Chapter 6: Triggering Secondary Professions
Looking at the fragrant marinated meat in this plate of Jingbang cuisine, Zhou Yi and Zhu Xiaohua were both somewhat surprised
Zhu Xiaohua was the fastest to act, swiftly using her chopsticks to pick up five or six pieces of meat, which she stuffed into her mouth along with the bright red and fragrant sauce. As she chewed vigorously, she mumbled indistinctly, "Delicious, so delicious, it’s incredibly fragrant..."
Zhou Yi was taken aback, triggering a secondary profession. Following that, a system notification sounded in his ears: "Ding, secondary profession triggered. According to the system program, the master will receive a novice gift box, which may contain equipment, system currency, potential points for upgrades, and basic attribute allocation points..."
Given the current living environment, even if one can perfectly maintain a relaxed mindset as suggested by the Book of Changes, the daily potential upgrade points received are only 2. In other words, to elevate the spiritual root and immortal body from the current level 1 to level 2, it would take more than three months. However, this novice gift box saves at least one to two years of time!
Fortunately, the system provided a second method of upgrade. Zhou Yi understood that although this second method consumes fewer basic attribute points, it can elevate a secondary profession to the highest level in one go. However, it has a significant drawback: if he recklessly uses this method without receiving the 100-point package from the novice gift box, his character's basic attributes will be permanently reduced, and this change is irreversible.
This time it can be considered a windfall
Culinary skills? This side profession is quite good
Zhu Xiaohua was racking his brains, pondering where to find such an unreliable job for the Book of Changes. A beautiful waitress walked by with a tray, placing a plate of meat slices as thin as a cicada's wings on the table. Instantly, the aroma of wine and meat wafted through the air, causing him to involuntarily sneeze
Culinary Skills: Level 9, Grand Master Chef, Knife Skills Level 9, Fire Control Level 9, Ingredient Identification Level 9, Ingredient Purification Level 9
However, the skills are extraordinary, and the price to pay is also astonishing. To utilize this skill, every pound of ingredients processed consumes 0.3 upgrade potential points. According to the settings of the secondary profession, Zhou Yi can only earn 0.1 upgrade potential points for each dish he painstakingly prepares, which not only results in a loss but also incurs a deficit.
If someone else were to take over, they might have to wait for another secondary profession to be triggered before considering using the points package, as not everyone is interested in culinary skills. However, for Zhou Yi, who is a foodie, there is no need for such considerations; just for the sake of his great-grandfather, this secondary profession is the first choice.
Gentlemen, this is the fragrant marinated meat you ordered, please enjoy
2: Packaging Upgrade Mode, which allows culinary skills to be upgraded to the maximum level in one go, requires the consumption of 100 basic attribute points. This upgrade mode will completely deplete the basic attribute points. If there are no additional point packages, please upgrade with caution, as this will permanently reduce the character's basic attributes
The "Old Place" is actually a mid-range hotel, somewhat better than a casual dining restaurant. The two brothers chose to meet here, primarily out of nostalgia. To be honest, the chef's skills here are just average. However, when Zhu Xiaohua was ordering, she noticed that today's special was a dish called "Fragrant Fermented Meat with Wine," which is known in Jingbang cuisine for its emphasis on quality ingredients and culinary techniques. She casually ordered a portion, not really expecting much. However, when Zhu Xiaohua was ordering, she noticed that today's special was a dish called "Fragrant Fermented Meat with Wine," which is known in Jingbang cuisine for its emphasis on quality ingredients and culinary techniques. She casually ordered a portion, not really expecting much
Zhou Yi frowned
Therefore, before obtaining a level 5 living environment, which fundamentally increases the speed of acquiring upgrade potential points, it is better to use this skill sparingly. Moreover, while the ingredients purified using this skill can restore the color, aroma, and flavor of top-quality ingredients and eliminate harmful components for the human body, they cannot truly restore the nutritional content of the ingredients. It is still preferable to purchase genuine top-quality ingredients.
After selecting to fully complete a secondary profession at once, due to the insufficient base attribute points of the character, the system automatically utilized one hundred points from the inventory. As a burst of colorful light flashed before my eyes, the secondary profession section in the character attributes screen displayed the two red characters for Culinary Arts.
Delicious, truly delicious, it feels so good! Huh? Lao San, why did you only eat one piece and stop? Are you promoting the spirit of Lei Feng, intending to leave this plate of delicacies for me?
Both individuals are connoisseurs of food. Zhou Yi comes from a family with a rich culinary heritage; his love for food has been passed down from his grandfather's generation. It is said that if you trace back three generations, his great-grandfather was a renowned chef. Zhu Xiaohua is no less impressive; she has also undergone the 'alcohol test' and is accustomed to eating 'proletarian revolutionary meals' daily. She possesses a certain understanding of the eight major cuisines and is indeed an expert among experts.
The Book of Changes also prompted a swift movement of the index finger, quickly picking up a piece and sending it to the mouth, squinting the eyes to savor it carefully
The attributes in the system are divided into two main categories: basic attributes and practical attributes. Practical attributes include attack, defense, and other aspects, while basic attributes are those that can increase points autonomously in accordance with the foundational cultivation method 'spiritual root and immortal body,' such as bone structure, comprehension, strength, agility, and wisdom
Ding, contact with high-level food is recognized by the system as level 8, which can trigger the secondary profession—Culinary Arts
However, this system is quite considerate; upon triggering the secondary profession, it also grants one hundred attribute points, much like many games do, intentionally enabling players to achieve success in the early stages.
