Chapter 104: Come Have a Taste

✨ Special Appreciation Chapter ✨

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"First, soak the pork belly in cold water to remove the blood foam. Oliver, get me real water—I want the best ingredients! Buy a whole damn bucket!"

Karl barked orders while heating up a wok on the induction stove.

"Then, we blanch the meat to remove impurities. Hold up—why the hell does this stink so much?! Did they not drain the blood when they butchered this pig?! Wait, what—they didn't even castrate it?! Holy shit!"

David sat on the apartment's sofa, completely dumbfounded.

He had seen Karl stay calm even when facing cyberpsychos—but now? The man looked absolutely distressed over some pork.

His entire perception of Karl was changing by the second.

"Damn, damn, damn—fine! If it stinks, it stinks! I'll just use more seasoning to cover the smell. Cut the pieces smaller—I'll stir-fry them longer to get the flavors in. But the blood… forget boiling it now. Jack! Get me an empty pot, pour in cold real water and white vinegar—I need to soak this mess first. Hopefully, it'll help with the blood smell."

"Do we really have to go through all this trouble, Karl?"

"Hell yes, we do! Oh, right—we bought a bunch of corn too, didn't we? Bring that over. I'll use this pot to boil it."

Karl's eyes suddenly shifted, locking onto David.

"David!"

"Yes!"

Under Karl's commanding gaze, David instinctively jumped up from the sofa.

"Grab the small bag I bought."

"Small bag?"

"The one labeled with cinnamon, star anise, and bay leaves. Be careful—I only got one pack."

"Got it."

With Karl calling the shots, the whole apartment was buzzing with activity.

Oliver had assumed Karl would be the one cooking while they just waited.

Instead, they were being used as free labor.

"Karl, you're way too lazy!"

Oliver grumbled, but under Karl's intimidating gaze, he still followed orders without protest.

"I'm handling the wok. Everything else? That's on you guys. Oh, and after we eat, you're all doing the dishes too."

Jack, on the other hand, just laughed.

"Back home, I only helped my mom cook on my birthday. Never thought I'd be sweating in the kitchen without a reason."

"Trust me, it'll be worth it. You won't be disappointed."

Karl confidently reassured them—then casually added something that stabbed Oliver right in the heart.

"Gotta make sure it's perfect. After all, we're bringing some for Vik, Mama Welles, and Misty. Can't have them eating trash."

"I don't wanna be a test subject…"

Oliver could only pray that this hyped-up dish was actually as good as Karl claimed.

Finally, everything was ready.

Karl heated oil in the wok, added the spices, and slowly stir-fried them until their aroma filled the kitchen.

"Alright, hand me the pork belly."

He tossed the meat into the wok, rendering the fat and bringing out the fragrance.

Then, he added the soy sauce, salt, and rock sugar he had bought in Chinatown.

There were many ways to make braised pork. Some people caramelized the sugar first, then added the meat.

But Karl preferred to fry the pork first.

Once the meat was coated in caramelized sauce, he poured in boiling water, reduced the heat, and covered the wok to let it simmer.

"So… is that it, Karl?"

Seeing Karl finally stop moving, Jack asked,

"Shouldn't we add some cooking wine or tea water to remove the gamey smell?"

"Normally, yeah. But we don't have those on hand, so this will have to do."

"Will it be okay?"

"Braised pork is a dish that every household makes differently. There's no set recipe—you can throw in whatever you want. Some people even use cola. So yeah, it's fine."

"Huh…"

Jack didn't fully understand, but he memorized Karl's steps anyway. If Misty ended up liking it, he could try making it for her.

"Corn's done."

Oliver lifted the lid off another pot, releasing a cloud of white steam. Beneath it, the bright yellow corn gleamed—not exactly crystal clear, but still beautifully golden.

Eagerly, he grabbed a cob—only to almost drop it from the heat.

"I've never had real boiled corn before. Always just cornmeal or flakes."

The fresh, earthy scent of corn husks filled the air. After letting it cool a bit, Oliver snapped it in half—handing one piece to David and the other to Jack.

"Here, try it, David. And Jack—you've been waiting for this the most."

"Can I really eat first?"

David hesitated as he took his half of the corn.

"Don't worry, there's plenty. Try it first. If the flavor's lacking, we can boil the next batch with salt—see how salted corn tastes."

As Oliver went back to the pot, considering which piece to grab next, Jack had already started devouring his corn.

Seeing Jack dig in, David followed suit.

He had learned about corn in Arasaka Academy, so he knew not to bite into the cob itself. He only ate the kernels—and the soft, starchy texture was unlike anything he'd ever had before.

It was different from the synthetic food he was used to.

For the first time, he could actually taste the flavor of corn—pure and unmasked.

"It's kinda sweet."

"Starch breaks down as you chew—it gets sweeter."

Karl, who had tough hands, wasn't as sensitive to the heat as Oliver. But even he wasn't immune—his lips and teeth weren't heat-resistant, so he waited a bit before taking a bite.

As soon as the familiar taste hit his tongue, Karl's mind went completely blank for a second.

Then, a thought surfaced—

"Damn… I might actually cry."

A taste from the past.

Even in 2075, he could still experience it.

Shaking off the nostalgia, Karl lifted the lid off the braised pork, turned off the heat, and placed the glistening pot of rich, caramel-colored meat in front of everyone.

"Alright—come on, dig in!"

But before anyone else could move, Karl had already ripped open a takeout container of fried rice, grabbed his chopsticks, and picked up a chunk of tender, sauce-soaked pork.

He placed it on the fluffy fried rice and took a bite.

The rich, umami-packed juices from the pork soaked into the rice, and as the two mixed together in his mouth, the flavor explosion hit his brain.

His hands moved on autopilot—he couldn't stop eating.

"A merc can't just live off vegetables."

Watching Karl devour his food, Oliver made that observation from the heart.

Tonight's meal? Braised pork.

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