The delicacies of the heavens begin with obtaining gem meat.

Upon hearing Inui Hinako announce that the two had passed, Jiang Yan remained calm, as this was a matter of course.

He neatly and decisively took back the porcelain plate in front of Inui Hinako.

They then returned to the stove with Ryoko Sakaki and began to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Jiang Yan tore off a piece of chicken, put it in his mouth, chewed it carefully, and then showed a satisfied expression.

"The taste is indeed excellent. The fragrance of lotus leaves and the rich flavor of chicken blend perfectly, and the texture is flawless."

Ryoko Sakaki sampled the wild vegetables and mushrooms, and then offered her comments.

"Not only is the chicken outstanding, but the accompanying wild vegetables and mushrooms are also amazing, fully absorbing the umami flavor of the chicken and complementing each other perfectly."

Jiang Yan nodded, then added.

"Actually, this lotus leaf chicken is not only delicious, but also a traditional Chinese medicinal dish."

"It has the effects of replenishing deficiencies, benefiting the five internal organs, strengthening muscles and bones, and promoting blood circulation."

"It can clear heat and relieve summer heat, and nourish the body..."

"You could say it's both delicious and healthy."

Before they could finish speaking, only bones remained of the lotus leaf chicken.

This research project has also come to an end.

After a short rest, Jiang Yan and Ryoko Sakaki began their afternoon's lesson, with Guan Shouping as the guest lecturer.

The dish requested was Japanese cuisine, which Jiang Yan wasn't very good at, but fortunately, Ryoko Sakaki had no problem making it.

Therefore, Ryoko Sakaki took the lead in this project, and the two of them successfully passed.

After finishing today's lesson, the qualified trainees returned to the hotel.

However, after the people from Polar Star Dormitory gathered, they discovered that Megumi Tadokoro and Soma Yukihira had not returned, and their phones were unreachable.

Jiang Yan understood this, so he wasn't too worried.

However, the other members of the Polar Star Dormitory were not able to remain calm about this.

After discussing it, everyone decided to wait for news in Marui Zenji's room, while Aoki Daigo and Sato Shoji went to find out the whereabouts of Tadokoro Megumi and Yukihira Soma.

..............................

A dozen minutes later, Daigo Aoki and Shoji Sato returned breathlessly to Zenji Marui's room.

However, an uninvited guest, Takmi, was following behind them.

Daigo Aoki and Shoji Sato, without even wiping the sweat from their brows, blurted out all the information they had gathered as soon as they entered the room.

After hearing their story, Yoshino Yuuki's eyes widened instantly, filled with confusion and bewilderment.

"Megumi and Yukihira, they've actually started a food battle against the graduates!"

"Why is that?"

I have absolutely no idea why Megumi Tadokoro and Soma Yukihira would engage in a food battle with graduates of Totsuki Culinary Arts.

Daigo Aoki scratched his head and added in a complicated tone.

"I heard from the other students that Tadokoro is facing expulsion, so that guy Yukihira..."

For a moment, no one knew how to evaluate Soma Yukihira's actions, since he was trying to help Megumi Tadokoro.

However, they were facing seniors who had already graduated, so their chances of winning this food battle were almost negligible.

Takumi, who had only happened to run into Daigo Aoki and his companion out of curiosity, immediately showed an envious expression after hearing the whole story.

"Yukihira and Tadokoro are actually having a food battle with graduates... This is a rare opportunity for real-world experience!"

Takumi was eager to try his hand at competing against the graduates; the thought of it thrilled him.

He was also eager to test the abilities of those graduates.

Jiang Yan glanced at the agitated Takumi and said calmly.

"If you're prepared to drop out, you could give it a try."

..............................

Jiang Yan's words snapped Takmi back to reality, and the expectation on his face faded, replaced by a hint of dejection.

With his current strength, he is still far behind the graduates of Totsuki Academy. If he rashly initiates a food battle, he will only end up in a crushing defeat.

He has no intention of dropping out of Totsuki Academy yet!

However, Takmi suddenly realized a very serious problem.

"So, does that mean Yukihira will most likely be expelled?"

"I haven't even defeated him fair and square yet, how can I let him leave Totsuki like this!"

Takmi gritted his teeth, feeling extremely unwilling.

The other members of Polaris Dormitory looked dejected.

Two hours passed in a flash, and the atmosphere in the room had become extremely oppressive.

Just when everyone was about to lose their composure, Tadokoro Megumi called.

She simply informed everyone that her food battle with Soma Yukihira had ended, and neither of them would be expelled, so everyone didn't need to worry.

This made everyone feel much more relaxed.

Shortly after hanging up the phone, Megumi Tadokoro pushed open the door to Zenji Marui's room and came in.

Immediately, everyone swarmed around Tadokoro Megumi, bombarding her with questions about the details, process, and outcome of the food battle.

Takumi, standing to the side, looked at Tadokoro Megumi, who was surrounded by everyone, and his envy was almost overflowing.

She pursed her lips and muttered under her breath.

"Damn it, I missed such a wonderful food battle and the chance to compete against the graduates. They just got the upper hand like that."

Not long after, Soma Yukihira also pushed open the door and walked in.

Seeing this, Takumi wanted to challenge Soma Yukihira, even though he already knew from Megumi Tadokoro that the two of them had lost the food war.

The fact that neither of them was expelled speaks volumes.

At this moment, Soma Yukihira was in a low mood and only gave a perfunctory reply.

..............................

After a brief period of noise, everyone left to rest, knowing that the next task would not be easy either.

The next day, just as dawn broke, many students began another busy day.

To Jiang Yan's surprise, he and Ryoko Sakaki encountered Kojiro Shinomiya this time.

At this moment, Shinomiya Kojiro had heavy dark circles under his eyes, bloodshot eyes, and his face showed obvious fatigue.

Clearly, last night's food battle kept Kojiro Shinomiya up all night.

This time, Kojiro Shinomiya once again presented a task involving vegetable cooking.

However, after checking, Jiang Yan found that the vegetables prepared for this project were all fresh seasonal vegetables of excellent quality.

Faced with such a challenge, Jiang Yan and Ryoko Sakaki were naturally very adept. From the selection and preparation of ingredients to the control of heat and the layers of seasoning, every step was very precise.

The finished dish met Shinomiya Kojiro's standards in both appearance and flavor, and he passed the test without any doubt.

By the time all the assignments for the third day were completed, everyone in the Polaris Dormitory passed.

However, the intense workload and mental strain of the past few days have made Marui Zenji, who was already physically weak, look increasingly haggard and thin, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

After washing up in the hotel's hot spring bath and changing into comfortable pajamas, the group from Polar Star Dormitory prepared to head to Marui Zenji's room for a get-together.

In response, the extremely weak Marui Zenji no longer had the strength to resist.