I'm just an internet cafe owner

With the opening of the internet cafe, Liu Yuan thought there wouldn't be any new customers today. However, as soon as the store opened, a customer stood right in front of the third branch.

At this moment, Hitomi was lecturing Sherry, while Kisara was dozing off because she had played too late.

Because there hadn't been any new staff since the store opened, everyone's attention was a little scattered, and even Tongxi didn't notice the newcomer.

"Where is this place?"

The person who asked the question was named Nakiri.

Erina, the blonde girl, looked around curiously at her surroundings. She remembered changing into her pajamas at home, getting ready for bed, but before she could even lie down, she found herself in this strange shop?

"This is Mind Space Internet Cafe. How can I help you, sir?"

"need?"

Erina Nakiri shook her head: "The kind of internet cafe I want is impossible to find."

"Really? If so, would you choose to stay?"

"If I had it, I'd come every day, okay? But you definitely can't have it here."

Liu Yuan smiled and said, "The world is full of wonders. What doesn't exist in your world may exist in this world. Tell me what you want."

"I want delicious food, I want something tasty."

Erina Nakiri felt like she was dreaming. At home, she usually had to be mindful of etiquette, but in a dream, it didn't matter. How could she possibly time-travel in the blink of an eye in reality? Besides, she clearly remembered wearing pajamas, but now she was in her school uniform.

School uniforms are one thing, but leggings underneath?

This is something that none of the people who have arrived so far have noticed. Tina has experienced it before, but she didn't pay attention to this detail. That is, when you travel through time in unsuitable clothing, the internet cafe will automatically switch you to safer, warmer, and more presentable clothes.

But precisely because of this, guests who come here often feel like they are dreaming.

Yes!

Liu Yuan took out a bowl of ramen from the front desk and introduced it, saying, "This is our restaurant's specialty, and it's very delicious."

"Oh?"

Erina Nakiri frowned slightly. She didn't believe this shop could produce anything delicious, but she instinctively moved closer to smell the food after seeing it.

"Ordinary! Ordinary! Ordinary!"

Of all the dishes she had ever eaten, this ramen tasted very ordinary, not even whetting her appetite. It also looked plain, like something you'd find on the street.

The food failed to meet the standards in terms of color, aroma, and taste, so she didn't want to eat the last bite.

But looking at the bowl of noodles, she inexplicably reached out, picked up her chopsticks, took a strand, and put it in her mouth.

"good to eat."

Erina Nakiri's eyes widened. It was a very ordinary dish, one that her God Tongue would deem delicious. Not only was it delicious, but it also didn't create any special effects in her mind.

"good to eat…"

Erina Nakiri's expression was somewhat blank, not because of the food itself, but because it was simply a dish that couldn't be simpler, with the aroma of cilantro and green onions, and a broth with a hint of beef and the natural sweetness of water.

In addition, there was the aroma of wheat and the taste of salt. She could taste the ingredients, but strangely, she couldn't taste where they came from at all.

Liu Yuan calmly replied, "Because you haven't transcended the realm of biology, and the food in our restaurant is adjusted according to individual needs. You can think of this as a characteristic. Ultimately, the God Tongue only needs to eat absolutely perfect food, while our restaurant's food is absolutely perfect in a biological sense."

"characteristic?"

"Just remember this word."

Erina Nakiri nodded. She truly couldn't believe she could eat such ordinary yet delicious food. She could even recreate the taste of the dish by mimicking the flavors on her tongue, but she was certain that even if she used ingredients ten times better than this bowl of noodles, she couldn't replicate the taste.

She drank some more soup; she really loved this perfectly balanced dish.

"Is there any left?"

"Although our main business is not catering, we have the right to refuse service to people who waste food."

"I see."

Erina Nakiri took a deep breath and decided to finish the bowl of noodles.

Just as we were about to eat, new people appeared.

"Lucky me today, two newbies? And both of them are chefs?"

Liu Yuan's words made Erina Nakiri's ears twitch. What did he mean? Did this person in front of her know she was a chef? And wasn't surprised at all?

Liu Yuan didn't focus his attention on the newcomer, a young man wearing a red vest, a red hat, and a red scarf tied around his arm.

"Excuse me, sir, where is this place?"

"Here it is! The Four-Dimensional Space Internet Cafe. You're the chef, right?"

"Yes."

The young man named Liu Maoxing introduced himself: "I smell a very fragrant aroma. Is it beef ramen? There are scallions and cilantro. The broth isn't stock; it tastes like spring water. The ingredients come from... um."

When Liu Maoxing was looking for the taste of the food, Liu Yuan immediately suggested, "Then let's have a bowl!"

"May I?"

"Of course, but it will cost money."

"Ok."

So Liu Yuan took out another bowl of ramen. Looking at the ordinary ramen in front of him, Liu Maoxing took a bite just like Erina Nakiri.

The moment he put it in his mouth, his expression changed.

