I opened a restaurant in the Pokémon world.

"Xiaoxia, this is your seafood fried rice. And I got the autograph you asked me for yesterday." Heath smiled as he brought the fried rice to Xiaoxia's side and put it down. Then he handed Xiaoxia Cynthia's autograph, which she happily accepted. Heath had just grabbed a book cover that Zoroark didn't want and signed it for Cynthia; he just thought it was more convenient and hadn't noticed the words on it.

Xiaoxia stared at the words above, somewhat lost in thought.

Chapter 866 The moment you give up, you've already lost.

[I know that the moment I chose to give up, my life was completely lost.] This is a bookmark. Since it's for Xia's autograph, Heath just randomly picked one from Zoroark's unwanted novel bookmarks without even looking at what was on it, and had Cynthia sign it. However, Xia, looking at this postcard, had a strange misunderstanding. She didn't know that Heath had just found it randomly, and the words on it were just what the protagonist in the book said. She thought that Lady Cynthia was encouraging her, which made Xia's wavering heart a little more determined. However, how long this determination could last was unknown.

After all, most people only have a three-minute attention span, and how long Xiaoxia can persist is a question worth considering. However, Heath was unaware of this. He was preparing the breakfast that Xiaoxia had just eaten for another customer. Seafood fried rice is simple to make, but it is generally quite expensive. Of course, whether it is expensive or not depends mainly on the ingredients used and the location. Seafood is quite cheap in coastal cities and the price is not very expensive, which is very cost-effective. If it is in some inland cities, the price of seafood is more expensive.

However, even though Cerulean City is close to the sea, not everything there is cheap. This time, Heath bought some goose barnacles at the Cerulean City market. These are rare items and very expensive, considered a delicacy among seafood. The taste is naturally good, but the main reason for the high price of goose barnacles is the difficulty of harvesting them. Because they are close to the sea, specially trained Pokémon are often needed to harvest them, which ensures the highest safety.

However, Heath did not intend to use goose barnacles to make fried rice for his guests. After all, the price of goose barnacles was what it was, and Heath only bought some to replenish his own stockpile. That way, if he happened to encounter guests who wanted to eat goose barnacles in the future, he could provide them with the corresponding food.

The customer who ordered the seafood fried rice this time was a man who seemed to be living a very comfortable life. He had a big belly, and Heath even thought that if the man lowered his head, he probably couldn't even see where his feet were. However, he had a kind smile on his face and behaved very gentlemanly when facing Zoroark. He didn't act like a pervert at all, which was quite unusual. You see, ever since Zoroark created Betty, Heath had seen many people who were amazed by Zoroark. Some people even tried to take pictures of Zoroark, but they were all stopped and kicked out of the food truck. Heath, this was a food truck, a place to eat, not a place for these people to play around and grope.

However, this guest behaved very gentlemanly, even making Zoroark feel much better when telling Hiss what he wanted to eat. Hiss and Zoroark had been together for a long time, and Hiss could naturally understand his Pokémon's little feelings. This gave Hiss a sense of settling down and starting a family. After all, when he was young, his mother would always see through his plans and say something rather vulgar like, "I know what kind of shit you're going to poop as soon as you bend over." Thinking about it now, it actually makes a lot of sense.

A plate of seafood fried rice doesn't take too long to prepare, but considering this customer's high standards, Heath made a "pro" version of seafood fried rice this time, with a more generous portion. Only in this way could the customer's needs be met. That was Heath's thinking, and in fact, Heath's consideration was quite good. Seeing such a large plate of seafood fried rice in front of him, the man's smile became even wider, making him look like a Maitreya Buddha.

"Boss, I think that customer looks like a food critic!" Zoroark stood to the side, smiling as he looked at the customers in the food cart, while speaking to Heath telepathically.

"Huh? Why?" Heath was taken aback. Food critic? Heath knew about that. It was a profession that depended heavily on popularity. Food critics with high popularity had no worries about food and drink, while it wasn't easy for new food critics to make a name for themselves. The more famous a food critic was, the greater the pressure on businesses. After all, these guys could damage a restaurant's reputation with just a few words, or they could improve it. However, not every food critic was a proper gourmet.

