Capítulo 160: Chapter 159: Erina’s Concern
"Are these people even qualified to be called chefs? They're not even fit to be waiters, are they?" a middle-aged man in a neatly tailored suit commented with a smirk.
"Exactly. Do people like this really deserve to be called chefs? It's laughable," chimed in a fashionable woman with carefully applied makeup, laughing so hard that she struggled to stay upright.
"You're both mistaken," Ann said with a gentle smile. "Although these people seem insignificant, we should still look at them with encouragement, shouldn't we?"
"Oh, I almost forgot to introduce them. These five individuals will serve as the chefs of this restaurant from now on," An added, turning toward Sui and the others. "Each of them is an excellent chef recognized by the WGO, and their restaurants have all earned one-star ratings."
"I've always heard that Totsuki's Elite Ten graduates become leaders in the culinary world. Yet, here you are, Tōsuke Megishima, mingling with such low-level people. Aren't you worried about tarnishing your reputation?" the woman taunted, addressing Tōsuke.
"You don't need to concern yourself with that," Tōsuke replied indifferently.
"As a gesture of goodwill towards someone of your rank, the Third Seat, we can provide you with a team of qualified waitstaff free of charge," Ann continued with a soft smile. "After all, it's clear the three of you alone won't be enough to manage this restaurant."
"Are you looking down on us?" one of the ramen craftsmen shouted, anger rising.
Tōsuke stayed silent. He knew the ramen craftsmen alone couldn't run the restaurant efficiently. Without proper training, they would easily be overwhelmed when things got busy.
"Thank you for the offer, but we already have enough people," Sui interjected with a calm smile.
"Oh?" Ann was about to respond when the door swung open, and a few people stepped inside.
"Sorry, we're late," Subaru Mimasaka said with a calm smile as he entered.
"Who says we can't manage this place?" Miyoko Hojo added, casting a cold glance at Ann.
"Tōsuke-senpai has the support of the ramen craftsmen, and Sui-kun has us to back him up!"
"That's right, Sui isn't on his own!"
Nao, Sōma, Yoshino, and Ryoko followed them in, all wearing their Totsuki uniforms.
Ann and the others were taken aback.
"I didn't expect you to have so many followers from Totsuki," Ann said, surprised as he looked at Sui.
"They're my friends," Sui replied with a smile, then turned to the group that had come to help. "Thank you."
Earlier, Sui had worried about being short on manpower, so he had reached out to his friends for help, and they had all agreed without hesitation.
"It's no problem. I was furious when I heard about this. Now, let's show them the strength of us 'civilian' cooks!" Sōma grinned, tying his signature headband.
"Even so, you're still just rookie students," Ann snapped, gritting her teeth. "The power of WGO is not something you students can stand against!" With that, they turned and left.
"Alright, let's assign the tasks," Sui said, taking charge. "Tōsuke-senpai, Megumi, Sōma, and I will handle the ramen. The rest of you will manage other tasks."
"Just the four of you? There are five one-star chefs across the street," Subaru frowned. "I can help, too."
"No need," Sui said with a slight smile. "Someone else will be joining us soon."
"Someone else?" Megumi looked around, puzzled. "Isn't everyone already here?"
Just then, a soft yet clear voice spoke from the doorway. "Sorry I'm late."
Erina walked in.
"Miss Erina?" The entire store froze in shock. No one had expected someone of Erina's status to show up here.
"Is that really the princess of Totsuki?"
"The legendary God's Tongue!" The ramen craftsmen murmured in disbelief.
"A person like her is willing to help us? We're so grateful!"
They immediately knelt on the ground, moved by her presence. Normally, a prestigious figure like Erina would never associate with common ramen craftsmen.
"Please, don't be like that. I'm only here to help Sui," Erina said, blushing slightly.
If not for Sui, she wouldn't have come, as she didn't know these people at all.
"Is it because of this young man?" They all turned to Sui, shocked that someone so influential could convince the God's Tongue to assist.
"Well, now that everyone's here, let's officially begin," Sui said, refocusing the group.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Erina first listened to an assessment of the competing restaurant's chefs. "Five one-star chefs? That's quite a challenge," she pondered aloud.
Even Totsuki graduates don't always achieve a WGO star rating. Most of the Elite Ten receive one or two stars after graduation, and even Shinomiya Kojiro, the top graduate of the 257th class, was still striving for a third star.
"But with Sui and Megishima-senpai, we stand a chance," Erina said. "We also have three chefs on par with Totsuki's Elite Ten. Besides, the other side is a high-end restaurant. Their prices must be steep, and most of the nearby residents likely can't afford expensive meals. That gives us a significant advantage with affordable pricing."
"As expected of Erina-san. I feel much more at ease after hearing that," Megumi said, relieved.
Everyone nodded, their confidence boosted by Erina's analysis.
Soon, the first batch of ramen was prepared, and the group waited for customers.
However, time passed, and no one entered.
After a while, a few customers trickled in, but they quickly left without ordering.
Meanwhile, the restaurant across the street was packed, with a line stretching out the door.
Everyone was bewildered. By all logic, the prices at the competing restaurant had to be high, and there weren't many wealthy people in the area. How could they be so popular?
Erina frowned deeply, sensing something was amiss. "There must be something fishy going on here."
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