Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

Chapter 61 Reflections

The next moment, Ando changed the subject.

"So, is there anything else?"

Ando said tentatively.

"For example... an egg?"

At this moment, Ando had a satisfied expression on his face, but there was also a deeper expectation in his eyes that he himself did not realize.

Ando rested his chin on one hand, carefully examining the student before him who had repeatedly exceeded his expectations.

What I mean is, although you and I didn't know each other before today.

"But through this dish, I have fully realized that Lin Yu, you are a chef who pays exceptional attention to detail."

"In your cooking process, besides your amazing culinary skills, such as the fire control you just demonstrated."

"Imaginative ideas and small details are everywhere in your cooking."

"That's another great charm of your cooking!"

Ando pinched his chin, looking at Lin Yu with a curious gaze, staring directly into Lin Yu's eyes, trying to see something in his eyes.

"I just feel that since you pay such attention to detail in all three ingredients—chicken oil, chicken soup, and chicken legs—you've poured your heart and soul into them."

"That egg..."

"3

"Although it looks simple, there shouldn't be much room for innovation."

"But I still can't help but wonder, if it were Lin Yu, would he have similar little tricks up his sleeve?"

Originally, Ando's words were just a side note.

Unexpectedly, Lin Yu gave the answer the moment he asked the question.

"Yes, I have!"

Upon hearing this, Ando himself was somewhat taken aback.

He swore he really was just saying it offhand!

After all, it's just a few eggs in fried rice, yet there are certain details involved?

Ando leaned forward, resting on the podium, and looked at Lin Yu with a look of utter surprise and anticipation.

"There really is one?"

"some."

Lin Yu smiled and nodded, seemingly having been waiting for Ando's question.

"I would like to hear the details."

Ando sat up straight, adopting a posture of attentive listening.

Lin Yu then began his explanation.

"When I mixed the eggs and rice, I not only added a whole egg, but also some egg yolks."

"Is there anything special about this egg?" Ando asked curiously.

"some."

Lin Yu smiled and nodded.

"Under normal circumstances, the ratio of yolk to egg white in an egg is usually around [1:2], with slightly more egg white and slightly less yolk."

"Therefore, I specifically adjusted the ratio of egg whites to egg yolks in this fried rice."

"Some extra egg yolks were added to achieve a 1:1 ratio of egg yolks to egg whites."

"This allows the delicate flavor of the egg white to create a subtle balance with the rich flavor of the egg yolk."

"This allows the fried rice to achieve a perfect balance in terms of [egg flavor]."

On the podium, Ando listened attentively, nodding repeatedly, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

Across from the podium, as the explanation continued, Lin Yu's smile grew even wider.

It was a confident smile that suggested you had everything under control.

"And that's not all."

Lin Yu's voice continued, growing louder and louder.

"When mixing the rice and eggs, I also added a little bit of strong liquor to the rice."

"By doing this, not only can the rice grains contain a very subtle and mellow flavor without compromising the overall mild flavor of the fried rice."

"And the addition of strong liquor."

"It can also help the flames burn more intensely during frying, increasing the temperature inside the pan and making the fried rice taste even better."

Lin Yu opened his arms wide, his tone was high-spirited, and his smile was smug.

At this moment, Lin Yu entered a state of extreme excitement.

"rice!"

"Three layers of flavor in scallions!"

"Chicken fat, eggs, chicken broth, chicken meat!"

"Every ingredient has been carefully processed by me, and I have put my ingenuity and effort into it."

"You could say that in my fried rice, every single ingredient plays a vital role."

"But the main character!"

"The undisputed protagonist!"

Lin Yu's long and eloquent speech left everyone in the classroom who was paying attention to him dumbfounded.

No, it's just fried rice, why make it so complicated?

Lin Yu, the way you're acting makes us look useless!

"Ha ha ha ha!"

"They're all main characters!"

Seeing Lin Yu's confident smile, Ando burst into hearty laughter.

"That's right!"

"Lin Yu, you're right, I can feel it too."

"They're all main characters... Hmm, I like that way of putting it."

Ando tapped the edge of his plate with his spoon and said, "If this plate is a stage right now..."

He then pointed with his spoon to the half-eaten fried rice on the plate.

"And this plate of fried rice is like a stage play that is currently being performed on this stage."

"Just like you said, there are no supporting roles on stage, everyone is a protagonist!"

