Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 342 - 341: Revealing the Test Questions (Part 2)

Chapter 342: Chapter 341: Revealing the Test Questions (Part 2)

"And now, for the second segment—"

"Reveal the examination question!"

Chiyoda Aichi held the microphone, her palm trembling slightly. She was fighting to contain her excitement.

In the following seconds, the atmosphere of the hall shifted from market-like noise to the silent anticipation of an opera audience in an instant.

The examination question, the examination question.

A chef’s ranking exam was generally similar to a regular academic exam.

Students faced middle school and high school entrance exams, overcoming various key points and ensuring they left no gap in their knowledge.

Similarly, a chef’s accumulation and foundation were about filling those gaps, making one’s weaknesses less evident, and shoring up any shortcomings. Thus, Ichise Hui’s once mentioned theory of lowering one’s limits made so much sense.

It was precisely the theory of the bucket.

But gaps were inevitably hard to avoid. Students had types of questions they either weren’t good at or didn’t master, and chefs in special-grade assessments would encounter completely new special-grade ingredients they had never dealt with before.

Aside from the chef’s own level, the question could significantly affect the pass rate.

"What is the subject of this summer’s special-grade assessment?"

The live audience whispered amongst themselves, and those watching the broadcast on television were also secretly sweating bullets, even more nervous than the participants at the venue.

At that moment, voices arose from the hall.

Shinohara Shigetaro, Reiko Liangzi Lina, and Aoki Motota—these three giants—walked onto the stage together, joining the six examinees.

Everybody’s gaze was fixed on the scroll Liangzi Lina held in her hand.

Aoki Motota had a carefree smile, his forehead glistening, dressed in monk’s robes, his right hand holding a plain inkstone filled with black ink.

"We ask Minister Shinohara to unveil the examination question for us!"

Chiyoda Aichi stepped back.

Swish.

Countless eyes watched Shinohara Shigetaro holding a large calligraphy brush.

His brush was very thick, meant for writing large characters and couplets, and after he nodded at Liangzi Lina, the lady took a step forward, and with a flick of her hand, the scroll unfurled with a whoosh, cascading down to the floor.

He raised his brush, dipped it in the ink, and the brush danced like a dragon or a snake!

The hall was truly dead silent at this moment, including the six examinees on the stage, all held their breath and stared without blinking at the scroll’s snow-white paper that slightly shimmered with light.

A short while later, Shinohara Shigetaro stepped back with his brush, and cameras from countless household television stations immediately zoomed in on the scroll.

The characters were written in a square and correct regular script.

Shinohara Shigetaro didn’t flaunt his calligraphy but used regular script to present the examination question.

Two bold Chinese characters, imposing:

"Extreme!"

"Bliss!"

"Extreme Bliss!"

"What does it mean?!"

The majority of Neon people recognized the characters, and even if some didn’t understand, they knew the meaning after hearing those around them exclaiming in Japanese.

Xia Yu also stared intently at these two characters, her mind reeling, her brows lightly furrowed as she thought to herself, "’Extreme Bliss’? Is it the name of some ingredient? That’s quite an exaggeration..."

The name was too bold.

Extreme Bliss.

The other five examinees must have felt, like Xia Yu, the foreboding sense.

Meanwhile, at the Tiqie Mansion.

Tiqie Xianzuowen, Tiqie Helinai, and Tiqie Ailisha, this family, sat in the living room, watching the live broadcast on TV.

"This ingredient is finally going to make its debut, eh!" Far Moon Commander couldn’t help but sigh deeply, pride evident in his expression.

"Grandpa, what do these two characters mean?" Tiqie Ailisha asked.

"In fact, these Fantasy Ingredients were first introduced on Neon’s home soil, and our Tiqie Family has made a significant contribution to that!" Tiqie Xianzuowen expressed with emotion.

"Ah?"

Eriina and Ailisha, the granddaughters, were both puzzled.

