"Have you heard? There's a new Chinese cuisine teacher in the junior high division, and he's super strong!"
"Right, right! Everyone who's taken his class says he creates glowing dishes! He might very well be a legendary Five-Star Special Chef!"
In the corridor, many acquaintances were chatting outside classrooms. The conversation drifted to Dylan, and they continued on that topic.
"I heard about that ages ago! And you can drop the 'might be'; he is a Five-Star Special Chef. I took his class once."
"But even though he's amazing, he barely teaches anything in class. Every lesson, he just cooks one dish and then has the students in that class try to improve and innovate on it."
"And the result of that, naturally, is that only a few students pass the assessment each class."
Someone who had taken Dylan's course spoke from experience.
"Huh? Is he that strict? What about the rest of them?"
"Of course, they all receive the lowest evaluation. In some ways, he's even stricter than Professor Roland Chapelle. If you happen to get assigned his class, then you'd better pray for your own luck."
"However, there's also a large group of people who love his class. You can have a Shokugeki with them to trade the class spot; that's allowed too."
Thinking of Dylan mercilessly uttering the words "unqualified," the male student shrunk his neck.
Dylan didn't feel like he was teaching them, but rather screening them, selecting students with sufficiently excellent foundations for private cultivation.
Undiluted elite teaching.
And the result of this was that students like them, who were relatively weaker, couldn't pass, could only receive the lowest grade, and would eventually face expulsion.
If that was the case, it was better to give the class spot to someone who actually wanted it. There were quite a few such people; one could say it was severely polarized.
At the same time, crisp footsteps sounded. At the end of the corridor, Dylan appeared at the top of the stairs, raising a hand to stifle a yawn.
A few steps behind him followed a young girl, also yawning repeatedly, her face etched with fatigue, perhaps from a restless night.
The murmurs of students on either side reached their ears.
Dylan's expression was a bit peculiar, but he didn't say much, merely continuing forward at his usual pace.
Because he looked young, and most students hadn't seen him before, it often happened that he'd be walking down the hall while others were discussing him.
"Big Bro Dylan, you're really famous at Tōtsuki now! No matter where you go, you can hear people talking about you."
Hearing the surrounding conversations, Alice Nakiri, who was trailing behind, showed an interested expression and quickened her pace to walk beside Dylan.
"Most of these people have never even seen my face; they're all relying on hearsay. This kind of fame accumulates quickly and dissipates even faster. Besides, it's useless."
"You, if you have the spare time to focus on this, you'd be better off putting more thought into your cooking. You would have made a glowing dish long ago."
Looking at the excited Alice Nakiri, Dylan tapped her on the head and spoke quite seriously.
This girl was too playful. The slightest disturbance would divert her attention; she truly had a childish disposition.
She had clearly been at Tōtsuki for a month, yet her heart had never settled down. Fortunately, her cooking skills were improving, otherwise, he wouldn't be speaking so gently.
"Master, stop nagging! Stop nagging! Your disciple knows she's wrong."
Dylan's words made Alice Nakiri take two steps back, clutching her head and feigning pain. Her playful antics made even Dylan crack a smile.
"You little rascal..."
"I think Teacher Dylan makes a lot of sense, and I've always done things that way. Good day, Teacher Dylan."
Just as Dylan was about to say something more, a clear female voice sounded from nearby. The two looked over, and the newcomer was none other than Erina Nakiri.
"Good morning, Teacher Dylan."
Beside her, Hisako Arato was holding a pile of documents.
When Dylan looked at her, her fair cheeks visibly reddened. She then quickly lowered her head, her eyes darting away as she greeted him.
Because of the "dark special training," seeing Dylan now reminded her of the severity of the ferule.
This guy really hit when mistakes were made!
He didn't know the first thing about cherishing the fairer sex!
Or perhaps he enjoyed her miserable state when she was being punished?
