Gourmet Battle!

Noontime. Ling Lake Wetland Park. After a heavy snowfall that had lasted all through the night, the pine forest was draped in a blanket of silver as far as the eye could see, the vast expanse of white snow dazzling under the midday sun. With a hemp rope slung over his left shoulder and a hunting bow on his right, the youth exhaled a soft puff of white vapor and looked up at the park's south gate. Twisted rebar bristled with icicles, and at the highest point hung a wooden plank as wide as a tabletop, carved with a string of numbers: "404." After staring at the wooden sign for a moment, Yu Hu read the numbers aloud in a whisper. This was the method Charlie had taught them, and a habit he had only recently developed. The old man had told them that whenever they saw written words along the road, they should softly pronounce any they recognized and silently count the strokes in their head. The more characters you recognized, the more familiar they would become. The method was quite effective. Lately, he had learned to write his own name, Xiaoyu's, his parents', as well as his older brother's and sister-in-law's, along with basic numbers, addition, and subtraction. A few months ago, having this kind of knowledge on Bet Street would have qualified someone as an educated intellectual. Now, however, it was just about average. The enthusiasm for learning in town had lately reached ridiculous heights—especially among the young men. Ever since everyone heard about the pay and benefits in the new industrial zone from Li Niu and the others, they had all become regulars at the literacy classes, wishing they could just live there. Of course, part of the reason might also have been that the castle was quite warm, and once you stepped inside, you never wanted to leave. The most dangerous stretch of road was behind him. After taking a brief rest at the park entrance, Yu Hu tightened the rope on his shoulder and trudged onward through knee-deep snow. Dragging prey through the snow was no easy feat, but for an experienced hunter, it was no real trouble. He had crafted a sled out of wooden boards, lashed his hunted mutant wild boar on top, and dragged it along with the rope. This way, he didn't have to worry about the carcass getting stuck and freezing in the snow, making it far easier and safer than hauling it directly. As long as he watched his footing and avoided unfamiliar routes, there was rarely any problem. After traversing several hundred meters of woods, the view opened up before him. Rows of snow-covered wooden stakes stood in the open ground outside the trench. Further ahead were the outpost base's outer wall and south gate, behind which stood the houses built by the blue coats, followed by Big Brother Chu's home. Compared to a month ago, the changes here were immense. The tall chimney behind the wall and the clinking clang of blacksmithing were gone, along with the patch of trees outside the wall. In their place stood unique cabins in distinctive styles, straight streets paved with stone bricks, growing crowds of people, and stalls brimming with an ever-richer variety of goods. Yu Hu wasn't educated and had only recently learned a few characters, so he couldn't think of fancy words to describe these buildings—he just thought they looked really nice. Some had upturned eaves, a mix of brick and wood, square, stately, and imposing. Others were cylindrical towers of stacked stone bricks, stern and mysterious. Despite their differing styles, the buildings were arranged neatly, and their heights uniformly stayed below the roof of the structure at the settlement's center—the sanatorium. Yu Hu didn't know what all those houses were for. He only recognized the warehouse and the quaint, elegantly decorated little cabin whose signboard was wrapped in vines. He had bought clothes there once and picked up two meters of cloth for his family; his little sister's scarf seemed to have been made there too. Whenever he hunted prey with attractive pelts, Yu Hu would bring them here first to ask. The shopkeeper, who looked like a child, paid slightly more than the warehouse not far away. In any case, according to Big Brother Chu, simply bringing goods here to trade helped him out, so Yu Hu didn't mind whom he sold to. But a wild boar was a different story. Yu Hu figured the cute little shopkeeper probably had no use for such coarse hide, so he dragged the boar straight to the warehouse. Dropping the rope at the entrance, he was just about to ask the clerk to weigh the game when he suddenly spotted a familiar face behind the wooden counter. The man saw him too, his face instantly lighting up with delight. "Yu Hu?" "Zhao Shu?" Yu Hu looked at him in surprise. "Aren't you at the brick factory?" As he spoke, Yu Hu looked his fellow