The Gourmet Customizer

Su Chen’s thinking was very simple.

Eggplant and potato stew required two ingredients. Since potatoes could be stored long-term, there was no rush to use them.

The most crucial thing was the "ceiling" problem!

Every dish had a ceiling. For instance, back when he was a food vlogger, Su Chen had hated making barbecue videos more than anything else.

Which was better, Jinzhou barbecue or Zibo barbecue?

In Su Chen’s opinion, no matter how fancy you got with them, the difference in quality wouldn’t be that great.

The raw material was meat, and the cooking method was grilling. A dish made that way had a ceiling; it was impossible to break through it just by using different seasonings.

The moment he entered the Gourmet Practice Room.

Su Chen didn’t waste a single moment. While summoning the ingredients, he placed an eggplant into the synthesis frame and immediately added another ingredient.

Garlic!

It was a very simple ingredient.

With such a clear combination, the system’s light flared, and a green synthesis frame appeared.

Eggplant with Mashed Garlic

Green was a relatively low-level recipe among those Su Chen had synthesized before.

’Time to test my theory!’

Su Chen had previously thought that higher-colored recipes would more easily produce dishes that reached an S Level rating.

But the Supreme Sautéed Noodles had defied that theory.

Instead, it was his accidental addition of an egg that had evolved the A Level sautéed noodles to S Level.

’So...’

Su Chen placed ten peeled, long eggplants into ten separate steamers, staggering them at three-minute intervals. This would allow him to cook continuously without interruption.

He then put the peeled garlic into an electric garlic mincer.

A full bowl of minced garlic soon appeared.

Making Eggplant with Mashed Garlic was incredibly simple, practically a cakewalk.

For Su Chen, whose Steaming Skill was already at Max Level, his control over the heat and timing was flawless!

After taking the steamed eggplants out of the steamer, Su Chen began preparing the sauce.

Three minutes later.

Eggplant with Mashed Garlic: B Level

’That’s not right. The recipe’s color only guarantees the dish’s baseline. Following a green recipe to the letter only gets me to B Level.’

Three minutes later...

Eggplant with Mashed Garlic: B Level

’Still not right. Simply adding extra ingredients isn’t causing a qualitative change in the flavor. So, where’s the problem?’

Peeled eggplants were constantly being added to and removed from the steamers on the stove, and the number of supplementary ingredients he tested grew from a few to dozens.

Every three minutes, another version of the dish was completed.

Time always flies when one is immersed in the thrill of creation.

He didn’t know how much time had passed, and he’d long since lost count of how many attempts he’d made.

Eggplant with Mashed Garlic: A Level

Su Chen’s eyes lit up when he saw the system’s rating.

’This time, it’s right!’

He glanced at the countdown. There were still fifteen minutes before the practice room closed. Su Chen took a deep breath.

’The creation of a delicious dish comes down to two things: cooking technique and seasoning. To make something truly incredible, you can’t lack either.’

’When one of them can’t be improved any further, you have to find a qualitative change in flavor by improving the other.’

’According to that theory...’

Su Chen once again placed the cooled eggplant into a bowl. This time, he wasn’t anxious at all. His movements were methodical as he tore the eggplant into thin strips.

He slowly fried some Huaxi Sheep Horn Peppers in a small amount of oil over medium heat until they were slightly charred, then poured out the infused hot oil and set it aside.

He mixed the minced garlic with sesame oil, salt, chicken powder, MSG, sugar, and soy sauce to create a dressing.

He poured all of the dressing over the eggplant, then sprinkled chopped Thai chilies and white sesame seeds on top.

He returned the infused oil to the stove to reheat it.

SIZZLE!!!

A ladleful of hot oil was poured over the toppings on the eggplant. Steam billowed up, and the heat of the oil turned the minced garlic and white sesame seeds a faint, golden yellow.

Finally, Su Chen put on a pair of disposable gloves and gently tossed the eggplant and dressing together by hand.

