Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　"Yeah, that's what I thought too."

　Since it's a competition, we should give it our all. That's Bai Yuan's idea. And he already had the answer in his mind about the dish that best showcases knife skills.

　Fierce Ice Fresh Sea Bream Mountain!

　An amazing dish that can only be made by utilizing the icy properties of the North Star Wolf Blade!

　The Northern Star Wolf Blade is an amazing kitchen knife that was forged over several years using ice blocks taken from the bottom of a northern glacier, without melting them.

　After being crafted, its blade is as sharp as a razor, and the icy aura it contains can prevent heat from affecting the meat, making it a truly perfect kitchen knife.

　By sheer coincidence, Bai Yuan met the chef who forged this knife in the world of dark cuisine through his cooking. Later, due to some special reasons, the chef told him how to make this special knife.

　This is also a disposable kitchen knife. Once unsheathed, it can only be used for cooking for a maximum of two hours, and it can cause great damage to the user's hands.

　In addition, Bai Yuan also learned to make other secret kitchen knives from several blacksmiths in the dark cuisine world, such as the Hundred Hole Knife and the Seven Star Knife, after paying a considerable price.

　With ample financial resources, he had already crafted and put into use a series of dark cuisine kitchen utensils, such as the Seven Star Knife and the Northern Star Wolf Blade.

　He is now much stronger than he was in the world of culinary disasters.

　He cooked day and night, and at the same time purchased a large number of culinary books by top chefs from various countries, learning from their strengths and drawing on their expertise.

　Of course, Bai Yuan also knew that those core culinary techniques would not be written in published recipes.

　Even the dishes in the recipes are outdated versions. If you want to learn the real stuff, you still have to fight alongside chefs of the same level!

　"Perhaps it's time to leave..."

　Watching Alice Nakiri walk downstairs ahead of him, the girl's steps light and agile, Bai Yuan had many thoughts. If he continued to stay here, it seemed that he had no room for growth.

　After five years of development, he has grown to 1.82 meters tall, with full muscles and smooth lines. With the support of internal energy, he is confident that he can kill an elephant with his own hands!

　"Kurokiba? What are you doing here? Here to challenge me again? Unfortunately, my time is with my master today. You'll have to wait until tomorrow!"

　Suddenly, Alice Nakiri stopped in her tracks, and Bai Yuan also came to his senses, his expression blank as he saw Kurokiba Ryo waiting in the villa's living room.

　"There's an event at the store tomorrow, so I can't get away. Are your plans urgent? If not, you can have a match with me first. An hour will be enough."

　Five years have passed, and Kurokiba has become cool.

　He's grown into a young man, but the dark circles under his eyes are more pronounced, making him look listless.

　"Then let's postpone it. Today I'm going to have a knife skills competition with my master. If you don't mind, you can be our referee."

　As if she had thought of something, Alice Nakiri smiled and said to Ryo Kurokiba, a hint of smugness in her eyes, after all, this was something the other party had been looking forward to.

　She's done it now!

　"What?! You actually beat me to a duel with Teacher Bai Yuan! Unforgivable! I want to join too! Let me be part of this battle!"

　Upon hearing "Nakiri Alice," Kurokiba Ryo's lazy expression instantly changed, his eyes widening slightly. Even without tying the headscarf wrapped around his hands to his head, he looked incredibly excited.

　Clearly, the mere thought of fighting Bai Yuan was enough to ignite his passion.

　"No, this is a battle between my master and me. I will not allow a third person to interfere!"

　Alice Nakiri refused without hesitation. This was her first duel with Hakuyuan in many years, and it was of great significance. She absolutely could not allow outsiders to interfere.

　Although Kurokiba Ryo has become a good friend of hers after so many years of competition, this relationship is far inferior to that of Shiro Awakening!

　"Alright, then I'll be the referee. It's been a while since I've had Teacher Baiyuan's cooking, so I hope you don't lose too badly."

　"No way! I've learned most of Master Bai Yuan's skills. Even if I lose, it will be by a very small margin!"

　Looking into Alice Nakiri's eyes, Ryo Kurokiba deflated like a punctured balloon, reverting to his previous listless demeanor.

　"Are you two going to have a competition? That's rare. Did you two have a fight?"

　In the kitchen, Leonora Nakiri, who had just brewed tea, came out and looked surprised when she heard the three talking. Then she looked at Alice Nakiri and revealed the truth in one sentence.

　"We didn't argue! We just suddenly wanted to have a match. As the saying goes, the student surpasses the master. Although I don't think I can surpass my master now, if it's just a swordsmanship duel, we should be evenly matched!"

　Nakiri Leonora's words made Nakiri Alice blush. She said somewhat anxiously that she would never say that all of this was caused by her laziness!

　However, having a match with Bai Yuan has always been her wish.

　"But that would still be one person short. To determine the winner, we need an odd number of judges."

　As she spoke, Leonora Nakiri seemed to have thought of something, and a worried expression appeared on her face.