townsman up and down, eyeing the fur coat Zhao Shu was wearing, a hint of envy rising on his face. This guy was doing pretty well for himself. He even had new clothes! Seeing the surprised expression on his compatriot's face, Zhao Shu chuckled and said with a cocky grin, "The base has been doing a ton of construction lately. The warehouse and dormitories are all expanding, so they were short on hands. The pay looked great, so I volunteered to transfer over from the brick factory!" In truth, he hadn't originally wanted to come. Even though he earned a few fewer silver coins at the brick factory, it was as warm as springtime there, and people whose faces were etched with stories were constantly sent in to work. Those guys were all real characters, eloquent speakers, and loved bragging to no end. Every sentence began with "Back in my day" and ended with "It's a long story." If you asked where they hailed from, they were either mercenaries from the Wandering Marsh or chiliarchs from the Far West... places he had never even heard of. Zhao Shu had never left Qingquan City in his life; the furthest he had ever traveled was the Bloodhand Clan's dungeon. He vaguely recalled that the boss of the Bloodhand Clan was supposedly called a centurion? At his peak, that bear-sized man commanded about a hundred men, running roughshod over the northern suburbs of Qingquan City and committing every crime imaginable. Yet what good did it do him? In the end, the blue coats had wiped them all out in one fell swoop. Now he was probably toiling away in the mines of Red River Town, assuming he was even still alive. So... a chiliarch just commanded a thousand men? What a load of bull! Zhao Shu figured that all the people he had seen in his entire lifetime might not even add up to a thousand! It gave him a headache just trying to remember the names of a few dozen people. If someone really managed that many, could they even tell who was who? In short, the Ox and Horse Brick Factory was a great place. Even if Zhao Shu didn't believe a word of those guys' nonsense, he loved listening to them boast. If he weren't planning to relocate his family from Bet Street come spring and buy a house while the base expanded northward, he would have loved to stay in that summer-warm haven forever. It was practically paradise. "...Enough about me. How are things on your end? Did the blizzard hit hard? And is my family doing all right?" Having explained his situation, Zhao Shu pressed Yu Hu about home. Last night's blizzard had blown off another roof. Thinking of his family's shack, he hadn't slept well all night. "Things are fine over there. Your dad even asked me yesterday to pass a message: don't worry about home, just take good care of yourself..." Relaying the greeting Zhao Shu's father had asked him to deliver, Yu Hu went on to describe the recent situation on Bet Street. Although this winter was colder than anyone had anticipated, with blizzards howling fiercely enough to make one's heart tremble, thanks to the help of the blue coats, they had moved early on into uniform brick-and-wood houses, so the damage was actually far less severe than last year. Had they still been living in the old shacks, there was no telling how many people would have died. During the hardest days, Charlie had let the poor folks whose homes were collapsed by the blizzard move into the former mayor's castle, while organizing crews to repair damaged structures. Under the neighborhood office's coordination, everyone stood united against adversity. As it turned out, without the old mayor ruling over them, their lives were only better. After hearing Yu Hu's account, Zhao Shu's face filled with emotion. "In previous years, this would have been unthinkable." Yu Hu nodded in heartfelt agreement. "Yeah." Back when the old mayor's family was around, just staying alive took everything they had; how could life have been as comfortable as it was now? Let alone throwing open the castle gates for refugees, if disaster victims so much as gathered to help one another, the mayor would dispatch his lackeys—thugs who only dared bully their own people—to drive them apart. "Speaking of which, Yu Hu." "What is it?" Zhao Shu hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "Why don't you come here too?" Before Yu Hu could respond, Zhao Shu urged him on: "Life here is way better than on Bet Street, and everywhere is short on hands. With your hunting skills, you'd definitely find work here! You'd do even better than me, guaranteed!" To be honest, seeing the changes here, Yu Hu was indeed tempted. He wasn't married anyway, and moving out would mean one less mouth for the family to feed. Yet after thinking it over, he ultimately shook his head. "...I'd better pass." Zhao Shu froze, clearly not expecting a