At first, the customers standing in line across the street were growing impatient. Then, they caught a whiff of the broth boiling at Sui's shop. Drawn by the enticing aroma, many decided to give the food a try.
The moment they took their first bite, they were captivated by the incredible flavor.
Word quickly spread among the local residents about the shop's "amazingly delicious catfish and mushrooms."
"They say the catfish there is exceptionally tasty. People who've tried it claim they've never had fish like that in their lives."
"Really?"
"Yeah, and I hear the mushrooms are incredibly fresh and delicious too. What's more, the prices are surprisingly affordable, even a bit cheaper than the place across the street."
"But do they serve lobster and mussels?"
"Of course! They must be using some very rare ingredients. Everyone who's eaten there is raving about how amazing the ingredients taste."
"Sure, lobster's expensive, but you can get that anywhere if you're willing to pay. The ingredients at this place, though—they're simply irreplaceable. You won't find them anywhere else."
Thanks to this growing word-of-mouth, more and more people flocked to the ramen shop. Every customer left with a satisfied look on their face, feeling they had gotten an incredible deal.
In their eyes, paying such a reasonable price for food that tasted this good was a steal. Plus, knowing the restaurant likely used high-quality, expensive ingredients made them feel like they were indulging in a rare treat. They worried that if they didn't take advantage of this opportunity, they might never get to taste such extraordinary food again.
Before long, the line outside the ramen shop had grown longer than the one at the restaurant across the street.
Inside the lounge of the rival restaurant, Ann and her team watched the scene unfold through the glass window, looking displeased.
"Damn it, what's going on? This morning they were struggling so much they could barely compete, and now they've overtaken us!" one of the female chefs growled in frustration.
"Those people really don't know what's good for them," another chef grumbled, clearly irritated.
To them, it felt demeaning to sell their meticulously crafted dishes to the local residents at such low prices, only to have them turn around and flock to another shop. It was infuriating!
Just then, a staff member entered the room, carrying several plastic bags.
"I bought this from across the street," the staff member explained as he placed two bowls of steaming ramen in front of everyone.
"What is this? Catfish ramen and mushroom ramen?" one of the chefs asked, puzzled. "How could these dishes possibly compare to the high-quality ingredients we use?"
The five one-star chefs exchanged confused glances. Catfish and mushrooms weren't exactly considered premium ingredients.
"Let's taste it first," Ann said calmly.
The staff had bought six servings of both the catfish ramen and mushroom ramen, enough for each person to try a portion.
The chefs nodded in agreement and began to taste the food, curious to see what was so special about this seemingly ordinary ramen.
Ann picked up a piece of freshly fried catfish, golden and crispy, blew on it, and then took a bite.
The skin was perfectly crisp, while the meat inside was tender and melted in her mouth. The rich, unparalleled flavor of the fish overwhelmed her senses like a wave.
"Mmm~" An's cheeks flushed slightly as she closed her eyes, savoring the taste.
"This is... incredible!"
"Yes, I've never had catfish like this before! What kind of catfish is this?"
"The mushrooms are so fresh! I'd gladly pay 50,000 yen per pound for them!"
"This catfish could easily fetch tens of thousands of yen per pound on the market!"
The other chefs were equally amazed.
"How did those students get their hands on such top-quality ingredients?" a female chef asked, her expression grim.
"Don't forget, there are some of the Elite Ten among them. With their status, it wouldn't be impossible for them to procure such ingredients," one of the chefs replied in a low voice.
"But these must be special Totsuki ingredients. Even as members of the Elite Ten, they probably don't have unlimited access to them. Would it really be worth using such rare ingredients to help those lower-level chefs?" someone else questioned skeptically.
Ann frowned slightly. "How much do these two dishes cost?" she asked.
"One thousand yen for the catfish ramen and eight hundred yen for the mushroom ramen," the staff member quickly answered.
"Cheaper than our prices?" The five chefs were taken aback once again.
"They're definitely selling at a loss," Ann remarked, surprised. After a moment of contemplation, she added, "Let's wait and see. With prices like that, they won't be able to sustain this for long."
The others nodded in agreement.
What they didn't realize, however, was that Erina had already calculated the costs. Not only would they avoid losing money, but they would even make a small profit in the end.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town…
Erina was resting in a chair, her cheeks pale as she drank some water.
"Erina, are you alright? Maybe we should call it a day," Sui asked with concern, noting how exhausted she looked. The shop was still open for business.
Erina shot him a cold glare. It was entirely 'his' fault she was so tired.
Last night, he had kept her up until midnight, leaving her no chance to get proper rest.
As she thought about the events of the previous night, Erina's cheeks flushed with heat and embarrassment.
"Huh? Erina-san, are you okay?" Megumi asked curiously. A moment ago, her face had been pale, but now it had turned bright red.
How odd!
"It's nothing," Erina muttered, her face growing even redder.
"You guys handle things here," Sui said as he prepared to leave.
"Yeah, leave the rest to us," Subaru added, giving a thumbs-up.
"Right, you guys go rest up!" Sōma chimed in with a grin, still full of energy.
With that, Erina and Sui left the restaurant and headed back to the mansion.
"You don't have to stay with me tonight. I really need to get some rest," Erina said, her face flushed, as soon as they arrived.
Sui looked at her in surprise. After all, just yesterday, she had insisted that they spend more time together. But now, she was saying he didn't need to stay?