Chapter 1014: Give the Shinomiya Head Chef a Condition He Cannot Refuse

A vein pulsed on Kojiro Shinomiya's forehead; he felt this student Broly was truly a bit reckless, saying whatever was on his mind directly without hiding or pinching his words.

"Yes, I know that much. So what?"

"Uh, as this kitchen's assignment instructor and ingredient provider, shouldn't you guarantee the ingredients' freshness?"

Broly scratched his head and asked.

"Indeed, as the ingredient provider, I must guarantee the ingredients' freshness. So what I can guarantee is that these vegetable ingredients were absolutely fresh when they entered this cooking classroom.

As for the period before you entered this room and began the cooking assignment assessment, some vegetables becoming less than fresh is a normal phenomenon that even many top-tier restaurant back kitchens cannot avoid.

And aren't there still some fresh ingredients in here? Selecting suitable fresh ingredients from a pile of ingredients is also a test of a chef's ingredient selection capability. Any other questions?"

"I see. However, I actually do have one question."

"Ask."

"The other vegetables are actually fine; there are relatively large quantities, leaving selection margin, enough for our forty-plus students to identify and choose.

But cauliflower — the ones meeting fresh ingredient standards, relative to our headcount here — aren't they a bit few? It feels impossible for everyone to get qualified ingredients."

Broly himself acknowledged this kind of test of ingredient selection capability, yet he also raised some points he felt were somewhat unreasonable.

"Cauliflower is inherently easily damaged, easily oxidized, a troublesome vegetable to handle; it's normal for qualified quantities to be insufficient."

Kojiro Shinomiya pushed his glasses and did not deny this point.

"Then————"

Broly's words had just begun when the other party interrupted: "But this is an exam close to reality. In real French cuisine back kitchens, opportunities are forever reserved only for those who are prepared and willing to compete.

My kitchen is the same. Here, only a minority are allowed to pass; to pass you must compete for those few opportunities.

Those unwilling or unable to compete cannot gain a foothold in a French cuisine back kitchen at all————"

【The underlying structure of the French cuisine back kitchen originates from the kitchen brigade system established by Escoffier in the late 19th century. It divides the kitchen in a military manner, each post responsible for only one process, enabling assembly-line-like high-speed operation during service.

This system was originally meant to solve back kitchen chaos. Previously many kitchens were filthy and disordered; chefs drank and were violent,

leading to low efficiency. The kitchen brigade system made division of labor, chain of command, and service standards clear.

But the problem lies here too. Once high-pressure management is institutionalized, it easily slides into so-called authority. The French cuisine head chef holds absolute authority; apprentices must obey. Mistakes bring humiliation, scolding, even more extreme treatment————】

Standing in the cooking hall's corner silently observing, Dojima Gin thought, and he had read this junior chef Kojiro Shinomiya's profile.

During his academy days, the other party was also a gentle-natured chef, but after graduating from Totsuki Academy and going to France to refine French cuisine, his years as an apprentice in some French restaurants ground him hard into a traditional French cuisine back kitchen tyrant head chef, a kitchen dictator.

Using insufficient qualified ingredients to control student pass rates like this is actually a bit unreasonable.

But considering the high-pressure cultivation method inherent in the French cuisine system, this unreasonableness might instead screen out chefs with more potential.

The French cuisine system's ability to become one of the world's three great cuisines means its chef cultivation method has already withstood historical verification.

And Totsuki Academy is also a culinary school advocating competitive teaching philosophy; its purpose is to cultivate leading talents who can explore cooking more deeply.

Therefore, for Kojiro Shinomiya's way of screening qualified apprentices as a traditional French cuisine head chef, there will be no obstruction.

Even if it is somewhat unreasonable, and may even cause some students with cooking talent to lose their connection to the culinary industry.

"So that's how it is. Then fine."

Broly nodded, casually picking up a cauliflower with passable freshness.

Just as the other students reacted and prepared to surge over to compete for the few qualified cauliflowers, Kojiro Shinomiya's voice rang out again: "By the way, you big guy, no need to pick qualified ingredients."

"Huh?"

Broly looked at him with some puzzlement.

"What do you mean?"

"It means you're already fired. Prepare to be expelled and sent back."

"Ah, Head Chef Shinomiya, why is that?"

Tadokoro Megumi hurriedly asked.

