 Chapter 16: Exposé
Da Mao(big cat) always thought of itself as not being too focused on food. For many years, it had subsisted on just three meals of nutrient agents each day.
It wasnât even picky about flavors, believing that all nutrient agents tasted the same.
But at this moment, it realized that it wasnât indifferentâit had simply never tasted something as delicious as this before.
The knife-cut noodles, coated in a thick, rich sauce, were perfectly chewy, with the flavors of meat, potatoes, and the slight numbness from the special bean paste spreading throughout its mouth.
Its large tongue scooped up everything in one go, swallowing it down. Da Mao was in a state of bliss, its eyes fixed solely on the large bowl in front of it.
Initially, it thought that the *Dapanji* noodles were already the pinnacle of flavor. But when it accidentally bit into the *tangcu* ribs placed nearby, the same wonderfully sweet-and-sour taste as the *tangcu* fish from the previous day filled its mouth. The intoxicating aroma of the food also filled the air.
Though both dishes were *tangcu*, todayâs ribs tasted completely different from yesterdayâs fish head and tail.
Da Mao was fully immersed in the bowl, not lifting its head until it swallowed the last rib in one gulp.
Its sharp fangs crunched through the well-marinated bones, which it chewed and swallowed without hesitation.
It didnât want to waste the bones by spitting them out. Besides, given its special constitution, such things wouldnât be a problem for it.
Ning Yunyi was used to these kinds of meals. Hearing a faint sound, he instinctively looked over and saw Da Mao squatting in the cage facing him, eyes half-closed in enjoyment as it chewed on a bone, basking in the sunlight.
Before Ning Yunyi could say anything, Da Mao swallowed the bone down, as if savoring the last bite.
Ning Yunyi: â…â
He remembered that this was the interstellar era, where various species had evolved unique constitutions. He hadnât heard of any that couldnât eat bones.
But he had to admit, the Da Mao sitting in the half-light was recovering quickly. The fur that had been shaved off for bandaging earlier had already regrown.
Its fluffy fur stood on end, each strand seemingly bristling. With the golden light shining down, its whiskers quivered slightly with each chew.
Even the two large ears on top of its head, which Ning Yunyi had once pinched, were covered in fine, soft fur. The very tips of the ears had tiny tufts of fur that trembled ever so slightly.
Watching Da Mao eat with such satisfaction, Ning Yunyi couldnât help but feel his own appetite growing, and he also felt a bit restless.
He silently lowered his gaze, no longer looking at Da Mao, who, after finishing the last piece, was eyeing the bowl with a look of disappointment, as if wishing for more.
Little Ning Xiao Miao had eaten until his small belly was round and full. Ning Yunyi had portioned out mainly *tangcu* ribs and stir-fried asparagus with shrimp for him, adding just half a spoonful of the slightly spicy *Dapanji* for him to taste.
Even so, due to the large portions, the little one was holding his belly at the end, looking utterly content.
Ning Yunyi couldnât resist ruffling his hair, smiling as the little one nuzzled his head against Ning Yunyi’s palm in a soft, lazy manner, making him feel even more pleased. He rubbed the little oneâs belly and reminded him to take a break to digest the meal.
Ning Xiao Miaoâs constitution was different. Though he ate a lot, he digested quickly and wouldnât actually suffer from indigestion.
Once everything was cleaned up, Ning Yunyi took the little guy for a few laps around the courtyard.
Later, Ning Yunyi took Ning Xiao Miao upstairs.
Previously, Ning Yunyi had planned to plant some saplings in the bionic forest to create a training ground, but he hadnât expected to find a large cat hiding there.
To prevent any more surprises, Ning Yunyi decided not to continue training in the bionic forest for the time being.
Instead, he chose to transform one of the rooms on the third floor.
Without any soil available, he simply took some from his spatial storage, filling large wooden boxes in the corners with half a box of soil and planting the saplings inside.
To ensure the saplings survived, Ning Yunyi infused each one with spiritual energy.
