The story begins in Food Wars, when Alice took him home.

Years ago, he had received a favor from the mother of the Hundred Bird Wings, who promised to help him once in the future. He never expected that she would use it in this way.

To put a top-tier, four-star chef like him against a girl who hasn't even graduated high school is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

It seems that the scions of large families are quite willing to fight tooth and nail for the inheritance.

"You're the food battle opponent sent by the Hundred Torii Gate across the street?!"

Tadokoro Megumi wasn't stupid. From the fact that the other party accurately judged the hidden flaws in her cooking and then brought up the food battle, it wasn't hard to guess that the other party was sent by Hyakutori Wings to have a food battle with them.

"That's right, my name is Wang Zhi, a top-tier four-star chef. I have been invited by the Hundred Birds Pavilion to come and accept the challenge!"

As they spoke, Wang Zhi stood up amidst the surprised gazes of the surrounding tourists, staring intently at Tadokoro Megumi, truly regarding her as an opponent.

Although his opponent could only produce a top-grade dish at best, even a lion fights a rabbit with all its might, and he didn't want to lose the match due to carelessness.

"Sorry, I'm not your opponent."

Knowing that Wang Zhi was sent by Hyaktorii, Tadokoro Megumi's expression changed, and her tone turned cold.

After all, the other party's purpose in coming here was to seize their family's hotel and drive them all out, so she naturally couldn't give him a friendly look.

"Not you? Does this little inn have a second top-tier chef?"

Upon hearing Tadokoro Megumi's words, Wang Zhi's expression froze for a moment, then immediately turned serious as he scanned the hotel room with his eyes.

I thought it would be an easy battle, that a food war could easily crush an opponent, but now it seems that it is not so simple.

If someone as skilled as Megumi Tadokoro is willing to stay behind the scenes and become an observer in a food battle, then the person who takes her place must be even stronger!

Who exactly is this person who went into battle?

Such a question arose in Wang Zhi's mind.

"You can choose the theme for the dishes, and the competition will be held between the two hotels, with passing travelers serving as judges. What do you think of that?"

During the conversation, Bai Yuan walked over unnoticed, speaking as he approached. The guests on both sides made way for him upon hearing his voice, watching everything with great interest, until he stood next to Tadokoro Megumi, confronting Wang Zhi.

"Who are you?"

“Just an unknown nobody, but also your opponent in this food battle. My name is Bai Yuan.”

Bai Yuan spoke casually. Because of his rapid growth, he had been sidelined and few people knew about his deeds except for a few individuals.

The young, four-star chef in front of him was clearly not among the select few. Wang Zhi was utterly surprised; he had expected to encounter a formidable figure, but it turned out to be just another young man.

He had never even heard of such a guy. He wasn't some veteran master chef who wanted to graduate. He might be good enough for a regular food battle, but against him, he was no match. There were at least eighty or a hundred master chefs who had been defeated by him.

It can be said that he is invincible below the Special Grade Five Star!

“Wang Zhi”.

Thinking of this, Wang Zhi introduced himself again, his face still bearing the same smile as before.

"I have no problem."

As for the theme of the cuisine, I had heard before coming that this town is located by the sea and surrounded by large tracts of farmland, and is famous for its seafood and local crops.

If there are no objections, this time we'll focus on local seafood and native crops to create a dish with local characteristics.

However, this dish must be original. It may reference some previous dishes, but the similarity cannot be too high; otherwise, it will be considered a loss.

Seeing that Bai Yuan had asked him to decide the theme, and remembering that Zhuang Huiyuan had once produced a luminous dish, which itself possessed considerable depth, Wang Zhi did not refuse. After closing his eyes and thinking for a moment, he opened them and slowly spoke.

In his opinion, even if Bai Yuan's cooking skills were excellent, his competition experience was lacking. After all, how old was he? He couldn't possibly be proficient in everything!

"Great theme, let's leave it at that!"

Upon hearing Wang Zhi's words, Bai Yuan's eyes lit up.

He was worried about not having a gift for Tadokoro Mieko, and now, through a food battle with the person in front of him, he could make this newly developed dish the signature dish of the garden.

"It's morning now, how about we set the time for this evening? An afternoon should be enough for you to prepare, right? If not, we can extend it a bit..."

Wang Zhi tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, making a crisp sound. He spoke provocatively, clearly intending to bully Bai Yuan and give him no time to prepare.

Compared to a seasoned veteran, a newbie like Bai Yuan would need at least a day or two to prepare a decent dish.

"I have no problem with it. I can start right now, since the final result won't make a difference."

He thought Bai Yuan would refuse and ask for more time, at which point he could mock the other party for taking too long and thus gain the upper hand in terms of momentum.

To his surprise, Bai Yuan simply shrugged and strode over to him, looking down at him.

"Arrogant and conceited."

Wang Zhi gave this assessment: compared to the humble and polite Tadokoro Megumi beside her, this young man who was only a few years older than her was far too arrogant!

To prepare an impromptu meal for a competition, leaving no time for thought whatsoever—how little respect do they have for me?!

Thinking of this, Wang Zhi's face darkened, and he decided to go back and prepare well, at least to serve up a dish that would make it impossible for this kid to ever turn his life around!

"At dusk, at the street entrance, I hope you won't disappoint me."

"Each each other."

After saying that, Wang Zhi said nothing more and walked straight towards the door.

Bai Yuan didn't try to stop him, silently watching him leave. They casually responded to each other's disdain, then looked at Tadokoro Megumi beside him, waved, and walked towards the door.

