Rina.
Totsuki Academy, classroom area. Three days have passed since the last Shokugeki.
"Lady Erina, I found it! This is a list of all major and minor incidents involving Miss Alice during her time in Northern Europe. In the last year, she defeated a Special Grade Chef in a head-to-head duel witnessed by the Shokugeki Bureau!?" Reading the last item on the list, Hisako Arato's voice trembled slightly, as if in shock, or perhaps disbelief.
"Defeated a Special Grade Chef?! How is that possible? Isn't she not a Special Grade? Could it be she performed exceptionally well during the competition? But that's not right either. A First-Class Head Chef performing exceptionally well would only reach Special Grade. How could she defeat a clearly stronger, established Special Grade Chef!?"
Nakiri Erina's voice also conveyed disbelief. Nakiri Alice had beaten a Special Grade Chef? Seriously? Could it be some false information... Thinking of this, Erina took Alice's file from Hisako's hand and began to examine it carefully, trying to find something wrong. However, a file only contained text, written clearly in black and white; how could anything be found wrong?
"The file says Alice had a Chinese master in Northern Europe. Where is that Chinese master now?"
As the saying goes, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will fight a hundred battles without defeat. Since she had thoroughly considered Nakiri Alice a formidable rival, she certainly had to understand all her circumstances first. And the one who understood her best was undoubtedly her master who had taught her.
"Miss Alice's master, there is indeed such a person in the file, but that person flew to China a year ago, and then there was no news. I originally wanted to continue investigating, but his information seemed to have been intentionally blocked by someone. With my abilities, I couldn't find anything at all..."
Hisako Arato said truthfully, her voice filled with shock. Things that couldn't be found even with the Nakiri family's intelligence network already belonged to the realm of national secrets. What was the origin of that man!?
"Forget it if you can't find it. However, judging from the fact that Alice defeated a Special Grade Chef, even if she isn't a Special Grade Chef, she is among the top First-Class Head Chefs, ready to pass the Special Grade assessment at any time. In other words, Nakiri Alice currently possesses at least the strength of the top two seats of the Elite Ten!"
Speaking of this, Nakiri Erina couldn't help but fall silent. Her curiosity about the master behind Alice reached its peak. What kind of master could teach a fourteen-year-old Special Grade Chef? He himself must be at least a Two or Three-Star Special Grade Chef. If she were the one being guided, would she go further? After all, she possessed the God Tongue, a top-tier talent in cooking!
"I never thought she could actually beat a Special Grade Chef. In that case, I might not be able to do anything to her in the short term..."
Thinking of this, Nakiri Erina's face couldn't help but show a look of annoyance. This feeling of wanting to do something but not being able to, and finally only being able to sulk helplessly, was really not good.
"Excuse me, could you please let me pass?" A slightly magnetic voice sounded, startling Nakiri Erina, who was standing by the window. She turned her head to see a handsome young man. The young man was holding a large ingredient basket filled with winter bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, and pieces of something wrapped in oil paper.
"Sorry."
Seeing that she was blocking his way, Nakiri Erina blushed slightly, apologized, and then took two steps forward to make way.
"Thank you."
The young man smiled and said thank you, passing by Nakiri Erina. Hisako Arato also walked up at this moment, looking curiously at his retreating back, then at Nakiri Erina.
"Who is this guy? Why have I never seen him at school before? With such outstanding looks, it's reasonable to assume I shouldn't have no impression of him." At this moment, the young girl's cheeks were slightly red, her eyes flickering as she looked in the direction Dylan had left, her voice revealing confusion. Such a handsome young man, if he had appeared in the academy before, she shouldn't have had no impression of him at all!
"Don't misunderstand. I just think he doesn't look ordinary. It's reasonable to assume I should have some impression. I don't mean anything else!" Suddenly, sensing Hisako Arato's slightly strange gaze, Nakiri Erina seemed to think of something and hurriedly explained. This scene suddenly reminded her of a romance manga she had been secretly reading recently; the content of the first chapter was very similar to the current situation!
