"Miss Kanroji, Miss Kanroji, Sora really likes that pretty older sister."
Because he was immersed in surprise, Hoshino Sora completely failed to notice Asaka and Rika sitting in the hall.
At this moment, Rika was eating the leftover smoked barbecue that he and Kanroji Mitsuri hadn't finished, while sarcastically mocking him, her words carrying a hint of jealousy.
"Indeed, I quite like Miss Kanroji."
Hoshino Sora didn't pay attention to Rika's sarcasm. He walked straight over and sat down next to her, admitting his inner thoughts.
Kanroji Mitsuri, who wouldn't like such a beautiful and well-endowed girl?
"I'm so annoyed... You need to compensate us."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's direct admission, Rika's face showed annoyance, her teeth almost grinding. She didn't suppress this annoyance, pouting and openly demanding compensation, extending her hand as she spoke.
Her posture and actions made her meaning incredibly clear!
Although Asaka on the other side didn't speak, her expression clearly showed she had the same idea as Rika.
Seeing this, Hoshino Sora couldn't help but smile. He extended both hands and gently caressed Asaka and Rika's faces, feeling their skin, as warm and smooth as jade, which put him in a good mood.
When he came back, he had already flipped the 'open' sign, meaning that whatever he did in the restaurant now wouldn't be affected.
At least not like before, where guests would arrive halfway through his 'bad deeds,' forcing him to interrupt and attend to them.
"Then, Asaka-nee and Rika-nee, what kind of reward do you want? It feels a bit inappropriate to discuss it here. Let's go back to the room and talk in detail."
As he spoke, Hoshino Sora moved his hands down, swiftly grabbing both of their hands, and stood up, pulling them towards the staff lounge nearby.
Inside, there was a soft, large bed that he kept for staff to rest when they were tired. The lounge had good soundproofing, so no matter what they did, people outside wouldn't find out.
Hoshino Sora had already practiced this very well yesterday. He now completely used this lounge as a second home.
"I haven't finished my late-night snack yet."
Being pulled up, Rika looked regretfully at the leftover smoked barbecue on the table, saying with a hint of longing.
"Then let's take it back to the room to eat!"
"Okay!"
Hearing Rika's words, Hoshino Sora dotingly put the barbecue into his storage space, planning to eat it back in the room. At the same time, a very perverse thought emerged in his mind.
Rika was unaware of all this. Hearing that Hoshino Sora was taking the barbecue to the lounge, the girl's face immediately broke into a happy smile.
"Sora, you're thinking perverse thoughts again."
Unlike Kanroji Mitsuri, who wasn't familiar with Hoshino Sora's true nature, just a slight upward curve of his lips made Asaka sense something was off, and she looked at the young man with a look of disdain.
"Oh, I've been found out."
Hearing Asaka's voice, Hoshino Sora put on an 'embarrassed' and innocent expression. Well, he was faking it. They were already like an old married couple, so there was no need to be embarrassed.
He bent down, scooped Asaka up in a princess carry, then rushed straight to the lounge and tossed her onto the bed.
At this moment, several open homework books were still on the table in the lounge, and the cap of a black pen hadn't been put back on, creating a stark contrast with the scene at hand.
After Asaka was tossed onto the bed, her chest rose and fell slightly, her long black hair falling onto the pillow. As the young man's fervent gaze fell upon her, a blush quickly appeared on the girl's face.
"I'd like to borrow your body for a bit, if that's okay, Asaka-nee?" Looking at the girl's shy face, Hoshino Sora asked softly, his eyes filled with sincerity.
"Go ahead and use it as you wish. Forget my body, I'd even give you my heart. Whatever you want to do, big sister will always support you."
Reaching out and embracing Hoshino Sora's head, Asaka didn't refuse, looking at him with gentle eyes, because she believed he would never harm her.
However, it would definitely be very embarrassing later.
"Then I'll begin."
Hearing Asaka's words, Hoshino Sora's eyes showed a hint of excitement. As his hands moved quickly, several pieces of clothing appeared out of nowhere on the empty floor.
Then, a plate containing smoked barbecue appeared in Hoshino Sora's hands.