"This taste... wait, is this a possible way to make it?"

Erina Nakiri, standing to the side, asked Liu Yuan curiously, "What did he think of?"

"Him? He figured out how this dish was made. According to your world's setting, the food in this restaurant should belong to molecular gastronomy?"

"Molecular gastronomy? Impossible, the taste is completely different from..."

The feeling in the middle…

Erina Nakiri shook her head. This noodle dish has a soul; molecular gastronomy can't have a soul.

At this moment, Liu Maoxing stood up and asked, "Excuse me, is there a kitchen here?"

"I'm sorry, there's no kitchen here, but there is a suitable place for your experiments. Would you two like to give it a try?"

Liu Maoxing agreed without hesitation, while Nakiri Erina was thinking. What she was encountering was quite a shock to her understanding, and she needed to calm down first.

Liu Yuan calmly explained, "That young man is from a different world than you. He's a top-tier chef in his own world."

"Master Chef?"

"Yes, in his world, he is already at the pinnacle of the culinary world. Although you live in different eras, you can definitely learn from each other."

"interesting…"

After finishing the last of the soup in one gulp, Erina Nakiri turned to Liu Maoxing and asked, "Um..."

"Just call me Little Master."

"Young Master, how about we have a cooking contest?"

"Cooking skills? Great!"

As the saying goes, stand users—or rather, excellent chefs attract each other. Both are chefs with exceptional skills, so naturally they'd like to have a friendly competition. The game for this competition is the newly released Overcooked Kitchen.

Chapter 360 Culinary Showdown, Target: Glowing Cuisine

After Liu Yuan's adjustments, the Hu Nao Kitchen became a paradise for a true chef. Here, one can not only practice how to cook and serve dishes quickly, but also practice teamwork. Most importantly, one can compete in cooking skills here.

Under Liu Yuan's arrangement, Liu Maoxing and Erina Nakiri began a cooking competition.

Another world? It was a new concept for both of them, and being able to compete in cooking with a chef from another world was an even more joyful experience for them.

The only pity is that Liu Yuan didn't have the chance to try their cooking skills because he had to go to work.

Upon entering the game, feeling the simultaneous existence of two worlds—body and consciousness—Liu Maoxing and Erina Nakiri both looked around curiously.

Is this a game?

Liu Maoxing's tone was somewhat incredulous; in his view, it was nothing short of a miracle.

Meanwhile, Erina Nakiri looked around and muttered to herself, "Virtual reality technology? Impossible, virtual reality couldn't possibly simulate my tongue so perfectly..."

As she spoke, Erina Nakiri picked up a piece of food and took a bite. The perfect taste, with the refreshing aroma of cucumber, made her almost disbelieve her own tongue.

Unable to taste the source, or even any other flavors, it was as if the void had appeared.

"Hey! How about we choose a theme?"

Hearing Liu Maoxing's words, Erina Nakiri finally turned her attention to the matter. She thought for a moment and said, "How about a simple dish first? How about an egg?"

"Sure! Let's settle this with eggs!"

And so, two chefs from different eras and different countries began their competition.

The two people come from different worlds and have different learning environments; they don't know what the other is good at or bad at. If one of them chooses a path that the other is not good at, that would be considered bullying.

Neither of them would do that, as top chefs.

Liu Maoxing is the youngest top-level chef in the world, a genius chef aiming for the Dragon-level chef rank.

Erina Nakiri, the tenth seat of the Elite Ten. It might not sound prestigious enough, but she's a modern chef. In an era where delicious dishes can be made using various seasonings, her talent is no less than that of the young master chef.

Liu Maoxing chose his familiar golden fried rice, his specialty and most familiar dish. A dish like this definitely needs a staple food, and the golden fried rice, a perfect blend of eggs and rice, had an aroma that made mouths water just from the moment it was being made.

Erina Nakiri opted for thick omelet sushi, a perfect combination of eggs and milk, along with the game's incredibly perfect ingredients. Combined with her culinary skills, even a top chef would drool over it.

however…

This is a duel that Erina Nakiri is destined to lose.

Because of her time travel, some of her ideas were temporarily suppressed. However, when the competition began, her bad habits resurfaced. Influenced by her family, she pursued top-quality ingredients and the fixed cooking methods of high-class cuisine.

Her living environment and cooking habits led her to excessively pursue standardization.

Furthermore, due to her long-term life of wealth, the influence of her family, and the immersion in her own culture, she was unaware of the concept of hidden masters among ordinary people. She also lacked her own convictions regarding culinary creation, simply following her father's advice.

No! In the environment she lived in, she understood that true masters couldn't be found among ordinary people; they must be in well-known restaurants.

But Liu Maoxing was completely different. He helped his mother run a restaurant when he was young, and after becoming a master chef, he traveled all over the country. Whether it was the cuisine of a high-end restaurant or street food, he would try anything that piqued his sense of smell.

He believes that cooking brings happiness, and that's what he's doing now.