Maze Fan: I opened a buffet in the maze

Chapter 428 Change

"It's delicious! This is the first time I've ever seen a dish that glows."

"I feel my strength has definitely increased a lot!"

After tasting the amazing dishes at the Eight Directions Restaurant, several allies, ranging in age from their twenties to their thirties, exclaimed in admiration. They were mainly non-commissioned officers of the city defense forces or low- to mid-level officials from various departments.

In terms of the basic competitive position, Drain did not have the same strong power base as the other princes and princesses.

After all, the intelligence agency headed by the Lin Bai family is not as large as other agencies, but its advantage is that it has a wide network of connections. These allies who expressed their support in the first batch were won over by him through his social connections.

"We haven't acquired many high-grade monster ingredients yet, so the quality for enhancing abilities is still relatively low."

Fan Wei's modest remark made the others' eyes shine even brighter.

If ordinary quality dishes have this effect, how powerful must truly high-end dishes be! Strength is a crucial part of the empire's advancement system.

This was a huge help to them!

As expected, following His Highness the Crown Prince and Misr Van will bring immediate benefits!

All of them harbored the ambition to secretly grow stronger by suppressing their competitors. After paying a few gold coins for the meal, they made an appointment with Fan Wei to come again next time.

However, they were destined to be unable to hide it.

Regardless of whether Drain and Fan Wei promote it themselves, in such a competitive environment, every little change they make is definitely being watched by their rivals.

Sooner or later, someone will track down Fan Wei's restaurant and discover the secret behind it.

It's hard to imagine what kind of trend it will trigger.

In fact, thanks to Aruo Rou's publicity and the reputation he gained from the Chefs Association competition, Fan Wei was already quite famous in the capital. He just deliberately kept a low profile for a period of time.

The restaurant's current structure is actually quite weak, even though he's there to keep things in order.

However, his ability to withstand unexpected events is very low, so taking a break is the best approach. Before the New Year arrives, Fan Wei needs to complete all his goals.

His time traveling in the empire allowed him to expand his influence.

When selecting shop staff, Fan Wei mainly focused on mixed-race individuals, firstly because many of them were unemployed and in need of a livelihood.

Secondly, the mixed-race population is relatively pure, and if people are recruited from the general public or the poor, there is a high probability that those with ulterior motives will be mixed in.

However, people of mixed race generally wouldn't, because no one with ulterior motives would be willing to stay in such a lowly and agonizing environment.

Who would deliberately infiltrate a special group that is worse than beggars?

"Miss Rona, would you be willing to come out with me?"

Fan Wei took the trench coat off the coat rack and invited Luo Na, who was engrossed in keeping accounts, to join him.

"What's this talk about inviting or not inviting?" Rona capped her pen, smoothed her red hair that had fallen beside her ear, and looked up with a smug smile.

"Right, my best business partner~"

"That would be my honor." Fan Wei smiled and handed his good friend an Imperial-style lady's cap with a black veil decoration, then inquired about the other young lady.

"Yunxin, would you like to go out for a walk together?"

"She went to study the chess scores, saying she was going to find Olivia tomorrow to avenge her defeat."

Lorna immediately betrayed her friend's predicament. "And her trip to the capital made her miss so many updates! The publisher has already sent me a message asking me to urge her to update."

"I see. That's quite an urgent matter."

He smiled and said nothing more. Fan Wei and Luo Na hailed a taxi and went out. He first went to the stronghold of the wandering hybrids, intending to take Chen Hui with him.

The alleyways among the dilapidated buildings shimmered with a nostalgic glow under the afternoon orange-yellow sunlight.

In front of the 'Nameless Light' church, some mixed-race people are praying devoutly to the blurry portrait on the wall.

They looked much better than before; at least they no longer resembled withered trees that could collapse at any moment.

Fan Wei stared intently at the hazy 'nameless light' on the wall, his nose twitching slightly as he smelled the aroma of food. Faint wisps of gray smoke drifted from the eaves, carrying the scent of life.

"Lord God Envoy!"

A mixed-race person turned around and noticed Fan Wei's arrival, causing a stir. Everyone prostrated themselves before him, bowing to this person who had brought them great hope.

"Wait, everyone, get up!"

Fan Wei bent down and helped the leading mixed-race person up from the cold ground. After thinking for a moment, he said seriously, "Apart from the greatest god, there is nothing in the world that you need to worship."

"Only life and nobility deserve respect."

The teachings of this 'divine messenger' were listened to with utmost devotion by every mixed-race individual.

