Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　Because of the summer selection, although she agreed to join the club, she hasn't been there for a long time and doesn't know if the other party still remembers her.

　"The fourth seat of the Ten Outstanding Students? All ten outstanding students in this school have the strength of a first-class chef, and the top five are even more outstanding, perhaps with the strength of a near-Special Grade chef."

　Huang Mei's words stirred Liu Yu's heart. If he could get the help of the fourth seat of the Ten Outstanding Talents, especially since the other party was very good at desserts, it might really have a miraculous effect!

　"It's getting late, let's visit her tomorrow morning!"

　"Yeah, that's what I thought too."

　At this point, both Liu Yu and Huang Mei felt a little awkward, especially since they had recently been locked in a fierce and evenly matched contest as opponents.

　"Then I'll go back and rest first."

　Unable to think of anything to talk about, and feeling uncomfortable just being together, Liu Yu said this and went straight to her room.

　Seeing this, Huang Mei didn't say anything, but instead breathed a sigh of relief and continued watching the TV in front of her, her expression becoming relaxed.

　·

　·

　The next morning.

　Huang Mei and Liu Yu left their dormitory and arrived at the entrance of the Dessert Research Club in twenty minutes.

　"You are... Huangmei?! Yes, it's you!"

　As soon as they pushed open the door, the noise attracted the attention of the girls inside. A familiar voice rang in their ears, and a figure that was both unfamiliar and somewhat familiar ran towards them.

　"Misaka Mayumi."

　Huang Mei called out softly, she had a deep impression of the guy in front of her.

　"It really is you! I didn't expect you to still recognize me. You said you would join, but you haven't come to the club for so many days. I thought you had changed your mind."

　Seeing that the other person recognized her, Misaka Mayumi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then took her hand and began to mutter to herself.

　"Is this a freshman who wants to join the Dessert Research Club? Unfortunately, the club president isn't here right now, but I can take the assessment for him!"

　As she spoke, Misaka Mayumi looked at Liu Yu next to Huang Mei. Liu Yu had a sweet face and looked like she was perfect for the dessert research club!

　"Eh..."

　Misaka Mayumi's sudden change in enthusiasm stunned Liu Yu for a second, but before she could speak, the other party started muttering to herself.

　"You have such good taste in choosing our Dessert Research Club! Not only can you learn the most advanced dessert techniques, but our club president is also super cute and a powerful fourth-ranked member of the Ten Outstanding Individuals. He comes over to guide us whenever he has free time!"

　Holding Liu Yu's hand, Misaka Mayumi launched into a long explanation of the benefits of joining the dessert research club, leaving Liu Yu completely bewildered.

　"Alright, Mayumi, Liu Yu isn't planning to join any clubs. She just came to visit the club president and exchange cooking tips with her. Do you know when she'll be back?"

　Seeing Liu Yu's embarrassed expression, Huang Mei chuckled inwardly. She then stepped forward to stop Misaka Mayumi and asked about Akane Kubo Momo's whereabouts.

　They came here to find Momoko Akane; if she wasn't here, there was no point in coming to the confectionery research club.

　"Is that so? What a pity. The club president went to see Nyogijima-senpai to discuss matters related to the team shokugeki. The team shokugeki will start after the summer selection, so you'll have to come and help out then!"

　Upon hearing that Liu Yu had no intention of joining the club, Misaka Mayumi immediately showed a regretful expression, and then revealed the club president's whereabouts.

　"Roughly how long will it take?"

　"I went there three hours ago, and I estimate I'll be back before lunchtime."

　Upon hearing the question, Misaka Mayumi lightly touched her lips with her finger, as if considering when the president would leave. A few seconds later, she looked at Liu Yu and spoke.

　"Let's wait here then. Can we take a look around the clubs?"

　Looking at the dessert club members who were making desserts, and smelling the sweet aroma in the air, Liu Yu's eyes gleamed.

　"Of course! I'll be your guide. After the tour, you might become interested in the dessert research club and want to join."

　Summer Selection has garnered a lot of attention in Far Moon. She watched several matches, one of which involved Liu Yu.

　I didn't recognize him at first glance, but the more I look at him, the more familiar he seems. Isn't this Liu Yu, the first-year transfer student who made it to the semi-finals?!

　If we recruit her into the dessert shop

　The research club will definitely be of great benefit to the team food battle after the Summer Selection! After all, the opponent has the ability to serve up top-grade dishes.

