Pablo's Fury
Although he was an old man, his voice was full of energy, and his short, thin frame contained a power that even ghosts and gods feared. A light punch was full of explosive force.
"First of all, congratulations on passing all the tests and reaching the fourth level. As people get older, their health is not as good as before. If you don't mind, let's sit down and talk. Tea has been prepared. Please have a seat." The old man with short gray-silver hair pointed to the four chairs placed there and said with a smile as he faced the four contestants who walked over.
"No, please have a seat," Shirou quickly replied.
After the four people were seated, a small tea table was placed next to their seats. At this time, a staff member led a tea master dressed in a cheongsam over, carrying a large teapot, and demonstrated how to pour tea leaves into an antique teacup with a high arc, filling it to the brim with green tea.
The Elder Liu picked up the teacup, took a sip, and exclaimed with delight, "Oh, this is spring tea before the rain. It has a delicate fragrance; it's really quite good!"
Nakiri Senzaemon listened with great interest. The influence of tea culture on East Asian countries is also profound and long-standing. He smiled and said, "Oh, then I must have a good taste. Hmm... it's sweet and fragrant. You certainly have good taste, brother."
Meanwhile, Shirou's actions have captured the attention of many viewers, who are thinking, 'This time, we'll finally see their true colors!!'
However, things didn't go as planned. Shirou calmly pressed the mechanism on the mask, opening the small, dark hole. Shirou rummaged through the pockets of his chef's uniform, took out a wooden straw, put it in the cup, and drank it like he was drinking milk tea.
"Is this even possible?!" The internet was abuzz with exclamations of utter disbelief and disbelief.
"Hmph, China is the birthplace of tea, so it certainly has good stuff," Pablo said, but in his heart he thought, "Although the man isn't much of a catch, tea is one of the world's three major beverages, so it's still very profitable. Controlling this old man who seems to know a lot about tea will be part of my plan to dominate the world."
"Well, passing the time by drinking tea is something only an old man like me, who can't do any other work, would do," the elderly man in sunglasses said, sipping his tea.
Upon hearing this, Shirou stared wide-eyed at the old man before him. The old man said one thing, but he showed no signs of weakness. He stood ramrod straight with his hands tucked into his sleeves.
Shirou had witnessed many martial arts masters before, such as a certain priest and Tohsaka, who even had a foundation in Baji Quan. The old man's every move was practically a model of this kind of martial art, a template for human martial artists. His muscles were naturally relaxed, yet unintentionally explosive. It seemed that he was demonstrating to everyone what a Chinese martial artist was, as the saying goes: standing like a pine tree, sitting like a bell, walking like the wind, and lying like a bow.
'In the end... after we parted ways on Mount Lu, you've aged decades and are wearing sunglasses, so you think I wouldn't recognize you?! Where did Master Li, the Martial Arts Enthusiast, go?! Do people become more shameless the longer they live?!' Shirou mentally ranted.
"Yes, as people get older, all sorts of problems start to surface. Recently, my muscles have been atrophying more and more severely, and my hands and feet are getting weaker and weaker." Nakiri Senzaemon on his hand and agreeing.
'What's wrong with this old man? He was just showing off his muscles in front of a live global broadcast a moment ago! That old scoundrel! Erina! You have to teach him a lesson!'
"Yes, this old body could pass away at any moment. It wouldn't be surprising if he were buried now." The Elder Liu, wearing a red headscarf, nodded in agreement. As he spoke, he rotated his strong, thick neck and tapped his shoulders to relax his muscles. You could clearly see the bulging muscles on his shoulders and back, which even his chef's uniform couldn't hide, making him look like a human polar bear.
"Enough! Do you have to be like this? Old Chef Liu! With your physique, you're worth two Shandong men in their prime!"
The three shameless old men, who were very much in sync with each other, mingled together.
The Enma-tei on the rooftop stared wide-eyed at the three imposing and intimidating old men below, and exclaimed in amazement.
"Wow, so many strong old men! Are all modern old men this strong? In ancient times, did those kind old men no longer exist?"
If Shirou knew what the red-haired girl on the rooftop was thinking at that moment, they would surely be able to build a friendship based on mutual understanding.
"... Why are there so many monster-like grandfathers here? Am I the weakest? No... I'm second to last." Shirou said helplessly, squinting his dead fish eyes. At this moment, Shirou caught sight of the gloomy Pablo and changed his words.