Ando said with a hint of regret, "Normally, according to common sense, the main characters should be fighting each other on stage."

"But Lin Yu, with your amazing culinary skills, you managed to keep this stage play, which featured only the main characters, running smoothly!"

"No! That's not enough!"

Ando shook his head; at this moment, he was inexplicably excited, just like Lin Yu.

"It shouldn't be described as [the performance proceeded smoothly]."

"Instead, you elevated this stage play to a whole new level!"

Ando was very satisfied with his summary and uttered the word with great emphasis.

"Yes, that's the word."

"sublimation!"

As he spoke, Ando swung his spoon, scooped up a large mouthful of fried rice, and put it in his mouth.

While chewing, his face showed a completely satisfied expression.

From the moment he took his first bite of fried rice until now, Ando's hands have never stopped moving.

He kept waving the spoon, scooping up spoonfuls of golden fried rice and putting them into his mouth.

Until the spoon made a crisp sound when it hit the plate.

Ando was then startled to realize that he had unknowingly finished the plate of fried rice in front of him.

"That felt great!"

"I haven't eaten this well in ages!"

Ando swallowed the last bite of fried rice, threw down the spoon, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and let out a long, triumphant roar.

At this moment, he was already immersed in the afterglow of the "deliciousness" and completely disregarded the dignity of his senior and mentor.

After the afterglow dissipated, Ando looked up at Lin Yu standing in front of him, his gaze deep and his emotions complex.

Satisfaction, appreciation, admiration, gratitude...

It was a complex look in her eyes, a mixture of many emotions.

"I must admit, Lin Yu, you've given me a huge surprise."

"This surprise is so big... it's almost dazed me."

Lin Yu bowed slightly and said with a faint smile, "You flatter me, Instructor Ando."

"Look at you, doing this again!"

Ando pretended to be angry and rolled her eyes at Lin Yu.

"I really don't know how a young person your age could develop such an old man's appearance."

"If I were your age and had cooking skills of this level, I'd be walking around with my eyes looking to the sky!"

"Regardless of whether they're classmates, treat them all like dirt chickens and clay dogs! Haha!"

When Ando said this, he himself laughed at his own words.

"The graduation rate at Totsuki Academy has always been in the single digits. For Professor Ando to graduate so smoothly, he must have been a true genius back in school!"

It was as if the excitement I felt while introducing the dishes was just an illusion.

At this moment, Lin Yu's expression and tone returned to their usual calm and indifferent state.

Ando said in a helpless tone, "You bastard..."

'

"I don't know whether I should praise you or not, and I don't know how you developed such a mature demeanor."

Lin Yu wanted to say something, but Ando stopped him.

"Alright, stop flattering me!"

"Let's not even talk about my cooking skills."

"At least I have some self-awareness."

As he said this, a look of reminiscence crossed Ando's face.

"Back in school, even in my third year, my cooking skills were among the worst in my grade."

"I was able to graduate smoothly, and that was only half due to my cooking skills."

"My other half was just lucky; they happened to draw a subject they were good at during their graduation exams."

"In the years since graduation, my cooking skills have improved compared to my student days, but the improvement has been very limited."

"As I get older, my body is increasingly feeling its limitations..."

'

"Eh?"

Ando sighed deeply, exuding a sense of sorrow for a hero past his prime.

"One's own family knows one's own affairs."

"I accepted this fact a long time ago."

"My culinary journey has come to an end..."

When talking about his student days, Ando seemed to be speaking from the heart, and said a lot.

Lin Yu stood there in front of him, without saying a word, simply listening quietly to the sorrow of an aging chef facing the end of his culinary career.

After a long while, having finished reminiscing, Ando finally snapped out of his sentimental mood.

"I'm so sorry!"

Ando said in a very apologetic tone, "People tend to become more sentimental about the past when they reach middle age."

"Thank you for listening to my rambling, Lin Yu."

Lin Yu shook his head and comforted the other person in a calm tone.

"Professor Ando, ​​you are underestimating yourself too much."

"On one hand, luck is also a kind of strength."

"On the other hand, as long as you still have the belief to move forward, your culinary skills will never be lost."

"If there's a wall in front of you, then crash into it."

"If there's a mountain ahead, then climb over it."

"If there's a cliff in front of you, you can try jumping off and see if you can fly!"

'

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Yu and Ando both laughed.

"Haha, Lin Yu, stop teasing me. I'm being very serious when I say this!"

