Wayne was busy filming "Employment Guidance 06: Mapo Tofu," and Red had already urged him twice to update.
Wayne's account was close to reaching the 100,000 follower milestone, and this episode was particularly crucial.
Because the previous episode on essential oil care had been somewhat niche, that video's views hadn't reached one million.
So Wayne still needed one more million-view video.
Food videos remained universally appealing.
However, before that, the appearance of Lance and the discussion about the Master League had nearly consumed Wayne's attention.
Fortunately, Cynthia's questioning voice prevented Wayne from getting lost in the group chat.
From Cynthia's perspective, Wayne kept smiling at his screen, so it was natural for her to be curious.
"I'm chatting with Red, Green, and Silver. Silver is asking for trouble, and Lance is discussing the Master League," Wayne explained.
Wayne showed Cynthia the chat interface of [Did You Battle Today?].
Whitney and Silver were exchanging heated words there, which ended with both of them being muted.
Cynthia couldn't help but smile. She had never officially met Silver, but she had heard of him.
No wonder Wayne seemed so familiar with Red and Green.
Now Cynthia finally understood the connection.
"I was also just reviewing the new Master League document," Cynthia said.
Cynthia opened the document Riley had sent her and showed it to Wayne.
Compared to what Lance had verbally described, this document was considerably lengthy.
Since the content was essentially the same, Wayne didn't read it in detail.
Unlike Wayne, as a regional Champion, Cynthia was required to participate in the Master League.
Of course, Cynthia was participating voluntarily.
Cynthia still maintained a remarkably high level of enthusiasm for Pokemon battles and for becoming the strongest Trainer.
Although Red hadn't participated for many seasons, which Cynthia found deeply regrettable.
This time, the establishment of the Master League, besides representing commercial changes, was also meant to make the competition more vibrant and see if any variables could emerge.
Cynthia did not invite Wayne to participate in the Master League, as Wayne currently hadn't even assembled a team of six Pokemon.
If Wayne expressed a desire to participate, Cynthia could use her Champion authority to invite him.
Cynthia considered for a moment that given Wayne's familiarity with Green and the others, securing participation wouldn't be difficult.
Outside the window, Alan and Incineroar were engaged in a silent, intense close-quarters battle.
Are we making food or not?!
Alan roared internally while wrestling with Incineroar!
They were the regular taste-testers.
Claire had originally been one too, but this time she had refused.
One reason was Cynthia's presence, and another was that she had eaten Mapo Tofu for two consecutive days and would gain weight.
Fortunately, the Master League matter was set aside, and Wayne finally began making Mapo Tofu.
Wayne was already proficient in preparing Mapo Tofu.
Cynthia watched from an angle not captured by the camera.
"Today, I'm teaching you Mapo Tofu. This dish has crucial characteristics: it's numbing, spicy, fresh, fragrant, hot, tender, and smooth."
"First, trim the outer skin of the tofu, then cut it into uniform small cubes, and mince the beef into small pieces."
"Add salt to water and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat. This step removes the beany smell and also makes the tofu firmer and more flavorful."
"Once boiled, let it soak on the side."
"As usual, I've placed the precise ingredient measurements in grams on the screen, so screenshot it if you need it."
"First, stir-fry the minced beef. Add cooking wine, a little salt, and soy sauce for color."
While Wayne stir-fried the minced beef, Cynthia gradually detected the aroma, and she could clearly observe the minced meat crisping up.
"This is why this dish has a crispy element—crispy and fragrant."
When Wayne removed the beef from the wok, he specifically filmed the crispy minced beef in the oil.
"The only concern is that it's heavy on oil and salt. It's delicious, but I recommend eating it in moderation."
"Continue with plenty of oil... stir constantly over low heat, finally add chili powder, then add enough broth to cover all the tofu."
Wayne thickened the sauce three times before serving.
The regular taste-testers immediately appeared.
Alan, Incineroar, and Lucario appeared one after another.
To avoid disturbing Cynthia and Wayne's time together, Alan forcibly prevented Incineroar from entering.
This nearly led to a full-blown brawl outside.
Although Cynthia was present, Wayne did not ask her to appear as a guest.
If Cynthia participated, this video would instantly go viral.
Cynthia, as a Champion combining both popularity and strength, did not maintain her own social media account.
This made her fans feel quite regretful, as there was no way to learn more about their idol.
Cynthia did not eat this time.
Wayne had already mentioned during filming that this dish was heavy on oil and salt, so it was better to eat less of it, as it would lead to weight gain.
The filming concluded there. Wayne still needed to edit and upload it that evening.
After asking Alan to take the Mapo Tofu out to share with everyone, Wayne immediately began making Poffins.
Poffins could be consumed by both humans and Pokemon.
Compared to Energy Cubes, Poffins were more like biscuits.
After tasting the Poffins Wayne made, Cynthia commented, "They are indeed not as good as your Energy Cubes and Pokemon food."
Her feedback was very objective.
[Ding! Gained 9 Poffin proficiency points]
"I'll practice diligently. It's not too late to feed them to Garchomp and the others once the quality improves."
Poffins themselves could sell for a good price, and their market prospects were even broader than Energy Cubes.
Cynthia nodded. "Alright, then for now, stick with Pokemon food and Energy Cubes."
Alternating between them would also prevent Garchomp and the others from tiring of eating the same thing.
Cynthia wanted only perfect-quality Energy Cubes.
For Wayne, fulfilling this was quite simple.
He would sell the high-quality ones normally, while the perfect-quality ones would be sold to Cynthia or fed to Lucario and the others.
For deliveries, they had decided that Dragapult would make a fixed delivery once every weekend.
Even though Cynthia was wealthy, Wayne still gave her a discounted price.
Cynthia gladly accepted.
Given the relationship between their two families, there was no need to maintain excessive formality.
The next day, at Jubilife Breeding Center.
Wayne was browsing Eevee Video Network.
The new Mapo Tofu episode had received high praise, with many celebrities bearing the Eevee verification badge, such as Red and Brock, commenting below.
However, this time, the most eye-catching comment came from the account named [Professor Oak's Backyard].
"Master Ball, capture!"
"My two favorite content creators are in the same frame!"
Thanks to Professor Oak's influence, Wayne's account successfully reached 100,000 followers.
A million video views were just around the corner.
Wayne estimated that his second-stage mission would be completed within the next day or two.
Cynthia's arrival had inadvertently helped Wayne solve a problem.
Because Coronet Breeding House had engaged in a price war, offering 50% off everything, it had created a certain impact on the Breeding Center's business.
However, all of this was resolved when Wayne performed the coarse salt sand bath for Garchomp yesterday.
"Welcome! What would you like to book?"
This had become the most frequently spoken phrase by Kinsley and Gardevoir at the front desk.
The Breeding Center had become incredibly popular because of Cynthia!