Chapter 9 Catering to Preferences and Adapting to the Guest

In the end, Zhou Yun finally got to taste the Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish he had been longing for.

Carefully picking up the final sliver of fish and popping it into his mouth, the marvelous, crispy, fragrant, and tender flavor brought tears to his eyes. He looked at his father with a hint of resentment.

"Dad, you could have at least left me a bit more!"

"With just this one piece, I’m even more tortured now!"

Ignoring his son’s resentful gaze, Zhou Qing wiped his mouth in a leisurely manner. He turned to look deeply at Qin Lang, and after a moment of silence, spoke slowly, "Do you think you passed?"

"I think I did." Qin Lang smiled and pointed to the empty plate on the table. "This is the best proof, isn't it?"

"Indeed." Zhou Qing stood up, went into the back room, and soon returned with a badge that shimmered with a metallic luster under the lights. He handed it to Qin Lang. "This is my personal token—the Fish Scale Badge."

"Your culinary skills have earned my recognition, and now I bestow it upon you."

"Thank you, Mr. Zhou Qing!" Qin Lang took the Fish Scale Badge with great care; a heavy weight finally lifted from his heart.

Although he had absolute confidence in his ability to impress a Food Evaluator with his cooking, he had been somewhat anxious until the badge was actually in his hands. Now that he had the token, he could go to the Spirit Chef Association at any time to activate his Star Pulse and earn the qualification to become a Spirit Chef.

"However, there is one thing I must ask..." Zhou Qing pondered for a moment as he looked at Qin Lang, who was holding the badge. "Your choice of this dish must have had a lot to do with the dried plums, right?"

"Yes," Qin Lang nodded. "Mr. Zhou Qing, you enjoy sour and sweet flavors, and since you are quite thin, I figured your appetite must often be poor."

"The Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish is a sour and sweet dish; it is more suitable for you."

"Although I passed you this time, I hope you won't do this in the future," Zhou Qing said with a slight shake of his head. "Deliberately choosing flavors that a Food Evaluator prefers instead of spending more energy improving your own culinary skills—that is a shortcut, not the righteous path."

Perhaps due to his age, Zhou Qing had higher requirements for the Spirit Chefs who came for assessment, which was why he was often the subject of complaints among them.

The Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish had completely moved the old man who had served as a Food Evaluator for decades. He did not want such a talented chef to go astray, so even though Qin Lang had already passed, he still felt compelled to offer his advice.

Hearing this, Zhou Yun shrank his head slightly.

*Here it starts, the "advice mode" of my old man.*

Even for a chef who passed the Food Evaluator assessment, it was inevitable to be lectured by his father. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at Qin Lang, curious to see how he would react to Zhou Qing’s admonishment.

Shame? Or anger?

Then, Zhou Yun froze.

Because Qin Lang was smiling.

"I do not agree with what you said, Mr. Zhou Qing."

Qin Lang spoke softly. Even though he was standing before a Food Evaluator with a much higher status than his own, he held himself straight, his tone full of confidence.

"You say... you disagree?" Zhou Qing was not angry; he merely frowned slightly and looked at Qin Lang. "Why do you disagree?"

Qin Lang smiled. "My master once taught me that a chef’s skill can be roughly divided into three realms."

"The first realm is 'Depiction.' In this stage, a chef can only learn fixed recipes and cooking methods, strictly following set procedures to achieve precise and perfect replication of a dish."

"The second realm is 'Innovation.' In this stage, a chef has a thorough grasp of the functions and relationships of various ingredients and seasonings. They can innovate and improve upon recipes to create even more delicious dishes."

"And what is the third realm?" Zhou Qing asked.

He agreed with the first two realms, but those two had already encompassed his entire understanding of a chef. He was eager to know what could exist above them and where Qin Lang’s confidence in disagreeing with him came from.

"The third realm is 'Fitting the Guest,'" Qin Lang took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "As a chef, no matter how stunning the food you cook is, it must ultimately enter the diner's mouth."

"Adjusting and changing a dish reasonably according to the guest's physical condition and personal preferences, striving to make every diner satisfied—that is the highest realm for a chef."

Qin Lang looked at Zhou Qing. "Mr. Zhou Qing, I chose the sour and sweet flavor not to pander to your preferences."

"Because in my eyes, you are not a Food Evaluator, but a diner."

"'Fitting the Guest'..." Zhou Qing stood there, stunned. His expression gradually shifted, and after a long silence, he cupped his hands toward Qin Lang in a salute.

"I have been taught well."

"It seems my thinking was too narrow."

"Listening to young friend Qin Lang today truly makes me feel ashamed." The look in Zhou Qing’s eyes held much more respect now. "May I ask... who was your master?"

Qin Lang paused, then shook his head slightly.

"He is no longer with us."

The master who had guided him onto the path of cooking in his previous life had passed away before he had arrived in this world. And even though he had achieved the title of Special Grade One Chef, he had only barely touched the threshold of "Fitting the Guest."

Being a Special Grade One Chef, he still had a long way to go.

***

"Is this the Spirit Chef Association?"

Qin Lang stopped and looked up at the towering building ahead. He had been here a few times in the memories of the original owner of this body, but for Qin Lang, this was his first time here in person.

In the Spirit Food world, everyone has seven Star Pulses within their body, named after the Big Dipper. They are the places where Spirit Chefs house and nurture their Spirit Food.

To become a Spirit Chef and possess one's first Spirit Food, there is a necessary prerequisite.

Activating the first Star Pulse of the human body—the Tianshu.

The formal way to activate a Star Pulse is to obtain recognition from at least one Level One Food Evaluator and then go to the Spirit Chef Association to have it completed by them.

Informal methods of activation naturally exist, but they carry various risks and are strictly prohibited by the Spirit Chef Association.

Despite the hurdles, Qin Lang had successfully reached this point.

Entering the Spirit Chef Association, Qin Lang found the area for Star Pulse activation and showed the staff member the Fish Scale Badge he had just obtained.

Once a badge is bestowed, a Food Evaluator uploads the information to the association's backend immediately, making it impossible to impersonate or use someone else's token.

After verifying his identity, the staff member led Qin Lang into a secret chamber inscribed with countless mysterious patterns that looked like stars.

"Relax, don't be nervous," the staff member said with a smile, patting Qin Lang on the shoulder and pointing to the raised platform on the floor.

"Stand there and don't move."

"Just close your eyes, open them in a moment, and it will be done."