Heath knew that many food bloggers who claimed to be food critics would ask for money all the time, and would smear others if they didn't pay, or would claim to be big internet celebrities and demand that restaurants give them a free meal, but when you looked at their follower count, they only had a couple of thousand followers, or even a few hundred.

"Because I saw a lot of manuscripts and a food magazine in that customer's handbag, something like 'Food'?" Zoroark said, offering his opinion. Heath raised an eyebrow; it seemed his food truck had gotten a real gem. Heath also subscribed to "Food," after all, it was the most authoritative food magazine in the Kanto Alliance, frequently featuring novel cooking recipes. Heath enjoyed reading it to gain more culinary knowledge. There were also quite a few contracted food critics, but each issue only published reviews from two or three critics, released once a month. But even so, so what?

Heath doesn't make a living by writing food reviews, nor does he try to curry favor. This isn't Cynthia. Even if this guest were a true food critic, to Heath, they would simply be a customer dining at his restaurant, with no other significance.

"That's alright, we'll handle it normally." Heath was calm. The customer had already paid, so Heath wasn't worried that the other person would pull out some kind of ID and ask for a free meal. A free meal was out of the question. So far, Heath had basically never given anyone a free meal, except for Cynthia. But even when they first met, Cynthia always had to pay for her meals.

"Heath? It really is you. I saw this food truck as soon as I arrived and thought it must be you." A familiar voice made Heath look up in surprise, and then he saw that it was Boss Sakaki. This surprised Heath, after all, Heath did not expect Boss Sakaki to come here at this time.

"Mr. Sakaki? Are you here on a business trip?" Heath asked with some curiosity, as this was not Evergreen City.

Chapter 867 Burning Bait

Giovanni seems to be leaving Viridian City frequently lately. I wonder if Team Rocket has some big plan. If they do, it's not surprising. When Heath first met Giovanni, he knew that Giovanni's identity would be exposed sooner or later, even though he's hiding it well now. It's normal. I just don't know exactly when Giovanni will be exposed. But considering that Ash is about to embark on his journey, Heath thinks that Giovanni's exposure is probably coming soon. It's hard to say that it's because Giovanni has been going out a lot lately.

"Haha, today is Gym Leader Day in the League. I was sent by Elite Four member Lance to Cerulean City to mentor the new Gym Leader." Mr. Giovanni smiled slightly. At this moment, Misty also stood up nervously. However, compared to her previous lack of confidence, Misty seemed to have a little more confidence now. However, Heath didn't know this. Only Grandma Joel noticed it. She was a little surprised and didn't know what was wrong with her junior. He suddenly became confident. But confidence is a good thing. This is Giovanni, after all.

Giovanni, as the Gym Leader of Viridian City, possesses considerable strength and is also a very good person. As a result, Giovanni is highly regarded among the various Gym Leaders in Kanto. Joel, as a veteran Gym Leader, knows a bit about this rising star, Giovanni, and recognizes his impressive strength. However, Joel always felt that Giovanni was hiding his true power, but she had no evidence; it was just Joel's 'woman's intuition'.

[You entertained Misty, and you have gained Beginner Affinity with Water-type Pokémon]

[Water-type Pokémon Affinity Beginner: You will find it easier to gain the favor of Water-type Pokémon]

At this moment, the reward for entertaining Xiaoxia popped up. Heath was stunned for a moment, then glanced at Xiaoxia. Xiaoxia had already swallowed the food in her mouth quickly, then hurriedly wiped her mouth, and immediately stood up. Heath looked at her and wanted to laugh. Wasn't Xiaoxia the gym leader of Cerulean City?

This really felt like running into the company's new boss while out for a meal. Zoroark's eyes were practically sparkling. Heath glanced at her and knew without a second thought what she was thinking – probably some domineering boss and submissive female subordinate scenario. Lately, Heath had noticed Zoroark sometimes sneakily using her computer. Heath hadn't intended to look, but while using it, she accidentally saw a document titled "That Day at the Gym, I Was… by My Domineering Boss…". Heath was speechless.

