TSA Chapter 56

Han Xiao quickly finished his match and came over to join Ran Qi and the others.

It was Ran Qi’s first time watching Han Xiao compete. He knew Han Xiao was strong, but he hadn’t expected him to be that strong. Han Xiao completely dominated his opponent from start to finish, not giving him a chance to fight back before the match ended.

“Boss, over here, over here!” Soul Chaser once again used his loud voice, waving enthusiastically in Night Owl’s direction.

Han Xiao took long strides and walked over to their section of the stands.

“Bai Ran,” Han Xiao smiled at Ran Qi. “I’m Han Xiao, but you can also call me Night Owl.”

Ran Qi smiled too, his eyes crinkling. “I’m Ran Qi.”

After that, Ran Qi met Jiangnan, Smoke, Raphael, and Four Seasons. Almost their entire main team was here—only Feng Tian was missing. Out of everyone, only Feng Tian wasn’t on the Capital Star, so he couldn’t make it this time. They’d have to wait until the national competition to meet him.

With all of Imperial Star’s matches finished, Night Owl and the others handed their luggage over to their teacher and remaining teammates, then left the venue together with Ran Qi and his group.

“I’m so hungry! I desperately need something good to eat to recharge!” Soul Chaser exaggerated dramatically.

“Alright, you guys can eat whatever you want. I’ll cook for you when we get back!” Ran Qi chuckled at their antics.

“Tell me what ingredients you need,” Night Owl said as he opened his optical computer and went straight to the game’s official exchange store.

“Yeah! We’ve got plenty of exchange coupons!” Plume Ink and the others chimed in enthusiastically.

“Alright.” Since it was a gathering, of course, they had to eat something good. Ran Qi didn’t hold back and had each of them exchange some ingredients. Meanwhile, he used the StarNet shopping mall to buy a multifunctional cooker, the same kind he had at home.

Ran Qi and Gu Le had booked a high-end double suite at their hotel. It was expensive, but it had excellent amenities—including a rare hotel kitchen.

However, even though the suite was quite spacious, it still felt a bit cramped with a dozen people packed inside.

The express delivery service was impressively fast. Just as they walked into the room, all their purchases arrived right behind them.

Once everyone signed for their packages, Ran Qi took the ingredients and headed straight to the kitchen.

“We’ll help you!” Soul Chaser and the others volunteered eagerly.

Ran Qi shook his head. He strongly suspected that they didn’t actually want to help—they just wanted to sneak bites of food. “No need. The kitchen’s small; it can’t fit so many people. I’ll handle it myself.”

“Alright then! Just call us if you need anything!” Soul Chaser said reluctantly.

“Got it.”

“Yanyan, you’re a girl. Shouldn’t you be helping?” Plume Ink teased Smoke. “You could learn a thing or two about cooking.”

Smoke sneered. “Heh. If you’re not afraid of me blowing up the kitchen along with all the ingredients, I’ll go.”

Plume Ink choked, then awkwardly backed down. “Never mind then…”

Inside the kitchen, Ran Qi had just unpacked the multifunctional cooker when he turned around and saw someone else there.

“You—why are you in here? I can handle this myself…” Ran Qi wasn’t sure why he felt nervous, but he quickly turned back to sorting ingredients, avoiding eye contact.

“Don’t worry. I won’t get in your way.” Night Owl smiled, stepping forward to help unpack the boxes and neatly organize the ingredients on the counter.

“Just let me know what you need,” Night Owl said. He understood that cooking in real life was far more complicated than making food in the game. Having an extra pair of hands could be useful. While he wasn’t a chef, he could still wash vegetables and pass ingredients when needed.

Night Owl had an excellent memory. There were many ingredients and seasonings he didn’t recognize, but after glancing at the labels on the packaging, he quickly memorized their names. Whenever Ran Qi needed something, he was able to hand it over right away.

Since he was making a lot of food, Ran Qi decided to prepare some snacks first to tide everyone over. He grabbed a few ears of corn, planning to remove the kernels and make popcorn.

Seeing Ran Qi struggle a little, Night Owl took the corn from his hands and, with one firm stroke, stripped all the kernels off in an instant. Having great strength really was impressive.

Using the multifunctional cooker’s air-fry feature, Ran Qi easily turned the corn into popcorn. Then, he simmered sugar and water into a thick caramel sauce. Once the popcorn was coated evenly, the sweet aroma filled the kitchen.

In addition to the popcorn, he also cut pork tenderloin into small pieces, coated them in flour, and fried them into crispy, delicious bite-sized pork pieces. He handed both dishes to Night Owl to take outside.

“Ahhh! This is way too good!”

“Brother Ran, you’re amazing! This is absolutely star-chef level!”

The moment the food was brought out, the room erupted in cheers. They might all be adults, but they were acting like kids, scrambling to grab the food. Maybe that was why snatching food always made it taste better.

Thankfully, the soundproofing in the interstellar era was top-notch. Not a single noise leaked outside. If this had been in his past life, someone would have already come knocking with a noise complaint.

As Ran Qi juiced some watermelon, a smile unconsciously curved his lips.

Suddenly, something touched the corner of his mouth.

Ran Qi looked up and saw Night Owl holding a small bowl filled with crispy pork. At that moment, Night Owl was offering him a spoonful, holding it up to his lips.

