Chapter 660: Chapter 659: Influence

On the night the competition ended, Xia Yu emptied his mind, turned off his phone, and went to bed at eight, only to slowly wake up at noon the next day.

He was groggy as he awoke, yet out of habit, he turned on his phone.

“Ding!”

The system’s welcome sound followed by the insistent buzz of news alerts, one of which read:

“Sapporo’s grand competition comes to a successful close! Click to review the journey of the Far Moon Team to championship glory!”

Beep.

The webpage unfolded, showcasing refined content, leading with a close-up image of the “Jade Dragon Pot,” with detailed coverage of the Far Moon Team’s journey from the first to the second phase below.

The first match, against the French culinary institute, featured a classic recipe “Boar-Bird-Blood Sausage” rewind.

The recipe came with a brief introduction:

“Made with the blood of the mythical beast ‘Boar-Bird’ as the main ingredient, the blood sausage incorporates Chef Xia’s personal touch of spices.”

“This is a classic among blood sausages! I am very fortunate to have tasted it; it will live on my tongue in the form of a memory! Forever!” commented Melissa, the famous actress and gourmet who had tasted it.

“I’m utterly convinced by my defeat,” opponent Bernard commented.

Beyond these texts, a line of small red letters read: Classic match video rewind (Boar-Bird-Blood Sausage), click here.

The second match, the quarterfinals, was against Tang’s Team.

The appearance of the ancient recipe “Gold and Jade” was still the focus of this journey’s recap, filled with extensive praise. Reading this, Xia Yu felt so embarrassed by the effusive words that his sleepiness evaporated completely.

At the end of the match recap, the writer stated:

“This was the first member of the ‘Five Chinese Talents’ to be defeated by Chef Xia.”

The recap of the match against Mars seemed comparatively plain, but the Food Duel that decided the A Block champion took Xia Yu several swipes to reach the end on the screen.

The Food Duel saw the birth of another classic recipe, “Gold and Jade.”

In the end, the finals against Li Han, a different version of “Seven Countries United Fried Noodles” once again stirred up a frenzy for Chinese cuisine.

Thus, the first phase declared its conclusion.

The second phase section was not short, either, but Xia Yu ran out of patience, scrolling all the way directly to the section about the decisive battle.

The title read:

“Legends Become Reality! The Return of the Ultimate Dim Sum, Fulfilling a Dream!”

Fulfilling a dream!

This was a phrase he has been hearing from the judges yesterday to the news alerts today, to the point of annoyance.

And this also indirectly proved the impact of the “Soul Suppressing Bun.”

Instantly losing his desire to sleep, Xia Yu threw back the covers; perhaps it was more psychological, but a cold draft, as if foreshadowing the impending turmoil in the East’s gourmet world because of the “Soul Suppressing Bun,” sent shivers down his spine.

“Gold and Jade” was fine, its exposure was still bearable for Xia Yu.

But the “Four Gods Seafood Eight Treasures Soul Suppressing Bun” was different, carrying the history of the Bai Luo Family, even symbolizing the rise and fall of the Bai Luo clan within the Chinese culinary circles.

Moreover, any child familiar with the Bai Luo Family’s story would know that mastering this supreme recipe was equivalent to grasping the “Soul Suppressing” secret.

Put it this way, treating this recipe as a peerless martial arts manual posed no problem at all.

Even an ordinary chef, a no-name student from Far Moon, mastering the “Soul Suppressing” secret could match wits with Lin Chef.

Unlike ingredients and flavors, “Soul Suppressing” came from a higher level of oppression!

“Gurgle gurgle…”

Rinsing his mouth with warm water to wash away the toothpaste froth, Xia Yu wiped his face with a towel. The maid must have entered the room in the morning and cleaned it, as every corner was spotless, leaving nothing out of place for Xia Yu to tidy. Having washed his face, he had no choice but to step out the door.

