“Host, you’ve returned.” The Cooking God System quickly floated over and said cautiously, “Do you still like the compensation I gave you? If you are not satisfied, I can give you another compensation.”

Ji Rongxia shivered, covered in goosebumps.

He rolled up his sleeves and rubbed his arms. He didn’t like this Cooking God System being so subservient either!

“Don’t talk like that,” Ji Rongxia waved his hand, then asked, “You can give me things even if I don’t do the missions? Then why are you so eager for me to do the missions?”

The cloud-shaped Cooking God System choked, but still obediently said, “The items are all from my inventory. There is room for operation.”

“Oh, you mean you can do things without the immortal knowing,” Ji Rongxia nodded in understanding.

Cooking God System: “…”

Cooking God System: “Host, you can understand it that way. But the number of times cannot be too many, or I will be damaged. The main reason I want the Host to complete the missions quickly is that the current charging method cannot support my normal operation. I must rely on the Host to complete the missions and become a Chef God before I can leave this world.”

It stopped pretending and laid its cards on the table.

Ji Rongxia was not surprised by this answer. He and Tangjin had guessed this, and it turned out to be true.

Since this was the case, he could keep this System.

Ji Rongxia asked, “Tell me in detail what the rewards for completing the missions are, what the missions are, and how are they completed? I want to see if I want to do it.”

Hearing that the Host intended to keep it, the Cooking God System was almost overjoyed to tears!

The Cooking God System quickly explained: “The rewards are mainly premium ingredients, food, cooking utensils, classic recipes, and so on.”

“The missions are mainly culinary practice and dish sales missions! Anyway, Host, you are going to learn cooking and run an eatery, so these missions are all convenient.”

“Actually, if I could contact the Main God System and open the System Mall, the mission rewards would be more abundant. But my energy is insufficient now, so I can’t open the System Mall, and the mission rewards are relatively limited.” This time, the Cooking God System answered whatever Ji Rongxia asked.

Ji Rongxia touched his chin. It sounded pretty good.

He had already tasted the fruit candies that the Cooking God System compensated him with. The flavour was indeed good, much better than the candies he bought in the county town.

“If I enter here, will my body suddenly disappear?” Ji Rongxia suddenly thought of this question.

Tangjin was still waiting for him outside. He had to clarify things.

The cloud-ball of light flickered and explained: “No, it won’t. What enters is your consciousness. The Host can understand it as your soul entering. This space is mainly to help the Host practice cooking and will not affect your normal life.”

“If my energy were sufficient, your consciousness body could enter the System Space whenever the Host wanted. It’s just that my energy is currently insufficient. I need to charge during the day, and I can only activate the System Space at night, and the time is only half an hour.”

Ji Rongxia breathed a sigh of relief: “In that case, it’s acceptable.”

Practising cooking for half an hour every night was not tiring for him, and he didn’t have to worry about feeling uncomfortable with the Cooking God System attached to him.

“Then, Host, please consider whether you want to start the missions? Of course, there’s no hurry. Take your time to think,” the Cooking God System said very obsequiously.

Ji Rongxia slapped his hand decisively and said, “Issue a mission.”

Cooking God System: “Huh?”

Wait, Host, you made that decision a little too quickly, didn’t you? No more consideration? This new Host is truly vigorous and resolute.

“Stop ‘huh-ing’ and issue the mission. Make it easy. I’ll try to finish it tonight,” Ji Rongxia tied up his rolled-up sleeves and walked quickly into the eatery.

“Good! Good!”

The Cooking God System hastily brought up the mission panel.

[Please, Host, select the mission module.]

“Host, the Basic Skills module is the simplest.”

Seeing the blue screen again, Ji Rongxia said directly, “Then choose the Basic Skills module.”

As he spoke, an invisible hand seemed to click on the location of the Basic Skills module.

The Basic Skills module covers a wide array of tasks, pasta/dim sum, knife skills, fire control, seasoning, etc. Click for details.

[Host has selected the Basic Skills module.]

[Ding! Basic Skills Module Primary Mission: Cut Minced Chives. Demonstration Tutorial Video Attached]

[Mission Requirement: Please cut the chives into minced pieces of similar length.]

[Mission Reward: Twenty bundles of premium chives.]

“Cut chives?” Ji Rongxia didn’t quite understand this mission. Aren’t chives supposed to be cut arbitrarily?

He was puzzled but still entered the stove room.

Everything here was built to resemble the Gu family eatery’s stove room. The difference was that there were many clean chives placed on the stove.

Some of these chives were very thick, which Ji Rongxia had never seen before. Some chives were very thin but smelled exceptionally strong, and others looked especially crisp and juicy…

“Are these the premium ingredients you mentioned?” Ji Rongxia asked, poking the chives.

“Yes, Host,” the Cooking God System answered.

Ji Rongxia observed these chives carefully, surprised but also delighted. There were so many kinds of chives alone. Compared to these chives, the chives he had seen before looked stunted.

He couldn’t help but feel excited just thinking about how many premium ingredients he could practice with in the future!

Ji Rongxia tentatively took a small bunch of chives and placed them on the round cutting board. He then casually selected a very sharp kitchen knife.

He used the knuckles of his left hand to loosely guide the knife and quickly began to chop.

Ji Rongxia’s movements were clean and swift. The minced chives he cut were basically similar in size and length, but because he cut too fast, quite a bit of chopped chives bounced off all around, and it didn’t look clean.