However, thanks to this, her cooking skills were now skyrocketing at an astonishing pace. After digesting what she had learned before, she had reached the upper level of a Second-Class Chef.
But, because Lady Erina hadn't seen her at night, she had become slightly suspicious and would sometimes casually ask her about it.
She had managed to fob her off so far, but she didn't know how long that would last. She really looked forward to Lady Erina's expression when she found out 'she had become stronger than her'!
It would surely be very interesting!
"Morning, Erina, and Hisako. This isn't the place to chat; let's go to the classroom first."
Feeling the gazes of the surrounding students converging on them, Dylan stopped, smiled, and greeted them, then proceeded towards the classroom.
Erina Nakiri and Hisako Arato immediately followed.
"You guys, wait for me a sec!"
Seeing the group gradually moving away, Alice Nakiri anxiously called out and jogged forward, soon walking abreast with them.
"By the way, next week is the midterm examination. Are you all prepared? I heard last year's final exam caused quite a few students to be expelled."
On the way to the classroom, Dylan seemed to suddenly remember something and turned his head, casually asking Erina Nakiri.
He didn't doubt that Erina Nakiri and the others could pass, but he still wanted to gather more information because he had accepted a job from Senzaemon Nakiri.
"That kind of exam is just a test of one's current skill level. As long as you've reached the level of a Second-Class Chef, you can basically pass. There's no need for special preparation."
Hearing Dylan's question, Erina Nakiri shrugged indifferently, not taking it to heart.
"Indeed. Besides, the exams in recent years haven't been interesting. I remember last year's final exam was for us to prepare a banquet according to a menu, and the last ten to finish were expelled."
Hisako Arato also nodded. For top students like them, the midterm exam was just a formality; failing was almost impossible.
"However, compared to the junior high division, the senior high division is incredibly intense! Out of over a thousand students last year, fewer than a hundred advanced to the second year. The elimination rate is as high as 90%!"
As if remembering something, Hisako Arato added a supplementary explanation.
The junior high division's exams were more about giving students a sense of urgency, letting them know they couldn't stop, or they'd fall behind and needed to get stronger quickly.
But the senior high division's exams were genuine competition and elimination! If one's skills didn't meet the academy's required standards, they would be directly expelled.
No mercy shown...
"A 90% elimination rate? After two rounds, wouldn't there be fewer than ten people left? No wonder you don't see many upperclassmen at this school; they've all been expelled."
Alice Nakiri sounded like she was hearing this for the first time, then nodded in sudden realization.
Now she finally understood why there were so few upperclassmen in this school. With such an astonishing elimination rate, those who remained were all top-tier experts!
"There are fewer than twenty third-year students each year, and even fewer successfully graduate."
"However, every graduate is basically at the level of a First-Class Chef, and members of the Elite Ten can generally become Special-Grade Chefs within twenty years."
Erina Nakiri said this, her voice filled with pride.
Looking at the whole of Japan, no other academy could cultivate chefs with Special-Grade talent like they did!
"Japan's Special-Grade Chefs, right?"
Alice Nakiri asked unexpectedly.
"Of course. Japanese chefs would definitely take their certification exams in Japan. Isn't that obvious?"
Facing Alice Nakiri's question, Erina Nakiri found it inexplicable. Wasn't this a matter beyond doubt?
If chefs from one's own country went to another country to take the Special-Grade Chef examination, wouldn't that be a slap in the face to Japan's culinary research societies?
"Then it's nothing. I've seen the exam questions for Japan's Special-Grade Chefs; the difficulty isn't very high. If that's the case, then it's quite reasonable."
Those who could graduate from Tōtsuki were the elite of the elite, and with twenty years of experience, passing Japan's Special-Grade Chef examination indeed wasn't a very difficult task.
"Difficulty isn't very high? Have you seen the Special-Grade Chef exam questions from other countries?"
"I've seen those from Denmark and China. Denmark's are weaker than Japan's. China is hard to compare because each province is different."
