(200 Power Stone Bonus)
Chapter 6: The Director-General Arrives
Hearing Yumesaki's inquiry, the waiter offered a slightly strained yet thoroughly polite smile.
"The dishes on this table were prepared by our resident Head Chef. As for our General Manager of Food, reservations to dine from his personal station are fully booked for the next six months."
The General Manager of Food being referred to was, of course, Dojima Gin. In his youth, he had been the undisputed First Seat of the Elite Ten Council.
Dojima Gin had graduated with the highest scores in the entire history of Totsuki Academy. Upon graduation, he had received personal invitations from eight hundred legendary restaurants across the nation.
Yet, Dojima Gin had turned down every single one of those prestigious offers, choosing instead to step into the kitchens of Totsuki Resort.
Today, he was not only the General Manager of Food here but had also climbed the ranks to become an influential member of the resort's board of directors.
He could be considered a living legend of social mobility.
After all, in a world like this, transitioning from a mere kitchen worker to a corporate director was no simple feat.
But this also proved from a different angle that Dojima Gin's culinary genius was profoundly extraordinary. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to achieve such a monumental leap in social status.
This realization reignited Yumesaki's expectations toward Dojima Gin's skills.
"Go tell Dojima Gin. Ask him to personally recreate all of these dishes for me."
The corner of the waiter's eye twitched violently.
No, I didn't see you drinking any alcohol, so why are you spouting such drunk nonsense? Who on earth do you think you are, demanding that General Manager of Food Dojima Gin himself cook for you on a whim?
Didn't I just explain it to you? Booking the General Manager requires a strict reservation, and the earliest available slot is half a year from now.
Do you actually comprehend human speech or not?
Naturally, none of those thoughts could ever be voiced aloud by the waiter.
At the end of the day, he was just an employee and possessed no right to lecture a guest—especially when the manager had explicitly reinforced that the patrons at this table were esteemed guests of the Young Mistress Nakiri Erina herself.
Despite the massive complaints brewing in his mind, the waiter could only bow obediently and reply.
"I will immediately convey this guest's request to my superiors."
He didn't dare approach the General Manager of Food directly, so he promptly dumped this heavy responsibility onto the restaurant manager.
The manager, upon receiving the request, couldn't help but furrow his brow, feeling immensely stressed. Though he held a managerial position, both his status and overall importance paled in comparison to Dojima Gin. He possessed absolutely no authority to command the man.
Yet, these individuals were the young mistress's personal VIPs.
Ultimately, the manager decided to pass the message along to Dojima Gin anyway. As for whether Dojima Gin would comply or refuse, that was no longer his concern. He had fulfilled his basic duty.
Whether the legendary Dojima Gin agreed was entirely out of a mere manager's hands.
"You're saying a group of the young mistress's honored guests requested my personal presence in the kitchen?"
Meanwhile, after listening to the manager's frantic explanation, Dojima Gin's eyes flashed slightly as his right hand gently smoothed his necktie.
He knew Nakiri Erina inside out. She was not only the granddaughter of the Director-General but also the wielder of the God's Tongue. At such a tender age, she had already claimed the Tenth Seat of the Elite Ten Council.
And that was only because she lacked the motivation to climb any higher.
If she genuinely applied herself, below the top three seats, no one would stand a chance against her.
In Dojima Gin's estimation, barring any unforeseen tragedies, Nakiri Erina would grow into the most terrifying monster in Totsuki history, shattering the very records he had established.
Aside from her monstrous culinary talent, Nakiri Erina's personality was notoriously prideful.
This resulted in her having practically zero friends by her side, save for that girl from the Arato family.
Dojima Gin found it incredibly difficult to imagine that the haughty owner of the God's Tongue actually possessed "honored guests."
What kind of people could they possibly be?
Dojima Gin rose abruptly from his seat and directed the manager, "Lead me to their private dining room. I shall personally see what these honored guests of the young mistress are like."
