Culinary God in Wilderness

"That’s weird. Why did both of them choose to go to the coast?"

"You can get a lot of seafood at the coast, but freshwater is too scarce. Besides, most of the fruit grows in the forest. I think the best spot would be near the foot of the mountains, the only problem is that crossing them is a bit of a pain."

"Since the production team already dropped the first batch of prey, there will definitely be a second and third. Instead of wasting energy traveling, it’s better to build a shelter nearby."

"There must be tons of fruit trees around Lake Lagobaiano. It’s a paradise for animals, and the production team chose this area for the drop too. This has to be a key survival zone."

"I get it now. The two of them never settled the score last season, so they definitely want to finish it this time. A viewer must have told Andre where Lin was, which is why he decided to go find him."

"I’d rather just stay put in the forest. Even though getting salt is a bit hard, it’s better than competing with two powerhouses. If I stay near them, I might not even be able to get any food."

After receiving the intel from viewers, the vast majority of contestants independently chose to remain in the forest near the lake. Only a few decided to head for the Dalian Mountain Range as well.

But the Dalian Mountain Range was vast and sprawling. Even if they crossed the mountains, it didn’t mean they would run into the two of them. They could just as easily choose to operate on the eastern coast.

Inside the White Whale Restaurant.

While the customers gathered in front of the projector to watch the contestants compete, Gray was sitting in a corner with a laptop in front of him.

Max walked over, set down a cup of iced coffee, and glanced at the contents of the screen.

"Mangoes? Seafood? You’re starting to place orders this early? It’s still a question whether Lin can even get a fire started tomorrow. Isn’t it a bit too soon to be stocking up?"

"It’s fine," Gray said, waving his hand dismissively. "Mangoes last a long time in the fridge. I’m not in a hurry with the seafood. I just want to see what kinds of things the supplier offers, and while I’m at it, I’ll check what species live in the Mangrove Forests of Panama."

"I’ll put a list together first so I have a rough idea. That way, I can start placing orders as soon as Lin catches some fresh ingredients."

"Oh?"

Max gave him a surprised look. "Is this the same Gray I know? You never used to be this hardworking."

"You think I don’t want to slack off?"

Gray shrugged helplessly and sighed, pointing at the bustling crowd. "Ever since the Wild Survival production team announced our partnership, customer traffic has been slowly picking up."

"And now that the new season has started, it’s a period of explosive growth. Have you forgotten how many inquiry calls we get every day?"

"Right now, Lin hasn’t even started cooking yet, so we’re still relatively free. Once he gets through the initial survival phase and stabilizes, he’ll start thinking about how to cook up all sorts of creative dishes. That’s when things will get really busy."

"If we can’t seize this wave of traffic to build up our reputation, this restaurant basically has no chance of making it big. If my old man found out I slacked off and ruined the restaurant’s future, he’d probably climb out of his grave and give me a sound beating."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to a wooden wall where several old black-and-white photos were displayed.

In one of the photos, a chubby, middle-aged man who bore a striking resemblance to him was grinning from ear to ear.

"Keep it up, old friend. Just let me know if you need any help."

Max patted him on the shoulder a few times and left him to it, returning to the bar to mix drinks for the customers.

Just then, the restaurant’s main door was suddenly pushed open.

Max, who was in the middle of mixing a drink, looked up subconsciously, a welcoming smile spreading across his face. "Welcome to the White Whale... Oh, hey, my old friends! It’s been a while since you’ve been here."

Angelica, wearing a hat and sunglasses in an understated outfit, walked in through the door on her husband’s arm.

She didn’t stop until she was standing at the bar, where she took off her sunglasses and hung them on her collar with a sigh. "What can you do? You know how it is. We have three little monsters at home, plus a newborn baby. The two of us never get a chance to go out."

"So how did you two manage to get free tonight?"

Max craned his neck to look behind them, and sure enough, he didn’t see the little troublemakers.

"My parents are visiting," Joseph said with a shrug. "They were just sitting around at home with nothing to do, so I invited them over to play with the kids and stay for a few days. And just like that, we have time to enjoy a world for two."

"We’ll have the usual. Four Shrimp and Clam Cocktails. No rush, make them when you have a minute. Where’s that guy Gray?"

Max jutted his chin. "Over there, having a headache. Perfect timing. You two have eaten at a lot of restaurants, you could go give him some pointers."

Gray was completely absorbed in an informational video about seafood in Panama, totally unaware that someone had come up beside him.

He was only startled out of it when the two of them pulled up chairs and sat down.

"Oh, hey, Angelica, Joseph. Long time no see."

"Is this the same old Gray we know? Actually working so seriously?"

Joseph handed him a bag of sour cream flavored corn chips. Gray didn’t stand on ceremony, reaching in and grabbing a large handful.

"Have you forgotten? The White Whale has officially partnered with the Wild Survival production team. With the new season just starting, things are definitely going to get busier and busier."

Angelica picked up the untouched iced coffee from the table and took a sip. "Look at this guy, drinking iced coffee this late at night. Are you planning to pull an all-nighter thinking up a new menu?"