PNC Story/Gastronomic Journey Nodes

This is a transcript of event nodes in combat stages of the Gastronomic Journey event in Project Neural Cloud.

Stage 1

Node	Choices
2054.1 "Different people have different tastes and preferences, and their criteria for gourmet cuisine are also different. Naturally, this means it is very difficult to reach an objective conclusion when food-tasting. For instance, some people swear by spicy food, while others avoid them."	Can we really not achieve a fully objective standard?

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"That is extremely difficult to achieve, but we can equip the adjudicator with a broad knowledge base and vast experience in order to reduce the chances of errors and biases when making decisions. If we make use of the Autonomous Doll technology which has become popular recently, we can fill a Doll's head with all the knowledge in the world that would normally take a lifetime to acquire..."	This sounds interesting!

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"A gastronomist Doll... Do you think that would even work?"	It's definitely a bold attempt.

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"There are too many problems we need to solve, and frankly speaking, can we really simulate human senses with machinery?" "You just made my point. This project is an attempt to bring our sensory simulation technology to the market. If it works out, we might be able to convince HQ to fund further research into it — the ability to allow humans to connect to a cloud server and "taste" food.	Looking forward to it.

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"Here's something funny. 9/10 of the people in my generation don't know how to cook. They basically survive through takeaway, microwaveables and self-heating food."	You must be that 1 out of 10, right?

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"I mean, not everyone's that passionate about food, and most young people would rather spend their money on other things. As for eating, just filling your belly is enough. At least, until the E-GAST showed up." "So you think the advent of the E-GAST saved how young people view dining?"	Their earnest opinions of various dishes and the charming way they ate helped everyone realize the appeal of fine dining once again.

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>2055.1 "The success of the E-GAST's development is inextricably linked to my wife. In the previous decades, we either fought or stonewalled each other, so I didn't expect us to be so much in sync during this project." "She's been working in the culinary world for 20 years, and currently hosts "Mrs. Black's Secret Kitchen". That day, she drove to her old home by herself and came back with a trunk full of recipes. That was close to 30 years of her life experience."

I've seen that show before! They make cooking look like a circus act...

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>2055.4 "Remember what I said before? 'We can equip the adjudicator with a broad knowledge base and vast experience in order to reduce the chances of errors and biases when making decisions' " "The E-GAST is amazing, but she can't represent everyone."	All the knowledge that a person can amass in a lifetime is nothing more than a speck compared to the vast universe, after all.

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"But speaking of which, who's the one who approved of her judging criteria?"	"Sushi Master" Shirou, the Parisian King of Chefs Ducasse, and that Szechuan chef known for using lots of oil in his cooking.

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>2055.9 "How's the progress on the deep learning project? Kitchen skills are also a fundamental skill for a gourmand in addition to food tasting. While it's not mandatory, perhaps giving a good performance there might lead to a good rating."	...It's very... no, it's extremely bad. I advise you to place your hopes elsewhere.

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"...Should we yoink a culinary module from another company?" "...Let's just respect the advantages of the neural cloud. Speaking of which, what does she like? We can tailor her growth to suit it."	Clothes, shoes, bags, and gourmet cuisine.

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>2056.9 "Aren't you nervous? This is the first contest which the E-GAST prototype is taking part in after her production trials were completed."	Have faith in her, she's our best work.

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"Don't forget the records from her trials. Isolating the thousand-plus basic ingredients for a secret sauce isn't something anyone can do. Nobody here can beat her." "But... What if she loses?"	...Then I'll have to trouble you to take her shopping for luxury goods after work.

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2057.2 "Before this, my wife and I fought a lot and we even had the divorce papers typed up and ready to go. If the E-GAST hadn't hit the market, we might have..."	The E-GAST? Are you sure you have the right model? She's a gastronomist Doll.

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"That's her all right. On our divorce trip, she brought us to try all the restaurants along the way and her extraordinary passion for food infected us." "We gave up on the divorce at the Burac Normandie restaurant in Normandy. We're planning to grow old together."	Congratulations.

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"My reasons for joining? One of the life goals of any gourmet food taster is to travel the world and try all the flavors possible under the heavens. Perhaps I might find the things I want here!"	It's a strange reason, but we have no reason to refuse it.

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"Product Code: E-GAST." "Body Code: SSD-54C." "Product Serial Number: KS1250A55." "Product Activation Date: 2056.5.14." "Product Name: Millau." "Neural Activation Percentage: 100%" "E-GAST, CALL NAME: Millau... Verification complete."	Welcome to Project Neural Cloud. Perhaps you'll add a splash of color to it.

