Chapter 6: The Mad Radish

“I’ll stop here with the basics for today. Next, I’ll teach you how to cut vegetables.” After a long while, Hu Dan Niu finally admitted he was tired. He picked up the kitchen knife with his right hand and pressed down on the radish with his left, saying, “Your posture when cutting is crucial. The hand holding the knife—the sharp edge, which does the cutting, should tilt slightly outward, away from your body, while the back of the knife, the side you’re gripping, should lean a bit inward, toward yourself. In short, you should slice with the knife at a slant…”

“NPC Novice Chef Hu Dan Niu wishes to activate the Beginner Knife Skills for player Chen Yun. Activate?”

Chen Yun, who had been listening intently, was startled. Then he remembered that his chef skills were still locked. He hurriedly repeated “confirm” in his mind.

“To activate Beginner Knife Skills, the player must pay NPC Hu Dan Niu a skill activation fee of 15 copper coins.”

What?

Chen Yun was dumbfounded—a skill activation fee? That was a new one. He’d heard of skill learning fees in games, but why change the name here? But he didn’t have a single cent on him. What now? Did this mean he couldn’t use the skill until he activated it? It couldn’t be that strict, could it?

“Alright, I’ve taught you all the steps. Try slicing the radish the way I showed you,” Hu Dan Niu said, handing the knife to Chen Yun.

“Oh…” Chen Yun took the knife, radish in his left hand, knife in his right, and aimed to cut.

The blade was pressing down on the radish, and he was using all his strength—but the problem was, it felt like he was cutting not a radish, but a steel plate!

No matter how hard he tried, no matter how he changed the angle, even when he switched from slicing to hacking, the radish didn’t show the slightest mark!

Hu Dan Niu stared in disbelief at Chen Yun, who was wildly chopping at the radish with the kitchen knife, and at the radish, which was making loud thumps but remained unscathed. For a moment, his entire understanding of reality was shattered.

Good heavens, is this really a radish? I, Hu Dan Niu, have been a chef for over twenty years, and I’ve never seen a radish this crazy. The knife can’t even scratch it? Are you sure you’re a radish and not a model made from specialized steel?

Breathless and sweating, Chen Yun put down the knife, cursing inwardly, “Fine! System, you win! You’re ruthless! I give up, alright?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Chen Yun saw his master gawking, mouth agape, and his heart skipped a beat—how was he going to explain this?

Then he spotted the trash bin on the floor, and a thought struck him. “Master, this radish is cursed. We’d better just throw it away.” With that, he grabbed the radish, about to toss it in the trash.

“Hold on! Let me see that.” Hu Dan Niu stopped him, snatching the “crazy radish” and inspecting it carefully.

He tapped it with his hand—no metallic sound. He felt the surface—nothing unusual. Finally, he gripped it with both hands and broke it in half, then gingerly took a bite. At last, he was certain—it was just a radish!

Hu Dan Niu looked at Chen Yun in confusion. “Chen, this is just a regular radish. I broke it with my hands. How could you not cut it with a knife?”

“Uh…” Cold sweat streamed down Chen Yun’s back. How was he supposed to explain this? Tell him the system was messing with him? If he really said that, Hu Dan Niu would send him straight to a mental hospital.

“Haha, Master, I was just joking with you. How could I not be able to cut a simple radish?” Chen Yun forced a laugh, quickly changing the subject. “Master, I just remembered—I’m new here and don’t have any daily essentials. Could I borrow some money to buy a few things?”

“If you hadn’t mentioned it, I’d have forgotten,” Hu Dan Niu replied, successfully distracted. He pulled out 100 copper coins and handed them over. “Our county’s living expenses are low—this should be enough. Head out the door and turn right, about two hundred meters down, there’s a supermarket. You can get what you need there.”

“Thank you, Master. I’ll pay you back as soon as I get my salary this month,” Chen Yun said gratefully.

“You’re my apprentice. No need to talk about paying me back. Go on, now,” Hu Dan Niu replied generously.

Chen Yun nodded and, as he slipped the coins into his pocket, a demonic voice echoed in his mind.

“Player Chen Yun has repaid the 90 copper coin debt within 24 hours. Subsequent penalties are cancelled.”

Feeling the mere ten copper coins left in his pocket, Chen Yun was on the verge of tears. Damn it, he should have seen this coming. With a system so stingy it would seize newbie gear for repayment, how could it not grab this money? Now, he couldn’t even afford daily necessities, let alone the 15 copper coins needed to activate the skill!

After informing the boss, Chen Yun followed his master’s directions to the supermarket and stood hesitantly at the entrance.

What should I do? I only have ten copper coins. What can I buy with that? If I come back with too little, my master will get suspicious. Why is it that when other people get a system, their lives take off, but with mine, it’s all hardship and suffering? Did I get a counterfeit system?

As he was agonizing, the shouts of street vendors around the supermarket caught his attention.

“Peeler for cucumbers! Guaranteed to take off all the skin—nothing left!”

“Spinning tops! Spin well, spin fast!”

“Belts for sale! Strong, durable, and cheap!”

Chen Yun found these cries increasingly familiar and suddenly slapped his thigh in realization.

Wait, isn’t this exactly what I used to see when traveling for work before I crossed over? These people are talented, setting up stalls right outside the supermarket!

He listened to the vendors for a while, but few people actually bought anything. Rubbing the ten coppers in his pocket, Chen Yun recalled the sales pitches he’d heard from vendors on trains before he crossed over. His eyes lit up—a plan for making money took shape in his mind.

He walked over to a young man selling belts. “Uncle, no one’s buying with your sales approach. Can’t you make it more interesting? Add some creativity?”

“Huh? It’s just a belt. What kind of creativity could there be? Whoever needs one will buy one,” the young man replied, confused.

“That’s why your business isn’t working out. Novels need a hook to attract readers, TV shows need highlights to draw viewers, and selling things needs unique advertising lines to do well.” Chen Yun continued, “Tell me, how many have you sold all morning?”

“Uh… less than ten…” the young man admitted sheepishly.

“Do you know why? It’s because your sales pitch isn’t effective! How about this—let’s work together?”

“How?” the young man asked, suddenly wary. Usually, strangers who wanted to “cooperate” were either fools or frauds. But this kid, who looked barely an adult but seemed smart, probably wasn’t a fool…but could he be a swindler?

“Here’s the deal. I’ll sell belts for you right here. If I sell fewer than twenty, I don’t want a cent—it’s all yours. If I sell more than twenty, we split the profits fifty-fifty. What do you say? Given your costs, you’ll still make money even after splitting with me,” Chen Yun said with a grin.

Huh? That’s an option? The young man eyed Chen Yun suspiciously. “Are you serious? You’re not tricking me, are you?”