"Alright."
Sui nodded, thinking for a moment before instructing, "Season the sea cucumber with the broth, then add ginger and garlic. Let it stew for ten minutes."
"Got it, no problem," Miyoko responded, nodding. As someone skilled in Chinese cuisine, she immediately went to work, following his instructions obediently.
Miyoko had a notoriously strong personality, and getting her to cooperate so willingly was a rare sight.
"Sui-kun, I'll help too," Megumi said as she stepped into the kitchen.
"Please soak the scallops in warm water and tear them into thin strips," Sui instructed her.
"Okay," Megumi nodded, quickly getting to work.
This time, Sui was preparing 'Four Happy Dumplings', a delicate dish. While it didn't use any fantastical ingredients, it was certainly enough to impress two ordinary customers.
With the help of Megumi and Moyoko, the dumplings were prepared quickly and steamed within thirty minutes.
"Here are the steamed dumplings you asked for."
Sui handed the steaming 'Four Happy Dumplings' to the two guests who had been trying to scam them, his tone cold and firm.
"What a beautiful dish!" one guest exclaimed.
"Yeah, what kind of dumplings are these? They look incredible," murmured another.
Around them, other guests whispered in admiration of the colorful and intricately shaped dumplings. Even Mizuhara, who had been watching the events unfold while squatting on a chair, showed a rare flicker of surprise.
"'Four Happy Dumplings'?" Mizuhara muttered quietly to herself.
"They might look good, but who knows if you interns can actually make them taste decent," one of the scammer guests scoffed.
The two men were both tall, their exposed arms covered in tattoos, making it clear they weren't the kind of people who played by the rules.
"Go ahead and try them," Sui said expressionlessly, his voice as cold as ice. "If you're satisfied, remember to pay for the meal."
"Hah! Don't worry. If you can truly satisfy us, of course, we'll pay," one of them laughed, though there was a mocking edge to his tone. It was clear they had already decided to complain, no matter how the food tasted.
The two men picked up their chopsticks and began to taste the dumplings.
"How naïve. These two will definitely say it tastes awful," one student whispered, barely able to contain their glee.
"Yeah, that transfer student is overconfident. He'll definitely regret this."
"I'd love to see him get expelled!" others sneered, eager to witness Sui's downfall.
Miyoko and Megumi, on the other hand, were anxious. They knew the two guests were deliberately causing trouble, but they still placed their trust in Sui's skills.
As the guests bit into the dumplings, the tender skin burst open, releasing a flood of rich gravy. The intense seafood flavors hit their palates like a wave—sea cucumbers, eggs, shrimp, scallops, and carrots all combining into an explosion of taste, overwhelming their senses.
"This dish..."
The mocking smiles froze on their faces. Their expressions flushed as they tried desperately to hold back the flood of deliciousness overwhelming their taste buds. For a moment, they were speechless.
"How is it? How do the dumplings taste?" Sui asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he stared at their flushed faces.
"They... they look nice, but the taste... is terrible! Yes, terrible!" one of the guests finally blurted out, barely holding himself together. Their faces, however, told a different story, flushed and sweating from the effort of holding back their true feelings.
"This is even worse than the last dish!" another guest said, his face drenched in sweat, clearly struggling to maintain the lie.
Megumi's face turned pale, her body trembling. She had feared this would happen—the two scammers were deliberately slandering the dish.
Miyoko gritted her teeth, glaring at them in frustration. From their expressions alone, she could tell how delicious the dumplings were. Yet they shamelessly continued to lie.
The nearby students were already laughing to themselves, watching the drama unfold with glee.
"But judging by your expressions, you seem rather satisfied," Sui said coolly, not missing a beat.
"What a joke!" one of the guests snapped, their face turning dark with guilt.
"In that case, let the other guests try the dumplings and see for themselves," Sui said suddenly, catching everyone by surprise.
"We'd be happy to taste them!" A middle-aged couple sitting nearby stood up and approached. "There's no way an intern this skilled could have made something so bad."
"No!" The scammers' faces changed instantly, one of them even attempting to throw the plate of dumplings to the ground to prevent anyone else from tasting them.
But Sui swiftly caught his wrist, his grip firm.
"You?!" The guest's face contorted in shock. Despite Sui's slim frame, his strength was undeniable. The muscular man found himself in pain from Sui's iron grip.
By now, the middle-aged couple had already sampled the dumplings, and their expressions were quickly taken over by bliss.
"This is incredible! I've never had dumplings this delicious!" the wife exclaimed.
"Really? Let me try too!" The other guests couldn't resist any longer, and soon, many of them were tasting the dumplings.
The moment they did, they were equally conquered by the dish, their faces lighting up with delight.
Soon after, they all turned to the two scammer guests, anger in their eyes.
"How could you call something this delicious unpalatable?" one guest asked, voice filled with disbelief.
"Are you two scammers?" another demanded angrily.
"Should we report them to the police?" someone suggested.
Panic washed over the faces of the two scammers, their complexions turning deathly pale. They turned to Sui, their voices trembling as they begged for forgiveness.
"We're sorry! We were wrong! We'll pay for the meal!" they pleaded desperately.
Sui looked at them coldly. "Alright then, the meal costs 100,000 yen per person," he said without a hint of mercy.