50: Chapter 50 Tofu Pudding or Oli Gei?

Without bothering to take in the surrounding atmosphere, Mo Yufei's gaze swept directly across the entire cafeteria, and he quickly found the food synthesis machine he had been longing for.

In the center of the cafeteria, dozens of all-silver smart devices were neatly arranged. Their bodies had smooth, clean lines and a faint matte texture on the surface, without any complicated buttons.

These devices were like meticulously carved works of art, exuding the charm of future technology under the soft lighting.

The front of each machine was embedded with a massive holographic touchscreen, its edges perfectly integrated with the body, as if it had grown naturally out of the metal.

The base of the device adopted a levitating design, hovering slightly off the ground, giving it a light and ethereal feel.

Mo Yufei observed closely and could even spot tiny, spirally arranged cooling vents hidden on the side of the body, which ensured functionality without sacrificing aesthetics.

According to Wang Chen, these devices were interconnected via an invisible energy field, forming an intelligent network system.

They could share data in real-time, optimize cooking processes, and ensure that every portion of food reached the highest quality.

This highly integrated design not only saved space but also greatly improved efficiency, showcasing the infinite possibilities of future technology.

The machine in front of Mo Yufei projected a massive, ultra-clear holographic touchscreen. On the screen, brightly colored illustrations of dishes scrolled by—hot dishes, cold dishes, seafood, desserts, soups and porridges, and staples—all categorized, densely covering over a thousand flavors.

From home-cooked stir-fries to exquisite Western cuisine, from local specialties to exotic dishes, everything was available, making one's head spin.

Wang Chen led Mo Yufei to one of the machines and introduced it with a smile: "This is the most popular smart food synthesizer currently available. It operates entirely on molecular synthesis technology and nutritional ratio programs."

"The database contains recipes from all over the world. Whatever you want to eat, just order it, and it can be made in a few minutes. You can even adjust the saltiness and spiciness according to your taste, or even customize special meals like low-sugar or low-fat options. It's so much more convenient than traditional cooking."

Mo Yufei leaned in half a step, staring at the machine without blinking, his eyes filled with curiosity and exploration, completely forgetting his hunger.

He looked at the machine's surface, which showed no traces of food storage, and wondered in his heart how this cold piece of technology could conjure up steaming hot food out of thin air.

At Wang Chen's signal, he tentatively reached out and lightly touched the holographic screen. As soon as his fingertip landed, the screen immediately lit up with a soft blue light. The dish options instantly enlarged, and the interface was simple and easy to understand, with no complex barrier to entry.

He casually ordered a signature braised pork rice. As soon as he confirmed the order and brought his wristband close to the machine, a "ding" sounded, and the payment was successful.

A slight hum came from inside the machine, and the synthesis chamber at the bottom slowly began to operate. There was no oily smoke, no noisy cooking sounds, and in just three short minutes, the output slot at the front of the machine gently popped open.

A steaming, fragrant bowl of braised pork rice was steadily delivered. The rice grains were plump and crystal clear, the braised pork was soft and flavorful, drenched in thick gravy—it looked even more exquisite than something cooked by hand.

Mo Yufei held the tray, feeling completely stunned. He looked down at the food synthesized by the machine, then looked up at the smart device before him, finally truly feeling the magic of modern technology.

Wang Chen watched his surprised expression and said with a smile: "Take your time looking and choosing. Whatever you want to eat, just order it. These machines are fully automated, clean, and fast. Today, just enjoy the fun of high-tech dining."

Mo Yufei nodded, his gaze still glued to the food synthesizer, his heart filled with wonder, as he held his tray and picked out his favorite dishes.

At the same time, he observed the machine's operating process with great interest, completely immersed in this unprecedented high-tech dining experience.

Carrying the freshly synthesized braised pork rice, Mo Yufei didn't rush to eat. His gaze still lingered on the rows of silver-white food synthesizers, the wonder in his eyes not yet faded.

Suddenly, his heart stirred, and an idea dropped into his mind like a small pebble.

"I wonder if the synthesizers here can make special food from Earth? You know, the snacks common back home."

As the words left his lips, a steaming bowl of tofu pudding instantly popped into his mind, the snow-white, tender tofu curds soaking in clear broth.

It was the street flavor he missed most from his childhood. He also remembered the endless debate on Earth between sweet and savory—he had loved the sweet version as a child, anyway.

Some preferred the savory version, drizzled with soy sauce and vinegar, sprinkled with diced pickled mustard greens, dried shrimp, scallions, and cilantro, then topped with a spoonful of chili oil—savory, spicy, warming, and satisfying.

Others loved the sweet version, scooped with sugar water, or drizzled with osmanthus honey or brown sugar syrup—light, sweet, soft, and glutinous, filling the mouth with sweetness.

Both sides held their own opinions, arguing livelily, but both were flavors of home engraved in their bones.

Back on Earth, he would always struggle whenever he ate tofu pudding; the savory one was flavorful, the sweet one was refreshing—he could never get tired of either.

But in this new world with advanced technology, everything eaten was precisely proportioned molecularly synthesized food; even the aroma of the food carried a standardized scent.

Mo Yufei didn't know if the synthesizers here could make it sweet or savory, or if they could recreate that sense of "human touch" from the streets of Earth.

Wang Chen was busy choosing dishes, but hearing this, he looked up at him. Seeing the faint nostalgia in his eyes, he smiled and pointed to the holographic screen of the synthesizer.

