Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　Without any hesitation, Kurokiba Ryo placed the ramen bowl in front of Shiro Akimoto. His eyes seemed to burn with a fierce flame as he looked at him, his hands clenched into fists, silently awaiting his evaluation.

　"When I saw you break up the cod with a fork, I thought you were going to make a topping for noodles and pour a pot of cod sauce over the noodles."

　However, this one is quite good too. The cod fillets are fried to a golden brown and crispy perfection, which looks very appetizing. In addition, shrimp, crab meat, and roasted mushrooms are added, which further enhances the flavor of the dish.

　Looking at the cod broth ramen in front of him, Bai Yuan picked up a spoon, looked at the cod broth in the bowl with a serious expression, and then put it into his mouth.

　The delicate flavors spread across his tongue and throughout his mouth. As he savored the sweetness of the fish soup, Bai Yuan's face lit up with an expression of enjoyment.

　but...

　He raised his head and looked at Kurokiba Ryo, while Shirabuchi silently put down his spoon.

　"This is ramen, right?"

　"That's right! How about my secret-recipe cod broth ramen? Isn't it so delicious that you'll want to eat it all!"

　Looking at the calm expression on Shirayuki's face, even though Kurokiba Ryo had boundless confidence in his cooking, his voice couldn't help but lower at this moment.

　He wasn't stupid; he could naturally see that Bai Yuan's attitude was ambiguous. So where was the problem? This dish was clearly praised by many diners!

　"Unfortunately, although the taste is indeed great, this cod chowder ramen has a fatal flaw: it is too oily."

　You need to understand that you're making ramen. While simmering a rich broth can bring out all the flavors of the ingredients, it can also make the whole pot of soup greasy.

　Although cod isn't particularly high in fat compared to other fish, did you add a lot of butter and cream when cooking it?

　"That's right, this makes the soup taste richer and more flavorful, and it will be delicious with ramen. You'll know once you try it with noodles!"

　Perhaps feeling that it was too hasty to make a judgment based on only taking a sip of soup, Kurokiba Ryo urged anxiously, his voice filled with urgency.

　"Actually, you don't need to taste it; you can already tell from the aroma wafting through the air."

　Next, do as I say and add celery, onions, carrots, and other vegetables to your cod soup to balance its texture and flavor.

　The ratio of soup to vegetables is 5:1. You added too much butter and cream, and it's difficult to neutralize the greasiness without adding enough vegetables.

　If you don't believe me, you can put two bowls of ramen outside and let the customers choose which one is more delicious.

　Seeing Kurokiba Ryo's eyes regain their composure after their initial anger, Bai Yuan calmly took a sip of tea.

　The cod broth ramen in front of me clearly aims to push a flavor to its limit, delivering a powerful and impactful taste experience to diners—a typical Western approach.

　However, due to his lack of skill, Kurokiba Ryo did not strike a good balance, resulting in an exceptionally greasy cod soup.

　To salvage this situation, you can only add refreshing vegetables; otherwise, even if you finish the bowl of ramen, you'll feel so nauseous that you won't have any appetite for other dishes.

　"Okay, I'll give it a try. I hope it's really as you say."

　Hearing Bai Yuan's confident words, Kurokiba Ryo suddenly fell silent for a few seconds, but thinking that he would not lose anything by trying, he agreed.

　If Bai Yuan's suggestion goes wrong, he will be condemned by everyone, and he will be the one who loses face. Besides, he also feels that there is something wrong with his cooking.

　Despite being constantly praised, praise doesn't make one improve. Back at the kitchen counter, Kurokiba Ryo opened the pot for simmering the thick soup.

　Although it's a seafood restaurant, there are also plenty of fresh vegetables in the kitchen. Kurokiba Ryo thought for a moment and added not only celery, onions, and carrots, but also several other vegetables to reduce the greasiness, based on his experience.

　With the addition of several vegetables, the cod soup visibly became fresher, and after taking a sip with a spoon, the taste was indeed more palatable.

　"I see..."

　Pour the soup into a large bowl, then put the ramen noodles into the pot and cook them. After cooking, use a strainer to drain the water and put them into the large bowl to create soup bubbles.

　Heat oil in a pan and fry the cod fillets until golden brown on both sides. Then prepare the other side dishes.

　At the same time, Alice Nakiri finished making the shumai, took them out of the steamer, and deftly placed the best-looking ones onto a plate, presenting them to Bai Yuan like a treasure.

　The fish and pork shumai are neatly arranged on the plate. Underneath the translucent skin, you can vaguely see the perfect blend of fish and pork fat. The color is enticing and the aroma is irresistible.

　"Brother Baiyuan, try some!"

　The girl's voice was clear and melodious, like the ringing of silver bells. As she spoke, she picked up her chopsticks and brought the crystal-clear fish shumai to Bai Yuan's lips.

