Zhang Wei pressed Qiu En to the ground and put away the dishes. He said helplessly, "What am I supposed to do?"
Qiu En slurped his saliva and said sheepishly, "Perhaps you could let me eat my fill first and then try. I'll pay you for the nutritional value."
This was an extreme craving that wouldn't dissipate just because the source of the flavor was gone.
It left a profound impression on everyone who smelled it. In the words of cultivation novels, this was a heart demon.
The longing and obsession were like a deeply beloved lover yearning to meet again!
"Chef Zhang Wei, I beg you!"
"If I don't eat that, I might not be in any condition to undergo surgery."
Zhang Wei lifted the curtain.
Those outside had already regained their senses. However, they showed no intention of leaving and instead resolutely walked towards the ward.
Lang Tu chuckled, "You're Zhang Wei, aren't you? Just as the legends say. It seems you've created something incredible that can ignite the evil power within people's hearts."
"I think you should focus more on your own life. If this commotion isn't resolved, your surgery can't proceed."
Lang Tu sat up and looked at the gaping hole in his chest and abdomen, his internal organs clearly visible. His limbs also throbbed with pain, and his bones and muscles were severely damaged.
"To be injured to this extent, I'm truly lucky to be alive..."
Lang Tu didn't ask about the condition of Lang Gu Yibing, apparently having grasped the current situation.
*Thump*
Qiu En directly knelt on the ground, "Chef Zhang Wei, please, just give me a bite!"
"As long as I can eat what I had earlier, I'll do anything you ask."
Qiu En's emotions were extremely agitated, tears even streaming down his face. He trembled as if he were an addict experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms...
But...
How could this be!
These were supposed to be discarded, failed dishes, originally intended for 626. And even if they had succeeded, they might not have had this effect!
"Rainbow Fruit... failed dishes..."
"Could it be related to complex aromas?"
The two had many commonalities.
Nutritionally complete, the Rainbow Fruit was known as the king of all vitamins, including fat-soluble vitamins rarely found in fruits.
The wide variety of failed dishes perfectly fit this criterion.
Rich and varied flavors, the Rainbow Fruit was renowned worldwide for this.
Failed dishes encompassed stir-frying, roasting, boiling, stewing, fowl, beasts, rich meats, vegetarian dishes, thick soups, congee, rice, and pastries...
Zhang Wei's knowledge was broad, covering almost everything. These represented only one percent of his inventory.
If it was due to a clever combination...
It was possible that it perfectly covered all the nutrients the human body needed, and the flavors encompassed all the desires of gourmet cells, thus resulting in this terrifying effect.
Zhang Wei became cautious this time, only taking out two to three tons of food, comprising over twenty dishes.
Indeed!
Qiu En's eyes lit up again, but he was no longer as frenzied as before.
"Chef Zhang Wei, I won't be polite then!"
At least his ability to speak was intact.
At Zhang Wei's signal, the little nurse beside him also began to eat.
Even though they were failed dishes, they were still superior to the full efforts of an ordinary six-star chef!
Figures moved.
Outside the room, people had gathered without anyone noticing. They stared intently at Qiu En, their swallowing and rumbling stomachs like rolling thunder, and they couldn't stop.
"It seems everyone is very hungry."
"I apologize for disturbing the medical work. We... we just came to see... *slurp*... *slurp*..."
"Right, sorry about that."
Everyone's condition was abnormal.
It looked like their appetites had been fully awakened.
For them, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to advance!
"Alright, might as well go all the way."
"Everyone line up, there's enough food for today!"
There was no use keeping the failures on hand. He could consider it a warehouse clearance, even though the space in the right side hall was infinite.
This time, Zhang Wei kept a close eye.
Before taking out any food, he sealed it securely in packaging. Zhang Wei's dishes were generously portioned, more than enough for over a dozen people.
This way, it felt like opening a blind box.
Later, this event escalated, and tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians participated, taking turns to receive their portions. Whether it was Wu Yong, Qing Cheng, or Chu Xiang, they could all obtain them.
Zhang Wei alone spent over ten hours distributing the food.
All the food was made by Zhang Wei, so the quality was imaginable. A mere three-level upgrade was common, and many people advanced a level with just one bite!
For example, what Chu Xiang received was a failed refined Nine Tripod Golden Broth. With just the first mouthful, he broke through a bottleneck that had troubled him for a year.
Moreover, the rich flavor of the golden broth lingered for a long time. Chu Xiang was immersed in the delicious cuisine for the entire afternoon.
With his own efforts, Zhang Wei elevated the strength of the entire Northern Allied Army by three tiers!
The greatest beneficiaries were naturally those critically injured soldiers who had just undergone surgery. Originally, organ transplantation required twenty to thirty years for assimilation, but tasting these exquisite delicacies accelerated this process by over a thousand times!
For the fastest, assimilation was completed that very afternoon, and there were no longer any rejection reactions!
As for those with minor injuries, they merely had a few transparent holes in their bodies. With the boost of such delicious food, healing only took ten minutes.
The most unfortunate were the moderately injured soldiers, who had lost limbs but not too many.
After eating the dishes, their muscles bulged, making them incredibly strong and healthy. Their physical fitness instantly improved by two tiers...
However, such strong physiques would be detrimental for future surgeries, as ordinary soldiers couldn't afford the seeds of regeneration.
A soldier stood up, returning to reality from the enjoyment of the delicious meal. Without a word, he knelt before Zhang Wei.
"Mr. Zhang Wei, you have granted me a new life!"
"I am an orphan. My humble life will serve only you from now on!"
Zhang Wei waved his hand, "You flatter me."
It was just a meal.
It wasn't that serious.
The soldier choked back a sob, "You are of noble status and naturally don't care about a meal, but if it weren't for you, I might never have tasted such delicious cuisine in my life. Not to mention that this cuisine allowed me to advance three levels and undergo a complete transformation."
"The term 'new life' is not an exaggeration!"
"Besides strength, you have also given me a new goal in life: to follow you always!"
Although the wording was somewhat syrupy and sounded strange, the soldier's expression was entirely sincere.
This made Zhang Wei doubt if his own long-held beliefs had been too dark.
After all, Food Wars was a passionate anime.
Each level increase in rank boosted overall strength by approximately 20-30%. Therefore, a three-level increase would boost overall strength by 73-120%, potentially doubling their strength if they were lucky.
However, within the same level, everyone's strength differed, and levels didn't tell the whole story.
Take chefs and Gourmet Hunters as examples. At the same level, a Gourmet Hunter could easily defeat two chefs, and even had self-preservation abilities against four.
Professional warriors had stronger capabilities, as Gourmet Hunters focused their energy on ingredients and the environment. Professional warriors, on the other hand, spent their days figuring out how to kill people.