Theo looked at the system window again after practicing the stir-fried tomatoes and eggs dish dozens of times over three days. Perhaps it was because he had spent hours stir-frying, controlling the heat, and honing his chopping skills; finally, his cooking skill successfully leveled up to D-rank.
Though he'd spent a considerable amount to find the perfect stir-fried tomato and egg recipe, the results left him quite satisfied.
[Synthetic Cooked Rice]
Ingredient Quality: D
Cooking Level: C
Components: Synthetic nutrients
Overall Score: D+
Previously, when Theo cooked rice for his family alongside the pad krapao, the cooked rice had only received a D overall. This time, however, Theo paid more attention to the details of cooking. He started by tasting the tap water. In this era, advanced filtration technology was used in households to produce the purest, cleanest drinking water. Furthermore, various mineral compositions for drinking water—such as well water, spring water, purified stream water, etc.—had been invented and installed as interchangeable systems for citizens to choose from as desired.
Naturally, the taste of the water differed slightly, especially for those with refined taste buds. Some mineral waters had a subtle astringency from minerals, while purified water might be completely odorless and tasteless. These subtle differences in taste significantly impacted rice cooking, as rice itself possessed a natural sweetness due to its carbohydrate status and sugar content in each grain.
Theo chose water infused with minerals and nutrients to mimic a stream from a specific area of Japan, now known as Area 18 or Landmass 18, because it was completely tasteless and odorless. This made it ideal for cooking rice, allowing every grain to express its true flavor without being obscured by other scents or tastes.
He also invested in a seasoned iron wok, or Chinese-style wok, because stir-fried tomatoes and eggs was a Chinese dish. Using a wok would imbue the food with a fragrant, smoky wok hei. Fortunately, kitchen equipment wasn't as expensive as ingredients. Theo seized this opportunity to purchase a complete set of personal cooking tools: a general utility knife, a Chinese cleaver, a peeling knife, a filleting knife, as well as a stainless steel pot, wooden spatulas, small plating tongs, and more, all for practice. Since a Chinese wok needed to be seasoned by heating it to burn off any chemicals until its silver surface gradually turned dark from the heat before being coated with oil, Theo had prepared the wok beforehand.
He turned on the heat switch, slowly adjusting the temperature until it reached 250 degrees Celsius, then poured in oil and waited for smoke to begin to rise. The cooking itself would only take a few minutes.
Theo tossed the garlic into the hot wok with a loud sizzle! Then, using a high-sided ladle with a long handle, suitable for stir-frying in a Chinese wok at high heat, he rapidly stirred the garlic three or four times until it turned light brown and began to emit a fragrant aroma. Next, he added the unpeeled, wedged tomatoes and stir-fried them. The moisture from the tomatoes reacted with the oil, creating a burst of steam. Theo noticed the tomato skins starting to char slightly. He then cracked one egg into the wok, followed by one tablespoon of the pre-mixed seasoning, and the dish was complete.
[Synthetic Stir-fried Tomatoes and Eggs]
Ingredient Quality: E+
Cooking Level: C
Components: Synthetic nutrients
Overall Score: D+/C-
Special Quality: Exceptional Wok Aroma
Synthetic tomatoes and eggs were still at their original E-rank, but after considerable trial and error, Theo began to understand that the system window only provided direct details about the ingredients. However, if the cook could elevate the ingredients, their quality level could also increase, even if only slightly. Furthermore, if the cook could incorporate cooking techniques into the dish in a harmonious way, the food would gain a special status, just like the "Exceptional Wok Aroma" that now appeared.
When he ladled the stir-fried tomatoes and eggs over rice and simply garnished it with finely chopped green onions, the dish's overall score was C-, the highest Theo could achieve at the moment.
Initially, Theo had considered adding fried rice to the menu, but he thought it might not be suitable now. Besides the increased ingredient costs, he first needed to teach Shawn and Hani to cook the stir-fried tomatoes and eggs to the same standard as him. Otherwise, it would be a problem when he wasn't around.