　"Please appoint Mr. Jonah as a judge, that would make a perfect three people."

　Just then, Bai Yuan, who had been silent until now, spoke up, saying that it was unrealistic to just grab anyone from outside to be a judge. Instead, it would be better to have Jonah serve as a judge.

　As Alice Nakiri's bodyguard and Hakubuchi's errand boy, Jonah's meals have improved considerably in recent years, and he has also developed an excellent palate.

　Putting everything else aside, being a judge in this competition is quite easy.

　Chapter Twenty-Four: Buying Sea Bream – A Dispute is About to Erupt

　After finalizing the judges for the competition, Bai Yuan and Alice Nakiri went out to buy sea bream.

　Recently, fishing boats discovered a habitat for sea bream in the ocean, which has led to an increase in the number of sea bream in the local fish market.

　"Brother Bai, you've arrived at the market. We just got some fresh crucian carp. Would you like a couple?"

　"Not for now, Mir. We're here to buy sea bream. Do you have a supply? Preferably live, very fresh."

　As soon as the two entered the seafood market, a fishmonger greeted them warmly, and Bai Yuan waved back while asking him for information.

　Although the market supply of sea bream has increased recently, the price remains high, making it unaffordable for the average consumer.

　Therefore, whenever sea bream are caught, they are sent to larger seafood restaurants, and most of them are pre-ordered. You have to rely on luck to buy fresh ones.

　In this situation, it's impractical to contact each stall individually. The best approach is to ask the locals, especially the fish stall owners, since they're part of the same industry and likely know some inside information.

　"What a coincidence! You've come to the right person. My brother-in-law just bought a few from the fishermen this morning. I'll take you there. I asked him out of curiosity this morning, and they haven't reserved any yet."

　"Come with me."

　Upon hearing that Bai Yuan needed sea bream, the fishmonger he called Mir excitedly asked the stall owner next to him to watch his stall and then led him towards his brother-in-law's shop.

　"Let's go. I didn't expect to be so lucky. We made a purchase as soon as we arrived at the market."

　"Maybe today is our lucky day!"

　Bai Yuan exchanged a glance with Alice Nakiri beside him, noticing the interest in her eyes, and then chuckled and teased her before following her.

　Alice Nakiri followed closely behind.

　·

　·

　After crossing three streets, Bai Yuan and Nakiri Alice arrived at his brother-in-law's shop, led by the fishmonger Mil.

　Unlike his small stall that he casually set up on the street, Mir's brother-in-law's shop was very large, with more than twenty fish tanks inside. The tanks contained not only river and sea fish, but also high-end ingredients such as king crabs and Boston lobsters, some of which were even alive and crawling energetically in the tanks. From the outside, it looked like a small aquarium.

　Brother-in-law, are you there?

　Fishmonger Mil stood at the shop entrance and shouted loudly, looking somewhat anxious. He had finally managed to bring customers to his shop, and most importantly, his boss couldn't be absent.

　"It's Mil. Ang is out on business. What brings you here, you brat? You can't sell your fish and you want to sell them here again, can you? I told you long ago, the seafood business is tough these days. You should switch to civil engineering... wasn't that what you majored in in college?"

　Just as Mir was standing at the door, getting impatient, a slightly shrewish voice came from inside the shop, accompanied by a woman.

　The woman was wearing a beige shirt with an apron hanging in front of her. There were some bloodstains and fish scales on the apron, indicating that she had just been cleaning fish inside.

　The moment the woman saw Mil, she began to lecture him, even subconsciously ignoring the two guests beside him.

　The current fishery market was snapped up more than a decade ago, so it's not a good time to enter now.

　"No, sis, do you think I'm that fragile? I sold all the stock I received yesterday. I'm here today to introduce customers to you!"

　Hearing his sister's blunt criticism, Mir said helplessly that if Bai Yuan and the others hadn't been there, he would have given them a good talking-to.

　"Customers? You have your own business and you come here to introduce customers to me? Are you just bored?"

　Upon hearing Mir's words, the woman's expression became even stranger. If Bai Yuan and the others hadn't been there, she would have reached out and touched his head to see if he had a fever.

　"No, if I had that stuff for sale, I definitely wouldn't have brought them here! Sea bream, didn't you just get a batch this morning? These two customers want to buy that!"

　"Here to buy sea bream?"

　Looking at the little girl in front of her, who was no more than ten years old, the woman who was killing fish frowned involuntarily. She was probably just making fun of her.

　"Hello, I'm from 'Nakiri International'. The price is negotiable. All you need to do is transport the sea bream alive to this address."

　Faced with the fish-killing woman's suspicious words, Alice Nakiri, prepared in advance, took out her business card and, at the same time, introduced herself.

　"Your surname is Nakiri, could you perhaps be...?"

　Because 'Nakiri International' is very famous in this area, the fish-killing woman looked shocked when Alice Nakiri announced her company's name.

