Something feels off.

From the moment he woke up this morning, Huai Shi was going through recipes with one hand while brushing his teeth with the other, lackluster as he rinsed his mouth and sneezed.

There was this feeling... something was being overlooked, or rather, a sense of unease.

Perhaps the enormous pressure from Guo ShouQue was beginning to shake his resolve, making it difficult to face the competition as calmly as before.

Even if he was hired to be a tool and was definitely going to throw the match, even losing to Guo ShouQue wouldn't matter; it wouldn't change the final outcome.

But strangely enough, after witnessing the terrifying strength of the opponent, the provoked Huai Shi couldn't help but feel a pinch of... If I give it a bit more effort, could it be possible to win?

Wanting to win.

Everyone has such thoughts. Even if you're just throwing your game, immediately going AFK after cashing in your earnings, having no output or damage, or even being outperformed by a healer capturing four Gold Medals in damage—once you start playing, anyone would want to win.

Upon realizing this, Huai Shi had already deemed Guo ShouQue his enemy.

Even if he's just Amber's stinky little sister's proxy!

Then the problem arose.

Looking like a total rookie, how could he compete against the guy?

Even though he kept learning and improving during the competition, and now his Chef Demon's skills and abilities have seen qualitative improvement, he still couldn't compare to Guo ShouQue, who had over 150 years of immersion in this field.

Underhanded tactics?

No, that old guy always had a knack for messing with people's minds; his maneuvering might even be smoother than mine.

Even digging his identity out from Amber and exposing it during the competition wouldn't be impossible. After all, that old guy doesn't look like a meek and obedient tool.

Whenever he's in the mood, doing something insane wouldn't be surprising.

At worst, I'll just turn on him and fight. Although there's a high probability that I'll get shattered even if we fight, at least I won't lose face, right?

... It feels like I'm already at a point of no return, the moment I began to think this way.

Huai Shi scratched his head, sat on the sofa, and continued to muse.

Until he was awakened by Zhenxi.

"Vladimir challenged me?"

Huai Shi listened to her news, first stunned and then suddenly realizing, bursting into laughter, "Are they afraid Old Guo will pick on them like soft persimmons, so they're using me as a lightning rod?"

After Zhenxi understood, she immediately stood up, "If that's the case, then I'll immediately tell them to leave."

"No need."

Huai Shi raised his hand, "Though saying 'I am nothing' may seem a bit arrogant, why not take advantage of the experience pack delivered to my doorstep? I agreed to it."

Now Huai Shi is eager to accumulate more experience and skills before facing Guo ShouQue. Such opportunities delivered to him without extra effort are impossible to refuse.

Previously, his matches and Huaizhi Sushi's match times often overlapped, or he missed them due to various reasons. Now, he wants to experience this Russian Federation bear's prowess.

"So, what's the wager?"

Huai Shi directly walked up to the door, looking at Vladimir's envoy, "In a named duel, the challenger usually bets something valuable, right?"

"Certified by the Astronomical Society, an anonymous Black Card from Hell's Demon Gold Bank, with an overdraft limit of about ten million US Dollars.

It can be delivered to you in advance."

What emerged from the middle-aged man's pocket was a card encased in a crystal, appearing as if fashioned from black iron, looking ancient yet rugged.

Engraved on it is the emblem of a furnace, beloved by the dwarves at the Magic Gold Bank.

A standard of trade in the Abyss, the funds and limits stored within can be exchanged for Source Crystals anytime, with possible discounts depending on permissions and tiers.

If that's the case, it's hardly worth mentioning.

Isn't it just money?

Who doesn't have some...?

Even Huai Shi, who's currently cleaned out daily by a certain black-hearted woman and left penniless, won't care to look at this amount. Who are they fooling? Back in the day as an Inspector, a single black operation yielded more than that...

But at the Magic Gold Bank, the Black Card doesn't signify VIP status.

It's synonymous with forbidden services.

Simply put, what can be overdrafted from it isn't money, but 'fortune'—worth the overdraft amount, meticulously calculated by the bank's dwarven actuaries over tens of thousands of times.

Meaning, as long as you hold this card... you can enjoy a fortune equivalent to ten million US Dollars anytime.

But at the same time, a price must be paid.

Together with high interest rates.

The flip side of fortune is disaster; overdrawing fortune must be repaid through personal misfortune.

Once used, the anonymous Black Card automatically binds to you; only after clearing the debt will it revert back to its anonymous state. Meaning, until then, the user will maintain a streak of ill-events—even water goes down the wrong pipe, getting hit by random falling objects, or maybe even a shell might drop from the sky while sitting at home... Reputation damage out of nowhere doesn't even count as much.

"Alright then, as small as a mosquito is, it's still meat, it's okay."