"Huh... Right away!"
The manager nodded frantically, quickly leading Dojima Gin toward the VIP private room where Yumesaki's party resided.
Stepping into the room, the manager offered a beaming smile to Yumesaki. "Honored guests, I apologize for the delay. General Manager Dojima has received your request and wishes to personally inquire about your culinary preferences."
As those words left the manager's mouth, Dojima Gin stepped into the room.
The gazes of Yumesaki, Nero, and Cosette simultaneously locked onto Dojima Gin's towering frame.
Dojima Gin sported a sharp, military-style buzzcut, exuding vibrant energy and possessing a remarkably burly physique. The sleek suit tailored to make a gentleman look elegant instead made him look like a formidable enforcer trying to squeeze into formal wear.
The impression he radiated was that of a hardened veteran who had survived hundreds of brutal battles, an elite rugby player accustomed to violent collisions, or a professional bodybuilder at the peak of muscle hypertrophy. He looked absolutely nothing like a chef.
What kind of chef trains his muscles to such an absurd degree?
A single punch from this man could likely end someone's life.
When reading the manga, Yumesaki had already felt that Dojima Gin's muscular development was unreal.
Now seeing the man in the flesh, Yumesaki realized the manga had actually been far too conservative.
This man was vastly more imposing than his illustrated counterpart.
While Yumesaki and his companions appraised Dojima Gin, the culinary giant was similarly evaluating them.
Yumesaki gave off an entirely ordinary impression, possessing nothing that stood out.
Nero gave off the vibe of a petite, pampered girl who hadn't fully matured.
Only Cosette exerted a faint, indiscernible pressure on Dojima Gin.
Without a doubt, the woman was a fellow chef.
Dojima Gin recognized it instantly. She belonged to the exact same world as him. As for how profound her culinary skills truly were, Dojima Gin couldn't gauge it through sight alone.
After all, when it came to cooking, without directly tasting the food prepared by the opponent, one could never truly grasp the depth of their mastery.
However, Dojima Gin could state with certainty that beyond her cooking, this woman's physical capability was formidable. That subtle aura of oppression was no illusion.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Dojima Gin."
Dojima Gin spoke in a booming, resonant voice, "I shall be taking over your service from this point onward. Do any of you possess specific dietary restrictions or allergies?"
"None," Yumesaki replied with a shake of his head. "Just cook whatever you feel like showcasing."
Dojima Gin offered a low grunt of assent, turning on his heel to exit the room.
Yumesaki watched Dojima Gin's retreating figure with a faint smirk. He hoped this legendary General Manager of Food wouldn't leave him disappointed.
Half an hour later.
The culinary feast laid upon the table had been completely picked clean by Yumesaki, Nero, and Cosette.
Witnessing this, the attending waiter stood frozen, his mouth hanging wide open in utter disbelief.
This was a feast designed to bloat dozens of people, yet it had been thoroughly consumed by a mere trio.
What kind of gluttonous monsters were they?
Are these people even human?
When these staggering updates reached the ears of Dojima Gin, who was currently commanding the stoves, his eyes flared. He was well aware that this world contained a hidden stratum of monstrous martial artists.
The physical capacities of those individuals defied human logic; consuming an entire beast in one sitting was standard practice for them.
These three individuals were highly likely to be entities of that caliber.
If that was the case, he would have to unleash his absolute peak mastery to ensure the pristine reputation of Totsuki Resort remained untarnished.
Dojima Gin immediately poured his entire soul into the cooking. Exquisite dish after exquisite dish materialized from his hands, promptly escorted to Yumesaki's private suite.
Yumesaki picked up a piece of the seared beef, placing it into his mouth before biting down.
An explosion of rich, savory, and perfectly balanced peppery spice instantly erupted within his oral cavity. Without a doubt, this was a sensory experience unlike anything he had encountered before.
