Chapter 10: The Principle That Cannot Be Swayed by Money  

Zhao Ruge was a good-looking young man with long black hair fixed in place with a green hairpin. He wore a white robe, a pair of wyrm-scaled shoes and a belt inlaid with jade. He looked noble and graceful.

"Zhao Ruge?!"

Sun Qixiang miserably stood up with his hands covering his private parts and sullenly looked at the handsome man in front of him.

"I didn’t know that young master Sun has such hobbies, today has been an eye-opener for me." Zhao Ruge chuckled as his eyes ran over Sun Qixiang’s body and said with a weird expression on his face.

Sun Qixiang’s face turned bright red. He looked towards his underling who was behind Zhao Ruge, the one he sent to look for Zhao Ruge.

After tearing off the clothing on his underling and putting it on, Sun Qixiang’s complexion slightly improved. He did not pay any attention to Zhao Ruge but turned towards the store and furiously shouted, "If I don’t smash up your store by tomorrow, my surname isn’t Sun! I’ll be back!"

After Sun Qixiang finished shouting, he glanced towards Zhao Ruge and said, "Young master Zhao, your dream goddess is inside the little restaurant right now. Here’s a friendly reminder, there’s something strange with this restaurant. The beautiful Xiao Yanyu seems to be under someone’s spell."

Without even looking at Zhao Ruge’s reaction, Sun Qixiang bitterly swaggered away.

"Under someone’s spell?" The corner of Zhao Ruge’s mouth slightly curled up and a meaningful smile appeared on his handsome face. He looked towards the simple and small restaurant in the alleyway.

For a little restaurant set up in such a remote place to have customers, especially ones with high status like the children of the Great General Xiao Meng, Zhao Ruge would not believe that there was nothing strange going on.

The wary Zhao Ruge started to walk towards the restaurant, he wanted to see what kind of a magical place it was.

However, before he reached the entrance, he saw the Xiao siblings walking out with strange expressions on their faces.

Xiao Yanyu was agitated at the moment. It was not because Bu Fang threw Sun Qixiang out of the store, but because of the Egg-Fried Rice. After she ate the improved Egg-Fried Rice, she found that the true energy in her body was being stimulated and the amount had increased by a lot. Even though it had not reached the point where she would advance, the level of increase was still considerable.

She was amazed that a bowl of improved Egg-Fried Rice could actually increase a person’s cultivation level and its effect was equivalent to that of fourth grade elixirs. There was also the fact that compared to elixirs, the taste of the Egg-Fried Rice was simply incredible.

It was also no wonder that a person would need to be at least a third grade Battle-Maniac before they could eat the improved Egg-Fried Rice. The increase in true energy was more than the total true energy a second grade Battle-Master had. If a second grade Battle-Master were to eat it, not only would they not be able to advance, their bodies would explode from the sudden increase in true energy.

"Yanyu, what’s wrong?" When Zhao Ruge saw Xiao Yanyu, a glimmer of gentleness appeared in his eyes. He took a step forward and softly asked.

Xiao Yanyu was overjoyed with the increase in her cultivation level and completely ignored Zhao Ruge, while Xiao Xiaolong warily stared at Zhao Ruge. He could not understand the reason for Zhao Ruge to appear at that place... Then he thought of something, "Could it be that it was that brat Sun Qixiang who informed him?"

As the Xiao siblings walked away without paying any attention to Zhao Ruge, he got even more curious. He thought, "For Yanyu to have that kind of expression, what exactly happened here?"

"Thank you, please come again." After sending off the bewildered Xiao siblings, Bu Fang yawned and started to closing up for the day.

The robot, Whitey, returned to the kitchen to continue its watch.

Bu Fang picked up the last piece of door board. Before he could close up the entrance, a handsome young man appeared in front of him.

"Shop owner, don’t be so quick to close up. I would like to try out your dishes."

The handsome Zhao Ruge elegantly stood at the entrance with a smile on his face while he looked at Bu Fang. A wind blew past and caused his robes to flutter.

Bu Fang expressionlessly looked at Zhao Ruge, while the latter looked at him with a smile.

"Oh, it’s time for the store to close up, please come back tomorrow."

Bu Fang simply said and continued to close up.

