Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 223 - 222: The Trainees

Chapter 223: Chapter 222: The Trainees

"90 points!"

Dojima Yin and Liangzi Lina exchanged glances, their eyes clearly betraying shock.

"This score...it’s a bit high!" Dojima Yin couldn’t help but say, "The dish I presented to Granny Chiyoda only scored 95 points."

points is low?

Hearing Dojima Yin’s subconscious words, Tanaka Hikari and Sen Tian Makoto looked at each other, this ’Living Legend of Far Moon’ clearly wasn’t too satisfied with his past achievements.

"Mr. Dojima, at that time you were already a true master chef, so it’s normal for you to get 95 points."

Liangzi Lina fixed her gaze intently on the middle-aged man who was standing at the entrance of the main hall, laughing heartily.

"It seems Takai might also be a ’master’ now!" Dojima Yin said, "It’s hard to imagine, this session’s training class actually produced two true masters; they passed the Chiyoda Shrine’s examination, and next, they’ll be applying for the master’s examination at IGO Neon’s headquarters!"

"Is 90 points the threshold for a master?"

Tiqie Helinai wondered to herself.

"Mr. Hase, it’s your turn now!"

Takai Masashi came down the steps, glancing at the second in line, an elderly man with completely white hair and beard.

The dishes of all the researchers had already been placed on tables inside the main hall, and from outside, one could faintly make out the strictly arranged meal boxes, each tagged with a slip of paper bearing a name.

Hase Ichiro stood up and walked over, despite his advanced age, he moved with agility, his demeanor not at all inferior to the young chefs fresh in their careers.

Before long, Hase Ichiro returned, as calm and composed as a monk, he knelt on the cushion.

The ice-faced shrine maiden hung up the second wooden plaque.

"Hase Ichiro, 90 points!"

The same score!

Upon seeing the clear handwriting, a hush fell over the courtyard of the shrine.

Was this a tie for first place?

"The same score..." Takai Masashi muttered under his breath, turning his head to look at the steadfast Hase Ichiro, his voice tinged with reluctance, "Mr. Hase, let’s try each other’s dishes once the examination is over!"

"Agreed!"

Opening his eyes to cast an indifferent glance at the person beside him, Hase Ichiro continued to feign sleep, unconcerned with the whispering going on behind him.

Dozens of spectators clearly divided into two factions, one supporting Takai Masashi and the other supporting Hase Ichiro; signs of disruption seemed imminent but were quickly quelled by a rebuke from Dojima Yin.

"Silence!"

Dojima Yin barked.

Many of the researchers turned their heads and nodded towards Dojima Yin, showing varying degrees of respect.

"Who would have thought it would be a tie!"

Next to Xia Yu, Shanben Xiaoshu whispered to him, "Either one outscoring the other wouldn’t have been a surprise, but I never considered a tie...interesting. Could it be that Granny Chiyoda wants them to compete again?"

"Being ranked first among the trainees is very important; there has never been a tie in history."

Shanben Xiaoshu appeared to enjoy the spectacle without any concern for the seriousness of the situation.

Since he had no ability to vie for first place, he might as well let others fight a do-or-die battle.

"I just hope to secure a ’pass’ spot!" Shanben Xiaoshu glanced at Xia Yu and didn’t care whether Xia Yu was listening, he said to himself, "Hey, don’t think that there are more than a dozen researchers in this session, but only the top three will qualify for the next review round. My goal is to push for a ’pass’ spot!"

"Anything less than passing is cannon fodder, a failure!"

Shanben Xiaoshu said nonchalantly.

Xia Yu’s brow twitched.

He was speechless; this Shanben really had a big mouth. Even though they were one person apart, he could feel the anger of the female researcher who ranked third from last.

This woman was Miss Ujou Mamie, a food consultant with HUB Foods, skilled in cooking with curry and a very powerful nine-star chef.

Next, it was time for the rest of the apprentices to show their magic. As one placard after another was hung on the notice board, the rankings of the participants gradually became clear.

First place, Takai Masashi and Hase Ichiro, tied for now.

Second place, a suntanned woman skilled in Spanish cuisine, with 80 points.

Third place, a seemingly frail middle-aged man, Park Shi-heng, Korean, with 75 points.

"Finally, it’s my turn!"

Ujou Mamie rubbed her numb thighs from kneeling for so long and slowly stood up. Shanben Xiaoshu, impatient with her delay, urged her, "Hey, woman, hurry up. You’re just cannon fodder anyway!"

A vein instantly bulged on her forehead.

She had been able to hold back before, but now, barely short of being called cannon fodder to her face, it was clear that Ujou Mamie had a fiery temper. She glared fiercely at Shanben Xiaoshu, "You whippersnapper, who’s cannon fodder?!"

Shanben Xiaoshu just curled his lip.

The icy faced shrine maiden timely said from the steps, "Miss Ujou, please come in!"

"Hmph!"

Ujou Mamie gave Shanben Xiaoshu, who remained unmoved, a scornful glance and teased, "Maybe I can’t handle you, but someone else can. Wait until I come out, I’ll call ’Ghost-faced Monk’ Aoki Motota and ask him what kind of quality the apprentices from Shi Lin Temple are this term!"

With that, she disappeared into the temple.

Shanben Xiaoshu’s expression changed when she mentioned Aoki Motota, muttering reluctantly, yet he became more obedient.

"Interesting."

Xia Yu observed the fear in the eyes of the young man with the cockscomb hairstyle. Since he came from Shi Lin Temple, he was certainly often harshly trained by Aoki Motota.

Ten minutes later.

"Ujou Mamie, 85 points!"

As the ice-faced shrine maiden hung up the new placard, the previously stagnant rankings suddenly saw a big shift.

Ujou Mamie took over second place, and the woman chef who had been in second, along with third-place Park Shi-heng, had both moved back a spot.

The most unlucky was the Korean man pushed to fourth. The seemingly frail middle-aged man sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping, his face darkening, although begrudging, he dared not question the shrine owner’s scoring.

Shanben Xiaoshu was dumbfounded.

"This woman is pretty strong!" he marveled inwardly.

points was not far from 90, nearly on the verge of breaking through to special grade. Thinking that he had just angered such a senior, Shanben Xiaoshu instinctively ducked his head.

The crowd in the courtyard was also buzzing.

"A consultant from HUB Foods, indeed not a simple character!"

Takai Masashi felt a chill in his heart.

Dojima Yin turned back to Tanaka Hikari, Morioka Makoto, and Tiqie Eriina and smiled, "That woman, Ujou Mamie, even the sisters in charge of HUB Foods show her great respect. In fact, she had entered the reserve list for IGO organization’s special grade chefs a few years ago. Am I right, Miss Liangzi?"

"Yes."

Liangzi Lina’s face looked a bit peculiar, "She should have achieved special grade by now, but these past few years... she hasn’t put all her focus on improving her culinary skills, resulting in her ’chef’s spirit’ not hatching."

Hearing this, Dojima Yin’s mouth twitched; there was obviously some inside story.

In the Neon domestic culinary world, who didn’t know this woman had always been pursuing ’Ghost-faced Monk,’ unwavering in her devotion, their stories enough to fill a long saga.

"How about that?"

Ujou Mamie came out, glared at Shanben Xiaoshu, and in front of him, pulled out her phone, pointed to the first number on her contact list, and teased, "Look, is this your master’s number?"

Shanben Xiaoshu shamelessly caved in.