The strongest anime shop owner

"Then it's settled. Since both of us are curry merchants, we'll naturally settle this with curry. Let's make curry rice. I'll let you know the time and place later." After saying this, Feng Gujian hurriedly left because he had to apply for the Food War. He was excited enough to win against Senpyo Natsume as soon as possible, so he left in a hurry, as if afraid that Natsume might change her mind.

These actions happened so fast that Chiyo Natsume didn't have time to react. By the time she did, Toyotani Mata had already run off, angrily saying to Su Luo, "You brat, look what you've done! I haven't even agreed yet!"

"Oh, so you object. I thought your silence meant you agreed." Su Luo ate the pastries on the table with an air of nonchalance, as if it were none of her business.

Su Luo's nonchalant attitude was simply too much for Qian Biao Xia Ya to bear. She grabbed Su Luo by the collar and said, "Accept? Accept my foot! Do you even know that he graduated from Shinno Academy?"

"Shinno Academy? What kind of low-ranking high school is that?" Upon hearing the name of the academy, Su Luo was taken aback. It seemed that she really didn't know about this academy. Well, apart from Totsuki Academy, Su Luo didn't know anything about other high schools.

"What should we do now?" For a moment, Chiyo Natsume was at a loss. Didn't she know that she could stop it now?

"Let's do it this way! It's just a graduate from a lousy academy, nothing special. I'm a student at Totsuki Academy, even if I'm only a first-year student, I'm still better than a graduate from this lousy academy." Su Luo didn't struggle even when her collar was being pulled, and turned her head to continue eating the dishes on the table, showing no sign of nervousness.

This isn't to say that Su Luo is very confident, but rather that Feng Gujian looked so frail and exhausted from drinking and womanizing that it would be strange if he could cook anything delicious. Just in terms of physical strength alone, whether he could keep up was a question. You know, sufficient physical strength is a basic prerequisite for cooking.

"Hey, hey, what's with that suspicious look you're giving me?" Su Luo said helplessly, looking at Chiyo Natsume staring at her with a suspicious expression.

"Are you sure you're a student of Totsuki Academy?" Chipyo Natsume hesitated for a moment, then asked with a doubtful expression.

"But..." Su Luo burst into tears. Damn it, it was one thing to doubt, but who knew that this guy never believed her at all. But thinking about it, it makes sense. Those who can enter Totsuki are all carefully selected from thousands of people. It's really hard to believe that Su Luo, at her age, could enter Totsuki.

------------

Chapter 142 Going Back

As for geniuses, age and such things really don't mean anything. Take Alice Nakiri for example; many people say she's a genius, yet she still chose to attend Totsuki Culinary Academy. But you have to understand, she didn't necessarily want to attend; she entered to achieve her own goals.

Furthermore, even with sufficient innate talent, culinary skills cannot be mastered solely by innate ability. Take Erina Nakiri, for example; despite having such excellent potential, she is still only at the bottom of the Elite Ten. Can you say that anyone ranked ahead of her has superior talent? Therefore, culinary skills are not determined by talent alone. So, so-called geniuses are merely those who get a head start over others; as for how far they can go, nobody knows.

"Yes, do you want to call Totsuki and ask?" Su Luo looked at Chihaya Natsume, who still seemed unconvinced. This made Su Luo feel that talking to this girl was really tiring. As for making a phone call, did Su Luo think Chihaya Natsume couldn't do it? Besides, in the original work, she was a judge at the Autumn Selection Tournament, and it wasn't uninvited, but a real invitation. So, this little thing was no problem for Chihaya Natsume at all.

"Oh." Qianbiao Xiaya saw that Su Luo had already said this, so it must be true. As for deception, do you think you can lie to this woman who is known as the Curry Queen? That would be either courting death or courting death.

"A student of Totsuki Academy? That certainly has some merit, but I've heard that the first-year students in previous years weren't particularly outstanding. I wonder if that's true?" Natsume Chipyo said, as if she had just remembered something.

"You think I'm the kind of person who's at the bottom?" Su Luo understood what he meant. He was saying that the overall academic performance of first-year students hadn't been very good in recent years, and that Su Luo might be one of them.

"That's hard to say," Natsume Senpyo said casually.

Cough

Upon hearing this, Su Luo almost choked on Xiao Dian's words. She couldn't help but cough a few times, roll her eyes, and was speechless at Qian Biao Xia Ya. She wondered who had looked so nervous just now, but now had the mood to talk about this kind of thing. Couldn't you have a little sense of crisis? In the end, instead of stopping Feng Gu or something, you stayed here and doubted me. What's the point of that?

"Since that's what you think, then so be it! Anyway, it won't harm me." However, Su Luo completely ignored what Qian Biao Xia Ya said, shrugged naturally, and said casually.