"...!" Pablo noticed Shirou's gaze and turned his head away grimly. He clenched his fists, reminding himself that the time for revenge was not yet ripe for his ambitions, and sooner or later he would make those who dared to offend him suffer terribly.
Nakiri Senzaemon finished his tea, looked at the lean old man wearing sunglasses, and asked, "So, sir, can you tell me the topic for this time?"
Li Shuwen smiled, adjusted his small round sunglasses, glanced at everyone, and said in a strong, resonant voice:
"As the saying goes, medicine and martial arts are inseparable. My topic is dietary supplements! Nutritious meals! Please present a recipe that can provide ample nutrition and nourish the body and mind for martial arts practitioners who expend a lot of energy every day, even those whose bodies are severely depleted!"
"Dietary supplements! This falls under the category of food therapy." Nakiri Senzaemon's eyes gleamed as he spoke. If that was the case, he probably wouldn't have any problem with it either.
"That is indeed within my area of expertise," said the Elder Liu, stroking his beard.
Shirou, however, remained unmoved.
Pablo, however, broke out in a cold sweat and tensed up; the situation was turning against him. This time, Pablo dared not be careless again.
Previously, when faced with the eccentric woman cosplaying a female captain's questions, he could still angrily retort, because he had cooked his specialty, French cuisine. However, if the challenge was about aspects of French cuisine that he wasn't good at, he had to admit that the gap between him and the other contestants had widened without him even realizing it.
"However, this time, at the request of the judges who invited me, I will eliminate the last place." Li Shuwen suddenly changed the subject and said in a deep voice, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.
"Huh?" The four contestants were also taken aback by this sudden news.
"Wait! We haven't even met the five judges yet, it's just an exhibition match!" Pablo reacted the most strongly, shouting loudly.
"No, I don't recall this God of Cookery Cup tournament mentioning such a rule. The person who invited me here told me to eliminate the weaker participants as much as possible, and... if you don't have the strength to compete for first place, then there's no need for you to stay here," Liu Shuwen said unhurriedly.
"Hmm, hmm, that old man is really strict." The blonde, red-clad imperial girl, watching the match from the top floor, smiled and said, "But~ this development is also very interesting~!"
"After all, this is the kind of competition we have here," Shirou said, shrugging.
"But..." Pablo cried out anxiously, but the words caught in his throat, and he could only grit his teeth. 'Wouldn't that ruin all his plans?'
Pablo looked around anxiously, finally fixing his gaze on the Elder Nakiri, and said, "Nakiri! You have something to say too, don't you? Why don't you protest a bit!"
"Well, we've come this far after all." Nakiri Senzaemon shook his head, thought about it, and then said with a sense of relief.
"Before the match, please return to your respective rest rooms to rest and recuperate. Come back here in an hour." Li Shuwen said, standing up and walking towards the elevator inside.
As they entered the passageway, Pablo called out to Li Shuwen was turning away with his hands behind his back.
"Please wait, sir." Pablo waddled toward the old man in sunglasses, his somewhat obese body waddling.
Wearing sunglasses, Li Shuwen slowly turned around and looked at the middle-aged man running towards him, asking, "Oh? Mr. Pablo from France, what brings you here?"
"Please, may I speak to you in private?" Pablo led Li Shuwen into the passageway, out of the view of the cameras.
Li Shuwen followed curiously and asked, "Hmm? Can we talk now?"
"Well, actually, I'd like you to help introduce me to the person behind this conference," Pablo said in a high-pitched voice.
"The mastermind behind it all?" Li Shuwen asked, puzzled.
"I have a deal I'd like to discuss with them," Pablo said.
"Business?" Li Shuwen repeated, looking puzzled.
"Yes, you're organizing such a big event, you must be trying to make money, right? I'm the best partner. I have some influence in Europe, and I also have even greater power in the underworld. Partner with me, and I guarantee you'll have unimpeded access to both the legitimate and criminal worlds in Europe." Pablo patted his chest, enthusiastically recommending himself.
Only then did Li Shuwen understand what was going on. Looking at Pablo, a mere chef, and seeing how he was behaving like the Beiyang Warlords and officials he had met in his lifetime, he shook his head with amusement and said, "Hehe, this place only focuses on delicious food, not those shady dealings."
If it were a statesman like Caesar or Cleopatra, they might have agreed with his ideas. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong person; the person before him was a pure warrior.
And he also got one thing wrong: this conference was truly that pure. Even though the brilliant politician Caesar was past the age of playing political games every day, he now just wanted to be a happy couch potato.
