After the Maple Viewing Event ended.
Eizan Etsuya paced around his office, his face dark and gloomy.
Suddenly, he stopped abruptly, slammed his hand on the desk, and said angrily, "This can't be happening..."
No matter how calm he tried to be, he couldn't quell the panic inside. Finally, he slumped back into his chair and picked up his phone to notify Subaru.
At Totsuki Academy, not many people knew that Subaru, who had performed brilliantly in the Autumn Selection, was actually one of Eizan's trusted henchmen.
Due to the "Mino Tower Fried Chicken Incident" in the original series, which caused a decline in business, Eizan developed a hostile attitude towards Soma.
In the third round of the quarterfinals, the cooking showdown between Subaru and Soma was the best chance for Eizan to exact his revenge.
However, he had overestimated Subaru's ability to mimic, and Subaru ended up losing again!
...
Not long after, a muscular man appeared silently in Eizan's office.
Despite his bulk, he moved like a ghost. After checking that no one was around, he knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in."
Eizan's voice came from inside.
"Chief, what do you need?"
Subaru entered, showing a respectful demeanor.
It was hard to believe that this seemingly submissive "dog" had dominated other contestants in the Autumn Selection without giving them a chance to fight back.
"Here are the locations of the 56 restaurants under our group's banner, all marked on this map."
"Take it and visit them secretly when you have time."
With that, Eizan handed him the document, indicating he should take a look.
Subaru quickly glanced through it, then asked in confusion, "All 56 restaurants need to be investigated?"
"Yes!"
"You're good at tracking and investigating."
"Among all my subordinates, you're the best suited for this tough task."
Eizan nodded.
"What do I need to do?"
Subaru frowned. Investigating one or two restaurants was manageable, but 56...
At this point, it was impossible for him not to feel overwhelmed!
"Investigate them one by one. Check if there is a new upscale restaurant named Subway near each of these 56 restaurants."
"Then, as a customer, go inside and consume. Gather information on the facilities, dining environment, operating model, menu, and the income level of the target customers."
As Eizan spoke, he clenched his fists, but his eyes showed fear.
"Chief, do you mean..."
"Someone is deliberately trying to ruin us?"
Subaru was stunned. He initially thought there might be some internal problems within the group, but now it seemed like something else entirely.
"Yes, it's directed at me."
At this point, Eizan didn't plan to hide it anymore.
"Forgive me for asking, but who has such power to thoroughly investigate our background and pinpoint the exact locations of our 56 restaurants in such a short time?"
Subaru asked curiously.
"I don't know. I've investigated it myself."
"I only found that the Subway restaurant chain is headquartered on Wall Street in the United States."
"We know very little about this restaurant, but we can determine that the person trying to bring us down is not within Totsuki."
"This is good because it's not the right time to clash with the other Elite Ten. But it's also bad because the enemy we're facing this time is much scarier than the Elite Ten!"
Having been with Eizan for a while, Subaru somewhat understood his words.
In short, this wasn't merely a "business competition." It might involve a conflict between Totsuki Academy—or rather, the Nakiri family—and an external force.
"Alright, leave it to me!"
"I will investigate everything within two months."
After some thought, Subaru agreed.
"Two months?"
"By then, it'll be too late."
"I'll give you half a month. You must find out everything about them!"
Eizan shook his head and replied in a tone that left no room for negotiation.
"Half a month?" Subaru was astonished.
"You should know, this matter might involve the Nakiri family. This is a chance to make a big contribution. It's up to you to seize it."
Eizan stood up, patted his shoulder, and said calmly.
"Fine, I'll risk my life for this!"
Subaru understood the gravity of the situation.
After careful consideration, he finally agreed and then disappeared from the office.
...
Subway, the English word for:
Saibaiwei (Subway in Chinese)
Five years ago, this restaurant opened on Wall Street in the United States.
At that time, no one could have predicted that five years later, this upscale restaurant would have over 2,000 branches across the United States.
Yes, that means.
It was expanding at the rate of opening one new branch per day, gradually taking over the high-end dining market!
Its number of outlets had already surpassed the total of other high-end restaurant chains.
The popularity of Subway was also reflected in its sales figures, generating about $2 billion in revenue this year alone.
The success of this high-end restaurant was due to the support of its parent organization:
The Nakamura Corporation.
Thanks to the corporation's financial backing, Subway restaurants gathered elite chefs from around the world.
For example, the executive chef came from France with nearly 40 years of culinary experience; the head chef had 28 years of experience, specializing in royal cuisine; the banquet chef had 20 years of experience in catering for events...
There were even thousands of employees with experience in international brand hotels and convention center catering services.
In short, the restaurant, created by top chefs and offering various services, quickly gained favor with the upper class!
...
About a month ago.
It was roughly the start of the Autumn Selection.
The Subway restaurant in the United States suddenly "quietly" entered the Japanese market, causing a stir in the entire culinary industry.
Moreover, strangely, this restaurant's locations were always near the restaurants controlled by Eizan, one of Totsuki's Elite Ten.
As an "outsider," it should have faced difficulties adapting to the local market, but to Eizan's complete surprise:
Since the appearance of this restaurant, sales at his 56 restaurants had plummeted significantly, taking a heavy hit.