"However, if compared to the Guangzhou Special-Grade Chef examination questions I saw, Japan's Special-Grade Chef exam is complete child's play."
Alice Nakiri's words silenced Erina Nakiri. If she hadn't already known that Alice possessed the skill of a Special-Grade Chef, she definitely would have retorted.
But...
"Alright, we're at the classroom. Regardless, prepare seriously for this midterm exam, because I'm the chief examiner this time."
"Don't think you can pass easily. Even for you, if you don't meet my requirements, I will still issue an expulsion."
Watching the group chatting animatedly, Dylan stopped at the classroom door, turned his head, and spoke to them with a smile.
The information had been gathered. Everyone wasn't taking the midterm exam very seriously. That wouldn't do, so Dylan decided to up the ante for them.
"What? Teacher Dylan, you're the chief examiner for this midterm exam!?"
Hisako Arato covered her mouth in slight shock, her heart skipping a beat. This guy was the chief examiner for the midterms?!
What kind of international joke was this!
"Teacher Dylan, if I may be so bold as to ask, how many students are you planning to pass?"
Erina Nakiri's voice also trembled slightly. She hadn't expected that right after complaining about how simple the midterms were, Dylan would drop such a bombshell on her.
"I don't know yet. But if the skills are too poor, I don't mind eliminating everyone. Consider it a way to adapt to the competition in the senior high division in advance."
Dylan chuckled as he spoke, then pushed open the classroom door. Inside, there were many familiar faces, all of whom had come specifically for him.
"Is Little Megumi still not here today?"
Scanning the classroom but not finding the person he wanted to see, Dylan walked over to Yuki Yoshino, who was chatting with Ryoko Sakaki, and asked.
"Good morning, Teacher Dylan!"
"She didn't get assigned your class and wasn't willing to fight for a spot through a Shokugeki. Today, I think she's in Professor Roland Chapelle's class."
Seeing Dylan walk towards them, Yuki Yoshino energetically waved and greeted him, then began to explain.
Although Ryoko Sakaki beside her didn't speak, she also gave him a slight bow as a sign of respect.
Because Dylan had opened a Chinese cuisine class of extremely high quality...
His class was now exceptionally sought after among the more skilled students at Tōtsuki.
Students assigned to his course would almost immediately become targets for Shokugekis, and even those who won a Shokugeki weren't guaranteed to keep their spot.
And this was precisely Tōtsuki's teaching philosophy.
Competition.
Only through constant competition, by stepping on one's peers and using them as stepping stones, could one climb to the highest peak.
"Is that so? The little girl's disposition is still a bit too soft. With her skills, if she wanted to compete, at least half the people here wouldn't be her match."
Dylan glanced at the students present. Many were familiar faces, but there were also some unfamiliar ones, about ten in total.
With a quick scan, Dylan saw anticipation in their eyes. They had most likely heard the rumors outside and had come to experience his class.
How many of these would remain? And how many would end up fleeing in panic, advising others not to attend his class?
However...
None of that concerned him.
After all, the ones he focused on had always been just that small group.
Unless others were astonishingly talented, he truly didn't pay them much mind. At most, he would teach them some basic things; they wouldn't be able to learn anything more difficult.
"Speaking of which, what are we learning today, Teacher Dylan?"
Just then, a girl walked up.
She looked at Dylan with admiration in her eyes and asked about today's lesson, for no other reason than to talk to him more.
"Fried rice."
In response to the inquiry, Dylan replied faintly with just two words.
"Eh? Why something so simple?"
"Even novice chefs know how to do that, right? Teacher, teach us something else, teach us some amazing techniques that nobody else knows!"
"Exactly! Fried rice... probably no one here doesn't know how to make it, right?"
Dylan's words made the classroom noisy, with complaints rising and falling.
If it were anything else, it would be fine, but fried rice was just too simple. Almost any chef knew this basic skill.