His consciousness felt as though it had transformed into a wild stallion racing across an endless prairie, unchained and completely liberated.
"Now this is the real deal."
Yumesaki exhaled a breath of pure admiration. This was the correct way to experience Food Wars!.
It truly lived up to its reputation as a drug-like culinary experience; this flavor profile was incredibly potent.
If he had to nitpick a flaw, it would solely be that the inherent quality of the beef itself was somewhat ordinary.
Of course, Yumesaki knew for a fact that Dojima Gin had utilized the finest possible ingredients, but the problem lay in the reality that the absolute pinnacle of beef in this mundane world was merely A5 Wagyu.
Compared to the exotic beasts and legendary Sea Kings roaming the world of One Piece, this baseline was simply too low.
The flesh of those mystical creatures could truly be classified as divine delicacies.
When held up against those standards, the so-called top-tier A5 Wagyu was merely mediocre.
What if he crossed back over to the world of One Piece right now to hunt a Sea King, carved off a few kilograms of its prime meat, and brought it back for Dojima Gin to prepare?
He was intensely curious to see what kind of revolutionary culinary sparks would fly from the collision between Dojima Gin's peak human technique and the supernatural ingredients of One Piece.
Would it create a flavor that transcended mortal comprehension? Just letting his thoughts drift in that direction caused Yumesaki's mouth to water.
"Incredible culinary craftsmanship." After Nero savored a slice of the beef, she too found herself thoroughly conquered by Dojima Gin's expertise, singing his praises without restraint. "I have never tasted a dish quite this magnificent before. This journey has truly been worthwhile."
"I genuinely feel like abducting this man and installing him as my personal head chef."
"The culinary staff back in Rome could certainly learn a thing or two from him."
"If I had possessed a chef of this caliber in the past, I would have easily devoured three extra servings at every meal."
"It is indeed exceptional," Cosette chimed in, unable to withhold her professional admiration. "To think he could elevate such cheap meat to such absolute perfection... truly commendable."
Huh? Wait a minute, young lady, do you even realize what you just blurted out?
The waiter responsible for delivering the dishes reached his absolute breaking point internally. That was ultra-premium, top-grade A5 Wagyu beef! How on earth did it morph into "cheap meat" the moment it entered your mouth?
Yet, remembering that the speaker was a VIP guest of the young mistress who must never be slighted, the waiter kept his lips sealed tight, offering no rebuttal.
The moment he stepped out of the private room, the waiter finally snapped, venting his sheer bewilderment to a colleague via text message.
This piece of gossip rapidly traveled up the chain, reaching Dojima Gin's ears.
"Cheap meat?"
Dojima Gin found himself slightly taken aback. Could it be that these guests regularly consumed a grade of meat that vastly eclipsed A5 Wagyu?
That should be mathematically impossible.
Though he was aware that this world harbored hidden depths, populated by various supernatural factions and Youkai, those entities merely possessed raw, destructive might.
When compared to the highly evolved and sophisticated culinary culture of mankind, the crude eating habits of Youkai weren't even worthy of mention.
Dojima Gin absolutely refused to believe that these individuals possessed access to a source of meat that surpassed the finest Wagyu on the planet.
If they were discussing legendary, age-old elixirs or divine liquors, he might concede the possibility, but for raw meat, it was a logical impossibility.
If such a miracle ingredient existed, it was impossible for a man of his stature to be ignorant of it.
So what exactly did that comment signify? Was it mere arrogance? Or was there a factual basis to her words?
Just as he was drowning in deep perplexity, the restaurant manager burst into the kitchen area, panting heavily as he gasped out:
"General Manager... the Director-General... the Director-General...!"
"Calm yourself." Dojima Gin placed a heavy, grounding hand on the manager's trembling shoulder. "What about the Director-General?"
The manager took a massive gulp of air, steadying his frantic breathing before blurting out at the top of his lungs, "The Director-General has arrived!"
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