"Mr. Sakaki!" Xiaoxia was very nervous. Only then did Sakaki notice Xiaoxia's nervous and reserved expression. Mr. Sakaki paused for a moment, then revealed a gentle smile, just like an elder who cares for his junior.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I've seen your picture before, but I didn't expect to see you here. Hello, Misty, I'm Giovanni, the Gym Leader of Viridian City. I'm here to guide you in your Gym Leader duties, as arranged by Elite Four member Awakening." Mr. Giovanni spoke gently, seemingly noticing Misty's nervousness, hence his soft tone. Heath, watching from the side, found it hard to believe that this seemingly gentle man from the anime was actually the biggest villain in the entire Kanto region.

Xiaoxia seemed very excited. "Giantsa the Earth" is Giovanni's nickname. Some people say it's because of the Pokémon he uses, but many people think it's because Giantsa's personality is as admirable as the vast and generous earth, hence the nickname. Giantsa is also an idol for many young trainers. Xiaoxia isn't; she's a fan of Cynthia, but she has heard of Giantsa's name.

"Don't get so excited. Although it's called guidance, I've watched your matches, and your skills are quite good. We can just exchange ideas." Mr. Sakaki said gently. Heath couldn't help but admire Mr. Sakaki's humility. He didn't put himself in the position of a senior expert, but gently suggested exchanging ideas. To be honest, Mr. Sakaki and Xiaoxia's current strength is completely unequal. Mr. Sakaki could easily guide Xiaoxia, but Mr. Sakaki's attitude was very humble, which made people feel very comfortable, like a gentle breeze.

Some say that communication between people is an art, and that a good conversationalist gives people a feeling of warmth and comfort. Mr. Sakaki is clearly such a person.

"Huh? Grandma Joel? You're here too! It's been so long!" Mr. Sakaki finally noticed Joel sitting next to Xia, and he said with a delighted expression. Heath's lips twitched. To be honest, it was a bit awkward for guests to run into acquaintances in their own dining car, especially when the guests started chatting. Fortunately, there weren't many guests at the moment, and Heath figured they had probably all gone to the private viewing restaurant.

The view restaurants in Cerulean City are quite interesting and there are many of them. The prices are not particularly expensive and are quite affordable, so there are quite a few people who eat there.

So Heath wasn't in a hurry, but waited with a smile. Mr. Sakaki didn't talk for long either; he only chatted for a few words before coming to find Heath.

"Heath, give me one of that... roasted rice cake? I think that's the name? I haven't had it in ages." Heath was a little surprised by what Mr. Sakaki wanted to eat. He really didn't expect Mr. Sakaki to want to eat this. You know, Heath had only made roasted rice cake for a few days back then, and then he hadn't made it since. He didn't expect that Mr. Sakaki would remember it.

Shao Erkuai is a specialty food of Yunnan Province. When Xi Si traveled to Yunnan Province, he ate wild mushrooms and steamed chicken in a clay pot. In the morning, he ate Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles and Small Pot Rice Noodles. However, what Xi Si liked the most was Shao Erkuai. It tasted very good and could be eaten while walking.

“Okay, but we’ll have to wait a bit.” Heath nodded. It wasn’t that he couldn’t do it, but it would take a while. Heath needed to process it slowly, since he didn’t have any of those bait cakes at the moment and had to make them himself. Once the bait cakes were ready, they would be ready for Mr. Sakaki to eat in about two minutes, which was very convenient.

Chapter 868 The Taste of Mom

Erkuai is a specialty food from Yunnan Province. It tastes quite good and there are many kinds of rice dishes. Roasted Erkuai is just one of the many kinds of rice dishes. However, this way of eating it is also quite good, at least that's what Heath thinks. What Heath doesn't know is that the roasted Erkuai he makes is somewhat close to Mr. Sakaki's childhood memories, which is why Mr. Sakaki still remembers it to this day. However, what Mr. Sakaki is more curious about now is how Heath makes this Erkuai.

