Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!
Chapter 128: Do As One Pleases

Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Do As One Pleases

"Is it still not working today?"

With a roar, the ingredients and utensils on the kitchen counter fell to the ground with a bam, and a tall, middle-aged man lifted his head from the gleaming cutting board, his eyes filled with frustration.

"Damn it, if I were just a bit younger! I could’ve come up with more delicious dishes, just like before!"

"Mr. Qilom, what happened?"

Hearing the sound, the other chefs ignored Mr. Qilom’s rules and barged into the kitchen.

"I’ve said it before! Unless I ask for you personally, don’t come into my kitchen! Didn’t you hear me?"

The tall Mr. Qilom let out a raspy shout that clashed with his elegant appearance. The chefs who entered the kitchen immediately became timid and unsure of what to do.

"But..."

But we were worried about Mr. Qilom’s safety.

The chefs never actually voiced this concern.

Whenever they had tried to express this in the past, Mr. Qilom always roared back, "I’m just making a dish, not some dangerous magic device; no need for your concern!" and would send them packing.

This time was no different, even though they had not finished speaking.

"If there’s nothing else, get out! I want to be alone to think!"

At Mr. Qilom’s bellow, the chefs exited the kitchen one by one, respectfully, and Mr. Qilom was left alone once again.

He looked around the shiny, spotless kitchen, as a flicker of childhood memories crossed his mind.

He had grown so much compared to those days, and he had many things he had not had before... Those things should have been an asset to him, but now, they were just lifeless decorations.

He had thought he had everything, but in the end, he possessed nothing.

The reason he had come all this way to the Library was to rekindle his exhausted creativity.

But after tasting all the renowned dishes gathered near the Library, all he got was emptiness and loneliness.

With just his own skills, he could easily reproduce those dishes and make them better. Such dishes were simply of no use to him!

He carelessly massaged his forehead, covered in flour, striving to calm himself. After washing his hands, Mr. Qilom let out a particularly frustrated sigh.

"Looks like I have no choice but to look for cookbooks in the Library, right? Isn’t that why I came here? But the Library’s regulations are so exasperating, they surely have countless recipes, but even if those recipes are documented, they must have many missing details. In that way, it’s impossible to recreate the true flavors!

If I could just taste one piece, just have one bite from those books, I’m certain I could reproduce it one hundred percent, and then find a way to make my own dishes taste even better!"

To be honest, Mr. Qilom did not believe that the books in the Library could provide him with genuine enlightenment, but that was his only hope.

For the sake of taking his own cooking to the next level, he had no choice but to rely on the wisdom of the Library.

Alas, he knew he’d have to become a member through sponsorship after passing the entrance exam, and while Mr. Qilom had considered the Martial Arts Exam, just finding a strong team was too much of a hassle. The formidable people were either unapproachable or had erratic whereabouts. It would be too troublesome to seek them out, and he might as well wait to sponsor the Library.

To enter the Library a moment sooner, he had registered for the entrance exam.

He knew full well that he would not pass; he was taking the test merely to calm his restless spirit, so he could calmly wait until he was able to sponsor the Library.

With a damp towel, he wiped his hands and Chilom stepped out of the kitchen, glancing at the chefs who respectfully bowed their heads, "Go in a few people and clean up, I need to rest! Do not receive any customers today either, and don’t bother setting up the other tables, I want some peace in the center of the restaurant!"

The chefs at this branch of Chilom’s franchise chain looked at each other, baffled.

To obtain the authorization to use Chilom’s secret recipes to serve various dishes to customers, to leverage Chilom’s fame for a booming business, that was the dream of every affiliated restaurant.

Those working here never imagined that Mr. Chilom himself would actually grace them with his presence.

At first, everyone here was spirited and warmly welcomed his arrival, hoping to impress Mr. Chilom with their sincerity, to coax another secret recipe out of him for their families’ businesses, or to attract crowds with his renown, making a killing while he visited.

It quickly became apparent that all of this was a daydream!

Mr. Chilom was not their cash tree, but an ancestor they had to serve and honor.

This Buddha would take over the kitchen on a whim, ask them to shut down and clear the tables on a whim, and send them scattering on a whim to buy various ingredients.

Now these chefs understood why the bodyguards traveling with Chilom had looked at them with such pity.

They had no idea when such days would end.

When the bodyguards said such days might persist until after the Library entrance exam, they were immediately so upset that they wailed and lamented.

The problem was they couldn’t drive away this Buddha, or rather, they didn’t dare to.

The mandate from their families was clear: the losses didn’t matter—they would eventually be compensated by Chilom’s consortium. What mattered was keeping Chilom here, to create new dishes, which they could then promote vigorously to attract more customers.

The chefs’ grievances were set aside for the time being. What’s so bad about being used as Tool Men, whether as sounding boards or errand boys?

After all, the money at stake wasn’t theirs; they might even enhance their resilience and stress tolerance, so why not welcome it?

The family’s reasoning was sound. Yet, for those working there, such justifications were hard to swallow. Why should he have free rein over the restaurant, while they could not?

To this sentiment, their families could only say, sorry, but money and talent are what grant one the freedom to do as they please. If you’re dissatisfied, strive to be like him.

So, while the chefs were outwardly obsequious, they ardently wished for the Buddha to leave sooner rather than later.

For this, they wouldn’t miss any chance.

Take, for example, today, when two elegantly dressed people arrived at the door. They looked kind and genial, their smiles beaming, saying they might have something Mr. Chilom would be interested in, and they politely asked the chefs for help.

Previously, the chefs would have been suspicious of such strangers. But the woman accompanying the man was so stunningly dressed, in an exotic outfit with a daringly high slit, revealing legs that were pale and slender, a sight they were not accustomed to.

Moreover, they were eager for Chilom to leave posthaste. Without hesitating, they accepted the man’s request and agreed to deliver the letter to Chilom.

As Chilom left the kitchen to head to the main hall for rest, they finally found the moment to hand over the letter.

"Lord Chilom, there is a letter for you. Two individuals have specifically come to see you; they mentioned they have some ideas that might be helpful to you and asked us to deliver this letter to Lord Chilom."