Chapter 22 Section 22

Xingcheng chose an Italian restaurant near Azabu-Juban Station.A store that is quite ordinary from head to toe.Gingham tablecloths cover the tables, and the shop is known for its homemade bread. "I heard that it was fermented for a long time. Look, when you tear open the bread, you can smell the aroma of sea stone flowers. This is also one of its characteristics." Xingcheng tore a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth .When it comes to food, he becomes more energetic again. "Have you investigated the nearby stores?" Jing Nai asked. "Of course. He is both a competitor and a comrade in arms."

"Comrades?" "You think, if customers want to walk into our store, they have to come to this street first. If customers plan to eat in Ginza or Roppongi, they can't compete on their own merits. Even if they plan to go to other stores at first, the important thing is Come to this street. That's when the game begins." Xingcheng's words contain the confidence that customers will definitely return with satisfaction as long as they visit once. "Is the weapon that Mr. Togami uses to decide the outcome, the beef diced rice bowl?" He nodded contentedly.

"The success of our restaurant depends entirely on this diced beef rice. Ah, speaking of it, these words mean a lot to you." "Sorry, said something weird." "Yeah, no, I'm very interested. I was surprised that there was a restaurant with a similar taste to mine. According to my father, it was his own creation." It seems to be getting close to the core of the problem.Jing Nai stared at Xing Cheng. "The original 'Togami Pavilion' had this diced beef on rice?" "Yes, as I said just now. There are many pillars in the store." "At that time, the main dish in the store was rice with diced beef?"

"Well. The diced beef rice bowl got unanimous praise, and then TV and magazines rushed to report, resulting in a scene of customers coming to the cloud. However, it was not so smooth at the beginning. At the time when it first opened, there were few people. Two years. Afterwards, the guests began to pour in.” "What is the opportunity?" "Because the reorganization was successful." "Reorganize?" "It's not a comprehensive reorganization, but the menu has been changed, and related sets of rice with diced beef have been added. I didn't expect it to be wrong. During the day, both salarymen and white-collar workers come to eat rice with diced beef. Gradually , There was a long queue in front of the store. To be honest, I still find it incredible. Just changing the menu slightly, there will be such a big change.”

Listening to this, Jing Nai wondered in her heart: Is it because the taste of the diced beef rice has changed.Although the details are not clear, it seems that Masayuki Togami got the recipe of "Ariake" beef diced rice bowl, and then served it in his own restaurant, which won the favor of customers.This speculation is logical no matter how you look at it. But how can it be proved—— "The rice with diced beef is really delicious." Jing Nai said, "What secret seasoning did you use? A small amount of condiments that are hard to detect?" After hearing this, Xingcheng stopped drinking the thick vegetable soup and pursed his lips into a smile.

"There are many secrets. It's a pity that I can't tell you these." "There is a unique fragrance in the soup. After using it, there will be a lingering fragrance in your mouth." Xingcheng opened his eyes wide, looked at her in admiration, and nodded. "I'm really touched. There is actually a customer who tastes my diced beef rice with such heart. At that time, didn't you just eat a small bite?" "The secret of that fragrance..." Jing Nai said after thinking for a moment, "Soy sauce, it must be soy sauce." Xingcheng was dumbfounded.

"why?" "It's just a hunch. I think it's the aroma made from soy sauce... isn't it?" "No, no, I was just shocked." He put down his spoon, reached for a glass of white wine, took a sip, and then exhaled. "As you said. Added a little soy sauce for seasoning. You are the first to judge this by the smell. Even gourmets can't do this. You are amazing." "No such thing, just a coincidence." "It's not such a coincidence. You know a lot about cooking." "No. Frankly, a friend told me." "friend?"

"As I mentioned earlier, the friend whose parents died unexpectedly. The person told me, 'The diced beef rice in my restaurant is seasoned with a small amount of soy sauce.' I tried to be fooled, but I didn't expect it to be right." Xing Cheng nodded understandingly. "I see. It is not uncommon to add some soy sauce to taste. The key is that I use a special soy sauce at home." "Hey, that's interesting. What kind of soy sauce is it?" "This one, just click on it." Xingcheng shook his index finger. "Sorry, these are secrets that are not allowed to be leaked, and I can't tell you."

"Ah...that's right. How can you tell someone who has nothing to do with such an important matter. I'm sorry for asking a strange question." "There's no need to apologize. I personally don't think there is any need to hide it. Even if I know the ingredients, I can't make it taste like my home. It takes a lot of work to make rice with diced beef." It seems that the information Koichi investigated in Nagoya is correct.Shiina is convinced.Togami-tei purchased that brand of soy sauce for cooking beef diced rice. The main food came, Jing Nai chose long arm shrimp, and Xingcheng chose lamb short ribs.

"How did your father study the taste that appeared now? Do you know the inside story at that time?" Xingcheng, who was cutting the lamb chops, stopped, his gaze drifted into the distance. "Actually, I don't know the details. I tried to ask before, but he said it was wrong." "Is this something that happened before the opening of 'Togami Pavilion'?" "Of course. The diced beef rice bowl has been on the menu since the day it opened." However, she could not know whether the original beef diced rice bowl tasted the same as the current one.So, Shizuna tried to ask a question about this.