　Thinking of this, Misaka Mayumi's steps became much lighter, and she looked excited.

　"They're making mozzarella cheese here. Authentic mozzarella cheese is made from buffalo milk."

　Authentic buffalo milk products are very white in color, with a thin, shiny outer layer. When immature, they are very smooth and elastic, making them easy to slice. The maturation period is about 1 to 3 days. After maturation, they become quite soft and the flavor is enhanced, but they spoil quickly afterwards, with a shelf life of no more than one week...

　Because of its extremely low cost-effectiveness, most mozzarella cheese on the market today is made with regular milk, which extends its shelf life considerably.

　However, in order to pursue the original flavor of mozzarella cheese, our club will personally make some of the raw materials for making desserts.

　Take mozzarella cheese, for example. Authentic buffalo milk products have a sweetness and depth of flavor that regular dairy products cannot match, resulting in a much better taste. However, its texture is softer and lacks elasticity.

　Pointing to a tall girl making mozzarella cheese not far away, Misaka Mayumi explained as she walked over, her movements gentle yet firm.

　The members on this floor spend most of their time preparing the ingredients needed for the dishes prepared by the members on the upper floor, which is also a basic skill for making desserts.

　Store-bought dessert ingredients are never as convenient as homemade ones.

　"This is..."

　"I see. So you're making the basic ingredients you need to cook desserts yourself? That definitely does improve the taste and quality of your dishes."

　Walking around the club, although few people were willing to talk to her, Misaka Mayumi didn't feel embarrassed at all and quickly led Liu Yu through the entire floor.

　When Liu Yu saw many people making desserts themselves, she looked thoughtful when she saw a certain part of the ingredients.

　She seems to have a slight idea now.

　"However, they're all second-rate chefs. Aren't there any more skilled pastry chefs here?"

　As she spoke, Liu Yu turned to look at Misaka Mayumi, whose expression had changed from initial excitement to indifference.

　Looking at the company members in front of her, who were either preparing raw materials or cooking desserts, a subtle expression appeared on the girl's face.

　Although they did their best, there were still quite a few flaws in the cooking, including some obvious mistakes that even she wouldn't make...

　Clearly, these club members who focus on desserts are generally not very capable, and are probably not even as good as her.

　"Ah...the best ones are all upstairs, it's a pity I'm not strong enough to go up."

　Misaka Mayumi scratched her face awkwardly, somewhat embarrassed. To get to the second floor, she had to create a first-class dessert.

　"not qualified?"

　"Yes, you need to make a first-class dessert; that's the necessary entry ticket."

　Liu Yu was stunned for a moment when she heard Misaka Mayumi's words, but she quickly understood what had happened and nodded in understanding.

　The same applies to the world of dark cuisine; members whose skills haven't reached the top level rarely see the leader.

　They are only able to communicate so intimately with him now because their leader is in Far Moon and has few people around him.

　But that's precisely why she needs to seize the opportunity and try to make a good impression on him. A few casual words of advice from him then will be enough to benefit her for a long time!

　"May I go up to the second floor and see if they can prepare a first-class dessert?"

　The people below her were even less skilled than her, so she couldn't learn anything useful. Therefore, Liu Yu looked at Misaka Mayumi and asked her.

　"Sure, if you can cook a dish that satisfies Xiaotao, Xiaotao will let you go up and take a look."

　"President...President? When did you get back?!"

　A crisp sound rang out from the side, and Misaka Mayumi exclaimed in surprise. Liu Yu followed her gaze and saw a petite girl.

　The girl was holding a purple plush toy in her hands. Her head had two slightly bulging horns that looked like cat ears. She was a little chubby and looked very cute.

　"You're the president of the Dessert Research Club?"

　Looking at Momo Akane, who was half a head shorter than her, Liu Yu leaned down slightly, trying to meet her gaze at the same level as much as possible.

　This is basic courtesy, not to mention that I need to ask her for a favor now.

　"Yes, I am the president. You are quite good. Didn't you want to go up to the second floor? As long as you serve first-class desserts, I will personally take you up."

　Noticing Liu Yu's gaze, Akane Momo nodded, then pointed to the kitchen counter behind her, where all the ingredients were readily available.

　"can."

　Knowing that Akane Kubo Momo had the intention of testing her, she also wanted to gain something from Akane Kubo Momo, so she readily agreed.

