CH 1

The old man lying on the hospital bed was struggling and pushing away the nurse who had come to help him. In his desperation, he even pulled out the oxygen tube that was on his face. This old man was his grandfather, and the Sakuraba family has a long tradition of making Japanese sweets. They maintain connections with many wealthy families and even make special sweets for them on special occasions or for the birthdays of young misses.

In short, the Sakuraba family is a high-end, long-standing family of pastry chefs, considered a "white-collar chef." The old man's thinking was simple: he wanted his grandson to inherit the family business and pass on the craft of making sweets. However, after being fed various sweets by his grandfather every day since he was in elementary school, and then getting cavities from eating too many sweets, Sakuraba Ichiyo has avoided those traditional Japanese sweets.

Fortunately, he was still in his development stage, and after getting a new tooth, he avoided the fate of getting a false tooth at a young age!

Today, Sakuraba Ichiyo had chosen to be honest with his grandfather and tell him that he did not want to inherit the craft of making sweets. Instead, he wanted to be in a band or even pursue a career as a professional artist. As a result, his grandfather had a fit and was taken to the intensive care unit. Now, the old man was refusing treatment!

As the old man's breathing became more and more difficult, Ichiyo finally stopped insisting and leaned against the wall, sighing. "Grandfather, you're a grown man. Please stop this. I'll learn to make sweets in the future, but I can't guarantee how good I'll be at it."

Ichiyo had always had a secret buried in his heart: he was actually a reincarnator. In his previous life, he was a music student but was eliminated from a talent show because he couldn't sell himself. This time, he was reborn as a rich second generation, and he had always wanted to fulfill his dream of being a musician and then come back to inherit the family business. However, because of his family in this life, his small musical dream had been half-fulfilled and then collapsed.

The old man stared at his grandson with piercing eyes. "Our Sakuraba family has a sweets shop on Totsuki Gourmet Street. If I don't make it today, what will you do?"

Ichiyo waved his hand, telling the nurses not to be stunned and to quickly insert the feeding tube. "I'll take care of the shop for you. I'll go tonight. You lie down and don't give the nurses any trouble."

It's a disaster!

Sakuraba Ichiyo feels that he may not be able to escape his destiny of making sweets in this life.

"I arranged a marriage for you, the bride is the eldest daughter of the Nakiri family, in her first year of high school. You have at most three years. I want to live to see my great-grandson. Will you agree or not!"

Ichiyo's face darkened, "Grandfather, we don't advocate arranged marriages nowadays. Do you understand free love?"

"Do you want me to die here today?" Grandfather glared and pushed away the emergency medicine and water that the nurse had handed to him. "I won't take medicine. If my disrespectful grandson doesn't agree today, I'll die here!"

Ichiyo watched in panic as his grandfather's chest rose and fell violently. His lips were still purple and black, and he looked like he was about to pass out. In a moment of desperation, Ichiyo promised, "I'll marry the eldest daughter. I'll help you run the store and I'll even learn the art of sweets. You old scoundrel, if you want to meet your great-grandson, you have to get well soon. Make sure to take your medicine when you're supposed to!"

After all, he had lived together for more than ten years, and this affection had long been accepted by him. He couldn't possibly watch this grandfather die like this.

After uttering these words, Ichiyo stormed out of the intensive care unit with an annoyed expression on his face. He knew that his grandfather might be bluffing him, but he couldn't risk it. Some things are just not worth gambling on!

If he didn't leave soon, who knows what outrageous demands the old man would come up with next!

Ichiyo had no idea what the young miss of the Nakiri family looked like. The previous year, a wealthy family had commissioned a special birthday treat from their patisserie, and Ichiyo knew firsthand that some young ladies can be unfortunate in the looks department.

As for the young miss of the wealthy family, the Nakiris was a big name in the culinary field in Japan, with their business and interests having a direct impact on the country's various agricultural and consumer industries, including meat and fish supplies and the tourism industry.

Ichiyo sat outside the hospital, feeling sorry for his life as he watched the sunset. He hadn't even had the chance to go out and explore the world, and now he was stuck inheriting the family business and even had an arranged marriage with someone he had never met.