[Uneven length and bouncing chives. Judgement: Fail.]

Ji Rongxia: “???”

Where are they uneven? Don’t talk nonsense!

Although they were indeed bouncing everywhere.

Ji Rongxia tried cutting a few more times, unwilling to give up, but the results were all failures!

Ji Rongxia: “???”

“Host, you can view the mission guidance video,” the Cooking God System reminded him.

Ji Rongxia suddenly remembered the demonstration video.

“Help me open the demonstration video,” Ji Rongxia said.

He wanted to see how these chives were supposed to be cut!

Cooking God System: “Okay.”

As soon as the Cooking God System finished speaking, the image on the light blue screen changed. A figure whose face could not be seen appeared opposite Ji Rongxia!

“Wow!” Ji Rongxia let out an exclamation.

The figure in front of him picked up a bunch of chives and skillfully cut the chives in half first. Then, the figure brought the cut surfaces of the two halves of chives together and made the cuts along the plane created by the first cut.

Every cut was precise and steady. The wrist was light and nimble, strong, yet the cuts were steady, accurate, and firm. Because the range of motion was small, the minced chives were all neat and orderly, not bouncing around at all.

After the bunch of chives was cut, they were indeed neat, tidy, and clean.

After demonstrating, the person in the video began to explain in detail how to hold the knife, how to make the cuts, and so on.

Ji Rongxia suddenly realised: “It can be done like this.”

His eyes lit up. He picked up a bunch of chives and began to practice while watching the video.

Half an hour was quickly coming to an end.

The Cooking God System floated beside Ji Rongxia, feeling very anxious, but it dared not disturb Ji Rongxia, who was engrossed in practice.

The simple, repetitive movements should have been irritating or dull, but Ji Rongxia was humming a little tune, and his movements were becoming more and more swift. His mind was focused, as if the only things in the world were the knife in his hand and the chives beneath it.

Swish, swish, swish, swish!!!

The emerald green chives were cut into small segments of almost the same length under his hand.

[Ding! One portion of minced chives of similar length was detected. Judgement: Pass.]

When the electronic reminder sound came, Ji Rongxia was admiring the chives he had cut.

Look at these chives; how green and neat they are!

“Congratulations, Host, on completing the mission. The mission reward can be stored in the System Space and issued when the Host needs it. But my energy is insufficient, so the Host can only choose a time at night for the reward to be issued,” the Cooking God System said gleefully.

The System Space was about to close in ten minutes, but the Cooking God System was very happy. As expected of the Host it chose, the efficiency in completing the mission was truly high!

“Just put them by my bedside like last time. Tangjin and I will sneak them into the stove room,” Ji Rongxia put down the knife and let out a satisfied breath.

“Ah?! Host, what did you say?!” The Cooking God System was horrified.

Did the Host tell someone about its existence?!

How did he do it?!

Wait, isn’t the Host afraid of danger?!

“Put them in my room. Didn’t you do that last time?” Ji Rongxia said openly.

The Cooking God System said in horror, “At that time, you were rushing to get out. I probably didn’t have time to temporarily store the fruit candies in the System Space.”

“Oh, I see. Then, put three bundles of chives there for now. I’ll use the rest later,” Ji Rongxia said with a flash of inspiration.

Cooking God System: “…” Is that the point?

“Host, aren’t you afraid? Why did you tell someone about my existence?” the Cooking God System asked anxiously.

Ji Rongxia looked at the System with a look of seeing an idiot: “Why can’t I tell him? Besides, are you stupid? I’m just an ordinary little ger. I live at home now, and in the future, I will be the head chef of the eatery. If I suddenly bring out something, can others truly not notice anything? Tangjin can help me find a way to cover it up. If I don’t tell Tangjin, do you want me to be caught as a monster?”

Of course, he had that tiny bit of worry, but that worry had vanished after the entire day. Tangjin was of one mind with him. With the two of them covering for each other, they wouldn’t be caught as monsters in the future.

The Cooking God System analysed and found that it had worked in the modern world for too long, and its thinking was restricted. In modern times, it was relatively easy for a Host to rent a house and develop secretly. Moreover, most people were afraid of being dissected and studied, so the Hosts it had previously bound all chose to conceal its existence. Especially since it had sufficient energy back then and could contact the Main God, it could completely find a reasonable and legal background for the rewards it issued, so the Hosts didn’t have to worry at all.

This time was different. If the Host was taken for a monster, then it would be finished too!!!

At present, finding an ally was indeed the best choice.

“Host, you are right.” The Cooking God System immediately changed its attitude. “I will place three bundles of chives by your bedside as requested by the Host. Our System warehouse can automatically preserve freshness, so the Host doesn’t have to worry about the remaining rewards going bad. Furthermore, our System comes with a sterilisation function, so the Host doesn’t need to worry about biological intrusion, virus intrusion, and other issues. Please use it with confidence.”

Ji Rongxia’s mouth twitched. He didn’t know what was wrong with that immortal; the System they created was so strange.

However, “biological intrusion” and “virus intrusion” sounded very powerful.

“Oh, by the way, you said you could give me some compensation. Issue that together. Fruit candies are fine. Put them by my bedside. Thank you,” Ji Rongxia instructed before leaving.

Cooking God System: “…”

The Host hadn’t forgotten about that!