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Tiqie Eriina pointed at the dark crowd ahead, her mouth opened.
"Are you sure?!"
"Really!" Niho Fuyuka looked anxious. She witnessed the bet between Xia Yu and Tiqie Eriina that day. It seemed the situation was dire, and she was already praying for Tiqie Eriina.
Bang!
With a strong push of the car door, Tiqie Eriina got out, and Niho Fuyuka quickly followed after locking the car.
The two didn't squeeze into the crowd but stood on the side of the street.
From outside the car, Tiqie Eriina's view suddenly opened up. The crowd indeed formed a long, winding line trailing from a low-lit small shop.
Some customers couldn't wait any longer and chose to leave.
"Oh! We're late today!" A young man sighed to his companion.
"I just want to know what today's menu is. If we could get in line, you order three dishes, I'll order three..." His companion, while speaking, began to wipe the drool off his mouth.
"Wake up, boy!" The young man lamented, "Tomorrow, there'll be a new menu again, six entirely different Chinese cuisine dishes... I wish I could eat them every day!"
Some had just come out of the restaurant, satisfied after enjoying the delicacies.
A few young female cosplayers, evidently just coming from a convention straight to the old market street, were still wearing anime character costumes, wigs of various colors, and passed by Tiqie Eriina and Niho Fuyuka in a group.
"That Caramelized Taro, oh my, I can still taste the taro's flavor in my mouth... Is this Chinese cuisine?" A younger female cosplayer jumped around excitedly.
"Having the Fish Head with Chopped Chilies made me sweat, but it felt so good!" One cosplayer fiddled with her now-disheveled wig.
"No matter what you say, I still think the tea snacks before the meal were the best!"
These female cosplayers started discussing animatedly.
"Let's go—"
Tiqie Eriina, with an odd look on her face, arms crossed, turned and headed back to the car, only to bump head-on into a girl who had just run out of the shop behind them.
"My deepest apologies." The black-haired girl bowed in apology to Tiqie Eriina and ran off, followed by a middle-aged man from the store, dressed in a samurai outfit and clogs, shaking his head helplessly at her retreating figure.
"Honestly! With so much to do at home, yet she's off helping that brat, siding with him!"
The middle-aged man, muscular and with a buzz cut, was astonished by the spectacle ahead, "Xia Qing returned, and the restaurant was operated by that kid instead. Strange, strange."
Muttering to himself, he turned back to the store.
"..."
Tiqie Eriina and Niho Fuyuka felt as if they were invisible, entirely overlooked by the passing young diners and the market street's businesses.
Both of them felt like the Chinese Restaurant was the main character on the old market street, overshadowing everyone there.
"Sen Tian's Cake House?"
Raising her head to glance by chance at the old sign of the adjoining shop, Tiqie Eriina returned to the car's back seat in silence.
Niho Fuyuka sat in the driver's seat, carefully observing the shadowy face of the "Divine Tongue" through the rear-view mirror and whispered, "Lady Eriina, we can't let its business continue booming like this, or you'll lose..."
"Yes, I'll lose!"
Tiqie Eriina gritted her teeth.
"Want to..." Niho Fuyuka had another idea.
"No need!" Tiqie Eriina said sternly, "If I lose, it will be honorably!"
Then her lips curved slightly, a hint of sarcasm in her eyes.
"Besides, who says I've lost?"
Niho Fuyuka looked stunned.
"Fuyuka, have you been on the Far Moon School forum recently?" Tiqie Eriina's anger was well contained, a smile in her eyes.
Uh? Niho Fuyuka's eyes slightly widened.
Recently, the internal Far Moon forum had a few posts about Xia's Chinese Restaurant, posted by Far Moon students and receiving quite a bit of attention.
Far Moon students were probably just there to watch the excitement. Nevertheless, some must be bothered by the "authentic" sign on this Chinese Restaurant.
For example, the main force of the Chinese Cuisine Research Association of Far Moon, 'Ten Masters of Far Moon,' eighth seat, Koga Shoji.
Koga Shoji specialized in Sichuan cuisine, believing numbness and spiciness were the essentials of Chinese cuisine and intentionally highlighted Sichuan dishes, dominating diners with intense flavors.
Of course, other Far Moon students specializing in Chinese cuisine might feel uncomfortable or uneasy about this suddenly popular Chinese Restaurant. Those with strong personalities might even consider challenging the head chef to a food battle.
Niho Fuyuka, not being dim-witted, peeked through the rear-view mirror to see Tiqie Eriina's relaxed expression, and was amazed, "Someone's deliberately spreading news on the Far Moon School forum to spark conflict?"
"But who could manipulate Far Moon students?" Niho Fuyuka frowned.
Tiqie Eriina chuckled, looked ahead, and then behind, "Fuyuka, don't you think this market street, new and old, is too clearly divided?"
Niho Fuyuka faintly understood something.
"Developers certainly don't want these almost obsolete antiques in the old market street to rejuvenate," Tiqie Eriina sat up with her legs crossed, "a long-dormant restaurant suddenly booming, it's the developers who are anxious."
"Lady Eriina, are you implying that developers have enlisted our Far Moon students to suppress that restaurant?" Niho Fuyuka covered her mouth.
"Let's wait and see."
Tiqie Eriina tossed her golden hair over her shoulder, appearing at ease.
She clearly knew who the developer's contractor was.
...
Yokohama, China Town.
An upscale restaurant specializing in Chinese cuisine was bustling as night fell.
"Midori!"
In the restaurant's kitchen, Hozoi, the main chef, gave a satisfied smile to a purple short-haired girl, "You've worked hard tonight. The IGO review team has left; our restaurant passed the six-star certification!"
The middle-aged man's voice had a faint hint of excitement.
"Father, I'm going to Tokyo for a few days," said the well-figured girl suddenly, her eyes sharp.
"To Tokyo?"
"Yes, there's been a sudden buzz online about a Chinese Restaurant these past few days, and I want to taste it for myself," she said, laughing crisply, "If it's genuinely as authentic as circulated online, I plan to learn there. But if it's just a name without substance, then I'm sorry... I'll challenge them to a food battle, win, and personally smash their sign!"
The mid-aged head chef frowned.
"Midori, since you're going to Tokyo, why not head to the IGO Japan Headquarters for your One-star Chef certification?"
"Father, I'll pass the one-star assessment!"
The girl's face, valiant yet charming, was full of confidence.
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