Marvel Gashapon Maniac

3. Listening to Cocoa's songs while writing, I'm totally hyped! I'll always love Cocoa. But now I need to go and finish my drafts. See you tomorrow!

4. It seems some people were quite curious about the blonde hair design at the beginning of the story. Actually, it's mainly because when I was writing the synopsis, the protagonist was originally supposed to be a transformation story, but after thinking about it, I realized that transformation stories aren't as fun as multi-transformation stories, so I changed the synopsis. The original image was of the club president, so the blonde hair design was retained. Those who don't know the club president can see the image at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 31 Food War? No, just forced pretentiousness.

"This is the restaurant I was talking about." The car stopped in front of a Chinese restaurant.

Fu You, Steve, and Peter got out of the car.

After the battle, Fu You pretended to evacuate the crowd and then returned. Peter also found a place to take off his Spider-Man suit and pretended to be nearby to meet up with Fu You.

"A Chinese restaurant?" Steve looked at the sign at the entrance.

The Number One Building Under Heaven

"That's a really arrogant name, like a WWE wrestler standing on the street shouting that he's invincible," Peter grumbled, looking at the sign's name.

“Although your analogy is a bit subtle, this is indeed the best Chinese restaurant in New York.” Fu You shrugged.

Although he has the cheat-like ability of having a system recipe, in the end, without the recipe, he is just an ordinary person who cooks home-style dishes.

He had long wanted to try this Chinese restaurant, which was touted as the best in New York and required reservations for dining there.

"The reputation of Chinese restaurants is what matters. I went to great lengths to make a reservation, so let's try it together."

"Such a big restaurant, it's too much trouble for you to spend so much money."

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm not paying anyway." Just swipe Tony's card and it's done. It's just a bunch of dishes, and for a rich guy like Tony, it'll be back in a second.

The three pushed open the door and entered. The interior was indeed worthy of its reputation. The reception desk and the surrounding area were decorated with numerous wooden carvings, many yet not cluttered, with an antique style.

A small bridge connects the reception area to the lobby. At first glance, the tables and chairs in the lobby are all made of wood, and judging from their color, they are not ordinary wood.

This restaurant has a magical quality that makes you feel like you've stepped back in time. The decor is elegant without being extravagant, truly living up to its reputation as New York's premier Chinese restaurant.

“This…” Peter was stunned.

He was a poor man who had almost spent all his savings on materials to make his battle suit; he had never seen a hotel with such a grand display before.

Not only Peter, but even Steve was slightly surprised. Although he had seen many far more lavish scenes, such as a red-haired bald man leading an army to arrest him, this hotel was truly amazing in terms of its layout.

"Stop looking around, aren't you hungry? I've booked a private room, come on over." Fu You waved to the two people who were still standing at the door.

The three were led through the hall to the backyard by a waiter.

These are all small houses, and to ensure the best dining experience for diners, there are no private rooms, each with its own independent courtyard. Although they are not large, the houses are separated to ensure that they will not disturb each other.

"Number 444. This is the room, guest."

“Um, number 444.” Fu You looked at the door number. “I don’t really like this number.”

"Please rest assured, sir. This is the United States, and 666 is considered an unlucky number. Besides, all the other rooms have already been booked," the waiter explained to Fu You.

"No, I just feel that this number will bring a lot of trouble." Fu You scratched his head, not dwelling on the issue too much.

"Can't your restaurant make shumai made with three types of eggs: chicken eggs, preserved eggs, and crab eggs?"

Just as Fu You was about to enter the house, he heard a familiar voice not far away.

"Hmm?" Fu You looked towards the room next door and saw a familiar person talking to a waiter.

"Tony? You're here too?" Fu You asked in surprise.

"Hmm?" The figure who was talking to the waiter turned around upon hearing this; it was Tony.

"What a coincidence, so you're here with Miss Potts too." Fu You stepped forward and struck up a conversation with Tony.

"Fu You? Come on, come on, you've come at the right time. Waiter! Tell your chef to clear a stove." Tony's expression instantly brightened when he saw Fu You coming over, and he put his arm around Fu You's shoulder.

