Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

Chapter 95 The Young Lady's Challenge

"Alright everyone, quiet!"

After the audience quieted down, Guan Shouping explained, "They are members of the bodybuilding club from Shanghai University, which is training nearby."

"In a little while, members from many other schools and clubs, such as the rugby club, basketball club, baseball club, and wrestling club, will also be coming."

"Your task is simple: cook enough dinner for them to eat their fill."

Guan Shouping took a tray and showed it to all the students.

The tray held a pile of bowls and plates and a heated iron plate, on which were the samples of the dishes being demonstrated.

The students in the room craned their necks and even stood on tiptoe, trying to see more clearly.

There are five dishes on the tray.

A sizzling steak sits on a hot plate, topped with a rich sauce.

A bowl of vegetable salad contains visible ingredients such as boiled eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, and broccoli.

A bowl of steaming white rice.

A small dish of yellow pickled radishes.

Finally, there was a bowl of steaming tofu and seaweed miso soup.

"Tonight's menu is a [steak set meal]!"

Guan Shouping's voice resounded throughout the venue.

"The set meal consists of five parts: steak, rice, salad, side dishes, and soup!"

"When you're cooking later, you must follow this combination; all five parts are essential!"

"However, considering that you are already very tired, the other four parts of the set meal, namely rice,..."

Salads, side dishes, and soup—we've already prepared all the meals for you.

"In other words, all you need to do is cook a decent steak and then put all the other dishes together."

Upon hearing Guan Shouping's words, the students in the audience were so moved that they almost burst into tears on the spot.

Oh, right!

"I forgot to mention, each of you needs to prepare fifty steak set meals tonight!"

The moment Guan Shouping finished speaking, the students in the auditorium who were deeply moved and weeping just a second ago suddenly became like quails with their necks being choked. Their voices were choked into silence, their faces turned red, and their eyes were filled with disbelief and terror.

"Everyone gets fifty points!?"

"Shall we do it now?"

"Are you kidding me!"

"That's fifty meal sets! How long will it take to finish them all?"

"Oh no! I'm not getting a good night's sleep tonight!"

"Oh no! I was hoping to get some rest early tonight, but now it looks like that's all ruined!"

Amidst the widespread despair, Yoshino Yuuki, unwilling to give up, raised her arms high.

"Senior Guan Shouping! May I ask where our dinner is?"

In response to questions from the students, Guan Shouping replied in a cold tone: "After you have finished making fifty set meals and completed tonight's assignment, you are free to use the remaining ingredients to make your own working meals and solve your dinner problem. The hotel will not provide you with dinner."

"What!?"

Not only Yoshino Yuuki, but the other students were also dumbfounded.

"Solve it yourself?"

"What happened to the lavish dinner the hotel promised?"

Guan Shouping showed an impatient expression in response to the students' wails.

"A lavish dinner?"

"What are you thinking? There's never been such a thing!"

The moment the words left her lips, a crisp, clear sound rang in Yoshino Yuuki's mind.

At that moment, Yoshino Yuuki felt as if something inside her had suddenly shattered.

Guan Shouping's brows furrowed deeply. "What? As a chef, can't you even overcome this little difficulty?"

Ignoring the students' reactions, he continued, "By the way, during the joint training program, all trainees are responsible for their own breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"As for whether to use the leftover scraps to make lunch after the project is completed."

"Let's go to the resort's supermarket and buy ready-made bread or bento boxes."

"Or, if you have spare money and free time, you can choose to dine at the restaurant attached to the resort."

"Even those with strong willpower might choose to starve themselves; that's your decision!"

Guan Shouping scanned the entire room, his eyes revealing a serious yet disappointed expression.

"Dear trainees, please remember that you are here for residential training to hone your skills, not to enjoy yourselves!"

"Today is only the first day of the residential training, the easiest one yet! The next few days will only be more challenging, so please be mentally prepared!"

"If anyone feels they can't handle the hardship, they can bring it up now, and I will immediately arrange a car to take them back to school."

"However, being sent back to school also means being eliminated and expelled."

Guan Shouping crossed his arms, looked down at the audience, and asked loudly, "Now, I'll ask you one more time: is there anyone who wants to withdraw?"

The entire room fell silent, and the students lowered their heads guiltily, not daring to meet Guan Shouping's gaze.

A stifling silence filled the auditorium for half a minute.

Guan Shouping nodded.

"Very good, it seems there are no cowards!"

Guan Shouping began to continue explaining tonight's topic.

"Dear students, I have something to say about tonight's topic."

"As students of Totsuki Academy, you represent the image of Totsuki Academy in front of outsiders, especially in front of diners."

"If these guests are not satisfied with the food you prepared tonight, they will be tarnishing the image of Totsuki!"

Guan Shouping's tone became stern, and his voice suddenly rose.

"So everyone, get serious!"

"No half-heartedness allowed!"

Guan Shouping's voice echoed in the auditorium, and students who were close by even felt their ears ache from the loud noise.

"Remember! Every steak set meal that's been prepared must first be inspected by me."

"Tonight's topic will mainly assess your speed and coordination in preparing multiple dishes within a short period of time."

"But please rest assured!"

"I'm not the kind of person who doesn't show mercy, and I won't use the standards of graduates to judge you freshmen."

One student asked, puzzled, "What does this mean?"

"What I mean is! I won't expect you to serve a perfect meal!"

Guan Shouping glared at the student who had spoken earlier, then continued his explanation.

"But you should at least serve dishes that score above the 60-point mark!"

"Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless and sending your dishes back to be remade. That will only waste more of your time!"

Guan Shouping shouted, "Everyone! Do you understand?"

All the students answered in unison, "We understand!"

"Yes, very good."

Guan Shouping nodded.

"Alright! Let's stop with the small talk outside of the topic!"

"I'll mention one last point!"

"This course has a one-hour time limit. Any participant who cannot prepare fifty steak sets within one hour will be eliminated on the spot!"

"And the only outcome for eliminated students is... expulsion!"

Ignoring the students' cries of pain, Guan Shouping pressed the button on the timer in his hand with a stiff expression.

"Alright, that's all I wanted to say."

"Now, let's begin cooking!"

The moment Guan Shouping finished speaking, the students' previously chattering atmosphere seemed to be muted, and the entire auditorium instantly became eerily silent!

The eerie silence lasted only three seconds.

As soon as the three seconds were up, the cacophony burst forth like a punctured balloon, and in an instant, the entire auditorium went from extreme silence to extreme noise!

The hall was filled with a deafening roar, the sound almost lifting the roof off. Even the giant crystal chandelier on the ceiling seemed to tremble from the impact of the massive noise.

"Huh? No way! It's starting already?"

"Idiot, stop standing there! You only have one hour!"

"Hurry and grab the stove and ingredients!"

"Fifty servings in one hour! Good heavens! How are we supposed to finish that?"

The students screamed and rushed frantically toward the kitchen.

The kitchen at the Far Moon Resort was naturally incredibly spacious and large, but it was instantly filled with a flood of students.

Kitchen at Far Moon Resort.

Lin Yu didn't want to squeeze into the crowd, so he initially targeted the stove near the corner where there were fewer people.

But when Lin Yu stood in front of the stove he had chosen, he looked at the stove next to him and a familiar figure made him raise an eyebrow.

"Oh! What a coincidence!"

"You... why are you next to me?"

Erina Nakiri was startled by the familiar voice. She turned around, pointed at Lin Yu, her face full of disbelief, and even her fingers were trembling.

Lin Yu spread his hands, tilted his head, and said, "Maybe this is fate?"

"I think it's a tragic fate!"

Erina Nakiri rolled her eyes at him, snorted, and turned her head away, giving him a look that said, "I don't want to see you."

Lin Yu glanced at the center of the kitchen, where it was bustling with noise and people jostling shoulder to shoulder, the crowd so dense it was unbearable.

"Even if you don't want to see me, Miss, look at this sea of people, I can't squeeze through!" Lin Yu pointed to the crowded area and said innocently.

Upon hearing this, Erina Nakiri turned around and looked at him, her face immediately showing some difficulty.

It was really crowded and packed with people!

If we send him over there... it really seems too pitiful...

wrong!

Why should I care if he's pitiful or not!

Erina! Don't flatter yourself!

Erina Nakiri quickly realized what was happening and banished all the distracting thoughts from her mind.

"What you're like... what does it have to do with me!"

She glared angrily at Lin Yu, then turned her whole body to the side, her face puffed up with rage.

"I can't be bothered with you!"

"As long as you don't get in my way!"

Lin Yu chuckled lightly, "How cold-hearted! Weren't we just having tea together not long ago?"

Erina Nakiri pouted. "Don't talk like we're so close!"

"Let me tell you, I plan to make fifty steak sets as quickly as possible and then leave early."

"I have important things to do in a bit!"

Hearing this, Lin Yu looked Erina up and down, making her feel uneasy. She put her hands in front of her chest and took several steps back.

"You rude scoundrel... what are you looking at!?"

Erina Kiri was somewhat exasperated and made a move to punch Lin Yu in the back, but Lin Yu dodged it with a quick movement.

"Damn it! You're still hiding?"

"Nonsense? If you want to hit me, am I not going to dodge? Am I just going to let you hit me?"

Erina Nakiri was getting impatient. "You jerk, you've made me angry so many times, can't you... just let me vent my anger?"

Lin Yu laughed at Erina Kiri's exasperation.

"Sure, but maybe next time!"

Lin Yu suddenly changed the subject and asked, "By the way, are you going to the hot springs later?"

"yes."

Upon hearing Lin Yu's voice, Kiri Erina subconsciously answered the question, but only realized a second later that she had spoken her true feelings.

"You! You! How did you know?" Erina Nakiri looked shocked.

Lin Yu pointed to Hisako Niito, who was busy not far away.

"I saw you and Hisako on my way here. She was carrying a bath bag, which looked like it contained toiletries."

"I remembered that a roommate had mentioned hot springs several times before, and combined with your somewhat urgent tone just now, I guessed that you planned to go to a hot spring after finishing your project."

Lin Yu shrugged. "That's not hard to guess!"

"Hmph! So what if you guessed it?"

Erina Nakiri put on a stubborn expression that refused to admit defeat.

"Anyway, while I'm finishing cooking fifty dishes and enjoying the hot spring all by myself, you'll still be sweating it out in this sweltering kitchen!"

Erina Nakiri raised her head, striking an arrogant pose.

"How about it? You're so jealous!"

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Lin Yu couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Erina Nakiri couldn't help but kick Lin Yu hard in the shin.

"What are you laughing at?!"

"Hehe, sorry!"

Lin Yu stopped laughing.

"I just think, Erina, what you're saying..."

Lin Yu's voice suddenly became low and deep.

"Why does it seem like I'm convinced I'll be the first to finish the project?"

"Oh?"