Food Wars: Let him cook

"Zero points. The soup is somewhat bitter. It should be because when processing the fish, the gallbladder wasn't completely removed. This shows a lack of understanding of the fish's anatomy, and your knife skills are also very poor!"

"It's not hard to fix. Scrub the bile-affected area with baking soda, then wash it with vinegar to neutralize the bitterness."

"You eat the rest. Not a single drop is to be leftover. Savor the bitterness and remember this lesson!"

Smelling the aroma in the air, Dylan didn't even pick up his spoon before speaking to An Tianxing, who was not far away.

This one is still too green. Lacking in every aspect! I don't even know why Tohtsuki would have such a student.

"Zero points... A bit terrifying, but not entirely unexpected," An Tianxing muttered to herself upon hearing Dylan's final evaluation.

Actually, when she was processing the fish, she had felt something was amiss, but her lack of cooking experience prevented her from identifying her own mistake.

"Although I don't know what happened to you in the past, since you're here now, you better study hard for the remaining time! Show the same drive you had when you were asking me questions today!"

Looking at the girl before him, Dylan's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck home, deeply shaking An Tianxing.

"This is just a baseline assessment to test your current strength. You don't need to worry too much about the rankings because they will definitely change later."

"Next, there will be corresponding teachers to instruct you in the basics of various aspects. I hope you can desperately absorb nutrients, constantly polish yourselves, and pull down those at the top!"

Looking at the perplexed students before him, who had formed into a small group, Dylan continued.

The overall average score for this assessment was 30 points, and that was with Alice Nakiri pulling up the average by 2 points.

Among them, only ten people reached the standard of a Third Grade Chef or above, accounting for about twenty percent of the total number.

"Baseline assessment?"

"Such a strict assessment is actually a baseline assessment..."

"What does 'teach and then assess' mean? Doesn't it imply adopting a classroom teaching model, where they teach you a dish and then have you replicate it?"

Someone voiced their speculation. Dylan's words indeed made people think. If it was "teach and then assess," it would be an advantage for many of them!

Because Tohtsuki had always implemented such teaching.

"If that's the case, it'll be much easier. At least it's much better than this awful baseline assessment. I worked hard for half a day and only got 32 points."

Someone nearby couldn't help but complain. Due to the difficulty of obtaining ingredients and the harsh cooking conditions, even if they cooked with all their might, they still couldn't satisfy Dylan, and he also felt it wasn't their best state.

"You're still considered good. I only got 23 points, not even reaching the average line."

Another person also mocked themselves. As one of the school's top students, they hadn't even reached the average line. It was truly laughable!

"I'm the little prince of replication! If it's this type of assessment, then I'm basically set. I almost always get a B or an A in every class."

"Then didn't you still only get 29 points this time, just slightly better than me?"

"I said it's replication! Besides, for this type of exam, just being able to make the dish is already pretty good, right?! This is only the first day, and Teacher Dylan also said that the first day's results don't mean anything!"

Such complaints were endless. The difficulty of the first assessment had truly exceeded their imagination.

And under these circumstances, Alice Nakiri and the others could still stand out with their culinary skills and achieve high scores, which was nothing short of astonishing!

"Alright, get on the bus. We're heading to the accommodation next."

As the sun sank in the west and all students on site had completed the assessment, Dylan's voice rang out. He then boarded the bus first, fiddling with his phone.

"Yay!"

"Finally, we can rest."

"Ahhhh, I'm so tired from today. I absolutely must get a good rest tonight."

Hearing Dylan's words, cheers instantly erupted on site. Some even hugged each other, their faces full of the relief of having survived an ordeal.

"Isn't it too early to be happy?"

"This is only the first day of the assessment. An assessment like this will continue for a full 30 days!"

Looking at their happy expressions, some of the more rational individuals spoke up.

This assessment wasn't going to end so easily.

"Oh right, the mid-term exam! I want to go home..."

"Then go back. Quitting will make it easier."

"Get lost!"

"At least let me briefly slumber in tonight's sweet dream!"

For a moment, the scene was filled with wails again, but this time, everyone's eyes were full of vitality, as if brimming with endless fighting spirit.

A thirty-day endurance race; it was hard to say who would last until the end.

Twenty-nine days left.

As long as they could persevere, they would definitely undergo a transformation in the end!

Everyone on site thought so, then boarded the bus in an orderly manner., sitting in their original seats.

Before long, everyone was on the bus. A feeling of being pushed back into their seats came over them as the vehicle slowly started and moved forward.

Dylan leaned against the window, watching the scenery reflect and recede outside.

An hour later.

The bus slowly came to a stop in front of a luxurious hotel.

At this moment, dozens of buses were already parked in front of the hotel, with students disembarking one after another.

"Amazing! Is this where we'll be staying next?"

"Suddenly, I feel like all the fatigue I endured today has now been healed!"

"This is too much! I remember this place. I heard it's a hotel run by Tohtsuki. They say a night's stay costs 80,000 yen, a super expensive hotel!"