And finally...
Rika enjoyed the gourmet food, Asaka enjoyed the embarrassment and affection, and Hoshino Sora enjoyed the beauty and the food. A world where no one was hurt was thus completed!
——————
A few days later, the holiday arrived.
Xingye Restaurant became exceptionally lively.
"Today's specials include our signature squirrel mandarin fish, beef bowl, rainbow vegetable jelly, etc..."
"Don't miss out! Our restaurant is introducing Molecular Cuisine for the first time. Those who want to try something new can give it a try~"
"Our restaurant's desserts are also exceptional!"
The street was filled with constant shouts, and the restaurant was packed. With Kitagawa and Yuigahama joining, the service pressure on Asaka and Rika was significantly reduced.
"Guests, please come this way."
Even with the restaurant full, the four of them could handle it calmly.
As for the kitchen, there was Hoshino Sora, the Chef, along with Alice Nakiri, the sous chef and Molecular Cuisine master, Tadokoro Megumi, the vegetable fairy, Mito Ikumi, the meat expert, Akikubo Momo, the pastry chef, Hojo Miyoko, the apprentice, and Yumeko Jabami, the jack-of-all-trades.
Why was Yumeko Jabami called a jack-of-all-trades?
Because she knew a little bit of everything, but wasn't proficient in anything. Or rather, it wasn't that she wasn't proficient, but that her cooking lacked distinct characteristics. She was considered an all-rounder, but only slightly better than Soma Yukihira.
She was a bit behind the current development.
A large reason for this was that Yumeko Jabami did not have Gourmet Cells, so her progress in strength was much slower compared to the others. Although her talent was very high, she couldn't fully compensate for this.
"Yumeko, go help Ikumi. I don't need any help here for now."
"Understood."
Hearing Hoshino Sora's voice, Yumeko Jabami nodded heavily, then went to Mito Ikumi's side.
The latter was clearly struggling to keep up with the kitchen's pace. Seeing Yumeko approach, she immediately moved aside, handing over a small portion of the work, a look of relief on her face.
As for Hoshino Sora, he was currently staring down a basket of lively mandarin fish, holding the Disassembly Knife, which was said to be able to disassemble anything.
Selecting a plump mandarin fish from the basket, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. Those around him only saw a flash of light from the knife, and then the mandarin fish's scales, gills, fins, and internal organs were all cleanly removed in mid-air, before landing steadily on the cutting board.
Hoshino Sora pressed his finger against the fish's body, skillfully removing the skin from its head, washing it, chopping off the fish head, flattening it, and patting it down.
Use the Disassembly Knife to cut off the fish bones from the back of the fish without breaking the fish belly, leaving about 1 centimeter of the spine near the tail. This is crucial for the squirrel mandarin fish to stand upright!
After deboning the squirrel mandarin fish, spread it skin-side down. Hoshino Sora, holding the Disassembly Knife, made cuts left and right, and the fish meat was cut into a floral pattern. The knife went four-fifths deep into the meat, without breaking the fish skin. Then, he made an opening near the tail and pulled the tail through the incision.
Once all this was done, the first step of the squirrel mandarin fish was complete.
Of course, one squirrel mandarin fish was certainly not enough. Hoshino Sora processed ten in a row, taking no more than ten minutes in total. Such efficiency would surely make external chefs drop their jaws if they saw it.
He placed the squirrel mandarin fish in an iron basin nearby, where Alice Nakiri had been waiting for a long time. As she only specialized in Molecular Cuisine, she had ample time and came to help Hoshino Sora.
Watching Hoshino Sora concentrate on preparing the fish, Alice Nakiri's eyes sparkled. Indeed, Mom, a focused man is the most handsome!
"First, add the yellow wine. Concentrate and don't get distracted! Only add five parts of salt, don't add too much."
"Okay."
Hearing the voice, Alice Nakiri realized she was holding the salt spoon. It turned out she was too focused on Hoshino Sora, which distracted her and messed up the steps.
This was a major taboo in the kitchen.
