As the afternoon wore on, Ann glanced out of the restaurant window with a calm expression. "Have they closed shop for the entire afternoon?" she asked, her voice betraying no emotion.
"Yes, Madam. I'm not sure what they're up to," a staff member replied respectfully.
"Perhaps they've already given up, realizing they can't compete with us," one of the chefs said with a smirk. "With their lack of quality ingredients and an inferior setup, they stand no chance."
"Even so," Ann cautioned, frowning slightly, "we must not underestimate them. Remember, they have three of the Totsuki Elite Ten among them. That alone means they shouldn't be taken lightly."
"The Totsuki Elite Ten? Leaders of the culinary world in the future? Please," scoffed another chef, dismissing the notion. "They're overrated. Besides, look at our numbers—800 dishes sold already. By tonight, we should easily surpass 1,500."
Ann felt some relief at the impressive figure, but another chef, a woman, still seemed displeased. "But are we really going to continue selling to commoners at these low prices?" she complained, her dissatisfaction evident.
In her own establishment, she charged a minimum of 5,000 yen for her carefully crafted dishes. Now, these meals, made with expensive ingredients, were being sold at bargain prices to the general public. The thought made her bristle.
Other chefs echoed her sentiment, feeling similarly insulted. Selling their meticulously prepared food to common folk, especially at such low prices, felt beneath them, akin to serving gourmet fruit to unappreciative monkeys.
"Of course not," Ann reassured them. "Once we've established control over this area, we'll raise the prices back to their proper levels."
---
Meanwhile, Sui and his team, after their earlier setbacks, were preparing for a counterattack.
"We may have lost most of the day, but the dinner rush is approaching," Erina said in a composed, authoritative tone, much like a commander planning a strategic assault.
"No problem!" grinned Sōma and Subaru. Their confidence was palpable, akin to generals waiting for the signal to charge into battle.
Soon, two large pots of broth were placed at the entrance of Sui's restaurant. One pot contained a rich pork bone broth, while the other held a fragrant mushroom broth. Thick clouds of steam wafted out, carrying an intoxicating aroma that quickly attracted the attention of passersby.
"Oh, that smells amazing! What's in that pot?" asked a curious couple who had been walking by.
With a welcoming smile, Sōma stepped forward. "This is our special stock. Why not come in and give it a try?"
The girl, entranced by the aroma, tugged on her boyfriend's sleeve. "This smells incredible! What's it made of?"
Megumi, standing nearby, explained, "It's a mushroom and pork bone broth."
"Mushrooms? I love mushrooms!" the girl exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. She turned to her boyfriend. "Can we eat here tonight?"
The boyfriend hesitated. "But across the street, there's cheap lobster ramen, mussel pasta, and king crab noodles. We don't often get the chance to eat like that."
"But I 'really' want mushrooms," the girl pouted, clearly set on staying.
Reluctantly, the boy agreed, and they entered the restaurant.
"We have two kinds of ramen: catfish ramen and mushroom ramen. What would you like?" asked Megumi with her usual warmth.
"We'll have one of each," the couple replied.
Megumi relayed the order to Sui and his team. In no time, bowls of steaming ramen were prepared, with generous portions of either fried catfish or tender mushrooms in rich, savory broth.
The girl took a sip of her mushroom ramen and immediately let out a contented sigh. "This is amazing! The broth is so flavorful, and the mushrooms are so tender. I've never had anything like it!"
Meanwhile, the boy, who had initially been reluctant, was similarly blown away by his catfish ramen. The fish had been fried to perfection—crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with flavor. Each bite was a revelation.
"What kind of fish is this?" he asked, still in disbelief.
"It's catfish," Misao answered with a faint smile.
"Catfish?" The boy was stunned. He'd eaten catfish before, but never like this. The flavors were on a completely different level.
Before long, the couple had polished off their bowls, but they weren't satisfied yet—they ordered two more.
When it came time to pay, they were again taken aback.
"That'll be 3,600 yen in total," Megumi said with a sweet smile.
"So cheap?" they exclaimed. They had expected the price to be far higher, considering the exceptional quality of the meal.
"Yes," Megumi confirmed. "Catfish ramen is only 1,000 yen, and mushroom ramen is 800 yen."
"That's even cheaper than the place across the street!" the boy said, astonished. The other shop had lobster ramen priced at 1,200 yen, but here, the catfish—so much more flavorful—was even less expensive.
After the couple left, more and more customers began trickling into the restaurant, drawn in by the rich aroma that filled the street outside.