Mr. Sakaki is actually a very good chef. Although his cooking skills are still a bit inferior to Heath's, among a group of non-professional chefs, Mr. Sakaki is definitely a very skilled chef. However, even so, Mr. Sakaki still doesn't understand how Heath made this rice cake. This makes Mr. Sakaki very curious, so this time he simply sat down opposite Heath and watched Heath cook attentively. Heath didn't care at all. After all, Sakaki's age and gender are obvious, and he is also very clear about what Sakaki wants to do. After all, Heath knew before that Mr. Sakaki was a very good chef.

Heath thought he was probably trying to learn how to make it. But even if Mr. Sakaki really wanted to learn how to make Erkuai, Heath didn't care. The process of making Erkuai wasn't that complicated. The only thing to be careful about was that since this time they were making roasted Erkuai, the Erkuai needed to be round and not too thin or too thick. The thickness had to be just right. If it was too thin, it wouldn't be able to wrap fried dough sticks or chicken strips, and if it was too thick, it would affect the taste. So the thickness had to be just right.

It has to be said that in the art of cooking, words like "moderate" and "appropriate" are quite troublesome. How much is "moderate"? How much is "appropriate"? These are all questions worth considering. However, Heath himself doesn't have any concerns, since this dish is quite simple to make, and he has made it many times before.

Soon, one round rice cake after another appeared on Heath's table. Mr. Sakaki understood how Heath made the rice cakes, which made him smile. He remembered that when he was a child, his mother had made him a food that was very similar to this rice cake. However, Sakaki's memory of that time was not very clear, so he did not know what his mother had made. He only remembered that it was delicious. After eating the rice cakes made by Heath, Sakaki found that this food was somewhat similar to the rice cakes made by Heath, which made Sakaki feel nostalgic. However, seeing how Heath made the rice cakes this time, Sakaki was certain that the delicacy in his memory was definitely not rice cake.

"Grandma Joel, why do you think Mr. Giovanni and Mr. Heath seem to be very close?" Xia, who had finished eating and was drinking lemonade, looked at Heath and Giovanni curiously and asked. As a girl, although she was still very young and didn't have much life experience, she could still see that Heath and Giovanni were very close.

"Don't you know? Heath used to be from Evergreen City. His cooking skills are so good, it's normal for him to be popular." Grandma Joel was very calm. She had a wealth of life experience and naturally knew the saying that there are top performers in every profession. Don't underestimate cooking just because it seems like a small skill. In fact, those who can make a name for themselves in this industry are no less capable than those in other professions. In fact, you could say that these highly successful chefs are more popular than those in other professions.

After all, everyone needs to eat; this is unavoidable. Even someone like Giovanni, the Viridian City Gym Leader, or even Cynthia, Heath's girlfriend, needs to eat. And when people eat, unless they are completely devoid of taste, they will naturally have their own opinions on the quality of food. To some extent, these opinions are also evaluations of the chef's skills. The better a chef's dishes taste, the more people will naturally seek them out, which is perfectly normal.

But apart from that...

Grandma Joel thought back to the glutinous rice balls she had just eaten. They tasted very good, and Heath, the chef, had a very good personality. He was a very gentle and kind person. Perhaps Heath's personal charm and personality were key factors that made someone like Giovanni a friend of his.

"Hey Heath, I want to ask... something..." Mr. Sakaki was eating roasted rice cakes. This time, Heath's roasted rice cakes were the same as before, wrapped with fried dough sticks, and were sweet and savory. Heath also added some shredded potatoes, pickled vegetables and bean sprouts, so a serving of roasted rice cakes that only cost three and a half Alliance coins was actually enough to fill an adult man's stomach.

"What?" Heath wiped his kitchen utensils and looked at Giovanni curiously. Just like Joel thought, he and Giovanni did have a good relationship. However, there was something else hidden behind this good relationship. For example, Heath's complicated feelings towards Giovanni. He knew that Giovanni was the leader of Team Rocket, so he was actually very conflicted about his relationship with Giovanni. But on the surface, Heath never revealed this.

"Well... my mom used to make a kind of dish that I ate when I was little. It feels a lot like your roasted rice cake, but I don't know what it is. Do you have any ideas?" Sakaki looked at Heath with some anticipation. Heath was stunned for a moment, and then fell into deep thought. It has to be said that this problem is very difficult. He had seen Sakaki's requirements for food before, but the requirements were for roasted rice cake, and there was no trace of other food.