Although the effect wasnât as good as planting outdoors, it would still allow them to absorb the sparse spiritual energy in the interstellar environment in the short term.
After completing all this, Ning Yunyi sat down to meditate and cultivate with Ning Xiao Miao in the room. The little one was especially obedient, and since he couldnât speak yet, he didnât ask any questions. He simply did whatever his father instructed.
Meanwhile, on the other side, after Ning Yunyi had put up the new flavors, Dean Gu gathered all his disciples to make a rush for them.
This time, they were in luck. Besides the youngest disciple, Luke (Luke) also managed to snag a portion for the first time.
Dean Guâs previously troubled expression disappeared, replaced by a wide, toothy grin.
The youngest disciple had gotten the seventh *tangcu* ribs portion, which only had about 30-40% of the flavor, but it was already a great achievement.
Luke managed to get the last portion of *Dapanji*, which only had about 10% of the flavor.
Still, Dean Gu had everyone gather in a circle around a small table, on which was placed a pre-prepared potato and a single bean.
âAre you ready?â Dean Gu asked, eagerly taking a deep breath.
But before the disciples could answer, Old Man Tang, who had been ignored the entire time, spoke up: âWait, just wait, Old Gu, I didnât manage to get any. Heh, how about you all wait a bit? Iâll have someone fly over right now. Iâll be there in two hours!â
Tang, having missed his chance to snag a portion earlier, remembered that he was still on the call and hurriedly turned back to the screen.
What luck! This old guy really had it good this time.
Dean Gu shot him a glance and was about to hang up, but then, with a mischievous grin, he simply muted the call.
Let him laugh all he wants. Heâd be drooling soon enough.
And so, Old Man Tang, in his advanced age, found himself suffering as he watched everyone around him bask in the heavenly aroma, heads tilted back, eyes closed in reverence, and not saying a word.
Who knew how long it took, but eventually, everyone swallowed in unison. Only when the aroma had fully dissipated did they move on to the second dish, *Dapanji*.
Though only 10% of the flavor remained, *Dapanji* was so rich and potent that even that was enough to make it incredibly fragrant.
When Dean Gu caught a whiff, he was moved to tears. Knife Master had certainly lied to him. There was nothing synthetic about this; in the aroma of the dish, he could clearly smell the distinct flavors of the potato and bean species he had cultivated.
Yet they were even more intense, more pure, mixed with an array of mouth-watering aromas.
On the other side of the screen, Old Man Tang was growing hungrier and more frustrated. He called for his butler to ask about it.
The butler soon returned, handing him a wristband. âSir, the new streamer you mentioned, *#1 Knife in the Sect*, only releases four dishes a day, 40 portions total. Due to the large number of viewers, no matter how much people are willing to pay, no one resells them. However, I found another food streamer named Nick. He has recreated the same ancient Blue Star dishes. Iâve heard heâs selling *Hongshao* chicken wings right now. Iâve already managed to secure a portion for you. Would you like to smell it now?â
âQuickly, bring it here! I want to see what Old Gu has been making such a fuss about.â Tangâs curiosity was piqued, and he urged the butler to hurry.
The butler efficiently set everything up and pressed the button labeled [1].
Tang, in his excitement, leaned in too close. As soon as the smell was released, a bizarre and overwhelming stench hit him, a strange mix of unidentifiable odors that seemed to flood his senses.
Tang inhaled deeply before suddenly jerking his head to the side and retching.
Thankfully, he hadnât eaten yet, so it was just dry heaving. Covering his nose, tears welled up in his eyes, and he nearly choked. âUgh, what is that smell?!â
Was this some kind of prank by Old Gu? Where was the delicious aroma? Why did this smell like something he once encountered in a bionic restaurant?
Only now, the smell was magnified several times. What had once been merely unpleasant was now unbearable.
Furious, Tang immediately contacted Dean Gu.
