Food Wars: The Golden Hands

"HA?" Veronica looked at Alexander with an open mouth after what she heard "I am sorry, i just met you today, aren't we skipping a few steps here, no confession, no hand-holding, no romantic date. Just straight to s.e.x?" Veronica back off a little "We should get to know each other first." she said.

Alexander who heard blabbing on and on didn't know what she was talking about "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked with a dumb look on his face.

"...Well, you just said you want me to go with you to your room...so..."

Alexander then realized what he has said, and with a stoic expression he spoke "Hell no!!" He said. "That was not what I meant."

"Then what was it? men don't invite girls just to talk, either Netflix and chills or Takeout & Makeout, and maybe even Study & Get Cuddly." Veronica went on her rant after what Alexander said.

"Relax, relax." Alexander chuckled seeing her acting like this "I just have a proposition for you."

Veronica narrowed her eyes "What kind of proposition are we talking about here?" she asked.

Alexander patted her head and came closer to her face "A job proposition." He said.

"Job...?" Veronica frowned at that word, she couldn't think of why he would say that.

"Haha Don't overthink it, I will tell you about it when we come back from the meeting with that bald guy." Alexander dismissed the situation and started walking.

"W-wait for me!" Veronica snapped out of her thought and saw Alexander far away from her, so she ran after him.

The two walked through the school paths, making their way to the library. When they reached the entrance, two guys with shaved heads were standing guards at the door, Alexander couldn't help but wonder "Is there some kind of society fo these guys or what?" he asked. He has seen quite a few guys with shaved heads and monk-student mixed uniforms.

"You don't know about them?" Veronica spoke as they passed by the guards.

"Who? the shaved heads society?" Alexander chuckled as he looked back at her.

Veronica shook her head "It is not the shaved heads society, they are called Yanglong Monks aka Bright Dragons, a clan of chefs that serve one purpose, here they groom new chefs, and once they graduate they join the clan permanently."

'Bright dragons? yeah! they are bright, especially with their shinning bald heads, haha!!' Alexander laughed to himself for a moment before speaking "And that purpose is?" he asked.

Veronica took out her phone and read through her notes "They serve as the screen and middle man for their real clan Drak dragons in the underworld, they mostly set up parties, cooking chefs, Gourmet meeting, and various business opportunities that the Dark dragons use to pass their illegal goods into the legal market without trouble."

Alexander stopped and looked back at her "Dark Dragons?" if his memory is correct, Dark Dragons are one of the 4 major underworld clans alongside the White Tigers, Green Turtles, and Red Phoenixes. "Are they perhaps related to any other underworld clan, like the Red Phoenixes, Green Turtles, or maybe even the white Tigers?"

Veronica was shocked "You know about them?!" but that was just for a moment as she saw Alexander looked at her with his eyes shining with a golden hue like he was a lion setting a trap for his prey, this time, she felt genuinely scared. "I-I don't think they are related." Veronica continued "Bright Dragons have a bad relationship with the Small Tigers which is related to the white Tigers clan in the academy."

'Small Tigers...So they must be the people who are keeping an eye on me, I walked into one of their nests, though i doubt some kids will know any useful information about the main clan and the boss...' Alexander hummed as he fell silent to his thought. Veronica did not speak and let Alexander be.

After a moment, they met the person who invited them near one of the windows with a book in his hand "I see that you have arrived late, but you have arrived nonetheless." He said, closing his book."

"Kong-fu man, good to see you again after what happened earlier!" Alexander smiled as he walked to Xi Zhao with open arms for a hug.

Xi Zhao swiftly avoided Alexander "Act like your age, we have work to do, follow me." He said.

Veronica walked to Alexander and pulled him near her "You met him after we split up?" She asked.

"Yeah, i broke someone family's heirloom and he stepped in to prevent another heirloom from being destroyed. He knows Kong-Fu!" Alexander said.

"Duh, they are semi-monks, they train up in the mountain behind us, they live with discipline as you can see," Veronica added after Alexander.

"Hurry up!" Xi Zhao called, making the two follow him. They then started to delve deeper into the library that seems to keep going with no end. "Although you two are exchange students, for the time being, you are part of our academy, and for that, you get access to our library where the majority of our recipe books and detailed information about all kinds of things related to the gourmet world. The number of books you can get access to is in accordance with your cooking skills. Some suggested not to leak our books to strangers but as it seems the agreement between the school stated that we can't prevent the exchanged students from any facility in the school." Once they reached the center of the library, Xi Zhao stopped in front of a cooking table "And you are here for that. Your skills will be tested." He said.

Alexander and Veronica looked at the table with a bored expression 'Another exam, really?' They shared a thought.

"Excuse me, you might not know this, But I am Totsuki's 1st seat," Alexander said with a smile.

"And I am here Germa's 2nd seat," Veronica added.

Xi Zhao sighed "Less talking, more cooking." He said as he gestured for the tables "Your test will be short and easy, all you need to do is cook a Chow Mein dish, I believe you know the recipe or you have one of your own. You have 20 mins at max."

Alexander and Veronica looked at each other and shook their heads before walking to the stations "Chow Mein, ey? not my favorite, but ok." Alexander said, he reached for a knife in front of him and looked at it. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%!d(string=13877084506971805)/grade_%!d(string=51540149875570920) for visiting.

'Now that i think about it...This is maybe the first time I have held a knife properly inside the kitchen since my third year started.' Alexander thought 'It feels good anyways...'