"Ah! No, I have to go." After hearing this, Natsume Senpyo seemed to remember something and hurriedly left.

However, she hadn't gone far when a waiter stopped her and said very respectfully, "Miss, please wait a moment, you haven't paid your bill yet."

"Pay the bill? Pay for what?" Upon hearing this, Chiyo Natsume was taken aback, thinking to herself that she hadn't eaten anything! As for the previous table, it was Toyotani Masada who paid for it, so she subconsciously asked.

"Mom, I have something to do, so I'll be leaving now." Just as Chipyo Natsume was thinking this, she saw Su Luo standing at the door at some point, calling out to Chipyo Natsume.

"Mom?" Oh my god, what's going on? This whole thing has left Chiyo Natsume completely bewildered. It all happened so fast that she didn't understand at first. But after a moment, she remembered that she had promised Su Luo that she would help pay the bill.

"How much?" After figuring things out, Chipyo Natsume went to pay the bill without hesitation and asked.

"That's 5 yen in total. Thank you for your patronage." After looking at the bill, the waiter handed it to him.

Upon hearing this, Natsume Senpyo instinctively said, "Why are there so many?"

"Your son packed some snacks to go before he left," the waiter honestly stated.

"You...brat..." Chibiao Natsume twisted the paper in her hand tightly, as if she wanted to crush it, and said through gritted teeth. If Chibiao Natsume still didn't understand after seeing this, she might as well go back to her mother's womb and be reborn. No wonder Su Luo called her "Mom" and such. What Chibiao Natsume couldn't understand the most was when that bastard Su Luo packed the bag. Why did she have no recollection of it at all?

Looking at Natsume Senpyo's terrifying aura, which was quite frightening, the waiter said somewhat timidly, "This... Miss, are you alright?"

"It's nothing." Upon hearing this, Chiyo Natsume realized she had lost her composure and immediately changed her tune, a sweet smile spreading across her face. The change in her expression was faster than turning the pages of a book; anyone who didn't know better would think they were hallucinating! It wasn't that Chiyo Natsume was worried about the cost of the meal, but rather that she was genuinely annoyed by Su Luo's behavior.

After paying, Chipyo Natsume left in a rather unpleasant mood. She had no idea that Su Luo originally intended to pack up a large amount of food, and it wasn't an intentional act at all. Chipyo Natsume just happened to be unlucky.

Su Luo carried a huge pile of snacks, her belly bulging from eating, and went home satisfied.

But... Su Luo Jun, do you still recognize the way back?

Well! Su Luo really didn't know that this was a big city, not some small village. The roads here are crisscrossed and very complicated. Looking at any road, you would have the illusion that you had been there before.

Fortunately, Su Luo was smart enough to remember the address. Once she knew the address, everything would be easy. However, asking each person individually would be a bit troublesome, so she simply hailed a tricycle, told him the address, and everything was settled.

Not long after, Su Luo returned. By then, it was getting dark, making the already quiet house seem even more desolate. However, thankfully, there was more than one house here, so there was still some life around.

Out of boredom, Su Luo had no choice but to find something to do. She watched TV while sipping her tea, and laid out various takeout snacks on the table. Although she was already quite full, she could still eat slowly.

Su Luo ate while spacing out, actually not watching TV at all.

------------

Chapter 143 Food War

As for whether the food battle would take place, Su Luo was quite certain that it would. Where did her confidence come from? Heh, do you think Qianbiao Xiaya is really as stupid as she seemed? After all, she is a high-level executive of a large company, the Curry Queen with an annual income of over 2 trillion yen. If she didn't have some real skills, do you think she would be able to become a high-level executive of such a large company?

Therefore, after considering all these factors, she will definitely conduct an investigation into Su Luo. After learning about Su Luo's background, she will compare her with Feng Gu Jian Tian. If the chances of winning are high, she will definitely make up her mind to agree. Moreover, if she wins, she will not only be able to stop worrying about her life, but also save the company from its predicament.

She didn't want the company to be ruined in her hands. Although she wasn't the one who caused all of this, she felt that she was more or less involved. As for losing, she never considered it if she had agreed. After all, it was a gamble, and everyone would participate with the mindset of winning. Therefore, she only had the desire to win, not the desire to lose.

After having breakfast, Su Luo decided to go out for a walk. Before she had gone far, a red car sped up and stopped beside her.

The car window rolled down, revealing a face inside. It was a middle-aged man dressed as a butler. I initially thought he was going to ask for directions, but instead he said, "Hello, are you Mr. Su Luo?"

"If there are no surprises, then it must be me. I wonder what you want to see me about?" Su Luo tilted her head, a little confused for a moment. Although she had just eaten breakfast, she was still a bit dazed.

