Beast Taming: Starting from Transmigration and Starting with a Cheat Code

"You said you were going to find Chef Huang's whereabouts and the reason, but what did you all do? You all went and feasted yourselves first, didn't you?"

The one asking the questions was Zhao Lie, who had just returned from the martial arts training ground after suffering a humiliating defeat.

His expression was not good, and his tone was clearly accusatory, without a trace of irritation.

He led his team to the training ground to "warm up" and gather intelligence, but He Fuke made a rash move and not only failed to make a name for himself, but also suffered a considerable loss.

When he returned and saw Sun Yu and the others, who were covered in the aroma of medicinal food, with rosy complexions and dreamy expressions, his anger flared up even more.

Sun Yu, Zhou Ming, and Wu Hao all looked a little embarrassed.

Wu Hao reacted the fastest, rubbing his hands together and forcing a fawning smile, explaining, "Brother Lie, you can't say that! This is a necessary sacrifice for us to infiltrate behind enemy lines and obtain firsthand intelligence!"

Seeing that Zhao Lie's expression had not softened, he quickly continued: "As you know, when Chef Huang's cooking is done, the queues are three layers deep!"

Moreover, they are extremely xenophobic, and we were met with all sorts of suspicion as soon as we got close, making it difficult to even get information.

"How can we confirm whether it was Master Huang's doing if we don't go in ourselves? How can we access the core information?"

"And then?" Zhao Lie asked, his face still cold.

"Then... since the queue has already been set up, we can't just give up in the end, right? Wouldn't that just benefit someone else?" Wu Hao winked.

Zhao Lie nodded and held out his hand. "Hmm, what about the 'reconnaissance sample'? Did you bring it back? It'll be good for everyone to 'analyze' it and see what the Magic City Academy is up to."

"..."

The three-person cafeteria investigation team fell silent instantly, looking at each other and guiltily touching their full stomachs.

Seeing the murderous intent gathering in Zhao Lie's eyes, Sun Yu's mind raced, and he spoke up before Wu Hao could say anything more: "Brother Lie, it's really not that we're greedy! It's just that the cafeteria has a rule: the new 'Three-Colored Mantis Shrimp' is not for takeout! It's only for dine-in! We can't bring it out even if we wanted to!"

"Yes! Yes, yes!"

Wu Hao felt like he'd been granted a pardon and quickly followed up, adding indignantly, "Not only are there limits, but they also don't allow takeout! These are outrageous terms! It's so unfair! We had no choice but to 'analyze' it on the spot so as not to waste this precious opportunity!"

"Oh, no takeout..." Zhao Lie's expression was just beginning to soften.

A student who had been engrossed in using his terminal to search for information on local forums and trading platforms of the Shanghai Academy interrupted without looking up, his tone mocking.

"What's the deal with that post I just saw in the anonymous forum section selling 'new products from the Third Cafeteria'?"

And what's with the promise of on-time delivery and undiminished quality despite the high price... does it transport the food with telepathy? How sophisticated!

Sun Yu and Wu Hao: "…………"

Most afraid of the air suddenly quiet.

"Good grief!" Another student who had just returned from the training grounds behind Zhao Lie couldn't help but laugh and scold, "You guys, you're not being honest! You ate all the food yourself, and now you're trying to renege on your debt?"

Wu Hao blushed and retorted, sticking his neck out, "Don't just talk about us! We at least accomplished our primary objective—confirming Chef Huang's whereabouts!"

"And you guys? How's your 'warm-up' going over the training ground? Did you manage to dampen the spirits of the Magic City Academy?"

The smiles on Wang Gang and the others' faces froze instantly. They remembered He Fuke's frustrating battle and the situation that almost spiraled out of control, and their expressions turned grim.

Seeing that the flames of internal strife were about to reignite, Zhao Lie rubbed his temples in frustration and hissed, "Alright! Shut up, all of you!"

