Chapter Thirty-Seven: Driving the Big Truck

Soon after, Heath found the so-called mobile kitchen prototype on his little street cart. It was an extremely compact and miniature food truck, looking just like a model car from his previous life. Yes, the kind made to scale after real vehicles, not the kind with long-legged models beside them.

“This thing…” Heath looked at the miniature car in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and decided to put it away. Out here, he worried that opening it might cause some troublesome issues. After all, a brand-new food truck suddenly appearing before him would look rather suspicious.

As lunchtime approached, Heath found himself busy again. This time, he launched a roast duck special: fried rice and savory pancakes could now be ordered with roast duck for an extra ten Alliance coins per serving. He’d thought the roast duck would take some time to sell out, but the customers’ enthusiasm far exceeded his expectations and soon every last piece was gone.

“Incredible.” Heath beamed at the money in his pocket. He suddenly realized the advantages of having a Scallion Duck trained in the culinary arts—when traveling to other cities or opening a restaurant, the duck could be a great help. It was, in its own way, a unique Pokémon assistant.

After the lunch rush, Heath packed up his cart with Scallion Duck and Zorua and headed home. Between this time and dinner, there were hardly any people around.

Once he reached the dormitory area, Heath couldn’t wait to take out the little food truck. He stared at it, torn about how to activate it. After some thought, he set the truck on the ground and poked it. Nothing happened.

“Trainer, what are you doing?” Zorua hopped off Heath’s shoulder, curious, and pawed at the truck.

“Nothing. This is my food truck—I’m trying to figure out how to open it.” Heath picked up Zorua, enjoying the soft, fluffy feel.

No sooner had Heath finished speaking than the food truck suddenly expanded, swelling rapidly before his astonished eyes until it reached the size of a camper van.

“Eh? Eh? Eh?” Zorua was stunned by the transformation. How had the tiny truck turned into this huge one? It looked just like the one she’d touched a moment ago.

Heath opened his mouth, then silently pulled the truck’s door open and stepped inside. He wanted to see what kind of gift his golden finger had bestowed upon him.

A quick inspection left Heath even more bewildered—the size wasn’t enormous, but the design amazed him. All the kitchen equipment he could need was there: a roast duck oven, and even some niche devices he didn’t recognize. What pleased Heath most was the giant refrigerator and freezer; if he took this food truck out, he wouldn’t need to bring anything else a chef might need.

The only drawback was that it was purely a food truck; everything was designed for cooking, with no bed or bathroom. Even so, Heath was thoroughly satisfied.

Yet despite his satisfaction, Heath was now troubled by how to explain the sudden appearance of the food truck—he doubted even Officer Maple would believe it.

As he fretted, Heath noticed a red button next to the chopping board, labeled “Reasonable.” Curious, he pressed it.

He was instantly ejected, and the food truck vanished. As Heath stared blankly, wondering if his golden finger had malfunctioned, his phone rang.

Heath pulled out his cheap phone—a hand-me-down from Sister Maple after she upgraded. It was enough for his needs; calls and texts sufficed.

“Hello?” Heath answered.

“Hello, is this Mr. Heath?” a pleasant female voice asked. Heath thought she could easily be a voice actress.

After confirming his identity, the girl happily informed Heath that he’d won the latest experimental mobile food truck, Model I, from the Silph Company, and they needed his delivery information.

In his previous life, Heath would have scoffed at such outdated scams, but after what had just happened—and the “Reasonable” button—he quietly provided his details.

Afterward, the girl told Heath he would receive his prize before the end of the day.

He hung up, still a bit dazed by the sudden surprise, but it also put him at ease. His golden finger was clearly powerful if it could pull off something like this.

By dinner time, Heath finally received his prize—the food truck from his golden finger, identical in every way except the “Reasonable” button was gone.

Naturally, this drew the attention of the local TV station. Reporters from Evergreen City arrived to interview him, and Heath officially obtained a brand-new food truck through proper channels.

“Heath, I never expected you to have such luck,” Officer Maple remarked oddly. She’d always thought Heath was unlucky, and never imagined he’d win anything.

“Sister Maple… My luck isn’t that bad, honestly.” Heath smiled wryly, though he knew the win was thanks to his golden finger.

“This truck’s pretty nice… But Heath, do you have a driver’s license?” Officer Maple eyed the truck and asked offhandedly.

Heath paused. He really didn’t have a license.

“Oh? Little Heath doesn’t have one?” Officer Aya, watching the scene, flashed a brilliant smile.

A chill ran down Heath’s spine; he’d completely forgotten Aya was in charge of driver’s license exams and issuance.

“Right, Aya. Heath is yours now—make sure he learns how to drive safely.” Officer Maple patted her sister’s shoulder with satisfaction, while Heath looked nervously at the sly smile on Aya’s face.

“Of course~ I’ll make sure little Heath learns how to handle big vehicles properly~” Aya grinned mischievously at Heath.