In a place unknown to Tan You, dozens of glowing orbs argued within a vast, empty dome over the evaluation of her latest mission. The Beauty System cowered at the very back, not daring to utter a single word.
’How could it, a mere rookie, possibly get to attend a high-level system meeting?’ A glance around revealed they were all top-ranking systems, including the companion system of that infinite-flow powerhouse.
"It was just an intermediate-level mission. Why did it have to trigger an alarm? This is a bit of an overreaction." The tone of one system, who had been summoned on an emergency basis, was flat, clearly displeased by the sudden meeting.
The Main System spoke: "The mission was indeed intermediate-level, and the task itself was not particularly difficult. But the task-taker performed exceptionally well. She saved the world. According to system projections, if she had merely secured a peaceful corner for herself, the order of this small world would have completely collapsed within a thousand years..."
"Even among those doing elementary-level missions, the number who can save a world are few and far between."
"Because of her actions, the energy collected by the Main System from this mission has reached an all-time high for any intermediate-level task."
"How did she do it?"
The mention of saving a world piqued the systems’ interest. A single person might be able to change the world, but to save one was incredibly difficult.
The Main System itself runs on energy, and the rewards it grants to task-takers are also Energy Points.
Task-takers use Energy Points to acquire desired resources from their bound systems to strengthen themselves. Once stronger, they venture into more mission worlds to complete tasks and earn even more Energy Points.
A playback of Tan You’s mission experience soon materialized before the assembled systems. It was only after seeing the Dark God being freed that they understood why a mere intermediate-level mission had prompted the Main System to convene an emergency meeting.
"The highest possible rating is 3S. There’s no room to go any higher."
"As for Energy Points... this task-taker’s view on Energy Points and system-provided resources... Hmm? The Beauty System?"
"She’s actually the host of the Beauty System?"
"The host of the Beauty System pulled off this ending?"
Hearing this, the Beauty System puffed out its chest. ’It doesn’t matter if I’m useless,’ it thought. ’I’ve got a powerhouse to carry me!’
But the sudden attention from so many senior systems made the Beauty System tremble. ’I’m just a little rookie, I’ve never seen so many senior systems before!’ With all eyes on it, the Beauty System fought with all its might to keep from crying on the spot.
"Little system, tell us, what does your host want most? I’ve noticed she rarely uses the prize draw."
The Beauty System answered without a second thought: "The Intelligence Value. My host wants the Intelligence Value most of all."
At the mention of the Intelligence Value, the hall fell silent for a moment. Most people were dazzled by the system’s flashy rewards; very few were so single-minded as to ask specifically for the Intelligence Value.
One of the systems broke the silence. "Just the Intelligence Value?"
The Beauty System nodded its small head. "My host doesn’t like the items in the prize draw. She only wants the Intelligence Value."
If Tan You knew the Beauty System was lobbying for the Intelligence Value on her behalf, she would probably scoop the little system up and smother it with kisses.
The Intelligence Value... The systems fell silent again. Compared to the vast array of other rewards the system could offer, the Intelligence Value was without a doubt the most precious of all, bar none.
After a lengthy deliberation, the systems finally decided on Tan You’s reward.
"The mission rating is set to 3S, with a reward of 9 points to her Intelligence Value. Nine is the ultimate number; we can’t give any more."
"Meeting adjourned."
When it heard the reward was 9 points for the Intelligence Value, the Beauty System’s large eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. ’This... isn’t this too much? This is the absolute jackpot!’
Seeing the now-empty council hall, the Beauty System turned on its heel and bolted. It had to tell its host the good news right away! ’If my host gets the Intelligence Value she’s been longing for, she’ll be so happy!’
When the Beauty System returned, Tan You was in the middle of cooking. Having gone a week without Tan You’s food, Wang Hunv had been eagerly awaiting this meal. She hadn’t even waited for Tan Deming to get out of bed that morning before riding her bicycle out to buy a load of groceries.
There was top-grade pork belly with perfectly distinct layers, a large, thrashing fish, and Wang Hunv had even slaughtered a chicken at home. Now, all these ingredients were packed into the fridge, just waiting for Tan You to return and work her magic.
Tan You was now working on the pork belly. Her braised pork was her specialty. After adding all the seasonings to the pot, Tan You put the lid on. "I’ll let this simmer on low for an hour. I’m going to go pick some green beans."
Outside the kitchen, Wang Hunv immediately shot to her feet. "I’ll go, I’ll go! I don’t dare stand guard out here any longer; the smell is making me light-headed."
While Tan You prepared dinner, the old woman squatted nearby. It was August, so there weren’t many odd jobs to do in the fields, and she had a bit more free time on her hands.
She didn’t have many hobbies besides a love for good food. When Tan You was away at school, the old woman would just slap meals together haphazardly. Eventually, Tan Deming couldn’t watch anymore and would sometimes stand to the side offering instructions. He only moved his mouth while she did the work, but between the two of them, they could clumsily manage to produce a few edible dishes.
But no matter what they made, it was never as delicious as Tan You’s cooking. It was safe to say that in the entire family, Wang Hunv was the one who most eagerly awaited Tan You’s return.
Tan Deming was also sitting outside the kitchen, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan as he spoke to Tan You. "Tan Yue didn’t insist on coming back with you today?"
Tan You wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Of course she wanted to, but her dad said he was making barbecue for her at home tonight, so she gave up on the idea."
"Barbecue?" Tan Deming was curious. "He’s certainly getting creative. Your dad has always liked to experiment with food. He just never had the time or the right conditions before. Now he has both."
"Mhm. As long as he’s not out playing cards or drinking, and is looking after the house, then honing his culinary skills is hardly a bad thing. It’s a blessing for the rest of the family, too."
Tan You smiled. Perhaps because the women in her family had always been the pillars of support, she’d never subscribed to the idea that men should work outside while women manage the home. She saw nothing wrong with the way Tan Lin was now.
Tan Deming chuckled. "So how does he make that barbecue? Is it like that buffet-style barbecue we had that one time?"
"Something like that," Tan You shrugged. "I saw he got a sort of griddle at home, like the ones for making savory crepes. It’s just an iron plate with a handle on each side."
"I assume he’s using that to make the barbecue."
Although she had never lived at Tan Lin’s place, Tan You was well aware of what he kept in his house. She had seen the contraption in his kitchen when she brought her roommates over for lunch earlier, though she had no idea where he’d gotten it.
But then again, Tan Lin seemed to just enjoy buying that sort of thing. All kinds of tableware, cookware, and various exotic ingredients and seasonings—he was endlessly curious about them all.
In a way, you could say he was someone with a real zest for life.
"So, to Tan Yue, you can’t compete with a barbecue dinner?" Tan Deming shook his head, finding the thought amusing.