He glanced at Sun Yu and the other two, and asked in a deep voice, "First, confirm that Chef Huang is 100% here? Did you see him with your own eyes?"

"Confirmed!" Sun Yu answered decisively this time. "Although it didn't go directly into the kitchen, the unique medicinal aroma and spiritual energy blending techniques of the 'Three-Colored Mantis Shrimp' we bought are definitely Chef Huang's unique style."

"Moreover, while queuing, I overheard the older students discussing it, and they all mentioned phrases like 'Masters Liu and Huang joining forces' and 'A wonderful story of fellow students,' so it can't be wrong."

Zhao Lie nodded; this was definite news. He then asked, "Why did Chef Huang come here? What conditions did the Magic City Academy offer, or is there something particularly attractive about this place? Have you found out the reason?"

This question caused Sun Yu and the other two to fall silent for a moment, their faces showing hesitation and contemplation.

Wu Hao licked his lips, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

"Speak! Stop beating around the bush!" Zhao Lie urged.

"Brother Lie, we're just speculating based on what we ate and the bits and pieces of information we heard..."

Wu Hao organized his thoughts, "The 'Three-Colored Mantis Shrimp' we're selling today, whether in terms of taste or the way spiritual energy flows, if you savor it carefully... it's actually quite similar to one of our academy's signature dishes, the 'Five Elements Gathering Soup,' and can even be seen as a simplified or improved 'affordable alternative.'"

"Oh?" Zhao Lie and the others perked up their ears.

"However," Wu Hao changed the subject, his face showing an incredulous expression, "'Five Elements Convergence Soup' is a top-tier resource in our academy that requires specific contribution points, is strictly limited each month, and is only supplied occasionally."

But here, this "affordable alternative" has sold no less than a hundred servings today just at one window in the third canteen!

And from the casual conversations around me, this kind of sale has been going on for several days now, and it's been this popular every day!

"hiss--!"

A collective gasp filled the room.

Upon hearing that the efficacy had weakened somewhat, several Azure Dragon students initially displayed a sense of superiority, as if to say, "Our original version is still the strongest." However, when the words "a hundred or so servings a day" and "lasting for several days" came crashing down on them, everyone was stunned.

In just one day, they wiped out a year's worth of supplies for their college, or even longer.

Are colleges in Shanghai really that rich?

"Damn..." Wang Gang muttered, "If I could eat this level of spiritual food every day to aid my cultivation... my advancement speed would be at least 30% faster!"

"These guys from Shanghai really don't know how lucky they are!" another student complained sourly. "With such good conditions, their cultivation would be as fast as a rocket!"

"It's strange, really. Five o'clock in the afternoon is usually when the training venue is busiest and people are working the hardest, but today it was sparsely populated, completely unlike the bustling scene at our academy. I even wondered if their training atmosphere was bad..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Hao's face flashed with a strange expression, and he subconsciously glanced at Zhao Lie.

Zhao Lie noticed his gaze and frowned: "Speak your mind directly, don't beat around the bush."

Despite being rebuked, Wu Hao still muttered a reply under his breath:

"Um... Brother Lie, do you think... it's possible that the reason there are fewer people at the training ground this afternoon isn't because they're not working hard, but because... they all went to the cafeteria to queue up and buy food?"

He Fuke, who had just been calmed down by his mentor Chen and was walking to the door when he heard the important part:

He paused, a surge of indescribable absurdity and bitterness welling up inside him.

The butterfly, which had just caught its breath and was about to go out for a stroll, suddenly froze, and even its scales became somewhat dull.

Wu Hao, ignoring He Fuke at the door, continued to drop another bombshell: "We also heard that a small arena has been set up outside the third canteen for some kind of 'defense challenge'."

The winner of the contest will receive a full week of "skipping the queue for new products"!

"We didn't see the list of applicants, but we heard that even many students from the life skills and support departments who don't usually fight are eager to give it a try!"

He Fuke: ! !

His hand gripping the door frame tightened suddenly, his knuckles turning white.