"Simple. This is a reality-simulating assignment assessment. You're treated as my back kitchen employees. In reality, I would absolutely never allow a back kitchen employee to challenge my authority as head chef in the back kitchen again and again."

"But Broly-san was only asking the reason some ingredients weren't fresh. As a student, speaking up to the instructor upon seeing ingredients not fresh — isn't that perfectly reasonable?"

"Reasonable, but so what? This is my kitchen; it follows my rules.

Yesterday, wasn't it already stated that during the training camp period, the instructor can directly decide a student's stay or go based on their own sensory preferences?

Now, he violated my back kitchen survival logic; being fired by me is normal.

Additionally, if anyone still wants to speak for an already fired and eliminated person, then prepare to be fired and expelled together with him."

Kojiro Shinomiya's cold gaze swept the room. Many students showed indignant, humiliated expressions, yet they dared be angry but not speak.

The twisted-braid girl still wanted to say something, but Broly grabbed her hand and stopped her: "Komekko, it's fine. This kind of thing I can handle myself."

The braided girl still wanted to say something, but Broly grabbed her hand and stopped her: "Komekko, it's fine, this kind of thing I can solve myself."

Tadokoro Megumi looked at him, blinked, and asked.

"Of course. Just a small problem."

Broly met Kojiro Shinomiya's scrutinizing gaze and walked toward him.

"Head Chef Shinomiya, I think what you just said should just be a joke, right?"

Broly stopped before Kojiro Shinomiya. His 2.23-meter muscular frame was intimidating. He smiled and asked.

Broly stood still in front of Kojiro Shinomiya, his two-meter-twenty-three sturdy build very intimidating, he smiled and asked.

Kojiro Shinomiya naturally wasn't scared by a student just because of the size difference. He kept a straight face and said.

"This is a bit troubling. I think we need to talk properly in private."

Dojima Gin originally wanted to come out and persuade Kojiro Shinomiya, but seeing Broly step up to resolve it himself, he halted his steps.

"We have nothing to talk about. Now, please leave my kitchen."

Kojiro Shinomiya refused a private chat and said coldly.

Kojiro Shinomiya refused a private chat and said coldly.

"You said just now that this is a simulated reality assignment assessment, right?"

"So what if it is?"

"In reality, you would fire a back kitchen employee like me, but have you ever thought about how a back kitchen employee like me would persuade you, this Head Chef, not to fire me if this were truly a real situation?"

"Hmph, you want to drag me into your rhythm and make me answer your question, but sorry, I never let others lead me by the nose."

Kojiro Shinomiya did not pursue the question, but instead sneered and said.

"Is that so, you really are a somewhat troublesome person~"

Broly sighed, his hand suddenly reached out, grabbing Kojiro Shinomiya's head.

Kojiro Shinomiya only felt his head seemed clamped by iron pincers, immediately followed by an irresistible giant force transmitting over.

By the time he came to his senses, his person had already been lifted to in front of the stove, and by his ear came Broly's voice that only two people could hear saying: "Choose, either chat with me in private, or I'll shove your head into this pot of water that's about to boil right now, and give you a good scalding to wake up your brain."

Kojiro Shinomiya:

He really wanted to say you wouldn't dare, but considering Broly's burly muscleman brute image, he didn't dare say those words.

"Fine, I'll chat with you in private."

He could only agree.

"That's right then, willing to chat in private is best."

Broly smiled, releasing his hand and letting go of Kojiro Shinomiya's head.

Turning back, he cast a reassuring look at Tadokoro Megumi.

Then said to the other students: "You all make the Nine Vegetable French Jelly first, but everyone be harmonious, divide the passing-grade vegetables, I'll go chat privately with Head Chef Shinomiya first."

Finished speaking, he turned his head, looking at Kojiro Shinomiya again: "Head Chef Shinomiya, let's go, find a place with no people to chat."

Kojiro Shinomiya with a cold face, wanted to go back on his word but thought of how he wasn't the other party's opponent, could only bring Broly to the empty room next door.

"Now, just us two people, what do you want to chat about?"

"Very simple, I hope Head Chef Shinomiya can tell everyone later that you saying you'd fire me just now was just a joke."

"Impossible————Ugh————"

The words of refusal had just come out when Kojiro Shinomiya was kicked flying out by Broly.

"This Head Chef sir, I'm not discussing with you, just want you to act according to my words, your personal opinion doesn't matter at all."

