Since Erina didn't have anyone she disliked, it meant one thing for Li Ke:
He could challenge someone he didn't like.
How he would qualify for the challenge was Erina's job. Just like how, although he was clearly an adult, Erina had carefully crafted an identity that made him the same age as the other students—that was all Erina's doing.
"But who should I choose?"
Li Ke flipped through the information on the so-called Elite Ten of Totsuki Academy.
These information and titles, so obviously cheesy, made Li Ke really want to laugh, but as a mature person, he didn't.
However, after looking at their signature dishes, Li Ke spotted a blond-haired figure.
Then, his blood pressure spiked.
This blond-haired guy specialized in Chinese cuisine.
But this guy wasn't like the others who focused on one thing, he is a jack-of-all-trades.
This guy specializes in Sichuan cuisine, even claiming that Sichuan is the authentic cuisine of China, and he's driven away anyone learning other Chinese dishes.
Li Ke had no problem with people from other countries learning Chinese cuisine; his pursuit of good food was understandable.
But this guy, when cooking Sichuan food, didn't make anything else—just chili peppers, chili peppers, and more chili peppers.
The problem is...
Chili peppers only arrived in China during the Ming Dynasty.
And given the Japanese tolerance for chili peppers...
Li Ke had always found this strange. The Japanese have a very high tolerance for wasabi, but most Japanese can't stand chili peppers.
And when they talk about Chinese food, it's always Mapo Tofu, as if that's the only dish in the world.
And after a closer look, he indeed saw the phrase "specializes in Mapo Tofu" in the introduction of this guy named Kuga Terunori.
Most importantly, after seeing that, Li Ke's blood pressure soared even higher.
Because of this bastard, he made Mapo Tofu.
Without Sichuan peppercorns.
Although he knew it was Mapo Tofu, a Japanese style, the other party had written two words on it:
Authentic.
"Authentic... he can't cook, but this guy's got a big mouth."
Li Ke's eye twitched.
"Just based on the word 'authentic,' I choose you, you unlucky bastard."
He was just picking an unlucky guy; he didn't intend to revive any Chinese cuisine at this school... after all, he wasn't a professional chef.
He was simply annoyed by this guy who considered Sichuan cuisine the only true Chinese cuisine.
"Oh, so it really is him?"
Erina looked at the person Li Ke had chosen. Although somewhat surprised, considering Li Ke's nationality, she naturally understood.
"You people from such a great country are really strict. Well then, I'll teach you how to make Mapo Tofu. Although my method is probably not authentically Chinese, this is Japan after all, so please bear with me."
Unable to resist a muttered complaint, Erina opened her phone and began composing a text message for her secretary, Hisako, asking her to contact Kuga Terunori so she could meet him.
After all, every member of the Elite Ten is very busy.
"Okay."
Li Ke had no objections, but soon after, he was teased by Erina.
"Are you really from China? Why do you know less about Chinese cuisine than I do?"
Li Ke: "..."
Although Erina teased him for lacking any culinary talent, Li Ke still managed to learn how to make Mapo Tofu so it wouldn't stick to the pan.
At this moment, Erina's secretary, Hisako Arato, arrived, bringing two other people with her.
One was Mito Ikumi, whom Li Ke had met before, and the other was the unlucky fellow Li Ke had chosen, Kuga Terunori.
"Yo, Erina, I heard you're planning to act as a middleman, pitting a freshman against me in a food battle, risking my Elite Ten reputation?"
Kuga Terunori looked at Li Ke's clumsy knife skills and the indescribable mapo tofu lying to the side, and couldn't help but sneer.
"You don't actually want this guy to have a food battle with me, do you? I doubt he could even beat his opponent in the elementary school at Totsuki Academy."
His attitude was extremely arrogant. If it were Erina fighting him, he wouldn't be so arrogant. But just looking at Li Ke's mapo tofu made him furious.
Although he didn't know what Erina was thinking, making him fight a chef of this caliber was nothing short of an insult.
Although Erina's offer was very good, he was genuinely worried that she might rig the food battle against someone like him.
"You don't need to worry about the opponent's strength, nor about the fairness of the food battle," Erina said directly, seeing through his thoughts.
"So what's your answer?"
While she wasn't particularly interested in Kuga Terunori, since Li Ke had brought this unlucky guy, she wouldn't hold back.
"I'm just curious about his identity, that you'd want him to step on me to get ahead."
Kuga Terunori gave Erina a speechless look.
"But Erina, this guy has absolutely no chance of defeating me, so forget it. I have absolutely no interest in your affairs."
Li Ke looked at Kuga Terunori's 'don't mess with me' expression, pondered for a moment, and then silently picked up his plate.
"Enough talk, why not try it? Not as a food battle, but as a judgment of whether I'm worthy of being your opponent."
But Kuga Terunori merely glanced at the Mapo Tofu Li Ke had brought over and spoke disdainfully.
This really wasn't his fault.
"The tofu you cut is uneven in size, proving your right hand, which holds the knife, is unskilled, leading to a lack of confidence when cutting. The numerous burnt marks and even tears in the tofu indicate a lack of strength in your wok-tossing hand, preventing you from quickly flipping it and forcing you to use a spatula, which in turn punctures the already poorly cut tofu. The timing and order of the seasonings, as well as the heat, are all wrong. This shows you didn't gather all the ingredients at once during preparation, proving your unsteady footwork and poor basic skills!"
"Hmph! Your right hand is unskilled, your left hand is weak, and your footwork is sloppy. You think you can compete with me? Chinese cuisine is profound and complex; go back and practice for twenty thousand years before coming back to me!"
Kuga Terunori offered a precise and sharp critique of Li Ke's dish, and neither Li Ke nor Erina could refute it, as what he said was true.
"Give it a try."
Li Ke maintained his smile, but this was the second time he'd activated his ability. He even placed the plate in front of Kuga Terunori.
Kuga Terunori, like Li Ke, maintained his smile and indifference. He looked at Li Ke with the eyes of someone looking at trash, then snorted coldly.
"Ha, this stuff that looks obviously awful, this stuff that I'd even defend as trash! I, Kuga Terunori, would rather eat a garbage can, jump off a cliff, die outside, eat sweet tofu pudding than..."
But just as he was speaking, the aroma of Mapo Tofu, imbued with Li Ke's ability, wafted into his nose.
The fresh, spicy, and numbing flavor instantly overwhelmed Kuga Terunori's mind. He froze on the spot, staring in disbelief at the Mapo Tofu in Li Ke's hand, which he considered trash.
Just the smell made his tongue burn, his cheeks flush, his breathing quicken, and he even tasted the numbing spiciness and the smooth texture of tofu!
He was incredibly passionate about Sichuan cuisine; otherwise, he wouldn't have considered it the only authentic cuisine of China.
That's why he was able to conquer most of the Japanese who didn't like spicy food with Sichuan cuisine, becoming one of the Elite Ten.
His enthusiasm was undeniable.
So, the instant he smelled that aroma, only one thought remained in his mind.
"...Take a bite."
"Huh?"
"I said! Let me have a bite!"
Kuga Terunori impatiently snatched the plate from Li Ke's hand, quickly ate a spoonful, and then, the next moment...
He felt a fire ignite within him.
It exploded.
"I've always followed the rules, and I've never wanted to be an artist!"
He put down his Mapo Tofu, picked up his childhood hobby, grabbed a bowl, and began rhythmically banging it while singing at the top of his lungs.
It was quite a display of frenetic energy.