Chapter 1 (2/2)

No matter one’s status though, as soon as they entered the school, they were all ordinary students. So even now at the gates, the inspector had not seen Liu Maoxing as anyone different other than from the clothes he wore.

But what the inspector had looked at Liu Maoxing weirdly for was the fact that Liu Maoxing’s resume had been far too simple. He had only the letter of recommendation from “Chuuka Ichiban” and a piece of paper that said his specialization was in “Chinese cuisine”. All of his other experiences and career information were left completely blank!

If not for the fact that the machine he had on hand said that this piece of paper was completely authentic, then the inspector would have figured that this applicant had forged his application….

An application this lack-l.u.s.ter shouldn’t by rights even get across the beginning screening process!

This may have been the testing ground for all of the student hopefuls, Liu Maoxing had felt that he was of a completely different make from the others.

Aside from the young heirs and heiresses standing around at the plaza, there were also plenty of uniform-wearing students. But the vast majority of them looked rather dispirited.

“Eh?” Liu Maoxing had seen the Shokugeki no Soma before, but it had not left a deep impression on him and so this sight had surprised him.

“Hey, are you taking the exams as well? What are you confused about?” A rather nice-looking boy his age suddenly spoke out to Liu Maoxing first.

“I do….those people over there look like students, so what are they doing here?” Liu Maoxing asked.

“Not only is today the entrance exams for Tōtsuki Academy, it is also the day for when the middle division of Tōtsuki Academy learn whether or not they advance onto the next stage…But if we’re talking about that exam, then it’s possible that out of these hundred students, not a single one of them pa.s.sed and will have to say goodbye to “Tōtsuki”.

I’m Nikaidō Yos.h.i.+aki. My family owns a French Restaurant, and you?”

Liu Maoxing had felt rather unwell at this fake smile of Nikaidō Yos.h.i.+aki, but nonetheless, he had replied, “I’m Liu Maoxing from….from “Chuuka Ichiban”, I’m probably not going to be the successor.”

“Liu Maoxing? Chuuka Ichiban….is that a Chinese restaurant?” Nikaidō asked.

Liu Maoxing had used his cellphone to check before, there had never been a restuarant called “Chuuka Ichiban” before!

With a vague wave of his hand, Liu Maoxing replied, “Yea, two hundred years ago it was a golden business, but it never made contact with the outside cooking world for two hundred years and fell into decline. That’s probably why you haven’t heard of it.”

Nikaidō had not looked down at Liu Maoxing for this. Chinese cuisine had several thousand years of history, and when he heard that “Chuuka Ichiban” was over a hundred years old but declined due to not catching up with the modern era of fusion cuisine, Nikaidō had figured there was probably a little more to that and was probably a secret.

“My family’s restaurant would often times call for master chefs from China as well to compare notes and perfect our skills. Communication is very important; if you have the time, then please come by to my restaurant for a visit.” Nikaidō handed Liu Maoxing a business card.

As Liu Maoxing took the business card with some embarra.s.sment, a broadcast was suddenly voice all over the plaza, “Partic.i.p.ating applicants, you have three minutes to gather at the exam hall….”

“Three minutes? What a delayed announcement!” Liu Maoxing immediately scrambled to run into the grounds so that he could make it in time.

“That too is Tōtsuki’s style!” Nikaidō started to run with him while unrealizing Liu Maoxing’s earlier embarra.s.sment.

Arriving at the exam hall, the two of them had seen several hundred student applicants gathered around, causing Liu Maoxing’s heart to start beating even faster….

With Tōtsuki’s name in the culinary world, it was only natural that there would be several hundred people. Without that strict screening process they had, then the amount of possible applicants would have been more than enough to fill the ocean!

Standing at the far back, Liu Maoxing could just barely make out the fact that the examiner was just about his age. Her hair was a heavy blonde color and her back was held straight, giving her the appeal of being a woman that was ‘a feast for the eyes’….

Correct. Liu Maoxing really did think that this woman was not a female teacher playing at being young since she was wearing the clothes that only a student would wear!

“c.r.a.p, it’s her?!”

“I heard my brother say that she is the only first year to make it into the ‘Tōtsuki’s Elite Ten’, but I didn’t think she’d….”

“She’s going to be the one conducting our entrance exam? In the case that she brands you as someone without talent….”

Each and every single one of the applicants there had clearly recognized the woman in front of her and began to talk to one another in worry.

At this moment, a rather modest looking girl with pink hair appeared by the side of the blonde–she was most likely the a.s.sistant. “Quiet! We will now begin the examination. Firstly, according on your registration number, you will separate into groups of ten for an interview. Based off the applications, you will then…”

For the previously unconcerned Liu Maoxing, sweat began to flow straight away–an interview based off their applications? His own application was practically empty!

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