Huh???

The sudden notification left him stunned on the spot.

’Cooking for others can earn me happiness, too?’

The thought had barely surfaced when he immediately caught himself.

’Pah, pah, pah, what am I even thinking?’

When a chef cooks for a customer, and the customer is satisfied, the chef naturally feels happy. Isn’t that just common sense?

Before this, he had been solely focused on gaining happiness by creating new dishes or improving his shelter.

Now it seemed that any action that would normally bring a person happiness was a viable method.

The only difference was that before, it had just been a psychological sensation. Now, it had materialized into points, making it much more tangible.

’If that’s the case, could finding more people to work with be another way to earn more Happiness Points?’

"It’s not that easy. Who the hell knows where anyone else is."

He shook his head in self-mockery, banishing the unrealistic idea from his mind.

For now, it was more practical to focus on keeping the guest in front of him happy. He’d have to leave the rest to fate.

"What are you mumbling about?"

Andre’s cheeks were stuffed as he chewed, a thick, juicy slice of skin-on duck breast still in his hand.

"Nothing," Lin Chen said, waving his hand. He sliced the other duck breast in the same manner, though he didn’t bother with presentation this time.

He picked up a couple of slices to try. Since the meat had rested, it wasn’t piping hot—just pleasantly warm.

But it was precisely because it had rested that the inside was cooked through by the residual heat, rather than being completely fried. This cooking method allowed it to retain a great deal of moisture, preventing it from drying out. To put it simply, it was more tender and juicier.

Paired with the crispy, seared duck skin, each bite delivered both the satisfaction of hearty meat and a burst of savory juice. Combined with the fresh, smooth texture of the wild mushrooms, it was a completely new experience for the palate.

Andre had just polished off the duck breast, not even finished swallowing the last bite, when Lin Chen was already holding a steaming roasted duck leg up to his face.

"Here you go. The best part."

He’d eaten this countless times back home and was long tired of it, so he had no intention of trying it himself. He’d just nibble on some of the leftover bits, like the wings.

Even though it looked like Andre had eaten a lot, the total amount of food wasn’t that great. Plus, building the shelter had burned a tremendous amount of energy. Andre’s appetite was just getting started. How could he possibly resist the temptation of a huge, crispy roasted duck leg?

Andre didn’t hold back—he had earned this dinner, after all. He immediately grabbed a massive duck leg in each hand and grinned foolishly for Lin Chen’s camera.

Completely won over by Lin Chen’s culinary skill, he took a huge, anticipatory bite, tearing the entire piece of skin clean off.

The leg meat had a unique tenderness and juiciness that the breast simply couldn’t match. Add to that the CRUNCH CRUNCH of the crispy skin bursting with flavorful fat and the faint, smoky aroma of fruitwood—every single detail was perfectly to his liking.

With just one bite, he was utterly captivated by Lin Chen’s craftsmanship.

Meanwhile, the crab soup had finished reducing. Lin Chen patiently fished out the crab shells and discarded them, leaving just half a pot of a rich, fragrant broth.

The sunchokes in the pot had cooked down completely, falling into pieces at the slightest touch of his chopsticks. A few stirs made the broth even richer and thicker.

He grabbed a handful of fresh morels and tossed them in, using his chopsticks to submerge them one by one in the broth, ensuring each was fully soaked.

He added a small pinch of salt to season the broth, making sure the concentrated liquid absorbed by the morels would be flavorful. This would guarantee the best possible experience for the diner.

"Morels in a rich crab broth? Oh my God, Lin, how many more surprises do you have up your sleeve!"

Andre’s eyes were glued to the pot of orange-red broth. Suddenly, the roasted duck leg in his hand lost all its appeal.

Forget the fact that they were in the middle of nowhere; even in a fine dining restaurant, this soup would be considered a high-end dish—the kind you’d feature on a promotional poster.

Fresh wild morels weren’t cheap. They were a rare ingredient that many restaurants struggled to source.

"Hurry up and eat. Don’t forget, the main event is still coming."

Lin Chen pointed toward the nearby pile of spruce branches. Faint white smoke seeped through the dense needles, a sign that the hidden treasure within was slowly growing even more delicious.

Although he wasn’t exactly sure how much time had passed since he’d started the roast, as a chef, time management was an essential skill. He could estimate the time based on all the steps he’d taken so far.

Butchering the duck, skewering the parts, roasting, and searing the breast... all in all, he’d spent about half an hour.

’The crab soup needs another five minutes, so that makes it about thirty-five minutes, forty at most.’ 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

’A King’s Down Duck is a full size larger than a grouse, so it needs a longer roasting time—about eighty minutes.’

’But since this is my first time roasting a duck in an earth oven, I’m a little nervous. I’ll definitely have to pull it out around the sixty-minute mark to check on it and make sure I don’t screw it up.’

’So how do I fill the remaining twenty minutes?’

His gaze fell upon the few Red Salmon lying nearby, and an idea struck him.

’Andre is getting his fill, but I’ve barely started. I can cook a meal for myself. That should be just enough time.’

Just as Andre finished polishing off the two massive drumsticks, the crab broth was ready, right on schedule.

Lin Chen carefully ladled out a spoonful of the rich broth to taste, nodding in satisfaction. He then ladled another spoonful and poured it over the small mountain of crab meat he had shelled earlier, using the heat of the broth to warm it through.

It needed no garnishes or seasonings; pure crab meat was nature’s finest gift.

Andre, who had been craving this very bite for the past half hour, casually tossed the clean-sucked bone into the fire. He took the overflowing crab shell and worked his jaw, stretching his mouth so it could open to its widest.

He brought the crab shell to his lips, tilted his head back sharply, and inhaled with a powerful slurp.

SLUUURP.

The entire mountain of crab meat tumbled into his mouth. The rich crab broth hit first, its flavor so intense it was as if countless live crabs were scuttling across his tongue.

The crab meat was sweet and succulent, and paired with the rich mushroom and crab broth, the two created a sublime balance. Neither stole the spotlight; instead, they complemented each other perfectly.

After only a few chews, Andre closed his eyes in ecstasy, letting out a long, contented sigh through his nose.

"Oh my God... this flavor... forgive me, everyone, but this is a taste of paradise that words can’t possibly describe."

"I have only one thought in my head right now: if I get to eat food this good, it would be worth dying in this forest!"