"Eighty thousand?! That's almost a month's rent!!!"

Getting off the bus and looking at the towering hotel in front of them, the students gathered below, whispering among themselves, their faces etched with an indescribable shock.

"Can we... really stay in a place like this?"

Swallowing hard, someone said in disbelief.

"Alright, youngsters, no need to doubt. This is your lodging for tonight."

"However, before that, An Tianxing, Honma-yama, Ota Ryuji, Kitakigawa Sho..."

"Those whose names I've called, step forward now!"

Looking at the list compiled from the scores tallied by each group, Dylan's expression was stern as he looked at the students before him, his voice clearly reaching their ears.

"What's wrong?"

"Why are we suddenly being called out? What happened?"

"I don't know..."

Hearing Dylan call out names, the people on site immediately started discussing among themselves.

Among them were students not from his group. Hearing his call, they looked confused but still stepped forward.

"Your accommodation is slightly different from theirs. Get on the bus with me now."

Looking at the bewildered young men and women emerging from the crowd, Dylan said this and then boarded a bus again.

"What? Different accommodation?"

"What's going on? Aren't you going to explain..."

With uneasy hearts, the students whose names had been called boarded the bus one by one, while those around them began to whisper.

Soon, all the students whose names had been called were on the bus. Three buses started simultaneously, heading towards the distance.

"So, does anyone know what happened? Why were these students suddenly taken away..."

Watching the buses slowly drive off, apart from a few who left, the rest stood in place, discussing animatedly.

"It was mentioned earlier that students ranked below the top one hundred will sleep in the wilderness."

"If there are no surprises, these should be the students ranked below one hundred! They probably want to use the harsh environment to make them quit voluntarily."

A student speculated. He was from Dylan's group. At this moment, he looked relieved. His score wasn't very good either, but because he had brought enough ingredients and was in a good state, he ended up with 23 points, placing him in the lower-middle ranks but not at the bottom.

"That makes sense. But if these stragglers are all going to quit, does that mean it will be our turn sooner or later?!" a girl said worriedly.

If those stragglers couldn't bear the pressure and left, and the remaining number of people decreased, wouldn't that mean they would become the new stragglers!?

Realizing this, the scene fell somewhat silent.

"Then let's hurry up and improve our rankings! For the sake of enjoying a big bed! For the sake of not sleeping in the wilderness!"

At this moment, the atmosphere inside the bus was slightly oppressive.

Dylan, wearing a peaked cap, sat at the front of the bus. The window was open, and feeling the cool breeze, the young man comfortably squinted his eyes.

"Teacher, where are we going next?"

Among the students, An Tianxing sat down next to Dylan.

Being in Dylan's group, and having been given a heads-up at the beginning, An Tianxing wasn't surprised by this trip.

However, she was curious about where they were going.

Looking at Dylan, it seemed he didn't intend to give up on them; otherwise, he would have just expelled them directly.

"Hell."

Looking at the place whose outline was gradually appearing, Dylan said nonchalantly.

"This is..."

Getting off the bus and looking at everything in front of them, a wave of gasps erupted from the students.

"It's such a dilapidated wooden cabin... Is this where we're staying? In this deep mountain forest, a desolate and uninhabited place, how can we possibly rest well!"

Looking at the wooden cabin that seemed like a strong gust of wind could blow it down, a student went forward to check, then swallowed hard in disbelief.

"This is too much! Just because our scores are low, we have to live in a place like this?" a pure-looking girl cried out, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"And down there... is that a cliff!?"

"What?!"

"It really is a cliff! Where on earth is this?!"

Someone exclaimed, causing a commotion. Then, many people went forward to look and were shocked to discover that behind the wooden cabin was indeed a cliff!

One couldn't see the bottom at a glance, only sharp rocks, and no sound could be heard for a long time.

"Welcome to hell, failures."

Just then, a slightly deep voice sounded from not far away.

Dylan jumped off the bus, attracting everyone's attention.

Looking at the students before him, who looked dazed and at a loss, Dylan continued:

"I am Dylan, the one responsible for training you failures."

Dylan's voice echoed on site, silencing the previously noisy crowd.

"This is... that new Chinese cuisine teacher."

"He seems to be very strict. This is bad!"

"I heard he's a very skilled chef! He's going to train us? Really?"

Silence was followed by intense discussion. Clearly, Dylan had accumulated quite a reputation at Tohtsuki. Even those who hadn't attended his classes had heard of him more or less.

This was a teacher who was extremely strict about cooking.

"Listen up! Here, my orders must be obeyed. Anyone who dares to resist, I will push them off the cliff without a shred of mercy!"

Seeing everyone looking at him, Dylan's voice was loud, infused with some internal energy, carrying an effect that shook people to their core.

After the morning's events, he deeply understood the importance of order.

Before the training began, the first thing to do was to establish absolute authority! To take control of all unstable factors.

"Alright, there are training clothes inside the wooden cabin. Go change. Training will begin immediately."

"Eh? Training starts now?!"

