Chapter Twenty-Three: The Streamer Is Inhuman

Hua Yun moved with impressive speed. After a quick splash of water, the Carp-Pig beast, which had looked quite unappealing moments ago, took on an entirely different appearance.

—Wow! The streamer is so efficient! I don't know why, but watching her scale that fish makes me want to try it myself. My hands are itching!
—I don't get it either, but why am I so mesmerized watching someone descale a fish?

Fortunately, Hua Yun couldn't see these comments; otherwise, she would have had to tell them about the netizens in her previous world who were obsessed with watching videos of horses getting shod or sheep being sheared—such strange hobbies.

—What do I do? I want a Carp-Pig beast in front of me right now!
—Wake up, buddy! This thing is incredibly fishy!

Once Hua Yun finished processing the meat, she cut it into several pieces.

"The Carp-Pig meat is now approaching a safe level," Hua Yun said as she sent the meat for testing. "Everyone, take a look at the report!"

—Wow! It’s actually true!
—So what if it's true? It’s so fishy, it’s better off being turned into nutrient paste!

The flavor of nutrient paste is often tied to its raw ingredients. The Carp-Pig beast is a common species in the interstellar era, and the nutrient paste made from it is the most widespread and cheapest option—and its taste is... extremely mediocre.

"Everyone, take a look at these items in my hands; they will help us remove the fishy smell from the meat!" Hua Yun held up a few mud-covered objects. Never underestimate the power of a true foodie. These were substitutes for ingredients she had used in her past life.

"I call this wild ginger. I’ve already planted some, and it’s excellent for neutralizing the gamey odor," she explained, beginning to prepare ginger water to marinate the meat. "And these are other ingredients I’ve prepared. That patch of land over there is currently growing them." Because the ingredients she bought directly from the StarNet had to be treated with her supernatural abilities, she saved seeds from everything she found.

"Since some of the other seasonings are still in the development stage, I’ll stick to something simple this time." Interstellar culinary knowledge was severely fragmented, including seasonings. Aside from basic salt, sugar, and a few spices, everything else had to be crafted from scratch. Hua Yun hoped they would forgive her for not being omnipotent; she couldn't conjure everything at once. Fortunately, she had her system, which provided recipes and helped her locate suitable substitutes within the interstellar landscape. Without it, even the cleverest housewife couldn't cook without rice.

Though she called it "simple," it was only simple within the constraints of their current conditions.

"Students of the Culinary Academy should be very familiar with this—it’s just common salt," Hua Yun said, introducing the ingredients as she picked them up. "And this is a low-alcohol spirit I bought on the StarNet."

In truth, Hua Yun didn't quite understand why alcohol had survived as a tradition, but she had tasted it—it was far inferior to the spirits of her past life!

—What? Alcohol? You can cook with that?
—To be honest, I don't even understand what "seasoning" means!
—What do I do? She’s explaining everything in such detail; she’s actually trying to teach us!
—Grandstanding! Nonsense!

Various opinions flooded the chat, but Hua Yun ignored them all. She finished marinating the fish, then heated the pan and added oil. She felt a pang of heartache as she watched the oil; this was vegetable oil she had painstakingly extracted from tea fruit gathered on the barren mountains. After several failed attempts, this was all she had managed to save. As for animal fat... the beasts she had caught so far had almost no fat on them, so where would she get it?

Still, she had to maintain a smile in front of the camera. Hua Yun poured the oil into the pan, appearing as if she didn't care at all.

—I don't know why, but I feel like the streamer’s hand is shaking!
—Is she scared? Scared of failing? Scared of being exposed as a fraud?

"Once the oil reaches the right temperature, we can drop the marinated Carp-Pig meat in to fry," Hua Yun said, sensing the heat above the pan. Finding it perfect, she tossed in the meat, which she had carefully patted dry. "You must pay attention here: you have to wipe off the surface moisture, or it will splatter and could hurt someone."

—What a joke. I'm afraid of getting hurt? Have you heard of defensive clothing?
—I've worn a defensive suit to drift through space; are you telling me I should be afraid of this?
—The streamer is such a coward!

Hua Yun had been contemplating whether to turn on the scent-sharing feature, as the aroma of frying meat was truly divine. Just as she was about to toggle it, she saw the comments. She paused for a moment. Indeed, there was nothing technology couldn't solve, especially regarding security—the interstellar society was armed to the teeth.

"I’m turning on the scent-sharing now. If you're curious about the smell, you can click 'agree,'" Hua Yun said. The interstellar interface was very user-friendly; this feature was a mutual choice between the streamer and the viewers.

—Wait, is it on? What do I do? Now that it's here, I'm actually scared to click it!

"JustBeConfident" thought, *What is there to be afraid of? I'll do it!* He had received a package from Hua Yun yesterday. Besides the cabbage, there was a small bag of something unrecognizable. It smelled amazing, but he hadn't dared to eat it. He wasn't a genius with psychic powers, but his older brother was! Who knew if someone who couldn't take down his brother might try to get to him instead? For the sake of safety, he hadn't touched it, but the aroma was torture. He had tried to message Hua Yun to ask, but she hadn't replied. Seeing her livestream today, he had come to ask, but the chat was moving so fast his message vanished.

Moreover, Hua Yun wasn't constantly staring at the screen answering questions like she had at the start; she was busy with her tasks. Consequently, "JustBeConfident" found himself watching her farm, listening to the soothing music, and watching her teach, inexplicably forgetting what he even wanted to ask.

He clicked "agree." A rich, savory aroma rushed toward him, and he couldn't help but sniff the air. *What do I do? It smells even better than that mystery bag at home!*

—So fragrant! I think I finally understand those descriptions of Blue Star cuisine!
—My mouth is watering! I really want to try it!
—Did you all turn on the scent-sharing?

While some were still hesitating, they saw the chat filled with exaggerated descriptions of the scent.

—Is she being paid to advertise this? This stuff is supposed to be fishy!
—Why don't you try it and find out for yourself?
—If you spent less time typing, you'd know the answer by now.
—Guys, it's real. I turned it on. There’s really no fishy smell at all; it smells incredible, and it's making me so impatient to taste it.
—Is it really that magical?

A crowd of people tried turning on the scent-sharing.

—I want to taste it, I really do!

"Everyone, wait a moment, it’ll be ready soon!" Hua Yun scooped out the Carp-Pig meat and adjusted the heat.

—Is it done? Am I about to taste it?

But the next second, they watched as Hua Yun poured the meat back into the hot oil.

—Ahhh! Why?! This is torture!
—The streamer is cruel! Why would she pour it back in?