　He created a first-class dessert to gain her approval, and then spent the next few days in the dessert research club, focusing on cooking to defeat Yukihira Soma.

　This was her simple idea.

　Since it's a competition, and it concerns the dignity of the dark cuisine world, she has to go all out no matter what, and she absolutely cannot fall in the mere semi-finals!

　With that in mind, Liu Yu stepped to the counter, looked at the prepared ingredients, and quickly formed a recipe in her mind.

　These are common questions in the onboarding assessments for French pastry chefs.

　Opera cake.

　Because it's not complicated to make, the ingredients are all quite common, and it tastes really good, she once made it for her mother on her birthday.

　If you think about it, it's been several years already.

　Thinking of this, Liu Yu was momentarily lost in thought, but she quickly came back to her senses, sighed softly, and then began to cook.

　First, take 2 eggs, 80 grams of almond flour, and 60 grams of granulated sugar, weigh them on a scale, and then beat them with an egg beater at high speed until they are fluffy and white.

　Take another 100 grams of egg whites and add 30 grams of sugar. Use an egg beater to beat until stiff peaks form.

　Add the whipped egg whites to the egg mixture in two batches, and stir them together with a spoon until smooth. This will create a smooth, silky egg white mixture.

　Pour the beaten egg whites into a 2/8 baking pan, smooth the surface with a spatula, and bake in a preheated oven at 220 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.

　After baking, remove the cake base from the oven and let it cool. Then, use a cake knife to trim the edges to make it square. Finally, cut it into three equal-sized pieces for later use.

　"boom."

　Flames ignited beneath the stove.

　Heat 80 grams of heavy cream in a small saucepan to 70 degrees Celsius. Then pour it into a bowl containing 80 grams of chocolate. Use the heat of the heavy cream to melt the chocolate, stirring with a spoon until it becomes silky smooth.

　Add 4 egg yolks, 30g granulated sugar, 10g coffee powder, and 100g milk to a pot in that order, and heat over low heat until thickened. Stir them together with a spoon.

　After mixing thoroughly, pour into a container and allow to cool naturally to 20 degrees Celsius.

　On the other side, pour 100 grams of butter into a bowl and beat it with an electric mixer until smooth.

　During the stirring process, add the coffee cream sauce in several batches until the two are fully combined, resulting in a glossy appearance and a firm, upright texture.

　Only buttercream in this state will not feel greasy when eaten. If it's made quickly and superficially, it will be a fatal blow to the taste of the dish.

　"Next comes the most important part..."

　Liu Yu murmured softly.

　After completing these steps, it's time to work on the core of the opera cake: the coffee syrup.

　Put 10 grams of coffee powder, 60 grams of hot water, 30 grams of sugar and 10 grams of coffee liqueur into a large bowl and stir well to make coffee sugar water.

　All that's left is assembly.

　Brush a layer of coffee syrup onto the cake base, pipe on a layer of ganache (chocolate sauce), smooth it with a spatula, and then add a layer of coffee buttercream.

　Repeat this process three times to create a layered cake texture, then refrigerate it.

　With the main body of the cake sorted out, all that's left is the glaze.

　Liu Yu took 20 grams of cocoa powder, 80 grams of granulated sugar, 100 grams of milk and 4 grams of gelatin and set them aside for later use.

　First, melt the cocoa powder and granulated sugar in milk. Then, add the soaked gelatin, stir well, and strain. When the temperature drops to about 30 degrees Celsius, it is the best time to pour the sauce over the cocoa powder.

　After measuring the temperature inside the glaze with a thermometer, and seeing that the thermometer read 31 degrees Celsius, Liu Yu took the refrigerated cake body from the refrigerator and placed it on a strainer.

　Next, the glaze was poured over the cake base, instantly turning it into a layer of chocolate black, making it look incredibly tempting!

　However, now is not the time to taste it.

　Suppressing her appetite, Liu Yu put it back in the refrigerator, froze it for ten minutes to set, and then cut it into neat rectangular blocks.

　"Please taste it."

　After saying this, Liu Yu personally handed the spoon to Akane Kubo.

　"It's a truly classic dish, the Opera Cake, which has been known as a century-old French pastry. Its distinct layers and incredibly rich, layered flavors make it exceptionally delicious."

　"This cake is a basic one. I don't know many desserts, and I'm good at even fewer. This just happens to be one of them."