　“That’s right, I am Alice Nakiri, the eldest daughter of ‘Nakiri International’. Now you should no longer doubt our purchasing power.”

　"No doubt about it, no doubt about it. I'll take you to see the sea bream right now. They were just caught this morning and are still lively and jumping around. You'll definitely be satisfied with the quality!"

　As soon as the business card was presented, the woman who killed the fish underwent a complete 180-degree change in attitude, and her eyes became eager as she looked at Alice Nakiri.

　This is 'Nakiri International'! A well-known large corporation in the area! If they perform well today and win the young lady's favor, thus securing some kind of long-term cooperation, they could easily make a fortune!

　Thinking of this, the woman who killed the fish led Alice Nakiri to the tank where the sea bream were kept, but a young man arrived before them.

　"Not bad at all. It's the spawning season for sea bream right now, no wonder they're so plump. I haven't seen such good-looking sea bream in a long time."

　Looking at the plump sea bream in the tank, Shirayu couldn't help but swallow hard. Such top-quality ingredients would be absolutely delicious when used to make dishes!

　“Indeed, such wonderful sea bream should all go into the kitchen of [Nuoyu], boss lady, I’ll take all of these sea bream, name your price!”

　A word of agreement came from beside Bai Yuan. Looking up, he saw a man in his thirties with a slicked-back hairstyle.

　The person accompanying him was someone Bai Yuan would never forget in his life, which made his expression turn cold.

　"It was him..."

　That's right, the person who came was the second-class chef named Thurben, who had thrown him out of the restaurant and was later chased away by the bodyguards sent by Alice Nakiri.

　As for the person who spoke earlier, if nothing unexpected happens, it should be Jancis, the head chef of the [Nuoyu] restaurant, a top-level chef from the UK who specializes in fish dishes and owns a fish shop in a nearby port.

　As for why Bai Yuan investigated these things, it was mainly because Turben had gone too far, almost causing him to die in the freezing cold.

　And the head chef of the [Nuoyu] restaurant is also the last challenge that Baiyuan set for Nakiri Alice in Denmark, a master chef named Jancis.

　Once that guy is defeated, Alice Nakiri will have mastered the craft; in other words, she will have graduated.

　As for how to defeat him, Bai Yuan already had a plan.

　That means opening a "fish feed" restaurant nearby to squeeze out their market share, causing a significant decrease in their customer traffic, until they can't take it anymore and take the initiative to challenge them to a food war, using their superior strength to force them to close down.

　As for why he did this, it was entirely to repay a debt of gratitude. He planned to train Alice Nakiri to become a top-tier chef before she turned 15.

　The best way to grow is through cooking competitions.

　Finding a suitable opponent is difficult, and even if you do find one, they might not be willing to compete with a newbie like you. Unless someone exploits your weakness, such as targeting your carefully managed shop, and in the absence of any grudge, destroying someone else's shop is not Bai Yuan's intention.

　In this way, a shop that had a grudge against him and was also connected with Alice Nakiri undoubtedly became the best target for destruction.

　However, collecting some interest first wouldn't be a bad idea...

　Chapter Twenty-Five: Settling Old and New Grudges Together!

　"We were the ones who wanted this sea bream first. If it's going to be sold, it should be sold to us first. Don't just talk to yourself like that!"

　Upon hearing Jesse's words, Alice Nakiri, who had already stood beside Bai Yuan, spoke anxiously, glancing at the fish-killing woman not far away, hoping she would step forward and speak on her behalf.

　"You just mentioned 'Nuoyu' restaurant, is that the number one fish restaurant in all of Denmark? May I ask who you are?"

　Ignoring Alice Nakiri's gesture, the fish-killing woman looked at Jesse and tentatively began to speak, somewhat reservedly but with unusual respect.

　"I am Jancis, the head chef of [Nuoyu] restaurant. This is my business card. The man next to me is my assistant, Chef Thurben."

　Jancis was not surprised by the fish-killing woman's attitude. He simply introduced himself and the people around him with a calm expression, which earned him admiring and respectful looks.

　To Bai Yuan's surprise, the second-class chef had actually been promoted to first-class chef. It's true that you can't judge a book by its cover.

　"You're right, everything should be done in a first-come, first-served manner, but isn't it a waste to waste such a fine sea bream in the hands of an mediocre person? Do you really have the ability to make it into a delicious dish that matches its value?"

　After speaking, Jesse turned his gaze to Alice Nakiri not far away, his voice laced with sarcasm. "This little brat dares to lecture me?!"

　I really don’t know what to say!

　"If even I can't do it well, then no one in the world can. I don't care if you're a 'Cat' or a 'Dog,' I'm taking these sea breams today!"

　Upon hearing Jesse's words, Bai Yuan was not angry at all, but rather very excited. "He's here!" A classic villain's statement; this kind of person won't last an episode!

　"Then let's ask the boss for his opinion. The product belongs to the boss, and it's his freedom to sell it to whomever he wants. He shouldn't have any objections, right?"