At the same time, they felt even greater respect and love for the man before them, not only because of the significant change in their living conditions, but also because the merciful messenger of God had given them solace in their hearts.

Just like the dust that keeps trying.

"The food is ready, you can eat now." Dust's light and narrow voice came from the dilapidated house.

Fan Wei followed the mixed-race people inside and found an iron pot sitting next to a pile of old, broken firewood that had been salvaged from somewhere. Something was being stewed, and a sweet pumpkin aroma wafted from it.

Upon seeing Misr Van, Dust paused for a moment, then put on a somewhat shy smile, a stark contrast to his previous aloof demeanor.

"You, you're here." She stood up to greet Fan Wei, while glancing at Luo Na beside him.

"I made stewed beans, pumpkin, and meat. Would you like some?" Completely lacking confidence in her cooking skills, despite Fan Wei's powerful abilities, Chen Hui had very little prior cooking experience.

Her concept of cooking is a complete mess; stews and half-cooked roasts are her only understanding of cooking.

"Of course, let me try your cooking."

How could he possibly refuse to taste the food? Fan Wei is the kind of man who can even eat four-color cheese! He took the bowl of stewed meat that Chen Hui had personally ladled out and handed to him.

I scooped up the orange-yellow soup with a spoon and took a sip.

The sweetness of the pumpkin, the rich aroma of the soybeans, and the savory flavor of the stewed meat oil combine to make a truly delicious dish.

"This is some discarded monster meat I got from the Time Zone. I used the ability you gave me to detoxify it, and I also bought a batch of cheap beans and old pumpkins."

"Now everyone can eat their fill, and we no longer have to worry about starving to death."

There was an irrepressible joy in the sound of dust; she genuinely cared about the mixed-race community, and despite her own poverty, she always took on the most responsibility.

"Absolutely delicious!" Fan Wei had only one comment on this stewed meat. Although there was much room for improvement in the taste, its significance was unparalleled.

Dust blushed slightly at the compliment and gave a chuckle.

In that brief moment, the child who had been pretending to be strong revealed her true nature, and then she immediately became alert, suppressed her smile, and returned to her original solemnity and seriousness.

As a 'Pope', Dust has his own 'image to maintain'.

"Come and eat, everyone!" Fan Wei waved to the mixed-race people who were watching him eat and called out to them in a cheerful voice.

Finally, they could fill their stomachs to their hearts' content. Even though they had already eaten several full meals, the mixed-race people still couldn't help but cry tears of joy as they savored each bite of food.

This is life's greatest gift.

No joy can surpass this purity.

“Let’s go to the Time Zone to acquire monsters. I plan to make sure every hybrid has a job.” Fan Wei said to Chen Hui after putting down his clean bowl and spoon.

"it is good."

Having no further doubts about Fan Wei, Chen Hui immediately agreed, then, as if remembering something, reminded him, "You must be extra careful."

With concern and worry on her face, she said seriously, "It seems there's been some chaos lately. This morning, some powerful figures from the capital were fighting in the east."

"It's quite a spectacle; we can see it all over here!"

For Chen Hui and his group, this situation was nothing short of a natural disaster! If they were unlucky enough to be caught in it, they would definitely die! While she was worried, she was also concerned about Fan Wei's safety.

Fan Wei was deeply moved by the concern shown to him and comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, I'm one of them."

Dust stared wide-eyed, its heterochromatic pupils dilating like those of a shocked cat.

Lorna almost burst out laughing.

Because the mixed-race individuals' bodies had not yet reached the standard of health, and because they had personal storage space, Fan Wei did not choose any helpers, but simply brought Chen Hui along to scout out the route first.

Inside the elevator leading to the Time Zone, dust, draped in a hooded cloak, obscured his head and face.

Hybrids face severe discrimination in the Empire, with the prevailing view even considering them not human at all, but merely lowly alien races mixed with human blood!

Generally, people of mixed race are not allowed to ride in carriages or elevators.

The elevator ticket seller looked at the dust suspiciously and even asked her to take off her hood for inspection. Fan Wei stepped forward and showed her his rank badge before she was allowed to pass.

"Sorry for causing you any trouble."

Stepping out of the elevator, Dust said somewhat uneasily to Fan Wei, "We're not suited to be out in the open. From now on, let us do some manual labor."

“What’s this about whether it’s suitable or not?” Fan Wei said bluntly.

"If we follow the logic of the Empire, then any humility actually stems from a lack of power. As long as one has great power, even a dog is worthy of envy and awe in their eyes."

