C17 A Generous Reward!

Chen Fann could sense that Liu Mengyu was complimenting his girlfriend, but it left him with an odd feeling. Lin Yuer, on the other hand, wasn't about to miss a chance to shine.

He was typically a low-key guy, but since becoming Chen Fann's partner, he'd undergone a significant transformation. He was determined not to let anyone steal his man away. In fact, he was ready to declare to any potential rivals that this man would always be his.

As soon as Liu Mengyu finished speaking, without waiting for Chen Fann to respond, Lin Yuer stepped forward with a warm smile.

"Thanks! You're quite stunning yourself!"

The two attractive young women exchanged nods, and then Liu Mengyu took her leave.

Watching Liu Mengyu's retreating figure, Chen Fann mulled over her words, sensing she wasn't an ordinary woman. She might prove to be a valuable ally in the future. He also had a strong hunch that their paths would cross again.

"What's on your mind?"

Lost in thought, Chen Fann was jolted back to reality by Lin Yuer's voice tinged with jealousy. Realizing his behavior might have sparked a misunderstanding, he gently tapped Lin Yuer on the head.

"What's gotten into you? I'm not that kind of guy."

"How would I know if you are or not?"

Lin Yuer teased, feigning seriousness. But upon seeing Chen Fann's sheepish grin, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Enough of that, I've got to get going. We've earned rave reviews again, which just goes to show our shop can hold its own. Keep it up!"

With that, Lin Yuer bounced off, leaving Chen Fann watching her departure with a wry smile. She was becoming more delightful by the day.

Ding!

Congratulations on completing the mission. You have earned the following rewards:

1. Reputation +10

2. Cash +$10,000

3. Energy +10%

"Whoa!"

Chen Fann was floored. A simple bowl of soup had netted him a $10,000 reward. At this rate, the pinnacle of success and becoming a multimillionaire seemed just within reach.

Ding!

Just then, another chime echoed in Chen Fann's mind.

"You've earned a lottery draw opportunity. However, the draw will cost you half of your Fame, Money, and Stamina Points. Would you like to proceed, yes or no?"

A lottery?

Chen Fann was momentarily taken aback; this was completely unexpected. The system's playability seemed to be increasing by the minute. Yet, the cost of the draw—half of his accumulated rewards—made him pause.

While Chen Fann wasn't too familiar with Fame and Stamina Points, he knew exactly what Money Points meant. Halving them would mean a loss of five thousand dollars. After a brief hesitation, he decisively chose yes!

Why pass up a free chance? Right now, his priority was to fully grasp the system. The rewards would come back to him eventually.

Following Chen Fann's command, a roulette wheel materialized in his thoughts, complete with a spinning pointer surrounded by various options: Stamina Points, Money Points, Fame Points, and a selection of colorful, unknown cards.

The pointer whirred into motion, skimming over the options before gradually coming to a halt. It finally rested on a green card labeled the One Punch Superman Card.

"Congratulations! You've acquired the Yellow Level One Punch Superman Card! This single-use card, when activated by calling out its name, will instantly grant you your base Stamina Points plus an additional 500 pounds of strength. Use it wisely."

"Your remaining Fame Points are now +5, Money Points +5000, and Stamina Points +5%. You are 95 Fame Points away from becoming an intermediate chef."

Chen Fann was momentarily dazed by the influx of new terms. He mentally repeated them, preparing to assimilate the information.

"Intermediate chef? 95 Fame Points? What's my current status?"

"Hello, esteemed user. The system offers four ranks of culinary identity: chef, Chef King, Chef God, and Chef Saint, each with beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. You are currently a beginner chef with an additional +5 Fame Points."

Today, the system had a lot more to say, but it helped Chen Fann realize his place within this extraordinary system.

According to the system's regulations, breaking through a stage required a minimum of 100 reputation points. With a staggering 300-point disparity between each rank, reaching the esteemed title of Chef Saint demanded a total of 1200 reputation points.

Chen Fann had managed to earn 5 reputation points in just one afternoon. If not for the luck of the draw, he figured he'd only need to replicate the same feat 120 more times to truly ascend to the pinnacle of his career.

The thought alone sent a wave of excitement through Chen Fann. After all, 120 times was merely 120 afternoons—less than half a year's effort.

Yet, this was merely Chen Fann's optimistic musing. Unbeknownst to him, with each elevation in rank, the required reputation points would multiply tenfold. To put it another way, upon reaching the Chef Saint rank and conquering three stages, he would need a colossal 30,000 reputation points.

But such concerns lay in the future. For now, Chen Fann was basking in his dreams of what lay ahead, particularly captivated by the One Punch Superman card.

The card's green hue was familiar to Chen Fann, a seasoned card game player. He understood that the color signified the card's tier. He surmised that each card likely came in four colors—green, blue, purple, and orange—each representing the levels of Heaven, Earth, and the profound Yellow.

Ding!

"Congratulations, you have answered correctly."

The system's voice emerged abruptly, startling Chen Fann. Those were his private musings, unspoken, yet the system had somehow picked up on them.

"Damn, can you read minds now?"

Chen Fann blurted out, his sense of privacy evaporating in an instant.

"Respected user, please stay calm. As the system is now linked to your brain, it is privy to all your thoughts."

"All my thoughts..."

Chen Fann whispered to himself, the realization dawning on him that any unsavory idea in his head was under surveillance—his privacy utterly compromised.

"Cough, is there any way to undo the binding?"

Chen Fann asked with a rueful chuckle.

"Apologies, the binding is complete. You do not have the authority to unilaterally terminate it."