In the intensive care unit, Ichiyo's father looked at his own father and proudly gave him a thumbs up. "Old man, Ichiyo has agreed, no need to pretend anymore."

"Old man...pretend...you rebellious child! Medicine...medicine...hurry and get the medicine!" 

Ichiyo's grandfather's purple and black lips trembled as he spoke, and upon seeing this, Ichiyo's father's face changed and he quickly pulled out a spare bottle of fast-acting heart medicine that he had prepared for his own father and fed it to him.

After a while, the old man's face finally eased up and he waved away the nurses by his side. He angrily looked at his son and sighed, "If it weren't for your lack of ambition and cooking talent, I wouldn't have had to force Ichiyo to inherit our family's culinary skills. Our family's foundation is built on desserts and cooking techniques. If no one inherits these skills, our company won't be able to continue running."

The old man was well aware of the cruelty of the culinary world and the so-called "Food Wars" system.

"But Ichiyo has barely learned any dessert techniques. Can he start from scratch now and succeed?" Even though he's a loving father, the middle-aged man can't help but feel sorry for his son. After all, he knows firsthand how it feels to dislike making sweets. "What if Ichiyo doesn't have any talent for it?"

"Stupid!" The old man angrily scolded. "If I had known you were this dumb, I never would have let you be born!"

"But didn't I find a fiancee for your dear grandson?'

"I have investigated Miss Nakiri's culinary skills and I can confidently say that she has God's Tongue. She is extremely talented. If it turns out that Ichiyo has no talent for being a chef, the Nakiri family will help keep the Sakuraba family afloat. Lay low for a decade or so, until my great-grandson is born. Train him well, and the offspring of two geniuses will surely be talented. That will be the time for the Sakuraba family to rise again."

The middle-aged man in the room looked at his father, never expecting him to think so far ahead. He also felt sad for his yet-to-be-born grandson or granddaughter.

Being a chef is not just about having talent, it also requires a lot of practice to succeed.

"Alright, go home with your stupid son and give him the notes I've written over the years. Take him to the shop on Totsuki Gourmet Street and tell the owner that he's not allowed to hire anyone except during holidays. If he feels lonely, let him go to his fiancee for company!"

The middle-aged man looked deeply at his father, who was closing his eyes to rest, and his lips involuntarily trembled. "Then... I'll go back first. Take care of your health, I'll come and see you tomorrow."

Over the years, the old man of the Sakuraba family has had to endure too much for his family, and finally he has grown old and can no longer bear it. From now on, this family must rely on him and Ichiyo to carry it on!

"Go ahead, and remember to cut off Ichiyo's living expenses as well. Although the storefront doesn't require rent, there are still water and electricity bills to pay. Let him exercise a bit. If he really has no talent for cooking, at least he can take over your shift and manage the family business in the future."

"Yes!"

Families in high society often appear glamorous, but many of their children are not qualified to inherit their family businesses and wealth. Most of the children in these families undergo elite training from a young age, learning etiquette, business knowledge, and various ideologies. Their efforts are no less than those of ordinary people, and the pressure they face is also great. Starting a business is difficult, and maintaining it is even harder. 

Descendants who are not outstanding will not be able to protect their ancestors' legacy. Outside the hospital, the middle-aged man found his son and gently patted his shoulder. "Let's go, I'll take you." "Ok." The two men didn't need to say much to each other, a glance was enough. This child has been a prodigy since childhood and probably understands his father's intentions. This is the responsibility of the descendants of the big family!

What you enjoy comes with responsibility.

Fortunately, the child is very sensible and didn't say anything. It's just that the understanding makes him, as a father who has failed, feel a little unbearable in his heart!

With a phone call, the full-time driver of the Sakuragi family drove the car out of the parking lot, took the father and son home for a trip, and then took some luggage and headed to the Totsuki Gourmet Street.

Watching the child get off the car and slowly move his luggage, the middle-aged man couldn't control himself after all and said, "If you encounter any difficulties or run out of money, call me, don't make yourself suffer!"