Although Iskandar, King of Conquerors was a politician, he was an upright and honest man. He preferred to confront his opponents head-on, defeat them, and then recruit them to his side. He didn't engage in any underhanded tactics. The others were even less likely to follow suit.
"You're not Chinese, but this Nakiri is Japanese! The masked monster who's close to Nakiri is also very likely Japanese! Are you just going to let them go like this? Are you going to forget the hatred of the massacre?" Pablo said in a low, provocative voice.
Li Shuwen remained calm and composed; he wore sunglasses, so no one could see the expression in his eyes. Just as Pablo, thinking he had succeeded, revealed a slight smile...
Li Shuwen said, "That's utter nonsense. You think I'm such a shallow avenger? That's underestimating me and the Chinese people. China has been a great multi-ethnic nation since ancient times, and we don't value the narrow-minded populist spirit of you Westerners."
The Han people were formed through the fusion of the Seven Warring States into the Han Empire. The rise of the Tang Empire was also built upon the conquests of the Turkic, Shatuo, Uyghurs, and numerous mercenaries. If the Qing Dynasty had relied solely on the Manchu, it wouldn't have even been able to defeat the Shanhaiguan Pass.
Jin Riyi, the son-in-law of Emperor Wu of Han, was the crown prince of the Xiongnu, but he and Huo Guang were both ministers chosen by Emperor Wu of Han to assist the crown prince.
Among the generals who pacified Gaochang and Kucha during the Tang Dynasty was Ashina She'er, the son-in-law of Li Shimin Taizong of Tang. He was Khitan and even demanded to be buried alive with Emperor Taizong of Tang after his death.
During the later years of Emperor Xuanzong, Li Guangbi, a general who was as famous as Guo Ziyi and helped quell the An Lushan Rebellion, was also Khitan.
There was also Gao Xianzhi, a general from Goguryeo, who defeated the Tibetans and led the Anxi army to firmly control the trade routes. He also competed with the Black-Clad Arabs of the Second Umayyad Caliphate for territory in Central Asia. Although he made a mistake at the Battle of Talas, he did not lose the important town in the Western Regions and can be regarded as a famous general of his generation.
Interestingly, although Goguryeo and Korea actually have little connection, Go Seon-zhi has been unjustly elevated to the status of a national historical general in Korea. Even at the height of Goguryeo's territory, its activities were limited to Liaoning in Northeast China and parts of Korea. Until its conquest by the Tang Dynasty, it never reached Seoul or Busan. Indeed, Korea is too small; hopefully, it will return to the embrace of Korea.
But consider this: even such a small country has the ambition to adopt foreign cultures, enrich itself, and grow into a superpower. Can't our great nation of China even accommodate a Japanese restaurant?
Li Shuwen continued, "The ocean is vast because it embraces all rivers and is tolerant. Since ancient times, we have encountered many enemies around us, such as the Xiongnu, Donghu, Tubo, Khitan, Mongolia, and Jurchens. Now, their descendants who remained on this land have also become members of our country. We are all compatriots who live together as equals."
We hold the same friendly attitude towards the people of Japan. We can also calmly appreciate the excellent cultures of other countries. We all hold revolutionaries like Mr. Kobayashi Takiji in our hearts.
As the heavens move with strength, so should a gentleman constantly strive for self-improvement. If we wish to earn the respect of the world, we should simply recreate the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties!
Chapter 448 Pablo's Fury
Upon hearing Li Shuwen's righteous and eloquent words, Pablo merely smiled mockingly.
Pablo stroked his two bearded man below his nose and said, "Are you going to use such grand principles to deceive your own heart? You should understand that there is no eternal world hegemon, and the strength of a nation is only temporary. Don't forget that this country is still harboring resentment and refuses to acknowledge its defeat in World War II. From the head of state to children, every year there are still people actively going to shrines to worship fascist war criminals."
Li Shuwen calmly looked at Pablo and said, "We welcome friends with good wine, and we fight back with fists against enemies. If it were the invaders from back then coming to provoke us, I wouldn't mind hammering a few more to death. Whether it's the Japanese or the Eight-Nation Alliance." Li Shuwen wore a Zhongshan suit, but he had a hammer and sickle in his heart.
"Hahahaha!" Pablo laughed as if he had heard the funniest joke, pointing his fat finger at the old man in sunglasses.
Pablo laughed for a while before finally stopping, clutching his aching belly, and said, "I've always heard your Ministry of Foreign Affairs spouting all sorts of empty rhetoric about 'righteousness,' 'just cause,' and 'since ancient times.' I even felt that you Chinese of the Eastern world were monsters with completely different ways of thinking and ideologies from us Westerners! But now it seems that's not the case at all. You're practically exactly the same as French politicians, just with slightly different methods."
