Chapter 424: Festival (4)

Sui swiftly began carving the block of ice with his kitchen knife. His movements were a mesmerizing blur, fast yet graceful, like flowing clouds and running water. Despite the speed, his precision was impeccable.

As his blade moved, clusters of ice flowers bloomed under the sunlight, sparkling with each stroke. Before long, the ground was covered with a thick layer of ice shavings. The once-solid ice block had now significantly diminished in size, and its shape was gradually becoming clearer.

Miyoko stood quietly by his side, her eyes fixed on Sui's focused profile, a hint of wonder flashing across her face.

Sui was utterly absorbed in his task, his mind solely focused on the ice sculpture in front of him. With each precise cut, ice chips flew into the air, some landing on his hair unnoticed. He had entered a state of deep concentration, almost like he had transcended his surroundings, his mind becoming empty yet clear.

In a short time, the head of a majestic phoenix began to emerge from the block of ice.

Next came the intricate wings. Though Sui had spent considerable time preparing, his actual carving was astonishingly fast. Within ten minutes, a lifelike rough draft of the phoenix had taken shape, stunning the onlookers.

As Sui's movements became more intricate, more people gathered around his station. Word spread quickly, and soon a crowd had formed. Everyone watched in awe, holding their breath as they observed his every motion, captivated by the effortless grace of his knife work.

Even though many in the audience were laypeople with no expertise in culinary arts, they could sense something extraordinary in Sui's calm, fluid movements.

Soon, the crowd that had originally gathered around Chih-Hao's counter thinned out, as more people gravitated toward Sui's work. Only a few stragglers, unable to find a spot, stayed behind in frustration.

Twenty minutes later, Sui finished the last detail.

The ice sculpture of the phoenix was nothing short of breathtaking. Its wings were full and magnificent, its eyes exuded majesty, and its long, elegant tail feathers trailed behind. The entire sculpture was so vivid and lifelike, glimmering under the sunlight, that it felt as though the phoenix might take flight at any moment.

What was particularly astonishing were the meticulously carved patterns on each feather. Every detail had been crafted with utmost care, leaving the audience in awe.

"This is a masterpiece! Incredible!" A foreigner leaned in with a magnifying glass, inspecting the sculpture closely. Upon seeing the intricacy of each feather, he let out an exaggerated shout, amazed by the lifelike quality of Sui's work.

At that moment, Chih-Hao had just completed his own carving. He put down his knife and sighed in relief, only to find his station deserted. Confused, he glanced around, wondering where everyone had gone. When he turned to see Sui's sculpture, he froze in shock.

Before him stood an ice sculpture that looked as though it had come to life.

Sui calmly sheathed his Cinderella knife and exhaled deeply. Though the actual carving hadn't taken long, the level of concentration required was immense, and it had drained a significant amount of energy.

However, with the help of the Cinderella knife, Sui had successfully completed the sculpture. Even from his own critical perspective, he was satisfied with the result.

Moreover, during the process, he had entered a strange, almost trance-like state. Now, having emerged from that state, he felt as though his knife skills had improved further.

Miyoko, who had been standing by quietly, quickly handed Sui a towel and some water.

"It's breathtaking," a voice suddenly remarked.

Sui turned to see Chef Hojō, Yu-Cheng, and others who had been seated at the organizers' table, now standing behind him, gazing at his creation in amazement.

"I didn't expect you to be so talented. Your work surpasses mine by far," Chih-Hao admitted as he approached Sui, his expression filled with a complex mix of shock and admiration.

Chih-Hao had never imagined such extraordinary talent could be found in a young chef from Japan.

Were all Totsuki students this incredible?

"Your work is impressive too," Sui complimented, glancing at Chih-Hao's sculpture.

"No, although his work is intricate, it's merely a piece of art. Anyone can achieve that with enough effort and care. But your work is different. It's not just art—it's alive. It has a soul, a charm that goes beyond technique," Yu-Cheng interjected. "The difference between a good piece and a masterpiece lies in whether the chef has poured their spirit into it. That's not something you can achieve through hard work alone."

Yu-Cheng then turned to Chef Hojō and smiled. "I didn't expect your son-in-law to be such a genius."

The other head chefs also cast envious glances at Chef Hojō.

"You're really lucky, old Hojō. You've raised a great daughter," Tomita Hiroshi commented, patting Hojō's shoulder with a sigh.

The other chefs nodded in agreement.

In the past, they had often teased Chef Hojō about only having a daughter, but now none of them dared to make such jokes again. After all, wasn't his daughter the one who had attracted such an outstanding son-in-law?

Chef Hojō could hardly contain his happiness. His heart swelled with pride, and for a brief moment, he wanted to burst out laughing. All the frustrations he had carried over the years seemed to melt away. The only thing that tempered his joy was the realization that Sui wasn't actually his son-in-law yet.

"I need to figure out how to push Miyoko. She's always so decisive, but when it comes to love, she's too shy. If she likes him, she should act on it," he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Miyoko's cheeks flushed as she overheard the teasing comments. She shot a fierce look at her father, clearly embarrassed.

Chef Hojō chuckled awkwardly, then leaned close to Sui and whispered, "Sui, they're just teasing. I hope you don't mind."

Sui gave him a helpless smile.

"The winner of this knife skills contest is undoubtedly Hojō Restaurant," Yu-Cheng announced. "I assume no one objects?"

Everyone shook their heads in agreement.

The results of the audience vote confirmed the same. Sui's ice sculpture had won first place in the knife skills category of the competition, garnering more than double the votes of the second-place finisher.

However, Sui soon found himself facing a new problem.

Many people wanted to buy his ice sculpture.