Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 81 (Patreon)

Chapter 81: The Culinary Contest

Crying is one of the best ways to vent emotions. After a good cry, Elly fell into a deep sleep.

Luo and Kenda left the hospital room and went to a luxuriously decorated bar, taking seats by the window.

On the table against the wall, there was a glass of milk and a glass of whiskey; the milk was Luo’s, and the whiskey was Kenda’s.

The two sat facing each other, with a clear night sky and a bright full moon outside the window.

The airship flew above the rain clouds, entering a completely different world above the skies below.

At this moment, Luo was a quiet listener, gaining a more detailed understanding of Elly and her family through Kenda's storytelling.

Elly’s mother was Kenda's sister. The two siblings were orphans adopted by Barney’s father, intended to cultivate loyal subordinates. Ironically, Kenda and his sister lost their parents due to drugs.

After joining the Geffel family, Kenda was trained as an assassin, while his sister was groomed as an intelligence officer. By a twist of fate, Barney took a liking to Kenda's sister, and things progressed naturally from there.

Elly's birth indeed changed the fates of some people.

In the attacks from enemies, many died protecting Elly, including her mother.

Amid gunfire and blood, Elly witnessed the death of her loved ones.

After that incident, Kenda, skilled in sniping, quit assassination and was reassigned as the Geffel family's butler, also serving as Elly’s personal bodyguard.

Tonight, Elly once again witnessed Barney’s death, a likely mental shock, explaining her outburst.

Understanding Kenda's position and Elly's reliance on him, Luo felt reassured. He didn’t need to stay any longer; waiting for Kenda’s wounds to heal was enough.

“Even if we give up drugs, those people won’t just let us go, will they?” Luo took a sip of milk, preferring not to drink alcohol before bed.

Kenda shook his head, sighing, “They won’t leave any potential threats alive, not even a ten-year-old Elly. The mafia’s usual practice against enemies is extermination.”

Luo took another sip of milk, frowning slightly.

According to Kenda, upon returning to Meteor Street, if the local gang leaders heard of Barney’s death, the worst outcome would be a direct assault on Barney’s mansion.

The profit from drugs was frighteningly high; Barney had built his fortune on it, controlling the production and export throughout Meteor Street, second only to the Elder Council, though his methods were unorthodox.

“Have you thought about leaving Meteor Street with Elly?” Luo put down his glass and asked.

Kenda nodded, “I have, but... we can’t escape this quagmire.”

“Just take enough money to live on, then find a place to live incognito. They can’t possibly harass us forever, can they?” Luo found it hard to understand.

“I mean no disrespect,” Kenda looked straight at Luo, his voice grave, “You're a bit naive.”

“...” Luo was at a loss for words.

Kenda gave a bitter smile, “Even if we give up everything, there will still be those who only want Elly’s life, due to unresolved hatred.”

“So, we can only live or die in this quagmire.”

“Even if Elly doesn’t want to bear this, she must in the future, or she will die.”

“I won’t let Elly be harmed, but, even though it will be a thorny path, I have to force her onto it.”

“She’s still young, but I will stay by her side, until she has the strength to protect herself.”

After hearing Kenda’s words, Luo rubbed his temples, “Is it really that exaggerated?”

“You know nothing about us,” Kenda sighed.

Luo would think so... he mused internally.

“I may not understand the mafia’s methods, but do you plan to force Elly to become the next Barney?” Luo said solemnly.

“No.” Kenda earnestly replied, “I just hope Elly can live safely.”

Luo rolled his eyes, “Alright, I think I understand your point. Once in Meteor Street, I’ll ensure your safety.”

By absorbing the Nen from those collectibles, increasing his aura significantly, then releasing his aura, most of the mafia members would likely surrender.

Moreover, Luo disagreed with Kenda’s approach, not wishing to dwell on this topic. He had his own views and plans.

Despite not knowing how many potential enemies Barney had, as long as they knew Elly was vulnerable, they would likely all emerge, and he could deal with them then.

To say they couldn’t escape the quagmire… he wouldn’t let Elly be involved in the underworld, let alone become the next drug lord.

“Thank you!” Kenda’s gratitude was evident.

Afterwards, Luo confirmed with Kenda the cooperation between the mafia and Meteor Street, and shared his concerns.

Kenda was also fully aware of the plan to fake death. Once Luo raised his concerns, Kenda immediately understood and alleviated them.

While the mafia and Meteor Street had a cooperative relationship, their intelligence channels were not interconnected.

The Elder Council would know of Barney’s death, but more detailed information was unavailable to them, just as the mafia knew of the Elder Council and the four elders of Meteor Street, but not the extent of their true strength.

Their relationship was a clear, long-term cooperative one, mutually beneficial and harmless.

It was a framework stronger than steel. Even if an elder from the east street broke the rules, Kenda had no means of retaliation; he wasn’t of the same level as the Ten Dons and couldn’t disrupt this framework.

“By the way, are there ingredients like sea urchin liver on this airship?” Luo suddenly remembered this detail. Since he was on Kenda’s "big ship," satisfying a small culinary desire seemed a minor request.

“There might be a bit left, but that gourmet hunter has already left. With the current level of chefs on the airship, it’s difficult to replicate that flavor.”

“That person wasn’t your chef, but a gourmet hunter?” Luo was surprised.

He couldn’t remember what that person looked like… seemed very ordinary and inconspicuous.

Kenda nodded, “Yes, even with the lord’s wealth, we can only afford to hire him three times a month at most. And those rare ingredients are expensive, not something we can afford to eat daily.”

“As far as I know, even the world’s top ten wealthiest can’t hire a gourmet hunter as a personal chef.”

Luo’s eyes widened in surprise. The gourmet hunter, barely mentioned in the original story, held such prestige?

“Some of the world’s wealthiest occasionally join forces to host gourmet contests, setting up lavish prizes to invite gourmet hunters worldwide just to satisfy their culinary cravings.”

“Because the prizes aren’t just money but also include rare treasures, magnificent jewels, and expensive ingredients, when a contest is held, those aiming for the prizes flock to it.”

Kenda shared everything he knew, feeling that Luo's surprise was rare. Barney often spoke of the lifestyle of the world's wealthiest, and Kenda, hearing it often, knew a bit, especially about the gourmet contests. Barney had always wanted to sit in the tasting seat at least once.

Hearing Kenda’s words, Luo gained insight, thinking how the wealthy really knew how to enjoy life, using such means to taste all kinds of delicacies.

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