Placing the serving plate on the judges' table, Hoshino Sora lifted the lid. The next moment, a dish with a unique aroma appeared before the judges.
"Hoshino Style · Vegetarian Breakfast Burger, please taste."
Actually, Hoshino Sora also wanted to give his burger a more startling name, but after much thought, the three words "Hoshino Style" were already enough. As long as he became strong enough in the future, these three words would become the most formidable name in the world.
"This is... a so-called vegetarian burger?"
Looking at the vegetarian burger placed before him, the bald old man with white hair on both sides reached out and picked it up, examining it carefully.
The structure of this burger was simple: two layers of bread, with a mushroom patty in the middle, and a layer of fermented bean product on top. If he remembered correctly, it should be tempeh.
Above that were extremely thin slices of pineapple, and in the middle was a layer of cheese. These were all the components of the burger. The most aromatic part was the burger's bread.
"Although vegetarian burgers exist to cater to the commercial group of vegetarians and vegetarian enthusiasts, a purely vegetarian burger is absolutely inferior to meat in the eyes of meat-eaters. This is a subjective factor."
Wearing square-rimmed glasses, his facial flesh slightly drooping from age, he spoke as he looked at the seemingly unremarkable vegetarian burger before him.
"You can't say that. At least for vegetarians, meat is absolutely no match for vegetarian food. And I happen to prefer vegetarian dishes, so I have high expectations for this burger!"
"What did you say? How can vegetables be tastier than meat! Whether it's texture or taste, or even protein, meat far surpasses vegetables."
"Vegetarian dishes are just better than meat. The crisp and tender texture of vegetables, the deep piney aroma of mushrooms—vegetarian dishes are truly crops with the essence of nature!"
Another bald man next to him couldn't help but retort.
"Alright, stop talking, you'll know after you eat it!"
Slamming the table, Nakitiri Senzaemon, seeing the two arguing before even tasting the dish, was the first to pick up the vegetarian burger and eat it. The burger's portion didn't seem as intimidating as Mito Ikumi's, perfectly sized for a single bite.
"Look quickly, the Academy Director is going to taste the transfer student's dish! What kind of evaluation will he give?"
"It definitely won't work. Meat-chan's beef burger had too much impact. Although his plain-looking vegetarian burger looks decent, it's definitely not going to be better than top-grade wagyu beef!"
"Exactly! The gap is too big. This kind of gap can't be compensated for by cooking skills."
"Shallow. This transfer student was first overall in the Autumn Elections. How could he present such a dull dish? Although I don't want to admit it, he's really much stronger than us."
Hearing the commotion from the Far Moon Academy student section, Feng Xuanya, pinching her chin, murmured as she looked at Hoshino Sora: "It seems this Hoshino isn't very popular at Far Moon."
"Genius is always not accepted by the world. Don't we have many in our academy too? Chefs with excellent cooking skills being slandered, and their futures ruined in an instant."
Lei Yuxing said while playing his handheld game, then pushed up his glasses. The reflection in his lenses showed the gossiping audience, clearly indicating he was used to such things.
"You're right, I was shallow."
Hearing Lei Yuxing's words, Feng Xuanya nodded in agreement. Indeed, there were constant disturbances at Min Academy; geniuses, besides being admired, were also envied.
Watching those high-and-mighty individuals fall from grace was a dream come true for some ill-intentioned people.
There was no reason, just pure psychological perversion.
And there were quite a few such people.
It's lonely at the top, which probably describes this situation.
"Let's go. My match is next. Let these narrow-minded Japanese people witness the strength of our Chinese genius!"
"Being too confident might lead to setbacks, you know. Your opponent has also won various gourmet competition championships."
"Those meaningless competitions, no matter how many championships you win, are just a false prosperity!"
Her tongue seductively traced her lips. Feng Xuanya was about to leave to prepare, but the shouts from below made her stop, and her gaze returned.
"It's too delicious. The thick and juicy mushroom patty in the middle, the moment you bite into it, juice seems to burst in your mouth! It's not greasy at all; instead, it's filled with a subtle freshness.
That taste is kelp. The freshness of kelp and the freshness of mushrooms blend, seasoned with just a little salt, creating an endless umami in the mouth."
Lasers seemed to shoot from the eyes of the bald old man with white hair on both sides. To create such a rich and umami-filled mushroom patty with just mushrooms and kelp was truly a difficult feat. What a creative idea!
"Not only that, this layer on top of the mushroom patty, which has a texture somewhat like meat, should be tempeh, originating from Indonesia, right? It's a meat substitute made from soy products. The taste is light, but it has a great texture when chewed, just like char siu!"
The judge who had just been saying that vegetarian burgers were inferior to meat burgers chewed heartily on the burger in his hand, his eyes sparkling with excitement. A rich umami flavor exploded in his mouth. The chewiness and taste brought by the tempeh perfectly compensated for the lack of meat in the burger.
