The strongest anime shop owner

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Chapter 164 Cruel Preliminary Rules

"You will all write a new page of history here! Chefs of the 92nd class of Totsuki Academy!" Senzaemon Nakiri raised his voice at the end, speaking in an inspiring tone.

As Nakiri Senzaemon finished speaking, the crowd below cheered and became excited.

Seeing the enthusiastic reaction from the audience, Senzaemon Nakiri nodded in satisfaction and then left.

Just as Senzaemon Nakiri finished speaking, another voice came from the loudspeaker: "Next, I will explain the rules of the preliminary rounds - the basic rules are as written on the envelopes you received. The topic is [Curry Dish], the ingredients are either what is provided in the venue... or what you prepare yourself, the time limit is 3 hours... and regarding the number of participants who pass... out of the 60 preliminary round participants, a total of 8 people will be able to officially enter the knockout rounds."

This means that each group will have 4 participants.

"Four people...!"

There are only 4 people!

"They actually eliminated so many people all at once."

"···"

Upon hearing this, the entire arena erupted in uproar. After all, the number of spots for general admission was extremely limited, which meant that only 8 out of 60 people would survive. This was indeed a cruel fact, and for a moment, many people thought they had misheard.

Actually, while dividing the competition into two groups might save some effort, the rules state that only the top four from each group will be selected. This means that such grouping is quite unfair, since being assigned to Group A or Group B is random, and there will definitely be a gap between the two groups. So, it's all about luck. Being assigned to the weaker side is fine, but if you're assigned to the stronger side, you can only say you're unlucky.

"Contestants, please move to your respective venues for Groups A and B as soon as possible. The preliminary rounds will begin approximately one hour from now... that is, at 11:00 sharp." Just as everyone was in an uproar over this, another announcement came over the loudspeaker.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone started running. After all, venues A and B were quite a distance away, and if they didn't hurry, there wouldn't be enough time. If they brought their own ingredients, it would be fine, but if they didn't, they would have to go and select them, and then do some preparation work. So, an hour might seem like a lot, but it's actually not enough at all.

"Ugh - even if I'm nervous, it's no use!" Seeing that everyone was extremely nervous after learning about this series of events, Yoshino Yuuki seemed to pat her own face, hoping to calm herself down.

“Yes.” Ibuzaki Shun took over the conversation, but his hands were still in his pockets. Although he said that, he didn’t look nervous at all.

"Hmm...yes!" Tadokoro had mustered up a lot of courage to participate in such a grand event, but after hearing these words, he still seemed very nervous.

“Soma! We’ll meet here – see you in the official match!” Although venues A and B are not connected, they are in the same direction. After arriving here, they will part ways. Takumi Aldini pointed at Soma and said.

"Okay!" Faced with such a promise, Soma naturally agreed.

"Little brother, you have to do your best!" At this moment, Ryoko Sakaki said to Su Luo.

"Of course!" Su Luo shrugged, looking completely matter-of-fact.

"Oh! You're really confident, but don't cry when you lose." Seeing Su Luo's indifferent attitude, Sakaki Ryoko inexplicably wanted to say something to tease her.

"But." Su Luo was going to retaliate, but after thinking about it, he decided against it. He knew that Sakaki Ryoko hadn't made it into the official competition. No, to be more precise, she had been eliminated quite badly. After all, their side was relatively stronger, so the competition was even more brutal. You know, the final result for making it into the official competition was that their lowest score was 91, while theirs was 88. The difference was really quite large.

In Venue A, the clock ticked away, and the selected participants nervously watched the time. As time passed, the atmosphere on the field became increasingly tense, because this was their first time showcasing themselves on such a large stage, so they all had to be extremely focused and could not afford to make the slightest mistake.

"Even though it's only the preliminary round, the atmosphere in the venue is already very enthusiastic."

"Yes! This is the first time I've seen so many people in this venue."

"Look at the judges' panel... every single one of them is someone important."

"...Hmm? There's an empty chair...?"

"Really... Whose seat is it anyway?!"

After the preliminary rounds began, the venue became lively, and the audience seats were almost full. After all, such a scene is rare. However, it was soon noticed that there was an empty chair in the judges' seat. Some people were very curious. After all, the preliminary rounds had already started, and even for judges, this was a very impolite behavior.

Just as everyone was speculating, a person walked over, with yellow hair split at the front, wearing sunglasses, and followed by two assistants who looked like secretaries.

This person was none other than Chipyo Natsume. As Chipyo Natsume walked towards them, Eizan Etsu also came to welcome her, saying, "Welcome. By the way... I should have informed you that the match starts at 11 a.m., right?"

"Do you know how difficult it is for us to spare even a minute? You're clearly asking a question you already know the answer to, aren't you, Eizan-kun?" Faced with Eizan Etsuya's question, Senpyo Natsume obviously didn't care at all, and instead asked in return.

"Huh?! No way?! Those... those twin sisters are judges!" Everyone was clearly surprised to see the Chihaya sisters appear.

"Although I was tricked into coming here by your sweet talk, Mr. Ruishan, how could a few students possibly please me?" Chipyo Natsume proudly raised her head, clearly having no interest in such a competition.

"Hmph! All you need to do is hand over the sponsorship fee." Eizan Etsuya rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, quickly revealing his true intention: it didn't matter whether Chipyo Natsume came or not, as long as there was sponsorship money.

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Chapter 165 Each Using Their Own Methods

"What did you just say?" When Eizan Etsuya said that, his voice was obviously a little soft, so Chipyo Natsume obviously didn't hear him clearly.

"No? Please enjoy this autumn selection, Miss Natsume." It was clear that Eizan Etsuya wasn't really going to say that.

"They actually managed to invite such a big shot to be a judge..."

"Tootsuki... no, that's not right..."

As soon as Natsume Chipyo took her seat on the judging panel, people started chattering about her. Clearly, many of them knew Natsume Chipyo's background, after all, she was a curry tycoon.

"Please say a few words." Although Eizan Etsuya had previously caused trouble behind Chipyo Natsume's company, in a formal setting like this, Eizan Etsuya was still somewhat inferior to Chipyo Natsume. Therefore, when Eizan Etsuya handed over the microphone, he used honorifics in addressing her.

Chipyo Natsume, legs crossed, picked up the microphone and declared with an air of authority: "Listen up! This country's curry industry has expanded continuously since World War II, and curry has now fully matured into a national food! However, this situation... makes me quite bored. As a business owner, and as someone who loves curry very much, I've been searching for ideas that can create a future for Japanese curry—come on! Let me see! Curry dishes that can excite and thrill me..."

"This...this is way too difficult..."

"The other person is someone who knows all kinds of curry from ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign...?"

"They actually expect us to serve dishes that will satisfy that person?"

As Natsume Senpyo finished speaking, some of the people who were preparing the dishes were clearly taken aback by the request. Just by thinking about her status, they knew how difficult it would be.

"Oh...it seems there are quite a few kids who weren't scared out of their wits." After saying this, Chihaya looked at the people in the arena and was surprised to find that there were still quite a few people who weren't frightened.

"It doesn't matter who the judges are... I just need to present my unique style... That's my answer to curry dishes." In the competition venue, Mito Ikumi was leisurely frying meat in a pan. Chipyo Natsume's words clearly had no effect on her, because she was determined to do so.

"Oh my! Meat Charm! She's stir-frying the pork belly that's going to be cooked later to color it!"

"The aroma is definitely strongest when the pork is sizzling and being stir-fried..."

"Ahhh...! The aroma of pork combined with the spices..."

"This fragrance directly stimulates the brain's nerves!"

"The spice she used was... Sichuan peppercorns, right?"

As the Mito Ikumi pork sizzled in the pot, a rich aroma immediately filled the air. People in the audience, upon smelling the aroma, all exclaimed that it was indeed quite tempting.

"It has a rich aroma and a spiciness that can make your tongue tingle, and it's a spice that removes the gamey smell of meat. Moreover, it's only ground at the 'coarse' stage." In the audience, Lecturer Chappell crossed her arms and quickly made her judgment.

“Yes… grinding it into powder makes the fragrance more pronounced, but it also dissipates more easily.” Sitting next to Shapper was the ageless teacher, Shiomi Jun, who had a childlike appearance but was already 34 years old, and the youngest professor in Totsuki's history: “Seeing that she understands this is why she did this…”

"Nutmeg... has actually become so amazing...!" After watching Mito Ikumi perform so well, Konishi Kanichi waved his hand at them: "Whoa-! Nikumi! I'm watching you!"

Seeing Konishi Hiroichi waving in her direction, Mito Ikumi suddenly felt that he was like a father watching his daughter's sports meet, which made her feel very embarrassed, so she tried her best to ignore him.

As she got to this point, Mito Ikumi wondered, "So... how are the others preparing?"

