At Senzaemon's question, Hayashi tilted his head curiously. "Though you phrased it as a probe, it seems you already have an answer in mind?"
Seeing Hayashi's ostensibly skeptical but actually confirmatory tone, Senzaemon chuckled and stroked his beard. Then, raising a hand, he pointed at Hayashi's hands before spreading his own palms. "Someone with such refined culinary skills would never have hands this smooth."
Only then did Hayashi notice the calluses on Senzaemon's palms—undeniable marks left by years of knife practice and wok-tossing, the medals of his dedication.
"Alright, you got me. I didn't make this." Hayashi scratched his cheek. "This dish was crafted by a master chef from Sichuan, China—Madam Chen Bangling of Juxia Lou!"
"Sichuan, Chengdu, Juxia Lou..." Senzaemon's eyes flickered—neither the restaurant nor Chen Bangling were names he had ever heard before!
"It's normal that you haven't heard of her, because Ms. Chen doesn't exist in this world." Hayashi felt he had finally steered the conversation his way and couldn't help but smile faintly. "No matter what method you use, you won't be able to find her."
"W-what does that mean?" Jōichirō stared blankly at Hayashi. "You're not about to tell me something like... the soul of an ancient super chef is possessing your cutting board, are you?"
"Whoa, a chef version of Hikaru no Go?" Hayashi gave Jōichirō a mental thumbs-up for his imagination. With a chuckle, he waved his hand. "No, no! Ah, let me introduce myself properly—then you'll understand."
Hayashi stood up, took two steps back, and performed a perfect gentleman's bow to the two men. "My name is Hayashi Sora, 23 years old, a novice traveler who's just begun journeying through different worlds!"
"A traveler... through different worlds..."
"Traveler..."
Senzaemon and Jōichirō exchanged dumbfounded glances, completely lost about how things had taken this turn.
...
...
From the very beginning, Hayashi had no intention of playing the mystic. After all, as someone who'd lived in an ivory tower, graduated and immediately holed up at home writing novels—completely untouched by the harsh realities of society—what chance did he have trying to outmaneuver seasoned veterans like Senzaemon and Jōichirō?
Less scheming, more sincerity!
It wasn't until Hayashi summoned the Interdimensional Gate right before Senzaemon and Jōichirō's eyes that the two finally, fully believed this "unbelievable" claim.
"So, Mr. Hayashi..." Senzaemon hesitated slightly when addressing him, prompting Hayashi to quickly interject, "Please, just call me Hayashi as usual! No need for formalities."
"Very well, then I'll continue calling you Hayashi." Senzaemon smiled warmly. "May I ask why you appeared before Jōichirō with that bento?"
"From your actions, it seems you know us quite well?" Jōichirō added immediately. "You knew I could contact Senzaemon, and you're aware of the God Tongue's curse..."
"Yes, I know everything!" Hayashi nodded, speaking softly to the two. "Earlier, Jōichirō mentioned Hikaru no Go, right? So what if..."
He left the sentence hanging, but Jōichirō had already grasped his implication.
"You mean..." Jōichirō's eyelid twitched. He raised a hand to his forehead, muttering to himself, "Our world is just another 'Hikaru no Go'? Hah, I never thought..."
"Wait, wait—" Seeing their existential crisis expressions, Hayashi hastily raised his hands. "Are you about to lament something like, 'My world is just a manga'?"
"Uh..."
Jōichirō, who had been gearing up for a dramatic monologue, was instantly silenced. He nodded awkwardly.
"Actually, I anticipated this kind of reaction, so I specifically prepared three hypotheses—"
"The first theory is the Author Creation Theory. The manga's author is the creator of this world, possessing unparalleled authority. With just a thought, they can alter a person's fate and emotions."
"The second is the Information Transmission Theory. The vibrations emitted by this world resonate with the author's brain, allowing them to receive fragments of information from this world, which then inspire them to depict it in their work."
"The third is the Infinite Worlds Theory. In the void, there exist infinite worlds, so it's merely a coincidence that one happens to perfectly match an author's imagination!"
After finishing all this in one breath, Hayashi took a deep breath and continued, "As for which theory you two choose to believe, that's entirely up to you."
Upon hearing Hayashi's words, Senzaemon and Jōichirō exchanged glances, both wearing wry smiles.
