The person who came out was a large man who was almost as rotund as a ball. He wore a white uniform and a white hat. At first glance, he looked like a chef, but upon closer inspection, there were some differences.
“This is our boss, Mr. Gao Dawei,” the store assistant introduced.
“How should we compete?” Ya’er asked Gao Dawei.
“I’ve recently developed a few types of chocolate. Try them together. Whoever can tell what ingredients I used will win if they guess correctly. If you don’t, you will be eliminated.” When Gao Dawei saw that Sweetie and Ya’er were staring at him, he hurriedly explained, “Don’t worry. The taste test this time is completely free. Whether you win or lose, you don’t have to pay a single cent.”
“That’s more like it. What if both of us are right?” Ya’er asked.
“It’s not that easy. I know the chocolate I made. Even I wouldn’t be able to tell if I hadn’t eaten them in advance,” Gao Dawei said. “Don’t worry, just eat it. I don’t think either of you will be able to get it all right.”
As he spoke, Gao Dawei entered the back room and soon brought out a plate of chocolate.
Zhou Wen wasn’t usually fond of snacks. His impression of chocolate was still those of black squarish bars.
However, the plate of chocolate that Gao Dawei brought out was different from the chocolate in Zhou Wen’s memory.
The chocolate was in the shape of a puppy, a gentleman playing a piano, and a chocolate that seemed to have a layer of snow over it. They looked exquisite.
Ya’er and Sweetie’s gazes were also attracted by the unique-looking chocolate. They looked eager to taste it.
Gao Dawei was very pleased with the three people’s reaction. He said proudly, “For absolute fairness, you have to taste the same kind of chocolate at the same time. Then, write your answer on a piece of paper and give it to me. I’ll be the judge.”
Gao Dawei got the shop assistant to bring paper, pen, and a knife specially used to cut chocolate.
“I call the first chocolate Snowy Mountain. Please try it.” Gao Dawei personally cut two pieces of the snow-covered spherical chocolate and placed them on a small plate before handing them to Ya’er and Sweetie.
Zhou Wen saw that sandwiched within the chocolate was white puffing that flowed out—it seemed to be ice cream.
Ya’er and Sweetie each tasted it. It was delicious. They finished it in a few chomps. Then, the two of them seemed to have an answer. They looked at each other and turned their heads. With their backs facing each other, they found a table and wrote their answers on the paper.
They almost finished writing the answer at the same time and handed them to Gao Dawei.
Gao Dawei took a closer look at their answers and nodded. “Not bad, both of you got it right. Apart from the cocoa and sugar in the chocolate, Snowy Mountain also uses condensed milk, honey, hazelnuts, and ice cream. You even managed to tell the dates that I used in extremely small amounts. Not bad, it seems that your sense of taste is very sensitive. However, don’t get haughty. This is just the simplest and most basic one. Most people can taste it. The ones later are each more difficult than the last. It won’t be that easy to guess.”
Seeing that Ya’er and Sweetie didn’t respond, Gao Dawei had no choice but to cough lightly to ease the awkwardness. He picked another chocolate and said, “This chocolate is called Nature’s Pianist. It’s my latest invention. Try it.”
Zhou Wen sized up the chocolate curiously. The pianist, bench, and piano formed an exquisite piece of art. It was a pity to eat it.
It was hard to imagine that such exquisite chocolate was made by a rotund man like Gao Dawei.
After the previous round, Zhou Wen had gained a little understanding of chocolate. The suit, bench, and piano were likely made from ordinary chocolate.
The person’s skin and piano’s white keys were likely made from milk.
Zhou Wen also knew that it was definitely not that simple. It was impossible for Gao Dawei to pose such a simple problem.
Sniffing, Zhou Wen seemed to detect a familiar smell. He carefully looked at the dark-colored chocolate and immediately made a discovery.
There seems to be something mixed in those dark areas. Zhou Wen only knew that there was something mixed in, but he didn’t know what it was. Although the taste was a little familiar, he couldn’t remember where he had tasted it before.
Ya’er and Sweetie both ate the chocolate that Gao Dawei had cut. Their faces were filled with satisfaction and happiness. One could imagine how delicious this chocolate must be.
This time, Sweetie immediately wrote the answer, but Ya’er hesitated.
Zhou Wen wasn’t worried that Ya’er would lose. He was just wondering what Sweetie was up to.
Ya’er lowered her head and thought for a while before finally writing down her answer. Meanwhile, Sweetie had already handed the answer to Gao Dawei.
Gao Dawei was surprised by their answers. “Cream and butter taste great, but they can easily mask other flavors. Most people’s taste buds are affected by the taste of chocolate and cream at the same time. Coupled with the rum and the cocoa powder sprinkled over it, it forms a complicated combination, making it difficult to notice the hint of black truffle hidden in it. Most people know that there is no black truffle in black truffle chocolate, but I did the opposite and deliberately added a small amount of black truffle. I didn’t expect you to taste it. What good taste buds you have.”
Only then did Zhou Wen remember that the familiar taste was black truffle. Once, Ouyang Lan had taken him out for a meal, and there were a few flakes of black truffle. Ouyang Lan had specially picked some for Zhou Wen to taste and told him that they were called black truffles.
However, Zhou Wen’s mind wasn’t on eating at that time. He was only thinking about how to clear the dungeons when he returned. Therefore, his memory was too vague. Furthermore, he ate very little—just a few thin slices—so he almost couldn’t recall it.
“It won’t be easy for you to guess the next chocolate.” Gao Dawei seemed very confident as he cut open the puppy-shaped chocolate.
He was rather careful when he sliced it, as though he was trying his best to control the cut. Then, he handed the two pieces of chocolate to Ya’er and Sweetie.
Due to their previous two experiences, Ya’er and Sweetie had greater anticipation for the next chocolate. The moment they received it, they couldn’t wait to bite it.
However, after the two of them took two bites, their expressions changed. They chewed slower and slower. Almost at the same time, they spat out the chocolate they had eaten.
“Ya’er, are you alright?” Although Zhou Wen didn’t eat it, he knew that something was wrong with the chocolate when he smelled it. He couldn’t help but stare at Gao Dawei, prepared to attack at any moment.
