Oil needs two and a half grams more. Add a single drop of vinegar to encourage their fusion. It aids bodily absorption…” Qin Fen spoke voluminously without glancing at the cleaver beside him, tapping the nearest dish with his finger: “Of course. Adding vinegar alters the flavor. For a chef who loves crafting cuisine, that might be acceptable. But judged by a nutritionist’s standards, it’s certainly not top tier.”

“And this dish…” Qin Fen showed him no mercy. According to Squad Leader Hao’s teachings, to earn recognition from someone capable, you must first demonstrate your own capability!

Fei Wei’s face, already as dark as the bottom of a wok, seemed coated in another layer of soot following Qin Fen’s critique. His large eyes blazed with a light that looked ready to devour someone. The cast-iron wok in his hands trembled and shook incessantly, looking as if it were about to stir-fry a person at any moment.

A full three minutes passed! Manager Hua stared at Qin Fen, utterly dumbfounded. This evaluation didn't just point out flaws; it offered suggestions for modification and even detailed the side effects those modifications might introduce.

If Manager Hua hadn't known beforehand that Fen was a martial artist, he would have genuinely suspected Qin Fen was a nutritionist. While he couldn't grasp everything being said, the mannerisms and aura of conviction surrounding Qin Fen were overwhelmingly persuasive.

The dining hall fell silent once more. Fei Wei’s expression hadn't softened in the slightest. His two bell-sized eyes were fixed on Qin Fen, as if he were about to swallow him whole in the next second.

Manager Hua covertly glanced at Fei Wei’s hand gripping the iron wok; thick blue veins were visibly throbbing on the back of his hand.

The last time Master Fei had slapped someone across the face, he looked exactly like this...

After a long pause… under the collective gaze of everyone, Fei Wei slowly spoke. His voice, rough as a rusted bellow, rumbled low: “If I incorporate six grams of dragon fruit pulp, the flaw you mentioned…”

“Theoretically, it disappears, but that dish gains a limited shelf life,” Qin Fen replied without even lifting his eyelids. “Once consumed, if it isn't fully digested within thirty-five minutes, it will actually impede nutrient absorption.”

A faint trace of a smile touched Fei Wei’s menacing lips. Manager Hua’s worry intensified at the sight. With this smile, Master Fei’s face seemed to gain another layer of sternness.

Smack!

Fei Wei brought his massive hand down hard onto the stone table in front of Qin Fen. The small plate holding the dish and the bowl containing the soup both lifted less than a millimeter off the surface with the impact, sending a sharp clatter against the tabletop.

“Boy…” Fei Wei, whose face was completely insulated from the word ‘handsome,’ leaned in close to Qin Fen: “Tell me. What is your relationship with the Fat Cook?”

Manager Hua’s head was filled with question marks. Why would a stout chef question a diner about his relationship with a fat chef? What kind of nonsense was this? Did he think this Lieutenant Colonel was a cook? Someone working in the army’s mess hall? But he wasn’t the type to *!

Qin Fen, whose composure usually rendered his eyes utterly placid, showed the faintest flicker of surprise for the first time. He hadn't expected to encounter someone in Shengjing’s premier fitness club whose name he had heard but never met.

“The Fat Cook is my instructor,” Qin Fen said, abandoning his relaxed posture. He stood up, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply in a formal evening salute toward Fei Wei: “Qin Fen. I greet you, Mr. Fei.”

Fei Wei’s face contorted strangely for a few moments. Then, he threw his head back and roared with hearty, unrestrained laughter, the joy in it thick and palpable.

Manager Hua watched the scene in stunned silence, suddenly realizing his brainpower seemed insufficient. What was this? The preceding storm had instantly transformed into a family reunion?

Fei Wei threw open his large hands, broad as cattail fans, and clapped Qin Fen heartily on the shoulder: “I knew it! Those modification methods you suggested aren't the mainstream approaches today. They carry a distinct flavor of taking a calculated, unconventional route—it’s the Fat Cook’s exclusive, specialized method.”

Qin Fen smiled widely, nodding repeatedly. His instructor had warned him that if he encountered an old acquaintance, this unique approach would be recognized. It seemed the Fatty hadn't lied one bit.

“Those small dishes are made for people without taste,” Fei Wei said, pulling Qin Fen by the arm. “Come! To my kitchen. I’ll whip up some truly nutritious small dishes for you. Don’t worry! The taste will absolutely not be as atrocious as the Fat Cook’s—it will be unparalleled perfection.”

