CHAPTER 676: CHAPTER 675: THE CHANGING THREADS (PART 1)

Xia Yu was occupied with the "Academy Festival."

Before the start of the gourmet festival, Xingping Chuangzhen, who had understood the true significance of being one of the Top Ten at the Red Leaves Hunting Exchange Meeting, intended to participate in this year’s Academy Festival to prove to Koga Shoji with his actual results that he was qualified to declare war on the Top Ten!

"If I beat one of your dishes, will you accept my Food Duel challenge?"

"If I can surpass Senior Koga in sales at the Academy Festival, he’ll have to accept my Food Duel! Also, there are the restaurants at Xia’s Shopping Street. Well, even though they can’t compare to my family’s Xingping Restaurant, it would be pretty good to get my hands on one, right?"

During PE class, Xingping was dribbling a basketball, lost in thought.

A blue-haired girl with braided pigtails came over, eyeing the zoned-out protagonist of Food Duels, and asked, "Xingping, what are you doing?"

"Ah, it’s Tanaka!"

Xingping Chuangzhen asked abruptly, "Do you know which cooking style Senior Koga uses?"

"Sure, it’s from one of the eight great Chinese cuisines, Sichuan cuisine." Tanaka Hikari answered without hesitation. She had frequently helped out at Xia’s Restaurant in the past, and before that, Koga Shoji had replaced Xia Yu to run the restaurant kitchen for quite some time. Her understanding of Koga Shoji was probably much deeper than that of Xingping.

Next, Xingping Chuangzhen made Tanaka Hikari cover her mouth and exclaim in shock with a single sentence:

"What, you plan to defeat Senior Koga, who holds the eighth seat, at the Academy Festival?!"

Boom!

Not far off, a sporty girl with neat, medium-length purple hair performed an explosive reverse dunk amidst the embarrassed and admiring glances of her male and female classmates in the PE class.

Clink! Releasing her hands, Hozoi Midori landed and walked straight toward Tanaka Hikari and Xingping Chuangzhen.

"Hey!"

Wiping the sweat off with the back of her fair hand, Hozoi Midori said mockingly, "Quite the little genius who returned from field training and has been defeating upperclassmen in a row. I heard you’re a disciple of Shigong Xiaoci Lang? Well, you probably don’t know much about Koga. Let me take you to his Chinese Cooking Research Association; there lies Koga Shoji’s castle!"

After class, the three changed clothes and gathered.

The departmental activity venue of Far Moon Chinese Cooking Research Association.

It was a palace-like Zhonghua Building, glittering with gold and magnificence, from afar, the heat the flames carried surged out of the doors and windows, and even before drawing near, the whoosh of the professional high-heat stoves could be heard.

"Wow!"

As they entered, Tanaka Hikari and Xingping Chuangzhen were stunned by the bustling scene inside.

Students in department uniforms each stood at their cooking stations, one hand holding a Chinese iron pot, the other wielding a spatula, constantly flipping and tossing raw rice in the pots, each of them sweating profusely.

They were practicing the technique of tossing ingredients in the wok!

Watching dozens of students move in unison, Xingping Chuangzhen was awed by the sight and took a while before he managed to speak, "Impressive!"

"Stop——"

Koga Shoji, who had been sitting with crossed legs, commanding the department’s students in their practice, stood up and waved to Hozoi Midori, "Yo, what a rare guest. Midori, have you finally decided to come over on your own? Could it be you’ve decided to join our Chinese Cooking Research Association? Welcome, welcome, that would add another strong fighter to our association!"

Hozoi Midori pursed her lips, "Dream on. I would only join Instructor Xia’s Chinese Cooking Club. If there’s one."

"Hm?"

Koga Shoji’s eyes widened and indeed, reminded by Hozoi Midori, he suddenly realized–

Professors and instructors of Far Moon with sufficient qualifications and prestige could also start clubs.

