Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Many people in the town went to watch the competition, and Tadokoro Mieko heard the news immediately that Tadokoro Megumi had won first place in the summer selection.

From an average student to a champion at a prestigious culinary school, Bai Yuan's help was indispensable.

Otherwise, no matter how great the progress, it wouldn't be like this, leaving people speechless with admiration.

“I just did what I could, and any teacher would have done the same. More importantly, it was Xiaohui’s own hard work. Only through persistent efforts could she get to where she is today.”

Bai Yuan waved his hand. He hadn't done much; he just had her come to him every day for lessons and taught her some basic cooking knowledge.

"No, not just anyone can do that! Only Teacher Bai Yuan, only you!"

Tadokoro Megumi suddenly shook her head seriously, her eyes flashing with a different kind of emotion—a suppressed but restrained love.

"For so long, only you have appreciated me, given me confidence and courage, and taught me how to cook. I owe a great deal to you, Teacher Bai Yuan, for my achievements today!"

Thinking of everything Bai Yuan had done for her, Tadokoro Megumi felt a surge of warmth in her heart. The next moment, she couldn't help but open her arms and hug him, unwilling to let go for a long time.

"Xiao Hui really relies on Xiao Bai."

"Tadokoro Mieko said with a smile. After our conversation, she had changed her address for Shiro Awakening from "Shiro Awakening" to "Little Shiro," a term of endearment that clearly showed she had accepted him and truly regarded him as her son-in-law.

"Speaking of which, why is there not a single customer in the store? It should be lunchtime now, right? Usually, everyone would be out at this time."

With her mother watching, Tadokoro Megumi let go of Shirobuchi's hand after a short while of tenderness, and then looked around.

At this moment, the spacious hall was deserted, with only the three of them dining. This was the first time she had ever seen such a scene.

At this time of day, the hall is usually not completely full, but there are at least seven or eight guests.

Thanks to the town's vigorous development of tourism, which uses its beautiful scenery as a selling point, a large number of tourists have been attracted to the town, and the Tadokori family's inn business has become increasingly prosperous. During the peak tourist season, the rooms are even fully booked.

But now...

It's autumn vacation time, and although it's not peak tourist season, quite a few tourists have still come. How could the largest hotel in town be completely empty? That's highly unusual!

“This…” Tadokoro Mieko hesitated, but quickly made up her mind and said, “Actually, a new chain hotel opened across from us. Because it’s backed by a big company, the prices are cheap, and there are professional chefs in charge of meals, so all the guests have been attracted there.”

At this point, a strong sense of resentment appeared on Mieko Tadokoro's face.

She had been running this business for so many years, only to be easily defeated by a newly opened chain hotel, without even the slightest ability to put up a fight.

If it weren't for the occasional visits from regular customers, she would probably have suffered heavy losses these past few months. Even so, the daily deficit still puts her under immense pressure.

If things continue like this, it won't be long before Zhuang Huiyuan goes bankrupt, the land will be bought up at a low price, and she will lose this place completely.

But if she forced herself to continue, the daily losses would become unbearable for her...

"Have you thought it through? Twenty million yen, and I'll buy your hotel! Don't try to drag this out any longer. Let's stop here. The longer we drag this out, the lower the price will go!" A boastful voice came from the doorway.

Upon hearing the shouts outside, Tadokoro Mieko's expression changed, and Tadokoro Megumi also nervously leaned against Shiroyuki, her eyes fixed on the direction from which the sound came.

"Oh, is this lunch? I thought it would be some fancy cuisine, but it's just another seafood stew. No wonder no customers want to come."

I really don't know what you people are thinking, just randomly stewing so much high-end seafood and calling it "fusion"—it's laughable!

The newcomer was a man who was 1.8 meters tall, wearing a sharp suit and sunglasses. He was muscular and looked very imposing.

He held a document in his hand; a quick glance revealed it to be a "Real Estate Transfer Contract," along with the words he had spoken upon arrival. Clearly, he was there to pressure Tadokoro Mieko into selling the hotel.

