Chapter 20: Is It Really Necessary to Be This Wild?

SUV? Sedan? Sports car? Hey! Who would have thought they had them here too? Before Chen Yun crossed over, he’d driven both of the first two, but never a sports car—those were simply too expensive, often costing several million, far beyond what he could afford. Now that he had this chance, how could he let it slip by?

“The sports car, please. Sorry to trouble you, Mr. Liu.”

“I guessed as much! Master Chen, you look like a sports car enthusiast—young people should enjoy driving sports cars!” General Manager Liu chuckled. “Just wait a bit, Master Chen. I guarantee you’ll be behind the wheel of your new sports car right after lunch.”

“Hear that? Just listening to Mr. Liu is making me hungry. Master Chen, you won’t show us your skills at lunch? Not a single one of my subordinates managed to squeeze in here yesterday. I’ve been longing to taste your cooking,” Yun Qi said, seeing that there was no hope of recruiting him and shifting his focus to Chen Yun’s dishes instead.

“Yes, I’m hungry too. Master Chen, please, could you cook some dishes for us? I’ve never had the chance to taste a grandmaster chef’s cooking,” Meng Zhi chimed in, realizing that Master Chen might leave for Lanyun City at any moment. They might never have another opportunity to eat his food, so they had to seize the moment.

“Alright, guests are guests. Eat as you please today. Boss, please take note of everyone’s preferences, and I’ll get started in the kitchen.” Chen Yun rose, clasped his hands in greeting, and turned toward the kitchen.

At noon, the restaurant remained quiet. No more guests arrived—the area outside was blocked off by their people, and those who came to eat had already been turned away. As a result, Chen Yun didn’t need to cook much: five tables, twelve dishes per table, making a total of sixty dishes.

The meal was a chorus of astonished exclamations. From the moment the first dish was set on the table, the marveling never ceased. Many present had tasted dishes prepared by master chefs before, but compared to Chen Yun’s cooking—whether in appearance or flavor—his dishes had already surpassed the vast majority of grandmasters.

“Mr. Jiang, I’m truly curious—how did General Jiang Tian come to know of Master Chen’s culinary skills?” After a few rounds of wine, Yun Qi, emboldened by drink, asked the question on everyone’s mind. Logically, Chen Yun had been an unknown chef before today, so why would General Jiang Tian have heard of him, and why offer such generous terms to recruit him?

“It’s no secret—word has already spread through the imperial capital.” Jiang Shan explained, “Here’s what happened: last night, Manager Xiao Liu from this branch was lucky enough to snatch up a plate of Master Chen’s food. After tasting it, he sensed it was extraordinary and had it flown to me overnight. By chance, the patriarch was visiting as well. Out of curiosity, he tasted a few bites, and, to his surprise, the lingering bottleneck he’d struggled with for years showed signs of loosening. Riding that momentum, he broke through.”

Everyone was stunned. Could eating a dish really help someone break through a bottleneck? That was hard to believe! Especially Yun Qi and Meng Zhi, both cultivators themselves, well aware of how difficult such breakthroughs were, always requiring immense resources and time. Had anyone else said this, they’d never have believed it, but coming from Jiang Shan, they had no choice. The Jiang family’s standing as one of the top five families in the empire was inseparable from their family motto: loyalty, integrity, and trust!

“Was it a plate of stir-fried cucumber?” Chen Yun asked from the side.

“Yes, that’s right—a plate of stir-fried cucumber. How did you know, Master Chen?” Jiang Shan asked, puzzled.

“I had a flash of inspiration when making that dish and used a different technique, so the result was unlike any other,” Chen Yun replied lightly. There was no way he could admit it had been due to a title effect, after all.

“A true master indeed! To casually prepare a dish that helps a top cultivator break through a bottleneck—Mr. Jiang, you certainly have an eye for talent. I’m truly envious,” Yun Qi said, turning to Jiang Shan. “It seems you’re the only one capable of winning over Master Chen.”

Jiang Shan did not reply, only offered a modest bow, though the pride in his expression made everyone grit their teeth in envy. A chef whose dishes could help cultivators break through had already far surpassed the level of a master chef. Even if not yet at the grandmaster level, he was not far off!

After the meal, everyone left content. Though they couldn’t recruit Master Chen, having tasted his cooking was enough. Especially Yun Qi and Meng Zhi, both distinctly felt a slight improvement in their cultivation. They secretly resolved to visit Lanyun City whenever they could, just for another taste of Master Chen’s food. As for the price? Money was no object!

“Master Chen, here’s my personal contact information. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to call.” At the restaurant entrance, Jiang Shan handed over a plain business card.

“Thank you, Mr. Jiang.” Chen Yun accepted it without hesitation. “I’ll report to the Lanyun City hotel as soon as I can.”

“Excellent.”

Watching Jiang Shan’s party disappear into the distance, Chen Yun breathed a sigh of relief. Dealing with such high-powered people was exhausting. Even the owner and his own mentor hadn’t joined the meal, keeping their distance instead. These people exuded an invisible aura—just standing there without saying a word was enough to make one anxious.

As the three were about to head back, the roar of a powerful engine reached their ears. Chen Yun looked over, his expression growing odd.

Why does that car look so familiar?

“Master Chen, this is the latest sports car model from Tianlong Automotive this year—the Maserati GT. I thought it suited you, so I took the liberty of buying it,” Mr. Liu said ingratiatingly, pulling up in the sports car and parking it in the restaurant lot.

What? Chen Yun was dumbfounded. Maserati GT? What the—there’s actually a Maserati in this world? Isn’t that a bit over the top? System, get out here—was this your doing?

Chen Yun was convinced this had to be the system’s handiwork. Otherwise, how could a famous Earth car brand appear here, right down to the exact same spelling?

“Master Chen,” Mr. Liu began, oblivious to Chen Yun’s strange expression, and enthusiastically introduced the car with carefully memorized details to make a good impression, “this Maserati GT is a luxury grand tourer, ideal for long-distance high-speed travel. It balances performance with daily practicality—spacious, comfortable, easy to handle, and remarkably stable. It accelerates from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in just 5.6 seconds. While it can’t match professional race cars for speed, it should more than meet your everyday needs. And take a look inside: onboard computer, navigation, in-car television, refrigerator, cruise control, automatic parking—every feature imaginable. The interior is spacious, all four seats are genuine leather—extremely comfortable. What do you think? Are you satisfied?”