"Here, I used soy sauce and cooking wine to create a teriyaki flavor, otherwise the overall taste would have been too bland."
Hearing the judge's words, Hoshino Sora explained with a smile. The inspiration for this dish came from Soma Yukihira's father; he made some minor adjustments to make the overall taste more harmonious.
"The thinly sliced pineapple is even more of a finishing touch, perfectly balancing the dish's flavor with a subtle sweetness."
"Indeed, even the size of the burger was considered. The cut surface of the burger bun is also pan-fried to a crisp. That previous burger couldn't be bitten in one go; you had to take two bites to get all the contents, which subtly weakened the textural layers."
Looking at the vegetarian burger that could be eaten in one bite, compared to the half-eaten Super Deluxe Invincible Double-Layer Beef Burger next to it, with its exaggerated shape and name, besides the good quality of the raw ingredients, there seemed to be nothing remarkable about it.
Of course, the method of adding white radish and onions to the beef patty was commendable. The opponent did indeed think about the topic of breakfast, but only to that extent.
"Soft and fluffy, with a crispy crust and a crunchy cut surface. Tangzhong was added when making the bread, wasn't it? The overall atmosphere is warm and comforting, making it perfect for breakfast.
It feels like being gently caressed by a warm breeze in the mountains and fields, your body feeling warm and cozy. It's truly wonderful to eat such a fantastic dish first thing in the morning!"
"This is, the realm of cuisine!"
His clothes suddenly burst open, revealing incredibly toned muscles. Unfortunately, only his upper body clothes ripped, but even so, it caused a stir among the students below.
"Look quickly, the Director's clothes burst!"
"This is the first time I've seen the Director's clothes burst."
"Me too. Actually, we haven't seen the Director many times before, have we? He's like a dragon, seen by its head but not its tail."
"You're right."
Watching Nakitiri Senzaemon's clothes burst below the stage, and then glancing at Hoshino Sora, Feng Xuanya silently walked off the audience stands and entered the contestant preparation area.
"Winner, Hoshino Sora!"
Writing three large characters with a flourish on the Xuan paper, the main competition of the Autumn Elections reached its climax. The surrounding clamor was incessant, with cheers and applause filling the air.
"That was a fantastic match. Next time, let me try your Super Deluxe Invincible Double-Layer Beef Burger. It must be incredibly delicious."
Before leaving, seeing Mito Ikumi's dejected expression, Hoshino Sora stopped, then stepped forward to comfort her.
"Hmph, you got lucky this time. I will definitely not lose next time!"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's comfort, the sadness in Mito Ikumi's heart lessened considerably. Forcing a smile, she clenched her fist and lightly punched him in the chest.
"Then we'll see, Meat-chan~"
"Don't call me that nickname!"
Hearing Hoshino Sora's teasing words, Mito Ikumi said poutily, but her blushing face didn't look like she was truly angry.
"The name 'Meat-chan' is quite cute, isn't it? Well, I'm going this way."
"Mmm..."
Shrugging slightly, Hoshino Sora pointed to the passage he came from, then, ignoring Mito Ikumi's puffed-up cheeks, strode away through the back passage.
In the passage.
Alice Nakiri's figure appeared.
"It's your turn next. This opponent is not simple. I advise you to be careful."
"I know. Before I fight you, I won't lose to anyone!"
Alice Nakiri said confidently. Although she had lost to Hoshino Sora before, she didn't think she was weak.
As a prodigy who had won various competition championships since childhood, Alice Nakiri also had her pride. Her eyes sharpened as she passed Hoshino Sora, and the girl walked firmly towards the arena.
--------
"Dishes made only with high-end machines have no soul, Alice Nakiri. I remember you won many awards related to technological innovation in cooking, but your reputation in the culinary world has always been inferior to Erina Nakiri's."
Looking at Alice Nakiri, who had a pile of high-end cooking equipment on her counter behind her, Feng Xuanya stepped forward and spoke softly. What dazzling equipment indeed.
Unfortunately, in the face of absolute strength, any superficiality would be crushed.
"That's just because the world doesn't know how amazing I am. But it's truly a pity, isn't it? It's rare to have such a grand stage, but your dish will only be seen once."
Facing Feng Xuanya's taunt, Alice Nakiri retorted with a mocking smile. It was clear she was a little angry.
"If I win the match, won't my dish appear here again?"
Facing Alice Nakiri's taunt, Feng Xuanya retaliated without showing weakness. For a moment, the two faced each other, eyes locked. Despite it being their first meeting, the tension was palpable.
"Unfortunately, that's impossible."
"How will you know without trying?"
"Hmph."
Looking at Feng Xuanya's chest, Alice Nakiri scoffed disdainfully, then turned her back and returned to her cooking station, beginning her preparations.
