I am a hero of the former civilization.

The repair cost will be deducted from the next payment, and that's settled.

Ryan didn't bother with her. He glanced at Mebius, who was staring blankly in front of the rice cooker, her expression indifferent, but her snake-like eyes were full of turmoil.

'I must have been out of my mind. Why did I agree to play along with these idiots' nonsense? But if I leave now, it'll be like running away with my tail between my legs—so embarrassing!'

With her hands in her pockets, she thought for the first time that it would be better if Klein wasn't so reliable and had called ahead, so she could leave openly and honestly.

As for cooking, isn't it just about tearing open the packaging, adding seasonings and boiling water, and then waiting five minutes? Why make it so complicated?

“She knows nothing about food. The world is in trouble right now, and I can’t stand seeing her waste food. Also, I have to clean up Alicia’s messes. With her personality, she’ll eat any kind of terrible food no matter how bad it is. It’s no good if she gets sick.”

Ryan glanced sideways, quickly finding an excuse for himself, and then came to Sakura's side, gently taking her chopsticks from behind.

"Let me do it."

"Uh, but..."

“This is my home, there’s no reason for guests to cook. I’m already embarrassed to have you buy groceries.” Ryan’s voice was very gentle as he picked up the tempura pieces one by one and placed them on a plate. “It’s break time now, it’s boring not to do something. If you feel bad about it, please make me a cup of tea.”

Sakura stared intently at him, her pale purple eyes looking towards Mebius not far away, who was staring blankly in front of the rice cooker.

Sakura wasn't Hua, but she had high emotional intelligence. She quickly understood and a smile appeared in her eyes as she lowered her voice.

"It seems Dr. Mebius was exaggerating."

"She's so stubborn and narrow-minded, but since she hasn't caused any trouble these past two days, we can let her off the hook." Ryan snorted softly, his voice barely audible, drowned out by the construction noise in Wilwick.

This was practically a unilateral declaration of Sakura's victory, making the smile on the girl's face even more pronounced. It wasn't a life-or-death duel, but the joy of victory was no different.

"Ryan, you can be really gentle sometimes."

"Really? I can't stand seeing people looking pitiful. If I start giving them a hard time, nobody will be happy."

"You consider this the bigger picture?"

"I always consider the interests of the majority, just like keeping those little geniuses."

You're just being stubborn.

Sakura sighed inwardly. She had a competitive spirit, but she also knew that Möbius was very difficult to deal with, and Ryan would have to clean up the mess later. Compared to the result, who won or lost was not important.

So she took off her apron, tossed her head to loosen her ponytail, and bowed slightly: "Then I'll go boil some water first."

The girl left silently. Ryan poured the beaten egg yolks into the pan, skillfully flipped them, and then, staring at the golden fried egg, casually remarked:

"You're relieved, aren't you?"

"No, no, I'm just waiting for the rice to be cooked so I can show you my skills, like..." Mebius trailed off, her voice trailing off as Ryan's teasing gaze made her both angry and guilty.

As a scientist, no matter how stubborn you are, you still have to be realistic.

"Come on, this isn't your forte. For example, in experiments or writing papers, ten Sakuras wouldn't be a match for you. Why do you have to be stubborn in areas you're not good at?"

It’s all because of you!

Möbius wrinkled his nose slightly, then his expression relaxed.

"Go wait for your meal, and while you're at it, drag Vilvie out of here. She's making so much noise."

Mebius didn't move. She glanced at the man's focused back. No matter what, she had been rescued. She wouldn't allow herself to lose to anyone, especially that fox.

"Hmph, thanks, but I'll make up for this shortcoming soon, just you wait and see."

As Velvi's complaints and the sound of her high heels faded into the distance, Ryan paused briefly while stirring the food, clicked his tongue, and then continued working.

Stubborn and proud, that's Möbius; straightforward and gentle, that's Sakura.

He heard the television in the small living room, as well as Alicia's triumphant laughter, and suddenly felt isolated from the world in this deep underground place.

Like a hard drive overwrite, the snow and wind of the North are suppressed deep in memory, and the confusion about the imaginary space becomes insignificant.

It was a very strange feeling, yet also a very clear one.

This is the anchor point I've been exploring.

Chapter 190 The Ryan Family Meal

A few days ago, Lane mentioned the 'anchor point' theory to Mebius, which wasn't entirely a hoax.

The concept of exploration is inherently dangerous; you might wander off and not know where you've ended up. That's why Ryan proposed this theory: even if you step into an abyss, you can always see a light when you look back.

It may not offer direct help, but it can remind him where he came from and where he is going.

Ryan couldn't explain this vague concept either; he only knew that he felt good, like when he was cooking, his mind was completely blank, and countless troubles disappeared instantly.

Saviors and fire-chasing heroes are nothing now; we'll talk about them later.

While wrapping the soft rice in the egg, Ryan cooked the sauce and gutted the fish that Alicia had bought, sprinkled it with onions and spices, and put it into the oven that Velvet had just made.

This thing automatically recognizes the contents and sets the time and temperature automatically without Ryan needing to control it at all.

"Always messing around with all this random stuff, but after a while, my room is all set up, though of course, I still have to pay for it."

Ryan took a deep breath, tied on his apron, put on his headscarf, and picked up the spatula with the same seriousness as if he were facing a Lawyer.