"Hmm? Is there something wrong with what I said?" Li Shuwen frowned, looking at the person who burst into laughter with confusion.
Ultimately, that shrine that worships demons has long since been distorted into something else entirely.
From a historical perspective, the Japanese are thorough pragmatists. They admire the strong and are willing to humbly learn from them, constantly absorbing foreign cultures and then modifying them for their own use.
After being defeated by the Tang Dynasty in ancient times, the Tang Dynasty began to worship the Tang Dynasty madly, imitating everything about the Tang Dynasty with an almost obsessive fascination, wishing it could transplant everything the Tang Dynasty had to its island nation. After being defeated by the United States in modern times, the island nation also worshipped the United States madly and learned everything about it.
Once they've grasped some of the essence and reaped the benefits, they'll begin to drastically modify it, integrating these elements into their own culture and establishing them as traditions, which they then stubbornly maintain, making them virtually unchangeable.
When Buddhism spread here, monks were allowed to marry and have children, and many temples were still family-owned.
People who are desperate will turn to Buddha for help; those tormented by suffering will place their hopes on things like praying to gods and Buddhas. In any country, there are many such people.
Nihon-go have eight million gods and believes in animism, with gods and Buddhas, so naturally, there are people who believe in them. But it's not just Buddhist temples and Shintoism shrines; there are also many Catholic schools where girls carry crosses and chant "Virgin Mary" every day, not to mention the countless cults and pyramid schemes.
In fact, none of these are as popular as fortune tellers running street-side fortune-telling shops or horoscopes on morning television programs.
Therefore, while visiting shrines is a traditional Japanese custom, the Yasukuni Shrine, which has been established for less than two hundred years, is by no means the only option. The reason for such high-profile worship of shrines is that there is profit to be made, and the political significance outweighs faith and personal feelings.
It's like how the Liangshan heroes wanted to recruit others in ancient times, or how someone would pay homage to a gang leader. The boss would usually give you a knife first, and let you kill someone or set a fire to establish a criminal record with the authorities as a pledge of loyalty. After that, you would be brothers.
The same principle applies in Japan. If a small company wants to get ahead and join a powerful right-wing organization, it has to go there to pay respects to the ghosts as a way of expressing its determination. As for the thoughts of people in neighboring countries, when faced with their own interests, they probably really don't have time to consider them.
Like that populist light novel author from Japan who wrote about the reincarnation of Nanjing Massacre criminals, if he hadn't been so confrontational, offending everyone both domestically and internationally, from both the left and right wings, and instead had wholeheartedly aligned himself with right-wing organizations, the anime adaptation might actually have been made, and given the ample funding, the quality would likely have been quite good. Although this infuriates many people, there would probably still be a number of people in China who would watch it.
Yasukuni Shrine was originally established as a place to commemorate the souls of Japanese soldiers who died on the battlefield. However, after the ashes of war criminals who died in World War II were placed in Yasukuni, the shrine also became a shrine of demons.
In fact, since then, three generations of Japanese Emperor have passed since Japan's defeat in World War II, and none of them have ever visited this place. Left-wing regimes that hope for peaceful development would also never go to such a place.
Only right-wing politicians seeking votes, or those trying to curry favor with the US in the US-China rivalry, and looking for some benefits in the cracks, would go to worship.
However, these clowns cannot represent Japan. If one day the Emperor, representing all of Japan, were to visit the Yasukuni Shrine, that would be the true start of war. But for now, let's leave the war to happen in anime.
"Heh heh heh, it wasn't just your country that was once powerful; France was great too! Don't forget, it was Emperor Napoleon who first had the foresight to predict that your country was a sleeping lion!" Pablo said with a sneer, knowing this perfectly well.
The romantic French love freedom and democracy, enjoying more leisure time than working time. They love Napoleon as much as they love Marie' Elegance, but if oil prices rise, they'll still hold protests, vandalize property, and burn down the Arc de Triomphe.
Li Shuwen pushed up his sunglasses and said in a deep voice, "Protests... I really miss those days. In my youth, passionate young students would skip school, wave banners that shouted 'Japanese invaders get out of China,' and go around protesting, giving speeches, saying 'Don't buy Japanese goods,' and smashing up shops that sold Japanese goods. That was quite common."
