Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

Chapter 99 Passionate and Enthusiastic

"Oh? Someone has already finished it?"

Guan Shouping, who was patrolling not far away, was surprised when he heard Lin Yu's voice.

In fact, this topic has been assigned tonight before in previous [Residential Training Programs].

What made Guan Shouping feel uneasy was that even if all the students from previous years of the "Residential Training Program" were included in the results of this project, Lin Yu's speed was still far ahead of everyone else, leaving them far behind.

It could even be said that, even if we were to judge Lin Yu by the standards of a "graduate of Totsuki Academy," rather than a first-year student, his speed would still be astonishing!

Guan Shouping nodded secretly, his eyes revealing not only surprise but also a hint of appreciation.

But then, he witnessed a riot break out in the kitchen.

The news that Lin Yu had completed it was too shocking.

Countless students panicked and became flustered, causing them to make mistakes in preparing their dishes.

Or perhaps their anxiety led to a panic buying of supplies.

Some even showed signs of giving up on themselves.

As the riots escalated and the cacophony of arguments filled the air, Guan Shouping frowned deeply. His frustration surged, and a nameless rage rose within him.

"Quiet!"

Guan Shouping used almost all his strength, letting out a deafening roar that seemed to shake the entire kitchen, finally quelling the commotion.

Looking at Guan Shouping's gloomy expression, the students who had been stunned by the roar finally realized just how terrible their performance had been.

"Look at the state you've become!"

"And you call yourselves students of Totsuki Academy!"

"Does he have even the slightest bit of the demeanor a chef should have?"

Guan Shouping's expression was serious, his face was somewhat gloomy, and his tone was even more impolite, exuding a cold and hard chill.

"Totsuki Culinary Academy is renowned as the best elite culinary academy in all of Japan!"

"I thought that the fact that all of you here were able to pass the entrance exams and enter the high school meant that you had already learned a lot in junior high school, laying a solid foundation for your culinary careers."

""

At this point, Guan Shouping suddenly stopped, shook his head self-deprecatingly, and then changed the subject.

"But you've disappointed me so much!"

"Look at your performance now!"

"In a flurry of activity! Completely panicked!"

"Is this a chef?"

Guan Shouping let out a disdainful sneer.

"This is clearly a clown from a circus, specializing in acrobatic tricks... It's ridiculous!"

"Do you live up to your identity as 'Totsuki Academy students'? Do you live up to the honor that the name 'Totsuki Academy' carries?"

Guan Shouping roared loudly, his tone revealing a sense of "anger at their lack of ambition."

Do you really think that being a chef is a profession that can be cultivated in a greenhouse?

"If you really have that misconception, then you'd better get out of here now!"

Guan Shouping swept his sharp gaze across the entire room, his voice resounding and powerful.

"A truly excellent chef can only grow and transform in the kitchen, amidst the heat and the sizzling oil!"

"The kitchen, in a sense, is the chef's battlefield!"

"And the diners are the enemies you must defeat and conquer!"

"The cooking utensils and ingredients in your hands are like the soldiers you will command on the battlefield, or even more so, the weapons you will personally use to kill the enemy!"

"And your culinary skills, which you rely on for survival, are your only means of survival on this brutal battlefield!"

When he shouted these words, Guan Shouping's neck veins even bulged because of the intensity of the words.

Just a few simple words, yet they revealed a strong murderous aura!

"Look at you all now..."

'

Guan Shouping shook his head, his eyes filled with deep disappointment. "He's already terrified before even facing the diners; he can't even hold the spatula and knife properly!"

"You've disappointed me so much!"

Guan Shouping's voice echoed throughout the kitchen, and the trainees found it extremely grating, feeling deeply ashamed.

Guan Shouping's gaze swept across the entire kitchen, over the faces of every trainee.

Wherever his gaze fell, the students lowered their heads in shame, none daring to meet his eyes.

Guan Shouping's voice continued.

"A true chef is in control of the kitchen, facing different unexpected events and challenges every day, and encountering all sorts of eccentric and difficult diners."

"Do they just give up and refuse to cook whenever they encounter a problem?"

Have you ever encountered a chef like this in real life?

"Can someone tell me if I've encountered this before?"

Guan Shouping glanced around and saw no one speak; only the students' faces showed even deeper shame.