Tadokoro Megumi immediately understood, took off her apron and handed it to the staff member next to her, then jogged after them, and the two quickly disappeared from sight.

Now that it's just past lunchtime, the kitchen doesn't need many people, making it the perfect time for her to get away.

“You know the surrounding shops well. I need the best ingredients to make the most exquisite dishes and make them never dare to mess with your shops again.”

Leaving Zhuang Huiyuan and walking along the bustling streets, surrounded by the hawking of various shops, Bai Yuan glanced at Tadokoro Megumi beside him and said.

If you're going to do something, do it to the best of your ability. Even though your opponents aren't as strong as you imagine, you won't underestimate anyone because you believe in the winner takes all.

As the saying goes, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit.

Furthermore, he also wanted to use this dish to enhance Zhuang Huiyuan's reputation, attract more attention to it, and thus bring in more customers.

The impact of this is profound and will not diminish with his departure; it can be considered a gift he gave to Mieko Tadokoro before leaving.

“Okay, if you want to buy vegetables, Uncle Zagu’s is the best place. His vegetables are grown in his yard and he uses farmyard manure.”

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Tadokoro Megumi replied without hesitation.

As an indigenous person who has lived here for over a decade, she has an incredibly clear understanding of who sells the best ingredients.

"Alright, lead the way."

Seeing the girl's determined look, Bai Yuan raised his hand and waved it forward, signaling her to lead the way.

"No need, it's just ahead."

As she spoke, Tadokoro Megumi suddenly quickened her pace and soon came to a bearded, somewhat melancholy-looking middle-aged man. She smiled and said to him, "Uncle Zaku, it's been a long time."

"It's Xiao Hui, it's been a long time indeed."

I heard you're having a food battle with the hotel across the street this evening. Your opponent seems really strong; I heard they're a top-tier chef. Good luck!

Upon hearing the sound, Uncle Zaku, who was playing on his phone, looked up. Just as he was about to say something, his eyes lit up when he saw that it was Tadokoro Megumi. Then he remembered what the Hundred Torii Gate had been promoting on the street.

The gist of the message was that they could come to watch the game in the afternoon and get free food.

This was a determined move to win the competition decisively in front of everyone, thereby acquiring the property rights of Zhuang Huiyuan and turning it into a place where all the birds would live separately.

"The one who will be having the food battle in the evening is not me, but Mr. Shirayuki next to me."

I came here simply to buy some vegetables from you. Your vegetables are of the highest quality in the market, and having them will definitely increase my chances of success.

Megumi Tadokoro's voice was gentle and melodious, like a spring breeze caressing the heart.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration. Pick whatever you like. The vegetables are free today, consider it a small token of my support."

Uncle Zaku patted his chest generously and decided to give them the vegetables in front of him as ingredients for the food battle.

"How can you do this? You've worked so hard to grow them..."

"Don't say things like that. A few vegetables aren't worth much. If you feel embarrassed, just win the game beautifully. I'll be there to watch."

Just as Tadokoro Megumi was about to decline, Uncle Zaku stopped her with his words.

The other person forcefully packed up all the vegetables in front of him, stuffed them into Bai Yuan's arms, took the small stool he was sitting on, and left.

"This uncle is really enthusiastic."

Looking at the vegetables in the bag in front of him, Bai Yuan couldn't help but sigh. The chrysanthemum pumpkin, the Lichuan burdock, and the red-rooted radish were all local specialties.

"Honestly, they ran away after only a few words."

Let's take these back first, then head to the next place.

Watching Uncle Zaku's departing figure, Tadokoro Megumi puffed out her cheeks and said, then turned her gaze to Shirayuki, wanting to take the vegetables from his hands.

"I can carry these things myself, you just need to stay by my side."

Bai Yuan personally delivered the vegetables back to Zhuang Huiyuan, and then set off again with Tadokoro Megumi.

When they arrived at the shopping street, Shirabuchi and Tadokoro were surprised to find that everyone in the town seemed to know that Shohokuen and Hyakkoi were about to have a food battle, and they all gave her the ingredients by coincidence.

Even though Megumi Tadokoro repeatedly declined, thinking it was inappropriate, she couldn't resist the enthusiasm of everyone, who gave her the best ingredients from their respective stalls.

The implication is that winning the game would be the best way to repay them.

"Logically speaking, you should be the main character in this food battle; I'm the one who stole your spot."

"In that case, the development of the dishes will be entrusted to you. Don't refuse; I will be responsible for perfecting the dishes you develop."

Shirabuchi's voice suddenly rang out as he watched Tadokoro Megumi, after chatting with a burly man, push a giant anglerfish out of the factory behind him.

He had originally decided to develop his own recipe and use it to enter the competition.

But when he saw the enthusiasm of the other people in the town for Tadokoro Megumi, he suddenly felt that the protagonist of this food battle should not be him, but Tadokoro Megumi.

It was only because of his limited skill level that he was unlikely to win even with his best efforts that he was forced to step up and save the day.

"Leave the development of the dishes to me..."

Bai Yuan's words startled Tadokoro Megumi, who clearly hadn't expected him to entrust her with such an important matter, as it concerned the fate of Zhuang Huiyuan.

"Calm down. With your current abilities, it's not difficult for you to develop a dish with the potential to be a top-tier dish. Besides, I'll always be there to back you up no matter what. Just go ahead and do it with confidence."

Bai Yuan raised his hand and patted Tadokoro Megumi's head. It was time for her to participate in the food battle of the special-grade chefs. After all, this girl's strength had already reached the edge of the special-grade chef level.

This Fujian Youth Chef Competition may be a good opportunity for transformation.