Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 349 - 348: The Final 4-Hour Sprint (Part 1)

Chapter 349: Chapter 348: The Final 4-Hour Sprint (Part 1)

"The same panel of examiners!"

"I remember, the ones who reviewed Miss Yuchuan were these three examiners, right?"

Shinohara Shigetaro was the fixed, unchanging lead examiner.

The other two were usually top-tier Super Chefs on the same level as Shinohara Shigetaro.

But Qiushan Hong and Indira were globally renowned Lin Chefs.

A truly luxurious panel of examiners.

As spectators, they were delighted to see such a lineup because the commentary and tasting segments would be more exciting, more convincing. However, for the examinees and their families and friends, this luxurious lineup meant—

Strictness!

High expectations!

The camera turned to Qiushan Hong, Indira, and Shinohara Shigetaro.

Qiushan Hong and Shinohara Shigetaro were both smiling and waving their hands.

But the Indian female Lin Chef, Indira, was as serious and unsmiling as ever, with a tense expression. Seeing her like this, Tanaka Hikari, Morioka Makoto, and Tiqie Eriina’s hearts skipped a beat as they sensed trouble.

"Cough, cough, now to introduce the guests!"

Chiyoda Aichi’s voice was not as high and clear as it had been at the start, as if he had been doused with cold water.

The camera shifted again.

This time to the guest seats at the venue.

First there was a scan over the first row, causing many to gasp in surprise at the familiar faces, from Deputy Headmaster Mars of Orlando, to Far Moon Commander Tiqie Xianzuowen, to Governor of Tokyo Yuchuan Yuriko, and so on.

Eh!

Suddenly, there was a big commotion on site.

Audiences in front of televisions and screens worldwide were also stunned.

The camera followed a lady who had just arrived.

Yuchuan Ayaka was there, still in a Bohemian-style checked silk long dress. However, this time the headband on her forehead had been replaced with a light golden string, complementing her dyed, deep brown wavy long hair, still so radiant.

With a slight smile at the corner of her mouth, Yuchuan Ayaka took her seat unhurriedly in the second row of the guest section.

The neighboring Super Chefs, all familiar faces, immediately greeted her with gestures and expressions filled with humility and respect.

She was no fledgling Super Chef.

Today in the Neon Food World, who didn’t know that she possessed a Super "finisher" recipe.

Even if her cooking spirit and ultimate taste hadn’t met the conditions, she was still regarded as a high-and-mighty presence in the Super Chef hierarchy.

"Miss Yuchuan is here!"

"Didn’t expect Miss Yuchuan to also observe on site... Is it really because of that ’youngest Super Chef in Neon history’?" many spectators asked with a teasing tone.

"That woman!"

Morioka Makoto and Tiqie Eriina immediately cast hostile glances toward the guest seats.

Eriina’s feelings were complicated.

In fact, when she was younger, she used to play with Yuchuan Ayaka, who was ten years her senior and was the leader among a group of new-generation children from the Tiqie, Hasegawa, Dubian, and Chiyoda families.

But Yuchuan Ayaka soon went into seclusion and was sent to train at Shi Lin Temple.

As time passed, Eriina stopped paying attention to this older sister figure from her childhood.

To her surprise, a month ago, Yuchuan Ayaka made a stunning debut during the Super Chef examination. The public of Neon believed her to be a product of the Yuchuan family’s cultivation, unaware that this female Super Chef bore the heavy imprint of Shi Lin Temple.

The Far Moon student team was right next to the guest seats.

Sensing the hostile glares.

Yuchuan Ayaka glanced over and saw the coldness in Eriina’s eyes, paused for a moment.

Thump, thump.

The cellphone in the pocket of her checked skirt was vibrating.

Tiqie Eriina pursed her lips and took out her phone, only to see a text from Yuchuan Ayaka, a single line that instantly flushed her cheeks red, her brow and eyes filled with embarrassment and annoyance.

"That ’youngest Super Chef in Neon history’ is your boyfriend?"

Yuchuan Ayaka asked.

"What are you talking about!" responded Tiqie Eriina, her words laden with irritation, "He is our Far Moon guest lecturer!"

"So, this is why you see me as your enemy? Eriina, to be honest, I’m quite heartbroken."

"You think? I’m here to defend the honor of Far Moon..."

"Really?"

The two young ladies exchanged messages via text on their phones.

After the introduction of the guest, there followed a long period of silence.

The arrival of Ayaka Yuchuan had caused a stir, but it quickly subsided into nothingness.

Taking over the microphone, Shinohara Shigetaro began to speak while Chiyoda Aichi assisted as the field controller.

"There are four hours left until the end of the assessment, and I will now give you an update on the current status of the six examinees..." Starting without preference, Shinohara began with Kitchen No. 1.

The screen above the hall showed the camera feed for Kitchen No. 1.

Xia Yu stood there, his back to the camera, rooted before the cooktop, chin resting on his hand, unchanged for quite some time.

"Chef Xia has failed twice in practical cooking, the first time with a colorful porridge, the second time also with porridge," Shinohara Shigetaro paused, "Although the examinees can’t hear me, I still must say—"

"Don’t let past experiences and patterns restrain your thinking."

"Fantasy Ingredients call for innovation!"

The implication was clear: Xia Yu clung too stubbornly to the idea of ’porridge’ as a dish.

Many people nodded in agreement.

"Kitchen No. 2, Chef Ujou, has faced a total of thirteen failures in practical cooking from yesterday until now. As you all may know, we provide each examinee with a limited quantity of ’Jile Rice’, only 20 kilograms."

"The more practical cooking there is, the more ingredients will be consumed."

"Meanwhile, the ingredients left for the final dish become fewer, which requires examinees to control the balance on their own!"

The Far Moon students understood.

Not too little nor too much practice?

The group from Polar Star Dormitory sent worried glances toward the chef of Kitchen No. 1.

Compared to the other contestants, Xia Yu had only practiced twice; could this really be enough to understand and conquer ’Jile Rice’?

"Kitchen No. 3, Nakajima Sei..."

There, Shinohara Shigetaro suddenly stopped.

Eh?

In the frame, a man with an aura of failure emptied a sealed metal container of ’Jile Rice’ by tipping it upside down.

But only about a kilogram of the ’Jile Rice’ was left to pour out.

"Clang—"

Nakajima Sei shook the container vigorously, but it echoed empty.

Finished!

Seeing this, the audience felt a jolt in their hearts, "Has the first one to be eliminated appeared?!"

"Nakajima Sei! It’s him again! That loser!"

Nakajima Sei, unable to hear the outside noise, stood with his back to the camera, exuding a sense of composure and determination, without the collapse or panic one might expect.

"One kilogram, that’s enough!"

"Less than four hours! I’ll ’conquer’ you yet!"

In Kitchen No. 3, Nakajima Sei muttered to himself.

He then took that one kilogram of rice to wash, and placed it in the rice cooker.

Nakajima Sei did nothing else but stood in front of the rice cooker.

"Has the final sprint moment arrived?"

Shinohara Shigetaro spoke slowly into the microphone, his voice echoing in the silent hall.

"Look—"

At that moment, a commotion arose among the Far Moon student group.

There was a disturbance in VIP room No. 1.

The camera switched back to show the young man who had been motionless earlier now stepping to the corner of the kitchen, and with both hands, he lifted a large water jar that everyone else had forgotten in the corner.

No, not lifted—as he walked a few steps and maybe found the position uncomfortable, the young man boldly hoisted the heavy water jar high above with his hands.

"..."