"Of course there is. The database contains quite a few traditional snacks; classic items like tofu pudding are definitely there. You can find it by searching the name directly."

"As for the flavor, the machine lets you choose freely. It can make both sweet and savory, and you can even customize the toppings. It's exactly the same as the original version from Earth."

Mo Yufei couldn't wait to lean in toward the iridescent holographic screen, full of anticipation, wanting to confirm those familiar three characters: "Tofu Pudding".

However, when his gaze focused on the screen, his previously excited expression instantly froze.

What met his eyes were not the Chinese characters he knew, but strings of flowing, flickering, and complexly structured strange symbols.

These symbols looked like some kind of high-dimensional code made of light points and geometric lines. They didn't have the horizontal and vertical strokes of Chinese characters, nor did they possess any radicals he could understand. To him, they were as obscure and incomprehensible as a heavenly book.

He subconsciously raised his wrist and looked at his smart bracelet.

On the light blue light screen projected by the bracelet, the three ancient Chinese characters for "Tofu Pudding" were clearly displayed. It was the biological language translation system that Wang Chen had specially set up for him, allowing him to communicate in daily life without any obstacles.

But at this moment, this food synthesizer in the cafeteria, which was aimed at the general public, clearly wasn't equipped with an automatic translation plugin.

The machine's interface used the universal standard language by default and did not automatically adapt to the language protocol on Mo Yufei's bracelet.

Mo Yufei was stunned for a moment. Looking at those completely incomprehensible symbols on the screen, he helplessly scratched his head.

He turned around and said to Wang Chen: "Um... I don't recognize the symbols on here at all."

Mo Yufei gestured with both hands, trying hard to search his mind for the most appropriate adjectives: "Just imagine, it's something made of beans, snow-white like freshly solidified milk."

"The texture is very soft and tender, one might even say fragile. It wobbles tremblingly at the slightest touch of a spoon, melts in your mouth, and slides down your throat without needing much chewing."

"Made of beans, white... I understand. You must be talking about White Cloud Soup!" Wang Chen nodded thoughtfully and began to operate the holographic screen.

The screen instantly skipped to a new page, and clear options popped up. A picture of snow-white tofu pudding appeared. On the left was the savory flavor, with pictures of pickled mustard greens, dried shrimp, and chili oil all fully displayed.

On the right was the sweet flavor, accompanied by crystal-clear sugar granules and osmanthus honey, with "Customizable Toppings" marked below.

Looking at the picture options, he couldn't help but smile, and the homesickness in his heart softened for a moment.

Mo Yufei's fingertip lightly tapped the tofu pudding option on the virtual screen. The next second, the interface instantly refreshed and jumped. Densely packed flavor options covered the entire holographic screen—surprisingly, over two hundred flavors popped up at once.

Wang Chen looked at the function settings and said to Mo Yufei: "This machine can connect to your language protocol. I'll help you connect it now, otherwise you won't be able to understand how to choose. What do you want to eat?"

Under Wang Chen's operation, the connection was successful. The runes on the screen were immediately translated. The categories were clearly displayed: Traditional Classics, Creative Trends, Interstellar Specials, and Ancient Recreations, all neatly arranged by category.

Mo Yufei saw the most common flavors from Earth: original white sugar, brown sugar, osmanthus honey, and ginger syrup sweet tofu pudding.

There were also savory varieties: pickled mustard greens with shredded pork, shiitake mushroom with fresh vegetables, spicy chili oil, and dried shrimp with seaweed.

There were even novel flavors Mo Yufei had never seen before: fruit-flavored bean curd, creamy caramel, interstellar nectar, and psionic grain blends—a wide variety that made one's head spin.

Mo Yufei was stunned on the spot, frozen in place. His gaze swept back and forth among the two hundred plus flavors; he never expected that tofu pudding in this era could have so many variations.

He originally just wanted to find a simple and plain bowl of sweet tofu pudding to reminisce about the old flavors of Earth, but looking at the countless flavors filling the screen, he was momentarily dazzled.

Mo Yufei looked at the wide variety of flavors filling the screen and suddenly had trouble choosing; he had absolutely no idea which one to pick.

He simply couldn't be bothered to look closely and randomly pressed the digital touch bar twice, inputting a number purely based on intuition.

The moment he pressed confirm, the screen interface jumped violently, and a single locked flavor entry popped up.

Mo Yufei subconsciously looked up. The moment his gaze swept over the text, he froze on the spot, instantly stunned.

He couldn't believe his eyes. He quickly raised his hand to rub his eyes, leaned closer to the holographic screen, and carefully read it twice more. He confirmed it word for word—it clearly read five big characters: "Poop-flavored Tofu Pudding".

He was completely dumbfounded, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly, his face full of disbelief.

He couldn't help but complain wildly in his heart: It was fine that there were sweet and savory tofu puddings.

But among the two hundred plus fancy flavors, to think that such an outrageous and bizarre variety was hidden in there—who exactly developed this flavor? It was just absurdly absurd.

He quickly reached out and pulled Wang Chen, who was beside him, dragging him to his side. He pointed at the "Poop-flavored Tofu Pudding" entry displayed on the screen, his face full of disbelief, his tone carrying a sense of bewildered laughter.

"Look, look! I just pressed two random numbers, and it actually brought up such a bizarre flavor."

"I just want to ask, can this thing actually be made? Or is it just a prank option made up randomly by the system?"