"Ah!"
Seeing Alice Nakiri's disdainful look, Feng Xuanya angrily stomped her feet twice. For some reason, even before the match began, she felt she was already a step behind. This feeling was so annoying!
"The second match, according to the drawing results, the theme is 'Braised Pork Belly'. The time limit is 4 hours."
As Kawashima Rei's words fell, Nakitiri Senzaemon, sitting in the central dragon's seat, stood up again and, with full vigor, shouted: "Cooking, start!"
The sound of horns blared in the venue, drums thundered, and the two contestants began their cooking amidst the various sounds.
"Braised Pork Belly..."
In the contestant lounge, Hoshino Sora's expression was slightly stunned as he looked at the theme given by the competition organizers. This was a very traditional Chinese dish. Wasn't this giving the opponent an advantage?
"Hoo..."
Clenching his fists slightly, Hoshino Sora looked at Feng Xuanya, who was moving skillfully and looking relaxed on the field, and a bad premonition suddenly appeared in his heart...
------
5:0, a crushing defeat by an overwhelming disadvantage.
"How is that possible? How could my dish be inferior to this?!"
Looking at the score on the big screen in front of her, Alice Nakiri's face was full of disbelief, and her eyes looked towards her grandfather not far away, as if she wanted to get an answer from his mouth.
"Alice, your dish is of course delicious, but compared to Feng Xuanya's dish, there is still quite a gap.
You used the characteristics of Molecular Cuisine to make many flavor changes, gathering various aromas into one piece of meat, which is certainly very good.
But for braised pork, the meat flavor is the key. Feng Xuanya discarded all spices that would clash with the meat flavor. She wrapped the meat in gauze, placed it in an urn, and slowly stewed it over a fire with large bones. She then brushed it with maltose to enhance the aroma and color, using various methods to bring out the meat flavor of the braised pork, truly achieving a dish that is fatty but not greasy, melts in the mouth, and is full of rich meat flavor."
"Grandpa."
When did you take off your clothes?
Alice Nakiri bit her lower lip slightly, her fists clenched tightly, looking at Nakitiri Senzaemon, who was leaning on his head with one hand after his clothes burst, and staring at her lazily, her heart filled with unwillingness.
She actually lost so carelessly? They had clearly agreed to meet again in the finals, but she lost in the first round? She was so unwilling, why did her nose feel so sore?
Lowering her head and biting her lower lip, Alice Nakiri suppressed her tears.
"The winner of this competition! Feng Xuanya."
After writing three large characters with a giant brush, Alice Nakiri also secretly exited during this process, and then saw Hoshino Sora waiting for her in the aisle, and for a moment she was speechless.
"Your dish is great. Make it for me to try next time."
Opening his arms, facing the somewhat silent Alice Nakiri with her head lowered, a thousand words flashed through Hoshino Sora's mind, and finally, with a gentle smile, he said this sentence.
"Mm!"
Alice Nakiri threw herself into Hoshino Sora's arms, finally unable to hold back her tears, letting out a child-like cry. As a proud daughter of heaven, she was actually defeated by an unknown passerby character.
And it was under the watchful eyes of everyone, eliminated with a humiliating record of 5:0. Just thinking about it made her feel completely disgraced.
This was undoubtedly a huge blow to her.
"Good girl, you're already amazing. Leave the rest to me. I'll get revenge for you."
Stroking Alice Nakiri's soft white hair and feeling the wetness on his chest, Hoshino Sora tried his best to keep his tone gentle. The other party needed comfort right now.
And since Alice Nakiri was willing to seek comfort from him, it meant that she considered him her closest person, which made Hoshino Sora feel a little flattered.
"Relax, it's just a competition. You'll win it back next time!"
Gently stroking Alice Nakiri's head, he could see that she had given her all, but if you can't beat them, you can't beat them. There's nothing more to say.
"Sometimes I really envy you for being able to cry like this anytime, anywhere, and just by crying, you can enjoy such a warm embrace."
In the distance, looking at Alice Nakiri crying in Hoshino Sora's arms after her defeat, envy appeared in Erina Nakiri's eyes.
She was not surprised by Alice Nakiri's defeat; that person was an opponent who could draw with her, and her strength was evident.
Although that was a year ago, the students from both sides had a friendly match in the basement under the Tsukiten Space.
On Far Moon Academy's side, only she drew with the genius sent by Huaxia Min Academy. Hisako Arato suffered a crushing 3:0 defeat, and another genius, unable to withstand the blow after a 3:0 defeat, voluntarily dropped out and later transferred to a foreign culinary academy.
This was a secret of Far Moon, known only to the Elite Ten and the academy's headmaster, and it was also the origin of the spring training camp and the delayed start of summer classes.
"This time, I will utterly crush you! Let's go, Hisako."
