Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 237 - 236: Meteorite from Outer Space

Chapter 237: Chapter 236: Meteorite from Outer Space

System data emerged.

"The Meteorite from Beyond the Heavens: Suspected to be the original material used by the ancient renowned chef Xu Ling to create the ’Eight Legendary Cooking Utensils’ seven thousand years ago. Due to its indestructible nature and the undying mystical power it possesses, to this day, no one knows the secret technique to smelt this kind of meteorite."

"Proposed item effects:

1. Purify water quality, enhance the ’freshness’ of water (confirmed)

2. Purify ingredients (under appraisal)

..."

Xia Yu blinked, and then nearly went blind from the dazzling golden text.

Damn!

Damn!!

Regarding the stone, Xia Yu had all sorts of speculations and fantasies before.

He hadn’t expected his imagination was far too limited!

Could such a stone actually be related to the ’Eight Legendary Cooking Utensils’ of Chinese fame?

Incredulously trembling, he held the egg-shaped black stone in both hands, looking it over from all angles. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed no different from a stone found in the wild.

That’s not right...

If it were no different, the old man wouldn’t have kept it in the kitchen’s water tank all the time!

The more advanced the chef, the less they would allow something they couldn’t control in their kitchen, and quite obviously, the old man knew of this stone’s existence and even understood its full range of uses.

"Over a month of appraisal, and only the effect of purifying water quality has been confirmed?" Xia Yu felt extremely dissatisfied with the system’s work efficiency.

"Ding, reminder, if the host collects any one of the ’legendary utensils,’ it could greatly accelerate the appraisal process..." the system reminded.

"Is that so!"

Xia Yu pondered.

The mysterious meteorite from beyond the heavens could be said to be the origin of the ’Eight Legendary Cooking Utensils.’

To decipher the effects of the meteorite, it’s normal to take advantage of the ’legendary utensils.’ After all, there are exaggerated rumors that say eating a meal cooked with all eight legendary utensils could grant immortality. The meteorite from beyond the heavens might even touch upon the eternal topic of life span, just like how some gourmet hunters tirelessly pursue the ’Immortal Fantasy Ingredients.’

Excitement was followed by unease.

The old man was too reckless, just going back to his country. Not taking the stone with him was one thing, but he didn’t even mention the stone before leaving, just casually walked away, and hasn’t sent him a message or a call to this day. Too carefree.

He couldn’t help but secretly grumble in his heart.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and Xia Yu exclaimed, "The people from the Gourmet Society, could they be looking for this thing?"

His heart thumped wildly.

If previously Xia Yu was indifferent, now, knowing the stone’s true value, he couldn’t stay calm any longer!

He had to keep the object!

Xia Yu clenched the stone, but then he caught sight of Liangzi Lina coming back from taking out the trash and quickly put the stone back into the water tank.

"Thud..."

A soft sound echoed.

Watching the ripples in the water tank settle down, just as Liangzi Lina’s footsteps approached behind him, Xia Yu breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself, "The best place for this stone is right back where it was, hidden here in safety!"

According to the results of the police investigation, following the suspicious footprints, the group from the Gourmet Society visited the shop at least three or four times this week. In other words, they searched several times in vain.

That meant the water tank was a very safe place.

Who could imagine that such a stone existed at the murky bottom of a water tank? Xia Yu struggled to fish it out, and the damp marks on his clothes were still very visible.

In fact, Xia Yu had misunderstood.

Except for the grandfather and grandson of Xia’s shop, no one knew about the existence of the "Heavenly Meteorite."

The "Gourmet Association" was only making a big fuss over a clue related to a long-forgotten, legendary cooking utensil.

"Do the upstairs need cleaning?"

Liangzi Lina stood at the door and asked.

"Of course—"

Xia Yu rolled up his sleeves and went upstairs with her to clean.

By nearly noon, when he came back downstairs, Xia Yu found a woman sitting at the bar, seemingly having waited for a long time.

Hearing the footsteps, the professional woman quickly stood up.

She shot a glance outside the door; that black business van had already stopped right outside the entrance of Xia’s shop. Given the major theft incident that had occurred before, she surely knew about it, and the fact that she had waited until now also showed her patience.

"Would you like to dine? I am very sorry, the shop currently has no ingredients..." Xia Yu came forward apologetically.

"No, it’s not that!"

Dubian Yuuki took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping over the young face of Xia Yu, and with both hands, she respectfully presented a business card that had been ready in her hand, bowing at a ninety-degree angle, "Chef Xia, I am the editor-in-chief of ’Taste Weekly,’ Dubian Yuuki. I had the fortune of witnessing your culinary presentation at Lake Ashi last night!"

"What weekly?" Xia Yu was taken aback.

"’Taste Weekly!’"

Dubian Yuuki maintained her bow, speaking with slightly sweaty palms.

"Please stand up—"

Xia Yu hastily prompted her to rise. This woman’s identity was no small matter; as the editor-in-chief of ’Taste Weekly,’ it was surprising that she was so courteous to him.

’Taste Weekly’ is Neon’s top-selling culinary magazine, firmly holding the number one spot in sales. Moreover, in recent years, they have attempted to organize food festivals and awards, transforming some otherwise lesser-known and neglected chefs into stars in the food world overnight. It goes without saying that behind this was the ’Taste Weekly’’s star-making strategy.

They were, in Neon’s food world, more than just a media outlet.

That being said, if you can avoid provoking those who wield the pen, it is best to do so. Having seen too many media scandals, Xia Yu was wary too. He himself was not afraid of being smeared, but for the sake of the shop, he preferred to avoid trouble if possible.

He invited Dubian Yuuki to take a seat, while he also sat in front of the bar.

Assessing Dubian Yuuki.

She was an efficient-looking woman, with a sharpness in her eyes that hinted at authority, but what caught Xia Yu’s attention was that her facial features seemed to bear the shadow of a friend. That friend, named Dubian Junya, was someone he had met during an IGO two-star evaluation, and they had maintained close contact recently.

So, Xia Yu tried asking, "Miss Dubian, if I may be so bold to ask, are you from the Dubian family of the ’Four Honorable Families’...?"

"Yes, although I don’t really like to mention my background, the blood flowing in my veins is indeed that of the Dubian family."

The woman’s eyes betrayed a hint of helplessness.

"Then you must know Dubian Junya? He is a good friend of mine," Xia Yu said with a smile.

"Junya?"

Dubian Yuuki was surprised at first, then her face lit up with joy, "He is my dearly loved younger brother, and his talent in cooking is quite good. I heard he just passed the two-star evaluation a month ago."

"Wait a moment, I’ll make you a cup of tea."

Xia Yu stood up from his seat. Having come back from Kanagawa Prefecture and busying himself with cleaning the house, he was already quite thirsty.

The water was already boiling in the kitchen, and separated by a pane of glass, Dubian Yuuki could watch every step of Xia Yu’s tea-making process attentively. She looked impressed. After a while, she took the cup of hot tea Xia Yu had placed on the table, inhaling the rich aroma deeply, her face a picture of pure delight.

She cooled the tea with gentle blows before taking small, delicate sips. The restlessness in her heart also seemed to settle down quietly.

Previously, Dubian Yuuki was still hesitating about how to begin, but after a sip of tea, feeling suddenly refreshed, she decided to cast aside her concerns and, with bright eyes focused on Xia Yu, asked:

"Chef Xia, would you be willing to accept an exclusive interview with our ’Taste Weekly,’ and allow our magazine to publish your personal background information and recipe data?"