All at once, Koga Shoji felt conflicted, "If Instructor Xia really started such a club and often went there to teach, then should I, the mainstay of this Chinese Cooking Research Association, disband it and join, or..."

He rubbed his head in agony, forgetting to greet Xingping Chuangzhen.

Tap tap tap...

Just as Xingping Chuangzhen was about to take the initiative to speak up, another series of footsteps came from outside. Not many people, but Tanaka Hikari’s exclamation of "Instructor Xia" enlivened the entire cooking activity room.

"Quick, everyone, gather——"

Koga Shoji bellowed, and one after another, the young members of the research club immediately lined up in formation, hands behind their backs. They bowed in unison to the young instructor who had just entered. "Welcome, Instructor Xia!"

What’s going on?

Xia Yu had only come to take a look around during his rounds and was at a loss whether to laugh or cry at the grand welcome he received.

It wasn’t just Koga Shoji; members of the research club looked at Xia Yu with eyes full of respect, their sincere expressions unmistakable. Xia Yu’s mouth twitched slightly as he waved them off. "Just take it easy, no need for ceremony. It’s like welcoming a mob boss from the Yamaguchi Group."

Then, he noticed Tanaka Hikari, Xingping Chuangzhen, and Hozoi Midori were also there and greeted them.

"Hozoi, do you have any plans for the school festival?"

Seeing Hozoi, Xia Yu asked casually as if speaking to a close friend, drawing envious glances from Koga Shoji and the club members.

"Not at the moment..."

"Then don’t bother making any plans. Keep your schedule clear to help me."

"Eh?"

Hozoi Midori looked at him puzzled. "Help out? You mean with the Academy Festival Organizing Committee?"

Xia Yu didn’t offer any further explanation and turned to leave with three handpicked members of the Execution Committee.

"Wait!"

Xingping Chuangzhen stopped him, calling out. "Instructor Xia, I want to defeat Senior Koga at the school festival and have him accept my Food Duel challenge. Please referee and ensure fairness!"

Originally indifferent to his challenge, Koga Shoji suddenly seemed like his pants were on fire, anxiously jumping up to shout, "Xingping, this is an agreement between me and you. We don’t need Instructor Xia to supervise; are you questioning my integrity?!"

Koga Shoji’s gaze darted away, avoiding looking in Xia Yu’s direction.

His face was burning with embarrassment.

How humiliating!

"Eh?"

Xia Yu paused, looking between Xingping Chuangzhen and Koga Shoji, then surveyed the research activity room. A sudden realization struck him. No wonder the scene seemed familiar. It looked like in both the original work and the real world, the trajectory of Xingping Chuangzhen during the "school festival" hadn’t changed a bit.

"Interesting!"

"Xingping, you mean to tell me you’re going to run a booth by yourself and beat the entire Chinese Cooking Research Association?" he asked.

"Yep, I’m thinking about what recipe to make, so I came to have a look," Xingping Chuangzhen answered matter-of-factly.

"Hey, hey!"

Koga Shoji with veins popping on his forehead said, "You plan to challenge us by running a booth alone, but I won’t even get started on that. A recipe? You haven’t decided yet? No problem, let everyone get busy. We will make a serving of our signature Mapo Tofu for Little Xingping to taste—"

"Try it first, then we’ll talk about the challenge," Koga Shoji sneered with a corner of his mouth raised.

"You ten—"

He counted off his troops.

"Sir!"

Ten club members stepped out, gathered ingredients, and started cooking together. It wasn’t long before they brought out ten steaming plates of Mapo Tofu, the heat and aroma almost thickening the air.

"This is my recipe—’Koga Shoji Style Mapo Tofu’! Have a taste while it’s hot!" Koga Shoji chuckled.

Xingping Chuangzhen stood dumbfounded at the dining table.

Hozoi Midori, inhaling the air filled with the scent, whispered with gravity, "It’s different! It’s completely different from his past style and the Chinese Cooking Research Association’s earlier style!"

Applause broke out...

There was a round of clapping, drawing everyone’s attention.