The Invisible Poisoner / The Dangerous Fifth Trial

"Ah, I know your tradition over there is to go through all this trouble. You want a kickback, right? Name your price, as long as it's not excessive, I'll agree to anything," Pablo said with a wicked grin.

"Drink!" Li Shuwen roared, stomping his foot hard on the ground. Like a shockwave, Pablo's large body flew backward and crashed into the wall.

"Aaaaaah!!" Pablo cried out in pain as his back slammed against the wall with a dull thud before he crashed to the ground, still pressed against the wall.

"We have different paths, so we cannot work together! Get lost, you petty scoundrel!" Although Li Shuwen's temper had improved considerably in recent years, he was not without temper. He had reached his limit with Pablo. He shouted angrily, flicked the hem of his rolled-up mandarin jacket, and strode away without giving the Frenchman another glance.

"Damn it... bastard!!!" Pablo gripped his aching shoulder, glaring at the departing old man, his eyes turning bloodshot.

Since arriving here, he has had nothing but bad luck; everywhere he goes, there are fools who disrespect him and disobey his will. If the organizers had chosen Paris, the 'capital of gastronomy and fashion,' this problem would never have occurred.

This time, Pablo hated even the organizers behind the scenes. Alone in the corridor, he stared wide-eyed, feeling as if everything around him had become his enemy, turning into writhing Black Shadow that mocked him.

Pablo's eyes turned bloodshot. He strode back to his lounge, pushed open the door, and slammed it shut.

He looked at the pink-haired, alluring woman sitting on the back of a female model kneeling on all fours, and said, slowly and deliberately, "Koyan, I need you to do one more thing for me."

Chapter 449 The Invisible Poisoner

At this very moment, inside the dark, ancient Chinese palace, the God of Cookery Cup competition is about to begin once again.

The charismatic host Cleopatra, strode down from the platform with the stride of a world-class supermodel, and announced with a smile, "Ladies and gentlemen, the long-awaited competition is about to begin! The contestants are now in their positions!"

On television and online, viewers watching the live broadcast cheered with great anticipation, and the video websites were flooded with comments.

A year of planning, culminating in a single day of live streaming, made the program the focus of global attention.

Each of the gatekeepers is either a world-class handsome man or beautiful woman, or a person with unique charm, and each has a distinct personality—some are adorably cute, some are coolly aloof, and some are generously forthright—all very clearly defined. And this time, the seemingly strong, sunglasses-wearing old man has even announced the elimination of one of the contestants—such explosive news!

The audience is already eagerly anticipating the next round of matches.

At this moment, a chef was already walking out of the passageway, waving to the audience outside the camera's view under the spotlight.

He had thick, slightly wavy, short, dark brown hair, and a symmetrical mustache growing beneath his large nose, the ends of which curled slightly, forming a pleasing arc, giving him the appearance of a humorous middle-aged gentleman. However, from the side, his face looked rather fierce, somewhat resembling Saddam Hussein on the battlefield.

However, he is actually a Frenchman of Colombia descent who has achieved his current success through his own hard work.

He then changed into a new chef's uniform, wearing a denim-style chef's apron and a mushroom-shaped white top hat, giving him a touch of Mario's comedic charm. He flashed a polite, gentlemanly smile and actively interacted with the audience off-camera, winning over fans.

"Liu Angxing, the legendary chef from the ancient nation of China with its five-thousand-year history of culinary arts, has arrived!"

The spotlights and cameras immediately shifted, focusing on the newly appeared figure.

"Hello everyone!" An elderly woman with a red headscarf smiled and walked out of the passage with her hands behind her back.

'Oh, the strongest of the three grandpas has come out! Grandpa is so handsome!'

"Oh my God! I still can't believe he's 90 years old! He's got muscles he could star in Terminator! So cool!"

"The fiery and mysterious chef, and the incredibly cool-looking Masked X, have entered!" Cleopatra exclaimed.

"Can't we just use a normal, everyday way of addressing each other?" Shirou muttered to himself as he walked.

'The mysterious red-clad man! I like his outfit! But that mask is really bothering me!'

'I think his outfit would fit perfectly into a superhero movie!'

'So what's his hero name, Chef Man?'