"Ailisha, your father and mother led the ’Tiqie International’ research team, providing substantial help to the IGO’s District 11 Research Institute. You just don’t know about it." the Far Moon Commander said with a chuckle.

Ailisha became even more confused.

’Tiqie International’ was the true, and only, international conglomerate founded by Tiqie Xianzuowen’s legitimate son, Tiqie Zongwei.

However, this son also caused Xianzuowen much trouble, for Tiqie Zongwei was more of a culinary researcher than a chef, passionate about research, and had walked down the aisle with the like-minded Leonora, and their love’s creation, Tiqie Ailisha, was perhaps influenced by her parents’ passion, hence her affection for those intricate molecular instruments.

In fact, when it came to lineage, Tiqie Ailisha was the true heir to the Tiqie Family.

"Cough, cough!"

At the scene.

Chiyoda Aichi, under the attentive gaze of the audience, approached Shinohara Shigetaro.

"Minister Shinohara, does ’Jile’ refer to some kind of Fantasy Ingredient?" she asked with pursed lips.

"Yes."

Shinohara Shigetaro nodded calmly to the camera, "Rice, as it stands now, is one of the most important staple foods worldwide!"

"The Indus River Valley, that is, the Indian Peninsula, as well as the Yellow River and Yangtze River Basin, are considered to be the most ancient lands that first mastered rice cultivation technology, with their people consuming rice for thousands of years."

"After rice was transmitted from the other side of the ocean to Neon’s home soil, we Neon people have always been cultivating and improving it, which is why Neon rice today has such superior quality and reputation."

As soon as his words fell, a tidal wave of gasps erupted from the assembly hall!

Rice!

Rice!

One of the world’s main foods!

"Thump, thump!"

Xia Yu could clearly hear his own heartbeat; he felt a sense of suffocation.

Rice, the examination topic!

The other examinees also showed a dazed expression. Was there a new Fantasy Rice making its debut?

"Rice!"

Shinohara Shigetaro, undisturbed by the chaos in the hall, raised his voice into the microphone, solemnly saying, "From the history of the invasion of Fantasy Ingredients during the World War II era to modern times, over the past few decades, the IGO has successively discovered and successfully cultivated and mass-produced three types of Fantasy Rice, which are black rice, Strawberry Rice, and egg yolk rice... But today, a fourth kind of Fantasy Rice has come into existence, which is ’Jile Rice’!"

Having said that, Shinohara Shigetaro closed his mouth, but the introduction continued.

The gazes of everyone and the focus of the camera shifted to the large screen hanging over the assembly hall.

First, an image of a wilderness appeared.

Then, there was a paddy field in some research institute, causing a stir in the hall once again, because, on the camera, one hectare of land was sparsely planted with colorful rice, with the grains separated from each other as if they were distanced by a vast divide.

The screen then displayed a text introduction:

"Jile Rice, the rice of dreams, was discovered by a Gourmet Hunter in the wilds of the world ten years ago, initially with just a single rice ear. After cultivation, the Jile Rice seeds were obtained by research institutes in various IGO districts.

"At first, one hectare of land could only yield one ear of Jile Rice."

"It wasn’t until two years ago that the IGO’s Neon Department made a breakthrough, enabling the mass cultivation of Jile Rice!"

"..."

What followed was a bunch of self-promoting drivel.

Xia Yu, having seen this, withdrew his gaze, thinking in shock, "Initially, one hectare of land could only yield one ear of rice? Now, even with genetic modification, the yield per hectare is probably only a dozen or so kilograms!"

Suddenly, a special fragrance wafted through the assembly hall.

Smelling a hint of the aroma, Xia Yu’s mind practically froze, his expression blank.

Others were similar.

They saw an IGO worker, wearing a gas mask as if dealing with a biohazard scene, nervously holding out a pot of freshly cooked hot rice.

The fragrance was emanating from the pot.

The hall fell deathly silent!