Then it's time to unleash our full power!

The pork ribs are coated in egg white and flour, then sizzled in the oil until golden brown. They are then drained of excess oil and topped with the prepared curry sauce.

Repeat the same steps four times. The one in the center is specially made with more ingredients. With a stretch of the right hand, electromagnetic force draws the strainer into the palm. With a gentle tap on the table, the vegetables on the table fly into the strainer. Then, put them into boiling water and cook for a few seconds. With a flick of the wrist, they fall into the plate.

Curry pork bone omelet rice is ready.

"Prepare another dish to go with the rice."

Ryan wiped the sweat from his forehead, glanced at the green peppers and beef on the table, and took out a piece of pickled vegetable from the refrigerator.

Crush the garlic, dice the green peppers and beef into half-centimeter cubes, then heat the oil until it's about 80% hot. Add the garlic and pickled vegetables to the pan and sizzle. Add the minced meat and stir-fry, then add soy sauce and salt. Keep tossing the pan, then add the green peppers. Finally, use a ladle to spread the mixture evenly onto a plate.

Ding.

Just then, the fish was grilled and Ryan didn't need to do anything. The newly built table split in the middle, the conveyor belt lifted the grilled fish, and Ryan poured boiling oil on it.

Zi la la.

The fish meat splattered with a golden hue, and the sauces on the plate seemed to be on fire, releasing a rich aroma.

"It smells so good." Alicia had somehow sneaked into the kitchen, sniffed, and clapped her hands lightly. "As expected, Ryan really has to do it himself."

You greedy cat, you're showing your chicken feet now!

Alicia's thoughts weren't that complicated; no matter what, she was happy.

Snapped.

She was reaching for the tempura when her hand was touched, and she quickly pulled it back.

"What are you doing, Ryan?"

"Wash your hands, get the plates, and go ask the next room for some tables and chairs. There are so many of you, how can this small room possibly fit everyone?"

"I'm all done!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Velvi rushed over excitedly. Without Alicia having to lift a finger, several accompanying robots began to transport the plates, causing the pink-haired girl to nervously guard the side, afraid that these metal lumps would drop them.

Ryan glanced at the narrow living room and saw a two-meter-long box in the center. Then, a round table and chairs large enough to seat six or seven people popped out of the disassembled box.

"Extreme compression, fully modular design, can be easily deployed in any area, can be used as a stage, or..."

"Just tell me how much funding Mei withheld, that she actually invented such a useless thing."

Vilvi was speechless for a moment, then scratched her head: "How could it be useless? This is a genius invention. Look, it's come in handy now."

"But we can borrow from next door, there's no need to go through all this trouble."

"Hehe, Velvi, if you waste money again next time, I'll tell Mei on you, and you'll definitely get a good scolding."

Sakura and Mebius complained to each other, which made Vervier blush: "How can the inventor's work be considered a waste? Every idea has its significance."

"Alright, alright, since this expense is on me anyway, let's eat quickly, it'll get cold if we wait any longer." Ryan gently patted her head, then glared at Mebius, his meaning clear:

You're not much better off.

With the help of the robot, a table full of food was quickly served. Just as Ryan picked up his chopsticks, Alicia pressed his hand down and happily took out her phone to take a picture.

"Such a beautiful dinner, it would be a shame not to share it!"

"Hey, you reminded me. I'll take a picture of Rin right now." Sakura also got interested. After sending it, she glanced at Wilvi, who was silently eating: "Aren't you going to take a couple?"

"These little guys can't understand WeChat Moments. Let's wait until I develop a fully-fledged AI. I still need to collect data for the 'chef'."

Tch, how boring.

Mebius glanced at the three of them, pursed his lips, and then secretly took out his phone to take a picture. He thought to himself that this was not to show off, but to test Klein and the others' concentration.

These subtle movements, of course, did not escape Ryan's notice. He picked up a piece of pork rib, put it in his mouth and chewed it gently. The crispy skin, tender pork, and a faint salty-sweet taste came one after another, making him squint his eyes.

My cooking skills are still as good as ever.

He savored the spicy grilled fish, and when he saw Alicia and the others also starting to eat, their eyes lit up.

"good to eat!"

"Ryan's cooking skills are indeed superior to mine."

"Ugh, I need to hurry up and get the 'chef' out."

"It definitely tastes much better than instant noodles."

Being praised by one person is great, but being praised by a group of beautiful girls is indescribably great. I can only try my best to remain calm, suppress the ever-growing corners of my mouth, and then switch the TV to the entertainment channel.

The television was showing Eden's concert, and since a large number of stars have now physically disappeared, she was in the center of the spotlight.

A distant, weathered sound emanated from the loudspeaker, as if facing the unstoppable tide of time, leaving only a heavy sigh.

“Only Time? This is the music you composed, Ryan.” Alicia swallowed a bite of pork chop and suddenly spoke.

What? He wrote it?

Mebius looked up instantly. She was only concerned with taking the money and knew nothing about Lane's work, nor did she have any interest in music.

Sakura's eyes shone brightly, filled with doubt and admiration. As a music lover, she knew how good Eden's emotional singing was, but half the credit also went to the timeless melody.

"Don't be surprised, these are just basic operations."

He adjusted his glasses, and the smile on his lips could no longer be suppressed.