Chapter 9: Legendary Chef, Stephen Chow (Patreon)

Today. He had triggered it.

The God-Tier Choice System, bound to his very person.

It had offered three branches, and he had chosen the first without hesitation:

Intercept Azami Nakamura, and use his own cooking to win Mana Nakiri's complete recognition!

The moment he made that choice...

Ramsay hadn't actually been fully confident.

After all, this was the Food Wars world ruled by Totsuki Academy, where geniuses appeared in endless waves and the standards for judging food were brutal to the extreme. The Sorrowful Rice he had practiced for years might not pass the famously harsh God's Tongue of Mana.

So. In the instant he decided, he was really gambling.

Gambling that the Sorrowful Rice he had honed over more than ten years, through endless stir-frying, sauce tuning and fire control, could cross the gap between worlds and move that peerless girl!

Luckily, he won the bet.

---

Even in a Food Wars world packed with powerhouses.

Cooking fundamentals built up over long years still let one simple bowl of Sorrowful Rice bloom with flavor that struck straight at the heart.

In the end. He had won Mana Nakiri's recognition.

And with the system prompt chiming in his mind, today's mission reward was delivered right on schedule:

Exclusive Study Space.

This was the very reward Ramsay had been longing for!

From now on, he could study all kinds of cooking in an independent space, free from outside interference, and shore up his thin foundations. No longer would he be limited to a single dish of Sorrowful Rice!

---

Lying in bed. Ramsay closed his eyes, and his consciousness slipped out of his body and dropped into a boundless expanse of pure white, the system's Study Space.

At once. A cold, mechanical voice. Rang out through the empty space.

> "Ding dong!" "Congratulations, Host." "You have successfully entered the system's Exclusive Study Space."

>

> "Study Space rules: the subjects currently available to the Host are six categories: Cooking, Music, Writing, Martial Arts, Fashion Design, and Dance."

>

> "Unlock rule: after choosing any subject, the Host must pass that subject's graduation assessment with a perfect score before unlocking the next subject."

>

> "Space bonus: the Host's learning speed and comprehension are both doubled, greatly improving training efficiency."

>

> "Note." "The learning mode and assessment standards of each subject." "Differ from one another. Full details can only be viewed after a subject is formally unlocked."

>

> "Ding dong!" "Please choose the first subject to begin."

This was the world of Food Wars!, where everything came down to cooking skill. Ramsay didn't hesitate for a second. With a single thought, he chose Cooking as his first subject.

---

The next moment. The voice sounded again:

> "Ding dong!" "Congratulations, Host, on selecting Cooking. The Cooking subject is now officially unlocked!"

>

> "Cooking training rules: the system will select twelve top-tier Gods of Cookery from across the myriad worlds to serve as mentors, guiding the Host in stages to refine his culinary skills."

>

> "Host." "Once you consider your training complete, you may apply for the graduation assessment yourself."

>

> "Supplementary assessment rules: there is no time limit on the first application... If you fail, you must wait a full year before you can sit it a second time."

>

> "The graduation assessment." "Is divided into two parts: a written theory exam and a live practical exam." "Both." "Must score a perfect 100." "Only then is it a pass!"

Reading the assessment standard, Ramsay couldn't help clicking his tongue.

Perfect scores on both parts, with zero tolerance for error. Never mind losing points on a big question. Writing one ingredient ratio wrong in the theory exam, or seasoning the practical dish off by the slightest hair, would be an instant fail!

And on top of that. He'd have to burn a whole year just to retake it.

The bar. Was brutally high!

Still, he was only just setting out on this road.

The graduation assessment was a long way off. Ramsay pushed his worries aside for now and focused on studying the details of the Cooking subject.

---

Rules. Finished.

Twelve summoning cards with gilded patterns floated out of thin air in front of him.

Ramsay reached out and gently flipped over the first card. Dazzling white light gushed from its face, coiling and swirling in midair, then slowly faded.

Right after. A tall, upright figure. Stood quietly in the center of the light.

A character profile panel popped up at the same time, appearing clearly before Ramsay's eyes:

> Name: Stephen Chow

>

> Age: 35

>

> Origin: the world of The God of Cookery

>

> Specialty: Kung Fu cuisine

>

> Signature dishes: Beef Balls, Sorrowful Rice

The instant he saw who it was, Ramsay froze completely, his heart churning with disbelief.

It was the film The God of Cookery that had lit his passion for cooking back then. To recreate that bowl of Sorrowful Rice, so layered and so stirring...

He. Since childhood. Had spent countless days and nights refining the recipe and tempering his fire control.

Just this evening, he had finally made the finished dish with his own hands and carried it out for Mana Nakiri to taste.

Who would have thought. That by night. The creator of that legendary dish, Stephen Chow, would become his very first cooking mentor.

Fate really was strange. Ramsay was left speechless for a moment!

---

Across from him, Stephen Chow. Stepped forward first, a faint smile on his face, and spoke up: "Hello, Ramsay." "I'm Stephen Chow. I'm honored to be your first cooking mentor in the Study Space. I hope we get along well in the training ahead."

Thanks to. The information the system had synced. Stephen Chow already knew everything about Ramsay and needed no long introduction.

Ramsay quickly replied, "Right! Please take care of me!"

Stephen Chow waved a hand and laughed heartily. "Oh, I wouldn't dare call it 'teaching.'"

Then. His gaze. Rested on Ramsay as he spoke of his own past: "Back in the day, I was nothing but a fraud, a God of Cookery in name only. All packaging and show, without a shred of real skill." "Only after going through some ups and downs did I wake up, settle down, and train in earnest. That's when I finally learned true cooking." "The foundation of my cooking." "Is bringing kung fu into the kitchen. Fists, footwork and strength all go into every boil and stir-fry." "If you learn cooking from me, it won't just be recipes, fire control and seasoning. You'll have to train and polish my kitchen kung fu at the same time!"

As his words fell. Stephen Chow raised a hand and swept it through the air.

In the pure white space, a full stainless-steel stove and a complete set of cookware instantly took shape.

On a shelf to one side sat a dazzling array of fresh meats, seasonal vegetables and fruits, and spices of every kind. Any ingredient or seasoning that existed in the real world was there for the taking.

Yes! This was. The special convenience of the Study Space.

No need to prepare supplies. He could practice on the spot, anytime.

"First, let me see your cooking foundation. Make whatever dish you're best at, then bring it over and let me taste it."