Strolling Around Acquaintances

Chapter 142 Strolling Around Acquaintances

"Phew~"

Lin Yu let out a long sigh, clenched his fist and tapped his slightly sore lower back, then took a towel, wet it with cold water, and covered his face with it.

"It's so cool! It feels so good!"

The coolness brought by the cold water made Lin Yu feel so comfortable that his pores seemed to open up.

After wiping the sweat from his forehead, Lin Yu took a towel and looked at the crowd still reluctant to leave the kitchen counter, saying apologetically, "I'm so sorry, everyone!"

"We've used up all the materials we prepared for today; we can't add any more!"

"I'm so sorry!"

"Everyone, please disperse now. The other students from Totsuki Academy also cook very delicious food. You can try it out."

Lin Yu clasped his hands together and gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, everyone!"

"Ah, almost all of the people waiting were queuing up for food for the second time, but even so, everyone was expressing their frustration and seemed very distressed."

Despite their reluctance, everyone resigned themselves to their fate and dispersed from Lin Yu's cooking station.

Lin Yu's previous exaggerated success had already attracted the attention of countless students, who had been silently watching him while feeling a deep sense of despair.

Seeing Lin Yu announce the end of the meal service brought a silent sigh of relief to the other students in the hall, including Erina Nakiri next to Lin Yu.

"This monster is finally leaving!" Everyone cheered inwardly.

Lin Yu stretched, turned around, and looked at the mountain of empty plates behind him.

Although he was physically exhausted, Lin Yu was overjoyed.

"Oh? It's gone so quickly?"

A familiar voice rang in his ears. Lin Yu looked up and saw that Dojima Gin was already standing in front of Lin Yu's cooking counter.

Dojima Gin naturally noticed the mountain of empty plates behind Lin Yu, nodded approvingly, then looked at Lin Yu and teasingly said, "Last night, you personally invited me to taste your cooking, you won't go back on your word, will you?"

"Please! Senior Dojima, you really know how to pick your time, coming so late."

Lin Yu spread his hands, gave a wry smile, and gestured with his eyes towards the pile of empty plates, his meaning clear.

"Haha! My mistake! My mistake!" Dojima Gin readily admitted his error.

"I never expected Lin Yujun's cooking to be so popular!"

"Even though we added more dishes several times, they were all distributed so quickly."

"However, this only made me more anxious."

Dojima Gin rubbed his chin, feeling like a curious kitten was scratching at his heart.

Undeterred, Dojima Gin pressed on, "Is that really all?"

"Really? There aren't any left... just kidding!"

Lin Yu chuckled and took out a set meal from under the counter.

"This is the last one!"

"I was originally thinking that if Dojima-senpai really didn't come, I would save this dish for myself after everything was over!"

"But since you've come in person, Dojima-senpai, and I said those things last night... then I'll take it!"

"Haha! Then I really should thank Lin Yujun!"

Dojima Gin-fa let out a hearty laugh and accepted the dish Lin Yu handed him.

"First, there's this bowl of congee with preserved egg and lean pork."

Dojima Gin held the bowl of rice porridge, brought it close to his nose, and the rich aroma of rice, along with the savory flavors of lean meat and preserved egg, filled his nostrils, making him let out a comfortable groan.

"The smell alone is enough to whet your appetite!"

Dojima Gin picked up a spoon, scooped up a mouthful of rice porridge, and put it in his mouth.

As soon as the fragrant congee with preserved egg and lean pork entered his stomach, Dojima Gin's eyes lit up, and even his rugged face softened a bit.

The next dish, three-egg shumai, also surprised him greatly. The outer skin was chewy, the filling was soft and glutinous, and the aroma of eggs and the salty and savory flavors were intertwined and handled very well.

Finally, at Lin Yu's suggestion, he swallowed the seemingly ordinary boiled egg in one gulp.

When the teeth break through the egg white and the tongue gently squeezes, the rich texture and delicious flavor of the crab roe explodes in his mouth like a delicious bomb!

Even the seasoned veteran Dojima Gin was unable to withstand the intense onslaught of this "umami bomb" for a moment.

Beneath the smooth, bouncy egg white lies the yolk, crab roe, crab paste, and crab meat...

The intense flavors, like elite soldiers, launched a relentless and fierce attack on his taste buds at a specific frequency.

