Ten days had passed since the end of the holiday. The mission time was nearing its end. During this period, Ruishan Restaurant seemed to have gone out of business, showing no activity and remaining incredibly quiet.
In contrast, strange things often happened on Hoshino Sora's side.
First, he was followed while buying groceries, then he heard that someone was inquiring about him. In this situation, linking it to Ruishan Restaurant copying his dishes every day, Hoshino Sora naturally guessed his opponent.
Although Food Wars was a work he had seen a long time ago, there was a character in it that left a deep impression on him, that 'copy ninja' of the culinary world, was it Mimasaka Subaru or Mimasaka Ang?
It seemed to be the first one.
"Only three days left until it ends? If the opponent doesn't open their shop again, this gold-tier reward is basically guaranteed."
A hint of excitement showed on his face. Whether it was Mimasaka Subaru or Mimasaka Ang, this guy not opening for business was undoubtedly good news for him. The greater the sales difference between the two shops, the richer the reward he would receive.
He just didn't know what the gold-tier reward would be. Cooking utensils? Skills? Or ingredients?
No matter what it was, for the system to rate it as gold-tier, it undoubtedly indicated its value!
"Hello, we are already closed. The restaurant is no longer accepting customers. If you need to buy bento, you can queue outside."
"I need to speak to the Master Chef of this restaurant."
It was nearing 8 PM. The restaurant was no longer accepting customers. Aka-ri Rika was cleaning the kitchen, Kitagawa Marin was selling the remaining bentos outside in her maid outfit, and Yuigahama was responsible for cleaning the interior of the restaurant.
And just then, an uninvited guest arrived at the restaurant.
[Mission Triggered]: Mimasaka Subaru's Challenge
[Mission Description]: After ten days of observation and imitation, Mimasaka Subaru is fully prepared and now issues a Food War challenge to the Host.
[Mission Requirements]: Defeat Mimasaka Subaru head-on, make him your subordinate, and contribute to your future dominance of Far Moon.
[Mission Reward]: Cooking Skill: Warmth-Sensing All-Rounder
[Warmth-Sensing All-Rounder]: When focused, you can precisely perceive any temperature you wish: human body temperature, animal body temperature, pot temperature, ingredient temperature, the temperature of all things in the world.
With a 'ding' sound in his mind, Hoshino Sora received the system's notification. As he expected, the visitor was indeed Mimasaka Subaru, who was now arrogantly coming to challenge him.
As for the reward, it sounded grand, but whether it was useful was still unclear. After all, temperature is crucial for cooking, and mastering it is a basic skill for every chef.
Now, it remained to be seen if it had any special properties.
"This customer, you cannot go in and disturb..."
"What do you want from me? Also, please don't make my lovely employees uncomfortable."
Looking at Yui Yuigahama, who was trying to stop Mimasaka Subaru and seemed a bit flustered, Hoshino Sora, who had just come out of the kitchen, asked knowingly.
He knew very well that his opponent was an absolute 'culinary amateur' when it came to cooking. Coming now meant he must have fully investigated his information and was thoroughly prepared.
"I have something to ask you. As a bottom-tier chef born a commoner, you wouldn't think that winning a street-level competition means you've already reached the pinnacle of culinary art, would you?
If so, that would be quite a narrow-minded view."
"Of course not. So what do you want to say? If you can't even express your own thoughts, then leave now."
Hearing Mimasaka Subaru's extremely crude provocation, Hoshino Sora suddenly felt a bit bored. He immediately turned to go back into the kitchen; he hadn't come out to listen to this nonsense.
"Let's have a Food War. If you lose, get out of this street and never open a shop here again."
"Are you out of your mind? If it's a Food War, what kind of Food War is it if only I'm making a sacrifice? If I told you to die if you lose, would you die? In other words, what's your stake?"
Looking at Mimasaka Subaru with disdain, Hoshino Sora wondered if this guy thought this was some kind of shonen manga. Why should he have to agree just because the other party proposed a Food War? What kind of bizarre setting was that?
"I have ninety-two kitchen knives here, all taken from others after Food Wars..."
"Who the hell wants your broken kitchen knives? What good are they? Can you summon Dragon Balls if you collect a hundred? Are you an elementary school student trying to shop at a mall with a pack of tissues? Playing empty-handed?".
The scornful mockery made Mimasaka Subaru's face slightly change. Faced with Hoshino Sora's words, he truly didn't know how to respond. Thinking carefully, he indeed had no stake for a Food War with him.
"Then what do you want? Money? A shop?"
He frowned slightly. An unequal wager meant a Food War couldn't proceed, but he truly didn't have anything that would interest the other party.
This was also why Eizan Etsuya chose to use shop pressure instead of directly engaging in a Food War: he couldn't offer a stake that would interest his opponent.
"I want you."
Hoshino Sora's voice was very faint, yet it caused Mimasaka Subaru's pupils to contract and his backside to chill. At the same time, Yui Yuigahama, standing nearby, widened her mouth, her eyes filled with shock.
Fortunately, Aka-ri and Rika were both in the kitchen; otherwise, upon hearing Hoshino Sora's words, they would have certainly pulled down his pants to check if he was physiologically healthy and if he had any feelings for them.
"What did you say?"
"I said, if you lose the Food War, I want you to work for me and return all the kitchen knives you've won to those chefs. If you can't do that, then get out."
Seeing the expressions of Yui Yuigahama and Mimasaka Subaru, Hoshino Sora knew he had misspoken, but to avoid awkwardness, he forced himself to remain calm and spoke with a neutral expression.
"If that's all, then I agree. You set the time. Here's my business card. I'll be leaving now."
"Then let's set it for three days from now. You find the notary, and I'll find the judges."
Looking at Hoshino Sora's calm expression, Mimasaka Subaru couldn't help but feel a chill. As he left, he almost tripped over a chair, but thankfully he caught himself on a table and managed to leave the restaurant with difficulty.
Seeing him in such a state, Kitagawa Marin, who had just finished handling the last bento outside, looked puzzled, unsure of what had happened. She immediately turned and entered the shop.
"What happened? Why did that guy run off looking so startled? He's clearly big and burly; the contrast is really strong."
"You'll have to ask Master Chef about that."
She awkwardly shrugged. Faced with Kitagawa Marin's question, Yui Yuigahama didn't know how to answer for a moment.
"I don't know. He probably misunderstood something. Work hard for three more days, and once our sales reach the target, we'll go on a trip to the beach. We'll take the bullet train there."
"Sounds good! Speaking of which, Master Chef, what kind of swimsuit do you like? Come pick them out with us then. You can also offer some male opinions."
"Uh, wouldn't that bother you?"
"What's the big deal? Anyway, we'll be wearing them for Master Chef to see eventually. There won't be any other guys on the trip. At a time like this, you should accept it generously; that's what makes a man."
With hands on her hips, Kitagawa Marin blinked twice in confusion, then responded as a matter of course. At a time like this, being timid wasn't like a man.
"Let's talk about it then."
"Mhm, I'll LINE you then."
"Here are your wages for today, 20,000 yen each. Work hard tomorrow too! If you need more money, tell me; we can also give salary advances here."
Due to the increased workload, Hoshino Sora thoughtfully increased their hourly wages. More work, more pay, right? Otherwise, the employees would feel unbalanced.
To make others work for you, you must first ensure they are well-fed. This is a very simple and clear principle.
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