Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 303 - 302: The Change of Koga Shoji

Chapter 303: Chapter 302: The Change of Koga Shoji

The matter of the two golden recipes was put aside for now.

"The Rainbow Seed" was enough to give him a headache. Xia Yu knew better than to step into a deep pit without first accumulating enough Fame Points; otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to crawl out again.

He made breakfast for everyone, of course, and there was a small member, Hua Mao, who also received its share of fresh cat food.

Xia Yu sat on the long corridor in the courtyard, placing the dish beside him.

With its tail swishing, Hua Mao bowed its head to eat while Xia Yu held a large bowl of noodles, slurping them down enthusiastically. Naturally, the noodles were made using the hand-pulling technique of "White Luo Snake Refining," not to mention the awesome texture that was strikingly unique.

When it came to eating, how could Xia Yu shortchange himself?

Moments later, soft murmurs of conversation came from the store behind him.

The other interns had also woken up, freshened up, and came over from the apartment next door in search of food, filling the small store with exclamations of delight in the early morning.

Snap.

A fragrant breeze brought another person by his side.

A senior from the third year, second seat among the Elite Ten, Kobayakawa Ryodan, sat down next to Xia Yu with her steaming bowl of noodles, eating heartily.

Behind them, Tiqie Eriina watched with an envious glare; the girl always kept her poise, preferring to stand while eating.

"Delicious—"

Hattori Ken and Igarashi Daisuki chewed with puffed cheeks, their eyes welling up with tears of joy.

"These noodles are unbelievable!"

Koga Shoji, stunned, exhaled, his breath filled with a refreshing aftertaste. With each bite of noodles, his fatigue from the previous night’s work seemed to sweep away, leaving a clear and tranquil stream in his heart. It was as if he were a hermit who had risen early to greet the purple sunrise and meditate—his mind was a clear mirror, untainted by dust.

Experiencing a wonderful state of body and mind.

It was captivating.

Coming back to his senses, Koga Shoji found his bowl empty. Contrary to his stoic appearance, his culinary philosophy, which he had steadfastly adhered to, suddenly showed signs of collapsing.

Koga Shoji excelled at conquering his customers with the ’numbing’ and ’spicy’ flavors of Sichuan cuisine, captivating their tongues and appetites.

He certainly could not claim to be a master of Chinese cuisine. After all, Chinese cuisine broadly encompasses eight major culinary traditions, not to mention the numerous intricate sub-branches. Xia Yu himself wouldn’t dare to call himself an expert in Chinese cuisine, let alone Koga Shoji, who limited himself to Shuchuan cuisine.

The noodle dish Xia Yu used to entertain the interns was "Soul-Calming Noodles."

This was also a unique employee benefit at Xia’s shop.

"Instructor Xia!"

A voice tinged with excitement called out from behind him.

Turning his head, he saw Koga Shoji.

"Could you teach me how to make these noodles?" Koga Shoji asked candidly, without any embarrassment, looking at Xia Yu with undisguised admiration.

"Oh?"

Xia Yu was surprised, and the other Far Moon students also shot surprised glances at Koga Shoji.

Every Far Moon student knew that Koga Shoji, the eighth seat among the Elite Ten, specialized in the Sichuan cuisine of Chinese cookery. His culinary philosophy was like an obsession, radically different from his forthright character, an ambition to conquer and dominate all rivals with Shuchuan cuisine.

"Soul-Calming Noodles" were definitely not Shuchuan cuisine; this was beyond doubt.

Thus, Koga Shoji’s proactive request for Xia Yu to teach him noodle-making was a direct reflection of a transformative shift in his own beliefs.

His culinary rival at Xia’s Main Store, Tang Yeyan, watched him closely, her expression complex.

Actually, Tang Yeyan was aware of the root of Koga Shoji’s change.

Did "Soul-Calming Noodles" possess the dominant ’numbing’ and ’spicy’ of the mighty Shuchuan cuisine? No, not at all. On the contrary, the soup’s refreshing and just-right taste was gentle, not overpowering, mellow yet strong enough to captivate them all, willingly surrendering to the culinary world.