At the very moment the delicious curve reached its peak, even someone as formidable as Dojima Gin experienced a momentary lapse in concentration.

Century egg and lean pork congee, three-egg shumai, and Qiankun egg.

One set meal, three dishes, three flavors.

Moreover, these three flavors complement each other, like three giant hammers falling one after another, carrying immense force, directly smashing into Dojima Gin's brain, leaving him no time to react before he was deeply immersed in the delicious wave!

After an unknown amount of time, Dojima Gin suddenly jolted awake, his whole body shuddering, as he snapped out of the lingering, delicious aftertaste and regained his senses.

Once he regained his senses, Dojima Gin subconsciously licked his lips, his mind replaying the impact of that delicious wave that had just knocked him out of his wits.

Suddenly, he laughed.

"Hahaha!"

"Interesting! Very interesting!"

"sharp!"

"Amazing!"

Dojima Gin-fat burst into a hearty laugh, unrestrained and flamboyant.

This is genuine laughter.

"The younger generation is truly formidable..."

'

Dojima Gin glanced at Lin Yu in front of him, then looked up at the ceiling.

Without anyone noticing, the ceiling above his head disappeared, and what Dojima Gin saw at that moment was a rising sun shining brightly on the earth!

As the person in charge of the joint training program, Dojima Gin is naturally very busy.

He had just made time to sample Lin Yu's cooking.

After all, Lin Yu was the most promising prospect he had in this year's residential training camp.

After exchanging a few words with Lin Yu, Dojima Gin hurriedly returned to the monitoring room to continue overseeing the entire operation.

After a short rest, Lin Yu began to stroll around the lobby of the venue.

After all, he had finally finished his project ahead of schedule, and the extra free time was something he had earned himself. Plus, there were so many familiar faces in the hall, so he was bound to wander around and eat his fill!

As for who the first acquaintance to be chosen would be, Lin Yu already had a target in mind.

"Is this an Italian frittata?"

Lin Yu walked to Takumi's kitchen counter, looked at the two yellow cake-like dishes on the plate, and couldn't help but lean forward and gently smell them.

"Sure!"

Lin Yu's eyes lit up, and he subconsciously praised, "The fragrance smells wonderful!"

"The aroma of both eggs and cheese is perfectly balanced!"

"That...that's natural!"

Upon seeing Lin Yu's face, Takumi was startled, but quickly regained his composure and introduced with a beaming smile, "This is a very popular breakfast dish in Italy!"

"Eggs coated in cheese and baked—this combination is indeed quite good, but..."

'

Lin Yu looked up at Takumi, a hint of doubt in his voice. "This is the 'cooking that defeated me' you mentioned before? It seems a bit bland?"

"No, no, no!"

Takmi waved his hand gently, his expression calm and confident.

"Since I dared to say those things, it can't be that simple."

"My dishes will be presented as salads, guaranteed to have a completely new look! They will offer a completely new experience to those who taste them!"

As soon as Takumi finished speaking, he wielded a wooden spatula and deftly cut the baked egg into large pieces.

Cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce...

There's also balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese.

With a gentle smile on his face, Takumi used a wooden spatula to stir the baked eggs, vegetables, and seasonings until they were evenly mixed.

Takumi's touch was very gentle, as if he were handling a delicate work of art.

"It's done!"

"Please enjoy my Italian-style baked egg salad!"

Lin Yu nodded in agreement. "It looks good; it gives off a simple and refreshing vibe!"

Lin Yu took the food and fork from Takumi, picked up a piece of baked egg and a few slices of vegetables, and put them in his mouth.

"It's delicious!"

As Lin Yu chewed, a "crunching" sound echoed continuously in his mouth.

"The baked eggs have a fluffy and soft texture, coated with a rich aroma of eggs and milk."

"Fresh vegetables have a crisp and refreshing texture, with a gentle sweetness."

"The contrasting textures of the eggs and vegetables, combined with the refreshing and appetizing dressing, make this salad even more flavorful!"

Lin Yu ate the salad with great enthusiasm, his face showing complete enjoyment.

"This salad is very simple to make, but it tastes delicious!"

Upon hearing Lin Yu's praise, Takumi smiled from the bottom of his heart, but the next second, the smile turned into a long sigh.

