Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 88: The Shrine of the Yuchuan Family

Chapter 88: Chapter 88: The Shrine of the Yuchuan Family

"Welcome to taste the real ’Big Blast Fried Pork!’"

Xia Yu lifted the lid, and a blinding light immediately illuminated the dining table, yet Yuchuan Meisha and Hozoi Midori didn’t avert their eyes, staring intently at the flaming dish within the light.

"I feel this dish is different from the one you made a couple of days ago!"

Hozoi Midori tugged at her cowlick.

"Of course it’s different!" Xia Yu laughed.

The fried pork Xia Yu had made in the kitchen a few days ago was actually just a replica of this glowing dish.

What he invited Shinohara Shigetaro and Liangzi Lina to taste was the Bursting Flame Return-fried Meat.

The one he used to teach the ’Real Estate Queen’ Feng Zhizi a lesson was a dark, enhanced version of the traditional Szechuan Return-fried Meat.

The two replica versions had one thing in common, they both used the culinary technique [Bursting Flame], whereas this genuine glowing ’Big Blast Fried Pork’ combined the techniques of [Bursting Flame] and [Fierce Bull Green Dragon Slash]!

With three sets of bowls and chopsticks prepared, Xia Yu served the dish, took off his apron, and sat down himself.

"Mm—"

Yuchuan Meisha eagerly picked up a pair of chopsticks, grabbed a piece of fried pork, and threw it into her mouth, immediately covering her mouth, a repressed coquettish nasal sound resonating within the small night store, accompanied by a searing breath.

This time it wasn’t just hearing the sound; Yuchuan Meisha felt she was sitting by a campfire, thump, thump. It was the powerful and surging heartbeat she heard, and vaguely saw a young chef, solemn-faced, holding a chef’s knife with eyes locked on a fresh piece of pork on the kitchen counter.

Rip!

The blade flashed.

The sharp chef’s knife slashed down rapidly at several cuts per second, too swift for the naked eye to perceive, showing only a glint of silver.

Yuchuan Meisha’s eyes went dazed. In a blink, the young chef put away his knife as the pork on the chopping board bloomed like a flower, cutting into equally sized, similarly thin slices spread apart.

Such a "dissecting" culinary technique was something Yuchuan Meisha had never heard of!

She felt that even a live pig would be quickly dismembered into pieces of pork by this chef.

Fortunately, the ’Big Blast Fried Pork’ mixed with traditional and original methods wasn’t too spicy, and Yuchuan Meisha, unaware of Feng Zhizi’s dark fate at the hands of Xia Yu, found it hard to stop once she picked up her chopsticks, devouring the dish with oily mouth and none lady-like demeanor.

Hozoi Midori, who had tried the "dark cuisine" with Feng Zhizi that night, gripped the chopsticks with a face full of hesitation, wanting to eat but remembering the painful yet joyful fiery experience, her slender legs under the table discreetly tightened.

"Don’t worry, this dish isn’t spicy."

Xia Yu picked up a piece of pork belly soaked in bright bean paste sauce, and while Hozoi Midori was still hesitant, he took advantage of her distracted state and slipped it into her mouth.

Her eyes instantly widened.

The annoyance and shyness in Hozoi Midori’s eyes were quickly dissolved by the food, and her tense shoulders suddenly relaxed.

"Delicious!"

She mumbled, with chopsticks still in her mouth, and Xia Yu chuckled, handing it directly to her since they were unused. He grabbed the clean chopsticks from Hozoi Midori’s hand and enjoyed the food himself.

"If you want to eat, just help yourself!"

So Hozoi Midori loosened up and joined the feasting extravaganza.

After satisfying their hunger and thirst, it wasn’t too late. Xia Yu had Hozoi Midori clean up, while he escorted Yuchuan Meisha to Ueno Station.

"Did you enjoy the dinner?"

"Why didn’t you present this quality of cooking during the rating exams?"

Noticing the complex gaze beside him, Xia Yu shrugged, "It’s simple, because I couldn’t make luminous dishes with cod as the main ingredient."

"Luminous dishes?"

Muttering softly, Yuchuan Meisha smiled, "I remember this kind of dish."

"I won’t go in."

Xia Yu stopped outside the station, waved to her, "Remember to text me when you get home, just to let me know you’re safe."

Yuchuan Meisha chuckled, "I’ve graduated from college, and you’re just a high school student. Why do I feel you’re playing the big brother role..."

"But, it’s not a bad feeling, thank you for your concern."