"Then please get in the car. Miss Xia Ya is already waiting for you over there." The butler got out of the car, politely opened the back door, and said respectfully to Su Luo.

"Okay." Now that she heard that, it seemed there really was such a thing, so Su Luo got into the car in a daze.

The car drove fast and steadily, the scenery on both sides flashing by, and soon the car came to a stop.

After Su Luo got out of the car, she looked around and her face immediately darkened. "Damn it, are you sure we've arrived?" It turned out that the car had been stopped. All she could see was a luxurious mansion. Looking inside, she could only see a small luxury house, which meant that the entrance was far from the house. It would probably take 5 or 6 minutes by car. Now that she was getting out of the car, she was being told to walk there herself.

"What the hell is this?" Upon seeing this, Su Luo, who considered himself a model citizen who never swore, immediately blurted out. This behavior made Su Luo very angry. People rely on their pride. If others don't welcome them, why should they fawn over them, making it seem like they are inferior and have to beg them?

Just as Su Luo was about to get into the car and leave, a familiar voice came from behind: "You brat, wait a minute."

"You're the brat, your whole family are brats!" Su Luo said angrily, her face dark.

Seeing Su Luo's explosive reaction, Qianbiao Xiaya was taken aback and asked, "What's wrong?"

Su Luo didn't answer, but just snorted and turned her head away, as if to say, "I don't want to talk to you." Yi Ya, who was standing next to her, quickly explained.

After hearing the butler's explanation, Qianpiao Xiaya understood why Su Luo was angry, and then said apologetically, "I'm so sorry, I didn't think it through, so..."

It wasn't that they wouldn't let him in; the reason they did that was because Natsume Senpyo was waiting there specifically for him.

"Fine, fine, I'll forgive you generously." Su Luo didn't have time to listen to Qianbiao Xiaya's rambling. As the saying goes, harmony brings wealth, so Su Luo directly interrupted Qianbiao Xiaya.

"The time for the food battle has been set. It was originally supposed to be tomorrow, but who knew, so it's scheduled for this morning. I wonder if you're ready?" Due to time constraints, Chiyo Natsume got straight to the point.

"Don't you already know?" Su Luo didn't reply, but instead asked in return. As the person involved, didn't you find it strange that she could ask so quietly? So, she must already know everything about Su Luo's behavior at the academy. Therefore, Su Luo didn't want to say anything more. After all, just the fact that she was being investigated was already annoying to Su Luo. Nobody likes that. It felt like her everything was being controlled by someone else, and that feeling was very uncomfortable.

"Let's go then!" Qianbiao Xiaya didn't say anything about Su Luo's attitude. After all, everyone was smart. She then said a few words to the gatekeeper and walked over.

After everyone got into the car, it started driving inside. After about 5 or 6 minutes, it stopped in front of a luxurious house. The house wasn't very tall, but it occupied an astonishingly large area. Just by looking at its luxurious exterior, you could tell what kind of status and identity the owner had.

However, Su Luo wasn't particularly surprised by this scene. After all, someone who could be worthy of a woman like Senpyo Natsume must be quite wealthy, and this place was nothing compared to Totsuki, so there was nothing to be shocked about.

After the car stopped, a young man in a suit walked over with a smile. Natsume Chipyo handed him the car keys and said, "Thank you for your help."

"Miss Xia Ya, you're too kind. It's what I should do." The young man in the suit was obviously an employee here. After taking the keys, he drove off to park the car. As a luxury residence, it naturally had a designated parking area.

"Let's go." After handing the key to that person, Chiyo Natsume said to Su Luo and the other person, and walked into the luxurious house.

After entering, the group didn't stop immediately but circled around several places before finally settling into a room. The room was very spacious, filled with various kitchen utensils and ingredients, all clean and tidy—clearly a kitchen, but one that was almost frighteningly luxurious. Most importantly, there wasn't a single unpleasant odor. This meant that the kitchen was being prepared daily with great care. A kitchen with an unpleasant smell is far from a good kitchen, as it can negatively impact one's experience of the food, both in terms of mood and olfactory perception.

------------

Chapter 144 Progress of Both Sides

After looking around, Su Luo quickly spotted someone. Su Luo recognized him; it was Feng Gujian, whom she had met yesterday. He was dressed in a chef's uniform, arms crossed, looking energetic, as if waiting for something. To be honest, the uniform looked quite decent on him, except that he was a little pale.

"You've finally arrived. I've been eagerly waiting to have you." Now that things have progressed to this point, Toyotani Mata no longer needs to pretend. After licking his lips, he spoke frankly, his eyes shining as if he had seen something delicious when he looked at Chipyo Natsume. This expression seemed to say that he had already won.