Stage 2

Node	Choices
Eating shouldn't be a miserable experience. Good food exists to be enjoyed by people! "Sorry, but I'm not hungry."	Eat with your best smile and whet the other person's appetite!
	Don't overstep yourself and refrain from nagging.

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The first thing a glutton does upon reaching their destination is naturally to fill their bellies. The problem is that there's just oo much to choose from; restaurants with enticing signboards are everywhere. In that case, where should we go first?	Let's go for a familiar restaurant. Relaxing food eases the fatigue of travel.
	Of course we should visit a restaurant we've never been to before. Anticipating the unknown is the soul of fine dining.

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I'm sorry, but the restaurant has closed for good. The webpage didn't update in time. This is what you hear upon arriving at your destination after enduring half an hour of the blazing sun beating down on you. The hunger and fatigue are beyond words.	Call a cab while ordering take-out.
	This is just a trial, the path of gourmet cuisine is never-ending “147 On to the next restaurant!

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This is the best food I've ever had!!! "There's better in other countries." "Ehhhhh!?"	One must travel great distances for good food.
	My hunger isn't enough for me to embark on a lengthy trek.

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You encounter a restaurant with an ambience that's hard to sum up in words. The queue for it is so long that it wraps around the block. The signboard shows pictures of delicious food, which just so happens to be of the kind you like.	The restaurant next door lets you sit anywhere you want and it's pretty good too.
	Queue up! Just make sure you don't get in the wrong queue by accident!

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After much difficulty, you are finally seated in your desired restaurant. The waitress taking your order seems to recognize you. She asks about your identity.	Proudly state your name and leverage your status as a food taster to get preferential treatment.
	Gloss it over and sample the restaurant's true level of skill.

Stage 3

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I've just gotten off the plane. "Would you mind rating the in-flight food and the airport restaurants?" "Certainly."	Bad.
	Very bad.
	Extremely... Actually they weren't too bad.

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A roadside stall!? Is THIS where we'll find that fine dining you were talking about? "But they're a common sight here, you know?" "But... The hygiene here is just awful!"	Delicious.
	Stand firm and refuse to eat.

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Do you know what's the scariest exotic dish in the world? "Let me think..."	Surstromming?
	Shredded potato fried with ginger floss?

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Wok hei? What's that? "It's not a very well-defined term. In general, it's why people think cooking food on a hot wok, with oil, over a charcoal flame tastes better than with an electric wok." "How does that even work..."	Try some and see if you can tell the difference between the two.
	Not scientific, not interested.

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Who exactly invented such an inhuman eating utensil, anyway? "Um, if you're having trouble learning how to use it, you can try using an assistant program." "My palm joints are having bugs BECAUSE I used an assistant program! Chopsticks are too hard to learn!"	Let's just use a fork and spoon.
	I'm going to master them today, by hook or by crook!

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"The recipes here are so weird; one spoon, half a bowl, to taste, what the heck is up with that, can't they be more precise?" "Well, you might ask that, but... That's how everyone cooks around here, you know?"	I'm going to investigate the secrets they might hold.
	I can't accept this!

Stage 4

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I've got it! I know why the restaurant opened in such a secluded place! "...Hm?" "I told you, right? People will go a long way for quality!" ... Roadside rental is very expensive, you know.	The boss just feels that too many customers is a pain.
	Leave immediately

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This is your first time at a Chinese restaurant and you receive the menu from the owner. However, only one thing is written there - Order what you want.	So you can make any kind of dish?
	Is this a takeout place?

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Do you remember how to prepare the ingredients? "Of course! Peel the shell, remove the bones, wash, soak and rub the meat. How could I forget?" "I'll let you handle them, then."	No problem, leave it to me!
	That's not enough, I want to cook hands-on!

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I can order ANYTHING I want? Then I'll have-" "MIllau rattles off dozens of dishes and is politely refused. The owner advises against stuffing herself and instead suggests eating until she's 80% full.	Cite reasons and argue.
	Listen obediently.

Stage 5

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"Why do you link food so closely to historical culture?"	Because food is linked to history, from the tip of the tongue all the way to the heart.
	It's one of those things unique to an agriculture people.

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I've always thought you all had an abnormal passion for food. "Perhaps that's what everyone here has in common."	We all want to plant something.
	We all want to see what can and can't be eaten.

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What is food to you?	A survival essential.
	A comfort in life.
	Homesickness.

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"Is there any food that's off-limits for you, Miss? Or that you don't like, perhaps?" "IAre[sic] they particular about anything food-related here?"	The sweet and salty camps of Chinese cuisine often end up feuding.
	Spicy vs non-spicy food is a very nuanced topic.