Human memory is a very magical thing, often possessing a beautifying function, especially after growing up, and after experiencing the death of one's mother. In this case, the memories of one's mother's cooking will infinitely mythologize the dishes. In other words, the taste of one's mother in memory is a very mysterious thing. Even if one were to actually replicate the mother's cooking exactly as remembered, there might still be various problems. Moreover, Sakaki had no idea what his mother was cooking, which made the task even more difficult.

“It might be a kind of…” Heath intended to explain it using culinary techniques.

Chapter 869 Rice Crust

[You entertained Giovanni, and the system detected that the target customer made an impossible request. You have obtained a fragment of Giovanni's memory (specific).]

Hiss was stunned. Good heavens, he actually got a special memory fragment? This was a good thing. To be honest, Hiss rarely encountered these special rewards, especially those related to memories. After thinking about it, it seemed that the only time Hiss could get some memories of the three Ghost Sisters was when they came to eat. As for Ralts, that was another story. After all, Ralts was an ordinary Ghost Pokémon before, and the memories Hiss got were only related to Ralts herself. It wasn't because he entertained Ralts that he got her memories. So apart from that, Hiss had no other memories obtained by entertaining guests. But he didn't expect to get Mr. Giovanni's memories now.

Although it was a specific memory, it was enough. Heath could understand the pain of recalling something from childhood that was impossible to recall. So Heath roughly understood why some people had the habit of writing diaries. Although people's memories are generally good, it is very difficult to remember every trivial matter in the long daily life, let alone something that happened many years ago. If there is a diary, perhaps it can trigger one's memories. What else?

It could even be said that if a person has been writing a diary since they became conscious, then their life has been condensed and recorded in the diary. That is very important information. When they are old, looking at their diary, they can relive how they grew from a kindergarten child into an old man with white hair.

"Wait a moment, I think I have some clues." Heath smiled and then went into his lounge. There weren't many guests at the moment, and with Farfetch'd and Zoroark there, Heath didn't need to worry about anything, so he decided to go back and read Mr. Giovanni's memories first.

……

Using the memory fragment, Heath instantly entered a first-person perspective. He looked at his own hands—small, tender, and white—clearly indicating that Mr. Giovanni was quite young at the time. However, looking at his surroundings, Heath was somewhat surprised, because Mr. Giovanni was currently in a home that could be described as dilapidated and bare. This shocked Heath. Although he didn't know much about Giovanni, he vaguely remembered that Giovanni's parents had also been members of Team Rocket and seemed to be the owners, so Giovanni could be considered to have followed in his father's footsteps. However, he never expected that Mr. Giovanni had experienced something like this when he was young; it was truly unimaginable.

However, a gentle woman walked over immediately, carrying a plate of food. Heath knew that this must be the food that Mr. Sakaki wanted to eat, so he looked over curiously. Heath was stunned when he saw the food, which was glowing. Heath could only see round, brownish-yellow objects, and then he could only taste them. They were a little crisp and a little hard, and the texture and taste were very strange. However, Heath immediately realized what it was.

It has to be said that Mr. Giovanni's memory is very vague. Even the food in his memory has become a golden delicacy. This is not the world of MasterChef Ninja, and there is no Liu Maoxing who can come out and make a glowing dish. Therefore, that glowing dish should be the dish that has been infinitely mythologized in Mr. Giovanni.

"I really didn't expect that Mr. Sakaki's favorite food would be that thing..." Heath shook his head with a bit of a wry smile. He had to admit that Mr. Sakaki's choice of food this time was really hard to imagine. Although he couldn't see the food clearly this time, based on the texture and the color of the appearance, Heath was 80% sure that what Mr. Sakaki wanted to eat was - rice crust.

Rice crust, or scorched rice, is a common food that is still enjoyed in some regions. It is a hard, yellowish clump of food that forms at the bottom of the rice when cooking rice, since rice cookers back then weren't non-stick. After cooling, it becomes hard and crunchy. That is rice crust.