A slight cold sweat appeared on her back. Although Hoshino Sora spoke gently, Alice Nakiri could still sense the dissatisfaction in his tone.
She believed that if she made another mistake, he would switch to a different helper.
This couldn't happen!
Understanding this, Alice Nakiri's eyes became more serious. She didn't want to be replaced; she still wanted to stay by Hoshino Sora's side and get closer to him!
As for why yellow wine should be added first, it's easy to understand: if salt is added first, the yellow wine would wash it away, and the flavor would be insufficient.
Although it was just a small detail, it could determine the taste of the dish!
She was truly careless to make such a basic mistake.
Fortunately, the Chef in the kitchen was Hoshino Sora. If it had been during those days of practical training, this small mistake would probably have led to her direct elimination and expulsion.
Seeing Alice Nakiri's actions, Hoshino Sora felt relieved. He lowered his head and began preparing the side dishes for the squirrel mandarin fish.
After his reminder, her concentration should have greatly improved, so there was no need to worry for now.
Winter bamboo shoots diced, winter mushrooms diced, carrots diced, accompanied by a bowl of green peas, minced garlic, minced ginger, and minced scallions. Thus, the side dish preparation was complete.
"Blanch the green peas separately."
Set up a pot and blanch the ingredients. Winter bamboo shoots, winter mushrooms, and carrots are blanched together, while green peas are blanched separately. Why? Because green peas change color when blanched and need to be rinsed with cold water afterward. This is what is meant by 'details determine success'.
Pour the blanched green peas into cold water, wash the pot, and add plenty of oil.
"This dish doesn't require a batter or dry flour paste. Just use dry flour directly. Every inch must be covered evenly with flour. This way, the squirrel mandarin fish will come out with its 'head held high, tail curled, and sizzling when sauce is poured!' Do you understand?"
Hoshino Sora spoke in a deep voice, giving meticulous instructions, looking at Hojo Miyoko, who was frantically taking notes, her eyes shining with intelligence. She was the girl skilled in Chinese cuisine, who relentlessly sought to become his disciple.
"Understood, Master!"
Her voice was enthusiastic. Hojo Miyoko called him 'Master' with sincere willingness. He had indeed taught her many things, including quite a few she hadn't known before.
"The oil temperature should be 200 degrees, about six and a half parts hot. This temperature is best for frying squirrel mandarin fish."
He calmly observed the oil pot. Through his Warmth-Sensing All-Rounder talent, Hoshino Sora could clearly see the oil temperature rising little by little.
This was also one of the important reasons why his dishes had higher precision than others: he could accurately control the temperature.
"I know that. You can test the oil temperature with chopsticks."
Hojo Miyoko nodded, watching Hoshino Sora lower the squirrel mandarin fish into the oil pot.
These were all basics of Chinese cuisine, which she naturally knew. However, Master was truly attentive to her, explaining everything so well, not missing any detail. Her efforts to become his disciple were not in vain!
"When it's almost done frying, flip it over, then bring in the fish head. When both are almost done, take them out to cool, then re-fry them. Here, you need eighty percent oil temperature, which is 240-250 degrees. This way, the squirrel mandarin fish will be crispy."
"Understood. It should also need to cool down for a while in between, right?" Hojo Miyoko asked, raising her head.
"Exactly. The re-frying operation requires a temperature difference between the two, but not too large. This is the key to achieving crispiness in the dish."
Hoshino Sora explained while operating. After re-frying, the fish head was placed head-up on the plate, with a small cherry tomato inserted for garnish, so the fish head wouldn't look bald and scary, and it would also add color to the dish.
The rest of the fish body was placed on the plate, with the tail curled up, fulfilling the saying: 'head held high, tail curled, and sizzling when sauce is poured!'
Undoubtedly, Hoshino Sora understood plating.
"Besides cooking, plating is also a mandatory course for us chefs. Good plating can greatly increase a guest's appetite and also reflect the chef's skill."
Hoshino Sora patiently explained.
"Understood, Master!" Hojo Miyoko nodded vigorously.
