TSA Chapter 34

Ran Qi felt a wave of dizziness as soon as he logged off, and his temples throbbed painfully. The health reminder from the game wasn’t joking—it had likely detected that he was nearing his limit.

He forced himself to his feet, staggering into the bathroom for a shower. Afterward, he slipped into his pajamas and headed straight for bed. Although his condition looked serious, he knew from experience that a good night’s sleep would restore his energy.

Every time he came out of the simulated combat assessment room, he experienced similar discomfort, so he was well-versed in handling it.

His wrist communicator let out a soft ding—someone had messaged him. When he opened the message, he saw it was from Gu Le, who had logged off to check on him out of concern. Gu Le opted to message instead of making a video call, likely to avoid disturbing his rest.

Ran Qi couldn’t help but smile, touched by his friend’s care. He quickly replied, assuring Gu Le he was fine—just a bit dizzy and needed some sleep.

Gu Le responded promptly, telling him to rest well, and added that he was planning to get some sleep too.

After exchanging goodnights, Ran Qi noticed more unread notifications on his communicator and opened them.

He had missed several video calls while gaming, all from his little father, Qu Qing, likely about the tomato and egg soup he had sent home.

Ran Qi wanted to call him back, but it was already past 2 a.m., and his family was probably asleep.

Instead, he decided to check the voice messages left by his little father.

“Ran Qi, why aren’t you answering? Are you busy? I got the soup you sent. I sneaked a taste—it’s delicious! I’m saving it to share with your dad and your brother when they get home,” Qu Qing said cheerfully.

Ran Qi chuckled. It felt good to know his little father liked the soup.

“Your dad got back and tried it too. He said it was excellent,” Qu Qing said in another message, his voice brimming with happiness and a hint of affection.

Ran Qi smiled again. His parents had such a sweet relationship—it was enviable.

“Your dad stole the soup! He said he’s going to use it to improve the flavor of the nutrient solutions! Xiao Kai and Xiao Hui haven’t even tasted it yet—they’re going to throw a fit when they find out…” Qu Qing grumbled in the third message, clearly exasperated by Ran Shaojun’s actions.

“Don’t be mad. Your dad may have taken the soup partly to experiment, but mostly because it’s the first meal you’ve made and sent home…” Qu Qing lowered his voice as if sharing a secret. “When he came back and I told him it was your cooking, you should’ve seen his expression. He looked like he was ready to die heroically, and his eyes even got a little red.”

Qu Qing didn’t hesitate to sell Ran Shaojun out, shattering his image as the stern and authoritative father in Ran Qi’s mind.

Still, why did he feel so happy about it?

“Your brother’s back now… and, well, he’s mad. He went to the training ground…” Qu Qing’s rambling voice trailed off as Ran Qi drifted into sleep, comforted by the familial warmth.

When he woke up close to noon, his communicator showed three new transfer notifications, all from his family members.

His father, Ran Shaojun, transferred 1,000,000 star coins with the note: Let me know if you need more.

His eldest brother, Ran Kai, sent 200,000 star coins with the message: Buy something delicious.

His second brother, Ran Hui, transferred 100,000 star coins and added: Next time you cook, send me some first.

Did they think he bought those ingredients?

Ran Qi chuckled and shook his head. Their messages made him realize how hungry he was. Checking his fridge, he found nothing but nutrient packs—definitely not what he wanted.

Recently, both in the game and in real life, he had been spoiled by delicious food and couldn’t bring himself to eat nutrient solutions anymore.

He logged into <Magic Realm> website to see if he could redeem some physical exchange coupons for ingredients offline.

Fortunately, the game’s developers were considerate. To attract more players and accommodate those forced to log off or unable to play, they enabled offline redemption. Since the device was biometrically linked to him, there was no risk of misuse. Ran Qi smoothly exchanged his coupons for ingredients.

Thanks to his generous teammates, he had nearly 100 exchange coupons, so he didn’t feel distressed at all when changing ingredients.

Using them without hesitation, Ran Qi redeemed 2 pounds of rice, 3 pounds of pork belly, and 2 pounds of potatoes.

Today, he planned to make braised pork and potato rice. It was a one-pot meal combining meat, vegetables, and rice, perfect for making a large batch to share with his family.

The diced potatoes would absorb the savory flavor of the pork belly and spices, blending seamlessly with the fragrant rice—a dish so aromatic it could rival the meat itself.

While the cooking process was similar to red-braised pork, the lack of certain spices meant the flavor would be slightly different. But given how the nutrient-solution-fed people of Blue Star would find almost anything delicious, Ran Qi wasn’t worried.

Not long after, the octopus-shaped delivery robot arrived with a box full of fresh ingredients.

Ran Qi spent about an hour preparing everything and setting the pot to cook before video-calling Gu Le to invite him over for lunch.