"The bowls we're using to serve are these paper ones. That way, we don't have to waste energy washing them ourselves." Theo held up a red paper bowl with a biodegradable synthetic lid for them to see. A prominent flaming wok logo was branded on the top of the lid, in line with branding principles.
"Okay... so we're definitely naming the shop 'On The Flame'?" Shawn asked Theo for confirmation.
"Yes... I want our shop to have a clear concept. Every dish we serve will emphasize cooking with heat as our unique signature."
Shawn nodded in understanding. He walked to the front of the shop and touched a small smartphone-like screen affixed to the wall. The digital sign outside the shop transformed into an image of a flaming wok with the words "On The Flame" as Theo desired, completing the final step of the shop's decoration.
Theo's shop was small, featuring a counter with seating for six and three or four small tables for customers, as they primarily intended to focus on takeaway sales. The shop's decor alternated between red and white, fitting the flame theme. Basic kitchen equipment was available for three people, even though currently only Theo could cook.
"Let's get started..."
Hani and Shawn nodded in unison. The "Open" sign illuminated in the front window, signaling the shop's readiness for business.
"Go!"
Shawn and Hani grabbed trays laden with small sampling cups of the C-grade stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, then quickly walked out of the shop. 7:00 AM was prime time for people traveling to work, school, or dropping off their children. Thus, Theo's shop was located in an area teeming with hundreds of people crowding out of the train station.
This was their golden hour!
"Please, come on in!"
"Welcome, it's our grand opening today! Please try a sample!"
"Guaranteed delicious! Samples are free!"
Hani and Shawn called out energetically, just as Theo had trained them. Their restaurant was a semi-fast-food establishment, so calling out to customers demonstrated the shop's brisk, rapid service, aligning perfectly with the meaning of fast food. In just a few minutes, over 50 sample cups were distributed quickly. Theo immediately set up his wok and began cooking according to plan.
Whoosh!
Flames erupted from the wok after Theo tossed the tomatoes into the scorching hot pan, drawing the attention of passersby. This kind of cooking display would help engage onlookers, and the aroma of the cooking food would stimulate their appetites.
The fragrant scent of garlic and seasoning wafted throughout the area, yielding quite satisfactory results.
"Hello," Theo greeted a business-like man who had stopped in front of the shop.
"Excuse me, what is this dish called? I just tried a sample, and it's delicious."
"It's stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, an ancient dish from Asia Area 2. Historically, it was called a Chinese dish." Narrating the history of a dish was a way of adding value to it. In his past, before he came to the future, sometimes when he visited roadside eateries, even for a simple noodle dish, if a shop claimed it was an "ancient noodle recipe from a 60-year-old grandma" or a "secret recipe from another country," it would make him even more eager to try it.
"We sell it for only 24,000 Seras, ready to eat. Would you like a cup?" Theo showed the man the size of the cup. He believed the portion size he'd calculated was quite appropriate for the price, and it was even more generous than some shops he'd researched, so there was no reason for a customer to refuse.
"Yes... I'll have two cups then." The man finished speaking, then took out his advanced smartphone and tapped it on the payment machine.
"Thank you."
For its first day of opening, things went incredibly smoothly. By 12:00 PM, Theo had to quickly close the shop because all 40 eggs he had stocked were gone. This meant that on their first day, he had served 40 plates of stir-fried tomatoes and eggs, totaling 960,000 Seras. After deducting costs, the net profit was roughly 320,000 Seras, which was a very high income indeed.
"This is amazing! It's far more than we calculated!!!" Hani beamed, her eyes sparkling, as she saw the balance in the shop's account.
Shawn, who had gone to distribute sample cups to neighboring ingredient shops, returned with corn and green onions that a nearby vendor had generously shared.
"Should we increase our stock?" Hani asked.
"Tomorrow, we should double our stock..." Theo suggested.
"Huh?! Isn't that too risky? You said we should limit the quantity we sell!" Hani walked over to stand beside Theo, who seemed lost in thought.
Theo's eyes were currently fixed on a new status notification that had appeared in the system window.