"Stop, stop, stop! What's going on here when we just met?" Fu You looked at the suddenly enthusiastic Tony and felt a little uneasy, so he quickly took a few steps back.

"Ahem, well... I was talking to Potts about your shumai earlier, and she was really curious about it," Tony said somewhat awkwardly.

"Then you had Jarvis search for the best Chinese restaurant in New York, and brought Miss Potts here, only to find that this restaurant didn't have that dish. Right?" Fu You interrupted Tony before he could finish speaking.

"So! This is where you'll have to step in. We can't rely on these people." Tony put his arm around Fu You's shoulder and smiled awkwardly.

Fu You could tell from his expression that he must have been bragging to Potts, and now he was in a difficult situation.

While the two were talking, Steve and Peter also came closer.

“Fu You, what’s this?” Steve asked.

“Oh, let me introduce you.” Fu You pointed to Tony: “Tony Stark, the owner of Stark Industries.”

"Hey," Tony greeted.

"This is Peter, Peter Parker. He's my friend," Fu You introduced Peter to Tony.

"You... hello, I'm Peter Parker. Mr. Iron Man, I know you. Your declaration at the press conference was really cool." Peter was a little excited and didn't know what to say when he saw the real Iron Man Tony Stark suddenly appear in front of him.

“Hey kid. Calm down. Even though you seem nervous talking to me, you’re absolutely right about how handsome I am,” Tony said with a smile.

"But you actually have friends?" Tony looked at Fu You strangely.

"...This is Steve, my neighbor. We're here today to celebrate his move." Fu You pretended not to hear and introduced Steve.

"What's your name?" Tony asked.

“Steve, Steve Rogers.” Steve held out his hand.

"Sharing a name with Captain America? That's really not a good thing." Tony shook hands with Steve, but frowned upon hearing the name.

“Indeed, having this name will cause a lot of trouble,” Steve replied with a smile.

"Excuse me, just as the three were exchanging pleasantries, a man dressed in a chef's uniform walked over."

"Hello, Mr. Stark, was that special dish you requested?"

“That’s right,” Tony replied, “but we don’t need you anymore, the others have already arrived.”

Tony patted Fu You on the shoulder, ignoring Fu You's expression that looked like he wanted to bite someone.

"So the chef has already arrived. Very well. Excuse my boldness, young man, would you mind having a culinary duel?"

"What?" Fu You was dumbfounded.

"A traditional event at Tianxia Diyi Lou is a monthly culinary duel between top chefs for diners to watch," the chef explained. "Even the Nakiri family from as far away in Japan has had a culinary duel with us here."

"Um...can I refuse?" Fu You asked timidly.

“No problem! I’ll take it for him!” Tony said loudly, then turned around and gave Fu You a smile.

You bastard! You just love making things worse!

1. I'm still asking for all sorts of things.

2. The original plan was to arrange for Tony and Captain America to meet beforehand, but after thinking for a long time about what would happen if they met... I ended up writing a cooking story. ??? How did I do that? Oh well, at least I achieved my goal.

3. Because my game differs from others that focus on combat or games like FGO and Valkyrie, all the characters in my game, except for the protagonist, are from the original world. Therefore, I tend to fill in transitional chapters with daily activities.

4. It's not that I can't write battle scenes, okay? Trust me!

Chapter 32 Who exactly are you, kid?

-

【Chinese Cuisine Showdown】

Let's use distinctive Chinese cuisine to showcase what truly creative cooking is to these declining Chinese chefs.

Settlement Rewards: 500 Data Energy, and 1-4 random gachas based on the evaluation score and creativity.

-

Fu You originally didn't intend to provoke the chefs of Tianxia Diyi Lou for no reason. After all, it was the largest Chinese restaurant in New York, and he had to give them some face.

“Sure, it’s just a friendly spar, isn’t it?” Fu You agreed immediately as soon as the quest appeared.

If you do well, you'll get 3 gashapon capsules, which is equivalent to 800 energy points from completing a mission. That's as much as I got from robbing gangsters for several days.

However, to consistently get a perfect score on this task, I need something new, so Fu You opened the interface and tried his luck.

"This way, please." The chef led Fu You and the others into the hall, and Tony also called over Potts, who was still inside.

