Upon receiving his puzzled and confused gaze, Quan Hai didn’t rush to enter the door. He stood at the entrance and briefly explained.

After being desolate for decades, the rampant stone beasts on the Waste Star underwent mutations, becoming increasingly bloodthirsty and irritable, with their combat power enhanced several times. They often massacred nomad settlements and even started attacking passing fleets. The Alliance had no choice but to regularly send personnel to clear them out. When the military couldn’t spare the manpower, they would issue paid missions to military academies, giving rise to hunting squads.

Originally, the hunting operations were meant to train students’ skills. Unfortunately, the situation on the Waste Star was complex, with varying levels of stone beast mutations, and the environment was so poor that even distress signals couldn’t be sent out, leading to a high casualty rate.

Over a decade ago, someone accidentally discovered that the mutated high-level stone beasts contained beast cores with gemstone-like energy, even more concentrated and pure than energy gemstones of the same level, making them a rare energy source that could be absorbed directly without processing.

Qi Huan nodded. He knew about beast cores. Earlier at the Unloading Site, the thing that the disassembler took out from the spine of the Doduo Beast was a beast core.

The value of beast cores was self-evident, and the scope of hunting squads quickly expanded, with many civilian teams emerging. The Jiufang family saw the business opportunity and contracted the Waste Star as a hunting ground for operation, with the No. 7 Waste Star being one of them.

The conditions here were harsh, with rampant stone beasts, and it was located in the star domain closest to the Alliance’s border, making it very unsafe. Almost no one was willing to work here. The Jiufang family simply recruited and trained the nomads and undocumented residents who originally lived on the Waste Star. Quan Hai learned mechanical repair, while Uncle Lin Sen learned culinary skills.

Those who passed the assessment could obtain the identity of a base staff member, providing daily services such as signal maintenance, supplies, rest, medical care, and rescue to the hunting squads stationed at the base.

The N-shaped red mark on their hands was the identity mark of base personnel.

Of course, in exchange, they could live in the base, receive assigned housing, basic personal terminals, living subsidies, and daily work meals.

“This broken house is assigned?” Qi Huan incredulously pointed at his own dilapidated small building, finding it hard to believe.

“I heard that to ensure the hunting squads’ hunting experience and maintain the ‘original appearance’ of the Waste Star, the base only made basic modifications on the old city ruins, ensuring only basic needs like safety shields, signal transmission, and automatic garbage disposal,” Quan Hai scratched his head uncertainly.

Are you sure it’s not to save money? Qi Huan clicked his tongue, glancing at his wrist. How should I put it, it sounds like this place is the planetary version of the Mulan Hunting Ground. For the operators, the hunting squads coming to the Waste Star are customers, players, and they are the real-life NPCs providing immersive services at the base.

Quan Hai sighed, looking towards the desert, “Actually, being able to live in a safe base, having food, protection from the shield, and patrol squads maintaining order is already very good. Those nomads outside live in constant fear, not knowing when they might be eaten by stone beasts.”

Since everyone is getting paid, why do we still have to bear our own costs? Qi Huan thought of the debt owed to the food store by the original owner and felt something was off. Just as he was about to ask more, he suddenly heard the roar of an airship overhead.

Oh no, he almost forgot the time. He suddenly remembered he had to go back to prepare for the meal orders, quickly greeted Quan Hai, and turned to run towards the Human World Restaurant.

The little cat was still happily sleeping on the cushion. Hearing the door open, it alertly raised its head, and seeing it was him, lazily lay back down.

Qi Huan carried a bunch of stuff to the kitchen, rubbing its head as he passed by. The little fellow bared its teeth at him fiercely, turning its head away disdainfully, but at least it didn’t bite him.

For dinner, besides the Spring Wind Bolo, Qi Huan planned to make some oil-braised shrimp, Dongpo pork, and a refreshing green vegetable tofu soup. With his left hand inconvenient, he could only choose dishes that were relatively less ‘hand-intensive,’ and the ingredients had to be prepared in advance.

The benefits of technological advancement were many. The preservation effect of the refrigeration and freezing cabinets, and the efficiency of those pots for frying and stewing, had greatly improved. If one pursued speed and chose the extreme mode, things that originally needed to be stewed for two hours could achieve the effect in ten minutes.

After spending a whole afternoon ‘training’ in Lundo’s kitchen, he was no longer so unfamiliar with those strange kitchen utensils, picking out the necessary ingredients and getting busy. The little cat, smelling the aroma, kept trying to sneak into the kitchen, so Qi Huan made it a small portion of beast meat first and then temporarily locked it on the second floor.

