recognized

After Dirk left, Jake also departed from Kailomen. Compared to his relaxed mood when he arrived, leaving now left Jake feeling somewhat heavy-hearted.

Although he appeared nonchalant when facing Dirk's advice, Jake was indeed concerned. Due to the magic ring, he knew he wouldn't remain an ordinary person in the future. However, that was the future, not the present. At the moment, he was still weak, a bottom-tier individual who could only make a living by selling barbecues. Faced with someone like Carlton, he felt incredibly small.

Today's events also sobered Jake up from his earlier euphoria of making a large sum of money. Nine million was indeed a vast amount for an average person, and even for Jake, it was a cause for excitement.

However, placed before Carlton or even Dirk, that number would likely only mildly surprise them, but it wouldn't lead to any loss of composure.

Jake realized the vast gap between himself and Dirk, Carlton, and others. If he were to live within the realm of ordinary people, he would be fine. But that was clearly impossible. Leaving aside the matter of offending Carlton over Wendy, even if that wasn't the case, as he earned more money, he would inevitably attract attention from certain people. Not all of them would be as well-intentioned as Dirk, and some might be more like Carlton, eager to destroy him. Therefore, he had to become stronger. Only then could he protect what he had gained and ensure his safety.

Jake felt a sense of urgency for the first time. In the game world, he was always at ease and never in a hurry, knowing he was the only "player" in that world, and all its resources were his to claim. He could take his time. However, now, he couldn't afford to be leisurely. He had to be vigilant and pick up the pace to strengthen himself, enabling him to withstand attacks from others in the real world.

After leaving Kailomen, Jake bought some ingredients. Before he received that owed payment, he could only stick to making barbecues, even if he had other plans for the future. For now, he had to manage with what he had.

"Master, is this where you live?" Alan arrived at Jake's place as agreed.

After parting ways last night, Jake instructed Alan to come to his place the next afternoon to help with skewers. As the evening business picked up, they needed to prepare more skewers in advance, and Jake couldn't handle it alone. He had to rely on his newly acquired apprentice.

"Yes, come in," Jake said.

With Alan's help, they were indeed much faster. As the sky gradually darkened, Jake and Alan, carrying the prepared skewers and barbecue supplies, headed to the street in front of Princeton University.

As expected, when Jake and Alan arrived, some people were already waiting there. These people were now loyal fans of Jake's barbecue stand. They preferred to wait for Jake to appear rather than go to other shops. This situation naturally left the owners of other barbecue stands jealous and envious.

With Alan's assistance, their speed increased, and soon a crowd gathered around Jake's stall. Most people ate standing, but there were no complaints at all.

"Oh, why do I feel like I've seen this boss somewhere before?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it, he does look familiar. I feel like I've seen him somewhere."

"Exactly! I thought I was the only one feeling that way."

During the barbecue, a few Princeton University students eating there noticed that the person making the barbecue, Jake, seemed oddly familiar. Initially, they didn't pay much attention, but as they looked closer, they became more convinced of the familiarity.

"I remember now! He's the swimming instructor from the campus forum today!"

"That's right! I recognize him too! No wonder he looks so familiar. There were pictures of him on the campus forum."

"That's him! We've been eating here for days, and I never expected this boss to be a teacher from our school!"

"Classmate, what teacher are you talking about? What were you saying just now?"

"The guy making the barbecue, he's our Princeton University sports teacher! His pictures were posted on the campus forum today, and now we've recognized him."

"Teacher, why are you here selling barbecue?"

"Yeah, aren't you our school's sports teacher? Or is it just a resemblance, not the same person?"

"It's definitely the same person! I'm a hundred percent sure!"

Once the onlookers recognized Jake's identity, excitement erupted among the students. A teacher, especially a Princeton University teacher, selling barbecue here was indeed a piece of news worth sharing. Adding to that, Jake was teaching swimming classes for the female students, which made him stand out even more. Already a topic of attention, now that they knew about his other identity, curiosity grew.

Some students even took photos of Jake making barbecue and shared them on the campus forum, drawing even more attention from internet-savvy students. Facing the excited students, Jake had to calm them down to avoid any trouble. He quickly said, "Yes, I am indeed a sports teacher at Princeton University, but there's no rule saying a teacher can't sell barbecue."

"Of course, of course, you're right."

"It's like having a part-time job."

"Teacher, from now on, I'll only eat barbecue here. We have to support our own school's teacher!"

"Yes, support, definitely support!"

"Teacher, I never knew you had such a great physique and could make such delicious barbecue."

"Teacher, do you have a girlfriend?"

The students around Jake grew even more excited upon his confirmation. Although Jake wasn't their teacher, the fact that they were students and he was a teacher gave them a special feeling. No one felt that Jake's actions were disrespectful to his position as a teacher. In fact, they were all supportive and excited.

The news of Jake being a teacher and selling barbecue quickly spread among the students. Today, due to the swimming class incident, Jake had already gained considerable attention on the campus forum. Now, with the news of him selling barbecue added to the mix, it sparked even more discussions. Some students even rushed to the location from inside the campus just to see Jake.