Chapter 13: Shopping Street (Part 2)
As an outsider, Xia Yu saw everything clearly.
He had tasted the food and could say it was delicious.
Therefore, he concluded these three men were obviously planning to cause
trouble—whether extortion or some other motive, their intentions were impure.
It was just that the middle-aged chef lacked experience.
"You say he's qualified, so he's qualified? I only believe in the inspectors
of the Gourmet Association!" The bald troublemaker couldn't help but shout
loudly when he noticed the boy was a young man not even fully grown.
"All right."
Xia Yu ignored him, brought the plate to the two Chinese female tourists,
winked, and said in clear Mandarin, "Two ladies, do me a favor—try this dish
and give me your most honest evaluation."
"Oh, and if you're satisfied, please say it out loud in English—"
Hearing Mandarin so suddenly in a foreign country, the two women woke from
their daze, exchanged glances, and nodded in agreement.
One took chopsticks, the other a fork, and they each swallowed a neatly cut
piece of beef. As they chewed slowly, no sign of discomfort crossed their
faces. Instead, surprise appeared.
The cute round-faced tourist put down her fork and said, "It's delicious!"
Remembering Xia Yu's instruction, she faced the middle-aged chef, blushed,
raised her thumb, and repeated, "Delicious!"
"Tasty!"
The other young woman's smile of surprise was genuine, though more reserved.
The middle-aged chef was stunned; the troublemaker's eyes flickered with
doubt.
"Look…" Xia Yu spread his hands. "These are two Chinese tourists. If you
don't believe their evaluation, we can take the dishes outside and ask
passersby."
"You can even call someone from the Gourmet Association," Xia Yu added with
a hint of sarcasm, placing a calming hand on the chef's shoulder.
The waiters looked at him with admiration and respect.
His thinking was clear, his organization precise, and his handling
sophisticated. Hard to believe he was just a teenager.
"You think I don't dare?" The bald diner snapped. He quickly dialed a
number, then sneered and deliberately switched on speakerphone, letting out a
slow beeping sound.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
The middle-aged chef opened his mouth to beg, but the hand on his shoulder
patted him firmly. Xia Yu gave a reassuring look and said silently, "Trust me."
"Oh!" The chef gave up, slumping with a gloomy face.
Xia Yu's only thought about the chef's performance was: haste leads to
confusion.
The middle-aged chef lacked experience and had a cowardly, easily excitable
nature—perfect for exploitation.
Meanwhile, the Gourmet Association in this parallel universe was too
powerful.
Currently, it was basically controlled by Totsuki graduates. Inspectors and
judges were all professional chefs; government officials merely handled daily
affairs.
Seriousness and rigor defined the Food Association.
No restaurant wanted to be rated "unqualified" by their inspectors, which
could mean closure, loss of license, or worse—public shaming by food media,
resulting in complete ruin.
Xia Yu understood the chef's fear but despised those using the Gourmet
Association as a tool to bully others.
An eerie silence fell over the restaurant.
Soon the slow beeping turned to a busy tone—no signal.
Xia Yu smiled faintly. He wasn't surprised. The bald diner hadn't called the
real complaint hotline; Xia Yu saw through the trap.
The middle-aged chef's eyes widened in anger.
"You…"
The bald diner pocketed his phone, glaring at Xia Yu—the boy who had ruined
their scheme. People in this business were thick-skinned. Even exposed, they
had no intention of leaving. Instead, they sat like gangsters.
"We are guests!" the bald man shouted. "We paid, so we have the right to
request Western food to suit our taste! Quickly, bring another serving of beef
stew in Burgundy red wine until we're satisfied!"
"To your taste? Haha, this is a public restaurant, not a custom order... but
I can agree to your request on your behalf."
Xia Yu glanced at the middle-aged chef wiping sweat nearby. "Can I borrow
your kitchen?"
The chef's eyes widened. "You can cook?"
"A little."
"Beef stew in Burgundy red wine is a Western dish. Do you know how to cook
it?" asked the chef, his expression skeptical but polite.
"A little research."
"Well…"
Normally, the chef would refuse outright, but seeing Xia Yu's earlier
composure, he blushed, hesitated, then nodded in respect. "Come with me."
"Hello!" The bald diner and his two burly companions shouted after him, "You
stupid brat, think carefully! If your food is substandard, we'll complain to
the Gourmet Association!"
The restaurant's waiters gathered, whispering nervously.
"Oh no!"
"The chef shouldn't have agreed to that boy."
"Our chef is a Totsuki student. Even if he hasn't graduated, his skills are
strong. Why hand the kitchen to a teenager?"
The two Chinese women didn't understand the tension and exchanged shocked
looks as Xia Yu calmly walked into the western restaurant's kitchen with hands
behind his back.
Back Kitchen
The kitchen was clean and tidy, giving a refreshing, grease-free impression.
"What should I call you?" asked the middle-aged chef.
"Xia Yu."
"My name is Hideki Kasumigaoka. Please take care of me," the chef said
politely, surprising the two kitchen helpers nearby.
"Prepare ingredients for three servings of Burgundy red wine beef stew!"
Kasumigaoka ordered.
He turned to see Xia Yu washing his hands carefully at the sink—his posture
devout and meticulous, not allowing a speck of dirt.
Clean hands were essential etiquette for any chef.
Seeing this, Kasumigaoka felt relieved and thought, Maybe he can
surprise us.
The kitchen helpers moved beef, striped bacon, and other ingredients—large
onions and carrots—to the counter and began washing them.
"Prepare another batch of the same ingredients," Xia Yu said casually as he
put on his apron and chef's hat.
Faced with puzzled glances from the assistants and Kasumigaoka, Xia Yu
smiled. "I'm still hungry, and the two female tourists outside haven't eaten
either. Let's cook enough to share. I hope my beef stew in Burgundy red wine
will satisfy them."