Saying that, she also waved to Xia Yu, disappearing into the busy crowd at Ueno Station.

"An interesting female chef."

Xia Yu watched her walk away.

He could confidently say his intention to get acquainted with Yuchuan Meisha was pure, not driven by any attraction towards the opposite sex, but rather a shared curiosity in culinary arts that brought them together.

Yuchuan Meisha’s ’super hearing’ talent was quite astonishing to him, like opening the door to a new world. He had often wondered what it would be like if the chef talents from ’Cooking Master Boy’ appeared in the real world. Yuchuan Meisha was a great long-term observation subject for that.

Returning to the small restaurant, with no customers to serve during off-hours, Xia Yu felt relaxed and planned to head upstairs for a hot bath, yet ran into Hozoi Midori just emerging from the kitchen at the top of the stairs.

"Oh, by the way, Midori!" Xia Yu paused on the first step, "Do you know Yuchuan?"

He inquired somewhat euphemistically.

Given Hozoi Midori’s assertive nature, it was unlikely she would accept Yuchuan Meisha so quickly, yet they seemed to chat nicely. Out of curiosity, he asked casually.

Unexpectedly, Hozoi Midori nodded, "Sort of know her, when I was in junior high, I stayed at the Yuchuan family’s shrine with my father for a while."

"However, Yuchuan has changed so much that I hardly recognized her at first." Hozoi Midori made a wry face. "She used to attend high school in Kamakura, sporting two large ponytails and wearing big black-framed glasses, how should I put it, very plain..."

Xia Yu was momentarily stunned; he hadn’t expected the two of them to be acquainted.

Yokohama and Kamakura were both in Kanagawa Prefecture. The geographical location was close.

Wait...

The Yuchuan family runs a shrine?

Xia Yu opened his mouth to ask but then suddenly patted his forehead. After all, he had Yuchuan Meisha’s Twitter, email, and phone. Why not just ask her directly if he wanted to know? At this moment, Xia Yu showed an expression he believed was very innocent. He absolutely had no interest in trying to make advances.

Heading upstairs for a hot bath, Xia Yu sent Yuchuan Meisha a text and lay in hot water, connecting with the Chef God Space to continue familiarizing himself with the newly mastered culinary skill [Fierce Bull Green Dragon Slash].

...

Late night.

In the office of a board member of the Far Moon Group, a secretary handed over some documents, then quietly closed the door as he left.

The moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling glass mirror, spilling into the spacious office where Dojima Yin sat on a soft sofa and picked up the documents compiled by the staff.

"Xia Yu, a national of China, came to Japan in the Heisei 17th Year, enrolled at Ueno Matsuba Elementary School a year later, advanced to White Seagull Junior High School at thirteen, and is currently sixteen, having graduated from White Seagull Junior High School, passed the High School entrance exams and will enter White Seagull High School in April."

A plain and ordinary personal resume.

The key was in the family relations, where Dojima Yin saw a name that silenced him for a long time: Grandfather, Xia Qing.

The phone on the table suddenly vibrated, and Dojima Yin glanced at the caller ID, promptly sitting up straight and answering the call, "Hello, General, it’s me—"

"Alright, alright, I will take care of that matter."

After listening to the instructions from the other end of the line, Dojima Yin suddenly said before hanging up, "General, I saw Mr. Xia Qing’s grandson at the IGO headquarters today..."

"IGO headquarters?" replied the still great and powerful elderly voice.

"Yes, he passed the IGO two-star chef rating exam today... moreover, the dishes he presented are far beyond the quality of two stars, more than sufficient to pass the three-star assessment!" Dojima Yin said.

"Is there a recording of the live assessment?"

"I need to request one from the IGO institution; I’ll go ask Mr. Shinohara."

The other end of the call responded with a faint hum before hanging up.

Dojima Yin promptly dialed Shinohara Shigetaro’s phone number. Amidst the noise and elegant music melody that suggested a banquet, Shinohara Shigetaro seemed sober and, without drinking, laughed as soon as he spoke, "Mr. Dojima, we met only two hours ago, what’s so urgent?"

"Well..."

"The General wants the video recording of today’s two-star rating assessment?" Shinohara Shigetaro’s voice conveyed surprise.

"He learned that Mr. Xia Qing’s grandson participated in the assessment..."

"I see. I will have the staff send the video to your email."

"Thank you very much!"

Dojima Yin expressed his thanks, placing his phone aside, relaxing his arms on the back of the sofa, exhaling, with a smile on his fit face, "Interesting kid, even the General is keeping an eye on him!"