Universe Infinite Canteen

The hardware store owner didn't open his eyes as he was told, but after flaring his nostrils twice, he said, "Earth Dragon meat?"

"Hey, has anyone told you that having such a keen nose will make you miss out on a lot of fun in life?"

Yan Wu ignored Ma Lu and slowly opened his eyes.

In front of him, there were three oranges on the plate.

Feeling intrigued, Yan Wu picked up his chopsticks, grabbed the top piece of orange peel, and gently lifted it to reveal the meatball inside.

"Speaking of Earth Dragons, I remember there was a plane full of deserts where the Earth Dragon meat was the most delicious. However, the Earth Dragons there also had a strong earthy taste. Ordinary chefs would use a lot of seasoning when cooking, but this would destroy the fresh flavor of the Earth Dragon."

"Have you been to many places before?" Ma Lu asked curiously upon hearing this.

"Mhm, back then I was young and energetic with nothing to do, and I had my own planar airship, so I traveled all over the Multiverse."

A hint of nostalgia flashed in Yan Wu's eyes, "I once swore to traverse the entire Multiverse, to taste all the delicacies, see all the beautiful sights, and screw all the beautiful women with fluffy tails. But then I got to Earth and stopped."

"Why, did you fall in love with someone here? Who was it, what's their name, are they still here?"

Ma Lu's curiosity was ignited.

"No, my airship broke." The Werewolf said, "And this damn place is so remote, it's impossible to connect to The Grand Alliance network. I can't even get through to the repair hotline, and I've been stuck here for over a thousand years.

"To save myself, being originally clueless about machinery, I was forced to learn how to repair. But at that time, material science wasn't developed here either, and quality steel couldn't be produced. I struggled for a long time, only to waste my effort."

"That's tough."

"However, this experience somehow made me fall in love with hardware by accident. Looking back, I find it incredible. This is hardware we're talking about... When I was younger, I never imagined I'd end up on such a path. Life's encounters really are unpredictable," lamented Yan Wu.

"Until later, I met other people and found a way to contact the outside world. But how should I put it? By then, I was completely fascinated by hardware, and having spent so long in this plane, before I knew it, I had grown into middle age and lost the wildness of my youth.

"I realized that the days of wandering weren't quite for me, so I simply settled down here and continued my study of hardware. All in all, my story demonstrates a lesson," the hardware store owner said gravely.

"Should people be faithful to what they love doing?"

"No, don't go to places without signal. If it wasn't for me wandering blindly and getting trapped here when I was young, right now I might still be enjoying delicious food, beautiful sights, and making love in front of floor-to-ceiling windows with beautiful women with fluffy tails."

"Uh, my condolences."

"I'm just saying, it's not that I'm complaining about my current life." The Werewolf said while picking up a meatball with his chopsticks and popping it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

The next moment, his actions suddenly halted, then his eyes widened in surprise, "This is!"

"Have you felt it?" Ma Lu said, "This is no ordinary Earth Dragon meatball."

"That's right, Earth Dragon meat that's been pounded ten thousand times is just the outer layer. In addition to the ground meat, there are also big chunks of meat inside, making it particularly satisfying to eat."

Yan Wu closed his eyes again and said hurriedly, "And surprisingly, you didn't use alcohol or any other strong-flavored spices to mask the gamey taste of the Earth Dragon meat. No, except for a little bit of salt, you didn't add any condiments at all. Tsk, that's a bold approach.

"But strangely, the gamey taste has indeed disappeared, and not only that, but the aftertaste is slightly fragrant. The answer must lie in these oranges used to hold the meatballs, right?"

"Yes, Old Wang hollowed out the oranges to keep the peels, specifically to use the fruit fragrance to dispel the gamey smell."

"So that's how it is. I remember that court chefs during the Song Dynasty also had similar cooking techniques. Up to this point, I can still understand, but why does this meatball still contain a trace of flame? What else did you put beneath the skin made from Earth Dragon Meat?"

Yan Wu looked perplexed.

"The Lava Giant Lizard's second stomach—that's where the Lava Giant Lizard stores its molten lava. Ma Lu brought it back earlier. It hadn't been eaten and was just sitting in the fridge," Old Wang answered.

"It was precisely because of this key part that all the culinary conditions for the Flameheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew were met."

"Flameheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew?" Yan Wu savored the taste in his mouth, then tilted his head back and swallowed it all, grinning, "Delicious!"

His chopsticks never stopped. As he spoke, he picked up the second orange meatball and popped it into his mouth.

A hint of joy appeared in Ma Lu's eyes.

Yan Wu's reaction was within his expectations. Ma Lu and Old Wang initially planned to select a three-star recipe and then rely on Old Wang's 25% chance of additional star ability after advancing to Level 2 to whip up a four-star dish. Continue your journey on m|v-l'e -NovelBin.net

However, when he returned this time, he accidentally discovered that the materials for the already four-star Deliciousness Index "Flameheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew" were conveniently available.

Consequently, Ma Lu decisively chose this dish to complete Yan Wu's task.

And Old Wang was quite lucky this time; the added star was triggered on just the second portion.

That meant the dish currently in front of Yan Wu actually boasted a high Deliciousness Index of four stars and one star.

It represented the pinnacle of The Universe's Number One Snack Stall—the absolute zenith among peaks!

"It's too delicious!" Yan Wu swallowed all three orange meatballs into his stomach, then reluctantly put down his chopsticks, lavishing generous praise without hesitation.

"I really haven't tasted such deliciousness in a very long time!"

"I'm glad you're satisfied," Ma Lu said, "It looks like we've passed your test. Can you give us those three High-Dimensional Artifacts now?"

However, upon hearing this, the hardware store owner shook his head, "No."

"Hmm? You've already said it's delicious, are you planning to go back on your word?" Ma Lu frowned.

"No," the Werewolf said with a cunning smile, "It's true that the dish you made is tasty, and I'm quite satisfied, but do you remember the condition we agreed upon?"

"To make a dish that satisfies you?"

"No, what I said was 'move me'. I wanted you to make a dish that could move me."

"Are you trying to play word games with us now?"

Ma Lu's expression had turned rather unfriendly.

"This is becoming rather uninteresting, Old Yan. You wouldn't have had the intention to withhold the three High-Dimensional Artifacts from us from the start, would you? If that were the case, you should've just said so. There's no need to lead us on like this."

Yet, Yan Wu's gaze seemed innocent, "That's really not the case; if you don't believe me, you can ask around—whether it's that pigeon or the residents of the nearby neighborhood, they will all tell you that in business, Yan Wu always prioritizes honesty and never cheats or deceives."

"Then what would it take to move you?"

"I don't know."

"Ha?"

"I'm just a hardware store owner. You are the Cosmic Chefs. How to create a dish that can move a diner, that should be within your field of expertise, shouldn't it?" Yan Wu spread his hands.