[In the manga, the female protagonist, very angry after being criticized by the teacher, was venting with her best friend in the hallway, cursing the teacher. Then, the male protagonist, responsible for helping the teacher carry experimental equipment, appeared, holding a mountain of heavy objects, and happened to overhear everything. Afterwards, to prevent the male protagonist from telling on her to the teacher, the female protagonist took the initiative to help, thus unfolding a light romantic comedy.]
"I haven't said anything yet, Lady Erina."
Looking at Nakiri Erina, whose demeanor was somewhat flustered, Hisako Arato shrugged helplessly. However, the young man just now did have superior looks; even she had taken a few extra glances. It was normal for Lady Erina to be attracted.
"Class is about to start, hurry, hurry. I heard a Chinese cuisine teacher came recently. Today should be his first class. I wonder which class he'll be assigned to randomly."
Just then, a commotion was heard not far away. Nakiri Erina and Hisako Arato turned their heads to see two girls running wildly in the hallway. A spirited girl with chestnut-yellow hair tied in a bun shouted as she ran, and seeing the blue-haired girl with twin braids beside her stop due to fatigue, she immediately retreated and pulled her arm.
"Yuki, slow down, I... I can't run anymore!" The blue-haired girl with twin braids panted heavily, looking a bit unwell. Clearly, the long run had exhausted her.
"You still need to train more! Megumi."
Looking at the exhausted blue-haired girl with twin braids, Yuki Yoshino couldn't help but complain.
"The resistance is different." Looking at Yuki Yoshino's barren land, then at her own, Megumi Tadokoro turned her head and muttered in a small voice.
"What?"
"Nothing, let's keep going." Realizing her voice was a bit loud, Megumi Tadokoro's face suddenly turned a little red. Then she reached out and pushed Yuki Yoshino, urging her forward.
"How vulgar, girls running wildly in the hallway, what a disgrace!"
Looking at the two running into the distance, Nakiri Erina couldn't help but complain. Running in public like this was too unsightly.
"Lady Erina, we've already wasted a lot of time. If we don't hurry, we'll be late soon!"
Looking down at the watch on her hand, Hisako Arato's face showed anxiety.
"Ah?"
When Nakiri Erina and Hisako Arato arrived at the classroom panting, it was already one minute past the start of class. Dylan looked at the girl running with the ball, marveling inwardly. Although he had long known Nakiri Erina was the figurehead of this work, he hadn't expected her to be so spectacular when running; it was truly a feast for his eyes.
"S...sorry teacher, we're late."
Her voice filled with apology, Nakiri Erina raised her head, slightly tired, and was stunned to find that the person before her was the young man she had blocked in the hallway earlier!
"It's alright, come in. I'll forgive you this time since it's your first offense. Don't be late next time, or I have my own ways of punishment."
Dylan didn't want to make things difficult over such a small matter, so he smiled and let Nakiri Erina in, simultaneously walking to the podium.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Dylan. Dylan as in... Dylan. I will be your Chinese cuisine teacher from now on."
Dylan spoke fluent Japanese, simultaneously writing his name on the blackboard. As he finished speaking, the classroom instantly fell silent. Everyone looked at him with subtle expressions.
"It's actually Chinese cuisine? Why did the school suddenly arrange this kind of course?"
"Is it that kind of cuisine where you constantly toss an iron wok, sweating profusely in front of the stove? Is it necessary to learn this?"
"It feels like a waste of time. Learning this instead of another French cuisine class? Only elegant and noble French cuisine is worthy of us!"
"Even if it's not French cuisine, Italian, Norwegian, or even some minor cuisines, aren't these all better than a Chinese cuisine class?!"
"Chinese cuisine is incredibly difficult to learn, and the taste is just average. There's no need to learn it at all!"
Silence was followed by the loudest discussion. The students in the classroom became agitated. On one hand, it was because Totsuki Academy had never offered a Chinese cuisine class before. On the other hand, they preferred French cuisine, which was relatively easier to master. Of course, there was another reason... That was, they had never learned this course before, and wouldn't they get low scores on the first cooking assessment for a course they had never learned? Even if they were lucky enough to pass the first time, they might not necessarily get high scores in subsequent assessments. You know, Chinese cuisine is the most difficult in the world! For Totsuki Academy, which used assessment scores as an important benchmark for eliminating students, such a newly opened and extremely difficult Chinese cuisine course was naturally unwelcome by anyone.