"No matter what, I will never sell the hotel to you! Forget about it!" Tadokoro Mieko stared at the man in the suit and said, word by word.

Another crucial reason the hotel went out of business was that the man spread rumors claiming that the hotel was overcharging tourists. Many unsuspecting tourists, to avoid trouble, opted for the chain hotel across the street.

"I really don't know what the point of you persisting is. This hotel has been around for quite a while, hasn't it? Old things like this will eventually be phased out. While it still has some value, you should sell it quickly!"

I've already hired a construction team; they'll definitely transform this into a world-class hotel, capable of accommodating hundreds of guests at a time.

The man stepped forward disdainfully, looked around, and seemed to want to further coerce Tadokoro Mieko into signing the contract, but was stopped by Shirabuchi, who was watching from the sidelines.

“To continue pressuring him would be ungentlemanly,” Bai Yuan said coldly.

"Who are you? This is none of your business. Get out of here! Otherwise, I guarantee you'll regret showing up here today."

Faced with Bai Yuan's sudden appearance, the man frowned, his words filled with a threatening tone.

The main reason he dared to go to the house alone and act so arrogantly was that he knew there were no men in the Tadokoro family, and the few staff members were all elderly people.

However, Bai Yuan's appearance in the hall and his attempt to stop him made him realize that things were not so simple.

"Fool, I'm not attacking you because I'm well-mannered, not because I'm easy to bully." Before Bai Yuan finished speaking, he had already grabbed the man's collar, slammed him to the ground, and dislocated his arm. The man immediately let out a pig-like scream.

"Aaaaah! How dare you treat me like this! Do you know who I am? If you offend me, you're all doomed!" the man screamed in agony.

"There's no reason to welcome an unwelcome guest."

Bai Yuan said coldly, then picked him up like a piglet and carried him to the door, kicking the man out without giving him any face.

Outside the hotel, passersby cast curious glances, and the mocking looks made the man in the suit blush with embarrassment.

"We're not selling the hotel. If you really want to take it, send your best chef over for a food battle!"

Bai Yuan's voice was cold and resolute.

"You wait for me!"

The man fled in a sorry state, like a stray dog, not forgetting to utter a harsh remark before leaving.

Bai Yuan stood at the door, his gaze cold and stern. Through the conversation just now, he had roughly understood the ins and outs of the matter.

This man is from the newly opened chain hotel across the street. His purpose in coming here is to acquire Zhuang Huiyuan in order to expand his own business.

During the conversation, Bai Yuan learned that the town's tourism industry is booming, making it a veritable untapped treasure trove.

It's not surprising that some people are envious of the business opportunities here, but that doesn't mean they can act recklessly.

Zhuang Huiyuan is where Tadokoro Megumi grew up; it's her home. As her partner, Bai Yuan feels it's his duty to help her protect this home.

"Teacher Bai Yuan, where are you going?"

"I'll go check out their situation. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle."

Upon hearing the question, Bai Yuan revealed his purpose: he planned to follow the great man's footsteps to see who he would meet.

Waiting passively is not in Bai Yuan's nature; he needs to know the specific situation on the other side!

"This is too dangerous! You just made your move; if you follow them now, they might have already set up an ambush..."

However, just as Bai Yuan was about to leave, Tadokoro Megumi grabbed his arm. She looked at him with a worried expression, as if she didn't want him to risk leaving.

"Don't worry, I have my own measure."

Bai Yuan didn't explain much, he just patted her hand, left those words, and strode away in the direction the big man had gone.

He knew that now was the best time to spy, otherwise he wouldn't be able to find out anything!

"Let's go back first. Now we can only trust Xiaobai."

Watching Bai Yuan's departing figure, Tadokoro Mieko, who had been silent until now, patted Tadokoro Megumi on the shoulder and spoke, before returning to the inn alone.

Although Tadokoro Megumi wanted to wait at the door, she knew that Shiro wouldn't be back for a while, so she went back and prepared to personally prepare a room for him.