However, in modern times, I've discovered that these kinds of demonstrations are also popular in other countries. But they're not there to drive away invaders; they're more often there for strange reasons to disrupt order. And these people aren't all rich kids, overflowing with wealth—why don't they have to go to school? Don't they have to work?
They occupied the main thoroughfare, harassing and cursing tourists of the same skin color and language, simply because they came from the other side of the harbor.
They also seemed to disregard the plight of their compatriots in the harbor, obstructing ambulances and preventing residents from receiving timely rescue.
Aren't they worried about any inconvenience their family members might experience when traveling? Do they just fly directly in the sky and never use any ground transportation?
At first, I couldn't understand it either, but later I heard that the people who participated in the march were not only provided with meals, but also paid by the hour. After that, I finally understood. Everything they did was for their own benefit.
Just like the Taiwanese and Hong Kong protesters, they're using this opportunity to cause trouble for the mainland regime and assert their presence. Those who participate in the protests aren't idle rich kids; they're organized and planned, this is their profession, and they make easy, quick money.
If they can create a bigger stir and become a trending online troll, they can earn much more than a 50-cent or a US cent.
Once people understand what's going on with these people, no one really cares about them anymore. When they run out of money, these kinds of people will naturally disappear; they need to eat too.
There have always been quite a few people who make money by causing trouble and creating disturbances. For example, those who scalp tickets or help those who cause medical disputes have professional teams and clear rules of conduct.
It's true that China has a large market, but those qualified to compete for territory on this land are all international powerhouses. Some brands that have squeezed in can only get the scraps.
There are also quite a few supporters of the Yellow Peril ideology abroad. In order to gain the support of these people, some brands have abandoned the already small Chinese market, and some TV stations have gone so far as to provoke China and mock the Qing Dynasty whip and yellow-skinned Monkey in order to gain their support.
There's no shortage of ingrates in this world. They'll be all brothers when it's in their favor, but if they can't make money, they'll turn on you and curse you out. It's not uncommon for this to happen.
"The earth is receptive; a virtuous person should cultivate virtue and bear all things. Step down. Considering you got here through your own strength, I won't punish you. Don't do anything that insults others' dignity again," Li Shuwen said in a deep voice, turning to leave.
"Wait! The terms are negotiable! You must have some ulterior motive for making such a big move, right? I represent the whole of Europe, we can definitely cooperate!" Pablo rushed forward, grabbed Li Shuwen's shoulder, and said urgently. His nostrils flared and his eyes were bloodshot.
"If you need a mouthpiece, I'm definitely the best choice! I have resources, I have connections, and the white world definitely recognizes French cuisine!"
Japanese food is a niche food that people only eat for novelty! Chinese cuisine can only make dirty, messy, low-end fast food! Even if they take the God of Cookery Cup, people still won't accept it. My French cuisine is your best choice!"Pablo said, grabbing the old man in sunglasses by the shoulder.
This is an era where money reigns supreme and entertainment is paramount.
A talent show that doesn't pre-determine the candidates for the champion, the basic personas of the top 8, or even the top 16 contestants, and the outline of the program's flow is unqualified and commercially unreliable. To gain recognition for a contestant's commercial value, you must start laying the groundwork from the very first episode, creating various highlights, so that success can truly come naturally in the end.
However, this may explain why the champions of established talent shows often end up not doing as well as the lower-ranked contestants.
Often, the poor performance of the main contestants leads to a disappointing ending to the competition. However, pre-selecting contestants with high looks, audience appeal, buzz, or a fan base can attract more viewers and ensure a more stable show. This not only guarantees viewership but also allows for a quicker return on investment, increasing leverage with investors and maximizing the producers' profits.
Ultimately, the programs that get broadcast are already selected. Some are well-performed, while others can attract attention and generate buzz. But this is a commercial activity aimed at making money for the organizers.
In an era where even professional singers have to impersonate farmers and shepherds on a long-running variety show that claims to be a stage for ordinary people, what's the point of taking this seriously?
Yes, even those local TV stations' singer and celebrity talent shows, which are not top-tier and only generate a few hundred million RMB in revenue, are like this. So, political talent shows, which are worth trillions of US dollars, are even more out of control.
Now! In Pablo's view, the Culinary God Cup Competition is also a show, the largest chef show in this world where food is the mainstream. If one can become the recognized world's number one chef, in some ways, the influence is even greater than being elected as the president of a country.
Pablo's current goal is to get involved in the production of this show. As long as he can bring enough profit, things are negotiable; it's a perfectly normal thing.