However, this doesn't mean that there are no more rice crackers now. After all, rice crackers are still a favorite of many people, and some snacks have even been created. Although Heath thinks that those snacks have nothing to do with rice crackers—snacks are snacks, and rice crackers are rice crackers—it shows that many people still like to eat rice crackers. So, it's not impossible to make rice crackers now, it's just relatively more troublesome.

It should also be noted that the crispy rice crust at the bottom of freshly cooked rice is a bit soft, and it's not so easy to remove it intact right away. Of course, this is often due to the water content. Heath thinks that the rice crust in Mr. Sakaki's memory should be a crispier kind.

After determining what Sakaki's favorite food was, Heath smiled and walked out.

"Mr. Sakaki, could you tell me your impression of that food?" Although he knew what Sakaki wanted to eat, Heath didn't say it directly, since that would be too outrageous. So he decided to ask for some information first. Mr. Sakaki didn't suspect anything and directly told him what he remembered. Sure enough, it was similar to what Heath had seen. Sakaki could hardly remember the appearance of the thing, only that it was round. But the most outrageous thing was that Sakaki couldn't even remember the taste of the food, only that it was delicious, so delicious that it made people cry.

Farfetch'd, who was preparing breakfast for other guests, couldn't help but glance at Giovanni. This human was really interesting. Making someone cry from the delicious food? Farfetch'd had never seen anyone cry from eating before. He planned to see what his trainer was planning to make to make this human cry from the food.

“If that’s the case, and according to what you said, Mr. Sakaki, it’s quite similar to the roasted rice cakes I make… then could it be… rice crust?” Heath tentatively offered his answer, while Sakaki seemed somewhat bewildered. However, considering Sakaki’s age, it didn’t seem strange at all; he was still young back then.

Chapter 870 Memory is also a seasoning

Back then, Mr. Giovanni was just a child, so naturally he wouldn't remember much. Besides, rice crackers were a relatively rare food, and nowadays, it's rare to see anyone in the Pokémon League wanting to eat them. Rice crackers seem to have become relics of the past. However, Hiss was certain that there was an 80% chance that what Mr. Giovanni's mother made was rice crackers, or at least something related to them. So Hiss remained calm and turned to prepare a ready-made rice cracker for Mr. Giovanni to try, so that Mr. Giovanni could judge whether it was the rice crackers he wanted to eat.

"Crispy rice crust?" By this time, Giovanni had already found out what crispy rice crust looked like. He had to admit that, judging from the pictures online, it did look quite like the food he remembered. This made Giovanni somewhat expectant. He was looking forward to tasting the flavors of his childhood here, but he wasn't quite sure. After all, crispy rice crust didn't seem to have much to do with 'deliciousness'. Just by looking at the description, Giovanni could guess the general texture and guess that it probably wouldn't taste very good.

However, Mr. Giovanni remained silent, sitting calmly and waiting to enjoy this unique meal. Xia and Grandma Joel had finished their food and were about to leave. Grandma Joel glanced back at Giovanni. Although she was quite old, she was still in good health and had excellent physical fitness. Her hearing hadn't deteriorated much, so she naturally heard what Heath and Giovanni were saying, or rather, she heard the key words in the conversation.

"Crispy rice crust..." Joel's eyes held a hint of reminiscence. Mentioning crispy rice crust reminded her of the painful time she had endured. Generally speaking, people in the Kanto region rarely eat crispy rice crust, unlike the Hoenn region. Joel had heard that in some cities in the Hoenn region, people had a habit of eating crispy rice crust, so many people there ate it. However, in the Kanto region, people generally didn't eat crispy rice crust, but there were always some exceptions, such as when there were no other ingredients available.

At this moment, Giovanni's expression became somewhat serious. He was pondering whether he had actually eaten rice crackers. But if he had, why did he find them so delicious? Childhood memories are mostly vague; people can only remember what they have a strong impression of. Giovanni only remembered the deliciousness of that particular dish, and other details were not very clear. This made Giovanni even more confused. However, all of this was resolved when Heath brought him a plate of rice crackers.

