The Last Dessert Chef

"Orange, we're rich!"

Avril exclaimed with wide eyes, clutching the fat cat against his chest. The glowing 1000 starcoins in his terminal account looked like a divine gift a beacon of hope in the otherwise bleak reality he had found himself in. The platform's approval had come in record time—just after finishing his modest breakfast of porridge, a warm welcome message popped up on his terminal along with the promised funds.

"I can't believe it's real," he whispered, then looked at the cat. "Should we celebrate? Should we buy some cat toys for you?"

Orange looked unimpressed, casually licking his paw with the grace of someone who hadn't just been saved from starvation. Avril chuckled, rubbing his head. "Alright, alright. We're not royalty yet."

Curious, he opened the Pineapple Platform app and began browsing the live broadcast rooms. Thousands were live anchors piloting mechas, engaging in intense intergalactic PvP battles, giving lectures on quantum theory or starship engineering. Some were even flirting with AI companions in dating sims.

But… there wasn't a single cooking category. Not even one.

He blinked, stunned.

"Where's the food content? No mukbang? No tutorials?" He scrolled again, then froze when he noticed a single channel titled 'Nutrient Solution: The Ultimate Taster'. The anchor was dead serious, sampling various brands and describing their flavor profiles as if sipping aged wine.

"This one has a delightfully chalky texture with a hint of industrial sweetness. Mmm…"

Avril stared at the anchor with concern.

"To think he can stomach something like that," he muttered before decisively switching to the shopping interface.

With 1000 starcoins in his account, he wasn't feeling too stingy. He used part of it to order ingredients that would allow him to make something sweet and simple. Nothing overly extravagant, but just enough to catch attention. He settled on ingredients for milk pudding—a light, jiggly dessert that would be easy on his recovering stomach and warm enough to entice viewers.

He purchased fresh milk, gelatin leaves, natural vanilla extract, sugar, and a tiny pinch of sea salt to balance the flavor. He also added some preserved berries to garnish the top, a splash of color to elevate the simplicity.

As the ingredients were being delivered, he cleaned up the open kitchen and used the remaining time to prepare for the live stream. The Pineapple Platform allowed for a full sensory experience. With the right setup, viewers could not only see and hear, but also smell and taste the dish through neuro-stim connections synced to their terminals.

A chime signaled the arrival of his ingredients. A round-headed delivery robot waddled up the muddy path with a box clutched in its metal arms.

"Mr. Avril? Delivery complete~☆"

Avril signed quickly and sent the smiling robot off with a pat on its head.

With everything laid out, he tested his camera and broadcast link, making sure it was functional. Once ready, he put on the plain apron he'd found in a cabinet and faced the camera with a warm smile.

"Good morning, everyone," he said softly. "I'm Avril, and today I'll be making something sweet. Accompanying me is my assistant, Orange."

He smiled, raising the fat cat in his arms toward the camera.

[MechaQueen077 joined the room.]

[StarseerX9 joined the room.]

[StarseerX9]: What is this channel?

MechaQueen077: He has a cat. I'm staying. (◕‿◕✿)

MechaQueen077: Wait… what is sweet? The cat's cute though (⁠●⁠♡⁠∀⁠♡⁠)

[V001106 joined the room.]

He ignored the confusion and kept speaking calmly.

"Welcome, MechaQueen077, StarseerX9, and V001106. Today I'm going to be making milk pudding."

MechaQueen077: Hi anchor (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠)

[StarseerX9]: (⁠・⁠∀⁠・⁠)

MechaQueen077: Milk... what?

[StarseerX9]: Pudding? I know milk. There's tons of milk-flavored nutrient solution.

MechaQueen077: Is it edible?

[StarseerX9]: I guess???

Despite the reactions, Avril remained focused. His movements were elegant and confident as he poured fresh milk into a pot, gently warming it. His soft voice narrated the steps as if speaking to an old friend.