refusal, and hastily asked, "Why?" Yu Hu answered earnestly, "Like you said, all I have is my hunting skill. In this awful weather, that hardly helps; I might not catch anything for weeks. Rather than come here and become a burden, I'd rather stay home and learn more characters. Maybe that'll come in handy later." What kind of reason was that? Hearing Yu Hu's words, Zhao Shu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Aiya, that granary right next door is practically overflowing—do you think they're short on a bite of food for you? And learning characters doesn't have to be on Bet Street either; the factories and the guard team here have night schools too!" "Still no," Yu Hu said stubbornly. "Big Brother Chu has already helped my family so much. How could I take advantage of him?" Seeing how stubborn as a stone the guy was, Zhao Shu shook his head and sighed. "You stubborn mule... fine, I can't persuade you." Yu Hu scratched the back of his head and grinned. "No need to persuade me, I know what I'm doing. Besides, Big Brother Chu said to come next spring, and he'll find me something to do. I'll just come then!" Big Brother Chu was so smart; he must have arranged everything long ago. Following his word could never go wrong! The two dropped the topic of moving. With Zhao Shu's help, Yu Hu weighed the mutant wild boar and promptly took it to the slaughterhouse. A blue coat holding a butchering knife stood before the cutting board, deftly skinning, deboning, and carving the meat while tossing bones and offal into buckets—a dizzying, dazzling display of speed and skill. Game prices were much higher than before. The purchase price for a mutant wild boar hide had climbed from 10 silver coins to 20, which converted to a full 400 grams of coarse salt! In the past, although salt was cheaper, it could fetch at most 300 grams. The same went for meat. The prices of goods sold here had nearly doubled, but the purchase prices for game had risen accordingly, so the impact on him was minimal. His catches could be exchanged for more goods now, which was definitely a good thing. The raw hide was logged into the warehouse, to be picked up later by a tanner. The fresh meat was split into two portions: the larger one belonged to Yu Hu, while the smaller portion served as the butchering fee, allocated to the base warehouse as agreed. Zhao Shu pulled out the ledger, made an entry, and then carefully counted out 20 silver coins from a drawer, lining them up on the counter. "Here's twenty silver. Keep it safe." Looking at the coins on the table, Yu Hu picked one up to examine it, weighing it in his palm, and asked curiously, "Why did the design of these silver coins change?" It was notably heavier than before and looked newer. Zhao Shu explained, "The Administrator said the old coins weren't convenient, so we're using these new silver coins from now on." Though Zhao Shu couldn't say what had been inconvenient about the old ones, that was the explanation given by the Administrator. "What about the old silver coins, then?" Yu Hu remembered they still had some at home. If they couldn't be used anymore, he'd have to tell his brother right away to trade them all for salt. Anticipating the question, Zhao Shu waved a hand and gave a practiced reply: "No problem at all. The Administrator said the warehouse and the bank will accept both old and new coins without distinction, but they won't give out old coins as change anymore." Seeing that his family wouldn't be affected, Yu Hu was relieved and swept the silver coins into his pocket. Watching Yu Hu pack up his things, Zhao Shu asked, "Are you heading straight back in a bit?" Yu Hu replied, "No rush. I'm going to check on my little sister later. Do you have anything you want me to bring back for you? I can carry it on my way." Zhao Shu said, "Nah, our wages are paid monthly now... How about this: pass a message to my family for me. Tell my folks to take care of their health, and in another two weeks when my turn for leave comes up, I'll take time to visit home." Yu Hu nodded. "Sure thing. I'll pass the word." With that promise, a relieved smile spread across Zhao Shu's face. "Thanks!" Just then, several vault residents came running over from not far away, pointing at the shelves and jabbering excitedly. Their voices were so animated they sounded as if they were quarreling. "Pepper! I want pepper!" "Me too!" "Fuck! Don't cut in line, I got here first!" Watching Elven King Fugui push ahead to the very front, Ye Shi, who hadn't outrun him, couldn't help but curse, "What the fuck does a hunter need pepper for?" Brother Fugui rolled his eyes and retorted self-righteously, "None of your damn business! A hunter can't be a cook?" How could Elven King miss a chance to enter the Hall of Fame! Even though