Meeting an acquaintance in a foreign land, Qin Fen immediately reverted to the politeness due a junior. He nodded repeatedly: “My instructor mentioned that your meals are especially delicious, easily fostering habits of gluttony… somewhat…”

“Easily leading to nutrient overload, right?” Fei Wei waved his large hand dismissively. “He’s full of it! His food is so disgusting even pigs would spit it out! If you can’t even eat it, how can you absorb any nutrition?”

Qin Fen empathized profoundly, nodding in agreement with Fei Wei. That food truly was inedible, yet he had managed to consume it all.

The thought of having eaten it without vomiting brought a spark of pride to Qin Fen’s face. Managing to eat the food made by Instructor Cook without throwing up was something any person should be proud of.

Manager Hua and the other two trailed behind Qin Fen blankly, trying to ascertain the Lieutenant Colonel’s background. No matter how wealthy the patrons usually were, their demeanor never showed this level of closeness; why was this man acting like he’d found his own son today?

Entering the kitchen, Fei Wei’s cleaver moved like lightning across the cutting board, slicing with astonishing speed. The wok in his hand danced back and forth, resembling a specialized artistic performance. Manager Hua’s jaw dropped—it seemed this master chef had never truly cooked seriously before.

Fei Wei maintained a look of intense focus while stir-frying, sparing Qin Fen a glance from the corner of his eye: “Kid, you look puzzled. Ask whatever you want.”

“My instructor often spoke of you, always praising you endlessly,” Qin Fen watched the flames rising continuously. “He said that in the world, he is the second-best nutritionist, and you are the third…”

“Nonsense!”

The explosion of a thunderous roar made Manager Hua glance instinctively toward the natural gas supply, thinking the weather itself had erupted.

Fei Wei’s expression instantly soured completely: “That dead Fatty is the third! I am the second! Kid, you got it backward.”

Qin Fen shrugged and grimaced. This was clearly a private feud between two master figures of the previous generation. Agreeing with either side seemed perilous.

“My instructor mentioned that you were once hired as the Chief Doctoral Advisor by the Juijiang Bio-Engineering Academy?” Qin Fen stared intently at Fei Wei’s face, finally spotting a faint glimmer of pride. In the Federation, being invited to be a Chief Doctoral Advisor was no small feat; they weren't scattered about like cheap meat buns.

“That is true.” Pride flashed across Fei Wei’s face for an instant before his mood quickly settled back into calm.

“Then…” Qin Fen tutted twice. “I don’t quite understand. You should deeply enjoy nutrition engineering. Juijiang would have the best facilities for your research projects. Why…”

“Because they’re staffed by a bunch of useless incompetents,” Fei Wei spat out a layer of annoyance. “What is a Doctoral Advisor? It’s not just about research; it’s about mentoring students. The moment I saw that group of students who were academically excellent but only knew how to study, lacking any spirit of innovation—I got angry. Those useless dolts! How can I teach them? If they can’t possibly surpass me, why teach them at all? I need to cultivate a Doctor who can advance nutritional engineering significantly, not a gaggle of fools who only know how to eat what I discard! It’s far more comfortable cooking here than trying to teach those buffoons.”

Manager Hua’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Everyone knew the students at Juijiang Bio-Engineering Academy were the elite of the elite; this was the first time he’d heard anyone dare to call them 'incompetents.' This Chef Fei was truly extraordinary.

During the conversation, a steaming plate of stir-fry was completed.

Qin Fen took a taste and immediately gave a thumbs-up. This was truly first-rate stir-fry.

Fei Wei scrutinized Qin Fen’s face for a full second. He slowly shook his head: “Pity, what a pity! Although you possess some insight, it seems most of it has been channeled into the Martial Dao. That path is as vast as the universe; you simply can’t dedicate much energy to studying nutrition. All my true legacy in nutrition… alas…”

Qin Fen suddenly recalled what his Instructor Cook had told him and quickly inquired: “Mr. Fei, I heard you researched a rather miraculous medicinal agent…”

“Kid, stop right there.” Fei Wei waved his large cattail hand. “I took a liking to you, so I cooked you a meal. Those special agents are reserved for the disciple I might not even have yet.”

Alas… touching upon the subject of a disciple, Fei Wei sighed twice, an indescribable loneliness etched onto his face.

Manager Hua found this puzzling. When a person stands at the pinnacle of a field, why do they always seem to hope someone will surpass them? Were all these great minds slightly unhinged?

Qin Fen looked at Fei Wei with burgeoning respect. Truly, those who stood at the peak constantly desired to glimpse what lay beyond that peak. Such magnanimity was clearly a pathway toward the ultimate heights of the Great Dao.