As dusk fell, Lin Jian and Xue Ke, along with two members of their hunting squad, landed an airship at the entrance of the Human World Restaurant.

This place? Wei Jin, in the back seat, frowned at the Rotten Egg Six Star sign hanging on the metal tree, “Boss, are you sure we didn’t go to the wrong place?”

“Positive.” Lin Jian couldn’t be bothered to open the airship door, jumping out with one hand on the back of the chair.

Xue Ke cheerfully patted Wei Jin’s shoulder, “I guarantee it’s delicious.”

“Alright, since it’s the Waste Star, my expectations aren’t high. As long as it’s better than nutritional agents, it’s fine,” the man compromised.

The door was ajar, and as they walked in, they saw one of the tables already wiped clean, set with tableware for four, and the faint aroma of beast meat lingering in the air.

Xue Ke sniffed and headed straight for the kitchen door, loudly asking, “Boss, is the Bolo ready?”

“Just a moment, it’ll be ready soon.” Qi Huan heard the commotion and quickly brought out four cups of water. He saw two young men sitting across from Lin Jian, both with light green hair and similar features, likely brothers. One was slightly chubby, the other a bit thin, looking like an L size and an S size.

“So young?” Seeing Qi Huan’s youthful face, the slightly chubby one clicked his tongue, somewhat doubting his cooking skills.

“Overcooked food doesn’t taste good,” Qi Huan replied half-jokingly, half-seriously as he placed the water cups in front of them.

The man didn’t expect the topic to veer towards cooking and was momentarily at a loss for words.

Qi Huan turned back to the kitchen, and soon after, he pushed out his serving cart. Just like in the morning, one plate held light green pancakes with four small dishes of condiments, and another plate had steaming soft-boiled eggs and beast meat.

“Come, let me show you.” Xue Ke, familiar with the process, picked up a green pancake, dipped the beast meat in the sauce, added a soft-boiled egg, and rolled it up boldly, taking a big bite.

As the beast meat entered his mouth, Xue Ke nodded vigorously at Qi Huan, “Even better than this morning.”

“I specifically bought meat suitable for grilling,” Qi Huan said, placing a water jug on the table for their use. He had chosen pieces of beast meat similar to marbled pork, with eight parts lean and two parts fat, the lean meat interspersed with white tendons and fat, with a beautiful floral pattern. After grilling, the fat aroma was more intense, and the meat was more tender and juicy.

Isn’t it just D-grade beast meat? Wei Jin thought to himself as he rolled the pancake according to Xue Ke’s method. After chewing a couple of times, he was stunned, then started devouring it ravenously. Xue Ke was right; it was really delicious.

“From what you said, is there meat more suitable for boiling?” Lin Jian slowly rolled his Bolo, glancing thoughtfully at the sign for boiled meat on the wall.

Qi Huan’s lips curved into a beautiful arc, “It’s not just boiling. Stir-frying, frying, cooking, deep-frying, pan-frying, baking, roasting, braising, stewing, steaming, simmering, blanching, mixing, marinating, poaching, smoking, rolling, sliding, sticking, each has its own characteristics and suitable ingredients. You can try them later.”

“Are there other dishes?” Lin Jian was almost overwhelmed by his long string of words.

“Of course,” Qi Huan mischievously winked at Lin Jian, quickly pushing the cart back to the kitchen. Before the Dongpo pork was ready, he still had to make the oil-braised shrimp and green vegetable soup.

With a hot pan and cold oil, the shrimp heads and shells went into the pot first, the red shrimp oil bringing out the unique aroma of fresh shrimp. The little cat upstairs smelled it and anxiously circled the staircase.

Qi Huan was unaware of the little fellow’s ‘anxiety’ upstairs. He fished out the shrimp heads and shells, tossed the extra-large fresh shrimp into the pot, and while keeping an eye on the soup pot on the left, he stir-fried. The green vegetables were prone to yellowing, and the shrimp meat could easily overcook. To ensure the right texture, he had to strictly control the time and heat.

The oil-braised shrimp and green vegetable soup were served simultaneously, brought to Lin Jian and the others’ table.

So it’s oil-braised shrimp? Wei Jin and Wei Yu, the brothers, simultaneously slumped their shoulders, looking a bit disappointed. This dish was available in many restaurants at the base, but the taste couldn’t compare to those gemstone-level restaurants in other star domains.

The scarlet shrimp had a smooth curve, the half-split back slightly arched, curling like petals, resembling pink and white hibiscus blooming on the plate, with a shimmering, tender, and enticing appearance.