A sense of déjà vu washed over him. Even though Mr. Giovanni had never eaten crispy rice crust in his entire life, looking at it now, he felt a strange sense of familiarity. This left him somewhat bewildered. He reached out his chopsticks, picking up a piece of crispy rice crust. Heath had tried to make it as realistic as possible, so the crust was still connected. This was also due to Heath using Dialga's cooking utensils; otherwise, Heath felt that making crispy rice crust so quickly wouldn't have been an easy task.

The sound was crisp, but it was also a bit hard. Mr. Sakaki picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. As he chewed, many of his memories that had become blurred became clearer. It was this familiar taste and this familiar texture. For a moment, Mr. Sakaki was in a daze.

……

That was a dark period of history, a past too painful to recall. At that time, Kanto experienced a severe climate unlike any seen in a thousand years, resulting in the complete loss of most crops. To survive, people even turned to Pokémon. Although Giovanni's family was relatively well-off, getting through that long and terrible period was still a daunting task. Moreover, his father had spent most of his money supporting the members of Team Rocket to prevent their disbandment, so Giovanni's family didn't eat very well.

Sometimes you'd go hungry, sometimes you'd eat your fill, but the food wouldn't taste very good. But back then, Giovanni ate the best thing ever: rice crust. His mother brought him rice crust, which was hard and a little brownish-yellow. Thinking about it now, it didn't taste very good, but at that time, it was considered a delicacy. So Giovanni ate it quickly, and the feeling of satisfaction is still fresh in his memory.

However, the disaster passed quickly, and the Sakaki family returned to their normal lives. His mother never brought out that kind of food again. The rice crust, which he had only eaten once and whose name his mother had even given him was "Golden Cake," was naturally no longer available. Unexpectedly, after so many years, Sakaki accidentally remembered this incident and began to mythologize the vague memory in his mind, to the point that he could never find the same food again.

……

Heath looked at Mr. Sakaki with curiosity. Mr. Sakaki looked very strange at the moment, with a mix of emotions on his face, which made Heath look at him blankly. However, it seemed that Heath felt that his attempt this time was quite good. At least it allowed Mr. Sakaki to find the taste of his childhood. However, when Heath thought that Mr. Sakaki's childhood memory was actually rice crust, he felt a little dumbfounded. Although Heath also ate rice crust, he didn't eat it very often. He still preferred to eat normal rice.

[You have completed a rare achievement: Memory is also a seasoning, and you have obtained the title of 'The Master Detective Who Peeks into Memories']

"?" Heath was stunned for a moment. Goodness, he really didn't expect that this could trigger a reward achievement. This was really unexpected. However, Heath still agreed with the saying that memories are like seasoning. After his confession failed, the instant noodles his classmate treated him to had no taste. Now, when he thought back, it seemed to still carry the bitter feelings of a naive boy.

But what exactly is this reward?

[The Master Detective Who Peeks into Memories: When a guest is caught up in fond memories of past delicacies, you have a chance to directly obtain the complete recipe from that memory.]

Heath saw the contents of the reward, which made him both amused and exasperated. How to put it? It was indeed quite useful, but it didn't seem to have any problems either.

Chapter 871 The Culinary Competition: Late but Sure?

However, Heath was quite satisfied with this reward. He could tell at a glance that it was similar to his Chef's Eye, a special reward that could be triggered passively without him having to actively activate it. It could be considered a passive skill, which made Heath very happy. Although it didn't seem to be very useful, it did have some function. After all, Heath couldn't always obtain the guests' memory fragments, so if a guest wanted to relive the food they had eaten in the past, and Heath's skill was triggered, that would be ideal. In that case, Heath could directly ensure that the guest was satisfied and comfortable with their meal.

Moreover, this thing might also help him unlock some novel recipes. Sometimes, some families might have very unique recipes. These recipes may not seem like much, but they are actually quite unique. If Heath could obtain these recipes, it would also benefit Heath's own cooking skills.

Heath feels that his cooking skills have reached a point where it's difficult to improve on his own. The biggest improvements usually come from rewards like enhancement potions he receives for entertaining guests, which can lead to some progress in his cooking. However, if he were to learn on his own, there wouldn't be much room for improvement. It's like a textbook can help Heath improve his math score to 90, but to get to 100, he would probably need some extra tutoring or practice problems to broaden his thinking.