Without any moment if hesitation, his eyes glowed with golden hue under the lights of the library 'Chew Mein's secret is the hidden veggies, i have to make sure i got them right," Alexander looked through his ingredients and everything was clear, al ingredients were there.

Alexander moved swiftly and cut the Carrots, Cabbage, Garlic, and Green onion into small and clean cuts. His hands cut through the vegetables like a musician hitting the keys, smooth and strong.

Finishing from the vegetables, he moved to the sauce, Alexander decided to use Oyster sauce with Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce, pepper, and finally cornflour.

Alexander took out some chicken b.r.e.a.s.ts cut into small pieces and mixed them with the sauce, carefully and without any rush. moving on, he throws the chicken b.r.e.a.s.ts into a wok on fire cooking them until they are tinder, The Aroma quickly started spreading throughout the library.

And at the same time, his partner's dish beside him started to give its own Aroma, as te two aromas collided, they merged and created a strong delicious smell that makes the person cannot hold his hunger.

Xi Zhao pushed his glasses back 'Indeed, both of them are deserving of their reputation from just this simple dish, they can make such strong and irresistible aroma.' He thought, but nothing was just shown on his face, he was a monk for a reason.

Alexander quickly grabbed the vegetables and added them after the chicken, the vegetables were so fine and thin that you can mistake them for noodles, Alexander shuffled the ingredients together so they all can share their flavor to bring ut an even more delicious dish.

Slowly, the dish was getting ready, then Alexander grabbed the noodles provided to him and added them to the wok, and with his spoon, he mixed the noodles with the ingredients and added more sauce on them to finish it up.

"Final touche..." Alexander took out a dish and with a swift hand movement, he twisted the wok and made the dish fall smoothly on the plate setting it in a circular form, a pleasant form to the eye to see and the stomach to desire.

"I am done too!" Alexander looked back at Veronica who was making the same dish, although her noodles seem to be red than Alexander's. Alexander sniffed the arm produced by her dish and he realized the reason why 'She used hot spices...'

"Well then, let me taste your work, this will determine your privilege in this academy!" Xi Zhao walked forward "Who wants me to take his dish first?" he asked.

Alexander just shrugged his shoulders "Just take hers first, i don't mind." he said. Xi Zhao nodded and took a fork and tasted Veronica's dish first. Once his lips touched the noodles, he felt the hotness of the dish. Like raging fire was burning inside the noodles, and he knew it wasn't the heat that made him feel so, but rather the flavor of the dish.

Xi Zhao couldn't help but touch his lips at how spicy the dish was but he did not complain, in his mind, even if the food was 100 times spicier, he would still eat it, just for the sake of one more dominating flavor.

Quickly finishing the portion presented to him, Xi Zhao cleaned his lips and nodded "Good, You get Gold Grade privilege, you can use and enter all facilities expect the Elite 10's homes or the Clans."

"Yay!" Veronica winked at Alexander cutely to which Alexander shook his head.

"Next is Totsuki's 1st seat." Xi Zhao said as he reached out with his fork and took Alexander's dish. After such spicy food made by Veronica, Xi Zhao doubted that he may be able to fully taste Alexander's dish.

But to his surprise, not only was he able to taste the food fully and with no hindrance, his eyes widened at the scene in front of him. 'This is...?!" Xi Zhao couldn't help but marvel at what e is seeing now.

A younger Zhao getting his head shaved, but that was not because of the clan rules, but rather because of the person in front of him. A pretty pale ace, dark eyes like the moonless and starless night and hairless head. Xi Zhao's younger self was full of smiles as his hair was falling down.

"Xia Zhao, you don't have to cut your hair." a very gentle and feminine voice came out of the pretty person in front of the younger Xi Zhao.

"But I want to do it for you, QingYang." Xi Zhao's younger self spoke with a warm voice and a full of energy tone, very far from his current self.

"Sigh~What am I gonna do, you want to look like someone with cancer? you are really strange!" QingYang spoke with a bright smile "But I am not complaining though!" she said.

QingYang's eyes became sad for a moment, but that did not escape Xi Zhao's eyes. QingYang knows her situation and knows that one day, she may not wake up and see the little fool in front of her, the little fool that was making her suffering go away with his foolish smile and ideals. How many times has she kicked him away from her, trying not to hurt in the future, But as a fool, as he was, he would return the same.

"Why are you looking like that?" Xi Zhao asked.

"Eh?" QingYang snapped out of her trance and looked at him.

"Don't give the look of defeat, the modern-day may not have a solution for your condition, but I have read books and spoken with many experts, they say that healthy food and the ancient medicines do have a chance, I will study them and I will give them to you to cure you, and then we will go see the moon at the mountains, just as i promised you. So, don't give up and keep fighting."

"Yes, I will..."

Those words kept on echoing in Xi Zhao's ears, tears fell down from his eyes, his hands trembled, and looked down. Without even realizing it, Xi Zhao has finished Alexander's dish.

"Oi, dude, are you okay?" Alexander asked.

"He doesn't seem to be." Veronica came closer to Xi Zhao to see how he is doing, but he stopped her with his finger on her forehead.

"I am...Fine. I will retreat now, you both passed. I will speak to you later." Without any delay, Xi Zhao ran out of the library.

As Xi Zhao exited the library, Alexander realized "AH!! he didn't say what my grade was!"