The Glowing Cuisine Conquers the Tongue of God
Chapter 23 - A Billion Dollar Task, Spirit Crystal Coins

Chapter 23  A Billion Dollar Task, Spirit Crystal Coins

“Phoenix Crystal?”

Seeing the perfect score reward, Li Yang paused for a moment. The main ingredient of this dish was bean sprouts, specifically mung bean sprouts, which are known for their cooling and detoxifying properties. The phoenix, a symbol of rebirth through fire, further intrigued him.

“So, the effect of this Phoenix Crystal should be quite interesting!”

Li Yang was fascinated.

However, now was not the time to study the Phoenix Crystal. His focus needed to remain on the perfect Magic Mapo Tofu.

Looking at the two only guests in the kitchen, Erina and Hisako, Li Yang placed the freshly made Magic Mapo Tofu in front of them.

“Please try it, my special Wild Bull Soybean—Magic Mapo Tofu!”

Erina couldn’t wait to lift the lid, and instantly, a burst of red light shot up, resembling an erupting volcano. A scorching heatwave surged, the oppressive air causing the temperature around them to rise rapidly. Sweat appeared on both Erina and Hisako’s foreheads.

It felt as though they had plunged into water; their clothes soaked through with sweat, clinging tightly to their bodies, revealing their alluring figures.

Yet, neither of them cared about how they were exposed before Li Yang, their eyes fixed on the hot and spicy Magic Mapo Tofu in front of them.

The spicy aroma overwhelmed their taste buds, and saliva began to flow freely. They couldn’t wait to use the food to cool the fire inside them.

Erina, unable to suppress the urge of her divine tongue, immediately grabbed a spoonful of Magic Mapo Tofu and placed it in her mouth.

“Ah~”

A sharp cry escaped her lips.

The six flavors blended perfectly, instantly conquering the proud and picky divine tongue. At that moment, Erina felt as though she was immersed in a sea of molten lava. She was the goddess of fire, an elf who could freely play with flames, and a queen who commanded them.

Boom~

Erina’s clothes were once again torn apart. But this time, it was even more incredible. Erina’s skin turned a seductive red, as if she had just emerged from a bath. Her skin was soft and smooth, but the astonishing body heat burned her clothes, creating hole after hole.

Before long, her clothes were reduced to a few pitiful strips of fabric. A beautiful sight once again unfolded!

Meanwhile, Hisako wasn’t faring much better. Although her clothes didn’t tear, the sweat falling from her body turned her clothes transparent, adding a touch of spring-like charm.

A few minutes later, both women, having escaped from the food illusion, screamed in disbelief. Watching them hurriedly retreat to their bedrooms, Li Yang calmly whistled and then took the remaining Magic Mapo Tofu to Senzaemon and Zhang Haoran for them to try.

After tasting the perfect Magic Mapo Tofu, Senzaemon Nakiri immediately became excited.

The same fate of torn clothes befell the Nakiri family again.

Senzaemon Nakiri was more direct—his entire outfit exploded, leaving him completely naked. Fortunately, the old man had prepared for this and quickly grabbed a nearby blanket to wrap around himself.

“Perfect tofu dish, perfect spicy dish… flawless!”

“This scorching taste, I believe, can definitely counteract the Snow Woman’s chilling curse!”

“If we add the perfect Golden Fried Rice, perhaps we can truly resolve the Snow Woman’s curse once and for all!”

Senzaemon Nakiri felt an incredible surge of excitement.

Previously, he had hoped that these two extraordinary dishes from Li Yang would match the effect of Liu Long’s Sichuan-style hotpot. That would have been a great success—containing the Snow Woman’s curse to within a hundred-mile radius. But after tasting the perfect Magic Mapo Tofu, Senzaemon Nakiri had a feeling that this time, they might be able to resolve the curse for good!

On the other side, Zhang Haoran appeared much more composed. Watching Senzaemon Nakiri’s excited reaction, he smiled slightly.

“Senzaemon, are you satisfied with Li Yang’s Magic Mapo Tofu?”

“Absolutely satisfied.”

“Well then, as Li Yang’s exclusive agent, I’ll discuss the terms of hiring him for the task…”

At this point, Zhang Haoran had transformed into a professional manager.

Li Yang was stunned.

“What exactly is an exclusive agent?”

Zhang Haoran explained, “Every chef above five stars in our IGO International Food Organization is assigned an exclusive agent.”

“This agent acts as both your secretary and assistant, offering full assistance in both your personal life and work.”

“Any legitimate request you have, your exclusive agent will try to fulfill.”

“For example, in this case…”

“Senzaemon Nakiri wants you to step in and resolve the Snow Woman’s curse, so normally, the relevant department in Neon would issue a bounty task through IGO.”

“If Neon specifies that they want you to complete the task, the reward should be adjusted to match that.”

“As I know, the Snow Woman’s curse has heavily impacted agriculture, industry, and tourism in the interior of Hokkaido, causing annual losses exceeding one billion dollars.”

“So, the payment for this task should be based on a one billion dollar reward, with a 30% to 50% increase!”

Upon hearing this, Li Yang was taken aback.

“So, I could receive a reward between 1.3 and 1.5 billion dollars?”

Wow, do extraordinary chefs really make this much?

This was more than many large companies earn!

Zhang Haoran winked at Li Yang.

“Don’t forget, I’m your exclusive agent, and I’ll take a cut. The standard is 10%.”

That’s still a lot!

Definitely over one billion dollars!

Li Yang couldn’t even imagine how to spend such a large fortune.

Meanwhile, Senzaemon Nakiri slowly nodded.

“Indeed, we should follow the rules. I will contact the government and have them prepare 15,000 Spirit Crystal Coins.”

Li Yang was puzzled.

“What are Spirit Crystal Coins?”

Zhang Haoran snapped his fingers, and a transparent coin appeared in his hand, about the size of a one-dollar coin.

“This is a Spirit Crystal Coin. It’s similar to the spirit stones in fantasy novels, containing balanced, neutral energy that can quickly replenish an extraordinary person’s energy. It’s the exclusive currency of the extraordinary world.”

Li Yang was amazed.

Zhang Haoran continued, “Spirit Crystal Coins are an exclusive currency for the extraordinary world, and they don’t tie into the conventional monetary system.”

“Though in the black market, a single Spirit Crystal Coin is worth around $100,000, we acknowledge that price, but exchanging Spirit Crystal Coins for conventional currency is illegal.”

“Many extraordinary items cannot be measured with money. If we used conventional currency to settle such items, global inflation would reach a terrifying level.”

“Therefore, to avoid disrupting the conventional monetary system, Spirit Crystal Coins became the exclusive currency for extraordinary people.”

Li Yang took the Spirit Crystal Coin from Zhang Haoran and curiously examined it.

“How do you use this thing?”

“You just put it in your mouth and chew. Don’t worry about hygiene, as the surface of the coin has active elements that eliminate any stains or bacteria.”

“Theoretically, even if you found a Spirit Crystal Coin in a cesspit, it would still be clean.”

Ew~ that’s disgusting!

Li Yang hesitantly bit into the coin and found it felt like biting into a very hard ice cube. However, once the crack formed, the Spirit Crystal Coin quickly melted, turning into a warm current that slid into his stomach. In an instant, Li Yang felt his internal fire energy surge rapidly.