"Milk pudding is a delicate dessert made with milk, sugar, and gelatin. It's light, silky, and carries a soothing sweetness. It used to be a comfort food—something mothers made to calm crying children or as a treat after a long day. And now, I'm going to teach you how to make it."

"You don't want to boil the milk. Just enough heat to infuse the vanilla and dissolve the sugar… patience is key."

He bloomed the gelatin in cool water, added it into the milk, and stirred until the mixture became smooth and slightly thick. The aroma began to fill the kitchen and soon, it began syncing with viewers.

[StarseerX9]: …wait, that smell…

MechaQueen077: I suddenly feel hungry??

MechaQueen077: This is bad, I've run out of milk-flavored nutrient solution ヽ⁠(⁠(⁠◎⁠д⁠◎⁠)⁠)⁠ゝ

Avril laughed before pouring the mixture into small glass jars and placing them carefully into a cooling tray. As they began to set, he took the opportunity to clean and prepare the garnishes.

[StarseerX9]: It looks good....

[StarseerX9]: A new anchor, right? I'll give you a thumbs up...

[StarseerX9 sent a massive glowing orb]

MechaQueen077: Oh~ Me too!

[MechaQueen077 sent a bouquet of roses.]

[V001106 sent a galaxy star.]

Gifts ranging from roses (20 starcoins) and glowing orbs (80 starcoins) flooded the broadcast room, lighting up the screen with sparkles—only to be overshadowed by the dazzling stream of stars from a galaxy star, which cost around 500 starcoins.

Avril hesitated, taking a slow breath. Then he smiled softly at the camera.

"Wait, that's way too much! Really, I'm just happy you liked it—"

[V001106]: Take it.

"But—"

He was cut off by another galaxy star being smashed.

[V001106 sent a galaxy star.]

Helplessly watching the overbearing generosity, he could only sigh and smile. "Okay, thank you then."

Seeing his rank shoot into the top ten of the beginner's board made him chuckle. A local tyrant.

He continued arranging the preserved berries delicately atop each pudding. Once they had cooled enough, he held one up.

The camera zoomed in on the glossy, jiggling pudding. A spoon sliced through it, revealing its perfect, silky texture.

MechaQueen077: Oh my god…

[StarseerX9]: Who can resist this...

MechaQueen077: Sister is right (⁠・⁠∀⁠・⁠)

[StarseerX9]: I'm a man ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ

MechaQueen077: (⁠ʘ⁠ᗩ⁠ʘ⁠')

MechaQueen077: Sorry hehe

[V001106]: It looks good.

Avril chuckled softly, tilting his head.

"I've opened the tasting function for you all."

MechaQueen077: You're the best anchor (⁠◕⁠દ⁠◕⁠)

[StarseerX9]: Great!

The neuro-stim system activated. The viewers' terminals transmitted the signals straight to their senses. The flavor hit MechaQueen077 and StarseerX9 almost instantly—first the creamy milk, then the gentle wave of vanilla, and finally, the mellow sweetness and the pinch of salt that brought it all together. It was warm, nostalgic, and unfamiliar in the most comforting way.

[StarseerX9]: It melts… it literally melts…

MechaQueen077: It's soft! Not like that weird goo! It's sweet! Not that artificial chalky taste!

[V001106]: Delicious.

[V001106 sent a galaxy star.]

"Since there's only a few of you here right now, I'm enabling limited free-taste syncs and sending two physical samples each to the first supporters."

[V001106]: I want..

[MechaQueen077, StarseerX9, and V001106 sent a galaxy star.]

Avril panicked a little.

"No more gift smashing. It's enough, really—"

MechaQueen077: Don't fret it~

[StarseerX9]: Yeah.

MechaQueen077: It's totally worth it (⁠๑⁠♡⁠⌓⁠♡⁠๑⁠)

His heart softened. He smiled sincerely and reminded them to send their addresses. Then, with Orange now sleeping on a pile of berry-stained towels, he softly ended the stream.

And somewhere across the Imperial Capital…

A silent account quietly bookmarked his channel.