The second-floor living area corridor was quiet, his footsteps echoing.

Now that the competition was thoroughly over, Xia Yu was in no hurry to return to Tokyo. Starting today, a hunting festival for Gourmet Hunters was kicking off in Sapporo, lasting for a week. He had heard Dojima Yin and Saito Chiyokuro speak about the festival’s trade fair more than once and was determined to attend and broaden his horizons.

Down to the first floor.

A crisp, bell-like laughter brought Xia Yu to a halt.

Zhu Qing was lying on a small sofa, clutching her smartphone, shaking with laughter as if she had stumbled upon some hilarious joke.

Xia Yu was speechless, “Aren’t you going to pack and get ready to go back to Japan?”

“Go back to Japan?”

Zhu Qing’s laughter faded slightly as she said, “Who said I’m going back? The old man called me last night. He wants me to stay in Japan for a while longer to guard the ‘Jade Dragon Pot.’ He’s afraid you can’t protect it.”

“Come here!”

After saying this, she beckoned Xia Yu with a strange teasing look in her eyes, “Let me show you something interesting!”

Xia Yu threw her the back of her head, “I’m not free to bird you!”

“I’m starving!”

Xia Yu sat down for a combined breakfast and lunch, and soon the maid brought over microwaved meals—a delicate Japanese lunch, complete with a piece of grilled fish, miso soup, and half a bowl of rice. It looked light and simple, which perfectly matched the post-competition mood Xia Yu was in.

Before she had eaten a few bites, bang, Zhu Qing plopped down opposite her at the table, giggling and showing her the content on her smartphone screen.

“Pfft!”

Instantly, the clear soup Xia Yu had just sipped nearly sprayed out.

Xia Yu glared, “Is this what you watch?”

She pointed at the screen with exaggerated expressions.

The smartphone displayed a colorful manga with explicit content—definitely not suitable for minors. But here was Zhu Qing, the elder, trying to corrupt her underage niece with this inappropriate manga…

Cough cough!

Xia Yu feigned a look of shock.

“You take a closer look!” Zhu Qing laughed so hard she had to cover her mouth.

“Huh?!”

Upon hearing this, Xia Yu took a closer look, her face showing a collapse of shock as if she had seen a ghost.

On the colored image above, there was a naked man wavering a chef’s knife. Why did he seem so familiar? Ah, looking at the character’s facial contours, although they were stylized into an anime version, Xia Yu had just looked in the mirror while washing up, so how could she not recognize herself?

“Damn, is that supposed to be me…”

And then, looking at the man behind her, wearing nothing but an apron, with a look of longing in his eyes—Pfft!

This time, Xia Yu really did spray.

“Turn it off! Turn it off!” She vaguely recognized that it was Li Han, but another second of looking would make her want to gouge out her eyes. Xia Yu shouted in frustration, “Where did you find these Boys’ Love manga?!”

Fury was pulsing on her forehead, almost turning into a roaring emperor.

Zhu Qing innocently withdrew her phone, “It’s not like I drew them. Why are you yelling at me…”

“You should check your Weibo, oh wait, the source is from Japanese Twitter. Your fangirls said it was drawn by a famous manga artist as a tribute to you! Pfft…” And with that, Zhu Qing couldn’t help but burst into laughter again.

Xia Yu’s appetite vanished in an instant as she hurriedly grabbed her phone to track down the offender.

…

Upstairs in her room.

TiQie Eriina opened the window, letting the cold breeze from the mountains flow into the room, helping her confused mind regain some rationality.

Looking down at the doujinshi content on her phone again.

Thump thump!

Her heart rate accelerated.

Even without the artist’s signed name, the delicate and familiar style of drawing was something Eriina would recognize even in ashes.

“That blonde loser!”

She gritted her teeth and dialed a friend in Tokyo, her cheeks still flushed with an abnormal red.

“You did a good job, Suzumura Spencer Eriri!”