Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 644 - 643: Before the Finals (Part 2)

Chapter 644: Chapter 643: Before the Finals (Part 2)

"Wise Man Karl!"

A group of people bowed.

"Surgical Blade" Karl showed a faint smile, looking first at Shinohara Shigetaro.

"Minister Shinohara, you are the supervising officer from the IGO side for this Sapporo competition, are there sufficient guarantees for security, ingredients, and other logistics for the finals?"

Shinohara Shigetaro answered solemnly, "We have done our best!"

With a soft hum, the Dragon Giant trusted the capabilities of the branch leader and didn’t ask further, nodding to the crowd before taking his seat.

Whether it was the ordinary spectators or tycoons like "Surgical Blade," conversations on the day before the match inevitably revolved around the next day’s finals.

"Minister Shinohara, from your personal perspective, which of the three combinations do you favor in the finals?"

Before the question had finished, Shinohara Shigetaro definitively answered,

"The Far Moon combination!"

"That is Zhu Qing and Xia Yu!"

"Oh?" The Dragon Giant was curious, his gaze sweeping past his companions Aoki and the female general, who nodded in silent agreement, then he looked at Qiushan Hong and Indira, the two Lin Giants, "And you?"

"The same!" Indira declared directly.

The relatively steady Qiushan Hong explained why,

"At the moment, Far Moon is in the lead, temporarily at the top of the standings."

"Setting aside the first round of the competition, in the second round, the strength of this Far Moon combination was obvious to all; they triumphed in the ’Rainbow Liquor’ and proudly advanced to the second round."

Qiushan Hong paused at this point.

"In the second round, Chef Xia was unwell, and Chef Saito replaced him to compete, but he still managed to carve a path from amongst the mighty, stepping into the finals with a score of 90, alongside the other two combinations."

Qiushan Hong spread his hands, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, "Ironclad facts lay before us, which is why Lord Tiqie Ailisha would openly speak!"

"Surgical Blade" Karl couldn’t help but smile at this.

Yes!

Based on the facts, there was no reason to believe that the Far Moon Team would have a dim finish.

...

Downstairs in the eight-sided building,

In the hall, the door closed, and a robed figure entered, lifting the hood to reveal an imposing face.

Yan Mo and Red Dress greeted him, with Wu Yingying and the rest of the special chefs also present.

"Leader!"

The newcomer was none other than Yan Qi, the Leader of the Dark World.

"I am sent by the Dragon’s head on a mission to Japan, to ensure the victor successfully brings the ’Jade Dragon Pot’ back to the mainland," Yan Qi said, with Yan Mo and Red Dress nodding in understanding.

On the surface, the "Gourmet Society" had sent a formidable force to contend for the legendary culinary tool, showing keen interest.

After all, as an acknowledged dark organization, in opposition to the IGO, it was always right to be cautious.

Moreover, who could ensure that in private, there were no other organizations desiring to lay their hands on the ’Jade Dragon Pot’? The legend of immortality was too enticing, and tycoons with deeper knowledge of the legend probably coveted this cookware; it was necessary to be vigilant.

The Dark World and the Light Realm would naturally join forces outwardly, a tradition that had continued since the late Qing dynasty. At the very least, the culinary world was united against external threats.

Yan Qi took a seat and asked, "Of the three combinations in the final circle, which one do you favor to win?"

A strikingly similar question.

"The Far Moon combination!"

Yan Mo and Red Dress said in unison.

Wu Yingying then recounted in detail the visit Xia Yu made to them a few days ago.

"Yin Yang Five Elements, the harmony of Yin and Yang?"

Yan Qi was taken aback, "To bestow such esoteric knowledge on the dough?"

His eyes flickered rapidly, feeling as if there was a layer of paper before his eyes, sensing a déjà vu, yet unable to pierce through and understand for the moment.

"It seems I still have to escort the Divine Artifact back to the country for the Xia Family," laughed Yan Qi, but then he saw Wu Yingying’s composed demeanor and was immediately surprised, "Yingying, your Tianji Star Wu Family has an old grudge with the Xia Family, if the Xia Family obtains the ’Jade Dragon Pot’..."

"Just take it if you want!"

She said cheerfully, "The Xia Family taking it is always better than it falling into strangers’ hands, right? Besides, the ’Jade Dragon Pot’ has been contaminated; whether it can be purified is another matter. It has almost no impact on the Wu Family, so I’m not worried at all!"

