Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 203 - 202: The Mark of the Countryside

Chapter 203: Chapter 202: The Mark of the Countryside

Excellent!

The stern and strict Shigong Xiaoci Lang actually gave such a high praise to a student on the verge of expulsion.

Moreover, this student’s expulsion was a decision made by him in class.

This wasn’t just an admission of defeat, but a complete acknowledgment of his mistake. Even Dojima Yin, who had set a trap for Shigong, was stunned, unable to regain his senses for a while.

Tanaka Hikari’s beautiful big eyes widened in disbelief.

"E-e-e-excellent?"

She stammered as she asked.

As an underdog who was self-doubting, often failed, and had nearly lost all confidence in life, Tanaka Hikari had never received such a sincere compliment of excellence from a mentor. What’s more, this mentor was none other than the student-dubbed ’Demon,’ Shigong Xiaoci Lang.

The surprise came too suddenly, and Tanaka Hikari felt like it was a dream.

"Tanaka Hikari!"

A deep voice called her.

"Yes!" Tanaka Hikari reflexively straightened her body as if she were a soldier being inspected.

"Was that feeling something you instilled in your cooking?" Shigong asked.

Tanaka Hikari blushed and said, "Yes."

"Then, how did your feelings merge into the dish?" Shigong Xiaoci Lang stared at her intently.

Raising her head to carefully glance at Shigong, Tanaka Hikari quickly lowered her head again and said, "I-I miss my hometown in Hokkaido, I miss my mom... so while cooking, my mind was filled with images of home and my mom."

She spoke haltingly, clearly feeling embarrassed about her wandering thoughts during the cooking process.

In fact, there was a deeper reason Tanaka Hikari didn’t dare to mention.

A voice guided her to think this way.

Or rather, it was the ’Nine Treasures French Vegetable Freeze’ she tasted earlier that made her realize the power of a ’Chef’s Heart.’ She longed for and revered this power, subconsciously following her heart’s guidance.

"Is that so?"

Shigong Xiaoci Lang reflected for a moment, exhaled, and his expression softened, "The taste of hometown, the taste of a mother... so that’s the personal imprint you gave to your dish!"

"What? I think it’s the ’Imprint of the Countryside,’ a dish that can bring about enlightenment and happiness!" Qian Rixiangzi clenched her fists, tears clearly visible in her eyes.

"Being able to bring the breath of a distant, unknown hometown and the taste of mom to us, this kind of cooking is truly incredible!"

Mizuhara Fuyumi and other graduates also discussed.

Seeing these seniors who always appeared in school magazines, people she once admired, talking excitedly about her work and giving it positive reviews...

The feeling of bittersweet, the sensation of the gloom over her heart dissipating, and a bright, clear sensation awakened Tanaka Hikari. Her white hands intertwined, covering her mouth and nose, her shoulders trembling, even though she tried hard to hold back, tears still uncontrollably fell.

But this time, Tanaka Hikari’s tears were colorful, contrasting with the French Freeze on the table, glistening and transparent.

"You have the qualifications to survive at Far Moon."

Shigong Xiaoci Lang watched her, speaking each word clearly, then turned to look at the other female student beside him, "Sen Tian Makoto, the same goes for you, you’ve both proven your worth!"

He snorted.

Then, his lips curled into a cold smile, sweeping over the five judges Dojima Yin, Eriina, Sekishou Hei, Wutongtian, and Mizuhara Fuyumi, Shigong stated in a deep voice: "There’s no need for a voting decision, I voluntarily retract their expulsion and give them a grade of ’excellent.’"

"But—"

Shigong Xiaoci Lang suddenly turned, his eyes sharp, saying: "The upcoming Food Duel will proceed as planned! I’ve suddenly become very eager to face Instructor Xia... so I have decided to go all out!"

This top graduate of the 79th class wiped away the tears just shed, exuding an overwhelming presence.

Xia Yu remained with his hands behind his head, leaning his head sideways on the chair back, napping.

"Time to wake up."

Beside him, Liangzi Lina reached out and pushed his shoulder, causing Xia Yu to slowly open his eyes seconds later.

"Are you finished?"

With his vision clear, aside from him and Main General Liangzi, everyone else surrounded the judges’ table, all giving him odd looks, surprised that he had truly slept for three hours.

"Yes, it’s over." Dojima Yin looked at Xia Yu.

"So, the result..."

"I voluntarily retract their expulsion!" Shigong Xiaoci Lang declared expressionlessly, "It’s ten o’clock now, and I hope to end this Food Duel by one in the morning. The winner can only be me."

"I decided to temporarily change the recipe for the challenge."

Having said that, Shigong Xiaoci Lang turned and pushed open the kitchen door, "Give me fifteen minutes to prepare the ingredients."

"Miss Liangzi, are those tofu blocks in the car trunk?" Xia Yu then turned to ask the woman beside him wearing sunglasses.

"I’ll get them."

Liangzi Lina hurried away.

Xia Yu did not bother changing into any chef’s attire, instead, he put on an apron, chose a cooking station, organized the kitchen waste left by Tanaka Hikari and Sen Tian Makoto, tossed it in the trash, washed the used kitchen knives and placed them on the rack, and arranged the spices neatly.

It was almost an instinctual habit of tidiness, as Xia Yu disliked a cluttered kitchen environment, nor did he enjoy working in a messy space, as it affected his mood while cooking.

A moment later, Shigong and Liangzi returned one after the other.

Bang!

Placing the heavy box of ingredients on the kitchen counter, Liangzi Lina retreated by herself.

"2 hours!"

Not far away, Dojima Yin held up two fingers, signaling to Xia Yu and Shigong Xiaoci Lang, who were each standing at their kitchen counters, "It’s ten thirty in the evening now, we conclude at twelve thirty, let’s begin—"

No unnecessary talk.

Xia Yu and Shigong each took out the main ingredient from their respective boxes.

"Tofu?"

"...Fish?"

The crowd’s eyes shifted back and forth between the fish and tofu.

The fish was sea bass, which differed from freshwater bass; it was larger and came in both white and black varieties. Shigong Xiaoci Lang retrieved a lively black bass from the ingredient box, placed it on the cutting board, descaled it, and gutted it, demonstrating his profound skills as a chef.

And the tofu that Xia Yu used was even more peculiar, resembling premium marbled beef. The surface of the tofu was covered with a snowflake pattern of fat, appearing extremely beautiful, with a strong artistic sense at first glance.

What outsiders didn’t know was that when Xia Yu reached into the ingredient box, he quietly communicated with the Chef God System, spending 300 points of reputation to purchase 3 jin of [Shuangjiang Tofu], mixed with the tofu of the same name provided by IGO, indistinguishable by appearance, and Xia Yu determined which piece was the top-grade purple quality ingredient through the system’s identification information.

Ha!

Glancing at Shigong Xiaoci Lang, who was handling the black bass, Xia Yu chuckled inwardly.

In the Food Duels with Si Yingshi and Lancelot, he was the one who had been heavily suppressed by the opponent’s top-grade ingredients.

But for tonight’s Food Duel, sorry, he held a massive advantage in terms of ingredients!