As I was thinking this, I looked around and saw some people looking flustered. I thought to myself, "Several people are now timid and hesitant because of the speech I just gave."

"Hmm? I think that guy is Alice Nakiri's follower-" As Mito Ikumi looked around, she quickly spotted Kurokiba Ryo, who clearly remembered her.

"Alright... the preparations are almost complete..." Kurokiba Ryo was leisurely processing the spices. After finishing, he took the headscarf off his hands and tied it around his forehead. The moment he tied it on, Kurokiba Ryo's entire aura changed. His face looked crazy and ferocious. After picking up the lobster and knife, the speed at which he processed them surprised everyone. After all, the speed was just too amazing.

"What... what's wrong with that guy! His expression is completely different from before!" Seeing Kurokiba Ryo's sudden change, Mito Ikumi was taken aback and clearly didn't understand what was happening.

"The way they handled the lobster was so quick and smooth! Wow! And their technique was so clean and efficient!"

Seeing Kurokiba Ryo's quick handling of the situation, it was clear that he quickly attracted some attention and some people looked surprised.

"Tsk... She instantly captured everyone's attention." Previously, some people were watching Mito Ikumi, but after seeing Kurokiba Ryo's method of handling the lobster, everyone was immediately drawn to her. Just then, a commotion arose from the other side, and people turned to look: "Is it their turn this time?! It's Koji's opponent!"

On Sakaki Ryoko's side, she was quietly chopping onions.

"so beautiful."

"Mmm...long black hair."

"Ryoko-neechan..."

Unbeknownst to her, Ryoko had already gained many admirers.

"Rice koji, made by steaming rice and then fermenting it with koji, is the raw material for miso, sweet sake, and salt koji. Ryoko Sakaki's specialty, salt koji, is a seasoning that acts on the components and proteins of ingredients to enhance their umami flavor and bring out a mellow taste. This seasoning is also used in curry. How exactly will she use it? - " Although Ryoko Sakaki's preparation process doesn't seem to involve any fast and flashy movements, nor does it have that overwhelming aroma, it still attracts a lot of attention.

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Chapter 166 Each Shows Their Skills 2

Just as everyone was wondering what Ryoko Sakaki would do, she took a jar out of a bag. The contents were black, which immediately sparked speculation: "Black! What...? Isn't it salt koji!?"

"She took out something else."

"Hmm...? Could it be...!"

After Ryoko Sakaki took out the ingredients, everyone started making guesses.

"The biggest winner in this preliminary round... is indeed him... Hayama Akira." Just then, someone quickly caught Sakaki Ryoko's attention.

"The main ingredient is just the head of a sea bream." Looking at the fish head on Hayama Ryo's cooking table, Sakaki Ryoko quickly knew what he was going to do: "I see - he's planning to make [fish head curry]!"

Fish head curry: A curry dish originating in Singapore. The curry incorporates the head of a whole white fish, allowing you to fully savor the freshness of the fish.

"Next... add baking soda and yogurt to the kneaded baking powder, and it's naan!! He's planning to make naan!" Looking at the dough that Hayama Akira was kneading, everyone almost guessed it.

"Is it not meant to be eaten with rice, but rather with naan bread? But that's pretty ordinary."

"I thought that as Professor Shiomi's apprentice, he would have more creative ideas."

In contrast to the speculations of others, Lecturer Chappell remained silent.

"Does he think there's no need to be unconventional? Isn't that a sign of his confidence?" Some people, however, don't think it's just that, after all, Ye Shanliang is no simple person.

"Wait... that naan bread, could it be—" Upon seeing this, Shiomi Jun clearly realized it.

Just as Shiomi Jun was saying something, Hayama Akira made a shushing gesture, thinking to himself, "You guessed right, Jun, my dishes... are only just beginning."

"Let the naan bread ferment for now... Let's get back to cooking the curry!" After dealing with the dough, Hayama Akira started making the curry, constantly sprinkling in spices as he went: "Add lemongrass to enhance the aroma."

"Wow... the lemongrass and rich coconut milk blend together to create a refreshing aroma..."

"This cooling sensation can also stimulate appetite...!"

The moment lemongrass is added, a rich aroma fills the air, making it intoxicating.

"Wow, that's amazing! What kind of dish will he make? This space is clearly filled with the aroma of various spices."

"But you can immediately smell the aroma from the Yeshan pot."

"This is evidence that he brought the spices to life through clever adjustments!"

"Now... Hayama will definitely take first place and pass the preliminary round smoothly!"