“These guys are like a pack of hungry wolves. I only managed to grab this much,” Night Owl said with a smile. “We can’t let the one who cooked go without a bite, right?”

“Thanks…” Ran Qi hesitated slightly before taking a bite. The crispy, tender fried pork was seasoned with salt and pepper, but for some reason, he tasted a hint of sweetness.

“Is it good?” Night Owl asked in a low voice.

“Mhm… it’s delicious.”

“Then I’ll try some too.” Night Owl retracted the spoon and scooped up another bite, putting it into his own mouth. “Mm, it really is good.”

His movements were slow and deliberate. As the spoon touched his lips, Ran Qi’s entire face turned red. He quickly lowered his head and focused on chopping vegetables, not daring to look at him.

Noticing his reaction, Night Owl stopped teasing him and shifted his attention back to helping out.

Since it was a rare gathering, Ran Qi wanted to prepare something fresh and suited for the group. Hotpot was the obvious choice.

However, spices were limited in the interstellar era, making it impossible to recreate the rich, spicy hotpot flavors from his past life. Instead, he opted for a bone broth base.

The broth was made by simmering pork bones and pig trotters. The multifunctional cooker was incredibly powerful, extracting all the marrow from the bones, and enhancing the soup’s richness. The milky-white broth was packed with collagen—perfect for cooking sliced vegetables and meats.

In addition to hotpot, Ran Qi prepared several hearty dishes: honey-glazed ribs, mushroom chicken stew, and braised pork belly.

To top it off, he juiced several large watermelons, filling two pitchers with fresh juice. Now, both food and drinks were ready.

“Come help bring the dishes out!” Night Owl called to the group outside.

“Damn, this smells amazing!” The moment they entered the kitchen, they were hit by a wave of mouthwatering aromas. As they carried out the dishes, they couldn’t help but swallow their saliva in anticipation.

“Are we supposed to bring out these raw meats and vegetables too?” Soul Chaser asked, looking puzzled.

“Yeah, they taste better raw,” Ran Qi teased.

“No way, no thanks! Raw food isn’t good!” Soul Chaser immediately refused.

“Alright then, just remember what you said—don’t eat any later!” Gu Le chimed in, grinning. He had absolute trust in his friend’s cooking skills. Even if it was raw, he was sure it would be delicious.

As they laughed and chatted, the table was soon filled to the brim with food.

Since the suite didn’t have enough chairs, everyone simply stood around the table. Not that it mattered—they all had strong physiques, and standing made it easier to grab food anyway. Most of them weren’t skilled with chopsticks and had to rely on spoons and forks. That was fine for the other dishes, but using a spoon or fork for hotpot? That was a disaster waiting to happen.

Ran Qi, on the other hand, effortlessly picked up thin slices of meat with his chopsticks, swishing them through the broth before popping them into his mouth. No worries about dropping the meat or burning himself with a hot spoon.

Only Night Owl had already mastered using chopsticks. He was swift and efficient, dipping and eating in a rhythm that made the others envious.

“Ranran, you’re a genius! How did you even come up with this way of eating?” Plume Ink gave him a thumbs-up, completely won over by the hotpot’s flavors.

The rich broth alone was incredible. A single sip filled the mouth with a deep, savory umami, sending warmth straight to the stomach. Any ingredient cooked in it instantly became infused with flavor. Dipping them in the special sauce Ran Qi had mixed with soy sauce and minced garlic made everything even more irresistible.

The pork belly slices were perfectly marbled, melting in the mouth as they blended with the broth’s richness. The boneless chicken, cooked with its skin on, was crisp yet tender, offering a unique texture when dipped in the soup. Even the vegetables—cucumber slices, potato slices, leafy greens, and mushrooms—were a hit.

“Soul Chaser, weren’t you the one saying you wouldn’t eat this? Why are you eating the most?” Plume Ink complained when Soul Chaser snatched the last piece of pork belly from his plate.

“Hmph, I only said I wouldn’t eat raw food. This is cooked, so of course I can eat it!” Soul Chaser declared before spearing another mushroom with his fork. Plume Ink huffed and immediately increased his speed, determined not to lose in the food-grabbing battle.

While everyone was focused on getting meat, nobody noticed Ran Qi quietly picking up a pork bone from the soup. He took a deep sip, savoring the rich marrow that coated his tongue with silky, umami goodness. It was pure bliss. Then, he reached for a pig trotter, biting into its gelatinous skin. The slow-cooked tendons had become wonderfully chewy and full of flavor.

The feast lasted for over three hours. With more than ten people eating to their heart’s content, they managed to finish every single dish—down to the last drop of broth.

“Ugh… that was too good…” Everyone collapsed onto the sofas and beds, holding their full stomachs in satisfaction. Eating in the game just wasn’t the same as eating in real life. In the game, food was just for flavor. In real life, it was a full-body experience, warming both the stomach and the soul.

“I’m gonna work even harder in dungeons! I need to save up more Exchange Coupons!” No Happiness declared, clenching his fists.

“Yeah, yeah! Fleeting Time, talk to the GMs again! See if we can get more coupons somehow! We can stream, make strategy guides—whatever it takes!” Raphael added.

They had thought they had plenty of coupons before, but after this meal, they realized it was barely enough for one good feast.

At that moment, an unspoken determination spread through the group—next time, they were going to earn even more.