Groggy and disheveled, Gu Le answered, his hair sticking out in all directions. “Ranran, you’re up so early…”

“I made something delicious. Want to come over, or do you want to sleep a bit longer?”

“I’m coming! Be right there!” The moment he heard there was good food, Gu Le instantly perked up, his eyes snapping open as he rushed into the bathroom to freshen up.

“No need to rush… the food’s not ready yet…” Before Ran Qi could finish his sentence, Gu Le had already hung up the call.

Food was evidently Gu Le’s greatest motivation. In just five minutes, he was at Ran Qi’s dorm, looking fresh and alert.

The moment the door opened, Gu Le sniffed the air like a curious puppy. “Ranran, what did you make this time?!”

Ran Qi chuckled. “Braised pork and potato rice. But it’s not ready yet. Come in and wait.”

Gu Le, curious as ever, tried to lift the pot’s lid for a peek, only for Ran Qi to stop him. “Don’t. If the steam escapes, it won’t cook properly.”

Properly scolded, Gu Le retreated to the couch, content to wait.

Bored, he started scrolling through his communicator, checking the school forum and class group chat for any interesting updates. Before long, something caught his attention.

“The group chat says the selection for our school’s competition is now open for registration!”

“Oh…” Ran Qi replied dryly. Competitions had nothing to do with him, and he wasn’t interested in being a cheerleader either. Playing games sounded much better.

“Zhang Shuo signed up too. I hope he doesn’t make it into the top ten!” Gu Le grumbled angrily.

For safety reasons, freshmen were prohibited from participating in the school’s competitions. Now that they were finally eligible to apply, Zhang Shuo naturally wanted to secure a good ranking and show off.

Ran Qi shook his head. “Hard to say. Aren’t all the senior students skipping this year?”

Although Zhang Shuo’s character was questionable, his skills were undeniable. He consistently scored high marks in the Mecha Department assessments. With senior students off interning in the military, the responsibility of bringing glory fell on the third-year students, meaning Zhang Shuo might actually snag a spot in the top ten.

Gu Le clearly understood this too but still felt annoyed. “True… but I just don’t want to see him showing off.”

“No worries, there are still other schools. At best, he’ll get into the top ten here. Once he’s in the inter-school league, he’ll definitely get eliminated,” Ran Qi said nonchalantly. “My brother mentioned that the top-ranked mecha pilot from Capital Star Military Academy will be competing this year too.”

“Haha, isn’t he your idol? Really amazing, huh?” Gu Le teased with a knowing smile.

Ran Qi’s face flushed red. “Who told you that?”

“Uh… Zhang Shuo, I think? He said you even threw a tantrum at home because of him, insisting on learning mecha piloting and nearly losing your life…” Gu Le trailed off, suddenly worried he might have brought up a sensitive topic.

“Don’t listen to his nonsense! None of that ever happened!” Ran Qi denied it immediately. That was the original owner’s idol, not his. He didn’t care about mechas—he just wanted to play games, eat good food, and enjoy a lazy life!

“Right, right, none of that ever happened! Zhang Shuo is just making things up, that dog of a liar!” Gu Le nodded enthusiastically.

“The food should be ready…” Ran Qi chose to ignore Gu Le’s exaggerated performance. He calculated the time and went to serve the food.

As soon as he lifted the lid, an irresistible aroma wafted out. The braised rice inside glistened with vibrant colors, looking incredibly appetizing. Ran Qi stirred it with a spoon to evenly mix the meat, vegetables, and rice before serving a bowl each for himself and Gu Le.

Gu Le couldn’t wait and immediately scooped up a piece of pork belly. The pork belly looked perfect—lean and fatty portions in a 3:2 ratio. After slow cooking, the fat had rendered out, absorbed entirely by the rice and potatoes. The meat was tender with a hint of caramelization, balancing savory and slightly sweet flavors. It was delicious beyond words.

The rice and potatoes were equally flavorful. The rice was glossy and rich, soft yet slightly chewy, while the potatoes were soft and melted in the mouth. The combination created a perfect harmony of textures and tastes, impossible to get tired of.

“This is amazing…” Gu Le said with an almost tearful expression. “I think I could eat this whole pot!”

“Sure, the leftovers are all yours.” Ran Qi had already prepared a thermal container and packed half the pot of rice into it, scheduling a delivery with the little octopus courier. If Gu Le could finish the remaining half, so be it.

True to his word, Gu Le unleashed his inner glutton and polished off the rest, leaving himself so full he couldn’t stop hiccupping.

After eating and resting, both felt refreshed and couldn’t wait to log into the game.

Ran Qi logged in directly from his gaming pod, while Gu Le had to return to his room first, making Ran Qi slightly earlier to enter.

As soon as he entered the game, a vibrant notification popped up: Children’s Day Special Event.

“???” Ran Qi was baffled.

Since when did the interstellar era celebrate Children’s Day?