Lin Jian still had half a Bolo in his hand and didn’t rush to use his chopsticks. Instead, Xue Ke quickly picked up a shrimp and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing vigorously and swallowing it in a few bites.

The brothers, seeing his expression, knew it was delicious and each picked up a shrimp. The meat was firm and bouncy, the sauce salty with a hint of sweetness, perfectly masking any fishiness, leaving only the unique freshness of the shrimp, with a lingering sweet aftertaste.

Wei Jin’s eyes widened in surprise. Had it been too long since he had good food? Why did this plate of oil-braised shrimp taste just as good as the last time he ate at a gemstone-level restaurant in the Ninefold Star Domain?

The three of them picked up the pace, and by the time Lin Jian finished his Bolo, there were only two shrimp left on the plate.

“Boss, if you don’t want them, I can help,” Xue Ke said, reaching for the shrimp.

“I’ll do it,” Wei Jin added. Wei Yu said nothing but quietly extended his chopsticks.

Don’t be too shameless! Lin Jian quickly tapped the backs of their hands with his chopsticks.

As they were fighting over the last two shrimp, an enticing aroma wafted over.

More dishes? The group sniffed and looked towards the kitchen, only to see Qi Huan bringing out a large plate. On it were four shallow white dishes, each holding a piece of beast meat about ten centimeters square. The smooth meat skin glistened with a red agate-like luster, and beneath it was the standard three-layered pork belly, with a layer of translucent, fatty meat, a layer of fine, dense lean meat, evenly marbled, oily, and bright red.

“A surprise for my first meal order customer.”

As the dish was placed on the table, the meat on top quivered slightly, clearly stewed to a very tender state. A gentle touch with the tip of the chopsticks would create an oily, glistening cut.

The four of them eagerly took a small piece from their respective dishes. The meat skin was fragrant and soft, rich in collagen, the fatty meat melted in the mouth, smooth but not greasy, the lean meat was tender and juicy, and the thick sauce perfectly blended with the sweet beast meat. For a moment, it seemed like the world was filled only with the taste of this beast meat, rich and mellow, fragrant and lingering.

“Absolutely delicious,” Xue Ke praised with his cheeks puffed out.

Qi Huan was about to respond when he suddenly noticed the blue pattern on Lin Jian’s neck sprouting a bunch of pale pink flowers.

What’s going on, is it blooming? This pattern can bloom? Qi Huan was dumbfounded.

The Dongpo pork was a hit, and even the sauce at the bottom of the plate was gone.

As they were leaving, Wei Jin seemed a bit reluctant, “It’s a pity we have to go to the hunting area tomorrow, or I’d keep coming back to eat.”

“I’ll bring you back when we return,” Lin Jian reassured, patting his head, then turned to Qi Huan, “Is it convenient to add a communication signal for future orders?”

“Of course,” Qi Huan nodded quickly. Generous and respectful of food, he quite liked such customers, especially since he still had a lot of debt to pay off.

Seeing Lin Jian open his personal terminal on his fingernail, Qi Huan belatedly remembered the one on his wrist. Mimicking Quan Hai’s actions from the previous night, he pressed it, and sure enough, a ten-inch tablet-sized interface popped up.

He tapped his forehead in frustration, realizing he hadn’t thought to log into the personal terminal to check the original owner’s information after the signal was restored.

Lin Jian brought his interface over to touch it, and a request immediately appeared on Qi Huan’s side, which he quickly accepted.

After sending Lin Jian and the others out, Qi Huan used the leftover scraps to make himself a deluxe mixed pancake, sitting at the table by the kitchen door, planning to eat while checking the original owner’s data while there was still a signal.

Hmm, food made by oneself always suits one’s taste. Qi Huan chewed the pancake contentedly, reopening the personal interface.

Clicking on the name revealed the original owner’s basic information:

[Waste Star Limited Resident Card No. 9口179-07-C312-1217
Holder: Qi Huan (huān) Gender: Male Race: Human Age: 17]

Below was a line of many message notifications. Qi Huan casually opened a couple to see messages from Uncle Wan asking for money and reminders from the base to pay fees. No wonder they came to post notices on the door; the original owner’s terminal was flooded with debt collection messages.

The next line was a document icon labeled [Base Work Contract Duration].

He opened it casually, and the pancake in his hand immediately lost its appeal.

There it was, written boldly: [Base Work Contract Duration: 250 years]

Qi Huan: …

Is there no justice? 250 years, his tombstone should be in the ground by then!

Do all labor contracts on the Waste Star last for three lifetimes?