Chapter 937

"Natsume-niisan, I know a very delicious restaurant nearby!"

"The owner of that shop used to be a good friend of my grandfather, and he was also a very amazing chef."

"However, he has passed away now, and the shop is managed by his son."

"Although his son is also a chef, his culinary strength... it is said that it is not as amazing as his father's."

"However, he also once participated in my grandfather's Mapo Tofu challenge, although he unfortunately lost in the end, but he must have some unique insights and experiences regarding that dish, and regarding my grandfather's standards."

She raised her sparkling eyes and looked at Natsume Chikage full of anticipation.

"How about... we go over and see now? Maybe we can learn some useful information?"

Natsume Chikage pondered for a moment and felt that this suggestion was very valuable.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

Going to the shop of that former challenger to see, perhaps he could really get some information about the evaluation standards of the old gentleman Ando Toshio, or the key points of making Mapo Tofu.

He nodded.

"Okay, then I'll trouble you to lead the way."

Chizuru Ando was instantly overjoyed and nodded vigorously.

"Mm! Then let's go over now!"

A small restaurant called "Taste of the Town" was located at a slightly quiet street corner.

The shop front looked a bit old, the wooden sign had been washed by wind and rain, the color was slightly dark, but it was wiped very clean.

As soon as Natsume Chikage and Chizuru Ando approached the shop entrance, they heard voices coming from inside.

A man wearing a crisp suit and carrying a briefcase was backing out of the shop, turning his head to say to the person inside the door:

"Well then, according to the contract signed between Mido Bank and you, after the lease of this shop expires this month, the ownership will be formally transferred to our bank."

"Please handle all matters in the shop properly within this month. Goodbye."

After speaking, the man in the suit nodded slightly and turned to leave in a hurry.

Natsume Chikage, hearing the name "Mido Bank", moved his eyebrows imperceptibly, and his face looked a bit strange.

Could it be... another industry related to the Mido family?

Forget it, better not think too much.

He collected his thoughts and, together with Chizuru Ando, pushed open the somewhat heavy wooden door of the restaurant.

The wind chime on the door made a crisp "ding-a-ling" sound.

The light inside the shop was soft, but exceptionally deserted.

There wasn't a single customer.

Only a man who looked to be about thirty years old, wearing a slightly old-colored but washed-clean chef's uniform, was sitting alone at a table by the window.

He was supporting his head with one hand, his brows locked tightly, his face full of distress and fatigue, staring blankly at the tabletop.

And on the table in front of him, a notebook that looked quite old and had worn edges was spread open.

Natsume Chikage's gaze was attracted to that notebook almost the first moment he entered the door.

Because in his field of vision, that notebook was emitting a faint white light that only he could see.

【Midnight Diner Notes】

【Quality: White】

【Effect: After equipping, you can learn all the recipes in this notebook, and your culinary skills will increase by 100%!】

【Introduction: Sorry for the poor hospitality!】

Natsume Chikage's heart jumped, and a huge sense of surprise instantly surged into his heart.

This... this is truly finding what you are looking for without effort!

Sure enough, agreeing to Chizuru Ando's coming over to see was right.

And that distressed boss—Yamashita Yujiro, hearing the wind chime, raised his head in a daze.

When he saw Natsume Chikage walking into the shop, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

This guest's appearance was too outstanding, making this middle-aged man who was in a state of frustration couldn't help but feel a brief amazement.

However, when he saw Chizuru Ando, whom he was familiar with, following Natsume Chikage, he was completely dumbfounded.

He blurted out subconsciously:

"Chizuru-chan? This... could it be your boyfriend?"

Chizuru Ando, upon hearing this, her small face turned bright red "whoosh", and she hurriedly covered her cheeks with both hands, but the eyes revealed through her fingers were shining, her tone was shy but carried undisguised happiness.

"Natsume-niisan is my boyfriend or something... that kind of thing is not it!"

"H-he is called Natsume Chikage, he is the brother of my good friend!"

Yamashita Yujiro, upon hearing this, let out a dry laugh as if relieved, and raised his hand to scratch the back of his head.

"So that's how it is, so that's how it is, it seems I misunderstood."

His gaze swept across the deserted shop, and he barely cheered himself up, showing a professional, hearty smile.

"But Chizuru-chan, since you specifically brought a friend over today, do you want to taste the dishes in our shop? Just say whatever you want to eat!"

Chizuru Ando did not answer immediately, but turned her head and looked at Natsume Chikage as if consulting him with her eyes.

Natsume Chikage suppressed the excitement in his heart, moved his gaze away from the notebook on the table, spoke calmly, and stated the goal of his trip.

"Sorry to trouble you, please give us two servings of Mapo Tofu."

"Ando-chan, how about you?"

Chizuru Ando immediately nodded in agreement, her face still flushed red.

"Mm! Me too, Mapo Tofu!"

The four words "Mapo Tofu" made the smile on Yamashita Yujiro's face freeze instantly, and his eyes became a bit complicated.

He didn't expect that these two young guests would order this dish as soon as they entered the door.

He had no passion for inheriting this restaurant or his father's culinary skills.

Compared to being with oily smoke in the kitchen, he longed more for a life where he could play music and create melodies.

It was just that his father passed away suddenly, and he didn't find a suitable job for a while, so forced by livelihood, he barely took over this shop.

However, he ultimately didn't have his father's love and talent for cooking, and his craftsmanship could only be considered so-so.

Those old customers who originally came for his father's craftsmanship gradually stopped patronizing after tasting the dishes he made.

The business in the shop plummeted, and even the hired waiters left one after another due to salary issues.

Now, only he was left, guarding this increasingly deserted shop that was about to be taken back by the bank.

Actually, he had long had the idea of closing the shop.

But as an adult, the last bit of responsibility, or inertia, made him barely support it.

At this moment, looking at these two rare guests, especially since one of them was brought by a familiar junior, he had to entertain them no matter what.

He took a deep breath, tried to make the smile on his face look more natural, and nodded.

"Okay, Mapo Tofu, right? No problem!"

"Please sit for a moment, I'll go prepare it."

Saying that, he got up somewhat hurriedly, closed the old notebook that was spread open on the table, placed it somewhat casually on the table next to it, and then walked quickly toward the kitchen.

And Natsume Chikage's gaze followed closely that closed notebook that was emitting an alluring white light, lost in thought.