The Gourmet Customizer

"Thank goodness for the boss. This free meal plan is a great idea. It saves us so much trouble."

"Exactly. Not only is it less of a hassle for us, but more importantly, with the teachers around, it’s much safer!"

The group chatted for a moment, and once they saw everyone was seated, they began dishing out food for each of the children according to the portion sizes on the healthy meal plan.

As for the teachers, they sat at several separate tables next to where the children were sitting.

"Teacher Wang, why don’t you come eat over here?"

Sitting alone in a corner, Wang Xiaoyi looked up at the teacher who’d called out to her and waved them off. "No, no! I’ll just eat here!"

"Teacher Wang is so concerned with keeping up her image, haha! Even a fairy has to eat, you know."

In a corner, unnoticed by anyone.

Su Chen!

He was currently hidden, secretly observing the cafeteria. He had been watching ever since the students came in, his gaze fixed on Wang Xiaoyi.

He watched as Wang Xiaoyi set her plate down. The first thing she chose to eat was the Longjing Shrimp.

’Why does she slump over the table after every bite?’ Su Chen wondered, perplexed.

At the same time, a notification flashed in his mind.

[+99 Delicious Value from Wang Xiaoyi]

Just as he’d thought. Because Wang Xiaoyi had already tasted the Longjing Shrimp that morning, the experience points he gained had dropped significantly, even though she still found it delicious.

By the time she finished the serving of Longjing Shrimp, the experience points he received had dwindled to just over ten, and Wang Xiaoyi no longer slumped motionless after each bite.

’It seems that repeatedly eating the same dish lowers a person’s sensitivity to it. But this isn’t enough to prove my theory yet.’

Su Chen watched for a little longer before heading back to the 19th floor.

To test his theory, he would need Wang Xiaoyi to eat a dish made with different ingredients but possessing the exact same texture and flavor. He’d have to wait until dinner tonight or lunch tomorrow to confirm it.

Meanwhile, Wang Xiaoyi, huddled in her corner, breathed a sigh of relief.

’I finally finished the shrimp. Damn it, how can they be so delicious?’

’Combining shrimp with tea leaves... only a genius could have thought of that. So good!’

Then, she turned her attention to the other dishes on her tray.

Tiger Skin Peppers!

Lush green chili peppers had been cut into three or four segments, each about three centimeters long, their skins blistered and wrinkled.

’They’re just peppers. There shouldn’t be any problem, right?’

Wang Xiaoyi tried to reassure herself. After all, it was just a simple, ordinary pepper.

It didn’t look like anything fancy. There was just a sauce, something like a reduction of oyster sauce, drizzled over the top.

At the end of the day, it’s still just a pepper, right?

Wang Xiaoyi popped a piece of the pepper into her mouth.

’It’s not like a single pepper could possibly...’

"Nghhh... Mmmmph~~~"

’Damn it!’

Wang Xiaoyi clamped a hand over her mouth, desperately trying to restrain herself and keep the strange sounds from getting any louder.

’Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside... it has such a rich pepper flavor, but how is it that there isn’t the slightest hint of spice?! What is going on?!’

She finally managed to swallow the pepper.

A rich, vegetal fragrance lingered, mixed with a strong scent of garlic and a hint of sweetness and sourness on the tip of her tongue.

"Sob... What do you do when the food is so good you can’t stop trembling..."

Fortunately, Wang Xiaoyi was eating at a table tucked away in a corner, so no one noticed the scene.

The only one who noticed was Su Chen, whose mind was suddenly flooded by a massive number: [9999].

’Awesome!!!’

Meanwhile, the other teachers were gathered at two tables, eating together.

"I thought this was some nepotism hire from management, trying to swindle our benefits budget. I never expected the chef to be this good! SMACK SMACK~"

"You guys have to try these peppers! Holy cow! I could eat five bowls of rice with just these peppers. They’re way too good! So much better than what you get at restaurants outside!"

"I can’t believe I get to eat food this good for free every day? Oh, my lord. I’m definitely coming for dinner tonight, and I’m bringing my boyfriend with me!"

"But it’s not free for our families. Your boyfriend will have to pay for his own meal!"

"So what if he has to pay? For food this good, it’s worth spending a little extra. Besides, my meal is free and he pays for his. Isn’t that basically a 50% discount? It’s still a great deal!"

The group continued to wolf down the food in front of them while doing the math.

At the partition between the two sections, Wang Rui, an office worker from Xinghui, pushed up his glasses. "Zhang Li, can you tell me why they get to eat in the children’s section, while we have to eat in the adult section?"

"Because they’re teachers and you’re not."

"So teachers are just allowed to eat in the children’s section? I want to eat those shrimp, too! Look at that teacher over there—she’s crying because the food is so good!"

Zhang Li looked in the direction Wang Rui was pointing.

’Ah... Teacher Wang is such a cute girl. Why would she cry just from eating good food?’

’Could it really be because she’s never had anything this delicious before?’

’I’ll have to secretly give her some extra portions from now on!’

"Still no! You can only eat in this section. It’s company policy!"

Wang Rui scoffed. "I’m going to see President Ling!"

Wang Rui ran to Ling Shuyu’s office and asked in a conspiratorial tone, "President Ling, is it still possible to sign up for the meal service?"

Ling Shuyu was busy writing something. Seeing her former colleague, she nodded. "Yes, you can. The rates are posted on the wall."

Without even looking, Wang Rui asked, "I have a 334-month-old baby at home who’d like to sign up, too!"

Ling Shuyu pointed to her office door. "See that?"

"What about it?" Wang Rui was confused. He didn’t see anything there.

"Now, get out through there."

"Wait, President Ling..."

"Get lost!"

Wang Rui walked out of the office looking as deflated as a wilted persimmon. Zhang Li came trotting over gleefully. "So? Got shot down, didn’t you?"

"President Ling is still the same old President Ling... Not a shred of respect for me, a paying customer!"

"Oh, give me a break! If you’re so upset, then don’t eat here!" Zhang Li retorted haughtily before heading back to the kitchen.

’What the fuck?’

Wang Rui stood in the adult section, staring dumbfounded at Zhang Li’s retreating back.

’I fucking...’

’So what if I don’t have the guts!’