Guan Xingchen’s group had barely settled at Xia’s Restaurant when they rushed back to the hotel where they were staying.
As the elevator doors closed, Guan Yi could no longer hold back and asked,
"Master, why the hurry to leave?"
Guan He, on the other hand, clutched her belly with a pained expression, "Yeah, Dad, we came back before even having lunch."
"We have a new mission," Guan Xingchen said.
Guan He and Guan Yi looked at each other, "Weren’t we here in Japan for that young Special Grade chef?"
"We obtained his confirmed information at the IGO Neon Department, and I had sent the data back to our country yesterday. Just now, I received a call from home telling me to cease all investigations into that young chef," Guan Xingchen said solemnly.
Guan Yi was confused; since they had confirmed the culinary tools and skills the other party possessed, shouldn’t they investigate further? They had just set their foot out, but now it seemed like they were hastily retracting it for some inexplicable reason.
"It’s a directive from the highest echelons of the Chinese Chef Association! We just follow orders," Guan Xingchen said.
The highest echelons of the Chinese Chef Association?
Guan He and Guan Yi fell silent as if stricken by a cold chill, swallowing all their questions.
The group took the elevator and returned to the hotel suite.
Unexpectedly, a Chinese man was already waiting early at the door and called out upon hearing footsteps, "Mr. Guan, it’s been a long time!"
Guan Xingchen welcomed the middle-aged man, dressed in a dark blue suit, into the suite’s small living room.
Guan He and Guan Yi voluntarily retreated to the inner room, leaving the two middle-aged men to talk in the living room.
"It seems like something big is about to happen."
The buzz-cut Guan Yi muttered.
"Yeah, I didn’t expect Uncle Qin to also be in Japan, he is from the Chinese Chef Association..." Guan He stopped mid-sentence, then both he and Guan Yi pricked up their ears, listening to the conversation outside.
Indistinctly, they heard mention of some legendary culinary tools...
The scene switches back to Xia’s Main Store.
A group gathered around a table in the store, with two steaming dishes of Chinese cuisine placed on the table.
Yuchuan Ayaka and Tiqie Eriina stood at one end, with their respective dishes in front of them.
Without a doubt, this was the setup for a cooking duel.
But, it was a private duel.
The instigator was Tiqie Eriina.
Relieved by the note left by Guan Xingchen and temporarily not needing to worry about the Bright Cuisine World causing her trouble, Xia Yu was in high spirits and willingly agreed to Tiqie Eriina’s request for a duel. As for Yuchuan Ayaka’s opinion, it was no longer important.
"Everyone, please have a taste—"
Xia Yu glanced around, counting himself, along with Makki, Hizaki, Ichise Hui, and Kobayakawa Ryodan, there were five judges in total.
"My dish is Flame Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage!"
Tiqie Eriina placed five pairs of chopsticks on the table, her face full of confidence.
She had spent two months researching the ’Flame Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage’, and aside from the unpredictable mystique of "Bursting Flame" and "Spice Equations," she believed she had mastered the essence of the recipe.
It was for this reason that she dared to challenge Yuchuan Ayaka.
On the field of Chinese cuisine, and using Xia Yu’s recipe, she was convinced she wouldn’t lose to the woman opposite her!
Yuchuan Ayaka and Eriina locked eyes, a hint of scorn hidden within her gaze.
"Eriina, don’t cry if you lose later." She murmured softly, lowering her eyes, "My dish is the ’Nine Feathered Phoenix.’"
A wave of uncontrollable surprise.
Apart from Xia Yu, the other four judges looked at each other in astonishment.
Nine Feathered Phoenix VS Flame Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage!
Kobayakawa Ryodan glanced at the relaxed Xia Yu and thought to himself: "Instructor Xia is the biggest winner here!"
One has "super hearing," nearly the strongest female chef of our time.
The other possesses a divine gift, the "Divine Tongue," the Queen of Far Moon with Demon King’s blood running in her veins, a princess of the Tiqie Family unanimously acknowledged by the culinary world’s elite, destined for achievements not limited by Special Grade!
Both were using recipes from the same chef for their showdown.
Wasn’t that chef the real winner?
Seeing everyone’s gaze upon him, Xia Yu coughed and said, "Speaking of the recipe’s grade, both ’Nine Feathered Phoenix’ and ’Flame Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage’ are Special Grade One Star. Our critique will be from three perspectives, the first, of course, is culinary skill, the second is chef’s heart, or the imprint, and the last is ’innovation!’"
He paused on the word "innovation," emphasizing it deliberately to make his point clear.
Truth be told, as the developer of the recipes, he should be the principal judge of this culinary battle.
"Ayaka, you have no objections, do you?"
He finally looked up and asked.
Yuchuan Ayaka shook her head, "It’s fair. Culinary skill is first, the imprint second."
"I couldn’t ask for more!"
Xia Yu nodded, taking the lead to taste Eriina’s Fish Fin Sausage.
Picked up, a gentle bite.
With eyes closed, a face of enjoyment, "Indeed! That wild, chaotic texture! Completely captures the essence of the recipe!"
After his words, he put down his chopsticks, chewing and swallowing the food in his mouth.
Morioka Makoto and Kobayakawa Ryodan’s cheeks flushed with joy as they enjoyed their meal.
Niho Fuyuka swayed back and forth, a lovestruck expression on her face, starry-eyed, "Ah, this is Lady Eriina’s cooking! I can feel her surging passion! Fire, I’m all aflame!"
"A passion as fierce as fire!"
Ichise Hui also exclaimed, eyes wide open, staring at the half-eaten piece of Fish Fin Sausage left on the chopsticks, "Compared with Instructor Xia’s original, it’s a completely different flavor! No, it’s become an entirely different dish!"
In her mind, an image of culinary art as vivid as reality.
The melodious tunes coming from a high-end restaurant, waiters in black-and-white tailcoats, carrying plates glittering with jewels, bordered with extravagant gems. Surprisingly, when the waiter lifted the cover, it wasn’t any western dish inside, but a fiery red sausage.
Then, her date arrived, in a fiery red, regal gown, a ruby hair accessory atop her head, a ruby necklace around her neck, even wearing sparkling red high heels.
She sat opposite, those eyes full of passion, pride, and nobility gazing over, sending a shiver down Ichise Hui’s spine, as if stared upon by a Flame Queen.
Ichise Hui gasped in astonishment, "How did I taste two imprints!"
Morioka Makoto, in a trance, put down her chopsticks, her gaze drifting afar, "One is the imprint that places me at a top-tier banquet, a delight from deep within, yet also with a nervous trepidation, as if dining at the same table with a queen..."
"And the other, it’s set my heart ablaze—" Makoto continued, clutching at her chest; she could feel her heart pounding inside her ribcage and couldn’t help stealing a glance at Xia Yu.
"Incredible, two imprints!"
"The embryonic forms of two chef’s hearts!"
While Kobayakawa Ryodan voiced her admiration, a hint of wariness flickered in her eyes as she watched Tiqie Eriina.
This princess of the Tiqie Family seemed to be threatening her position as second seat.