The commotion between the grandfather and granddaughter was something Bai Mo didn't witness.
The opening ceremony had begun, and as the freshman representative, Erina Nakiri took the stage first to deliver her speech. This, in a way, allowed Senzaemon Nakiri to dodge further embarrassment.
After retrieving the wooden box from under his seat, Senzaemon seemed about to say something more, but Bai Mo stood up abruptly. "I'm going out to take a look at Totsuki's opening ceremony."
This kid...
Erina Nakiri's speech as the freshman representative proceeded without incident, but Bai Mo found himself nearly dozing off. The sunlight today was pleasant—perfect for an afternoon nap.
After Erina finished her speech, it was Senzaemon Nakiri's turn, the headmaster of Totsuki, to deliver his usual "jade and stone" philosophy.
Totsuki Culinary Academy adhered to an elite system, with a graduation rate below 10%.
After all, in Totsuki, 99% of the students existed solely to hone the skills of the top 1%.
Last year, out of 812 first-year students, only 76 advanced to the second year. The number of students who made it to the third year and graduated could be counted on one hand.
Bai Mo had no particular opinion about Senzaemon's philosophy.
Culinary arts were indeed a field where talent mattered, but one couldn't deny that some of the most delicious dishes were born from ordinary people's flashes of inspiration.
For example, cola was invented by a retired soldier, tofu by an alchemist, bread by slaves, and popsicles by an ordinary little boy.
Sometimes, cooking also required those miraculous moments of brilliance!
As such, whether it was high-end chefs with unique techniques or home cooks who only knew how to prepare simple family meals, Bai Mo never looked down on anyone.
After all, the taste of home in cooking was its own unique flavor!
That said, Bai Mo had no intention of trying to change Totsuki's system.
It was precisely this elite system that had earned Totsuki its colossal reputation in this world. Otherwise, how could it compare to institutions like China's New Oriental, France's Le Cordon Bleu, or America's Culinary Institute of America?
The elite system was Totsuki's foundation. Even if the Nakiri family wanted to change it now, they likely couldn't.
The star power they had built over the years wasn't something they could simply abandon.
After Senzaemon's speech concluded, it was time for the transfer students to speak.
The first to take the stage was, naturally, the protagonist who had arrived unexpectedly—Soma Yukihira.
"Uh, my name is Soma Yukihira. To be honest, this school is just a stepping stone for me."
"Put simply, since I'm here, I plan to rise above everyone else in this academy."
"Well, looking forward to the next three years. Please take care of me."
Unsurprisingly, Soma's declaration sent the entire student body into an uproar.
However, Soma paid no attention to the commotion, casually walking off the stage.
As he passed by Bai Mo, Soma gave him a curious glance but said nothing.
Bai Mo, for his part, had no particular thoughts about Soma at this point.
Technically speaking, since his father was friends with Soma's father, Jouichiro Yukihira, he and Soma could be considered family friends.
After the host, Ryouko Sakaki, managed to calm the students down, she announced, "Ah—wait, there's still one more transfer student who needs to speak! Everyone, please settle down!"
Following her words, Bai Mo, who had been waiting backstage, strode confidently toward the podium.
Surveying the scattered books and stationery on the podium, Bai Mo picked up the microphone and remarked disdainfully, "Your behavior is truly eye-opening. It's quite lacking in basic manners, isn't it?"
"Besides, I actually agree with what Soma Yukihira said earlier. If you don't have the ambition to climb to the top of this school and leave everyone else in the dust, you might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes."
"After all, what kind of place Totsuki is—you've spent three years in the middle school division, so you should know better than me."
At Bai Mo's words, the previously boiling crowd quieted slightly.
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Bai Mo. I was invited by Headmaster Senzaemon Nakiri to join Totsuki Culinary Academy. To be honest, I don't feel any particular attachment to this school."
"Because more than being a chef, I am a gourmet hunter—someone who pursues the finest ingredients and flavors!"
"Like the tea aroma you smelled earlier, that was just one of the ingredients I've acquired."
"So, do you want to try ingredients like these? Then perhaps you can attempt to conquer my palate with your own culinary skills!"
As the students began to stir with excitement, Bai Mo smirked coldly. "Oh, and my 'Super Taste' is even more adept than the 'God Tongue' at identifying flaws in dishes. So, I'd prefer it if only those with real skill and brains dared to present their dishes to me."
"Stronger than the God Tongue? How is that possible?!"
Amid the murmurs, Bai Mo tapped the microphone against the podium, the sharp screech silencing all discussions.
"I have no interest in explaining myself to you, but you'd better understand my rules."
"I have rare ingredients, but I'm not an idiot. You'll need to prove your skills first. As for my Super Taste, I won't bother explaining, but do you really think Headmaster Senzaemon would let me speak like this if I were lying about surpassing the God Tongue?"
Once the crowd had settled, Bai Mo clapped his hands, and a group of people promptly brought up the items he had requested.
Since he had decided to treat Totsuki as his personal kitchen and these students as potential future sous-chefs, it was only right to showcase his abilities to his future culinary team!
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T/N:
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