“Mr. Fei…” Qin Fen pondered for a moment. “I have a friend who might qualify as a disciple.”

“You?” Fei Wei smiled skeptically. “Little man, I know you feel uncomfortable seeing that I lack a disciple, but you can’t just recommend anyone to me haphazardly.”

“Is that so?” Qin Fen asked no further, reaching directly into his Dragon-shaped belt and pulling out the second-generation [Life and Death Pill], offering it to Fei Wei: “Take a look?”

Hiss… hiss… hiss…

Fei Wei inhaled sharply through his two dark, cavernous nostrils. His bell-like eyes, in that instant, seemed to behold a peerless beauty. He stared fixedly at the Life and Death Pill in Qin Fen’s hand, unable to divert his gaze.

Manager Hua watched the usually volatile chef practically snatch the oddly shaped, unimpressive-looking pill from Qin Fen’s hand.

Fei Wei examined the Life and Death Pill from every angle, smelling it repeatedly. If it weren’t for the fact that this pill was Qin Fen’s personal property, he would have certainly licked it.

Fei Wei scrutinized the small pill for a full ten minutes, his expression growing intensely serious: “Strange. This thing carries the Fat Man’s shadow, yet it is vastly different. By rights, Dead Fatty’s way of thinking is set; he’s stuck as the Federation’s third for life…”

Qin Fen shook his head beside him. This Fei Wei was truly amusing, always ensuring the Instructor Cook was relegated to a lower position regardless of the context.

Without needing to speak, Qin Fen reached back into his Dragon-shaped belt and produced a Super Berserk Pill.

“Eh!” Fei Wei’s voice pitched significantly higher. “That dead Fatty…”

“Mr. Fei,” Qin Fen took back the two pills. “These were not made by the Instructor. They were made by my friend.”

“What?” Fei Wei’s volume rose even further. “Your friend? How old is he?”

“The same age as me,” Fen nodded. “He’s currently a freshman in university…”

Bang!

Fei Wei slammed both his massive hands onto Qin Fen’s shoulders. The sound resembled a boxer hitting a heavy bag with full force. The flagstones beneath Qin Fen’s feet instantly shattered into dust.

Qin Fen forced a bitter smile. Controlling his body’s weight of four thousand jin was already difficult enough. Suddenly hit by an external force, he couldn’t manage the control at all. It seemed his control was not nearly as strong as he imagined. He should actually thank this Mr. Fei; without this forceful slap, he wouldn't have seen the specific areas where his control was lacking.

“Kid, which university is your friend attending?” Fei Wei’s eyes held nothing but fervor. “Hurry up and tell me!”

“This…” Qin Fen looked slightly embarrassed. “It’s the place you just mentioned that produces incompetents…”

“What?” Fei Wei spun around and barked at Manager Hua: “Tell your boss! I’ve suddenly gained the urge to teach and nurture, and I’ll return to cooking again in a while…”

Qin Fen watched Fei Wei stride toward the door and called out: “Mr. Fei, he isn't currently at the school…”

Fei Wei, one step out the door, nearly tripped. He whirled around and glared furiously at Qin Fen: “Boy, where is he?”

“That part…” Qin Fen tilted his head back, scratching his scalp in feigned deep thought. “Where did he go? I seem to have forgotten?”

Fei Wei’s large eyeballs bulged. He immediately recalled that just moments ago, he had refused Qin Fen’s request to view his collection.

“You sly dog～～” Fei Wei rushed back to Qin Fen in two long strides. “You really are that dead Fatty’s disciple.”

Qin Fen sighed. “Actually, I didn't want to see them just for myself. I have a few friends whose bodies are rather peculiar; a few of them are still bedridden, and their aptitude isn't exactly top-tier…”

“Enough, you don’t need to say any more,” Fei Wei forcefully interrupted. “I don’t care if you use them to kill people or start fires—that’s your business. Take whatever you want! Now, can you tell me where your friends are?”

Qin Fen held the second-generation Life and Death Pill, merely smiling. A look of sudden realization dawned on Fei Wei’s face. He understood why the pill had that unconventional flavor of the Fat Man: it turned out his disciple had been claimed by the Fatty first.

“That Fatty!” Fei Wei yanked the keys from his waist and tossed them to Qin Fen. “Ask the manager where my safe is. Everything you need is inside.”

In a flash, Fei Wei bolted out of the kitchen, his slightly resentful voice faintly audible: “Dead Fatty! Always trying to steal everything from me! Stealing the ranking in the field, and now even stealing my disciple!”