"Didn't we just finish! Isn't there any time to rest..."

"Mommy, save me!"

"I'm only giving you five minutes. Those who can't finish, get off the mountain now and go through the expulsion procedures."

Ignoring the wailing crowd, Dylan said this and then left the scene, walking towards the wooden cabin.

Inside the cabin, a girl with long, golden-yellow hair was waiting for him. Seeing him approach, she bowed slightly, a radiant smile appearing on her face.

"Long time no see, Boss Dylan."

Looking at Dylan who had come before her, the golden-haired girl, smiling broadly, opened her arms and hugged him.

"It has indeed been a while. Looking at your spirits, you've been doing quite well recently."

A faint, pleasant fragrance from the girl reached his nose. Dylan took two deep breaths, looked at her delicate and bright little face, and said with a hint of teasing.

"Because I wanted to see you. I've been looking forward to it since the day you called and told me. When my mood is good, my complexion naturally improves."

Without any concealment, the girl straightforwardly expressed her affection.

"I see. This has been hard on you too, coming all the way from Sichuan."

"Then give me a reward, Boss Dylan."

"A reward? What do you want? Is it a delicacy fit for kings? Or endless wealth? Or perhaps top-tier ingredients? Tell me, Leah."

Looking at the girl who was suddenly gazing at him with honeyed affection, Dylan pretended not to understand.

"Really! You clearly know what I want. I'll be waiting for you in my room tonight. Don't you dare stand me up!"

Hearing Dylan's words, Leah's cheeks puffed out slightly, and she playfully punched Dylan's chest a couple of times.

"But speaking of which, why do you even bother with those guys?"

"They've also studied at Tohtsuki for three years, yet their skills lag far behind their peers. They should be the good-for-nothings who are given up on!"

Releasing her hug, Leah took two steps back, looked at the students who were changing into their clothes and coming out of the wooden cabin one after another not far away, and asked with some confusion.

These people were supposed to be eliminated. Was there any need to train them?

"No one is born a waste. It's just that their methods are wrong."

"If heroes were judged solely by results, then Shokugeki wouldn't exist in this world."

Looking at the students not far away, who had various expressions but were all obediently changing their clothes, a light flashed in Dylan's eyes.

"Besides, isn't it too boring if those top-scoring students advance without any pressure?!"

"You want to make the weakest among them challenge the strongest? Isn't that a bit too exaggerated..."

Hearing the meaning in Dylan's words, Leah's voice carried a hint of surprise.

"Rather than nurturing those who can easily surpass the advanced, outstanding students with just a little effort,"

"Isn't there a greater sense of accomplishment in letting these guys, who originally had no chance of advancing, survive until the end?!"

"Now, the opportunity has been given to them. Let's see if they are truly mud that can't be plastered onto a wall, or if they merely lack good teachers!"

With that, Dylan jumped off the porch and walked towards where the students were.

"Giving the top-scoring students an advancement without any pressure? Just because of that idea, he personally takes charge of these guys who should have been eliminated."

"I don't know if this is their opportunity or the beginning of their suffering."

Watching Dylan's departing figure, Leah muttered to herself, a faint blush rising on her cheeks:

"But this is really interesting. I wonder what kind of expressions those guys outside will make when they see these stragglers, who should have been eliminated, reappear and defeat them!"

"All of you, silence!"

Stepping forward and looking at the noisy students in front of him, Dylan's brow furrowed.

And as soon as his words fell, the previously whispering crowd instantly quieted down. Everyone was looking at him.

"See that pile of iron woks over there? Twenty wok tosses, using dirt and sand as ingredients. The amount of dirt remaining in the wok must not be less than the red line inside, otherwise it's considered a failure, and you must start over. Now, supervise each other. No eating until you pass!"

"Anyone who reports another person for having too little dirt twice will get to eat a dish cooked by a Special Grade Chef. And anyone who fails to meet the standard twice will be expelled!"

As Dylan spoke, he strode over to a pile of dark iron woks, casually picked one up, and displayed it in front of everyone.

"This... this iron wok actually has a crack!"

An Tianxing looked at the iron wok in front of her in shock. The large iron wok actually had a long crack, and below the crack was the red line indicating the passing standard.

"Trying to toss a wok like this and ensure not too much dirt falls out, that's simply impossible!"

"Exactly! How can something like that be done!"

"Look quickly! Apart from this one, the others are all more or less flawed!"

Everyone looked and then discovered with astonishment that among the large pile of iron woks, there wasn't a single one in perfect condition!

"Alright, cut the crap. Let's get started. I have something to attend to down the mountain. Next, she will be your invigilator."

As Dylan's words fell, Leah's figure appeared beside him. She had already changed into a Chinese Special Grade Chef uniform, revealing the dragon-shaped insignia on her left arm.

"Hello everyone. I will be your invigilator for this month. Don't ask me if I have a boyfriend; the person I like is right here."

Smiling, Leah greeted the astonished students, looking at Dylan as she spoke.

Dylan just shrugged, offering no comment.

_____

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