Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 502 - 501: A Familiar Yet Strange Opponent

Chapter 502: Chapter 501: A Familiar Yet Strange Opponent

The first match of the round of eight in Block A had ended, and yet, the competition in Block B was still fiercely ongoing.

"The Research Faction" had crushed their victory without much room for discussion. Just as the stationed journalists were ready to disperse with disappointment, who could have expected that the belated returning young special chef would issue a Food Duel challenge to Tiqie Ji, the strongest top-level special chef of the "Research Faction" participants?

The journalists thought Tiqie Ji wouldn’t accept such an unreasonable Food Duel, but when they heard about Tiqie Ji’s condition for the duel, they became as excited as if infused with chicken blood:

There’s drama in this Food Duel!

Because, in the journalists’ view, the odds for match number 20 between Far Moon Team and Dragon Town Restaurant Tang’s Team were split right down the middle!

Block B.

Shinohara Shigetaro, who was watching the match, put down his phone with a strange expression on his face.

"What’s wrong?"

Aoki Motota, noticing his off look, raised his eyebrows inquiringly.

Shinohara Shigetaro rubbed his temples and sighed, "I really don’t know what he’s thinking. Initiating a Food Duel in such an international event is a huge gamble on life... Has he considered what would happen if he loses?

This IGO Neon Department manager was truly racking his brains. He had been asked by Mr. Xia early on to take care of his grandson, and Shinohara had always taken good care of Xia Yu indeed—for there were too many procedures and details to be mindful of when running a restaurant in Tokyo, but Shinohara had handled all of these for Xia’s Restaurant, acting almost like an invisible butler.

"Him?" Aoki Motota touched his smooth, shiny bald head and immediately guessed who it was, utterly astounded, "Who is he having a Food Duel with?"

"Tiqie Ji... or rather, Nakamura Ayame!"

"Ah!"

Aoki Motota went from shock to astonishment, stuttering, "That person, I wouldn’t even dare say what their chances of winning are, the real showdown depends on who has the bigger trump cards!"

"You’re likely to lose nine times out of ten," Shinohara twitched the corners of his eyebrows, saying mercilessly.

"You’re underestimating me too much, boss..."

"It’s not underestimating. That person is already halfway to being a Lin Chef, having found more than one kind of resonant ingredient," Shinohara sighed, "Aoki, you should know, the more powerful the Dark Chef is, the more resonant ingredients they hold, right?"

Aoki and Main General Liangzi next to him, with disturbed expressions, nodded.

A Dark Chef isn’t judged by the number of recipes in their hands but by the number of ’resonant ingredients’ they have mastered.

’Resonant ingredients’ are the Dark Chefs’ accumulation, their materials.

"And he has at least one kind of Forbidden-tier resonant ingredient!" Shinohara’s next sentence made Aoki and Liangzi gasp.

"Forbidden Ingredients... really?"

Aoki was immediately ready to beat a retreat.

But it was Liangzi Lina who had an unfathomable expression on her pretty face, as if she was... looking forward to it?

...

Block A had cleared out.

Chased and blocked by reporters, the Far Moon Team was surrounded at the exit of the underground parking garage, unable to leave.

Xia Yu could only get out of the car to accept the interview.

"Xia Yu, can you talk about your grudge with Mr. Tiqie?"

"The causes and consequences of this Food Duel..."

"According to the information, Mr. Tiqie is the most powerful special member of that participating team, even one foot into the ranks of Lin Chef... By initiating a Food Duel yourself, do you have full confidence in your victory?"

Amid the noisy barrage of questions, Xia Yu had only one statement:

"I will defeat him!"

He assumed the posture of a challenger, and indeed that was the reality. By conservative estimates, Xia Yu felt that with a favorable topic, he could definitely wrestle with Ghost Father.

Of course, a special "kill shot" recipe would probably struggle to pose a threat to Ghost Father.

Therefore, Xia Yu tried to use the only resonant ingredient he currently had, "Gem Meat," to research the Forbidden recipes he already had or, maybe, to create a new Forbidden recipe entirely!

