Who is Qin Fen? He had lived among the lowest strata for years and had certainly eaten food far worse than this. The initial unpleasantness was only because he had grown accustomed to the military rations recently, making the transition jarring.

Recalling those bleak days of the past, Qin Fen ate this meal with immense pleasure, even feeling a degree of gratitude towards the chef and his assistant. This meal served as a sharp reminder: never forget the arduous life he once led. That life was the jewel of his entire existence.

Finishing the single nutrient ration, Qin Fen stood before the chef again. "Is there more?"

"Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Yes! I can eat a bit more for dinner, then do some light activity afterward," Qin Fen said with a smile. "Is there more?"

"There is..."

Two nutrient rations, three nutrient rations...

The chef's expression shifted from initial surprise to a faint pallor, while the assistant's face morphed from surprise to burgeoning joy, and finally to sheer ecstasy.

"Master Chef," the assistant said smugly, "Remember our bet? If anyone today managed to finish even one ration, you lost. Two rations, you pay double. Three rations, triple. If they eat four..." The assistant laughed triumphantly; this bet was proving extremely profitable.

Qin Fen, mid-chew, suddenly stopped eating. He looked up at the assistant and stated quietly, "The money you win, can you give me half?"

"Give you?" The assistant was astonished. He had kept his voice low, yet this man, focused on eating, had overheard everything.

"Yes." Qin Fen nodded. He wouldn't pass up any opportunity to make money. "If you agree, I'll eat five portions."

"Five portions..." The chef’s eyes nearly bulged out. "Don't ruin your health over a little money."

"I won't," Qin Fen affirmed confidently. "Five portions won't harm me. Anything more might. I don't joke about my body."

The assistant scrutinized Qin Fen. He had never encountered such a money-grubbing recruit. Instead of anger at being part of a bet, this newcomer seemed genuinely interested in joining.

"No sharing," the assistant snapped decisively. "If you don't eat five portions, you'll still be hungry and uncomfortable. Why should I split my winnings with you? No deal! All five hundred dollars are mine!"

Qin Fen held his spoon silently for a few seconds. He shifted his attention to the chef. "In your bet, is there a clause about the eater vomiting because the food is too disgusting?"

"Yes!" The chef’s face lit up, clearly knowing where this was going. "If you puke, he pays me five times the stake! Kid, if I win, I’ll split half with you!"

Qin Fen focused entirely on the younger assistant. "And you?"

The young assistant stared blankly at Qin Fen. Was this recruit desperate enough to be poor? Money had so few uses in the barracks; why such an intense craving for it? To risk everything over a few hundred dollars?

"You're ruthless!" the assistant sighed heavily. "Fine, I'll give you half."

Qin Fen gave a slight shake of his head. He slowly opened his five fingers and then deliberately closed them into a fist. His voice was measured as he spoke, "I want all of it."

"What?" The assistant's voice shot up. "Are you insane? Why should I give you everything I won?"

Qin Fen smiled. His composed demeanor didn't mean his mind wasn't working swiftly. Anyone noticed by geniuses like Lin Liqiang or Inzaghi couldn't be ordinary! Having lived perpetually below the poverty line, Qin Fen possessed an unnervingly sharp instinct and eye for money. He took a bite of the nutrient ration before speaking. "You can choose not to profit, or you can pay me five hundred dollars."

The assistant froze completely, but the chef's eyes shone with admiration. This young man’s counterattack was sharp, hitting the most vital point immediately.

Qin Fen took another bite, his tone completely level. "Do you still need to consider?"

The calm words, lacking any hint of haste, carried an immense threat. The assistant wanted to grab a cleaver and strike Qin Fen down. He had finally earned some money, only to hand it all over to this guy. Considering Qin Fen had emerged from the Gravity Room, the assistant knew he probably wasn't a match. He reluctantly nodded with resentment. "You win!"

"The money," Qin Fen commanded, extending his hand.

He demanded the money before finishing the meal, denying the assistant the chance to renege after the food was consumed. The assistant could only pay the five hundred dollars upfront. Qin Fen then took out one hundred dollars and placed it in the assistant’s hand. "I am the prop; if you use me to make money, you should pay me a labor fee. Next time, do not refuse to pay me what I deserve. Thank you."

The assistant stood stunned, clutching the hundred dollars, looking at Qin Fen with utter bewilderment. What was this young recruit thinking?

"Making money is hard; gambling is even riskier. I understand that well," Qin Fen said, picking up the fourth ration to begin eating. "This is the return you deserve for your risk investment."

The chef wasn't disheartened by the loss of money; he watched Qin Fen with keen interest. "Kid, who do you serve?"

"Platoon Two, Squad Two, Company Three, Battalion Two of the Seventy-Fifth Regiment. Sergeant Hao is my squad leader."