There was a stage in the lobby. When Fu You and the others came in, they thought it was a place for some kind of performance. Now, two cooking stations have been set up there.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today you have come across a special day." A host dressed in elegant attire stood on the stage and said to the diners in the hall.

"This is?"

"Is it some kind of event?"

"This display of force, could it be...?"

The diners below were buzzing with discussion, and even many people in the private rooms at the back were led by the waiters to another area of ​​the main hall.

"This is a signature event of our Tianxia Diyi Lou restaurant, a culinary competition held once a month. We will invite a chef with distinctive skills and expertise to compete against our chefs at Tianxia Diyi Lou," the host explained.

"This culinary competition has three judges. First, let me introduce our head chef, Chef Wu Ziming!"

As the host introduced him, a young man wearing glasses on the judging panel stood up and bowed slightly to the audience. His scholarly demeanor made it hard to believe he was a chef, but his chef's uniform certainly proved it.

"And the second place goes to someone very familiar to New York diners: Iron Man, Tony Stark!"

Tony waved to the audience, while Potts, standing next to him, followed Chef Wu Ziming's example and stood up to bow slightly.

This was Tony's request. Although he was the one who would be judging the dishes, he asked that four dishes be prepared for Miss Potts and him to taste together.

"And then there's our randomly selected diner, Peter Parker." The host introduced the last judge, Peter, who had just been invited up.

Peter was flattered and stood up, bowing deeply. Although he had been a superhero for a while, this was the first time he had appeared at such a grand event.

"A professional chef, a celebrity, and an ordinary diner—these are the three directions for judging a food dish. The chef needs to conquer the taste buds of each of these three types of people to prove their skills, and the one with the highest score wins."

The host briefly explained the rules.

"Now let's introduce our two contestants." Fu You and another man dressed in a chef's uniform stepped onto the stage and each found a cooking station to stand at.

"This is Chef Li from Tianxia Diyi Lou. He graduated with excellent grades from Totsuki Culinary Academy and then trained in the Chinese culinary world for five years. Now he is participating in this competition as the head chef of Tianxia Diyi Lou."

The host changed the subject.

"And this is Mr. Fu You, whom Mr. Tony Stark calls a genius chef. According to Mr. Stark, he has top-notch culinary skills that are in no way inferior to the head chef."

Fu You was taken aback upon hearing this and looked at Tony.

Tony scratched his chin, awkwardly turned his head away to chat with Potts, pretending not to see anything.

"You bastard, Tony, you big talker." Fu You cursed inwardly, so the reason people came to him was because Tony was bragging.

"There are no restrictions on the subject matter for this dish. Please feel free to use your creativity. The waiters will help you find suitable ingredients." The host waved his hand, and several waiters stood behind each side.

"Alright! Let the cooking showdown begin!" A cheer erupted from the audience as the host announced this.

"Okay, although this is my first time trying it, I can't waste something I just drew. I hope I can handle this dish." Fu You calmed himself down and found the waiter.

Do you have sea bream here?

"Yes, please wait a moment." After listening to Fu You read out the various ingredients, the waiters made a note of them and went to fetch them.

"Hey kid. Don't be nervous." On the judges' panel, Tony looked at Peter, who was sitting there stiffly with nervousness, and patted him on the shoulder to comfort him.

“Thank you... Mr. Stark.” Peter shuddered and replied stiffly.

"Don't be so nervous, let's talk about who you think will win?" Tony looked at the shy young man in front of him and felt a little fond of him.

"I've never seen Fu You cook, but since Mr. Stark praised him personally, he must be very skilled."

“Well…I did try it once,” Tony said, his expression a little strange.

Fu You once cooked at his house, and she was even wearing a JK uniform. Tony still felt a little strange thinking about the scene.

Potts glanced at Tony's strange expression, a little curious, but didn't ask anything.

"Both parties selected their ingredients. Chef Li chose beef and some noodles, while Mr. Fu chose sea bream."

"I see, is it stir-fried river beef? His signature dish." Wu Ziming pushed up his glasses and said casually.

"Sea bream? Sea bream can be used to make shumai?" Tony asked curiously.