N-A-A Chapter 25 The Big Eater
Chapter 25 The Big Eater
The afternoon matches will begin at 2 PM.
Lu Siye stood to the side of the stage, looked down at Wen Ranran who was holding his hand, and then looked up at the long table on the stage and the neatly arranged food.
The second round was about ramen, and the third round was about dumplings.
Every single item is packed with real, substantial good stuff, and every single one of them is so filling you'll be stuffed to the brim.
Cheating is wrong.
he knows.
But he knew even more that without Wen Ranran's "help," his already empty stomach wouldn't have been able to hold out for a second round.
The pork chop rice I ate at noon was still slowly digesting in my stomach, and the burning sensation from the emetic drug lingered on the empty stomach wall.
Now stuff in over a hundred dumplings and several large bowls of ramen...
He may become the first contestant in the history of competitive eating to vomit to death on stage.
Moreover, Wen Ranran needs him too.
She needs his energy to keep her body functioning, just as he needs her energy to relieve the pressure in his stomach.
It's an exchange, a tacit understanding, a... I don't know what to call it.
Symbiosis.
probably.
"elder brother."
Wen Ranran looked up at him.
"Um?"
"I'll do my best to help."
Lu Siye looked down at her.
"You don't need to do anything," he said. "Just stand next to me and hold my hand."
"Okay." Wen Ranran nodded, then asked, "Can I eat it too?"
Lu Siye remained silent for a moment.
"Yes," he said. "Eat whenever you want."
Wen Ranran smiled.
Baozi stood behind him, her expression subtle.
He looked at Lu Siye, then at Wen Ranran, then at the food on the stage, and finally sighed.
"I have a feeling that you two are cheating."
"There's no rule saying you can't bring children on stage," Lu Siye said.
"That's because normal people don't bring children onto the field."
"Then it's not a foul."
Baozi opened its mouth, then closed it again.
He thought about it and realized that there really wasn't a rule that said a contestant couldn't hold a child's hand while eating.
This falls into a rule blind spot, or rather, a blind spot where "nobody would ever think someone would do this."
Xiaoman stood next to the steamed buns without saying a word.
She looked at Wen Ranran with gentle eyes and a faint smile on her lips.
She took a rubber band out of her pocket, walked up to Wen Ranran, and bent down.
"Ranran, shall I tie your hair up for you? That way, your hair won't fall into your bowl when you eat."
Wen Ranran looked at Xiaoman, then at Lu Siye.
Lu Siye nodded. Wen Ranran then let go of his hand, turned around, and let Xiaoman tie her hair.
Xiaoman's fingers are very light and nimble.
She tidied up Wen Ranran's messy hair and tied it into a small ponytail with a rubber band.
After she finished tying her hair up, she looked at it and then tucked the stray hairs from her forehead behind her ears.
"Okay," Xiaoman said.
Wen Ranran reached out and touched her ponytail, her eyes lighting up.
She turned her head and looked at Lu Siye.
"Brother, is it pretty?"
Lu Siye glanced at it.
Her ponytail was tied high, revealing her small ears and slender neck.
The stray hairs on her face were tucked behind her ears, revealing her entire face.
"It looks good," he said.
Wen Ranran smiled again, even more happily than before.
She took his hand again.
The host walked onto the stage and picked up the microphone.
"Good afternoon, everyone!"
"Welcome back to the 7th Shiragake Town Food Festival Big Eater Challenge! The afternoon's competition consists of two rounds."
"Round Two: Ramen Showdown! Round Three: Gyoza Battle! Let's give a warm round of applause to the winners from each group this morning!"
Applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
Lu Siye led Wen Ranran onto the stage.
The audience's attention immediately focused on them.
I'm not looking at Lu Siye, I'm looking at Wen Ranran.
Who is that child?
"Is she the contestant's sister?"
"Can such a young child even play?"
"The rules don't say you can't bring children, right?"
"This is outrageous!"
The host was also taken aback for a moment, but he reacted quickly, smiling and saying, "It seems our winner from group six has brought a special little helper! Little sister, what's your name?"
Wen Ranran did not answer.
She hid behind Lu Siyue, only peeking out half her head, and blinked at the host.
"She's not very talkative," Lu Siye said.
The host smiled, didn't press further, and continued introducing the other contestants.
Lu Siye sat down in the third seat.
Wen Ranran stood beside him, holding his hand with one hand and placing the other on the table, quiet and still.