"Old Hao's cook," the chef laughed even harder. "No wonder. Only a few scumbags like those could produce such an interesting recruit."

Qin Fen smiled but didn't reply. Given Sergeant Hao's character and capability, it would be difficult for him to remain obscure in this recruit camp. The chef had probably been tricked by Sergeant Hao too, right?

"Kid, has Old Hao ever tricked you?"

Qin Fen checked the clock on the wall, noticing it was almost midnight. "Three times today."

"Three times?" The chef’s expression became exaggerated. "So, Old Hao thinks highly of you."

Qin Fen was speechless. If that logic held, if Sergeant Hao tricked someone a hundred times in one day, would that mean he loved that person to death? The person being tricked sounded awfully pathetic.

"Interesting, very interesting." The chef emerged from the kitchen and sat next to Qin Fen. "Kid, you have a sharp mind. Interested in learning cooking from me?"

Qin Fen shook his head at the overly familiar chef. "I'm afraid I don't have the time."

"No time?" The chef looked perplexed. "Even if your basic training is busy, you still have some free time."

"I'm genuinely busy." Qin Fen offered an excuse. While the instructors hadn't forbidden him from revealing details of the special training, Qin Fen preferred not to cause any unnecessary trouble for those instructors.

"That busy?" The chef studied Qin Fen strangely for a moment before pulling out his phone and rapidly dialing a string of numbers.

"Hello, the owner of this number is currently unavailable. Would you like to listen to an advertisement instead? Do you suffer from insomnia and frequent dreams? Do you have an irregular heart rate..."

The voice coming from the earpiece was the mobile company’s new service, inserting advertisements during call waiting times—a practice Qin Fen actually admired. The ad suddenly stopped. A familiar roar erupted from the earpiece. "Which bastard is disturbing my sleep late at night!"

As Sergeant Hao's roar sounded, the chef expertly placed the phone on the table, waiting for the outburst to subside. "Old Hao, it's me! Cook!" As soon as the roaring subsided, the chef said quickly, "I met one of your soldiers. A very interesting young man. I wanted him to learn cooking from me, but this kid claims he’s too busy. I wanted to ask you for an order to make him study under me."

"Cook? When did you get back? My soldier? Too busy? What's his name?" Sergeant Hao rattled off questions non-stop, indicating their deep familiarity.

"What's his name?" The chef was momentarily stunned, looking at Qin Fen.

"Sergeant, it's me..." Qin Fen's voice wasn't loud, but he knew Sergeant Hao could recognize his voice even over the phone.

"Qin Fen? Cook, he is Qin Zhan's younger brother. I was actually planning to find you. I heard you were out lecturing for someone, so I didn't look for you. If you're interested, work out the schedule with the other few scumbags. I'm very busy! I was dreaming of a beauty when you interrupted my sweet sleep. Remember! You owe me a meal! And I don't eat the swill you cook! Golden Pavilion! That’s final!" Click...

Sergeant Hao hung up without giving the chef any chance to bargain.

The chef stared blankly at Qin Fen, holding his phone. This was Qin Zhan’s brother? The brother of the almost mythical, favored Qin Zhan? Qin Fen felt a little uneasy under the chef's gaze. What kind of recruit training camp was this? Judging by Sergeant Hao's tone, this chef was also a major figure. Even the kitchen had to have its share of hidden masters. Perhaps he should try placing a bet at a betting house.

"Kid, your name is Qin Fen?"

"Yes."

"Qin Zhan is your brother."

"My brother’s name is Qin Zhan..."

"Old Hao may like to lie, but his judgment of character is deadly accurate; it’s unlikely to be a mere coincidence of names." The chef happily clapped Qin Fen on the shoulder. "Kid, you study with me tomorrow! They've monopolized you for so many days; it’s my turn now..."

"Oh." After agreeing, Qin Fen kindly reminded him, "Tomorrow, Phoenix said she was going to teach me."

The chef, who had just been acting supremely confident, immediately froze. "What? Tomorrow is Phoenix's class? Then the day after tomorrow..."

Just as expected... Qin Fen knew that Phoenix not only intimidated others but probably held the same sway over this chef as well.

The chef was a decisive man and didn't linger in conversation. After Qin Fen finished eating, he led him towards the Gravity Room. "Your current age is a period of rapid strength augmentation. You might as well sleep in the Gravity Room."

The chef's idea matched Qin Fen’s own, and he offered no objection, returning to the Gravity Room hall.

"Which gravity setting are you in? One-point-two times? One-point-three times?"

The female attendant whispered softly, "He's in the one-point-five times gravity room."

"One-point-five?" The chef looked Qin Fen up and down. "Kid, you're impressive!"