Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Dinner

The autocab dropped Orion off at a shopping district near his apartment. 6:47 PM. The meeting had run longer than expected, but the results were worth it.

Before he left the Innovatia facility, he’d given Rene one final instruction.

“The AR BCI and full-dive VR designs are complete, right?” he’d asked through the earbuds while walking to the exit.

“Affirmative,” Rene had replied. “Both hardware specifications and software implementations are finalized.”

“Send the AR BCI specs to the manufacturing team. Tell them to start ordering materials and begin production immediately. I want units for every researcher and technician at the facility. It’ll fast-track productivity.”

“Understood. The AR BCI will allow holographic overlays for assembly tasks, experimental procedures, and real-time guidance. Combined with Aether OS and the scientific module, work efficiency should increase significantly.”

“Exactly. Someone assembling a reactor component will see holographic instructions showing them exactly where each piece goes, what tools to use, optimal techniques. No more consulting manuals or making mistakes.”

“I will transmit specifications now. The manufacturing team has the equipment and materials on-site. Production can begin tomorrow.”

“Good. Also send the full-dive VR specifications. Start production and packaging for both products. Store everything in the warehouse until we’re ready to launch commercially.”

“Acknowledged. Estimated production timeline: AR BCI units for facility staff ready in two weeks. Commercial inventory for both products ready in six weeks.”

“Perfect.”

Now, standing outside the grocery store, Orion’s phone buzzed. Message from Cassia.

Cassia: Working late. Looking at properties. Won’t be home until 8 or 9.

Orion: No problem. I’ll handle dinner.

He pocketed his phone and looked around. There was a grocery store across the street. Might as well grab fresh ingredients.

The store was busy—evening rush, people picking up food after work. Orion wandered through the aisles, grabbing vegetables, protein, spices. He had no idea what he was going to make, but Rene could figure it out.

Twenty minutes later, he walked out with two bags of groceries and caught another cab home.

HOME – 7:15 PM

The apartment was empty. Cassia busy. Nyla still at her group project. Just Orion and two bags of ingredients.

He set the bags on the kitchen counter and stared at them.

Problem: He couldn’t cook.

Well, he could make basic stuff. Scrambled eggs. Toast. Instant noodles. But actual cooking? The kind that required techniques and timing and flavor balancing? He’d never learned.

Cassia usually handled that. And when she was busy, they ordered takeout.

But now he had fresh ingredients and nobody home to cook them.

“Rene,” Orion said, putting on the earbuds. “I need help. I want to make dinner, but I’m a terrible cook.”

“I have access to comprehensive culinary databases,” Rene said. “I can provide step-by-step instructions.”

“Can you do better than that? Use the BCI. Show me what to do with holographic overlays. Guide me through the whole process.”

“Affirmative. Shall I design a recipe optimized for the ingredients you purchased?”

“Yeah. Make it good. Like, really good. Something that maximizes flavor and presentation.”

“Understood. Analyzing ingredients now… I have designed an optimal recipe. A fusion dish combining elements from multiple culinary traditions. The flavor profile is balanced for umami richness, aromatic complexity, and textural variety. Shall I begin guidance?”

“Do it.”

Orion’s vision shifted as the BCI activated. Holographic overlays appeared in his kitchen. Ingredient labels floated above each item. A virtual cutting board showed exactly where to place things. Knife angle guides appeared in his field of view.

“Begin by preparing the protein,” Rene’s voice said. “Remove the chicken breast from packaging. Place on cutting board.”

Orion followed the instructions. Grabbed the chicken, set it down.

A holographic outline appeared, showing exactly how to cut it. “Slice along this line. Thickness: 1.5 centimeters. Angle the knife 15 degrees.”

Orion picked up a knife. A glowing line appeared on the chicken, showing the exact path. He cut along it. The slice came out perfect.

“Good. Continue with remaining cuts.”

More glowing lines appeared. Orion followed each one. Within minutes, he had perfectly uniform chicken pieces.

“Now the vegetables. Dice the bell peppers into 2-centimeter cubes.”

Holographic grids appeared on the peppers, showing exactly where to cut. Orion followed the guides. Each cube came out identical.

“Mince the garlic. Press down and rock the knife in this motion.”

A holographic hand demonstrated the technique. Orion copied it. The garlic minced perfectly.

“Slice the onions using the following technique to minimize eye irritation…”

Orion worked through the prep. Vegetables chopped. Spices measured—holographic measuring guides showed exact amounts. Everything laid out perfectly.

“Heat the pan to 180°C. Pour oil in this pattern for even distribution.”

A temperature indicator appeared, showing the pan heating up. When it hit 180°C exactly, the indicator turned green. Orion poured oil, following the holographic pour pattern.

“Add chicken. Place pieces in these exact positions for optimal heat distribution.”

Glowing outlines showed where each piece should go. Orion placed them perfectly. The chicken sizzled.

“Flip after 90 seconds. Use this motion.”

