Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 510 - 509: The Essence of Simplicity (Part 2)

Chapter 510: Chapter 509: The Essence of Simplicity (Part 2)

"Happy and simple?"

The second seat judge continued, "No matter how it tastes, desserts were never meant to be rigid or serious in form. Apart from eating, guests also have smiles that come from the heart... Is this merely amusing?"

The Persian beauty, the last seat judge, interjected:

"After so many days of the competition, we have tasted too much Special Grade Cuisine, always dining extravagantly at high places in the Jade Palace, never coming down... But it has also let me know that the cuisine that brings joy and enjoyment is so precious."

She flashed a mischievous smile and winked at Xia Yu:

"Desserts are meant to be happy, right?"

After speaking, the female judge slapped the voting device.

Thud!

Overhead, on the giant screen, numbers under Xia Yu’s portrait jumped from "0" to "1".

Thud! Thud!

Two consecutive voting reminders, the chief and second seat judges each also cast their vote for Xia Yu.

Three to zero!

A sure victory!

"Did I lose?!"

Seeing this, Tang Yuqiong bit her lip, her pretty face slightly paled.

"Tang Yuqiong, try your own ’Rebirth Spring Rolls’," the remaining two unvoted judges glanced at each other, one of them slowly started.

"Alright!"

She clenched her teeth, picked up a spring roll with chopsticks and dipped it into the secret sauce, devouring it in one bite. Boom, the freshness could be described as a cosmic explosion, Tang Yuqiong was instantly swept away by the explosion, and everything shattered within her, standing at the edge of the universe, watching a new world being formed.

But.

As the previous judges had said, it was too high, high places are bitterly cold!

After the novelty, profound loneliness followed!

Suddenly, the seal previously shattered by the sauce hadn’t completely disappeared but quietly flowed within her body, forming a trickle in her flesh and blood, causing her cells and pores to cheer joyously.

"This is..."

Her scalp exploded, goosebumps arose, Tang Yuqiong tightly gripped the chopsticks, her face so pale it lost all color.

In the desolate edge of the universe, she could vaguely see a world alight with countless home lights.

Under each light, there was a family, every household having the simple happiness and laughter that seemed so trivial to her before.

In a flash, she felt the urge to cry.

These ordinary scenes, unattainable from her lofty perch, were now infinitely precious.

Realizing this, Tang Yuqiong’s lips trembled.

"In comparison..."

"My dish has become just a complementary background!"

She turned her head, staring incredulously at Xia Yu.

"Did you set a trap for me from the start?!"

"A trap?"

Xia Yu chuckled, "I merely brought out the simplicity and essence of ’Golden Smile’... Did you see happiness in simplicity?"

"Happiness?" Tang Yuqiong gasped, thinking back to the moment the ’Dragon Pot’ sauce hit, her mind went blank, and she vaguely heard laughter in her ears; she went silent, unable to deny that she was touched in that instant, her eyes still red.

Seeing this, the remaining two judges exchanged looks in tacit agreement.

Thud! Thud!

On the screen, under Tang Yuqiong’s portrait, the number "2" appeared, representing her votes.

A neatly groomed older judge said, "I respect the ’Rebirth Spring Rolls’ dish, but this vote is in honor of the ’Dragon Pot’ sauce!"

"Yes!" echoed the other judge.

The venue fell silent.

Even the least insightful could discern the judges’ implied message—

Without the ’Dragon Pot’ sauce, the contest would have been no contest.

The final score, 3 to 2!

"The winner is Xia Yu!"

Chiyoda Aichi shouted in surprise.

"Oh—"

A roar resembling a tsunami erupted from the audience, and at the same time, viewers around the globe watching the live broadcast were probably focusing intently on the screen at the young, special-grade chef—simple, plain, and joyfully embodying the essence of dessert?

The results were announced.

In people’s eyes, there was only the winner, while the loser had quietly exited the stage.

As the noise subsided, the chief judge then asked with a smile, "Contestant Xia Yu, I have a rather presumptuous question, did you intentionally use ordinary and simple ingredients to create this interesting dessert?"

"Uh..."

All eyes once again converged, and Xia Yu smiled, "Actually, my skills are not sufficient to handle high-end ingredients, using premium delicacies to reflect the true meaning of ’happy and relaxed.’"

"So does that mean your dish ’Golden Laughter’ still has room for evolution?"

The five judges looked at each other, with astonishment in their eyes.

"You could say that."

Xia Yu responded, thinking to himself: How could the golden recipe be that simple?

Currently, he had stabilized the completion of ’Golden Laughter’ above 80%, but to make each dessert achieve a glowing score above 90, he still needed to practice tirelessly.

As for incorporating high-end ingredients, Xia Yu already had plans.

The audience watched Xia Yu head backstage.

"It can still evolve?"

"That Tang Family’s female genius, using the ’Dragon Pot’ sauce, couldn’t defeat his yet-to-be-perfected dish?"

"Terrifying!"

Whisperings sounded, while professional chefs all wore serious expressions.

Tang’s Team.

Tang Jingtiao’s face went through several changes, still struggling to accept the result.

"How could the ’Dragon Pot’ sauce lose..." Tang Jingtiao clenched his fists.

Tang Shan sighed, "I told you, tools are ultimately cold, only knowing how to use them without a chef’s imprint that matches, just like what the judges said, instantly reaching the top but then having trouble coming down, too spacey and gorgeous, the tasters would care more about a cuisine that triggers their emotions and brings them happiness."

"The second round, it’s your turn!" Tang Shan patted his shoulder, "Your opponent is Dojima Yin... give it your all, and have no regrets even if you lose!"

Tang Jingtiao was silent.

"What about our third round, any confidence?"

"The third round is against Saito Chiyokuro, your uncle will face him, as for the result..." Tang Shan glanced at the lights above the venue, "It seems Far Moon has lined up their three strongest competitors at the forefront, aiming to crush our Tang’s Team all at once."

Tang Jingtiao looked upset, clearly, the other special chefs had also suffered a significant blow to their morale.

...

After coming down from the stage.

Walking along the corridor, Xia Yu easily spotted Yuqiong Tang sitting in a corner with her head tucked on her knees.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up.

Xia Yu paused slightly, looked over, and showed a hint of surprise.

Her face was just a bit despondent, no tears.

"What, did you think I’d cry?" Yuqiong Tang observed Xia Yu’s expression, frowned, and showing her teeth, she feigned fierceness.

"I haven’t only lost today!"

"Losing to you just irritates me for a bit!"

Speaking, Yuqiong Tang bit her lip, "I didn’t expect the ’Dragon Pot’ sauce to become my downfall!"

"Without the secret sauce, you would’ve lost even worse!" Xia Yu said mercilessly.

"You’re right!"

Yuqiong Tang clenched her fists tightly, "I lost because I couldn’t fully control the legendary kitchen tool’s sauce; it revealed a flaw, allowing your ’chef’s heart’ to deliver a fatal blow!"

"Now, I still faintly hear chuckling in my mind..."

Her bright eyes then fixed firmly on Xia Yu.

"I seriously suspect that your ’chef’s heart’ is no longer at a special chef’s level!"

"Could you be..."

Before she could finish, Xia Yu turned away and waved his hand as he walked off.

"Darn it!"

Punching the wall, Yuqiong Tang was full of regret, inwardly thinking: "The ’Dragon Pot’ sauce is very aggressive, but I failed to build a defensive fort with my imprint, who knew his imprint would be breached and still be able to counterattack from behind!"

Xia Yu sat down in the resting room and unexpectedly received a system reward notification:

"Ding..."