’If this works...’

When Su Chen looked up, the countdown showed less than five minutes remaining.

Along with it, a line of text floated into view.

Eggplant with Mashed Garlic: S Level!

"Fuck!"

Su Chen pumped his fist. "I’ve discovered the ultimate secret to delicious food!"

He looked back.

Piled high on the long counter were countless plates. At a rate of one dish every three minutes, Su Chen had spent nearly ten hours trying at least two hundred different methods!

’If this were the real world... I don’t think I could stomach wasting so many ingredients.’

Su Chen opened his eyes again and got up from the recliner. His body felt fine, but his mind was a little groggy.

’Looks like I can’t use it for that long continuously in the future...’

He picked up his phone and sent a message to the group chat.

[Su Chen: Liu Shengnan, you’re on pickled cabbage. Bai Xiaobo, you’re on fish fillets. He Shuting, stop washing the cabbage for now; you’re on garlic duty. Peel me a mountain of it! Also, come remind me of the time at 4 o’clock in the office. When Aunt Fang comes in, tell her to peel the eggplants. At least 50 of them.]

[Bai Xiaobo: Roger!]

[He Shuting: Roger!]

[Liu Shengnan: Roger!]

Aunt Fang didn’t know how to use WeChat and wasn’t even in the group chat.

With that taken care of, Su Chen contentedly rolled over. The recliner was surprisingly comfortable. Even though time in the Gourmet Practice Room was just an instant in the outside world, lying down beforehand had its perks.

He could get some sleep.

...

「Xinghui Company.」

The afternoon work hours had just begun, and Wang Rui was already facing a problem.

"Just what is your General Affairs Department good for anymore?"

Wang Rui sighed. He wanted to retort but didn’t dare. Standing before him was the director of the Design Department—Ling Shuyu!

As one of the company leaders’ favorite reprimands went, at Xinghui Company, every department besides Design was expendable.

"I don’t care about the details. In three days, the client is coming to review the proposal. There will be ten people from the Design Department and five from the client. If you can’t even handle their lunch and dinner, then don’t bother."

With that, Ling Shuyu left the General Affairs office, her expression cold.

"Hmph, what’s with the attitude? She’s only like that because the boss favors her..." Liu Xia muttered resentfully once the door was closed.

An older woman from the finance department laughed and patted her on the shoulder. "Oh, come on. The woman’s a powerhouse. She brought in ten million in business for the company last year, and this year she’s about to break that record in just six months. Of course the boss is going to value her."

Ling Shuyu was only twenty-four years old. With her wild and imaginative designs, she had climbed from a junior designer to the Design Director of Xinghui Company in just two short years.

On the surface, she was just a department head, but in reality, even the company’s second-in-command had to treat her with a great deal of respect.

Only the big boss, who was almost never seen, could keep her in line.

Wang Rui’s face was grim. "The Design Department should host their own clients! Doesn’t the company have a budget for that? Why are they dumping this on our General Affairs Department!"

Zhou Kai was there as well.

"The client is on a tight schedule this time," he said. "They’re coming at noon, having lunch, and then immediately starting the review. They might not even stay for dinner; they could leave right after. We can only host them in the company cafeteria."

"The company cafeteria?" Wang Rui shook his head. "One meal there and everyone gets diarrhea. We’ll all be in deep shit if that happens."

Zhou Kai was also at a loss. "We should report this to Director Li. He’ll know what to do!"

Meanwhile, Ling Shuyu returned to her department’s office.

"Everyone’s working overtime tonight. I’ve already booked dinner at 19 Lou across the street. Eat quickly and get back here. This proposal must be absolutely perfect. No mistakes allowed!!!"

Faced with Ling Shuyu’s ice-cold aura, not one of the twenty-four designers dared to say a word.

It wasn’t until Ling Shuyu had returned to her own office...

...that the clatter of keyboards started up again.