It was like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in arithmetic. You wouldn't expect to learn such elementary school content in university, would you?
"Learn if you want, scram if you don't!"
Hearing the surrounding clamor, mostly from some of the newcomers...
If it were the Dylan who had just arrived at Tōtsuki, he might have offered a couple of explanations. But now, he just wanted to coldly tell these shouting people to get out.
Did these people really think they were something? Clearly knowing nothing, yet still being picky! Why not just tell them to scram now!
As soon as this sentence fell, the classroom instantly quieted down. Everyone looked at each other, panic appearing in their eyes, clearly realizing they had displeased Dylan.
"We're sorry, Teacher Dylan! That's not what we meant!"
"We'll learn! Please don't kick us out!"
"The fried rice taught by the teacher must be different from others! If these guys don't learn, I will!"
"Coach! I want to learn fried rice!"
Watching Dylan walk back to the cooking station, the people on site instantly groveled, all speaking words of entreaty, with some onlookers even starting to step on one to praise another.
"Alright, everyone quiet down."
"Do you really think you've mastered fried rice? In Chinese cuisine, fried rice is the foundation of everything, the ultimate expression of heat control!"
"If you want to see a chef's skill level, just have them make a bowl of fried rice, and you can tell a lot. Alice, you come up and give everyone a demonstration."
Dylan looked at Erina Nakiri and the others, explaining slowly.
He was saying this more for their benefit. Fried rice wasn't just about frying rice; it was more about mastering this type of cuisine.
"Yes!"
Alice Nakiri responded, then stood up and moved forward. She first scanned the cooking station, then looked at Dylan, who was sitting nearby watching her.
Could this be Dylan's test for her?!
"This is a rare opportunity, so I'll demonstrate a combination fried rice for everyone."
Taking a long breath, Alice suddenly felt a bit nervous. This was the first time Dylan had asked her to demonstrate on stage; she absolutely couldn't mess it up!
"Fried rice involves stir-frying the side ingredients and rice in a wok. The requirements for the rice are extremely high; only good rice can make good fried rice."
Watching Alice Nakiri process the shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausage, green peas, ham, carrots, and other ingredients, Dylan nodded inwardly in approval.
The current Alice Nakiri possessed Special-Grade skill in all aspects.
This was especially true for Chinese cuisine, where she particularly excelled in stir-fries, noodles, and seafood—these were her specialties!
Combination fried rice, with three meat and four vegetable ingredients, plus rice, totaled eight main components. It was often the final staple dish at state banquets and held a high status.
Making it well was neither particularly difficult nor particularly simple.
"Teacher, teacher, I know this one! Good fried rice needs to use overnight rice, right?"
Yuki Yoshino excitedly raised her hand. After saying this, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and she looked at Dylan with an expression begging for praise.
"In terms of conclusion, that statement is correct. But I still hope you can see the essence through the phenomenon."
"The main reason for using overnight rice is because time has removed moisture from the rice. Dry, well-separated grains of rice are the first choice for making fried rice because the core purpose of fried rice is to stir-fry the rice grains thoroughly."
Hearing Yuki Yoshino's words, Dylan nodded and then explained the principle behind this common belief, which caused many to show expressions of realization.
"I see... The key isn't that it's overnight, but that the rice's moisture content is reduced to a certain level..."
Yuki Yoshino pinched her chin and muttered to herself.
"What amazing knife skills! Everyone, look at the cooking station!"
Suddenly, someone shouted. The students who were still discussing what kind of rice to use for fried rice all turned their gazes to the cooking station.
Alice Nakiri was holding a cleaver in one hand, while her other hand continuously placed ingredients down.
In just a brief moment, the originally whole ingredients were transformed into uniformly sized small cubes, simultaneously falling back into their respective small bowls.
Such exquisite knife skills instantly stunned the students on site. Some even had their mouths slightly agape, unsure what to say.
Are you saying that such a student is in the same year as us, the same age?!
_____
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