Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 321 - 320: The Flag Bearer!

Chapter 321: Chapter 320: The Flag Bearer!

"Please have a seat," Tiqie Helinai had brought Mars and Elizabeth to VIP room number one.

"Wow, this place is really nice!"

Beside Mars followed a blonde beauty.

Her golden hair was even more captivating, dazzling golden, with fair and delicate skin, deep blue pupils, and delicate features, complemented by a snow-white long gown, making her resemble a Western princess from a fantasy novel.

Letting the blonde beauty look around, Tiqie Helinai clearly recognized her, and after a while, returned with green tea personally brewed by Xia Yu.

"Delicious!"

Taking small sips, the roughly twenty-year-old woman exhaled a breath of warm air.

Handing over the menu on the tea table, Tiqie Helinai emotionlessly said, "Let’s order, the two of you."

"Are you playing the waiter today?"

Mars curiously asked, "What about Student Ichise and Student Kobayashi?"

"They’ll join soon. There’s something happening at Far Moon School," Tiqie Helinai briefly explained.

"Elizabeth, why don’t you order?" Mars said, giving a friendly glance to the woman sitting with him.

"Okay, Uncle Mars!"

The woman, not in a hurry and quite interested, carefully perused the menu.

At that moment, a crisp ringing came from the lobby.

It was the little bell hanging at the door shaking.

"Another guest?"

Tiqie Helinai was slightly taken aback in her heart, apologized to Mars and Elizabeth, and left VIP room number one to greet the guests who had just entered the entrance.

A middle-aged man and an old man with white hair and beard stood there.

Recognizing the faces of these two guests, Tiqie Helinai was startled.

Takai Masashi!

Hase Ichiro!

Pictures of these two, triumphant with their newly obtained badges from passing the Super Chef certification last night, had spread across the internet.

Moreover, even without the news, Tiqie Helinai knew these two newly promoted Super Chefs; after all, as a taster, she had been hired multiple times to taste-test at both Hasegawa Brewery and Takai Group’s hotels.

"Sorry to disturb."

Takai Masashi said.

"Are you here to dine?" Eriina pursed her lips, and with a feeling in her gut, she felt that these two might have had malicious intentions.

"We are here to dine, but also intending to visit Chef Xia."

Takai Masashi and Hase Ichiro said, exchanging looks.

Just a visit?

Tiqie Helinai tensely welcomed the two into VIP room number two, then quickly rushed to the kitchen.

"What, they’ve come?"

Hearing this, Xia Yu set down his chef’s knife, visibly surprised.

They had just been promoted to Super Chefs yesterday, and now they were visiting him...

Carefully ruminating, the situation seemed off; for the past month, both the main and branch stores had been operating normally, and despite frequent discussions, these two old friends hadn’t come to visit until now, directly after the Super Chef examination!

Were they showing off, or planning to step on him?

If it was a case of kicking someone when they’re down...

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Xia Yu took off his apron and washed his hands, then leisurely walked toward the dining area.

"Gentlemen, long time no see!"

Opening the door, Xia Yu greeted with a smile at the doorway of the VIP room.

"It’s been a while!"

Takai Masashi and Hase Ichiro also greeted him.

The three sat around the table, Xia Yu personally poured tea for them, and while he doubted their purpose, he maintained the necessary courtesy.

Pouring tea, sipping tea.

Xia Yu kept silent, and the two men also said nothing, the atmosphere in the room gradually becoming tense with the quiet.

Snap!

After a while, Takai Masashi set down his teacup.

"Chef Xia, how about we have a little practice?" Takai Masashi, looking directly at the calmly seated Xia Yu, clearly had a glint of eagerness in his eyes.

Xia Yu’s eyebrows twitched, but he didn’t respond.

"I’d like to practice too."

Hase Ichiro, that old fellow, said with a smile.

"You specifically came to visit just to seek me out for a practice battle?" Xia Yu suppressed his anger and merely chuckled twice.

"Not at all!"

