When Airi heard that she had to wait in line with regular customers, her frown deepened. Clearly, she wasn't pleased.
"Hey, don't be so difficult. We'll pay you triple. How about that?" a bodyguard behind her growled in a deep voice.
"No," Sui shook his head firmly.
As a business owner, he believed in fairness. Allowing others to skip the line just because they offered more money would be unjust to the other customers who had been waiting.
"Do you even know who you're talking to?" The bodyguard, now angered, took a threatening step forward, ready to act.
"Shut up," Airi cut him off coldly, her gaze sharp.
The bodyguard was taken aback. He stammered, "But, Miss... he's making you wait outside. That's... insulting."
"If you want to keep your job, keep quiet," Airi responded icily.
The bodyguard immediately backed down, mumbling a quick, "Sorry." He lowered his head, clearly intimidated.
"Sui, is there really no way you could prepare our meal first?" Airi softened her tone, a smile forming on her face.
Though she could be haughty and demanding with her subordinates, as someone raised in a powerful family, Airi knew better than to show arrogance to the wrong people. The bodyguards behind her were surprised. It was the first time they had seen their usually willful young miss being so polite to someone. And this wasn't a world-renowned chef or a corporate chairman—it was just a young man managing a small, unassuming restaurant.
Especially the bodyguard who had spoken earlier, now sweating profusely, worried that he'd be fired after returning.
"Yes, that's right," Sui smiled and nodded.
"This must be the young chef who made that medicinal dish you spoke so highly of, right?" An elderly man standing beside Airi finally spoke, eyeing Sui with curiosity.
"If you're referring to the Stir-Fried Pork with Garlic from last time, then yes, I made that," Sui confirmed.
The elderly man was Yamadaya, head chef of the Takahashi food group and a master of medicinal cuisine. He had been preparing dishes for Chairman Fumio Takahashi for years. Hearing that someone else had made such an extraordinary medicinal dish had piqued his interest. Now standing before the young chef, Yamadaya was intrigued—especially since even he, a master, hadn't been able to craft dishes with such effects.
Moreover, seeing Airi's unusually respectful attitude toward Sui made Yamadaya all the more curious. He knew Airi's character well; she was notorious for being unforgiving with her subordinates, firing anyone who made the slightest mistake without a second thought. For her to be this tolerant of Sui spoke volumes about the chef's significance in her eyes.
'Could this young man truly be that skilled?'
——
Meanwhile, the other customers in the restaurant had taken notice of the group. A few of them recognized Yamadaya immediately.
"Isn't that Chef Yamadaya?"
"Yeah, why's a culinary master like him here?"
"Could it be that this little restaurant has finally caught the attention of the top chefs?"
Whispers spread throughout the dining room. Most of Sui's patrons were food enthusiasts, so Yamadaya's reputation as a master chef was well known, sparking excitement.
Yamadaya smiled faintly at the chatter, then turned his attention to one of the tables. His curiosity piqued, he wanted to see for himself what Sui's food tasted like.
"May I have a taste?" he asked politely, bending down to address a customer.
The diner, momentarily stunned by the request, nodded after a brief hesitation. "Uh, sure. Go ahead."
"Thank you. I'll cover your meal," Yamadaya said with a smile. He reached for a pair of unused chopsticks and carefully picked up a piece of braised beef, placing it in his mouth.
As he chewed, Yamadaya's eyes flashed with surprise. The texture, the temperature, the perfect balance of flavors—it was all impeccable. Could such a young chef really have made this dish?
"How is it, Chef Yamadaya?" Airi asked, curious. She wasn't one to eat from someone else's plate, but she trusted Yamadaya's judgment.
"We should wait outside, Miss Airi," Yamadaya replied with a slight smile. Though he didn't elaborate, the anticipation in his voice was clear.
Reluctantly, Airi complied, knowing she had no choice but to wait.
"Oh, and I'll take three orders of Stir-Fried Pork with Garlic," she quickly added. One would be for her grandfather, Fumio Takahashi, and the other two would be for herself and Yamadaya.
"Not a problem," Sui nodded.
With that, Airi and her entourage stepped outside to join the queue.
——
By the time they returned inside, an hour and a half had passed. The restaurant was nearly empty, and Sui was preparing to close for the night.
Airi, now shivering slightly from the cold, was clearly irritated. Standing in the chilly autumn air for over an hour, especially in such thin clothing, wasn't something she was used to. But she knew there was nothing she could do to rush Sui.
"Is it our turn now?" Yamadaya asked with a smile.
"Yes, I'll get started right away. We're about to close," Sui replied.
Heading back into the kitchen, Sui began preparing the Stir-Fried Pork with Garlic. Elma, ever attentive, brought two cups of hot water for the guests while they waited.
After a few sips, some color returned to Airi's pale face. The warmth was a welcome relief from the cold.
A short while later, Sui emerged with two steaming plates of Stir-Fried Pork with Garlic, the third portion packed neatly in a takeout box.
"Please enjoy," Sui said, placing the dishes in front of them.
"Thank you. We won't hold back," Yamadaya said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
He eagerly picked up his chopsticks, selecting a piece of pork with just the right amount of fat and lean meat. As he tasted the dish, his expression shifted to one of astonishment.