Chapter 507: The Spirit of Youth
With the three themes for the culinary showdown decided, Qi Han had no reason to stay at the Culinary Association any longer. After confirming the location for tomorrow afternoon's competition, he left the association and headed toward Mingke Street.
After a busy morning, it was almost time for Han Shi to open for business. Just as Qi Han reached the entrance, he ran into Meng Yun, and the two entered the restaurant together.
"Boss, how did your investigation go?" Meng Yun asked curiously as soon as they stepped inside.
She remembered that Qi Han had said he would go learn more about the culinary showdown this morning. Seeing him return looking slightly travel-worn, it was obvious he had just come back from that.
"Pretty well. I've already initiated a culinary showdown with Bright Court Pavilion. The themes have been drawn, and we can officially begin after tomorrow's lunch service," Qi Han replied, a hint of satisfaction on his face. Although there had been some twists and turns, everything had ultimately gone as planned.
"So fast?" Meng Yun was slightly astonished.
She didn't know much about the culinary world, so she didn't fully grasp what it meant for Bright Court Pavilion and Han Shi to compete. That part didn't surprise her much. Instead, something else caught her attention.
"Boss, what are the three themes?"
"Beef, fruit, and vegetables." There was no need to keep the themes a secret.
"Hmm…" Meng Yun rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "For beef, we have Tomato Beef Brisket. For fruit, Crab Stuffed with Orange should work. As for vegetables… a lot of our dishes include vegetables, right? In that case, these themes are actually quite favorable for us!"
After several days of working at Han Shi, Meng Yun was already quite familiar with the menu. Her thoughts closely mirrored Qi Han's.
"Exactly." Qi Han smiled. "So this challenge shouldn't be a problem. Alright, tell me—what do you want for your lunch staff meal?"
"Mm-hmm!" Meng Yun nodded eagerly, her eyes lighting up.
Great, this culinary showdown she suggested can actually help the boss!
Meanwhile, Zhao Yangfan had also returned to Bright Court Pavilion. Under the respectful gazes of the attendants, he walked calmly into a private room. The moment he closed the door, his expression turned more respectful.
"My lord, everything went smoothly. Han Shi has accepted the culinary showdown."
"I already know," said a black-robed member of the Secret Intelligence Division inside the room, nodding calmly. He set down his teacup and stood up. "Has the time been decided?"
"Tomorrow at 1:30 PM."
"Good." The Secret Intelligence Division member didn't linger. He skillfully opened a hidden passage and prepared to leave.
"Um…" Seeing the other party about to go, Zhao Yangfan suddenly remembered something and hurriedly spoke up. "My lord, regarding the challenge with Han Shi… should I hold back in any way?"
To be safe, Zhao Yangfan felt it was necessary to clarify this.
"Hold back?" The Secret Intelligence Division member's tone turned slightly strange. "No need. Compete as you normally would."
"Since I often dine here, I'll give you a personal piece of advice—don't underestimate your opponent."
With that, the figure disappeared quickly into the hidden passage.
The passage returned to its original state, and the room looked no different from any other private room.
Zhao Yangfan frowned as he stared at where the passage had been, lost in thought.
Don't underestimate them?
This was Bright Court Pavilion.
Its head chefs were all former imperial chefs from the palace.
And that man was a regular customer here, so he should know the strength of Bright Court Pavilion very well.
Yet he still gave such a warning…
Could it be that Han Shi's dishes were truly on par with Bright Court Pavilion's?
Like Heavenly Star Palace a hundred years ago?
At that thought, Zhao Yangfan suddenly found himself unable to sit still.
He realized a critical problem.
He knew nothing about his opponent.
That wouldn't do.
Zhao Yangfan pushed open the door and stepped out of the private room, quickly making his way to the entrance of Bright Court Pavilion. Just as he was about to step out and head to Han Shi to take a look, his foot suddenly froze midair.
Wait.
According to the Culinary Association's rules, news of his culinary showdown with Han Shi had probably already spread throughout the restaurant industry. And as the person in charge of Bright Court Pavilion, who in the industry didn't recognize Zhao Yangfan?
If people saw him showing up at Han Shi right after issuing the challenge, they might think he was afraid of his opponent.
It wasn't that he particularly cared about saving face, but this was an unspoken rule of culinary showdowns: before the competition began, it was best not to personally visit the opponent's restaurant to gather intelligence, as it could negatively affect the restaurant's reputation.
So he couldn't go himself, he had to send someone else to investigate.
The choice of candidate was simple. Sending one of Bright Court Pavilion's head chefs would suffice. As fellow chefs, they could better assess the opponent's strength after tasting Han Shi's dishes.
Hmm… to be safe, even sending a chef shouldn't be done right now.
It was almost lunchtime. Perhaps it would be better to send a chef during dinner service instead to try their dishes?
Yes, that settles it.
With his decision made, Zhao Yangfan slowly withdrew his foot and casually walked back into the kitchen to brief the head chefs.
…
"Father, was your reason for rejecting that Han Shi really what you said earlier?"
Looking at her father, who was busy developing new dishes in the kitchen, Wu Yue suddenly spoke up.
"Oh? Why do you ask that?" Wu Henian smiled faintly, answering with a question.
"I just feel like there was another reason… one you didn't mention before," Wu Yue said after a moment of thought, her tone more certain this time.
"Heh, you sharp girl." Wu Henian shook his head with a light chuckle. "You're right. What I said before was a reason, but only a secondary one. As for the more important reason…"
He paused slightly, his movements slowing, a trace of reminiscence appearing in his eyes.
"In that young man's eyes, I didn't see ambition or utilitarian intent. What I saw instead… was the spirit of youth."
"I've lived a long life, so I'd like to think I have a decent eye for people."
"If he had come with a calculating mindset, I would naturally have taught him a lesson. But seeing that youthful spirit, I couldn't bear to crush it outright." Wu Henian smiled. "After all, who hasn't once had that fearless spirit in their youth? That young man may truly believe his dishes are better than those of Heavenly Star Palace, and he's eager to prove it."
"If a single defeat in a culinary showdown were to crush him completely, that would be such a pity."
"Father, you seem to think highly of him? Could that Han Shi owner rise like our ancestor did—climbing step by step through culinary showdowns?" Wu Yue asked curiously.
"Very unlikely." Wu Henian shook his head without hesitation. "To win culinary showdowns, youthful spirit alone isn't enough, you need the ability to match it. Your ancestor traveled across the Sun Moon Continent, learning cuisines from everywhere, combining the strengths of many traditions. It took him a full twenty years of study and refinement before he had the confidence to rise through challenges."
"That young man looks to be only in his twenties. Unless he started training from the womb, how could he possibly reach that level?" He shook his head slightly and resumed preparing ingredients. "Alright, I didn't entrust Heavenly Star Palace to you so you could stand here watching me cook and slacking off."
"Hmph." Wu Yue pouted. Though already married, she still acted like a young girl in front of her father. "There's nothing to do right now anyway."
"There will be soon." Wu Henian shook his head. "Since I rejected Han Shi, that young man will likely challenge other restaurants instead. And as the owner of Heavenly Star Palace, I'll certainly be invited by the Culinary Association to serve as one of the judges. Judging by the timing, the association's messenger should be arriving any moment now."
At that, a trace of curiosity appeared in Wu Henian's eyes.
"I wonder… who that young man's opponent will be?"
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