The expression on Zhao Ruge’s face froze, "Did the shop owner just refused a customer? How does a little store like this even dare to refuse a customer?"

"Opening hours are determined by humans... They can be changed, I am willing to pay more." Zhao Ruge thought for a while and spoke up once more.

"No way," Bu Fang expressionlessly replied.

Zhao Ruge knitted his eyebrows and said, "How about two times the original price?"

Bu Fang thought for a while but still refused, "No way."

Zhao Ruge was completely stunned. He could not believe that a little store like this would refuse a customer. However, he was not about to give up!

"I will pay three times the original price!"

"No way."

"How about four times the original price?!"

"No... No way."

"Five times!" Zhao Ruge endured the impulse to kick Bu Fang’s expressionless face and coldly said.

"Five times?!" Bu Fang was bleeding in his heart. If it was five times the original price, a bowl of improved Egg-Fried Rice would be fifty crystals and a bowl of normal Egg-Fried Rice would be five crystals... He felt as if countless amounts of money were floating in front of his eyes.

"As someone aiming to become the God of Cooking, you must have your own set of rules. You must maintain your principles and not be swayed by money! Do not bend over backwards for money!"

Just when Bu Fang was struggling internally and was about to agree with Zhao Ruge’s offer, the system’s timely intervention woke Bu Fang up.

Zhao Ruge was extremely pleased. From the hesitation on Bu Fang’s face, Zhao Ruge knew that Bu Fang was about to agree.

He thought, "How dare the owner of a little restaurant talk about principles with me, there’s no principle that doesn’t break under a pile of money! If it doesn’t work, then I will offer two big piles!"

Bu Fang took in a deep breath, the expression on his face became even gloomier and uglier. He glanced at the triumphant-looking Zhao Ruge, then...

"Bang!"

With a loud bang, the door board tightly sealed up the entrance, startling Zhao Ruge.

"What happened? Shop owner, are you going to let me in? Are you still open for business?" What happened to his concession, what happened to his compromise? Why did he suddenly change his mind!

Even with Zhao Ruge’s self-control, he was still furious. Even the number one restaurant, the Immortal Phoenix Restaurant, did not have as many rules as this little store. He could not believe that a little restaurant in such a remote location would talk about principles with him!

"The opening hours is finished for today. If you want to eat, come back tomorrow."

The voice of Bu Fang came from behind the tightly closed entrance, followed by a yawn. Then, there was only silence.

After that, no matter how many times Zhao Ruge knocked, there was no response.

The big black dog lazily lying in front of the entrance glanced at Zhao Ruge, then continued with its sleep. The only thing that the dog did other than eating was sleeping. It was a dog living the life of a pig.

Zhao Ruge finally realised that he was rejected. He could not believe that a little restaurant in such a god-forsaken place would reject someone as handsome as him.

He felt as if an invisible arrow had pierced into his heart.

In his hands, the third grade Battle-Maniac Zhao Ruge gathered a lump of true energy. He was tempted to smash the store up.

However, after he thought for a while, he gave up.

"Fine! I will come back tomorrow and see what kind of a store would dare to reject me!"

Zhao Ruge was the son of the Minister of the Left. As someone with such a status, everyone in the imperial city had to show him some respect. However, he was unexpectedly humiliated in a little restaurant like this, it was like getting slapped in the face.

The livid Zhao Ruge dissipated the true energy he gathered in his hand, turned around and left.

The big black dog continued to lay there without moving, it glanced towards Zhao Ruge as he left and rolled its eyes...

Bu Fang returned to his room, he had already completely forgotten about Zhao Ruge.

He gave another big yawn, he had been feeling sleepy for the entire day.

As he lay on the bed, he called out the system monitor.

Host: Bu Fang

Gender: Male

Age: 20

True Energy Cultivation Level: First Grade (As the God of Cooking in the fantasy world, you will definitely need to make use of true energy when cooking. Work hard, young man.)

Cooking Talents: Unknown

Skills: None

Tools: None

God of Cooking overall rating: Beginner (A beginner that finally learned how to manipulate true energy and cook Egg-Fried Rice.)

System Level: One Star

A surprised expression suddenly appeared on Bu Fang’s face.

"My true energy cultivation level is actually at first grade? Eh... Are there actually levels for the system?"