"How embarrassing, to be comforted by a junior," Jōichirō said with a bitter chuckle, shaking his head. He picked up the teacup from the table, took a sip, and exhaled deeply before saying, "Young Hayashi! You specifically chose our world—you must have your own purpose, right?"
"Yes!" Hayashi nodded, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Mainly, I was drawn to the Tōtsuki family's influence in this world. After gaining this ability, I spent quite a while thinking at home..."
Hayashi openly shared his considerations about "safety" and "resources" with Senzaemon and Jōichirō, then explained why he had singled out the Tōtsuki family—in this world centered around cuisine, the Tōtsuki family practically reigns as local royalty! They could probably even set up an entire car or smartphone production line for him if he asked!
Not to mention...
"Moreover, I believe my abilities should be quite tempting for the Nakiri family," Hayashi said with a scheming smile. "Surely, you must be interested in ingredients from another world?"
This move would be a checkmate!
"..."
Joichiro glanced at the old man beside him, then sipped his tea with a composed expression—truth be told, he was already swayed! But since the final decision rested with the old man, he could only silently cheer in his heart, "Hurry up and agree, old man!"—lending Hayashi an invisible assist.
"Ingredients from another world, entirely new culinary techniques, and even a solution to the God's Tongue..." Senzaemon let out a long sigh and chuckled wryly. "Information truly is a powerful thing, isn't it?"
When it came to cunning and strategy, twenty Hayashis bundled together wouldn't be a match for Nakiri Senzaemon. But with Hayashi's complete understanding of the Nakiri family and his grip on Senzaemon's weakness, the old man was utterly cornered.
"So..." Hayashi's eyes gleamed slightly as he looked at Senzaemon expectantly. "Does this mean you're willing to cooperate?"
"Do I have any reason to refuse?" The old man burst into laughter and extended his right hand toward Hayashi. "Mr. Sora, a pleasure doing business!"
"The pleasure is mine!" Overjoyed, Hayashi quickly grasped Senzaemon's hand and sighed in relief. "Thank goodness you agreed. If my first proactive move had ended in failure, I might've just shut down on the spot."
"Hahaha, you should have more confidence in your abilities," Senzaemon boomed heartily, patting Hayashi's shoulder with a firm hand. "Just the prospect of 'resources from another world' is enough to make anyone throw caution to the wind!"
...
...
Once their partnership was officially established, Senzaemon contacted one of his key associates, Gin Dōjima. After explaining Hayashi's background, the muscular chef's reaction was so comical that even Jōichirō couldn't resist mocking him.
"Hahaha, what kind of face is that?" Jōichirō—truly the father of the "Demon King"—had the exact same teasing expression as his son. "I can even see your uvula, pfft—"
"Shut up!" Gin glared at Jōichirō. "How could anyone not be shocked hearing something like this out of the blue?!"
"Fair point."
"Then how dare you laugh at me?"
"Well, once others hear the news, you can openly laugh at them too!"
"...Good point!"
"Hahaha—" x2
Honestly, you two are just terrible, aren't you? No wonder you were the infamous duo that once turned Tōtsuki upside down!
"Ah, who would've thought I'd live to witness something like this at my age?" Gin laughed heartily, giving Hayashi a hearty pat on the back before raising an eyebrow. "Young man, you're a bit on the frail side, aren't you?"
"Ahem—"
Hayashi coughed awkwardly, then reached out to prod Dōjima's abs and pecs with an impressed click of his tongue. "To be honest, compared to your physique, 90% of young men these days would look like twigs."
"Hahaha, this is the proud result of my training—" Gin cheerfully raised his hands, striking a bodybuilder pose, and said, "So, how about joining me for a workout?"
"Uh, well, I think I'll pass..." Hayashi gulped. Just looking at the muscles on Gin's body gave him a clear idea of how brutal this man's usual training regimen must be. There was no way he could endure that level of intensity.
"That attitude won't do!" Gin shook his head, sitting down heavily on a chair like a general on horseback. "No matter what you do, a strong and healthy body is essential! Being afraid of hardship is no good!"
"Ah, you do have a point, but this training..." Hayashi rubbed his hands together awkwardly. "How about... I try to find some potions or something in other worlds that can enhance my physique instead?"
Working out to build muscle? No thanks! If he had the discipline for that kind of suffering, he wouldn't have graduated from a no-name university—he might've even made it to a decent one!
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