Shirou casually waved at the camera as a greeting before walking towards his cooking station.

"Oh, they've all arrived early. The chef really has a strong sense of time." The man in sunglasses wearing a long red mandarin jacket also came down from the rooftop.

"Yes, Master Li, now only Mr. Nakiri Senzaemon Demon of Food King from Japan, remains," Cleopatra replied.

Meanwhile, in the basement, after seeing Shirou out, Erina jogged back to Nakiri Senzaemon's lounge.

At this moment, the old man Nakiri was still leisurely sitting on his recliner, resting with his eyes closed. On the dressing table in front of him, there was a pot of tea and some tea snacks. The tea snacks had not been touched, but half a cup of tea had been drunk.

When Erina pushed open the door and came in, the old man opened his eyes and revealed a playful smile.

"Honestly, it's a wonder you remembered to come back. I thought you'd be all cuddled with that kid and had forgotten about this old man. Sigh~ A daughter grows up and leaves home." Nakiri Senzaemon said with a hearty laugh.

"Grandpa, what are you saying! The competition is about to start!" Erina said, blushing.

"Alright, it really is time to cut ties. If that kid can make it to the end, that would be a good choice. But before that, this old man of mine has to give it my all and try one more time!" Elder Nakiri said, supporting himself on the armrests of his chair as he stood up. At that moment, his eyes suddenly shrank, his body trembled, and he froze in place.

"Ugh... cough cough..." The Elder Nakiri covered his mouth, feeling a metallic taste in his mouth. He looked at his palm and found black blood flowing out from between his fingers.

"Grandpa!!! Someone come quick!" Nakiri Erina cried out in alarm, and quickly helped the exhausted old man up.

"This... this is poison... be careful..." The Elder Nakiri finished speaking his last words and fainted.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Erina cried out in a shrill voice.

"Master! Miss!" The bodyguards outside rushed over.

Erina took a deep breath and, amidst the panic, calmed herself down, saying, "Call in medical experts! Immediately notify the hospital to send an antidote specialist! Hurry!"

Fortunately, this was Tokyo, Nakiri family's network of connections covered all circles, and Erina had made preparations in advance. The accompanying doctor arrived, settled the elderly man on the sofa, and began the examination.

"Grandpa, Shirou... please don't let anything happen to you!" Nakiri Erina grasped the hand of the unconscious Elder Nakiri, who was coughing up blood, and said in a deep voice.

On the field, Pablo smiled and waved towards the camera, thinking to himself:

"I'm sorry, Nakiri, but you should understand, this is a presidential election in the culinary world! Your sacrifice will pave the way for my global domination, and your death will be remembered in history."

Pablo grinned smugly.

'Politics' is inherently destined to have a dirty side. The competition between nations, representing the interests of hundreds of millions of people, is a contest that may not result in bloodshed, but could lead to outcomes more brutal than war.

The struggles between different factions and the interest groups and financial groups behind them produce politicians who are utterly corrupt. They shout slogans and ideals and run for office, but they forget them all as soon as they change positions. Only relationships built on interests last.

This is true of countries like Taiwan, South Korea, and mainland China. They take pride in the legal justice and the strength of public opinion that led to the overthrow of their supreme leader, unaware that this is merely a reshuffling of power by behind-the-scenes interest groups.

The president is replaced, the dealer is replaced, the original gray areas are still there, just redistributed. No matter how many leaders or different parties there are, the original problems remain a mess.

Take Obama's much-touted healthcare plan, for example. It was discounted multiple times and still wasn't implemented by the time he left office.

Like Trump, he can have his granddaughter memorize Tang poems, but when it comes to waging trade wars and technological blockades, he is ruthless, limiting or even cutting off the supply of important high-tech components.

ZTE, lacking sufficient core technology reserves, has thus collapsed. Even a company as strong as Huawei, which does not rely on China and has become one of the world's top telecommunications equipment companies through its technology, and is a architect of the 5G era, is now constrained in many ways. It is currently facing the terrible threat of being completely blocked by Taiwan and can only secure half of the total global 5G orders, barely making ends meet.

Fair competition never existed in the first place; it was merely a pretext for the strong to maintain their dominant position. When the strong cease to be strong, it will be revealed that they are the biggest scoundrels.