"Then let's see if you have the ability." After saying this, Chihaya turned and left without saying any more words or giving the other party a chance to speak again. As she walked out, Iya followed her out. When she came over earlier, Chihaya had already mentioned that the judges were located directly opposite the kitchen. There were three judges in total, but there was also a middle-aged man who looked to be only in his 3s or 40s. However, he didn't look very well. It was easy to guess that he was probably Toyotani Masada's father or uncle or some other relative.

As for why the judges are positioned directly opposite the kitchen, it's to be able to see inside and prevent cheating. As for why they don't stay directly in the kitchen, everyone knows that a chef needs enough space to perform, and being nearby would obviously be disruptive. Therefore, it's clear that during each food battle, the judges are always a distance away from the chefs, and none of them go over to watch. Even if they wanted to go over, someone would definitely stop them, since this is a formal food battle, not a private competition.

Food battles are the most authoritative, like the law, and cannot be resisted. As long as the betting conditions do not violate the law and both parties agree, they must be fulfilled; otherwise, the most severe punishment will be imposed, and the betting will be forcibly carried out.

"Hahaha, I'm sure I'll win this food war! This dish of mine has been..." Just thinking about winning the heart of his beauty, Feng Gu Jiantian couldn't help but laugh out loud. However, after saying the last part, he seemed to remember something and immediately stopped, secretly glancing around at the people around him, looking like a guilty thief.

If Su Luo still didn't understand after seeing this, she might as well just die. However, Su Luo wasn't too worried about this. After all, the quality of a dish isn't determined by its grade. The most important thing is who cooks it. Even if she was worried, there was no use in it. So, as a chef, one must remain calm no matter what situation one faces. If one loses even in terms of momentum, then what is there to talk about in terms of victory?

Seeing Feng Gujian's silly self-amusement and immersion in his own fantasy, Su Luo was speechless. However, she still walked over. The two were in two pairs of seats, separated by a platform. Fortunately, there was a high platform on her side, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to touch each other. It seems that Qian Biao Natsume did a very good job in this regard.

"I wonder if you two are ready?" Just then, a young man in a black suit walked over and looked at the two of them. He said that for every formal food battle, three judges are the minimum requirement. As for the host, there is usually one, since it is more convenient in some situations.

"Ready." After hearing his question, Su Luo and Feng Gujian replied at the same time.

"Then let's begin!" The young man said directly without any preamble, without even mentioning the basic dishes for the competition or the stakes. As for the start, since each food battle cannot continue indefinitely, there is a time limit. If you can't finish within the time limit, you can only accept your bad luck.

"Kid, I think you should just admit defeat! Otherwise, you'll waste everyone's time. What do you say?" After the food battle began, Feng Gu Jian Da looked very confident and instead of rushing to prepare his own dishes, he said to Su Luo in a provocative manner.

After hearing this, Su Luo really didn't want to complain anymore. Why did everyone who participated in a food battle with him have to say this? Was it interesting? Was this the latest food battle catchphrase or a villain's special skill?

"Hey, brat, I'm talking to you," Feng Gujian said again when Su Luo ignored him.

"Uncle, he keeps bothering me. Give him a yellow card warning." Su Luo ignored Feng Gujian and spoke to the young man instead.

Kid, you've been watching too many football games, haven't you? A yellow card warning?

"Uncle?" As for the young man, after hearing Su Luo's address, he seemed to have been struck by lightning, and he looked quite shocked by the address.

"You brat, are you even listening to me?" Seeing Su Luo ignoring him, Feng Gu Jiantian's forehead immediately creased with a big "well" shape. He, the young master of Feng Gu, had never been treated like this before.

"Hey, aren't you annoying? You're so talkative. I think all you're good at is talking. As for the food, well..." Su Shi couldn't take it anymore and said impatiently to Feng Gujian.

"Hmph, brat, don't cry when you lose." Feng Gujian said with a gloomy face after seeing Su Luo's attitude. After saying that, he started to prepare the ingredients.

"Crying? You really think I'm a child?" Su Luo rolled her eyes, thinking to herself.

The ingredients are basically all here, and judging from their color and texture, they are all very fresh. You can't help but admire how carefree the rich are. They don't need to prepare anything; they just need to choose. As for kitchen utensils, there's even less to worry about. Since this is a wealthy person's kitchen, the level of enjoyment is obvious, so everything is very complete.

The theme of this food battle is curry rice, and the main ingredient is curry. The quality of a curry rice depends entirely on the curry, so the curry itself is the most important thing.

------------

Chapter 145 Both Sides' Dishes Completed

Feng Gujian quickly processed the selected ingredients, cutting the beef brisket, potatoes, and carrots into chunks and the onions into slices. After processing these, he put the cut beef into a pot of cold water, brought it to a boil over medium-low heat, cooked it for 3 minutes, and then took it out and rinsed it with warm water to remove impurities.