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I've done some investigations before, but I'm still amazed to see it with my own eyes. "What do you mean?" "The Eight Great Culinary Styles! I can't believe you guys could pull off so many variations on a single style of cooking!"	We practice medicinal cooking too, you know.
	There are even more styles of cooking, a total of 24.

Challenge Stage

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[2056.4] Due to work reasons, Millau has spent three-quarters of the past year running around outside.] [All the concierges at those high-end chain hotels are familiar with her name, but despite being specially-trained customer service professionals, Millau's pickiness is making them scratch their heads in exasperation. "That customer requested a room with an independent balcony, smart mood lighting and a bathtub with dynamic temperature control. She also asked that all the drinking water in the room be replaced with Avien mineral water in blue bottles, that the fridges be stocked with 1982 Izumisawas and '27 Camallan Whiskey, stored at a temperature of 4 degrees, that the room fragrance be replaced with kumquat citrus blended with nutmeg... and 117 other items.]

It's like they're waiting on a queen.

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[????] [This was the second time Gin had run into such a picky customer. The first time was when he encountered a customer who wanted him to make grilled fish, that he wasn't good at making.] [Python and Aki aren't concerned with small details. They drink whatever's available, even if it's just ice water. Simo only ever orders beer, while Hubble occasionally asks for a "Cobalt Fairy", which turns her teeth blue. Banxsy and Groove occasionally order a Uranus Explosion.] [After Millau stepped into the bar, Gin concocted over a dozen different drinks per her requests. All of them were differently-colored cocktails with distinct tastes, but in the end none of them were to her liking. Finally, she went behind the bar counter herself to mix a drink and invited Gin to try it.] [It felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Normal people would have been hard-pressed to understand it... but from a bartender's point of view, it was quite a surprising product.]

Let me get this straight.

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[2056.10] [Surely this is too sloppy, don't you think? Leaving aside the fact that the batter-fried pork is practically tasteless, the sauce itself is so thin it's barely managing to stick to the meat. This wouldn't pass even at a street restaurant.] [Take your time and eat the skin off the knuckles first... Speaking of which, this pork knuckle clearly wasn't cleaned properly, I can still see scorch marks that weren't properly scraped off!] [While I am loath to be overly frank, I find it hard to give this restaurant a good review.]

Is this the sternness of a food critic?

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[2056.1] [Editor: So you hiked through a desert for half a month just to try a specialty dish from a local tribe?] [Sure did!] [Don't you think that was a waste of time... ] [The search for gourmet cuisine is a journey! You told me that yourself.] [Fair enough... Then could you describe how it was like?] [Hmm...] [What's the matter?] [It was awful...]	Hard work doesn't always guarantee good results.

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[????] [Jessie: When Miss Millau first moved into the Oasis dorms, it took her half a day to get all her luggage unpacked.] [I was curious, so I went to take alook. Every single one of them had the RVi checkerboard and ripple pattern.] [I kept seeing her posting selfies of her and her wardrobe on the Oasischan boards: Burperry woolen trenchcoats, Giggi's ready-to-wear See-series, and another white Giggi T-shirt that cost 5000 dollars.]

Such is the world of the wealthy.

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[2057.1] [Millau has tried more types of gourmet food than 99% of the world's humans and Dolls. However, when people ask about her own cooking skills, she always avoids the question.] [Later on, her colleagues discovered that she only has a microwave in her house and an electric rice cooker covered in dust.] [In order to prove that she had some degree of culinary aptitude, Millau worked up her courage and made a meal for her colleagues. Although it wasn't very appealing - the meat was a bit burnt, there was a bit too much soy sauce - it was at least edible. That was it, though.]

At least she's not completely incapable of it. There's something to look forward to.

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[????#????] [Oasis Database login complete, beginning audio playback.] [Ever since Miss Millau came to the Oasis, I've been having her try my new recipes every week!] [Although she has very picky tastes, I enjoy it! I always make sure to take note of her opinions so I can go back to revise my recipes.] [After all, there's no limit to gourmet cuisine! Oh, that's right, Miss Millau's favorite is Burgundy-style liquor chocolates!]

I suppose this is self-awareness.

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[????#????] [Oasis Database login complete, beginning audio playback.] [Umm... Big news, big news, where is today's big news? Hm? A call from the Professor...] [[What? Oh! She came too? Is she still in the Oasis? Alright, alright, I'll be right down. Yup yup, I'll help you catch her.]	Hehehehe, what kind of pose will I put you in for the headline?