This showed him just how formidable the Subway restaurant was!
...
Wall Street, a narrow street located in Manhattan.
It is a symbol of the global financial world and the birthplace of countless financial dreams, witnessing the ever-changing dynamics of the financial market.
Here, money and power intertwine, dreams and reality collide, creating one financial legend after another.
At this moment, in a high-rise building designed with modern concepts, featuring sleek, smooth lines to create a unique silhouette.
Glass curtain walls, metal frames, and modern decorative elements made this high-rise shimmer in the twilight, becoming an indispensable part of the city's skyline.
Holding a wine glass by the stem, fingers together, in an elegant gesture, Azami Nakiri took a slow sip. The wine's alcohol offered a brief escape from the worries and troubles of the world.
Good food provides comfort to the soul.
Not just "simple pleasures for the palate," where eating is purely enjoyable and satisfying, but leaves you wanting more.
The same goes for drinking. An important measure of good wine is the aftertaste.
"Long-lasting aftertaste" is a characteristic of any good wine. The better the wine, the more delicate, smooth, and enduring the aftertaste.
...
"You mean to say."
"The Subway restaurant's recent operations in Japan have exceeded our expectations?"
Azami Nakiri slowly opened his eyes after a moment of calm, and after exhaling a bit of wine breath, he asked his secretary.
"Yes, President Nakamura."
"The sales at all the branches over there have indeed exceeded targets!"
The secretary quickly responded.
"Yes, we've caused quite a stir. What's Totsuki Academy's reaction?"
Azami's eyes deepened. His face showed neither joy nor sorrow, but after a moment of silence, he continued to ask.
"Nothing yet. They are probably busy with the Autumn Selection, leaving them no time to deal with the turmoil in the culinary world."
"Nothing?"
Azami seemed a bit surprised.
But thinking about the importance of the Autumn Selection, he could somewhat understand!
According to the norm, the Elite Ten were responsible for running the entire Autumn Selection, so even the Director, let alone someone like Eizan, must be extremely busy.
"Keep monitoring the situation over there. If Eizan takes any action, report to me immediately."
After some thought, Azami instructed.
"Yes, President!"
The secretary naturally agreed.
"If there's nothing else, you may leave. Let me be alone for a while."
Finally, the secretary responded and left.
...
The world's population.
Has always ensured that nothing is easy. Every industry faces intense competition.
The Pareto principle (80/20 rule) clearly shows that in any field, whether top-tier or entry-level, the outstanding individuals are always a minority, and they are the ones making money!
Totsuki's policy has always been to thoroughly eliminate those who fall into the 80% category.
Yes!
Of course.
The elimination rate is certainly more than 80%.
For a chef with dreams, this is indeed cruel.
While true geniuses won't stop progressing just because they lose the "Totsuki Academy" platform and resources.
Moreover, many students have family businesses, so they won't be completely wasted. A typical example is:
Ikumi!
Even if she drops out, she can still inherit her family's business.
Even if it lacks creativity and motivation, at least she won't starve.
For a time, Azami also firmly believed in the "survival of the fittest" educational policy.
Until Senzaemon's breakdown, which led to his dropping out halfway, he realized that Totsuki's educational policy might be wrong.
At the same time, he developed a deep hatred for the entire decadent culinary world!
...
Over the years.
His culinary philosophy has been simple:
Food is either cuisine or feed!
In his eyes, all chefs should be like the French, with a romantic and elegant demeanor.
And the food they create should fully express their nature, pursuing the utmost delicacy and perfection in taste, ingredients, cooking, and etiquette!
Only then can they be considered excellent chefs and truly good cuisine!
In summary.
Cooking is a high-end term.
And the idea that inferior ingredients can't make delicious food is his belief.
He couldn't tolerate those chefs who, following food trends, used common ingredients to cater to the masses, making cuisine more and more common.
He couldn't stand it!
Over the years, he used various methods to spread this philosophy throughout the United States.
Next, his plan was to break into Japan's market and return to Totsuki, making Eizan, the ninth seat of the Elite Ten, his target.
By controlling the Elite Ten, he could successfully launch a coup at Totsuki and integrate the Nakiri family's resources.
Then further, he could dominate the entire culinary world!
...
Yes!
His ultimate goal was to become the leading figure in the culinary world.
Only by using Totsuki's platform could he control those Totsuki students, preventing them from independent innovation unless they joined the core team.
This way, he could control the next generation of Japan's culinary world.
When they graduated, they wouldn't inherit their family's unique style but could only cook the dishes provided by the central team.
Years later, he could finally control the entire culinary world. People would have to eat what he dictated.
For those in the upper class without access to high-end cuisine, he would only give them "feed." This was his:
Revenge plan!
...
Of course, he also understood.
To realize this grand plan, there would be many difficulties.
First, he needed Erina's God Tongue talent as a key to guide chefs in their exploration.
As for the concern that enforcing a unified cuisine would cause many classic or unique dishes to disappear.
He didn't care!
"Erina, soon we will meet again."
"Trust your father, I will show the world that the God Tongue is not a curse but a powerful ability to lead and change the culinary world!"
Azami's eyes gleamed sharply as he spoke.
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