"Very good! It seems you all already know the answer."

"That means you're at least not hopeless idiots."

Guan Shouping let out a long sigh of relief, his face still maintaining its usual stern expression, making it impossible to discern his inner emotions.

"Eh...."

'

"I won't say any more, so as not to waste your time, since you only have one hour."

"In short, we can face countless difficulties with composure, never give up, and actively seek solutions."

""

"This is the demeanor a truly excellent chef should possess!"

"Those who panic and even shrink back when faced with difficulties are not fit to be true chefs!"

"Such a person is a coward! A deserter!"

Guan Shouping pointed a finger at all the students and asked in a passionate voice, "Now, I'm asking you!"

"Students! You are willing to take on the responsibility of chefs, and even if you face many difficulties, you will serve your food to your diners."

"I still want to withdraw from this battlefield called 'The Kitchen,' becoming a deserter whom even diners dare not face, only fleeing in panic!"

"Fellow students of Totsuki Academy! Tell me! Do you want to be soldiers or deserters?"

Tell me, what's your answer?

Faced with Guan Shouping's powerful speech and his final, soul-stirring question, the trainees who had initially given up or were panicked gradually regained their composure.

They even clenched their fists and cheered themselves on as they listened to Guan Shouping's impassioned speech.

"We are not deserters!"

"Yes! We are chefs, not cowards or deserters!"

"We are students of Totsuki Academy!"

It wasn't until the first bold student spoke his mind that the rest of the students responded loudly.

"very good!"

Seeing the students' eyes gradually regain their sparkle, Guan Shouping nodded. His serious expression finally softened into a smile, and as he relaxed, a bright and gratified smile appeared on his face.

It wasn't for nothing that I spent so much time explaining!

"alright!"

"Everyone, please be quiet."

Faced with the excited students, Guan Shouping spoke up to remind them.

"Don't forget, your task tonight is to serve fifty steak sets, and you only have one hour. Time is tight and the task is heavy."

"Now, all trainees, return to your cooking stations and continue the fight!"

"Yes, Chef Guan Shouping!"

The trainees, their spirits lifted, gave firm answers and returned to their workstations, continuing their busy work with renewed enthusiasm.

Guan Shouping smiled and then walked towards Lin Qi.

"Chef Guan Shouping! Your speech was truly inspiring!"

As Guan Shouping walked towards him, Lin Yu clapped his hands and said with a smile.

"Everyone is now full of energy because of your words!"

"If you weren't wearing a chef's uniform, I would absolutely believe you were a speaker."

Hearing such flattery, even Guan Shouping, who was usually serious and unsmiling, couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

"You little brat...don't try that on me!"

"I had no other choice just now!"

Guan Shouping approached Lin Yu, and his usually stern face softened considerably.

"Just so you know, even just smelling the aroma you're giving while cooking tells me your food is definitely going to be amazing."

.

"However, the necessary review and evaluation processes are still indispensable!"

Smelling the fragrance wafting in the air, Guan Shouping couldn't help but feel his throat tighten and his mouth water.

But on the surface, he still maintained the composure expected of a mentor.

"After all, both your speed of completion and your method of frying fifty steaks at once are truly terrifying."

""

"I'm doing this out of responsibility to the diners, you understand?"

Seeing Guan Shouping's serious expression, Lin Yu found it amusing, but didn't expose his little scheme, and brought over a steak set meal.

"Of course, please!"

On the tray that Lin Yu brought, apart from the steak which was covered by a lid and could not be seen clearly, all the other side dishes were different from those prepared by the school in advance.

Onion and wood ear mushroom salad

【Golden Garlic Baked Eggplant】

Seaweed and Egg Drop Soup

Three bowls of side dishes lay quietly on the tray. Although they were all simple home-style dishes, they gave one the illusion of being dazzling at first glance.

Even seemingly ordinary white rice, through the rising steam, reveals what appears to be something mixed within the white grains.

"Whoa!"

Even Guan Shouping couldn't help but be amazed by this novel scene.

"You've not just fried fifty steaks...you've clearly designed a completely new menu!"

Lin Yu nodded and explained, "I know that the original menu... was simplified by you to cater to students of average ability."