In another pot, pour in the base oil, then add scallions, ginger, and garlic, pour in tomato paste, add a little water, a little sugar, mix well, then add a large amount of water, white vinegar, salt, yellow wine, and pepper. Then, remove all the dregs from the sauce with a sieve.
Because she had made a mistake earlier, Alice Nakiri became incredibly proactive. Before Hoshino Sora could even speak, she handed him the necessary seasonings. The two cooperated seamlessly, fully playing the role of assistant chef, saving him a lot of time.
A spoonful of cornstarch slurry went into the pot. The ladle stirred rapidly in the pot. At this point, the pre-prepared side dishes could be added. Pour them all in at once; on one hand, it adds color to the dish, and on the other, it enhances the flavor, truly killing two birds with one stone.
"It's about time, Alice!"
"Received."
Hearing the call, Alice Nakiri immediately went to the boiling oil pot nearby.
She dipped the spoon and pulled out oil blossoms. A spoonful of hot oil immediately splashed into Hoshino Sora's pot in the direction of her spoon's swing. This happened three times in a row, and the originally dull-colored sauce brightened up, becoming a tempting, vibrant red.
This is what 'bright sauce, clear glaze' refers to!
"Miyoko, this is my ultimate technique, Master's secret! By pouring hot oil, this layer of glaze becomes shiny and glossy. Both the taste and the layers can reach a higher level!"
Hoshino Sora spoke loudly while operating, and the brightness of the sauce in the pot became even more brilliant after his repeated stirring. Finally, it was poured over the golden-fried, crispy squirrel mandarin fish.
And this squirrel mandarin fish, shaped like a squirrel, let out a 'sizzling' sound the moment the sauce was poured, absolutely delightful!
After all this effort, the squirrel mandarin fish, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with an orange-yellow color and an enticing aroma, was completely finished!
Hojo Miyoko's admiration reached its peak at this moment. Hoshino Sora's figure was infinitely elevated in her heart, truly becoming a towering image.
Master, please carry me!
Handing the plate with the squirrel mandarin fish to Asaka, Hoshino Sora could see her throat visibly move when she took the dish, and her eyes were filled with longing.
What an easy-to-read child.
Hoshino Sora's lips curved upward. He immediately decided to cook a special meal for Asaka after work in the evening, to repay her for the special benefits she had given him last night.
"Master, let me be your assistant this time."
"Ah? Can you? Although this isn't difficult, it's not that easy to get the hang of."
As soon as Hojo Miyoko spoke, before Hoshino Sora could say anything, Alice Nakiri reacted first, her face full of doubt. She didn't want the opportunity she had so hard to earn to be taken away.
"Let her try first, we can talk if it doesn't work out.
You've memorized the positions of all the seasonings, right? And the order of adding them, right?"
Hearing Alice's words, Hoshino Sora immediately smoothed things over. Hojo Miyoko's eyes lit up as she came to his side: "I've memorized everything, Master."
"Then let's begin..."
Because they had previously marinated a batch of squirrel mandarin fish, what they needed to do now was repeat the cooking steps, starting with the second squirrel mandarin fish.
There was no need to worry about it not being ordered. Hoshino Sora was very confident in his cooking skills.
Indeed, they were only halfway through preparing this one when two more orders for squirrel mandarin fish came in from the door.
The subsequent steps were all the same as before. As a chef who had been studying Chinese cuisine since childhood, Hojo Miyoko had rich experience. After only a short period of operation, she grasped the essence, and her coordination with Hoshino Sora even surpassed Alice Nakiri's.
"Hmph."
Seeing this, Alice Nakiri snorted lightly, then turned around and went to the back of the kitchen, where a series of precise instruments were placed, all containing her Molecular Cuisine.
On the other side, the squirrel mandarin fish brought out by Asaka instantly attracted everyone's attention. People from Neon had never seen such a high-end dish and stood up to take photos.
"How amazing! This fish meat is so beautiful! The fish meat, covered in sauce, is crystal clear, like a work of art!"
"There's actually a way to prepare mandarin fish like this? I've really learned something new!"
"I once ate this dish in China, but it wasn't as good as this one. The taste is sweet and sour, definitely a true kung fu dish!"
