"The cold-cut sashimi, thin as a cicada's wing, melts in the mouth and turns into a piercingly cold wind that sweeps through the whole body." Takagaki Kaede picked up another slice of sashimi and placed it between her pink lips, a shiver running through her.
"But this chill comes and goes quickly. As the gentle spice and aroma of the diluted brandy spread across the tongue, my body feels as if it has crossed from a frozen tundra to a warm, sunny spring day. What is this current that's warming my whole body?"
Takagaki Kaede's gem-like, translucent blue eyes looked toward Mo Bai, seeking an answer.
"It's young ginger, or more precisely, the juice from pressed young ginger." Mo Bai rubbed his nose and averted their intersecting gazes after giving his answer.
When you talk about Takagaki Kaede, you have to mention her mature charm and the beauty mark under her left eye that carries a hint of allure. Speaking of allure, you can't help but think of fairies, and speaking of fairies, you can't help but think of Jie...
Ahem, ahem. Let both flowers bloom, let both flowers bloom.
Seeing that beauty mark, Mo Bai finally remembered what he'd forgotten before leaving—he'd stood up the loli he'd hired with his own money!
Mo Bai looked up at the sky, feeling a bit guilty. At this hour, Gokou Ruri, having been stood up, should have gone home by now.
"I see. No wonder you used young ginger when pan-frying the fish bones. You planned to use the brandy to mask the ginger's flavor from the very beginning, didn't you?" Chiba Eda interjected.
"Correct. Old ginger is good for cooking fish, but its flavor is pungent and overpowering. So I switched to young ginger, which has a milder taste. Then, considering you might still not like it, I used brandy to cover up the ginger flavor," Mo Bai explained his original intention.
"Of course." Chiba Eda nodded as if she understood something. "You can tell a chef's personality from the dishes they serve. No wonder you're able to create a dish with such a harmonious flavor."
The word "Adoration" was written all over Chiba Eda's face.
"Er... it's not as amazing as you make it sound." Mo Bai scratched his cheek, embarrassed.
This wasn't false modesty. His awakened Domain of the Heart's Manifestation: Propriety came with a derivative Culinary Heart: [Propriety], which possessed the unscientific ability to perfectly balance the flavors of all ingredients.
To put it more simply: ingredients are the building blocks of a dish, and each has a different shape. The game-breaking aspect of Culinary Heart: [Propriety] was its ability to trim the sharp corners off these ingredient blocks, shaping them exactly as needed to construct the dish.
In truth, this Rainbow Leopard Grouper Sashimi still had minor flaws in its timing, proportions, and even seasoning—otherwise, it wouldn't have just produced a single flash of golden light. But Culinary Heart: [Propriety] had unreasonably elevated the entire dish, presenting a state of perfect harmony on the three judges' tongues.
For ordinary people, being a good cook is genuinely not as effective as drugging them.
While Mo Bai's mind was wandering, the sashimi on the black-glazed plate rapidly disappeared until it was empty.
The three judges put down their chopsticks, steadying their slightly hurried breaths, a healthy, post-exercise blush appearing on their faces.
"There it is! Following contestant Harano Katsuya, who presented the first dish, contestant Mo Bai's Rainbow Leopard Grouper Sashimi has also been completely cleared!"
"What kind of comments will the judges give for contestant Mo Bai's dish?"
"The skin of sashimi, the bone of Chinese cuisine. Contestant Mo Bai has perfectly combined the two." Colson, the undeniable star of the commentary process, began his critique after a moment of thought.
"The cold-cut sashimi preserves the peak umami and sweetness of the Leopard Coral Grouper, and on top of the slices are ice crystals of a fish consommé clarified with minced meat."
"You dip it in the warm, slightly spicy brandy-mixed sauce and place it in your mouth."
"The first sensation is cold. The next moment, the slight spice of the brandy dispels the chill. The supple sashimi, thin as a cicada's wing, begins to melt on the tongue from the mouth's warmth. The sashimi's fresh sweetness and the consommé's rich umami glide smoothly down the throat. At this point, the young ginger hidden beneath the brandy's flavor takes effect, warming the body as if bathed in spring sunlight."
"Cold and warm, supple and melt-in-your-mouth, sweet and savory—three pairs of opposites, perfectly fused within this one plate of sashimi." Colson paused for a moment before making a shocking statement.
"This isn't a fair competition. It's tantamount to a slaughter."
"I have now completely forgotten the taste of the previous ten dishes. I even suspect that the dishes from the Group B test this afternoon will fail to whet my appetite at all."
"I'd like to ask, contestant Mo Bai, what is your star ranking as a chef?"
Colson's scorching gaze through his sunglasses made Mo Bai's butthole clench. Mo Bai quickly made a hand gesture.
"Ten stars? Special-Grade!?"
An uproar immediately erupted from the crowd.
"Huh?" Mo Bai looked at his own hand making an 'OK' sign, then turned it upside down.
"Sorry, I haven't been certified by the IGO yet. I'm Level Zero." Mo Bai folded down the three fingers that were extended after making a circle with his thumb and index finger, his expression slightly awkward. Poverty left him with no money for the examination or travel fees.
Hearing Mo Bai wasn't certified yet, the intensity in Colson's gaze rose several levels.
"If you ever consider relocating, you could move to Hokkaido! We in Hokkaido can provide you with a first-class kitchen, first-class accommodations..."
"Ahem, ahem!" Chiba Eda cleared her throat, reminding Colson that she, the actual host, was still present. "Let's begin the scoring."
"There's nothing more to say. I give it a full 100 points!" Even though he was interrupted, the fervor in Colson's eyes didn't diminish.
"I also give it a full 100 points." Takagaki Kaede, the resident full-marks professional, gave another 100.
"Yes, 100 points is truly well-deserved." Chiba Eda, the final focus of attention, nodded and said.
"Miko Chiba has given 100 points! With that, contestant Mo Bai, who served his dish at the last second, comes from behind with a total score of 300 to take first place in Group A! The day after tomorrow, he and Group A's runner-up, Harano Katsuya, will face the first and second place winners from the other three groups."
Harano Katsuya, in the break room, didn't clearly hear the rest. He had experienced many failures, but never had he felt such unwillingness to accept defeat.
Chiba Eda had given him 60 points and Mo Bai 100 points—a full 40-point difference.
Is the gap between a genius and me really that vast? he thought, clenching his fists.
===
"Contestant Mo Bai, please wait." In the hallway, Chiba Eda, holding her tabby cat, called out to Mo Bai.
"Miss Chiba, is something the matter?"
"Mr. Colson asked me to tell you that he will definitely give you an answer regarding the issue with your Leopard Coral Grouper." The sweet girl with bright eyes and pearly teeth had somewhat messy, long black hair. She wasn't as popular as Colson or Takagaki Kaede, so she had successfully slipped away while the on-site media wasn't looking.
"That would be for the best." Mo Bai was genuinely a bit worried about another accident happening next time.
"Mr. Mo Bai, please come with me." Chiba Eda glanced around before turning and walking toward a hidden corner.
"You're one of us, aren't you?" Chiba Eda's question was phrased as a statement.
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