t skilled at all, they can still be of help; it’s a must to contend for them.”

“So that’s it. No wonder Gong Gong also made an offer: a day tour of the factory plus a secret prize.”

“Ah, tough choice.”

“You say that as if you have one.”

As he read through the comments, Wu Wei found that many people were discussing the mysterious seventh participant and speculating that their culinary skills must be exceptional.

But Wu Wei knew very well that his own cooking skills were nothing spectacular.

His Level 6 cooking skill was not particularly remarkable among players; the only dish he could somewhat confidently present to the public was his pan-fried egg noodles. Such an ordinary dish simply wouldn’t catch the eye of others, and he truly didn’t understand how the invitation had found its way to him.

Perhaps… it was because they really couldn’t find anyone else in the end, so they gave this opportunity to him?

The more Wu Wei thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. After all, that was the only excuse that could explain why the invitation had come to him.

Once he realized he was just there to make up the numbers, he actually felt relieved and decided it would be better not to go the next day.

But just as he had made that decision, Wu Wei hesitated again.

Was it really okay to just give up like this?