"Alright, alright, everyone disperse. I'm going to eat."
Hearing the surprised comments from the people around her, Kobayashi Rindo remained unfazed and then began to enjoy the delicacy on her own. With a poke of her chopsticks, a piece of the crispy fried squirrel mandarin fish immediately fell off.
The fallen fish meat was fully coated in sauce, then brought to her mouth. The crispy texture, the sweet and sour taste, her hair moved without wind; the deliciousness of the dish gave Kobayashi Rindo an extraordinary experience.
The fish meat was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, the texture could be rated ninety-nine points. The sauce was bright and soulful. In professional terms, this is called 'living sauce,' and this dish absolutely achieved that level!
"Ah!~ So wonderful!"
The sound involuntarily escaped her throat. Closing her eyes, her whole being felt as if she were in a crystal-clear river, surrounded by cool water, with seasonal mandarin fish swiftly darting around her.
No, some mandarin fish had discovered her and were now frantically wagging their tails and swimming towards her. In an instant, the crystal-clear river turned into a pool of sweet and sour sauce, and the fish began to kiss her body.
This feeling is so strange! But it's really exciting, I'm going to—!
"Asaka-chan, I want one of these too."
"Me too, me too! I'm so craving it!"
Seeing Kobayashi Rindo sitting happily slumped in her chair, the surrounding customers immediately called out to the waitstaff, clearly wanting a serving of squirrel mandarin fish to satisfy their craving.
"Okay everyone, I'll take you one by one, no need to rush."
Seeing that there were quite a few people ordering and the situation was getting a bit chaotic, Asaka hastily raised her hand to greet them, asking everyone to register one by one in order. In a short while, she received more than ten orders.
Looking at the thick stack of orders in her hand, she felt proud of Hoshino Sora but also a little pained, because this dish was very troublesome to make, and she was afraid he would get tired.
However, her worries were unnecessary.
Hoshino Sora in the kitchen moved very quickly. Upon seeing more than ten orders come in, he immediately abandoned single-pot cooking and directly used the Silver Chopsticks Ten Pot Return, greatly increasing efficiency.
But for the assistant chefs, it was a bit of a nightmare.
Hojo Miyoko swayed back and forth, following Hoshino Sora's movements, handing out seasoning bottles one after another. Her forehead was covered in sweat, but she still couldn't keep up with his rhythm.
Seeing this, Alice Nakiri, who had been somewhat idle in the back, was like a wolf discovering meat. After patting Hojo Miyoko's shoulder and telling her to step down, she actively joined the battle.
Because the Gourmet Cell provided many attribute bonuses, and having cooperated with Hoshino Sora for a long time, Alice Nakiri barely managed to keep up with his speed by giving her all.
Hoshino Sora didn't mind that the person by his side had changed. It was best if someone could keep up with him. At this moment, his only thought was to do his best to prepare the dishes in front of him and not disappoint the customers.
Time passed bit by bit. Customers came and went in shifts. Besides the squirrel mandarin fish, Mito Ikumi's beef bowl, Tadokoro Megumi's rainbow vegetable jelly, Alice Nakiri's molecular burger, and Akikubo Momo's ice fruit carnival were all very popular with customers.
This also led to many customers leaving with noticeably larger bellies. Anyone who didn't know might have thought they had done something indescribable in the restaurant.
Time slowly approached 11 PM. Since there were very few customers left in the shop, everyone except Hoshino Sora, Asaka, and Rika had gone back, leaving only the three of them to mind the store.
Normally, they could close when there were no customers at this time, but Hoshino Sora didn't. He was currently leaning at the restaurant's entrance, his gaze fixed on the door, seemingly anticipating new guests.
However, after waiting for more than half an hour, there was no movement outside...
Just as he thought he could call it a night, a gust of wind blew, pushing open the restaurant's main door. Hoshino Sora turned around at that instant, his eyes filled with enthusiasm.
It was a hard, massive claw, half of which had entered the restaurant, seemingly trying to destroy it from the outside. But because the restaurant was protected by an inexplicable force, it couldn't advance an inch.
Its claw was even stuck...
-------------------------------
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