Hase Ichiro shook his head, "During our internship at Chiyoda Shrine, both Takai and I underestimated you. We didn’t expect you to smoothly pass the first round of assessment and, in the second round, to receive unanimous praise from all the diners at that time... In fact, we also lost in the second round."

"Exactly!"

Takai Masashi continued, "During the assessment, the three of us fought independently and never actually had the chance to ’spar’ with each other!"

He emphasized the word "spar".

Xia Yu’s expression hardly changed, his fingers gently tapping on the tea table.

"So why now?" he narrowed his eyes.

"Momentum!"

Takai Masashi said in a deep voice.

"In the Chiyoda assessment, you had already seized the ’momentum’. You were in the limelight, unstoppable; that was clearly not a wise time to seek you out for a practice battle," Takai Masashi explained his thoughts.

"Hah!"

Xia Yu understood and his lips curled into a smile.

To put it nicely, it was a sparring session; to put it bluntly, it was an unofficial culinary battle!

So-called there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts. Xia Yu hadn’t expected that these two guys, who had been stifling their frustration since the Chiyoda assessment, were only now willing to let it out.

He understood—being suddenly overshadowed by a newcomer must have been frustrating for both of them, but understanding was one thing; as the passive party, Xia Yu was extremely displeased now. Truly displeased!

"So what about now?" Xia Yu asked coolly.

"Now, having just passed the Super Chef promotion assessment, we’ve seized the ’momentum’!"

Hase Ichiro said with a smile, "We are on the rise, while Chef Xia is currently under the mental pressure of a formidable opponent; the momentum is clearly declining, making this the perfect opportunity!"

"I’ll be damned!"

Xia Yu rolled his eyes internally.

If it were just an unofficial culinary battle, so be it, but they had to make it sound so justified.

However, he admitted these two knew how to pick their moment.

This so-called ’momentum’ was actually confidence, or perhaps state of mind. Just like in martial arts dramas, martial arts experts of equal strength would fast and meditate before a duel to death, to bring their condition to its peak.

Bullying using momentum was just such a principle.

"Let’s be direct, an unofficial culinary battle, right?" Xia Yu stated plainly.

Takai Masashi and Hase Ichiro nodded.

"This is our best chance to defeat you!" Takai Masashi said, "If we don’t seize this opportunity..."

Hase Ichiro said with a bitter smile, "We might never get such a chance again."

Upon hearing this, Xia Yu’s anger abated significantly.

"What’s the stake?" Xia Yu asked with a wry smile, "Since you’ve already planned everything, tell me what you can offer me."

"Notes! Research notes on Fantasy Ingredients!"

Both said in unison.

"What if I lose? What do you need from me?" Xia Yu was curious.

"Allow us to publicly release the video of this unofficial culinary battle!"

In the end, it was still a fight for "reputation"!

Xia Yu suddenly realized.

Ding.

The system popped up.

"New Task—[Pressuring with Momentum]."

"Hint: Defeat the two newly promoted Super Chefs."

"Reward: [Piercing Eye] (Purple, Talent)."

Terms of victory for both parties were set.

If Xia Yu was defeated, undoubtedly, Takai Masashi and Hase Ichiro would publicly release the video of the culinary battle, by then, ’Neon’s youngest-ever Super Chef in history’ would likely become a laughingstock.

The two only sought reputation; they probably didn’t want to kick someone when they were down, but once the results of the private culinary battle were exposed, those tabloid media, like the "Food Review Conference", would certainly jump out to stir up trouble.

As for whether to accept the unofficial culinary battle...

Was there even a need to talk about it?

Xia Yu highly agreed with these two old friends’ interpretation of ’momentum’.

Why not use these two newly promoted special chefs as a stepping stone to build his own ’momentum’.

After all, he had breezed through the Super Chef stage, and there was still Yuchuan Ayaka waiting ahead.

"I’m sorry!"

Xia Yu silently said to himself, "I can’t afford to lose to you here!"