"So don't let societal expectations become shackles that hinder you; you just need to become stronger."

Fan Wei smiled and said, "Besides, not everyone is prejudiced, so it's not a given, don't you think, Luo Na?"

"Ah, of course." The red-haired girl nodded casually. "Anything with surplus value that can be extracted is adorable in my eyes~"

Fan Wei was speechless. At that moment, he seemed to see the seeds of capitalism sprouting in the businesswoman.

She's a dangerous presence too...

After some comforting, Dust felt much better, but she wasn't very confident in becoming stronger.

The 'Nameless Light' could only show her the light that helped her survive, but it had no power. Fan Wei's strength made her admire, respect, and even yearn for him.

Suddenly, Dust saw a light flashing on Misr Van in front of him.

Instead of the flawless white light we had seen before, a crimson light appeared, dazzling and startling, as if it were some kind of hint.

What...does that mean? Dust pondered the meaning behind the sudden light's guidance. Could it be that the method she used to gain power also lay with Misser?

With questions in mind, Dust followed Fan Wei and Luo Na into the center of the Time Zone.

As usual, the Time Zone was dimly lit by the clouds, but many places were illuminated by the sunlight under the clear sky, turning from pitch black to a metallic bluish-gray.

Beside the bright lights and bustling city walls are heavily fortified legion walls; acquiring ordinary-level monsters is no problem for Fan Wei.

Those things will be handled by our allies. What he needs to do is build a stable channel for collecting high-level monsters, which are the ingredients for truly powerful dishes.

Most of them come from dangerous fifth and sixth-level mazes, which are not places that ordinary professionals can go to.

The fifth layer is the deep blue sky, and the sixth layer is the secluded plateau. Only the most professional teams can enter, such as Owen's Holy Flame Team, whose average level is 40 to 50, in order to ensure the stability of the expedition.

The organization within the Empire that undertakes this work is the Imperial Exploration Legion.

It is said that there are many experts inside, including dozens of extraordinary individuals. The legion commander is a level 80 or above transcendent, and his two deputies are level 70 or above transcendents.

This is the strength that could easily wipe out a bunch of small countries if deployed elsewhere, but it's only one-fifth or one-sixth of the empire's overall strength.

"Mr. Misel?" As Fan Wei walked down the street, he heard a voice calling out. He turned around and saw a young girl with a round face and light blonde hair in the distance.

It was the female warrior Delska, a member of the Dreamers' Squad who joined during the last Dream Flower gathering mission.

The young female warrior, carrying her greatsword, ran excitedly to greet Fan Wei, while her companion waved somewhat awkwardly from a distance, a mere formality.

“It’s really true that I’ve met you again, Mr. Misell! I haven’t repaid your kindness from last time.”

Delska slammed on the brakes and stopped in front of Fan Wei, saying excitedly.

"Oh, it's you guys. The New Year is almost here. Aren't you going home to rest?" Fan Wei asked with a smile, looking at the somewhat impetuous young female soldiers.

"I'll be going home soon anyway; I'm just here to explore the Legion to hand in my work records and pay taxes."

"Huh? So mercenaries have to pay taxes?" This surprised Fan Wei. However, the empire's regulations have their own characteristics, and who knows what kind of environment they are products of.

He looked at Delska, who came to greet him but didn't know what to say. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly had an idea and took out a restaurant business card to give to her.

"My restaurant will be holding an event before the New Year. If you don't mind the trouble, you can come and support me," Fan Wei advertised for his upcoming holiday activities.

"The food is delicious and inexpensive, so you can bring more friends along!"

Misr van's smile made Delska blush. She carefully accepted the business card with both hands and bowed deeply.

"Don't worry, I will definitely go!"

"It's not a mission, no need to be so serious." Fan Wei waved his hand, watching the clumsy Miss Delska run back to her teammates, and couldn't help but sigh that youth is truly wonderful.

He was just as youthful and vibrant when he was a teenager.

"As expected of Misel Van, a master of networking, she has such a high level of charisma with women." Luo Na joked and laughed from the side, while Fan Wei nodded proudly.

"I don't have many strengths, but I'm really good at making friends!"

"It is because of you all that so many accolades have gathered around me!"

"sharp..."

Looking at Fan Wei's bright and gentle smile, the businesswoman had to admit, "Then I hope I'll meet an easy-going female military officer next."

"Make the most of your strengths!"

Having already glimpsed the Imperials' way of doing things during the business registration process, Rona chuckled.

The three of them walked together into the exploration legion's base.