　Bai Yuan simply opened his mouth to respond, a faint smile on his face.

　For some reason, Alice has been enjoying feeding him lately, especially after she has successfully prepared a delicious meal.

　At first, Bai Yuan thought that Alice Nakiri wanted him to evaluate the taste of the dishes so that he could learn from the experience and improve himself.

　But he later discovered that every time he gave a comment, Alice Nakiri lost interest, and only when he said it was delicious would she smile.

　"So you wanted your master's approval!"

　Having figured this out, Bai Yuan began to use encouragement-based teaching.

　Simply put, it involves first praising Alice Nakiri's cooking as delicious, and then correcting the minor issues with her cooking.

　Thus, Alice Nakiri is always in a state of high energy, paying extra attention to cooking and wanting to give him the best culinary experience.

　Sensing her obvious progress, Bai Yuan marveled at his own excellence and talent as a teacher, completely unaware that the way she was looking at him was quite strange.

　Chapter Eighteen: Victory or Defeat, A Stunning Illusion!

　"The aroma of shumai fills the streets and alleys, with thin skin and generous filling that is tempting to taste. Crystal clear like jade, it contains a hundred flavors, and a light bite brings a long-lasting warmth."

　As the shumai gradually approached his mouth, Bai Yuan opened his mouth and took a bite. The softness and elasticity of the shumai skin instantly burst in his mouth.

　Then you can feel the freshness of the fish and the richness of the pork fat intertwined, creating a wonderful taste with distinct layers.

　The freshness of scallions, ginger, and lemon effectively removes the fishy smell, while the addition of chopped onions and minced garlic makes the filling even more delicious.

　So delicious! Bai Yuan couldn't help but recite a short poem. Alice Nakiri's shumai-making skills had improved again, which was gratifying.

　The shumai in front of me is perfect except for the lack of proper pounding. You could easily call it a dish made by a master chef!

　"Well done, Alice."

　"Hehe, this is the result of my practice over the past few days. I was originally going to give you a surprise, since you said you liked shumai."

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's praise, Nakiri Alice excitedly began to speak, her voice filled with a sense of wanting credit.

　"It seems there really is such a thing..."

　Hearing Alice Nakiri's words, Bai Yuan was somewhat surprised. Then he began to recall, and a casual remark he had made two months ago came to mind.

　"The shumai tastes really good. I used to really like eating shumai." It was such an ordinary remark that made Alice Nakiri focus on practicing shumai cooking when she was learning noodle dishes, just to give him a good taste experience.

　"Let me try some!"

　Seeing the expression of enjoyment on Bai Yuan's face and his high praise for him, Kurokiba Ryo, who had just finished making the new cod broth ramen, stepped forward, picked up his chopsticks, and tried to take the fish shumai from the plate.

　"There are still some shumai in the pot, go and get them yourself, I specially prepared them for the chef!"

　Everyone in the kitchen can try some. I made quite a lot; there should be enough for everyone to eat a few and there will still be some left over.

　Alice Nakiri picked up a plate from the table, dodging Kurokiba Ryo's outstretched chopsticks as she spoke. She deliberately selected the best-looking shumai for Shiro.

　He can't eat me!

　Seeing that many chefs in the kitchen were looking over, gazing longingly at the fish and meat shumai she was making, Alice added another sentence.

　"Okay!"

　"Thank you, young lady. Let me see what this incredibly fragrant shumai tastes like."

　"I've never eaten anything like this before, it's a truly novel experience."

　The people in the kitchen chatted amongst themselves and soon gathered in front of the steamer, their eyes fixed intently on the translucent shumai inside. The aroma was coming from there!

　"What a hassle! Wait, save one for me!"

　Kurokiba Ryo was about to get angry when he missed with his chopsticks, but then he realized that all the chefs in the kitchen were gathered in front of the steamer, greedily eyeing the fish and meat shumai inside. This made him rush to the steamer with his chopsticks in hand.

　Given his size, he definitely wouldn't have been able to get any, but everyone was concerned about him being the head chef, so they suppressed their desires and took two out of the steamer to give to him.

　Kurokiba Ryo picked up a fish shumai with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, closing his eyes to savor the flavor.

　The next moment, his world seemed to be enveloped by a warm and wonderful power.

　The fish melts on your tongue, like the gentle caress of the ocean, both refreshing and profound, with a subtle salty and sweet flavor. It's the taste of the sea, the start of freedom and dreams!

　As he chewed, Kurokiba Ryo began to see a series of illusions, as if he were standing on a giant pirate ship.

　Waves lapped against the hull of the pirate ship, the sea breeze, carrying a slightly salty scent, brushed against our faces, and seagulls circled overhead, emitting clear cries.