"Eh?"

"So what? My performance still wasn't as good as yours!"

Takumi glanced at the pile of empty plates behind him, pouted, and looked dejected. "See! I haven't even finished the assignment of two hundred dishes yet..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yu placed the empty plate in his hand into the small mountain of empty plates, then looked at Takmi with an expression that said, "Look at me like I'm an idiot."

"What are you comparing with me for?"

"you!"

Lin Yu's tone was so matter-of-fact and self-righteous that Takumi was stunned and couldn't even utter a rebuttal.

In Lin Yu's view, his failure... was actually a predetermined outcome?

Takumi was having trouble accepting it and felt a tightness in his chest.

But no matter how much pain she felt, Takumi knew that everything was settled, and a loss was a loss.

yes...

He lost again this time.

Takmi sighed, looked at Lin Yu, and forced a smile.

"Although that's a bit annoying, thank you for your patronage anyway!"

Lin Yu noticed that Takumi seemed a little downcast and decided to leave immediately.

"Alright, you keep going, I'm going to check out some other stalls."

As soon as Lin Yu finished speaking, Takumi, who had been disheartened, instantly broke down and flew into a rage.

"Hey! Don't use the word 'stall'! It makes me sound like a roadside stall owner!"

"There's not much difference!"

Lin Yu waved without turning his head and walked away.

"That damned guy!"

Takmi clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"I'm so unwilling to accept this..."

'

Watching Lin Yu's retreating figure, Takumi had originally intended to utter a few harsh words, saying something like, "I won't give up!"

Things like that.

But then suddenly a group of customers walked up to his cooking station.

Even reaching 200 orders a minute earlier is good!

Hmph! Lin Yu, don't let me see you again!

In order to finish the task as soon as possible, Takumi had no choice but to put aside his thoughts and quickly greet the customers in front of him, recommending his dishes to them.

After he finished his work and looked up, he could no longer see Lin Yu in the crowded throng.

"hateful!"

"Bang!"

Takumi turned around, his back to the hall, and slammed his fist on the stove in front of him.

The bowls, plates, and kitchen utensils on the stove were shaken and flew into the air.

"We lost again!"

"And they lost so thoroughly! They were utterly humiliated..."

"

Takumi didn't hate Lin Yu, but at this moment, he felt an intense hatred for his own incompetence.

"But just wait and see, Lin Yu."

"I will not give up!"

Lin Yu wandered around the noisy venue and soon saw a familiar face again.

"Xiao Hui?"

Tadokoro Megumi stood trembling in her seat, nervously looking at the three imposing old men before her.

"Xiao Hui!"

Lin Yu called out and stepped forward.

"Lin Yujun!"

When Tadokoro saw Lin Yu, his previous nervousness vanished instantly, replaced by a joyful smile.

"I just heard the announcement! Lin Yujun is amazing! She finished two hundred copies so quickly!"

Although it was Lin Yu's achievement, Tadokoro Megumi felt genuinely happy, even happier than if she had gotten good grades herself.

"If we hadn't run out of ingredients, I could have continued providing meals; it's nothing..."

'

Lin Yu walked up to Tadokoro Megumi, and with practiced ease, reached out and touched her hair. The gesture of raising his hand was very natural.

Tadokoro Megumi was very docile, letting Lin Yu's hand stroke her head, which made her feel a magical warmth and peace of mind.

Lin Yu withdrew his hand and smiled, "Although I don't think it's anything special... however, since it's Xiao Hui's praise, I'll accept it without hesitation!"

Upon hearing this, Tadokoro Megumi immediately raised her hands in embarrassment to cover her blushing face.

Lin Yujun, you...

'

Hearing Lin Yu's words, Tadokoro Megumi couldn't help but feel embarrassed and at a loss for words.

Finally, Lin Yu spoke up and asked, "Xiao Hui, what about you?"

"How's it going? Did you run into any trouble?"

Lin Yu seemed to remember something funny and laughed, "After all, before the review started, I saw you nervously writing 'eating people'! Hahaha!"

"Lin Yujun! Don't make fun of me!"

Tadokoro Megumi pretended to be annoyed and swung her pink little fist, punching Lin Yu's arm a few times.

It's called hitting, but it's practically the same as whining...