As for the other side.

Bai Yuan followed the big man, watching him stagger. Even though his arm was dislocated, he didn't immediately seek treatment. Soon they arrived at a teahouse in the town.

The man who met the burly man was a young man. The young man was surprised to see the burly man's dislocated arm, and then helped him put the dislocated arm back in place.

His movements were practiced and skillful, clearly indicating that this wasn't his first time doing something like this, which surprised Bai Yuan somewhat.

"Tell me, what happened? How did you get yourself into this state? Did Zhuang Huiyuan's people attack you? Don't tell me you can't even beat some old people, women, and children..."

The young man took a sip of tea from the table, his fingers lightly rubbing the outside of the teacup, his face filled with confusion.

Although the big man in front of them wasn't very strong, he was physically imposing. Most people would tremble at the sight of him, let alone try to defeat him.

It's obvious that the other person is also a trained fighter.

"My lord, you must do me justice!"

Upon hearing the young man's question, the burly man immediately burst into tears, embellishing the story of what Bai Yuan had done to him.

"What audacity! How dare they disregard us like this and even challenge us to a food battle. But this will save us a lot of trouble; as long as we win the food battle, we can take over the inn."

However, since that guy so confidently brought up the term "food battle," his strength must be considerable. To avoid any unforeseen complications, you go and...

As if he had just thought of something, a cold smile appeared on the young man's face. The other party dared to propose a food battle so aggressively, so he must have something to rely on.

Judging from the martial arts skills displayed by the opponent, the person who made the move is likely a master chef. And the only one who can defeat a master chef is a master chef.

However, even if a kid in his early twenties is a master chef, his skills can't be that strong. He would be crushed if he faced a veteran master chef!

This is also why he sent the big man to request offerings...

Since Bai Yuan wants a food battle, then we'll participate. However, we can't agree so hastily, since Zhuang Huiyuan is the one who can't hold out right now.

If we delay a little longer, we might be able to obtain more favorable conditions.

Half an hour later, Bai Yuan left the teahouse. Because he was a martial arts master, he was not discovered while eavesdropping the whole time.

After learning of the young man's plans, Bai Yuan did not choose to return immediately, but instead went to the chain hotel that Tadokoro Mieko had pointed out to check the situation.

Compared to the quietness of Zhuang Huiyuan, this chain hotel was much more lively. People would come in with their luggage every now and then to check in at the front desk.

Business and leisure...

Comparing the conditions of the two hotels, the following thought came to Bai Yuan's mind.

Although they are both hotels, their target audiences are clearly different due to their completely different styles.

In other words, even with the addition of this hotel, Zhuang Huiyuan's business would be affected to some extent, but it would certainly not be so desolate in terms of customers.

Thinking of this, Bai Yuan took out his phone and started searching online.

Soon, he found a post on LINE and various social media platforms titled "Unscrupulous Hotel Overcharging," and clicked on it.

The post was made two months ago, and it received many likes, but was filled with nothing but insults, with only a few explanations lost in the crowd.

As Bai Yuan predicted, the first thing to do to positively impact a hotel's business is to smear it, and posting on the internet is undoubtedly the most effective way.

As a famous Japanese hotel chain, it undoubtedly far surpasses Shohokuen in terms of financial resources. In addition, it took the initiative, which led to Tadokoro Mieko's inability to cope.

After all, she didn't have any effective means to counter it, and her hotel didn't have any irresistible advantages. It was neither high-end nor low-end, which was the main reason why her customers were being poached.

Having figured out the differences between the two hotels and the current shortcomings of Zhuang Huiyuan, Bai Yuan refused the greeter who came to ask if he wanted to check in, left the chain hotel called Bai Niao Ju, and strode towards Zhuang Huiyuan.

He had already devised a comprehensive plan to turn Zhuang Huiyuan's losses into profits, the core of which was the fish offal stew that the big man had previously looked down upon.

Chapter 225 The Key to Breaking the Stalemate