MTLNOVEL Chapter 495 - 292: Persuasion (Part 1)_2
Chapter 495: Chapter 292: Persuasion (Part 1)_2
The newest member to join the guild, Gong Gong.
The person was an unremarkable-looking woman, but after joining, she proved to be tough and not very talkative, spending high-intensity time online every day, to the extent that people wondered if she was using some kind of cheat.
However, Fang Cheng Studio’s game had absolutely no cheats, leading only to the realization that people’s physiques truly differ; some seemed to be made entirely of liver.
Yet, they’d had no prior interaction, leaving Chen Rang clueless as to why she’d come.
Seeing Chen Rang’s return, Mukuai’s eyes immediately started sparkling, and her whole demeanor brightened.
“Chen Rang, you’re back. You must be tired today, go wash your hands and then let’s eat,” she said.
She eagerly pulled Chen Rang to the table, looked at him for a moment, and then said, “You used the gaming pod today, didn’t you?”
“You can tell?” Chen Rang asked in surprise, “I was going to have you guess.”
“You look a lot more lively today, it’s obvious. You must be tired, too. Is there anything I can help with?”
From the moment Chen Rang appeared, Mukuai seemed to have forgotten the existence of the other person, her eyes only for Chen Rang.
However, Chen Rang hadn’t forgotten that another person had joined his little shop.
He sat down at the small table and saw that it was already covered with delicious foods.
Level six culinary masterpiece, Emperor Fried Rice.
Source: Webnovel.com, updated on Ɲονց0.сο
Level six culinary masterpiece, Crystal Ribs.
Level seven culinary masterpiece, Rainbow Pudding.
Level seven culinary masterpiece, Endless River of Sorrow in One Night.
The variety of dishes competed in splendor, emitting rich but complementary fragrances that enhanced each other, creating a wonderful chemical reaction akin to a symphony.
This wasn’t just Chen Rang’s illusion but rather a hidden game mechanic: food combination.
The food itself had to be well-matched, and the prepared dishes also required harmony. Properly paired foods could even produce effects that rivaled level eight culinary creations.
Swallowing hard, Chen Rang felt that he had finally seen true culinary wonders today.
But he didn’t pick up his chopsticks, instead, he looked at Gong Gong and asked, “Gong Gong, have you come here for something?”
With a slight smile, Gong Gong replied, “Nothing much, I just haven’t been here long and wanted to visit the elders of this place. Chen Rang, you’ve been at the guild for quite some time, so I wanted to pay a visit.”
The statement was delivered casually but managed to sting Chen Rang.
Compared to her, he indeed had been with the guild for a long time, but due to not ‘grinding’ hard enough, he only had level six recipes.
Gong Gong’s stay had been short, yet she had become a sensation in the guild. Now, with her level seven recipes and even the ability to combine ingredients, it slightly irked Chen Rang.
However, he knew it was his own lack of effort and said with a smile, “Welcome, then. Let me get some drinks, I have level five…”
“That won’t do,” Gong Gong interjected. “I felt an instant connection with brother Chen Rang, how could level five drinks suffice? I have a level seven wine called Drunk on Life and Dreaming in Death, now that has a kick!”
Chen Rang’s expression froze on his face once again.
Brewing alcohol was even more troublesome, requiring not just grains but also specialized brewing skills or it would end up in failure.
Not many in the game specialized in this, but Mukuai loved the feeling of tipsiness and would smile foolishly at Chen Rang under the candlelight with a hint of blush on her face—these were Chen Rang’s happiest moments.
This alcohol had been painstakingly brewed by him and Mukuai, and they usually dared to drink only one cup at a time. He hadn’t expected to be outdone again.
Sitting down stiffly, he said to Gong Gong, “Well, that was generous of you…”
“No problem, I get to collect it every day, a little bit here and there is nothing. But this place looks a bit rundown, not quite fitting for someone of your stature, Chen Rang. Have you not been playing the game properly, to still be living in a place like this with your partner?” Gong Gong remarked.
As Chen Rang listened, he grew more and more uneasy, but before he could speak, Mukuai’s smile quickly disappeared.
She stood up coldly and pointed to the door, “Leave.”
“Hey, why are you driving me out? I haven’t even eaten yet.”
“Then don’t eat!”
With a forceful shove, she flipped the table and yelled at Gong Gong’s nose, “I’ve been tolerating you for a long time! You’ve been snide since you came in. I gave you face by inviting you! You’re unsatisfied with this, unsatisfied with that, well if you’re so unsatisfied, just get out!”
Chen Rang stared blankly, “Mukuai…”
“Hmm? Uh… I’m sorry, did I scare you?”
“No, you were just so cool.”
“…Really.”
Turning her face away, Mukuai blushed slightly.
Covered in spilt food, Gong Gong had wasted a perfectly good meal, but she had her fill of dog food from the scene.
Licking soup from the corner of her mouth, she addressed them, “That’ll do, you’ve both passed.”
“What?” Mukuai asked, puzzled.
Resuming her seat, Gong Gong said seriously, “I mean you two have passed. Sorry about that, I just wanted to see if you still had a backbone. Seems like Miss Mukuai still has quite a strong spirit of resistance.”
“Huh? What are you really talking about?”
Wiping the soup from her hair, Gong Gong said, “As you see, the game is a bit unfair. I do ‘grind’ every day, but what’s more important is that I know how to play my cards right—I have connections with the upper echelons of the guild.”
Interested, Chen Rang sat across from Gong Gong and asked, “Who?”