Huai Shi felt a toothache at the sight of it.

This thing is completely useless to him, seeing his luck had been so altered by the Raven that even his own mother wouldn't recognize it, not to mention the interference and influence of the Book of Fate.

Attempting to get a bit of good luck with this might trigger some chaotic chain reaction...

After some thought, he accepted it, casually tossing it to Zhenxi.

After seriously instructing her to use it cautiously, Huai Shi signed his name on the confirmation book, "So, when's the competition?"

"Tonight."

"Alright, let's settle it then."

Huai Shi nodded, suddenly feeling an increasingly strong sense of foreboding in his heart.

.

.

Late at night, at the Imperial Chef Trial Venue.

When Huai Shi entered, the entire venue was already illuminated by blazing flames, the heat was overwhelming.

It was a barbecue grill.

The massive grill had been preheated, and the flames burning within were clearly not ordinary, still pricking like needles from afar.

The scorching atmosphere engulfed the entire venue.

The advantage was seized first.

Vladimir had his upper body bare, wearing only a pair of large shorts, with countless tattoos overlapping on his layers of muscles, old and new ones jumbled together, making the original patterns indistinguishable.

"Miss Huaizhi, long time no see!"

Vladimir laughed loudly, hands on hips, a layer of joy even visible in the skull tattoo on his face: "I didn't expect to have the opportunity to compete against you, it's great! I've been looking forward to this day for a long time."

"Sorry, I have no interest in exchanging culinary skills with a wanted criminal."

Miss Huaizhi glanced at the tattoo of a knife-wielding demon on his shoulder, along with the intricate Russian Federation text on it.

—Sever the throat of the informant.

Besides that... churches, double-headed eagles, human faces, venomous snakes, demons, and angels... layer upon layer of identity-proclaiming tattoos and text, haphazardly piled on this overly robust body. Making one doubt if this guy got so muscular just to have more tattoos...

But there's no doubt, each tattoo is a mark of the Russian Federation Mafia, even featuring engravings and symbols of various criminal organizations at the border.

"Don't say that, everyone has their youthful indiscretions."

Vladimir patted his bald head: "I've now turned over a new leaf, fighting for justice! Miss Huaizhi, would you like to know more about our Pacific Rare Animal Protection Association?"

"...Sorry, I'm not interested in animal protection organizations."

Huai Shi's eye twitched.

This is incredible, gang members retiring to do animal protection, isn't that a bit too creative?

"It's okay, knowing more does no harm, the beautiful ocean—the mother of mankind is calling us!"

"No, I already said I'm not interested."

Huai Shi examined the grill beside him and nodded knowingly: "Are you planning to barbecue?"

"Yes, exactly."

Vladimir unabashedly boasted: "But both I and that Arumu in the stands, are the most skilled Chef Demons in grilling ingredients here... a little spoiler, that guy might look like a hippie, but he's best at Ottoman style kebabs, slow and conservative to a fault, really without a trace of meaning. I prefer a bit more brutish firepower—only those that cannot be burnt or overcooked are considered good meat, right?"

As he spoke, his fingers tapped on the grill's network, the vibrating wires surprisingly producing a sharp yet heavy electric sound.

With a casual tap of a few fingers, the flames seemed to come alive, rising from the steel-like charcoal, converging into vague silhouettes roaming upon the grill net.

The electric tremor overlapped, faintly forming a tune.

Within the ambiguous melody, those flame-formed silhouettes suddenly split into two, passionately squatting and hopping on the iron net.

Together with Vladimir.

"Cossack dance?"

Huai Shi raised an eyebrow, slowly furrowing: "Isn't this already considered sexual harassment?"

The tune was clearly from a Russian Federation folk song, "Hawker," a young peddler luring beautiful teenage girls to the midnight wheat fields with silk and jewelry for transactions...

Probably most people's chance to hear this song comes from some ancestral-level block game, right?

"This is a passionate confession, Madam Huaizhi."

Vladimir laughed loudly, folding his arms, legs bouncing on the ground along with the melody: "Have you felt my intense passion?"

"Sorry, no, goodbye."

Huai Shi indifferently walked over, raised his palm, curled his fingers, and flicked on his grill.

In an instant, the buzzing aftersound ceased, with the massive grill vibrating intensely, the vague melody shifted from the enthusiastic Hawker to a light and agile tune.

"Nutcracker!"

After Huai Shi's finger swept across, the fervent Cossack dance on the grill transformed, with the pure white flame contracting into a slender silhouette, gracefully spinning.

No other flame illusions could touch that slender figure dancing lightly on the grill net.

"Ha, this must be a simp."

Amidst the astonished gazes both inside and outside, Miss Huaizhi smiled with pity.

Competing in fire control?

Who have I ever feared?