The conversation about the competition ended there, and Yan Qi called Yan Mo and Hongyi into a sealed, quiet chamber.

"Have you made any attempts regarding the recruitment?"

Yan Qi stood with his hands behind his back, facing the wall and gazing at a painting, his profile seemingly calm, but his tone conveyed a sense of deep concern.

"No!"

Yan Mo’s expression darkened slightly as he said, "We can’t find a good opportunity just yet..."

"What does he think about our Dark Cuisine World, about Liangshanpo and Bamenlou then?" Yan Qi continued to ask.

"Uh..."

Yan Mo was at a loss for words.

"He probably doesn’t bear hostility, but he’s not very close either," Hongyi spoke up in his place.

"That’s fine!"

The Dark World Leader turned around, hands still behind his back, "I will personally attend the finals this time to see for myself how extraordinary he is. Moreover, if possible, I will personally extend an invitation to him; you two need not interfere with this matter anymore."

Yan Mo and Hongyi were quite shocked.

"The Leader is going in person?"

"Yes!"

The two looked at each other, taken aback.

This Dark World Leader, second only to the Dragon Giant in status domestically and considered a top figure among the Dragon Chefs, was about to extend an olive branch personally to a young chef who hadn’t even reached Lin level...

A terrifying thought suddenly crossed their minds.

Could it be as a direct disciple?

Yan Mo’s throat went dry.

He was a member of the Yan Family; since the Dark World big boss Kaiyou had died a century ago, the Dark World had been led by the Yan Family ancestors, starting with Yan Xian, who managed to barely contend with the Light Realm.

It could be said that not only did the Yan Family inherit Yan Xian’s legacy, they also took over all the dark techniques and research of the former Dark World boss Kaiyou, such as the ’Demon-breaking Eight Formation’, and made them the foundation of the clan. Since Yan Xian’s time, the Yan Family had firmly held the position of Dark World Leader, guiding the Dark World for a century.

The disciples under a great chef varied significantly; a direct disciple was nearly like a son, privy to all sorts of dark ultimate skills.

At this thought, Yan Mo couldn’t help but feel envious.

Though the Yan Family was extensive and their business vast, he stood out but was not at the level of a prodigy, and naturally, the resources he received couldn’t compare to those of the true heirs.

One must know that the Dark Cuisine World had amassed tremendous wealth; not to mention the ultimate techniques, but the high-grade ingredients, exceptional cooking utensils, and the ’Loulin Ship’, the rumored pinnacle of the Mo Family Mechanism Technique’s wisdom... So much wealth was astounding!

"Leader, this means..."

Carefully observing the eagerness on Yan Qi’s face, Hongyi’s eyes gleamed with understanding. This leader of the Dark World truly was desperate for talent. She thought about it and inwardly sighed; no wonder, the Light Realm had seen the emergence of many new talents in recent years. The ’Five Chinese Talents’ of the Dark World barely claimed two seats, but even those could not compare to the leading figure who was about to step into Lin level.

The older generation was suppressed, and they accepted it.

But if there was no hope of turning things around in the future, the Dark World might gradually fade away, which was unacceptable to the Yan Family and many other dark powerhouses.

...

Sneezing violently.

Bam!

The kitchen door closed behind him, and as soon as he stepped out, Xia Yu pulled out a tissue to clear his stuffed nose and tossed the crumpled tissue into the bin by the door, grumbling, "This unreasonable plague better disappear by tomorrow!"

After taking medicine and seeing the doctor, who was even called by the official team of the competition, there was still no sign of improvement. After today, at midnight, it would be the seventh day Xia Yu had fought through the illness.

Fortunately, he had a robust constitution; at most, he was annoyed by a runny nose, but otherwise unaffected.

At the very least, Xia Yu had still been bouncing around as usual these days.

"Ding! Ding!"

His phone had reception again. After unlocking the screen, a series of notifications came through. Xia Yu looked at the texts, then scrolled through Weibo and Twitter. This morning, the message Li Han sent him from afar had actually become a top news story, attracting the entire network’s attention.

And when he opened the details, Xia Yu was petrified, his mouth agape:

"Holy shit!"

"I seem to be surrounded by a wave of jinxes!"