[Service Skill: C]
[Business Knowledge: C]
These were mid-level skills, which the system calculated from the performance of his first successful business. A C-rank meant that, compared to other businesspeople, he was currently just an ordinary one.
Theo turned to look at Shawn. A system window popped up with details, just like his own system window.
[Shawn]
Cooking Skill: F
Dessert Skill: F
Decoration Skill: E
Food Knowledge: E
Taste Perception Level: F
Service Skill: B
Business Knowledge: A
Previously, Theo couldn't view other people's system windows, but after activating the business status, the system notified him that he could now see others' information as well.
"What do you think, Sis, if we increase our ingredient stock?" Theo asked Shawn.
Shawn looked at Theo with a puzzled expression but paused for a moment before giving his answer. "Tomorrow, we can double it... maybe even triple it."
"Why?" Hani interjected.
"Are you serious about working in marketing?" Theo retorted playfully.
"Are you indirectly calling your sister stupid?!" Theo prepared to flee as Hani looked ready to start a fight, forcing Shawn to step between them with a smile.
"Come on, he's just teasing," Shawn said, turning to Hani. "You saw how well our shop launched today. We're confident our food is popular with the people around here. The service isn't bad at all. Plus, the online ads you just ran and the electronic billboard you bought on that tall pole in Alley 21 are starting their promotion today. So tomorrow, there's a high chance a lot of people will be interested in our restaurant because of those ads."
Hani's eyes widened, and she nodded.
"I've transferred all of today's earnings to you. Please buy supplies for the shop." Hani tapped the hologram button, transferring the money to Theo. "It might be a bit far, but I think it'll be worth it if you go to the Food Mart. Almost a million Seras should be enough to buy quite a bit. Anyway, we still have our own tomatoes left..."
Theo nodded.
Food Mart was the largest ingredient market in the Asian continent, located in Area 2, or what used to be called China. A thousand years ago, traveling from Thailand to China would have taken at least five hours. But now, transportation was far more convenient. After scientists successfully invented mass transfer devices, traveling across the globe was easier than peeling a banana.
Theo paid only ten thousand Seras for travel, and he could transport himself to China in just ten seconds. He wasn't sure what the exact location was called, but looking at the map and comparing it to his memories, Theo believed he was in Beijing.
Food Mart was a modern market, yet it still retained an ambiance similar to markets of the past. However, the interior was clean, modern, and certainly, the walking areas weren't filled with muddy puddles, as the government strictly controlled cleanliness. Of course, since ingredients were priced like gold, no vendor would display them on the ground as they did in the old days.
Every shop lining both sides of the path stored ingredients in well-regulated display cases, clean and even providing details of the product's origin. Some shops had holograms that magnified ingredient images for clear viewing. Crucially, the people walking around, shopping for ingredients, were all well-dressed. Many carried designer bags worth millions, some led expensive robotic dogs, and others had robot servants walking beside them. These were people from the high-ranking families, those with enormous incomes who could afford to buy ingredients for regular cooking without relying on capsule food.
There were no more markets filled with the elderly. No more markets bustling with housewives looking for ingredients to cook dinner for their families. The market had become a popular leisure destination for the wealthy, those with multi-million incomes. If he could go back to the past and tell this to a market vendor, he thought he'd surely be dragged to the hospital to have his brain checked.
Theo slowly explored. Even at Food Mart, most of the ingredients were still the same E-rank as those in the online shop system. Theo didn't stop much at any one store until his gaze landed on a central market stage where some event seemed to be taking place. He squinted to read the announcement sign.
"Cooking Competition?"
Beside the stage were several groups of people who appeared to be around Theo's age. But they wore similar uniforms: white shirts resembling formal attire for the upper class, but with different emblem pins on their chests and various colored sashes on their shoulders.
[You have met the condition. Encountered a Soul Devotee to Food for the first time.]
Soul Devotees? Were those chefs?
Participate in the Annual Cooking Battle Competition.
Reward
Significantly increased Reputation.
Receive original ingredient: 'Cilantro Seeds'.
Penalty for failing quest ???