Lust System: I will Cuck Everyone

"Did you hear that the Peninsula Hotel’s new Executive Head Chef is just some completely uneducated, random kid who somehow bought his way into the board of directors?" a wealthy, overweight food critic sneered loudly, as he swirled a glass of vintage champagne.

"He is actively courting death if he genuinely believes his massive bank account can compete with literal Michelin-starred grandmasters," a rival hotel owner agreed maliciously, crossing his arms with a deeply jealous smirk.

"I heard he is just a broke college graduate who got lucky with some shady crypto investments," a younger, arrogant heir mocked softly, eager to watch a newcomer fail.

"But who even is this Rick Smith? Has anyone in our circle actually seen his face?" a highly surgically enhanced socialite asked, fanning herself curiously with a gilded event program.

"He is probably too terrified to even show up, because money absolutely cannot buy heaven-defying culinary skills, so he is definitely going to humiliate himself on live television," another critic scoffed loudly, completely failing to see Mount Tai.

Before the arrogant murmurs could escalate any further, the heavy, gold-trimmed double doors of the Peninsula Hotel’s grand ballroom were pushed wide open, as Chairwoman Victoria elegantly stepped into the blinding flashes of the high-definition broadcast cameras.

She wore a breathtakingly tight, dark navy designer evening gown that perfectly hugged her mature, wide hips and heavily emphasized her massive, heaving breasts, completely radiating the freezing, untouchable aura of a true corporate queen as the elite crowd instantly parted to give her space.

Exactly ten seconds later, the loud, chaotic chatter in the massive room instantly died down into a dead silence, as Rick casually strolled into the grand ballroom.

Rick wore a crisp, perfectly tailored black Executive Chef uniform that flawlessly hugged his broad, system-enhanced shoulders, completely radiating the suffocating, terrifying aura of a literal god descending among mortals, as he entirely ignored the flashing cameras and the condescending sneers of the rival chefs surrounding him.

But instead of walking directly to his designated premium prep station, Rick casually stopped right in front of Victoria, completely ignoring the thousands of eyes actively watching them on the live global broadcast.

"You look absolutely breathtaking tonight, Victoria," Rick murmured smoothly, his deep voice carrying a dominant, unapologetic flirtatiousness as he boldly reached out and gently traced his rough knuckles down the bare, pale skin of her arm, "Make sure you save your entire appetite strictly for me."

The surrounding elite crowd gasped softly, as rapid, shocked whispers violently erupted across the ballroom, because absolutely nobody had ever dared to touch the freezing Ice Queen in public.

But Victoria did not flinch or pull away, as she simply offered him a flawless, highly elegant smile, completely maintaining her pristine corporate composure while politely allowing his dominant touch without a single hint of resistance.

"I expect nothing less than absolute perfection from your kitchen tonight, Mr. Smith," Victoria replied gracefully, her ice-blue eyes shining with a deep, hidden warmth that completely defied her usual icy persona.

Sitting at the very center of the elevated, highly prestigious judge’s table was Lexi, looking stunning in a plunging dark red gown, but as she watched the intimate, flirtatious exchange, her manicured fingernails dug aggressively into her grading clipboard.

A massive wave of pure, unadulterated jealousy violently twisted Lexi’s stomach, as her thick thighs clamped tightly together under the table, because she desperately wanted his dark, predatory attention focused entirely on her, completely hating that he was publicly flirting with the Chairwoman.

Just as Rick finally stepped away from Victoria and walked up to his pristine, stainless-steel cutting board, a sharp, mechanical chime violently echoed directly inside his skull, completely cutting through the loud, bustling noise of the massive grand ballroom.

[Ding! Summit Quest Triggered: The Culinary Emperor!] [Objective: A true apex predator does not just compete; he completely slaughters the opposition! Win the International Culinary Summit by an undeniable landslide, absolutely humiliating every single rival chef, and cement the Peninsula Hotel as the undisputed king of the culinary world!] [Rewards: +8% Chef Class Completion Progress, +3000 Mischief Points, & Unlocking of the Ultimate Master-Tier Recipe!]

Rick read the glowing blue text floating in his vision, as a dark, highly arrogant smirk completely stretched across his face, entirely ready to claim the massive rewards, but as he looked down at his prep station, his expression instantly turned completely dead and flat.

Resting on a bed of crushed ice was the legendary, hundred-thousand-dollar Emperor Bluefin Tuna that he had violently won from Julian at the Neptune Platinum Market, sitting alongside a sealed container of extremely rare Alba white truffles.

But the absolute second Rick stepped within three feet of the premium ingredients, his newly acquired ’Absolute Taste’ passive skill violently activated, as his system-enhanced senses went into absolute, terrifying overdrive.

A microscopic, highly acidic, and deeply unnatural chemical scent instantly assaulted his brain, completely bypassing his normal olfactory senses, as the system instantly broke down the exact molecular structure of the foreign substance lingering in the air directly above his cutting board.

Rick did not even need to physically touch the fish, because his brain instantly identified the colorless, odorless liquid that had been hastily sprayed over his ingredients as a highly concentrated, industrial-grade bowel-toxin, strictly designed to make anyone who consumed it violently and uncontrollably void their bowels within mere minutes.

George’s underground syndicate and Victoria’s pathetic, gambling-addicted husband had actually managed to bypass Marcus’s heavy security lockdown at the loading docks, completely switching to a desperate backup plan by bribing someone already inside the kitchen to poison the food, fully intending to completely humiliate Rick and destroy the hotel’s global reputation on live television.

Rick’s deadpan eyes coldly scanned the massive ballroom, completely ignoring the flashing cameras and the cheering crowd, as his predatory gaze instantly locked onto a sweating, highly nervous sous-chef standing near the back exit of the service corridor.

This disguised rat was frantically packing his knife roll with shaking hands, his face completely pale and covered in cold sweat, desperately trying to slip out the heavy wooden doors before the official cooking timer began, because he knew the absolute carnage his poison was about to cause.

Rick casually stepped away from his prep station, moving with terrifying, phantom-like speed that completely bypassed the tracking of the live broadcast cameras, as he effortlessly weaved through the massive crowd of busy servers, intercepting the saboteur right before the man could reach the exit.

"You should not have done this."