However, when this dish was served, both brothers were somewhat bewildered. "Isn't this 'the old place' no longer in operation? A mid-range hotel actually hired a top-tier chef? This is not logical
Hmm? This dish looks very appealing, and it seems to taste quite good as well
In this day and age, there are more small hotels that like to inflate their reputation, with a few second-tier chefs daring to display signs for a full Manchu Han Imperial Feast. Expecting to enjoy authentic Beijing cuisine here is about as difficult as trying to find a companion in the red-light district
"Does a secondary profession require this many basic attribute points?"
When the spiritual root ascends from level 0 to level 1, each of the five basic attributes only increases by two points, totaling only 10 points. Yet, the novice gift box surprisingly grants 100 points! What does this mean? If we exclude the factor that basic cultivation methods will later enhance the basic attribute points, it is equivalent to directly leveling up by 10 levels
I didn't expect that this system is quite comprehensive, and it even offers a beginner's gift box
Basic Attributes
Compared to the allocation of one hundred basic attribute points, the secondary profession of culinary arts piqued Zhou Xing's interest even more. The Zhou family has a long-standing culinary tradition; during the invasion of the Eight-Nation Alliance, when the Empress Dowager toured the West, his great-grandfather reportedly took charge of the imperial meals. By the time it reached his grandfather's generation, although he no longer worked as a chef, he was a well-known gourmet in the Four-Nine City. His father and he are both top-notch food enthusiasts. His second sister learned a unique style of cooking and went abroad to open a restaurant, successfully impressing the French, who all gave a thumbs up and exclaimed: "good, china!"
Zhou Yi felt a great joy in his heart, forgetting that he was still in a public place. As soon as the thought arose, he quickly entered the system interface
Each item is followed by detailed explanations. For instance, the knife skills category includes both the techniques for cutting on the red and white chopping boards, as well as carving skills. The fire control category encompasses various cooking techniques such as frying, sautéing, boiling, steaming, and more. As for ingredient identification, it goes without saying that it is an essential skill for chefs, but the nuances in Zhou Yi are even more refined. If presented with a duck, he can discern its ancestral origin, place of residence, actual living location, age down to the days, level of activity, whether it is in breeding condition, whether it is a male or female, if there are any hidden ailments, or if it has any extramarital affairs, and so on. This level of ingredient identification is indeed a fundamental skill for chefs, but the intricacies in Zhou Yi are even more profound. If given a duck now, he can identify its ancestral origin, place of residence, actual living location, age down to the days, level of activity, whether it is in breeding condition, whether it is a male or female, if there are any hidden ailments, or if it has any extramarital affairs, and so forth. This is truly thorough.
Zhu Xiaohua was about to finish an entire plate of fragrant marinated meat when she noticed that Zhou Yi was lost in thought
At the bottom of the character attributes screen, a new shining option indeed appeared, prominently displaying the words "Culinary Skills"; additionally, in the middle of the screen, there floated a rectangular brocade box, which should be the novice gift box
The final purification of this ingredient represents an extraordinary ability. With this skill, Zhou Yi can transform inferior ingredients into superior ones. For instance, fish that have been artificially raised and fed contraceptives can be converted into first-grade wild fish after Zhou Yi employs this skill. Similarly, genetically modified soybeans can be transformed into pure, organic, and healthy soybeans. With this remarkable skill, a chef can create a state banquet even from a pile of rotten fish and spoiled meat.
Without further ado, just look at the knife skills; each slice of meat is uniform in thickness and size, akin to the mastery of chefs in the island nation who specialize in sashimi. Now, observe the fragrant rice paste drizzled over the meat slices, bright red and translucent, thick yet non-sticky. This must be made from high-quality red rice wine. The selection, steaming, and brewing processes for this rice paste are incredibly intricate and demonstrate exceptional craftsmanship, far surpassing the inferior rice paste sold for a few yuan per pound at roadside stalls.
I will give it a try
With this background, the Book of Changes unhesitatingly chose culinary arts. The system prompts again: "Secondary profession: Culinary Arts, with a total of 9 levels. There are two upgrade modes available: 1. Gradual upgrade mode, where the first level requires 2 points in Root Bone and 2 points in Comprehension. The points required for each subsequent level will gradually increase. The advantage is that when the base attribute points are low, one can quickly master this secondary profession, and after upgrading, the base attribute points remain unchanged, allowing for continued accumulation. The disadvantage is that it consumes a lot of attribute points; for instance, to reach the ninth level of the Great Culinary Master, a total of 100 points in Root Bone and 100 points in Comprehension are required!" The advantage is that when the base attribute points are low, one can quickly master this secondary profession, and after upgrading, the base attribute points remain unchanged, allowing for continued accumulation. The disadvantage is that it consumes a lot of attribute points; for instance, to reach the ninth level of the Great Culinary Master, a total of 100 points in Root Bone and 100 points in Comprehension are required!
As soon as the thought stirred in the Book of Changes, the gift box vanished in a burst of colorful light. The system notification sound rang out again: "You have received 100 basic attribute allocation points, which can be used at any time." Following this, a pouch marked with the Arabic numeral 100 appeared in the item bar below the character's attributes.