he had no idea how to cook, that didn't matter! Wasn't cooking something anyone with hands could do? With the right seasonings, how bad could it possibly taste? So the key was grabbing the seasonings first! Zhao Shu glanced down at his VM, expertly pulled the last two bags of pepper from the shelf, handed them to the man at the front, and said with an awkward accent, "These are the last ones. All out." Hearing this, the people behind instantly dispersed in disappointment. Only the blue coat who had secured the goods beamed with joy, said "Thanks," generously paid via his VM, and hurried away. Watching the departing figure, Yu Hu asked curiously, "What was that he bought just now? Salt?" "It's 'pepper,' a kind of seasoning. Tastes strange; I don't really care for it," Zhao Shu said, pausing before adding, "Unless it's sprinkled on barbecue." Barbecue. Yu Hu swallowed involuntarily, thinking of the barbecue stall by the north gate. The food sold there was utterly delicious! Looking toward the north gate, Yu Hu suddenly noticed an unusual bustle there. Many blue coats were scurrying about—some fetching things from the granary, others carrying items toward it, while still others were hauling wooden tables and sheds over from the woodworking shed. Usually, crowds only gathered there toward evening. Why was it so busy right at midday today? "What's going on over there?" Yu Hu felt he had been curious more times today than in the entire past week combined. Zhao Shu smiled. "Oh, that? There's going to be a festival in a week!" "A festival?!" Yu Hu stared at Zhao Shu in surprise. "Is someone getting married?" To prepare for a celebration a week in advance, it had to be someone of very high status. Could it be... Big Brother Chu?! "Married? No, it's called... New Year's Day!" Zhao Shu wasn't very familiar with how to pronounce the term either, straining for a good moment before remembering. "Those vault residents plan to celebrate the arrival of the new year. The last day of one year and the first day of the next seem to be an important holiday to them. I don't really understand the specifics, but it's something like a festival." Yu Hu did know what a festival was. For example, the most recent one had been when the old mayor's youngest son reached one month old; they were handed a single ram horn potato each and summoned to the castle to do half a day of unpaid labor. Except for the old mayor and his lackeys, no one had been happy about it. However... Celebrating the new year was something entirely novel to him, and he couldn't help feeling intrigued. Reading the expression on Yu Hu's face, Zhao Shu chuckled and said, "This isn't even peak bustle yet. On the evening of the last day of December, if you're free, you should come check it out." "I bet it'll be crazy lively!" Yu Hu nodded vigorously, thoroughly interested. "Yeah! I'll keep that in mind... But going back at night might not be easy, right?" "Why bother going back? Just crash at my place then," Zhao Shu patted his shoulder and laughed. "There's plenty of room in my dorm; you can definitely sleep there!" ... At the north gate of the outpost base. It was bustling with excitement. Players were displaying their respective prowess, either busy setting up stalls or simmering concoctions in large cauldrons. The entire north gate area was permeated with a peculiar aroma that even the north wind whistling through the woods couldn't blow away. Huddled beside her older sister, Qiu Ye blinked in curiosity. She had never seen such a bustling scene. "Night badger! The honey badger of the wasteland! Anyone want it? Just caught outside Changjiu Farm! Offer your price if you want it, act fast!" "Building sweep on 76th Street! Any brothers want to hop on? Heard there's a hyena den over there." "Three-man squad LF1 Perception-type, rookies welcome." "Elaina, what the hell did you just toss into the pot?!" "Boss Crow!! Check this for Tail and see if it's poisonous!" "Look at mine too!" "Eeeek!! Just leave it on the table! Don't shove it into my mouth!" Wailing echoed from Yaya's mushroom stall, drawing glances from the guards, who only walked away after confirming nothing was wrong. Not far from the market entrance. Elven King Fugui waved the two bags of black pepper powder at Ye Shi, strutting smugly back toward his teammates, where Brother Mole and Elaina were waiting for him. Spitting toward the man's retreating back, Ye Shi cursed as he walked back to his teammates. "Fuck! Couldn't get any seasoning! Sold out of all the pepper—ridiculous!" When did these guys get so rich! Pepper powder at 1 silver coin per gram, and he snapped up two whole bags at once! Outrageous! Lao Bai consoled him, "It's fine. If you didn't get it, forget it. We might not even need it in the end anyway." Kuang