Universe Infinite Canteen

"Punish the evil and promote the good, together building a harmonious society," declared Chen Zhengyi with an upright and imposing manner.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"You're quite official in your approach, but the thing is, City B's public security isn't too bad, right? Generally, the police handle crimes, and it seems there isn't much left for volunteer vigilantes to do…"

Chen Zhengyi shook his head, "Law is, after all, just a set of rules. Despite being amended year after year, it can only solve a portion of the problems. There are many issues in this world that the law cannot resolve, and this is where my part-time job comes into play."

"For instance?"

"For instance, there was someone who had two million in payments outstanding, and the debtor had been driving a Rolls-Royce and wearing luxury watches worth hundreds of thousands not long before, yet when the court officials arrived, they found he had no assets available for enforcement.

"And in these times when the law is powerless, that's when it's my turn to step in. In the end, I politely approached the debtor's recently divorced ex-wife and daughter, and asked them to repay the debt."

"Wow, you're quite impressive."

"Not really, I'm not a professional after all, just doing this part-time, so my ability is just so-so," Chen Zhengyi said modestly.

"Plus, as you know, our existence as outsiders is very secretive, so I generally don't touch the more high-profile, attention-grabbing incidents. Most of the time, I just handle trivial matters around me."

"Like those who stage accidents, especially the elderly ones, which the police also find difficult to deal with. I'd step in when I see it happening. Also, if minors get into fights or are bullied and the teachers and schools can't handle it, they can come to me. I've also settled some disputes with property management, oh, and I've caught restaurants using counterfeit ingredients as well."

Upon hearing this, Ma Lu's heart tightened.

"Oh, I'm not talking about you. Although the ingredients you use aren't what people typically understand, strictly speaking, in terms of quality, they are far superior to the standards of this plane, and that's a good deed. I mainly take action against those unscrupulous traders who pass off inferior products as quality goods," Chen Zhengyi explained.

"Oh, that's good." Ma Lu breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, Old Wang had finished preparing the first dish, which was the Mushroom Pot listed on today's menu.

Ma Lu carried a clay pot from the kitchen, set it down in front of Chen Zhengyi, and then opened the lid for him, releasing an instant burst of fresh aroma.

The Mushroom Pot used a total of nine varieties of mushrooms, mostly one-star and two-star ingredients, stir-fried with green and red peppers and garlic cloves to further enhance the mushrooms' fragrance.

Upon lifting the lid, the scent of spring assailed the senses.

Chen Zhengyi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and felt as if he were plunging into a forest of mushrooms, beneath towering trees, beside rocks, near streams, surrounded by vibrantly thriving fungi of all colors.

Chen Zhengyi could already anticipate how delicious the combination of those mushrooms would be, but when he picked up a slippery mushroom with his chopsticks and sucked it into his mouth, he was still amazed by the intense umami.

No, something wasn't right. While mushrooms are indeed known for their umami due to their rich content of various free amino acids that can trigger taste receptors under the influence of salt, the combination of many mushrooms should amplify the umami taste—but certainly not to the extraordinary degree experienced now.

Chen Zhengyi didn't hurry to continue eating; instead, he poked through the clay pot with his chopsticks but found nothing unusual.

Noticing his persistent probing, Ma Lu asked, "Are you looking for something?"

"That's strange," Chen Zhengyi mused, "why are the mushrooms from your restaurant more delicious than those from other places?"

"Er, is it because we used Energized Plants?"

"Vitality, I indeed tasted brimming vitality, but I can still distinguish between vitality and umami," Chen Zhengyi said.

"Oh, that's probably because of the Scorpion Oil."

"Scorpion Oil?" Chen Zhengyi raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Old Wang took the scorpion meat to make tomato braised scorpion meat, but he didn't waste the scorpion shells either, he turned them into Scorpion Oil, which replaced the oyster sauce we usually use."

"I see." Chen Zhengyi suddenly understood and then remarked with emotion, "As expected of the Cosmic Chef, even the seasonings are so exquisite. These Energized Plants, if I remember correctly, have a special effect when consumed, right?"

"Yes." Ma Lu nodded, "The special effect of this dish is to aid digestion; it can increase the smoothness of your bowel movements by 200% over the next three days."

"That's not bad; the first dish is so interesting, it makes me even more curious about the upcoming dishes."

Chen Zhengyi took about seven minutes to eat exactly half of the mushroom hotpot. Then he put down his chopsticks and licked the palm of his hand with his tongue.

He pushed from bottom to top, then from top to bottom, and cleaned his chin, cheeks, and ears three times in a circular motion, making sure every strand of fur was in perfect order before raising his head again.

At that moment, Ma Lu had also placed the second dish on the table.

"— This is 'Midsummer Night's Dream.' Please enjoy."

The freshly cooked porcini risotto was arranged in a crescent shape on a white porcelain plate, topped with asparagus, amaranth, and pansies, together forming a stunning midsummer night's fantasy.

Beyond rice and porcini, the risotto also featured corn kernels and carrot dices mingled with pine nuts and ham, giving the dish an especially vibrant color.

Chen Zhengyi almost couldn't bear to disturb it with his chopsticks, but eventually, he scooped up a spoonful and placed it in his mouth.

"Mmm, this is the blue-stem porcini, isn't it? It has a unique nutty aroma when eating."

While speaking, Chen Zhengyi scooped up another spoonful, "Such a strong vitality, the texture is thicker and more resilient than other mushrooms, both crunchy and smooth..."

His mouth kept moving, but his voice grew more and more distant.

Chen Zhengyi felt as if he had entered a long dream, where he returned to his hometown, back to the warm cave dwelling he lived in.

His father and mother, along with his 17 siblings, were all there...

Chen Zhengyi hadn't seen them for many years and had even begun to forget their faces, but in this dream, their features were unprecedentedly clear.

Wood burned brightly in the fireplace, illuminating the entire cave. Chen Zhengyi's mother knitted a sweater, while his father read the newspaper. Chen Zhengyi's gaze stayed upon them, reluctant to even blink.

He sat down beside them, playing with a carrot doll from his childhood, until his father finished the newspaper and got up to go to the kitchen. He washed the mushrooms they had picked that morning and made a pot of mushroom soup.

Calling the names of all his sons and daughters, they all sat down together at a long dining table and finished this simple yet warm dinner.

That's when Chen Zhengyi came back to reality, realizing he wasn't in a cave dwelling but instead sitting in the great hall of Universe Infinite Canteen.

And half of the porcini risotto in front of him had already been eaten.