Looking at Feng Xuanya, who was smiling broadly on the competition grounds, Erina Nakiri, standing in the audience, murmured softly, her words full of confidence.
Although the Autumn Elections executive committee members could not personally participate in the competition, it would not be impossible to have a sincere friendly match after the other party won the championship.
At that time, she would prove to the world.
That she, Erina Nakiri, was the strongest young chef in the world!
With that, Erina Nakiri left the competition venue, followed closely by Hisako Arato.
And as the second match ended, the first day of the Autumn Elections officially came to a close. People in the audience gradually exited, exclaiming how enjoyable it was as they walked.
"How interesting, the cooking competitions here in Neon.
Those old men would actually send their juniors over. It seems there is indeed a chance for the legendary cooking utensils to appear here."
With his hands full of fine scars, wearing an old man's shirt and flip-flops, Lixin left the competition venue with his hands in his pockets after observing the situation. His large eyes were full of wisdom.
------
Yōbi Dormitory, night.
[Complete Stage Mission ②]: Battle! Win the first battle!
[Mission Introduction]: The mission is already very clear. Only by winning the first battle will the subsequent missions be unlocked, and the final mission rewards are very generous!
[Mission Reward]: ① 1000 Reputation Points
[Current Reputation Points]: 10300
Looking at the message released a few hours ago, and seeing the high reputation value of 10300, Hoshino Sora clicked on the system store.
[Chef's Heart]: After a confrontation with an opponent, by tasting their dish, you gain a certain level of culinary insight. After accumulating enough culinary insight, the Chef's Heart will evolve.
[Exchange Points]: 10000
With a small tap, his savings were cleared. The reputation points he had accumulated over two or three months of hard work disappeared the moment his finger pressed down. Then, Hoshino Sora suddenly felt a dizzy spell.
[Remaining Reputation Points]: 300
He didn't even hear the prompt sound in his mind. Hoshino Sora slumped onto the bed as a wave of dizziness came over him. He closed his eyes and calmed himself down, and it took him a long time to recover.
"Is this the Chef's Heart?"
After recovering, he reached out to touch his heart, but felt no change. Did it only change when he ate a dish? Or was there some other operating principle...
"Miyu, please make me a late-night snack."
He quickly went downstairs to the kitchen. Shinohiru was still trying out new dishes there. Seeing this, Hoshino Sora immediately patted her shoulder and asked for a favor.
"Ah? Okay..."
------
In the following days, Hoshino Sora went to the Autumn Elections venue every day to watch the matches and analyze the characteristics of each contestant. The first round of selections lasted for four days, and the final qualifiers were:
Hoshino Sora, Feng Xuanya, Yukihira Soma, Yumeko Jabami, Kurokiba Ryo, Hayama Akira, Yan Ba, Lei Yuxing.
Four from Huaxia, three advanced. Huoguo Guo, the square-faced young man, was easily defeated 5:0 by Yumeko Jabami.
Lei Yuxing narrowly defeated Hisako Arato 3:2. Yan Ba faced Yoshino Yuki. Yukihira Soma defeated Takumi 4:1. Hayama Akira crushed Tadokoro Megumi 5:0. Kurokiba Ryo defeated Mimasaka Subaru 3:2.
The quarterfinals opened, vying for the semifinal spots.
The first day's matches were Kurokiba Ryo vs. Yan Ba, and Hayama Akira vs. Lei Yuxing.
Sitting in the center of the audience seating area, with Shinohiru and Alice Nakiri beside him, Hoshino Sora looked at the wild Kurokiba Ryo and the calm Yan Ba. The two had completely different styles.
"Ryo-kun has grown a lot since then, too."
Looking at Kurokiba Ryo, whose techniques were sharp on the competition stage, Alice Nakiri's expression was complex.
After their separation that day, she hadn't spoken to Kurokiba Ryo for a long time, and he hadn't actively sought her out either. Their relationship had become very stiff.
And there was a slight... awkwardness.
Her own master went to be someone else's maid, how could that possibly make sense?
Alice Nakiri felt ashamed, while Kurokiba Ryo was eager to win. He wanted to win and then bring Alice back.
However, even if he did bring her back one day, Alice Nakiri would probably already be Hoshino Sora's shape.
"The theme is 'shark fin,' which happens to be Kurokiba's specialty seafood dish."
Looking at the theme written on the top screen, Hoshino Sora commented with emotion.
He couldn't tell who would win between the two below. The group from Huaxia was too strong, they were top geniuses from their school, and even he wasn't guaranteed to win against them.
However, if it was Kurokiba, there shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Watching Kurokiba Ryo, whose eyes were full of passion and whose technique for preparing shark fin was extremely sharp, Hoshino Sora held his breath. Compared to the powerful dragon crossing the river, the local snake's strength should not be underestimated!
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