A countdown timer appeared. At 90 seconds exactly, holographic hands demonstrated the flip technique. Orion copied it. The chicken flipped perfectly, golden-brown on the cooked side.

The guidance continued. Add garlic at the right moment. Aromatics released. Add vegetables in sequence for optimal texture. Spices timed for maximum flavor development.

Rene had designed the recipe to layer flavors. Each ingredient added at the precise moment to complement the others. Temperatures adjusted for different cooking stages. Timing down to the second.

“Deglaze the pan with wine. Pour in this spiral pattern, then reduce heat to 120°C.”

Orion followed the holographic guide. The wine hit the hot pan, steam rising, capturing all the flavors from the bottom.

“Add sauce components in this sequence: soy sauce base, aromatics, umami enhancers.”

More holographic guides. Orion added each ingredient exactly as shown. The sauce came together, glossy and rich.

“Final plating. Arrange components using these positions for visual balance and temperature optimization.”

The plate appeared in his vision with holographic outlines showing where each element should go. Rice here, chicken there, vegetables arranged in this pattern, sauce drizzled like this.

Orion plated the dish. It looked like something from a high-end restaurant. Perfect presentation, vibrant colors, steam rising.

“Garnish with micro-greens and sesame seeds in this pattern.”

Final touches. Orion added the garnishes. The dish transformed from “very good” to “professional chef quality.”

He stepped back and looked at what he’d created.

It was beautiful. Restaurant-grade. The kind of dish that would cost eighty credits at a fancy restaurant.

And he’d made it by following holographic instructions like a cooking video game.

“This is cheating,” Orion muttered.

“This is optimized culinary execution,” Rene corrected. “The techniques are standard. I simply provided precise guidance.”

The front door opened.

“I’m home,” Cassia called out.

Then she stopped. Orion could hear her inhale sharply.

“What is that smell?”

POV: CASSIA STARR

Cassia had spent three hours looking at mansions. Her feet hurt. Her head hurt from talking to real estate agents. She was exhausted.

But the moment she stepped into the apartment, fatigue vanished.

Something smelled incredible. Like restaurant-quality cooking. Rich, savory, complex. Herbs and perfectly cooked proteins and something that made her mouth water instantly.

“Who’s cooking?” she said aloud.

It couldn’t be Orion. He could barely make toast without burning it. And Nyla was still at her project. Had Orion ordered takeout? But this smelled too fresh.

She walked toward the kitchen cautiously.

Orion stood at the counter, wearing an apron she didn’t know they owned, carefully arranging a dish on a plate.

A gorgeous dish. Restaurant-presentation quality. Steam rising. Colors vibrant. Professional garnishes.

“Did you make this?” Cassia blurted out. “Or did you order it?”

Orion looked up and smiled. “Of course I made it. You’re back. Come sit down. You must be tired.”

“You made this.” Cassia stated it flatly, not quite believing.

“Yeah. Just finished. Try it.”

He set the plate at the table. Pulled out a chair for her.

Cassia sat slowly, still processing. Her son—her adopted son who had lived on instant noodles for twenty-one years—had apparently become a professional chef in the last six hours.

“When did you learn to cook?” she asked.

“Today, technically. Just try it.”

Cassia picked up her fork. The dish looked too good to eat. But the smell was irresistible.

She took a small bite.

Her mind went blank.

The flavors hit perfectly. Initial savory richness from the protein. Then complexity from the herbs and spices. Deep umami from the sauce. Subtle sweetness balancing everything. Each ingredient distinct but working together perfectly.

The texture was perfect too. Tender protein. Crisp vegetables with just the right bite. Sauce with ideal consistency.

It was the best thing she’d ever tasted.

Cassia took another bite. Then another. She couldn’t stop. The fork moved automatically, her brain too occupied with the incredible flavors.

Halfway through the plate, she realized she was crying.

“Are you okay?” Orion asked, concerned.

“I’ve never tasted anything like this,” Cassia said, her voice thick. “This is… this is…”

She couldn’t find words. Just kept eating.

“From now on, you’re doing all the cooking in this house,” she declared between bites.

Orion laughed. “Don’t get too excited. There’s still plenty more. I made enough for three people.”

He brought out more plates. The same incredible dish. Cassia barely slowed down.

Orion smiled as he watched his mother devour the food.

He hadn’t really made this. Not on his own. Rene had designed the recipe, calculated optimal techniques, guided every single movement through holographic overlays. He’d just followed instructions.

And he definitely didn’t have time to cook elaborate meals every day. Between building fusion reactors and running a technology company, cooking was low priority.

“I should build a robot chef,” Orion muttered.

“What?” Cassia asked, still eating.

“Nothing. Just thinking out loud.”

Actually… that wasn’t a bad idea. The RENE could guide a robot even better than a human. Perfect execution every time. Rene could design recipes optimized for nutrition and flavor. The robot could handle all the cooking automatically.

He’d add it to the project list. After the fusion reactor. After scaling up Aether OS distribution.

Maybe in a few months.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep