Persona: Devil Summoner

"【Master Liu, what is this?"

Jiang Tianwei asked, Master Liu sighed and said: "Nothing, it's just that the kid from my family came today... Hey... Xiaotian, let me ask you, what do you think of Master Liu's cooking of this dish?"

Jiang Tianwei took a bite and found it delicious even though it was cold.

He is not a gourmet, nor has he tried cuisine from all over the world. In his short life, Master Liu's cooking skills are definitely top-notch.

He spoke frankly about his feelings, and Master Liu laughed. An old man of his age was as happy as a child. He patted his big round belly again and again, like the smiling Maitreya Buddha in the Buddhist temple.

"[I told you, I told you, you are the one who knows the goods!]"

Chinese people have always had the habit of discussing things at the dinner table. When looking for someone to do something, the probability of meeting at the dinner table is also quite high. Master Liu was no exception. He was so happy that he drank two small glasses of wine. When he was drunk, he couldn't stop talking.

He talked about his child in a tone that was almost like complaining, intermittently and ramblingly. He was a very traditional Chinese who believed in "don't air your dirty laundry in public." He said this to Jiang Tianwei because, firstly, he was upset because it had been pent up for too long. Secondly, he didn't treat Jiang Tianwei as an outsider.

Like every traditional Chinese, Master Liu’s core philosophy is: he has suffered all his life, and no matter what he says, he must make sure his children live a good life. So he really does his best to make sure his children study hard and have a promising future.

As a result, his children did well, graduated with excellent academic performance, and went abroad to study. Unlike now, when people can easily go abroad, it was not so easy for ordinary families to study abroad 20 or 30 years ago.

Master Liu would sell everything he had to send his child abroad for further studies. During that time, he was full of energy and ambition, and everyone who saw him was envious...

However, after the child went abroad for further studies, he gradually felt that the glamorous world of foreign capitalism was much better than the poor and remote mountain village where he came from. There was really nothing to go back to.

So, he settled down in Japan and started a business. Although he was a foreigner, he was able to thrive in a local company like Junes, which showed his ability.

But for Master Liu, no matter how poor and miserable this place is, it is still his hometown after all. How can anyone give it up so easily? But in the end, he couldn't resist his son's enthusiastic invitation and came with him to this foreign country where he couldn't even speak the language.

At the beginning, everyone could still get along, but as time went on, the customs and habits of the Japanese daughter-in-law and Japanese in-laws were really incompatible with Master Liu's own habits. In order not to affect the children, he took the initiative to move out and live alone.

Although they don't speak the same language, fortunately the son is not afraid of hard work and will deliver vegetables, rice and noodles to Master Liu every month - after all, anyone who can gain a foothold in a foreign country is definitely not a lazy person.

Originally, Master Liu thought that he would die in a foreign land. Unexpectedly, Jiang Tianwei appeared at this time. Both of them had miserable family situations, so they soon became each other's spiritual pillars.

Master Liu didn't receive much education since he was a child. In order to make a living, he learned a lot of cooking skills. He was feeling that all these skills would go down with him into the coffin, but he didn't expect that there would be a little kid who was not his grandson but was better than his grandson. Naturally, he tried his best every day to study how to cook delicious food and lived a leisurely and happy life.

But the conflict finally broke out.

Because the Cosmos Burger under Okumura Foods is popular in Japan, all industries that have something to do with catering have noticed the profits of this industry. Before the success of the Cosmos Burger, everyone only knew that catering was profitable, but no one expected that catering could make a coffee shop with a huge deficit and only a small storefront become the best in Japan with branches all over the country in just over a decade.

They are slow to realize the truth and have limited knowledge, so they all want to get in and share a piece of the pie. It's like some Internet industries, where some Internet celebrities are popular and make a lot of money, so everyone thinks that this industry is easy to do, and they all rush in to try to become famous.

Junes is no exception. They already have a food corner and have always wondered if they could create their own brand, just like the Cosmic Burger.

At this time, Master Liu's son, who was already the head of the department, suddenly came up with the idea of ​​Chinese food.

It must be admitted that Japan is a very tolerant country.

The Black Ship Incident opened the door to Japan, and the Japanese accepted milk and various Western snacks that they were not used to. Later, Indian curry was introduced to Japan, and now Japan is the second largest consumer of curry in the world (the first is India, which is really unmatched...). Then there is ramen. According to research, Japanese ramen also seems to have been introduced from China, and later it was improved again and again by Japan, which became a classic Japanese delicacy...

So, if we improve Chinese food and make it more suitable for Japanese tastes, wouldn't it be easy to conquer Japan with the long history of food in China? By then, there will be a lot of money!

Master Liu's son keenly sensed the huge business opportunity.

That is why it is said that knowledge brings wealth. Those who saw the popularity of the Big Universe Burger invested in opening fast food such as fried chicken and burgers. However, these followers did not think that the market would also be saturated.

Manager Liu was very thoughtful. Fried chicken and hamburgers? We can't beat Okumura Foods if we don't go head-to-head with them. So, why don't we open up new markets?

So he proposed a bold plan: "Japanese fast food version of traditional Chinese dishes."

He originally thought that Chinese people believe that blood is thicker than water, and that as long as he, as a biological son, went back and talked to his father about this matter, it would surely succeed. He submitted the plan with full confidence, and it was approved without much effort.

But now a huge problem has arisen… As soon as I told the old man about this, he didn’t agree easily, but was furious, and he evolved from an old man into a Shura demon on the spot.

Yes, in the eyes of this traditional and stubborn Chinese old man, his skill was passed down to him by his master, and passed down to his master by his master's master... The long history of Chinese cuisine is always burning in Master Liu's heart, making him feel proud and proud all the time.

Inheriting the tradition and passing on the essence of the delicious food to the next generation, chef Liu and his generation of chefs always have a sense of mission of "family, country and the world" in their hearts. You can say they are stupid or stubborn, but the only thing that cannot be doubted is this enthusiasm.

So, when I heard that my child wanted to give up traditional Chinese food, stop pursuing the taste, and instead learn from Western fast food... I was already very angry.

What do you think? Do we have to give up the ever-changing taste, pursue portability, reduce costs, and use fewer materials? Do we need to quantify the steps in order to build a production line? Is this still Chinese food?

This time, even if it was his own son's request, it could not outweigh the pride of Master Liu as a chef for decades. The Chinese chef spirit that was trained by his master in the kitchen since he was a child made him never give up.

The result was what Jiang Tianwei saw: Master Liu's son came to his house to make requests again and again, but Master Liu refused resolutely. The relationship between the father and son became increasingly strained, and in the end they were no longer like father and son at all.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 215 Unexpected Celebration

Jiang Tianwei really didn't know what to do about Master Liu's family affairs. It is said that even an honest judge cannot judge family affairs. How can you tell right from wrong when it comes to family affairs?

But emotionally, Jiang Tianwei is definitely on Master Liu's side.

But it is difficult for Jiang Tianwei to say whether the plan made by Master Liu's son is wrong. After all, the industrialization of assembly line production is also a major trend.

A typical example is that there were only a few flavors of instant noodles at the beginning, but how many flavors have been derived now? And how many more have been added to the convenience series? Instant vermicelli, instant rice, and instant hot pot. Judging from the fact that these stingy capitalists are willing to spend money to make so many convenience series and put them on the market, this series should be very profitable.

This is the era. Who can guarantee that Master Liu's son will not be a pioneer in the assembly line and industrialization of Chinese cuisine?

Moreover, if you don’t do it, it doesn’t mean others won’t do it. In fact, things like “self-heating fish-flavored pork shreds” or “four-happiness meatball soup” similar to instant noodles have already appeared.

He was just a high school boy. The knowledge he possessed and the worldview he had constructed were simply not enough to judge the right and wrong of such a macro situation. So, he decided to follow his heart and agree with Master Liu's integrity.

Yes, this is a decision made based on closeness, is there any problem with that?

Jiang Tianwei is not a saint, let alone a god. As an ordinary citizen, he treats those who treat him well. What's the problem? On one side is Mr. Liu who takes special care of him, and on the other side is Mr. Liu who he has only met a few times. It is self-evident who he should choose.

Master Liu was in a good mood after receiving the affirmation. It was obvious that although the chef soul in his chest was supporting him, he was still very painful to be separated from his biological son. That was why he showed such obvious joy because of the support from others.

He talked a lot that day and then drank a few cups of wine. After a while, the alcohol took effect and he became drowsy and confused. Jiang Tianwei helped him to bed and fell asleep, then closed the door and left.

Although it is only separated by a wall, it seems a lot quieter.

Traces of Yusuke's life can be seen in many places in the house, not to mention the portrait of Sayuri on the wall, the drinking cup bought for Yusuke on the table, the extra pair of slippers at the door, and the waste drawings crumpled into several piles in the trash can. Even though the old man in the drawing was crumpled into thousands of wrinkles, he still had a warm smile on his face.

For some reason, Jiang Tianwei suddenly felt a little lonely living alone.

Obviously, when Yusuke left before, I was a little happy...

If it were a normal day, even if there were no one else around, Fang Ze Xia would come over and say something to liven up the atmosphere, but now she was sent to investigate Akechi Goro. Jiang Tianwei felt that this home seemed too empty for him...

"well……".

He sighed, turned on the light, and thought about what to do to kill time...

Suddenly, he felt a cold touch on his neck, causing him to tremble all over. His muscles contracted, and he arched his body backwards. He leaped forward like a cat, turned in mid-air, and took a fighting stance...

However, as soon as he landed, he stopped moving.

Just outside his house, a woman wearing a khaki long windbreaker and a waist bag slung across her body stood in the cool night breeze, holding a large plastic bag in one hand and a can of Coke in the other. It was obvious that this was what had stimulated Jiang Tianwei to jump up. Her soft brown curly hair was casually scattered, and she had a mischievous smile on her face. Jiang Tianwei recognized at a glance that she was not an enemy, so he stopped his hostile behavior.

"Hahahahaha..."

As if he was amused by Jiang Tianwei's exaggerated actions, the visitor laughed without any hesitation. He walked into the room while laughing and helped him close the door.

This familiar set of movements showed that she had been to Jiang Tianwei's home several times and was very familiar with the place.

This was of course very familiar. The person who came was none other than Kawakami Sadayo, Jiang Tianwei's former homeroom teacher. She was also the first person who knew Jiang Tianwei's true identity besides being a member of the Phantom Thieves.

"You're like a cat, reacting so strongly."

Jiang Tianwei touched his neck and said with a smile: "Don't say that. If you say that, you will become a cucumber."

Mr. Kawakami thought about it for a moment and finally understood the metaphor about the cucumber scaring the cat. The smile that had just been restrained began to smile again.

It is said that smiles are contagious. Seeing her smile like that, Jiang Tianwei couldn't help but smile foolishly. The two laughed for a while. Teacher Kawakami took off his coat and helped him to tidy up. Jiang Tianwei then asked, "Teacher, why did you think of coming here?"

Yes, usually it was Jiang Tianwei who called her to come over, but I didn’t expect her to come over on her own initiative today.

But thinking about it carefully, she had already quit her job as a maid, so it would be difficult to ask her to come over in the future.

Teacher Kawakami opened the plastic bag with a smile. Inside were canned drinks, canned food that had been opened, and two large bowls of unopened instant noodles.

As mentioned before, the instant noodles series has developed so many varieties, and it is obvious that it has begun to be seriously rolled inward. Especially as the veteran of the series, instant noodles, they have really rolled out new tricks. After rolling up the flavor, they rolled up the ingredients, and after rolling up the ingredients, they rolled up the gifts (some instant noodles will give you a bowl or a cup when you buy a few packs). When there is nothing left to roll up, they start to roll up the flavor.

For example, what Mr. Kawakami brought was the King of Rolls, which was born from the inner rolls. Not only was the taste novel, the ingredients were rich, and the taste was quite good. The only drawback was... the price. Eating a bowl of this thing is enough for you to buy five or six packs of instant noodles.

It can be said that this is the aristocrat among instant noodles.

Jiang Tianwei had only heard of this brand but had never actually tasted it. He just thought it was novel and was curious about what it tasted like.

"Of course I came here to celebrate with you, little thief."

She lowered her voice very low, fearing that someone might hear her through the wall.

As I said before, the news of Jincheng's surrender caused a sensation. The number of visits to the Phantom Thief website more than tripled. All major news outlets were reporting on it, and all major businesses were following suit and launching Phantom Thief merchandise. How could Kawakami be completely unaware of it?

Women always have a pursuit of uniqueness in their delicate minds. They like to have something unique. For example, when everyone is talking about it, but no one knows the true identity of the thief - only they know it, and they have this unique sense of superiority.

It’s a pity that you can show off to others if you bought a luxury watch, but it is difficult to share with others the fact that you know a thief.

That's why Mr. Kawakami came here today. Since I can't tell anyone else, it should be okay to tell the thief himself, right?

As for why she brought instant noodles as a reward, it must be because she took into account that adolescent boys all like instant noodles! ——This is definitely not because Kawakami Sadyo thinks cooking is troublesome, but because she thinks that there is a top chef living next door, she thinks cooking is a very embarrassing thing!