No matter how much is said, it all comes down to self-interest in the end. Pablo's point was indeed pragmatic, but it was also an effective method.

However, negotiations between countries still need to be held, specifically regarding the distribution of benefits.

How can we make Trump more pro-China?

There's a saying that if China were willing to provide land for Trump to establish his family businesses in prime locations in all of China's second- and third-tier cities, such as an international hotel chain or a real estate company...

He would then immediately transform into the most pro-China US president in US history, vigorously pushing for the US to make various concessions when signing contracts with China.

A presidency is temporary, but money can last a lifetime, even for a family, three generations. Ultimately, without sufficient money for political donations, one cannot become president.

Although the final outcome might be that the contract isn't finalized, Trump has already made his money, is branded a traitor to the US, fails to win re-election, and then simply resigns. After all, he'll be almost 75 years old by then, so we can't really blame him too much.

Politics is a game between nations, and every clash can involve trillions of US dollars in conflicting interests. It is this dirty game that has led to the fact that many US presidents have died unnatural deaths.

When all dissent has been suppressed, history is destined to be written only by the victors in power. Therefore, while the Nobel Prize is indeed prestigious, the Peace Prize is filled with irony; it's more like a political show than a moralistic award. And who can hear the protests of soldiers from various countries who died under the shadow of war?

At this moment, the host stepped out from the platform, and all the cameras were pointed at her face.

"We have just received notification that Mr. Nakiri, one of the top four finalists, has fallen into a coma due to an emergency and is currently undergoing emergency treatment," Cleopatra announced to the outside world.

"How could this be? Such a healthy and energetic old man, he just fell ill like this."

"Damn it! Could there be something shady going on in this tournament too?! I thought this was the only truly fair tournament! How could our nation's Demon of Food have fallen like this?! There's definitely something fishy going on!"

"No, even if there's something fishy going on behind the scenes, it doesn't make sense. Don't forget, the finals are being held in Japan."

"No matter how strong your body becomes through physical training, you can't train your internal organs. Could it be a heart condition? A sudden heart attack?"

"In any case, may Allah bless this old man, and I hope I will have the opportunity to taste his magnificent pufferfish dish."

Although the Elder Nakiri had fallen into a coma, his breathing was still relatively steady. Although the type of poison he had been given was unknown, at least he was certain that his life was not in immediate danger, which put his mind at ease.

"What's going on! Aren't there dozens of people guarding this passage?!" Nakiri Erina turned around and glared at the bodyguards behind her, demanding an explanation. After encountering Pablo and discovering his personality issues, Erina had mobilized a professional bodyguard team from her family to protect her and her grandfather's safety.

"Yes! I'm so sorry, Miss! We've guarded all the passageways strictly and haven't seen anyone enter Lord Nakiri's lounge. The culprit could only be somewhere else." The head bodyguard, leading a row of his men, bowed his head in apology before raising his head to report.

"By the way, Poison... check everything suspicious in this break room, then gather the men over here."

The Servant who organized this event wouldn't bring this world-class event to an end just because one person has a problem.

"After discussion, the five judges have unanimously decided that the competition will continue. We promise to provide the greatest support and assurance for Mr. Nakiri's health," Cleopatra said.

This result, while somewhat unreasonable, is indeed within the realm of common sense, and no one can find fault with it.

So the chefs prepared their dishes, Shirou silently finished his meal the fastest, passing Li Shuwen's test. Next was the Elder Liu, and then it was Pablo's turn.

With a bang, a large, full silver plate was rudely placed on the table.

This is a grand collection of oysters. The oyster meat on the shells is sprinkled with truffles, caviar, mussels, ginseng, deer antler, camel hump... Famous tonic ingredients from various countries have been processed to create a comprehensive and nourishing dish that enhances virility and balances yin and yang.

"How was my cooking?" Pablo asked with a smile, arms crossed, looking at the old man in sunglasses.

"Go up. Your cooking is up to standard. Since someone has already been eliminated, there's no need for further comparison. You have the ability, but you've gone astray. I want you to understand why you lost," Li Shuwen waved his hand and said in a deep voice.