At least the "Taboo Golden Egg Fried Rice" was starting to take shape.

With the right topic, Xia Yu was confident!

Without a word, everyone made their way back to the Ookura Mountain Villa from the competition grounds.

As soon as they entered, a maid approached Xia Yu and reported, "Lord Xia Yu, a young lady is waiting for you. She is having coffee in the parlor."

"A young lady?"

At the news, not only Xia Yu, but also everyone who returned with him, turned their heads to look at the parlor on the first floor of the villa, where a beautiful girl was sitting by a white dining table, sipping coffee and watching television with great interest. At the moment, the television was broadcasting a discussion about a sudden event in Block A; it seemed that experts were engaged in a fierce debate over the Food Duels.

Hearing footsteps, the girl stood up with a smile.

"Xia Yu!"

She called out his name directly.

"It’s you—" Xia Yu was quite surprised, wasn’t this girl Laura, the artistically styled mercenary maid he had bumped into in Platinum Town? His expression was odd as he sized up the woman wearing a plaid shirt and blue jeans, who had deliberately tied her flowing black hair into an energetic ponytail, giving off a tomboyish vibe. He frowned and asked, "Did you come looking for me on purpose?"

Tang Yuqiong merely smiled.

"Yu, come here for a sec!"

Zhu Qing almost dragged Xia Yu by his ear, pulling him out to the hallway, and stared at him with penetrating eyes, "Do you know her?"

"Sort of... know her, I guess."

Xia Yu said, not very sure because, after all, it had been a brief encounter—they had only spent part of a day and one night together.

"Do you know her name?"

"Seems to be Tang Yuqiong, isn’t it?"

After hearing about the accidental meeting from her nephew, Zhu Qing suddenly said, "Then do you know that in the competition on the 20th, against the Dragon Town Restaurant Tang’s Team, there is a Female Special Chef also named Tang Yuqiong?"

"No way..."

Xia Yu was startled.

"It’s her!" Zhu Qing was at a loss for words.

Dojima Yin, Saito Chiyokuro, and others standing by also wore strangely odd expressions.

Xia Yu pursed his lips, returned to the parlor, and sat opposite Tang Yuqiong.

"You know who I am now, don’t you?"

She leisurely put down her coffee cup, and the cup and porcelain tray emitted a crisp ’ding’ sound.

The television continued to broadcast the Food Duels discussion, while Tang Yuqiong glanced at it and asked, "You have a grudge against that Dark Chef?"

"A grudge? I suppose so. If I don’t crush him, and Far Moon is thrown into disarray by him, some of my students might have to face expulsion," said Xia Yu.

"However, your Food Duel will only take effect if you meet on the competition stage!" Tang Yuqiong laughed, then immediately dropped her smile, her pretty face serious, and slowly said, "In the match on the 20th, Tang’s Team will not lose! So, I’m sorry for your Food Duel!"

"Have you come to declare war?"

Xia Yu looked into her eyes, his smile also fading.

"I want to tell you, I will be competing in the first match. You should choose the first match too, so we can face each other directly!"

At these words, Xia Yu almost laughed and said, "Coincidentally, I’m also in the first match. The schedule has already been submitted."

The lineup had been sent to him by text message from Zhu Qing and Dojima Yin a few days earlier.

"That couldn’t be better!"

Tang Yuqiong stood up, her back to Xia Yu, and asked: "Do you know about the ’Dragon Pot’?"

"I’ve specially prepared a sauce for you, cooked in the ’Dragon Pot’. This sauce will be the core element of my ’finishing move’ dish... No matter what, I do not want to lose to you!"

"I’m sorry, but I also don’t want my team to fall before the semifinals!"

The premature showdown ended with Tang Yuqiong’s departure.

In the blink of an eye, it was the 20th.

The last match of the Block A quarterfinals.

This match garnered the attention of Japan and the Chinese Cuisine World, especially after the fight card was revealed. The forums in both places exploded. The very first match was a showdown between the two youngest and most powerful prodigies of the competing teams.

Although they shared the same nationality, on the stage of the legendary cooking showdown, there were only winners and losers!