Chapter Twenty-Seven: Live Food Broadcast

A wave of price inflation instigated by someone had finally subsided, yet it did nothing to dampen the collective enthusiasm for purchasing Ice Silkworm Dumplings. In fact, Zhao Shen even managed to obtain the ingredients for making these dumplings at no cost.

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"Ding! How can the luminous Golden Fried Rice remain so inconspicuous? Please sell one thousand portions of Golden Fried Rice within three days to the eager customers who come seeking it. Completing this task will yield a substantial experience reward."

Task [The Fame of Golden Fried Rice]: How can the Culinary God's Golden Fried Rice remain so unnoticed? The distance and high price cannot quell the fervor of diners. Please sell one thousand portions of Golden Fried Rice within three days to the visitors who come in search. (Each person may purchase one serving per day, which will be automatically bound upon sale. Task progress: 0/1000.)

Once again, it was a limited sale task, but this time the price had escalated from 66 gold coins to 333, and the number of portions required had increased from 100 to 1000, significantly raising the task's difficulty.

The sales for the day had concluded, and just as Zhao Shen was preparing to rest and contemplate how to fulfill the task, the pillow delivery person arrived.

...

The adorable girl who had previously posted on social media was named Nicole. In her pursuit of tasting Zhao Shen's culinary delights, she had drastically reduced her streaming time. Responding to the requests of her many fans, she decided to live stream her food tasting, which allowed her to satisfy both her work obligations and her culinary cravings.

However, recalling Zhao Shen's peculiar temperament, Nicole resolved to inquire first. Losing out on the chance to taste his food due to a ban on live streaming would be an unfortunate trade-off.

"Boss Zhao, my fans wish to see me live stream as I taste your food," Nicole cautiously asked.

"Oh," Zhao Shen replied with a single word.

"Then, when I come tomorrow, may I live stream in front of your stall?" 

"Fine." His response was curt, leaving much unsaid.

Nicole bit her lip in frustration, shaking her small fist at the air. Her fans were eager to tune in daily to watch her adventures, whether exploring, gaming, or even sleeping, showering her with gifts. Only Zhao Shen remained so indifferent toward her.

Could it be that Zhao Shen prefers male companionship? Is he into yaoi or similar themes? Oh heavens, that would be utterly terrifying! Truly, life is so unfair; a man who is so aloof should not have a girlfriend!

...

While Nicole lamented Zhao Shen's demeanor, he had actually given his reply after considerable reflection. 

On one hand, the live stream could significantly enhance his visibility; on the other, he was bound by the prestige of being a culinary god and could not promote himself directly. Allowing others to do the promotion would work well, as long as he did not actively seek out promotional opportunities—his system would impose no restrictions.

Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to complete his task regarding the fame of Golden Fried Rice?

...

The following day, Nicole arrived quite early. Had she delayed, Zhao Shen would have been swarmed by the crowd, leaving no space for her live broadcast.

Today, she wore a rabbit hairpin, a pink top, and a white mini skirt, with knee-high student socks that playfully accentuated her legs. With her chest proudly elevated, it was hard to tell that this young girl was developing nicely.

As she entered the market area, Nicole skillfully maneuvered through the crowd, initially obscuring the camera, creating a dark, suspenseful atmosphere in her stream. It wasn't until she reached Zhao Shen's stall that she activated the camera once more, giving her audience a sense of adventure.

"Is this your food stall, streamer? It looks rather bare," one viewer remarked, noting the desolate location Zhao Shen had chosen for his stand.

"Hurry and taste something, streamer!" another viewer urged, impatience evident.

"Nicole, you look even prettier today! Is this a cosplay of the Bunny Raven?" teased a cheeky viewer.

"Okay, I'm quite hungry too; I got up early to rush here," Nicole replied cheerfully, forming a peace sign. Her adorable demeanor triggered a surge of gifts in the stream, with gold coins pouring in.

...

Zhao Shen hadn't intended to wake up this early today; he had gotten used to sleeping in, now enjoying a steady flow of income, which had made him somewhat lazy, to the point where he no longer kept track of his earnings, as he initially had.

The cute Nicole even gave Zhao Shen a close-up shot, turning the camera away only when she noticed his furrowed brow, then engaging with her audience while typing. She incorporated remarks about Zhao Shen's quirks and aloofness into her broadcast.

"Everyone, do not underestimate this stall! There's more to it than meets the eye!" Nicole playfully declared, unveiling Zhao Shen's stand.

"Oh my goodness, streamer, have you walked into a den of thieves?"

"Indeed, streamer! Did you perhaps wander into the wrong area? All this time tasting food, you wouldn't be eating this, would you?"

"Quickly tell me if this is real! Did Nicole the little piglet get bribed to promote this?"

"Streamer, this boss's stall is terrifying! Surely, he must have converted silver coins into gold!" 

[Dragon's Tear Rice]: 88 gold coins/portion (limited to 1 portion per person per day, binds upon sale.)

[Ice Silkworm Dumpling]: 58 gold coins/each (limited to 5 dumplings per person per day, binds upon sale.)

[Golden Fried Rice]: 333 gold coins/portion (limited to 1 portion per person per day, binds upon sale.)

...

"You're not mistaken!" As she spoke, Nicole rubbed her eyes playfully with both hands, eliciting laughter from her viewers.

The Simulated Life platform was incredibly user-friendly, eliminating the cumbersome requirement of holding a phone while live streaming in reality. Here, she enjoyed a god-like perspective, broadcasting freely at will.

"People cannot be judged by their appearance, nor can the sea be measured by a bucket. One can only eat one portion of food. These days, I feel like I'm being driven insane by Zhao Shen's food stall!" Nicole exclaimed, dramatically pouting her lips. If it weren't for the live stream, she would have already dug in.

"Do you know how the name 'Zhao Shen' came about? It's because he's neurotic! This boss has a strange rule: you can only eat one portion, no matter how much you're willing to pay for a second! It's infuriating! What's more dreadful is that he doesn't even associate with women!" Nicole sent this message, fearing Zhao Shen might cut her off from his food.

"Don't be upset, Nicole! Come here for a comforting hug! I'm at Snow City, coordinates X87.Y94," came a comment from a lecherous viewer.

"Scram! Nicole wouldn't like a loser like you! Streamer, hurry and taste the luxurious 333 gold coin fried rice!"

Nicole's little eyes sparkled as she made a pitiful expression. "Oh dear, I've been eating Zhao Shen's food so much that I'm running low on funds! I have to budget tightly now."

...

The seasoned streamer skillfully swayed her audience's hearts, playfully patting her flat stomach, engendering feelings of affection among the viewers. Her words sent the chat into a frenzy.

"Don't worry, streamer! You can afford it; I'll make sure to reward you!" declared a generous viewer, showering the stream with 999 gold coins.

"Indeed, streamer! It seems you've been absent from live streaming because you've been entranced by food! Try the Golden Fried Rice and see if it's as good as the chef's special. If it is, I might just have to eat there too and coincidentally meet the goddess Nicole!" another viewer commented, dropping 521 gold coins.

"Streamer, I don't believe you can't afford it! Your schemes are the longest road I've traveled, yet I still wish to walk it with you," remarked yet another viewer, gifting 200 gold coins.

Nicole's eyes lit up—henceforth, she could balance work and culinary delights!

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Oh dear, is there a wealthy benefactor willing to shower some rewards upon the author? My instant noodles are nearly gone, and I'd love to purchase a box of spicy and sour flavors to change things up! Just 33 yuan, with free shipping!