"Hmph!" Pablo sneered and walked towards the upstairs corridor. He was only one step away from victory, thinking, 'Next time, you won't have the chance to say such things, you old fool!'

Shirou blocked Pablo's path and asked:

"Wait! Pablo, are you really not involved in this at all?"

"Huh? What are you talking about!" Pablo said, shrugging his shoulders and feigning ignorance. He stared at the red-clad man with a sly smile and said, "If we're talking about suspicious people, you, who's been hiding your head all this time, are the most suspicious, aren't you?"

"Say what you will, I will definitely find evidence of the crime, and you cannot escape." Shirou looked calmly at the famous French chef and said firmly.

"Hehehe, Masked Kid, you need evidence to back up your claims, otherwise you're just slandering me." Pablo patted Shirou on the shoulder with an air of confidence and left with a laugh.

Chapter 450 The Dangerous Fifth Level

Pablo was completely unconcerned by Masked X's doubts; in fact, he wasn't worried about anyone's suspicions. The law of the jungle was a given, so he felt no guilt whatsoever. An indecisive person could never accomplish great things.

This time, he will have the opportunity to dominate the entire culinary world, and the benefits he can obtain are beyond what he dared to dream of before. There are kitchen utensils in China that have already been proven to possess various magical powers, and there are even rumors that if all eight are collected, one can create a dish that grants immortality; and this tournament also features a sacred pot with the magical power to grant wishes.

For these reasons, even waging war would be worthwhile; the lives of one or two people are truly insignificant.

He knew the strength of the woman he had entrusted with the task; her elusive methods were so undetectable that even the most advanced infrared surveillance cameras couldn't detect her, let alone the human eye.

This woman once bypassed all his men, entered the heavily guarded villa, appeared before him, and said she wanted to talk business. He was so frightened that he fired two entire magazines.

Of course, they are now close partners with shared interests, as long as he can still offer enough benefits to the insatiable woman.

With Koyanskaya's help, Pablo realized that weapons and such violent tools were truly insignificant and rarely relied on them anymore. He had mastered a far more powerful force: soft, fine powder, rather than guns, was far more effective at winning hearts and minds. With these special spices, coupled with his already considerable culinary skills, he gradually became the Emperor of the Dark Cuisine World in Paris, Paris, France, and even throughout Europe.

Unable to glean anything from Pablo, Shirou hurried to the Elder Nakiri's lounge.

"Erina!" Shirou knocked on the door and called out.

"Shirou... please come in quickly." It was Hisako, the secretary, who opened the door. She had been doing school management work for Erina, but upon hearing the news, she rushed over.

Shirou nodded and went inside.

"Shirou!" The blonde woman rushed forward. The moment she saw her beloved, her forced strength instantly crumbled, and she rushed into Shirou's arms, tears welling in her eyes.

"It's alright, Erina," Shirou said, hugging the blonde woman.

"But... but... Grandpa's poisoning, no matter what we do, we can't figure out what's wrong with him?!" Erina said, her voice trembling with tears.

"Then let this old man take a look." At this moment, the Elder Liu walked over.

"Teacher Liu!" Erina exclaimed in surprise.

"Thank you!" Shirou removed his mask and bowed to the Elder Liu.

"Oh, lad, you're not wearing a mask anymore, are you?" the Elder Liu said with a smile.

"I never intended to hide anything from you. How could I conceal my identity from someone who has been kind to me?" Shirou clasped his hands in a traditional Chinese greeting once more.

"Hehe, are you so sure that I have a way to cure Mr. Nakiri?" The Elder Liu looked at Shirou with curiosity.

"Yes...**...right!" Shirou smiled and said in a voice that could only be heard up close.

The Elder Liu, looked at Shirou with an appreciative expression and nodded with a smile.

After that, everyone arrived at the fifth level.

"The highly anticipated fifth stage is about to begin, but this time, the judges have decided that there will be no gatekeepers for this stage; instead, the judging rules will be changed!"

"Enma-chan, why didn't you send someone to supervise this?"

"I'm having some trouble choosing someone." Enma-tei frowned, her little face showing a troubled expression.

She had originally intended to entrust the gatekeeper to a suitable candidate, but after looking at the disciples who had come with her, she sighed and realized that none of them were truly reliable.