　"Men, charge with me!"

　In this vast sea, he transformed into a pirate captain, wielding a long sword and piloting his own pirate ship.

　"Yes, Captain!"

　"Leave that big fish behind!"

　The kitchen helpers around him transformed into sailors on a pirate ship. At this moment, they stood in two rows and pulled the anchor with all their might. As the sea in front of them swayed, a huge halibut more than ten meters long leaped out of the sea.

　Huge harvest!

　An unprecedented sense of satisfaction welled up from the depths of his heart. Kurokiba Ryo opened his eyes and exchanged glances with the chefs around him, all of whom saw the shock in each other's eyes.

　Were they eating cooked food? Why would I see something like that?

　When the giant halibut was caught and brought aboard, its heavy weight was so real that it didn't look fake in any way!

　"Is this fish shumai? Did you make it?"

　Looking at the empty steamer in front of him, with not a single shumai left, and glancing at Alice Nakiri not far away, Kurokiba Ryo opened his mouth wide and it took him a long time to accept the fact.

　"That's right, this is fish shumai. I wonder if my cooking satisfies you? How does it compare to your cod broth ramen!?"

　Standing beside Bai Yuan, Nakiri Alice said smugly, "He looked down on me before, but now he's got a good slap in the face!"

　She heard Bai Yuan's words clearly. Given the obvious flaws in the dish, the outcome had already been a death sentence!

　"No need to compete! This dish is better than mine, I admit that. Let's have another competition tomorrow, and I'll definitely beat you this time!"

　Looking at the smug girl in front of him, Kurokiba Ryo clenched his fists and said with a face full of resentment, "This is truly a case of dying before even getting started!"

　"You can compete as many times as you want! But not tomorrow, how about next week?"

　Thinking about learning cooking from Shiro Awakening, Alice Nakiri refused Ryo Kurokiba's offer. She thought that one competition was enough, and too many would be boring. She would rather spend that time with Shiro Awakening.

　Watching Bai Yuan leisurely eating shumai beside her, Alice Nakiri's lips curled up slightly. She had finally made a dish that satisfied him.

　"Next week? What day of the week exactly? Give me a precise number!"

　Kurokiba Ryo's eyes burned with fire; he was clearly very bothered by this defeat and refused to allow himself to be defeated by such a little girl.

　"What day of the week..."

　"How about this, every Saturday morning from now on, I'll bring Alice over to compete with you. You provide the ingredients, and you decide the theme, okay?"

　"Okay! Let's decide on that!"

　"Eh..."

　Seeing that Alice Nakiri's lips were slightly pouting, as if she was a little impatient, Bai Yuan patted her little head to comfort her, and then looked at Kurokiba Ryo and said.

　He noticed that Alice had become too relaxed lately, which was not conducive to improving her cooking skills, so he decided to find her a few rivals.

　Kurokiba Ryo was just the first; several others were temporarily put on hold because Nakiri Alice's strength was insufficient.

　"Alright, it's getting late, so we'll take our leave now."

　After glancing at his phone, Bai Yuan stood up and spoke to the chef and Kurokiba Ryo who were watching them in the kitchen. Then, he led Nakiri Alice away without looking back.

　Chapter Nineteen: The Golden Ratio Shumai, White Snake Spinning Chain

　"Brother Baiyuan, why did you agree to him? That guy is so weak. If you were choosing an opponent, there should have been a more suitable choice."

　Leaving the harbor restaurant, looking at the briskly walking Bai Yuan beside her, Alice Nakiri finally couldn't suppress her doubts and asked.

　He's about your age.

　Many of them are in a period of rapid improvement in their culinary skills, and they may become formidable rivals in the future.

　Calling someone "Master" in front of others but "Brother" in private is a habit that Alice Nakiri has developed over the past two years. The reason is that she is too ashamed to call him that in front of others, and it would also be disrespectful to Bai Yuan.

　After all, no matter what, in the eyes of outsiders, Bai Yuan is her master. How could she call her master "brother"?

　"I see. But will that guy really get stronger? Judging from his arrogant attitude, he doesn't seem like the type to learn from others' experiences."

　"Yes, this kind of person has a strong sense of self-esteem. If he loses, he will try to win back the loss. I also see a love for cooking in him. As long as his talent is not particularly bad, he will definitely achieve great things in the future."

　"In that case, let's set aside some time to deal with him."

　Looking into Alice Nakiri's innocent eyes, and recalling the burning fighting spirit in Kurokiba Ryo's eyes when facing him, Bai Yuan suddenly remembered himself from a few years ago, constantly challenging strong opponents, and also the scene of his duel with the Five Tiger Stars.

　If he hadn't time-traveled, he would probably be a being who has surpassed the Five Tiger Stars in every way by now, and Xiang En has always had feelings for him...