Chapter 31: The Addictiveness of Cooking Master Boy
Early Monday morning, Meili had already dressed and was ready to open the shop.
As usual, Meili planned to clean the restaurant now. Although not many people frequented it, cleanliness was the first essential element of a restaurant, wasn't it? The food could be bad, but it had to be clean—this was what Meili's mother had told her.
However, this time, passing by a bookstore, Meili suddenly stopped.
"I remember Naoto said his manga would be out today. Should I buy a copy to read?"
Meili hesitated in the bookstore for a while. Because her Japanese wasn't very fluent, Meili usually didn't like to read manga.
But thinking of what Naoto had said last time about giving their shop free publicity, Meili uncharacteristically bought a copy of JUMP to read.
"Naoto's pen name is ONE, right? Huh? The first story is actually…?"
Meili turned to the first page of the manga, and there it was, Naoto's Cooking Master Boy.
The thirteen-year-old Liu Mao Xing, holding cooking utensils, was intently preparing dishes amidst a bustling scene. Those serious eyes made Meili realize, wasn't this exactly like Boss Liu?
"This is a manga made with our shop as the prototype? The protagonist is too young."
Can a boy of only thirteen become a chef?
Although Meili hadn't read many manga, she knew quite a bit about chefs.
Thirteen years old, he probably couldn't even lift a wok, and he's already supposed to be a head chef?
At the same time, Saiko, Akito, and Niizuma also received the latest issue of the manga.
As the three looked at the young protagonist, they still found it somewhat unbelievable.
That ONE-sensei actually went to draw a cooking manga.
And is it really okay to have a child as the protagonist?
Although they had some doubts about Naoto's approach, none of them spoke up.
No matter what, a manga still had to win based on its content. One couldn't judge a manga based on current appearances alone.
As they read on, they were quickly captivated by the manga's content.
In the beginning, everyone was skeptical whether a thirteen-year-old could handle the profession of a chef and be the protagonist of a manga. After all, this wasn't like a Pokémon trainer, where kids in their teens could run around the world.
But they soon realized they were overthinking it.
Liu Mao Xing Liu Ang Xing's wild imagination and his never-give-up attitude in desperate situations perfectly fit the style of a hot-blooded shonen manga.
And this method of using food to replace combat was even more eye-opening.
There was no fighting, no violence, but this kind of victory made people's blood boil.
When Shouan thought he had secretly learned all of his master's culinary skills, he was mercilessly put in his place by Liu. This kind of underdog story of a thirteen-year-old rising up made people feel a surge of satisfaction.
And finally, when the Governor General heartily ate the delicious food prepared by the two, that expression, as if he had tasted some unparalleled delicacy, made people's mouths water.
Every reader who read this manga felt as if they had already smelled the aroma of the food and felt its texture in their mouths.
Even though they had never eaten such a thing, their brains had already begun to simulate that deliciousness.
Of course, it would be impossible to say this manga had no flaws.
For example—
"Gurgle"
"This is bad, Saiko, why do I feel so hungry?"
"Me too, Akito, I remember we definitely ate breakfast, didn't we?"
"That's strange, it's only nine o'clock," they said, looking at the time. Their eyes revealed a sense of despair, like a fish about to be slaughtered.
This despair wasn't just from hunger; it was also from Naoto's drawing skills.
No matter what, these drawing skills were a bit too exaggerated.
The red oil on the tofu sizzled, the minced meat tumbled under high heat, and the aroma of processed pepper and chili was fully expressed on this drawing.
As the admiral put the food into his mouth, it felt as if they themselves were eating, which was truly amazing.
Before this, neither of them had ever imagined that someone could draw to such an extent.
Especially Saiko, he was particularly sensitive to drawing.
Seeing Naoto's drawing, it was as if a new world had opened up for him.
So, drawings could be made like this. Sure enough, he was still too far from Naoto.
Meanwhile, Niizuma Eiji was holding a large plate of Mapo Tofu, shoveling it into his mouth.
He was so overwhelmed by the spice that he even picked up the kettle beside him and poured water into his mouth.
Eating Mapo Tofu first thing in the morning was truly impressive.
After Niizuma Eiji finished the entire plate of Mapo Tofu, he showed a look of satisfaction.
"No matter how many times I see it, ONE-sensei is still so amazing."
Niizuma Eiji picked up the manga beside him. Even though he had just eaten his fill, the aroma lingering at his nose and the taste on his palate not only hadn't diminished but seemed to have become even more vivid after finishing the Mapo Tofu.
As the perfect mangaka created by Obata Takeshi-sensei (one of the creators of Bakuman), Niizuma Eiji couldn't figure out how such a manga was drawn.
Even though he had copied the manga countless times, not once could he make his own drawings as dynamic.
Moreover, even without such drawing skills, this manga was still very good in terms of subject matter, innovation, and entertainment.
To this day, no manga has been set against the backdrop of that great nation, with its people as the protagonists.
Coupled with the various delicacies of that mysterious country, it further sparked readers' strong interest.
Perhaps it was precisely this unique creative approach that made Cooking Master Boy so interesting.
In comparison, his own manga seemed to fall short, both in drawing skills and subject matter.
Although he was confident that his manga was no less interesting than Naoto's, in other aspects, inferior was simply inferior.
Niizuma Eiji, a true mangaka, had an unimaginable passion for manga. This passion was not only for his own manga but also for others' manga.
For interesting manga, he would not feel the slightest jealousy or anger; on the contrary, he was even more satisfied with the birth of such an excellent manga before him. To be able to pick up and put down, that was Niizuma Eiji's way of life.
"ONE-sensei, this time, I admit defeat. But next time, I will definitely give one hundred and ten percent and challenge you again!"
Feeling his fighting spirit reignite, Niizuma Eiji couldn't wait to pick up his pen and start drawing manga right away.
But then, he put down the manga in his hand and picked up his small mobile phone.
"Sure enough, before that, I should have another serving of Mapo Tofu. Mapo Tofu is so delicious."