Feng chimed in as well, "Yeah. It's better for us to use simple ingredients as much as possible. I feel that gives us a higher chance of winning the contest." That seasonings would sell out was well within Kuang Feng's expectations. After all, the event's rewards weren't just an annual limited-edition title, but also entry into the Hall of Fame. That it had turned into such an intense, hyper-competitive rat race was entirely reasonable—everyone wanted to be number one, after all, when the prize was right there. If nobody were sweating it out, Kuang Feng would have doubted whether he was actually playing on a Chinese server. At this moment, a split-claw crab lay beside them. Newbies passing by couldn't help but glance over sideways, marveling enviously while silently cursing those damned luck-sacks. In the dead of winter, with roads buried under snow, they had actually managed to find a split-claw crab's burrow. If that wasn't god-tier luck, what was! Walking out from the north gate carrying a bag of flour, Zhang Hai saw the giant crab, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. Stepping forward to take a closer look, he couldn't help asking, "Where did you guys get such a huge crab?" Ye Shi didn't hide it, acting all nonchalant and smug, "There's a burrow on the north shore of Ling Lake with a hibernating split-claw crab inside. We saw it sleeping, timed it right, and blasted a rocket right into its face." Though it cost some money, it was well worth it. Zhang Hai cursed, "Son of a bitch! Why do you guys always find such good stuff?" Seeing him green with envy, Ye Shi chuckled, "Maybe it's just luck?" Zhang Hai: "#%@!" Fang Chang and Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes stood together, staring at the split-claw crab on the ground as they discussed cooking methods. One was a gourmet eater, the other an expert cook; standing together, they made quite the odd pair. "I carefully studied the event announcement. The stated requirement is 'simple and delicious.' We need to use easily accessible ingredients as much as possible; that should give us a higher chance of winning." Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes shook his head. "That requirement is way too vague." Fang Chang pondered and said, "Indeed. And how to preserve the crab meat is another problem." Even in winter, split-claw crab meat could barely keep until the third day, and by the fourth day, even if it didn't spoil, the texture would deteriorate drastically from dehydration. Yet there were still seven full days until New Year's Day! Finding this split-claw crab had been pure fluke; he had no confidence they could find another. Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes stroked his chin and suddenly spoke up, "As for preserving crab meat... I actually have an idea." Fang Chang looked at him. "Oh?" Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes continued, "I observed the laborers at the brick factory before. They pick a certain grass from the lakeside and use it to treat leftover fish, which keeps it fresh even through the second and third days. I don't know if it works on crab meat, but I feel it's worth a shot." Fang Chang had never heard of such a strange plant. "What kind of grass?" Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes said, "According to the official website's compendium, it's called buffalo grass, though it didn't list any specific effects." Fang Chang immediately asked the crucial question, "Can it be found in winter?" Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. But back when I discovered it, out of curiosity I gathered quite a bit, dried it, and put it in my locker intending to study it slowly, though it never came in handy." Hearing this, Fang Chang grew instantly excited and said eagerly, "Brother! The chance for it to come in handy is here!" Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes scratched the back of his head. "Even if the crab meat preservation issue is solved... what should we make out of it? We can't just roast it over charcoal, right?" While that wasn't impossible, it lacked all technical skill—winning an award with just that would probably be tough. "That's easy," Fang Chang said, a confident smile spreading across his face. "I just noticed earlier that the warehouse's purchasing limits on green wheat and ram horn potatoes have been temporarily lifted." Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes froze for a moment, not understanding. "What do you mean..." "It's obvious! The model answer for 'cheap and delicious' lies right in those two things! Otherwise, why lift the purchasing limits at this exact time?" Fang Chang's eyes shone brightly as he looked at Brother Scrambled Eggs, continuing, "Bro, have you ever heard of crab cakes?"