I have to admit that expensive things have their reasons for being expensive. After brewing hot water, I could already smell the strong aroma of soy sauce before opening the lid. While waiting, Mr. Kawakami went back to his old job and helped Jiang Tianwei clean the room.

"I didn't expect your room to be so well maintained now."

Teacher Kawakami couldn't help but sigh. She knew very well how messy this room was when she first came to it a few months ago. It could basically only be used for rest, and it was dirty everywhere.

I thought that a boy of this age would make his room a mess in no time, but I didn't expect that it was maintained quite well and you could see that it was well cared for everywhere.

Jiang Tianwei smiled and said, "I can't always ask the teacher to come and clean up."

This was half true and half false. The true part was that he really didn't plan to always ask Mr. Kawakami to do it, because it would cost money! The false part was... of course, the core reason why he cleaned the house was because Kasumi Yoshizawa kept nagging him to clean it... If there was no Kasumi Yoshizawa, the situation that Mr. Kawakami speculated would probably happen.

Fang Zexia... no, that's not right, Fang Zexia is a ghost. It's obvious that she was a very good student, a good girl, and an elite when she was alive. She was not only very self-disciplined, but also had a very regular life. What a house is a symbol of the soul, and a dirty and messy room is a symbol of a messy heart. What a house cannot be cleaned up without cleaning up the house...

I really didn't expect that Yoshizawa Kasumi's usual chattering would unexpectedly add points to Kawakami's impression of her in such an occasion. What a coincidence.

Soon, the noodles were soaked. Although Jiang Tianwei had just eaten and attended a dinner party earlier, he still picked up the chopsticks without hesitation...

Because this expensive instant noodle really looks delicious! If I don’t eat it, I will feel like I have suffered a great loss!

Late at night, teachers and students, the rescued and the thief, held a small celebration with instant noodles and drinks under the quiet moonlight.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 216 Special Training

Special training!

When this word is mentioned, a youthful and passionate two-dimensional flavor comes out.

Generally speaking, when a sports animation reaches the seventh, eighth, or ninth episode, the problems of the young people with different personalities and backgrounds in the front team have been almost solved, and it is almost time for them to participate in the competition, and then special training will begin!

Either they learn new special skills, or they deepen their bond and become friends with each other.

All in all, it's a reasonable length of time to spend on the show, and you can also sell some pictures at the same time.

However, the special training that Jiang Tianwei is going to do today has nothing to do with keywords such as youth, passion, etc.

As we all know, everyone in Japanese schools must join a club. Even if you don't join any club, you will be given the title of "Home Club". In short, you will not be left with nothing.

Although Jiang Tianwei could easily get along well in the sports club, he still gave up and resolutely went to the Huijia Club - mainly because he had a very rich "extracurricular life" after school and did not need such club activities to live a wonderful youth.

So...does returning to the home club also require special training?

The answer is of course not needed.

But we also know that there is often someone who manages the club. If the big shots above ask you to do something, then you have to do special training even if you don’t have any special training requirements…

So who is in charge of the club? Of course, it’s the Student Union!

"So...it's not nearby, right?"

Student Council President Shinjima showed a rare timid attitude and held Jiang Tianwei's hand tightly. And it was a grip with ten fingers interlocked. Generally speaking, this kind of grip will either make you drive slower or be used by couples in love to abuse each other. In short, it has nothing to do with Jiang Tianwei and Shinjima.

But now, Xindao Zhen couldn't care less about being shy, and Jiang Tianwei couldn't care less about enjoying himself. The muscles and bones on his slender white wrists were protruding, and it was obvious how nervous and scared Xindao Zhen was. His five fingers were like five iron clamps, clamping Jiang Tianwei's palms tightly, causing him to sweat all over, and he had no time to enjoy the scene of this warm and soft jade.

……

Such a non-romantic interlocking of fingers is probably rare in the world.

Shinjima is a good person in every way except for one small flaw: he is afraid of ghosts.

Generally speaking, if someone is afraid of ghosts, then that's fine. Who doesn't have something to be afraid of? Just let her be afraid.

But, there happens to be a ghost in the Phantom Thieves. Whether as the student council president, as a member of the Phantom Thieves, or as an ordinary friend, if you don't overcome your fear of ghosts, how can you communicate harmoniously with everyone?

Niijima's really serious character showed its stubborn side here, so Niijima really didn't argue and dragged Jiang Tianwei to find a place for special training. The content of the special training was naturally courage.

To put it bluntly, it feels like a courage test held during the day...