"Although you mean well by doing this, it's undeniable that doing so will lower the quality of the food."

Lin Yu looked at Guan Shouping, revealing a mysterious smile, and said softly, "I'm a very lazy person by nature, and I don't care much about other things."

Suddenly, Lin Yu changed the subject.

"However, I will never be perfunctory when it comes to cooking!"

"For me, this is a principle!"

"Besides..."

""

Lin Yu's tone relaxed, and he laughed, "Since I made a bet with Erina, of course I have to be a little serious! I don't want to lose."

"Anyway, with my skill level, this kind of task is definitely not difficult for me. Since there is plenty of time, I might as well make the whole package according to my own ideas and make something that I am somewhat satisfied with."

"Hehe, just consider it a way to please myself!"

"Do you have enough time?"

Facing Lin Yu's confident smile, Guan Shouping looked helpless. "I'm afraid only you could say something like that so casually."

"But since you're so confident, I'll raise my expectations a little higher," Guan Shouping said with a smile, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

"Of course, I won't let you down. I'm confident I can!"

As he said this, Lin Yu exuded a confident and radiant aura.

"Okay, since you're so confident, I'll taste the side dishes first."

Guan Shouping took out chopsticks and first picked up a piece of onion and wood ear mushroom salad.

The fresh, finely shredded onions and plump wood ear mushrooms are mixed together, and before you even take a bite, the refreshing, tangy aroma fills the air.

Lime and balsamic vinegar.

One type has a mellow sour aroma, with the natural and gentle freshness of fruit, which is refreshing.

One type has a mellow, sour aroma, carrying the rich fragrance that comes from the fermentation of rice, a fragrance that symbolizes the passage of time and makes one's mouth water.

The two sour aromas blend together, and even before tasting them, the delightful and tangy flavors whet one's appetite.

After the initial sour and savory flavor, a subtle sweetness and spiciness follow. The rich flavors balance the sourness and savoryness, giving this simple cold dish a multi-layered taste that makes one wonder what it would taste like to eat.

"It smells nice!"

Guan Shouping eagerly put the chopsticks of onion and wood ear mushroom salad into his mouth.

"Click!"

Fresh onions are juicy, mild in flavor and not spicy, and have a crisp texture.

Even when sliced ​​into thin strips, it still retains a crisp texture, and a crisp sound keeps echoing in your mouth as you cut the onion with your teeth.

In stark contrast to the crisp onions are the thick, plump wood ear mushrooms.

Totsuki Culinary School truly lives up to its reputation as a prestigious culinary school; the wood ear mushrooms they prepared were of excellent quality, not only fresh but also plump and thick.

The resulting wood ear mushrooms have a soft and chewy texture with a slight springiness, making them a true pleasure to chew.

The refreshing lemon, the tangy vinegar, the sweet sugar, the spicy chili pepper...

Onions and wood ear mushrooms are two ingredients.

Crisp and refreshing versus thick and soft, two completely different textures.

In addition, there are two different sour aromas, as well as a gentle sweetness and a stimulating spiciness as a complement.

Two textures and four flavors complement each other.

Although this cold dish has a very simple flavor profile, it presents a rich variety of tastes on the palate.

The refreshing taste and flavor, even just a small bite, made Guan Shouping exclaim that it whetted his appetite.

"sure!"

Guan Shouping's eyes lit up, and he reached for the bowl of [Garlic Baked Eggplant] next to him with his chopsticks.

The eggplant had become incredibly soft from the long, simmering roasting process, so much so that Guan Shouping, who was too excited and used too much force in his hands, couldn't even pick it up with his chopsticks for the first time.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he slowed down his pace the second time, moving gently before picking up a piece of eggplant that had turned into mush and slowly putting it into his mouth.

"Hot! Hot!"

The moment it entered his mouth, Guan Shouping's first sensation was that it was hot.

Despite his breath coming in gasps from the heat, Guan Shouping refused to spit out the food in his mouth.

Because when he endured the scalding heat and gently stirred the eggplant puree in his mouth with his tongue, a rich garlic aroma burst forth directly from deep within the eggplant!

Guan Shouping swore that if he hadn't reacted quickly enough and clenched his teeth in time, the rich and heavy garlic aroma, which was almost tangible, would have sprayed directly out of his mouth!

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