"So, you had this diced beef rice bowl before 'Togami-tei' opened?" "It should be." Xingcheng said vaguely. "Should...how do you say this?" "Actually, I don't really remember." He smiled shyly, "When I was a child, I was indifferent to these things, and I could even say that I hated my father as a chef. Therefore, when I was young, I didn't want to eat the dishes my father cooked. At that time, most They all eat the dishes made by my mother. Friends around me are quite envious of my family’s open restaurant, but I’m tired of smelling demi-glacesauce (stew sauce) every day.” Jing Nai nodded, it was the exact opposite of her original self.When I was a child, when I came home from school, I was always inexplicably happy when I smelled the smell of stew coming from the kitchen.She likes to eat the food made by her father. Perhaps, it is also because of her young age that she has such an idea in her heart.If she smells the same way for several years, maybe she will be the same as Xingcheng. Regardless of these, judging from what he has heard so far, it seems that Xingcheng doesn't remember the taste of the diced beef rice when "Hushen Pavilion" opened. According to Koichi's investigation, the time when "Togami-tei" became popular and the time when "Ariake"'s burglary and murder occurred almost at the same time.It is hard to imagine that this has nothing to do with the fact that the beef diced rice bowls at the two stores taste almost the same. A thought inadvertently flashed through her mind, and Jing Nai involuntarily gasped. Mo Feito Shenzheng act broke into Ariake's house that night in order to get the recipe of rice with diced beef.He didn't know where he found out about the existence of the notebook. When he was stealing it, he was caught by Ariake and his wife and killed them by mistake. However, Jing Nai soon discovered that there were many contradictions in this reasoning.The notebook was not stolen, it was with Gongyi.The prisoner didn't have time to make copies at the scene of the crime.What's more, "Ariake" does not have a copier. Moreover, no matter how incomparable the cuisine is, it will not constitute a motive for killing.This is the biggest doubt. "What's the matter?" Xingcheng asked, "Do you feel uncomfortable again?" "No, nothing. Just remembered something. Sorry." Looking at Xingcheng's hearty smile, Jingna thought: It seems that if you want to find evidence, you have to approach Togami Masashiyuki. After eating dessert, she excused herself to get up and go to the bathroom, and checked her phone.Taifu sent a text message, which said: The situation is urgent, please contact me immediately.She immediately dialed the phone, and the voice of "Where are you now?" came from the other end of the phone, with a bit of anger in her words. "A certain restaurant in Juban." There was a smacking sound on the other end of the phone. "Why didn't you tell me. I don't know the location, how can I follow." "Sorry, forgot." "What is this? It's not like you at all. Don't forget, just in case, I'll be watching all the time." "I see. But it doesn't matter if I'm alone." "Why do you say that. If you make a mistake, there is no chance to start over." "Say I know. He will be suspicious, so I hung up." Before Taifu could answer, Jing Nai hung up the phone, and even took out the electric board. "It's so annoying." She complained and fell into reflection. Indeed, this is not like me at all. It was past ten o'clock when Xingcheng returned to Meguro's home.Talking enthusiastically with Takame Saori, after dessert, they drank another cup of coffee and sat in the dining room for a long time. No, to be precise, it wasn't that they were able to talk vigorously, but that he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, trying his best to find something to talk about.Fortunately, Saori is very interested in the management of restaurants and "Togami Pavilion".Basically, it's all about talking. Frankly speaking, after coming out of the restaurant, he still wanted to invite her for a walk.It's just hard to speak.It was Saori who proposed to eat together, so he didn't want to make himself look like an opportunist.If you want to take the initiative to invite her, it is better to invite her formally like a date. Having said that, Xing Cheng still couldn't help feeling a little regretful.There was no trace of another appointment in her words.Invited her to a thank-you meeting and took her to visit the Azabu Juban store under renovation.How should I invite you next time?Although it is possible to invite her to participate in the opening of the Azabu Juban store, it is too far away.Moreover, even if she came that day, Xingcheng himself was so busy that he didn't have time to chat. With a bumpy heart, Xing Cheng walked into the entrance of his house, where Zheng Xing's black leather boots were already placed. Zheng Xing was sitting in the living room looking at some documents.I think it should be the turnover of each store.Xingcheng felt that his recent father was more of a businessman than a cook. Mother Kimiko came out from the kitchen. "Come back. Have you had dinner out?" "Well, because I met a friend." Kimiko frowned, and the corners of her mouth curled into a "へ" shape. "Then you should inform the family. I saved some sashimi for you." Xingcheng looked up from the file. "Have outsiders seen the Azabu Juban store?" "It's okay, there's no need to hide it. That person is a very good opinion to me. Dad has seen it too. It's Ms. Takame Saori." "Ah, that lady." Zheng Xing looked at Xing Cheng with a dazed expression, "You guys often see each other recently." "Not often. She contacted me today. As I mentioned before, at the Thanksgiving meeting a few days ago, I sent home a guest who suddenly became unwell. In fact, that guest was her. To thank me for sending her home last time , gave me a gift." "Well, that's it." Zheng Xing, who was talking like this, seemed to have nothing to say. "A very polite lady. What kind of person is she?" Kimiko asked. Too bad, Xingcheng thought to himself.If he had known about it, he would have kept the meeting with Saori hidden.From the past, whenever Xingcheng mentioned women, Kimiko would ask questions, even people who couldn't get along with Xingcheng. "Meet at the wine party. Students. Besides, I don't know anything about it." "We all ate together, and you still don't know anything?" "I want to ask a young woman for her opinion for the new store. So there's no need to ask her the truth. Wouldn't it be rude to do so?" "Is that so?" Kimiko sank into deep thought with a suspicious expression on her face. "It's okay not to ask these questions." Zheng Xing said, "I leave the new store to him. He is free to do what he wants to do. It is also necessary to ask the opinions of young women." Now that her husband said so, Kimiko reluctantly nodded. "Well, I hope you can get a girlfriend. If you have someone, remember to introduce them to us." "I've said it all, there is no such person." Xingcheng said with a wry smile.