This is the difference between an overbearing and a benevolent rule.

"Ha--"

Realizing this, Xia Yu chuckled inwardly.

Koga Shoji had a good disposition, but he had one fixation: the Shuchuan cuisine he conceived in his mind.

In the realm of Chinese cuisine, one could create a world of their own without having to confine themselves to just one cuisine and work in isolation. The interns had arrived only yesterday, and today, with some free time, Xia Yu also planned to train them.

Among them, Koga Shoji was first in the training sequence.

The reason was simple. The kitchen at the main store needed a true expert in Chinese cuisine to take charge.

During the half-month spring break, he had mostly trained Hozoi Midori, and the customers couldn’t stop praising her cooking. Unfortunately, as a first-year student, Hozoi had great potential for long-term development. Xia Yu had to send her back to Far Moon to learn and progress alongside other young talents.

But Koga Shoji was different, holding the eighth seat among the Elite Ten. With a better foundation, if Xia Yu could shatter his concepts and reshape his culinary path, then Koga Shoji would become...

No!

Not just for Xia’s shop. In the blueprint of the shopping street envisioned by Xia Yu, this block would become the cradle where these genius chefs shone, a big stage so to speak. Xia Yu would provide the restaurants which they could decorate and manage as they liked, and then hand over a percentage of the monthly profit to Xia Yu.

It was akin to owning shares in the form of real estate.

The problem was that geniuses like Ichise Hui and Koga Shoji were very wealthy. Take Ichise Hui, for instance, who has a deep connection with the Thousand Table sisters of HUB Food. After graduation, they wouldn’t really need Xia Yu’s help to open a restaurant. Thus, to tie them to his chariot, restaurant management was one thing, but the progression in recipes or culinary skills was quite another.

The approach was twofold.

"Want to learn the ’Soul-Calming Noodles’? No problem."

Xia Yu stood up, went to the kitchen with Koga Shoji, and then reached into a cupboard to pull out several menu boards. Pointing at the names on the boards, he said, "Start by learning these dishes with me today. In a couple of days, we’ll learn a few more. Whenever I’m satisfied, I’ll pass on the ’Soul-Calming Noodles’ recipe to you!"

The Purple Special Grade Recipe wasn’t something that just blew in with the wind, and Koga Shoji clearly understood its value. Taking the boards from Xia Yu, he stared intently at the names written in Chinese characters.

Witnessing this scene, Xia Yu couldn’t help but think back to his own experiences during the spring break, overwhelmed with a sense of nostalgia. Now, he finally had the qualifications to teach disciples!

Evening fell.

Xia’s Main Store was operating as usual.

The store welcomed a special customer that day, and Xia Yu led her upstairs.

Miss Feng Zhizi sat at the tea table, flipping through the file folder Xia Yu handed her, her face full of surprise.

"You, you really reclaimed the shopping district property!"

Xia Yu smiled. "Reclaiming it is one thing, how to manage it from now on is another."

"On another note, Miss Feng Zhizi, the remaining properties that you hold, could you transfer them all to me?" Xia Yu asked.

"Of course!"

Feng Zhizi nodded. "But I have one condition—please allow the City Life Planning Company to participate in the renovation of the shopping district."

"There won’t be significant changes," Xia Yu said. "I’d like to preserve the original appearance of the district as much as possible."

"Then let’s go for a renovation."

Feng Zhizi said, "Tomorrow I’ll arrange for some experts to come for an evaluation, but the cost will surely be substantial."

Xia Yu nodded.

The two reached an agreement on the renovation. Indeed, the shopping district had many old buildings; and not just the buildings—the streets needed refurbishment as well. All in all, it would require a substantial investment. But Xia Yu, armed with significant capital, was confident.

Descending the stairs after seeing off Feng Zhizi, Xia Yu bumped into Takagi Shuutoku and Mashiro Takumi, who had just arrived at the shop.

Both looked upset.

"Those food media outlets are despicable!"