"Silence."
Looking at the noisy students below, Dylan's brows furrowed slightly. A terrifying aura emanated from his entire body, gradually quelling the commotion in the classroom. Although he knew he would encounter some resistance, he hadn't expected it to be so strong. No wonder Totsuki Academy didn't offer Chinese cuisine classes. Ordinary teachers simply couldn't control these agitated students, and skilled Chinese chefs wouldn't bother coming to this little Totsuki. Special Grade Chefs all have their pride. Since they could do well anywhere, why travel all the way to Japan to teach a thankless subject? And since Totsuki Academy had never offered Chinese cuisine classes before, the resistance to adding it temporarily would certainly be immense. Of course, none of this was a problem for him.
"I know you have opinions about Totsuki offering Chinese cuisine classes. You think Chinese cuisine is no good? Or you think it's too troublesome to make, and the taste isn't as good as other countries? Hehe, that's hilarious! You self-righteous fools! You look down on this and that, yet your own skills are astonishingly weak! If you ask me, you're all useless trash, culinary firewood who will never break through to Special Grade Chef in your entire lives!"
Looking at the crowd silenced by his aura, Dylan felt a bit bored. After talking for so long, not a single person had refuted him. He suddenly felt that he had to make his intentions clear before officially starting the class; otherwise, no matter how much he taught, it would be useless.
"How arrogant..."
Looking at the young man on the podium exuding a monstrous aura, Nakiri Erina couldn't help but complain inwardly. Could these words be said in front of so many people? These people before her... although most were stepping stones recruited to cultivate stronger individuals, they were currently unaware of this, and each had their own pride. Saying such words, if one didn't have absolute strength, it was very likely to backfire! And she, Nakiri Erina, was also better at French cuisine. However, due to her outstanding talent, she had learned a bit of every type of cuisine and knew the power of Chinese cuisine, so she didn't have the idea of belittling Chinese cuisine and elevating Western cuisine. Moreover, from a culinary system perspective, the probability of Chinese cuisine producing high-star chefs was indeed higher than other cuisines, and not just by a little bit!
"What did you say?!"
"Bastard! Don't think you can just say whatever you want because you're a teacher! We're not weak!"
"I won't allow you to belittle..."
"So scary..." Watching the chaotic scene below, Megumi Tadokoro shrank in a corner of the classroom, trembling, not understanding how the situation had suddenly turned like this.
"Are they going to fight? How lively. It seems this new teacher isn't a pushover either. This class is going to be interesting!"
Yuki Yoshino stood beside Megumi Tadokoro, her face full of excitement. She wasn't actually interested in which culinary school was powerful. For her, whatever the academy taught, she would learn; anyway, her ability to learn new things was strong. The key was her own cooking. Truly transforming what was learned into one's own was what mattered; everything else is illusory.
"It seems you're very unconvinced, huh? Fine, I brought three ingredients today. Pork tenderloin, wood ear mushrooms, and winter bamboo shoots. What I'm making is also ordinary Yuxiang Rousi (Fish-Fragrant Pork Slivers). I won't limit what ingredients you use. Abalone, sea cucumber, lobster, even more high-end ingredients are fine. There's no time limit either. You can even find outside help. As long as you can surpass me, I will apologize for what I just said."
Feeling the noisy atmosphere in front of him, Dylan wasn't angry. Instead, he leisurely took out the items from the nearby ingredient basket. Only when the voices below gradually subsided did he raise his head and say to them with composure.
With that, Dylan ignored them and lined up the few prepared ingredients.
"Yuxiang Rousi, I remember this is a very simple Chinese Sichuan dish, but it's quite famous. The taste should be decent, right?"