"Cough————"

Kojiro Shinomiya on the ground retching up surging acid water, chest burning with pain, but he didn't surrender and said: "Do you know what you're doing, you're committing a crime right now."

"Please, you're the one who didn't follow rules first, wanting to use your instructor Head Chef privilege to fire me, right? Now I'm just using my own way to make you drop this idea, how is that not allowed?"

【This legal illiterate, plus brute————】

"Alright then, I'm willing to abide by peaceful world laws, just I don't want to be fired, so I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer, okay?"

【Have to play along with this guy first, can't come at him hard, worst case, after I'm safe, then call the police to deal with this dangerous student.】

Kojiro Shinomiya thought, face then easing expression said: "Fine, I won't fire you, later I'll tell the other students that what I just said about firing you was actually just a joke."

"Head Chef Shinomiya, you changing your mind is great, actually if you'd said so earlier, you wouldn't have had to take my kick."

Broly hurriedly helped him up from the ground, grinning at him with a harmless smile.

"Right, you wouldn't be thinking of perfunctorily agreeing now, then calling the police or something later, would you?"

Kojiro Shinomiya:

"How would that be, I keep my word."

"Haha, then that was me misunderstanding.

However, to prevent you from possibly doing something stupid, I plan to tell you the consequences if you go back on your word and do something stupid later.

Hmm, my student status will be linked to your life, if you do something stupid later, then one day when you're alone, you'll suddenly suffer cardiac sudden death."

To prove he wasn't joking, Broly's finger pressed on this person's chest, Qi directly locking dead this person's heart beating.

But lasting three to five seconds, Kojiro Shinomiya experienced blackout vision, felt dizziness, and whole body weakness.

"Huff, huff, huff————"

When Broly released the Qi blockade on the heart, he then gasped in big mouthfuls.

"Also, I heard you opened a French restaurant in Paris, France, seems to be called SHINO'S, that restaurant will on the same night of your death, suddenly catch fire, and no one will discover the fire to put it out, by the time it's discovered, it'll already be burned clean."

The above is the death script I've arranged for you after you do something stupid, Head Chef Shinomiya how do you feel, is there anything that needs supplementing?"

"Right, if when I deal with you, I get suspected by this world's police, that is, your death causes me some small trouble, then I'll go investigate your family, let you all leave this world neat and tidy together."

Broly with kindly expression, calm tone saying these words, just like stating a future fact he might do.

Kojiro Shinomiya only felt a chill, from soles of feet straight to crown of head, by the time he came to his senses, whole body already soaked in cold sweat.

"No, no need to supplement, because I absolutely won't do anything stupid."

Kojiro Shinomiya swallowed saliva, guaranteeing-ly said.

"Great, I like people willing to listen to reason, then, Head Chef Shinomiya, let's go back, lest we make everyone wait anxiously."

Broly helped him pat off the footprints on his chest.

"Right, there's one more small favor, I want to ask Head Chef Shinomiya to help with."

"What favor?"

"There's a girl named Tadokoro Megumi in this assignment assessment, her French Jelly even if it turns out tasting like dog shit later, you also have to after tasting let her pass qualified, and praise her, encourage her, cooking done well, give her confidence."

"I, understand————"

【Strange, what did the two chat about in the side room?】

Dojima Gin waiting outside, waiting for Kojiro Shinomiya and Broly to return, Kojiro Shinomiya proactively announced the firing just now was just a joke, then temper good like he'd become a different person, carefully guiding the many students in French Jelly making method, then strangely thought.

【Forget it, whatever they chatted about inside, this guy Shinomiya's situation, looks like it's gotten a lot better.】

Hmm, more human touch.

The assignment ended, and even the students who had made the French jelly poorly were not eliminated; instead, Kojiro Shinomiya carefully pointed out the mistakes in their cooking.

What surprised Kojiro Shinomiya somewhat, however, was that the Nine Vegetable French Jelly made by Broly — who had used pure violent threats against his own life, and even his family's lives — turned out to be the one most to his liking, practically on par with a French jelly he had made personally.

"Broly-san, what did you and Head Chef Shinomiya talk about?"

"Well, nothing much, just made him understand that privileges are best used sparingly, lest one day you kick something as hard as an iron plate."

Broly finished speaking, and without waiting for Tadokoro Megumi to continue pursuing the question, instead asked her: "How is it, what's your mood like today after being praised for cooking well?"

"Mmm————So happy."

"That's good then."

"That's good."