act40side

No! No, of course not! Of course I don't... Haha...

Then congratulations on passing the first stage.

Please, follow me upstairs.

From the rear hall sounds a gong, and the doors next to Blaze yawn open.

First stage...? How long is this thing...?

Here you are, madam. The list of chefs at Ding Feng Lou.

If you don't mind me asking, what are you investigating exactly...?

...The case is confidential. I'm not at leisure to tell you for now.

Okay...

The head chef here, their name is Mo Bufu?

Yes. I don't think there's a cook in Baizao who doesn't know of Chef Mo.

Do you know what his occupation was prior to Ding Feng Lou?

That, I have no idea. Chef Mo arrived... just under ten years ago? Not quite a long time, but not short either. His cooking skills are the real deal, they're <i>sublime</i>. Almost straight away, he succeeded the previous head chef.

Where is he now? I need to see him.

I'm really sorry, but he's holding an exam right this moment. There's no way he can meet you.

Exam? What exam?

You could call it an enrollment exam for Ding Feng Lou? It only happens once every few years.

If you're interested, we're televising it right here!

That contestant...

Blaze...?

This is...

Isn't this a restaurant...? How come this room's set up like a study?

In its centuries of history, Ding Feng Lou has hosted countless reputed celebrities. We set aside this room to safekeep any pieces of calligraphy or painting gifted by them.

Delicacies, calligraphies, paintings... all are works of art that take years of practicing.

Blaze looks up and around. Hundreds upon thousands of silk threads hang from the ceiling, a wooden placard tied to each one, resembling a curtain.

All of these are... names of dishes...

As you're no doubt aware, Ding Feng Lou is hiring chefs in the runup to the Feast of a Hundred Delicacies. This calls for cooks who are not just culinarily skilled, but who grasp the significances behind the dishes they make.

Every dish here originates from a past Feast of a Hundred Delicacies. Pick one placard, and tell me the dish's history. That is today's second stage.

(From the FEASTS? How the hell should I know any of these?!)

(Whatever, I've gotten this far—)

Blaze closes her eyes, and swipes one down. The neighboring placards clatter against each other, as if an endless windchime.

What's this...?

'Medley of Whites'?

Blaze barely knows how to cook anything. Passing the first stage was already a miracle.

She spent basically her whole life in Victoria. How could she possibly know any of these stories...?

Blaze... I really wish I could help you...

You have a time limit. Do you know the origin of this dish?

About fifty years ago, give or take, Yan's Grand Preceptor presented the True Lung with a dish—the simplest, plainest, stewed radishes.

But the special thing was, the radishes she used came from all over the land, and each one had a massively different flavor and texture.

But having been stewed for long enough, they absorbed enough broth and were all equally tasty.

I hear Yan's always put education first, but because the country's so big, and every city has wildly different circumstances anyway, the farther out you go, the harder it is for students to really achieve.

The Grand Preceptor was trying to tell the True Lung that every student, no matter their background, should have equal opportunity.

The True Lung took the Grand Preceptor's advice, advocated hard for educational reform, tore down any regional restrictions and brought equality to educational resources.

The next year, when Baizao Academy announced its successful applicants, students from remote regions made up more than a half of the thousand-plus that qualified.

In the decades after that, the Tianshis buried in their Bureau's books, the students studying like hell in their academies, all of them thanked the Grand Preceptor for boldly advising...

That, if I'm not mistaken, is what Medley of Whites represents...

Blaze senses the spectators stop chattering.

She's not wrong. Everyone is nervously watching her right this moment.

(How... did Blaze know that?)

(And why would the exam writer leave the name of this dish in there...?)

(You don't just mention <i>her</i>, not in front of everyone...)

Did I, uh, say something wrong...?

Interesting.

The voice descends from a few meters above. Blaze stares up above her, but doesn't see anyone.

A foot lands on a stairstep plank with a dull thud, subdued yet powerful, the kind nobody could miss.

It approaches, closer and closer, until Blaze can finally make out who it is—a stern and solemn man, far older than her, alighting from his long stairwell.

After so many years, I didn't think anyone would remember this.

Nice to meet you, um...

The story you've told is far older than you. Girl, how come you know it?

Well, someone from my family told me it, a long long time ago.

He said he was one of those students in poverty, all the way back then.

To know the spring of your water... I imagine your relative was a grateful and righteous man.

But as for you...

Just what motive brought you here?

I... well, I'm... here to compete, of course...

Seeing as you've made it here, I'll give you one chance.

Final stage. No frills, no fuss. Make me a 'dish'.

Come.

Too early for dinnertime, the restaurant is almost empty save for a couple of diners. There's no waiters, no proprietor, and even the kitchen is quiet.

Excuse me...

You, young man! Help me out!

I was in a hurry this morning and forgot my money. You're a well-to-do boy, anyone can tell! Be a kind man, spot me a little!

Er...

I'm not here to rip you off. Here, take this family jade for now. Once I grab the money later, I'll pay you back.

Not that I mind lending you... but couldn't you just tell the owner instead...? We're total strangers—how would you find me and pay me back?

No, no, no, you see, this jade's not your average thing, it's not fit for just anyone to take. I'm only entrusting it to you because I can tell, you've got a rare air about you.

A-Alright...

Zuo Le rummages for some loose coins in his pocket, and hands them to the diner, whose face immediately broadens with delight.

When do you plan to pay me back...? Where would we meet?

We'll meet if we do and we won't if we don't. And if we don't, you can just go ahead and pawn this jade off.

Relax, relax. You've made a favorable deal today, young sir.

So saying, the diner is gone out the restaurant door in a blink, disappearing into the crowds.

Pawn... it off?

There's my dish. Pretty good job, wouldn't you say?

...Longevity noodles?

Mo Bufu's hands rest on the table, chopsticks in his grasp. For a while, silence, before he finally picks up the spoon and tries a mouthful of soup.

Blaze examines Chef Mo's face closely, but the satisfied look she's hoping for simply does not blossom across the old man's face.

These noodles... this soup base, who taught you this?

It was this tiny little chef. I really put my back into learning it, too...

The owner of 'Savors at Yu's'. Who is he to you?

How come you know...?

I thought so...

...The disgrace of him!

Huh...?

I see he has talent and give him the chance to display his skills. He's not grateful for that, fine. But now, now he even sends an amateur to humiliate me!

What's happening? Blaze finished it up with no trouble... nothing should be wrong with the flavor.

...Does Mo Bufu know the Young Chef somehow?

Wait! Okay, hold on!

I'm sorry! I know you can probably tell I suck at cooking at a glance, but I didn't come so I could wreck your competition!

I just have a question that only you can answer!