"I wasn't joking with you!" Lin Yu said with a smile.

"In short, there's always a way out!"

"Perhaps one day, Professor Ando, ​​you'll see a glimmer of hope?"

Faced with Lin Yu's gentle words and seeing his comforting gaze, Ando was somewhat dazed.

He was clearly a senior graduate, a middle-aged man who had struggled in the kitchen for many years, and had come to realize his ordinariness and accept that his culinary skills had reached a bottleneck.

How come I'm the one being comforted by a freshman who's only a first-year student?

Thinking of this, Ando felt a pang of emotion and gave a complex, bitter smile.

But then he shook his head.

"It's not that easy!"

Ando looked at Lin Yu and slowly said, "Lin Yu, you are a truly stunning and unparalleled genius!"

"There are some things about people with mediocre talent that you will never understand."

Ando sighed, his tone filled with indescribable sadness.

"Let me use you as an example."

"Leaving aside other areas, just look at the fire control skills you just demonstrated."

"Let alone me in my student days, even now I might not be able to control such a fierce flame."

Even if I force myself to imitate you and do what you do, it's impossible for me to be as at ease and composed as you.

Professor Ando's words were like a super bombshell, crashing into the classroom and into the hearts of everyone who heard them.

You have to understand, in the eyes of these first-year students, this is a graduate of Totsuki Academy!

These are Totsuki graduates who survived in an incredibly harsh environment and stood out from a single-digit graduation rate!

Although these freshmen have only recently entered the senior high school, they have already personally experienced just how cruel the "eternal competition" that Totsuki Academy advocates is!

How could someone who graduated from such a harsh environment say such a thing at this moment?

These words were like a bomb exploding, stunning everyone present.

On the podium, Ando had already begun his summary.

"I have high hopes for you, Lin Yu. Keep it up!"

"Even in Totsuki, where monsters roam, with your talent, standing out would be a piece of cake."

I wish you all the best!

"I also look forward to the day when I can hear your name on a larger stage!"

Seeing the sincere appreciation and blessings in the eyes of the middle-aged chef, Lin Yu was also moved and bowed deeply to him.

"Thank you for your praise and expectations, Mr. Ando! I will do my best!"

Seeing Lin Yu's actions, Ando nodded with satisfaction. "Alright, I won't take up any more of your time."

"Lin Yu, I hereby announce that you have passed this assessment!"

"I give you a hundred points!"

"One hundred points!"

The students in the classroom were once again stunned by this scene, and suppressed gasps of surprise rang out everywhere.

Ando stood up and extended his right hand to Lin Yu.

Lin Yu understood and extended his right hand, shaking hands tightly with the other person.

"Lin Yu, I have been invited to participate in the Totsuki Culinary Training Program many times, and I have also served as a mentor on many occasions."

"But this is the first 100% I've given!"

"You know what I mean, right?"

Meeting the other person's gaze, Lin Yu nodded slowly. "Don't worry, I understand."

"Okay, then I wish you the best of luck in this residential training program."

"Thank you!" Lin Yu released her hand. "Thank you again for your support."

"Okay, go ahead."

After saying this, Lin Yu picked up the empty plate and turned to leave.

Ando glanced around the classroom, then looked at the students who were still in shock and hadn't quite come to their senses, and shouted sternly, "Everyone, hurry up!"

"Bring the food up for inspection as soon as it's ready!"

"Notice!"

"The project timeline is limited. If it doesn't pass the review by the deadline, I'll have no choice but to grade it as [unqualified]!"

"Everyone, hurry up!"

Ando's stern voice echoed in the classroom.

The students, who had been somewhat distracted, were jolted awake by Ando's words and hurriedly quickened their pace.

For a moment, the crisp sounds of pots and pans colliding echoed throughout the classroom.

After surveying the classroom, Ando looked away.

Then, Ando couldn't help but turn his gaze to Lin Yu's cooking counter.

Ando's gaze was complicated as he watched the figure cleaning the kitchen counter.

At this moment, it seemed as if he had a thousand words he wanted to say.

But in the end, all emotions turned into a long sigh.

"Eh...."

'

"The younger generation is truly formidable!"

"The era of us old folks is over; now it's the era of the young."

Ando looked up at the ceiling, and a majestic, aged figure appeared in his mind.

"Commander-in-Chief, is this the [Age of Unpolished Jade] that you placed such high hopes on?"

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