After listening to his story, Dean Guâs face darkened. âYouâve been tricked. Knife Master said his ancient Blue Star dishes were bionically recreated, but the flavors are identical to the species Iâve been cultivating, and theyâre even better. Thereâs no way his dishes could smell bad! This Nick fellow must be a fraud, using synthetic perfumes and solid nutrient agents to create fake dishes.â
Dean Gu was an expert in ancient Blue Star species research. Anything related to them, he would investigate. After hearing Tangâs description, he immediately understood what had happened.
Tang quickly realized, too. He had been so overwhelmed by the initial stench that he hadnât thought clearly. Now that he had calmed down, his face grew stern.
Meanwhile, in Nickâs livestream, he was busy making ten plates of *Hongshao* chicken wings, each plate divided into ten portions, with a maximum of ten portions available per person.
In just half an afternoon, he had put up 1,000 portions for sale.
They were snapped up instantly.
Even at 10 star coins per portion, he had made 10,000 star coins in a short time.
Once he knocked *#1 Knife in the Sect* off the top spot, he planned to adjust the price and easily make 100,000 star coins.
The viewers flocking to Nickâs stream were mostly those who hadnât been able to get a taste from *#1 Knife in the Sect*. Since they had no comparison, when they smelled Nickâs version, they found it peculiar but werenât sure if it was the same or not.
Nick had already arranged for people to manipulate the chat, spreading half-truths and setting the tone. People began to believe that his version was just as good.
The perfumes he used were expensive, and unless someone had a specific reason, most citizens wouldnât normally buy them. So, it wasnât immediately obvious that the supposed *Hongshao* chicken wings were just a mix of cheap perfumes.
Thus, many people thought the smell was odd, but compared to nutrient agents, it was at least somewhat fragrant.
Nick ended the stream and asked his assistant, Jonah, about the results. Hearing the positive feedback, Nick smiled in satisfaction.
Jonah, having just received the data, grinned as well. âEverything sold out immediately each time it went on sale, and the feedback has been within expectations. Not only that, but youâve gained over 50,000 new followers in just two or three hours.â
Nick, who already had over 500,000 followers, knew he was doing well. The food streaming niche was small, and he was its king.
But this newcomer, *#1 Knife in the Sect*, had been rapidly gaining followers. After todayâs stream, they had already reached 500,000.
Nick couldnât sit still any longer. It was unfortunate that *#1 Knife in the Sect* had proven their identity false, which ironically boosted their popularity even more.
But Nick had other plans. He had already prepared a batch of solid nutrient agents disguised as chicken wings, artificially colored and doused with perfume to create the illusion of authenticity. After stir-frying them, the result looked quite convincing.
Of course, they were inedible, but since he was only selling the aroma, it didnât matter.
Nickâs eyes grew dark as he thought of the rapidly rising newcomer. âIs the post ready? Start stirring up the conversation.â
He planned to establish himself as the foremost expert in ancient Blue Star bionic cuisine. By then, who would remember *#1 Knife in the Sect*?
Jonah immediately began executing the plan.
Soon, the star network was flooded with posts about ancient Blue Star cuisine.
– **#The Rise of Blue Star Cuisine!! Nickâs *Hongshao* Chicken Wings Are a Revelation#**
– **#Handsome Streamer Nick Brings You a Feast for the Senses#**
– **#Nick, the Master Chef Who Supports Newcomers, Setting an Example for the Industry#**
Post after post, Nickâs name spread, especially with the recent buzz around ancient Blue Star cuisine. Many people clicked on the posts, only to be greeted by a red-haired, green-eyed handsome man smiling warmly at the camera as he cooked.
Because of his good looks and the appealing appearance of the *Hongshao* chicken wings, he even gained a wave of new fans.
But the hype only lasted for two hours.
Around 5 p.m., Senior Brother Luke from the Ancient Research Institute posted a message directly accusing Nick of being a fraud, asking if his conscience had been eaten by the *Wangwang* beast.
Before anyone could fully react, at exactly 5 p.m., an exposé post appeared right on time:
**[OMG! Who knew that the red-haired, green-eyed, seemingly perfect streamer is actually so deceitful!!]**
Da Pao – big cat
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