Watching Dylan, who was standing at the cooking station leisurely making preparations, Nakiri Erina searched her mind. With her knowledge, she naturally knew the origin of this dish and was also somewhat familiar with its preparation. Slice the pork tenderloin, winter bamboo shoots, and wood ear mushrooms, then stir-fry them in a wok, adding Yuxiang sauce for simple seasoning, and it's ready to serve. These three ingredients were the classic combination for Yuxiang Rousi.
However, in this season, there shouldn't normally be winter bamboo shoots, but humans have greenhouses. Therefore, dishes that used to appear only in season could now be eaten anytime. It had to be said, technological progress had brought great convenience to people.
"Hmph, let's see what tricks you can pull!"
"A dish made with simple stir-frying, how can it compare to a delicacy that requires complicated processes and continuous refinement!"
"His movements are so slow, he probably doesn't cook often, does he? Trying to become a Totsuki teacher to freeload and coast? Dream on!"
Watching Dylan's slow movements, the few who had been thoroughly berated earlier couldn't help but mock him. He had just said how amazing he was, belittling them to nothing, but now that he started cooking, he was so hesitant, not at all like a skilled chef. He had exposed himself, hadn't he!?
However, Dylan paid no attention to their shouts. At this moment, he had thrown himself wholeheartedly into it. Then, he raised the kitchen knife in his hand. The next moment, the crowd below only saw a flash of silver light, and the originally whole piece of tenderloin instantly turned into slivers, neatly arranged on the plate. Next were the winter bamboo shoots and wood ear mushrooms. Besides a burst of rapid chopping sounds, in just a few blinks of an eye, Dylan had finished processing the side ingredients.
And this situation also stunned the students who had been staring at him intently, their mouths agape, unable to utter a word for a long time.
"What's going on? Were those side dishes in front of him prepared beforehand?"
"I don't know, but I didn't see them just now. How did they suddenly appear neatly on the plate in the blink of an eye?"
At this moment, no one was clamoring anymore. Even their eyes had cleared considerably. Everyone looked at each other, understanding in their hearts that they had kicked an iron plate. This Dylan guy wasn't here to coast; he had real skills! But, such a skilled chef, why would he come to Totsuki?
"Such a fast knife!"
Watching the quickly processed pork slivers and winter bamboo shoot and wood ear mushroom, Nakiri Erina swallowed. She could barely make out a bit of Dylan's movements. The tenderloin was sliced from the top, then the sliced meat was stacked together and cut vertically into slivers. Besides that, the winter bamboo shoot slivers and wood ear mushroom slivers were all cut into fine slivers of the same size as the pork. The winter bamboo shoot slivers were the most exaggerated. After being cut and placed on the plate, one couldn't see any difference from their original form at all. Only upon close observation could one find that they had already been cut and processed.
"The characteristic of Sichuan cuisine is the abundance of scallions, ginger, and garlic. When you make this dish in the future, the first thing you need to do is be generous with the ingredients." Seeing that the scene had been subdued by him, Dylan slowed down his movements, cutting a large amount of scallions, ginger, and garlic while speaking to them.
"Don't think Chinese cuisine is just a simple stir-fry. In reality, the effort lies in the preparation beforehand. For example, the marinating of this meat. Marinating is to preserve the original flavor of the ingredients, and another reason is to allow them to heat more evenly. Pepper, yellow wine, soy sauce, salt, then add an egg white and a bit of dark soy sauce. Stir them in one direction until even, then add potato starch." Dylan skillfully processed the pork slivers, then added sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and starch water to the bowl previously containing scallions, ginger, and garlic. After diluting with water, he added the cut wood ear mushroom slivers to marinate them. Because wood ear mushrooms themselves don't absorb flavor well, marinating them could ensure a more uniform taste. This was a little trick he had learned from practicing so many times.
_____
Greetings! ✨ Walnut here!
🔥 AN INCREDIBLE OFFER IS ON THE TABLE! 🔥
We're only 14 members away from our 65-member goal! 🎯
The second we hit it, 10 BONUS CHAPTERS for ALL STORIES will be released to everyone. No exceptions!
🪦 Your membership is the key. Let's make it happen!
100 powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone! 5 reviews = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone!
Secure your early access before it's too late!
👻 patreon.com/Walnutchan