Ichiyo raised his hand and waved, "I know, go back quickly, and work less at night in the future, you look old now."

The high-end car in the eyes of many people slowly left, Ichiyo opened the pastry shop behind him with his luggage and walked in.

From now on, this will be his home.

The store is only two stories high and the decor is relatively simple. It is not particularly noticeable on the Totsuki Food Street, but the size is still quite good, with about two or three hundred square meters on the first floor. The first floor is the kitchen and storefront, and the second floor is the living area.

"The host has chosen a formal profession. The exclusive system customization is in progress. The system customization is successful. The Almighty Chef System is at your service!"

"The current system level is Lv1. Would you like to open the gift package?"

As Sakuraba Ichiyo carried his luggage up the stairs to the second floor, his footsteps faltered and his gaze became complex.

System?

In his previous life, he was a musician who was eliminated by the judges. Although he didn't read many internet novels, he was still quite familiar with them. Sakuraba Ichiyo had thought about the most common "cheat system" in online literature, where the protagonist gains special abilities by traveling through time or dimensions. However, after living a normal life for over a decade, there were no Dragon Balls in the world, and there were no Stark Industries or Umbrella Corporation on the other side of the ocean.

Although there were many similarities in the histories of each country, there were also many differences. However, the general direction of development in each country was not significantly different. Everything led Ichiyo to believe that this world was an ordinary and normal world. However, it didn't stop him from using his foresight and intuition to earn the reputation of a genius and, with excellent grades, he gained the privilege of not having to attend class as long as he maintained a top-ten ranking in mid-term and final exams.

Ichiyo, with the help of his own efforts, tricked a few hot-blooded youths into becoming his subordinates and was preparing to debut as an idol. However, his grandfather's manipulation forced him to change his career direction from his previous life's regrets and dreams. Now, he is about to become a white-collared chef. 

And now his cheat finally arrives? And it is a customized system according to his profession? This is ridiculous. If this system had come earlier, even if it had customized the system with Student as his profession, it would have been better than a chef! Who says students aren't a profession? 

Can't a student who only attends class for a month in a year still be considered a student? After just a moment's pause, Ichiyo continues to go upstairs. He doesn't need the system. He is still hoping that this small shop will fail and that his future wife will persuade him to start a new band. 

Yes, he has never given up the idea of becoming a musician and making up for his regrets in his previous life, even if it means retiring after releasing just one song. At least he can still hold onto that thought.

Sakuraba Ichiyo, who had struggled to train in his previous life only to be eliminated in the end, was now given a rebirth package. It wasn't easy for him, was it? In theory, this life he was also considered to be from a prominent family, so there was really no need for him to pursue a career in music. Especially since he wasn't trained in instruments like the piano or violin that are internationally recognized.

All of it was just to give his previous life some closure. Some people were trying hard to pursue ten school beauties, so he thought it was normal to have this wish from his previous life. He has also been arranged to marry a woman from a well-known culinary family, but he is unsure if she will still be interested in him once she finds out he has no experience in the culinary field. Despite his reservations, the system has defaulted to accepting the job and has opened the level 1 system gift package.

"Gift package opening, congratulations to the host for gaining the ability: Emotional Chef (a chef who manipulates people's hearts, the dishes they make have a probability of gaining random emotional buff enhancement, with the probability increasing with proficiency)."

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining the recipe: Wagashi (Sweets) - Hanabi, Lotus, Autumn Sakura, Higanbana."

A vast amount of memories and experiences of making wagashi flowed into Ichiyo's mind, causing his hands to tremble slightly as he formed muscle memory. Ichiyo was no stranger to making wagashi, having often observed his grandfather create even more beautiful versions of the four types of wagashi that appeared in his memory.

The muscle memory and production experience gained through this influx of memories were particularly noteworthy. The art of cooking, in addition to natural talent, also requires hard work and experience. Just like how a skilled sniper is made through constant training and practice with a large amount of ammunition, a good chef is also made through constant training and practice with a significant amount of time and ingredients.