A huge bowl was placed in front of him.
The bowl was bigger than his face and filled with ramen.
The noodles are thick and very chewy.
The broth is pork bone soup, which is milky white.
It was piled high with char siu pork, soft-boiled egg, seaweed, shredded wood ear mushrooms, and chopped green onions, forming a small mountain.
The portion size is roughly equivalent to five bowls of noodles at a regular ramen shop.
The other athletes had already started flexing their wrists and taking deep breaths.
The uncle who made 62 sushi pieces in the fourth group this morning was also there, sitting in seat number one, rubbing his stomach.
He saw Lu Siye, nodded to him, and Lu Siye nodded back.
"Round Two – Ramen Showdown!"
"The rules remain the same: the contestant who eats the most within thirty minutes wins!"
"No vomiting, no waste, no leaving your seats! Contestants, are you ready?"
"Ready!"
"Three, two, one—Go!"
Lu Siye picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a large mouthful of ramen, and stuffed it into his mouth.
The noodles are very chewy, and it takes a bit of effort to chew them.
The broth is rich and flavorful, with the pork bone flavor melting in your mouth, savory and intense.
The char siu pork was stewed until very tender, melting in your mouth.
The yolk of a soft-boiled egg is semi-liquid; it overflows when you bite into it, coating the noodles and making each bite even smoother.
good to eat.
But he didn't have time to savor it.
He ate quickly, one bite after another, a little slower than when he ate sushi in the morning.
Ramen needs to be chewed; you can't swallow it in one gulp, but it's not too slow.
He maintained a steady rhythm, picking up noodles with chopsticks, stuffing them into his mouth, chewing five or six times, swallowing, and then picking them up again.
Wen Ranran stood quietly beside him.
She held his hand, and he could feel a faint sense of weakness emanating from her palm.
But his stomach felt fine.
The noodles you eat enter your stomach, stretching the stomach walls and creating a feeling of fullness.
But that feeling of fullness doesn't last long.
He could feel the food being rapidly digested in his stomach, and then being drawn away by something.
It wasn't natural digestion; Wen Ranran was using his hands to absorb the energy from the food in his stomach.
His stomach always maintained a delicate balance.
Neither empty nor full.
It's just the right state where I can continue eating.
He glanced at Wen Ranran.
Her complexion was much better than at noon.
The pink on her cheeks deepened, her lips were rosy, and she looked much more energetic.
She stood there quietly, holding his hand, occasionally tiptoeing to peek at the ramen in his bowl and swallowing.
"Want some?" he asked.
Wen Ranran nodded.
He picked up a small piece of char siu with his chopsticks and brought it to her mouth.
She opened her mouth, bit down, chewed, and narrowed her eyes.
"It's delicious," she said softly.
The player in position four next to them glanced at them, his expression somewhat complicated.
I guess I was wondering if this person was there to compete or to feed their child.
Lu Siye ignored those gazes.
He continued to eat, and continued to feed Wen Ranran.
She doesn't eat much, just a small piece of meat or a few noodles each time, but she eats each bite very carefully, chewing for a long time before swallowing.
Time passed by, second by second.
Ten minutes later, two people had already stopped.
One of them was an old man in seat number five. He ate two and a half bowls and then couldn't take it anymore. He covered his mouth and ran off the stage.
One of them was a young woman in the second seat. She ate three bowls of food, her face turned pale, and she dry heaved in front of the trash can.
Lu Siye was still eating.
The third bowl. The fourth bowl. The fifth bowl.
His speed remained consistently stable.
Not too fast, not too slow; not too fast to attract attention, not too slow to be left behind.
He was like a machine tuned to a set speed, continuously feeding noodles into his mouth, bite after bite.
Wen Ranran held his hand the whole time.
He could feel that weakness, not the kind that made him feel uncomfortable, but a slow, waning weakness.
It's like jogging; it's not tiring, but you can feel your energy gradually being lost.
But his stomach never felt so full that it became uncomfortable.
By the twentieth minute, he had already eaten six bowls.
The uncle in the first seat also ate six bowls, but his speed had slowed down significantly, and he had to pant for a long time after each bite.
Lu Siye glanced at him, then checked the time.
Ten minutes left.
He slowed down.
It wasn't for rest, it was for acting.
He didn't want to win too easily.
Being too relaxed will attract attention, and attracting attention will bring trouble.
What he needs least right now is trouble.
He needs to look like he barely won after a huge struggle, not like he easily left everyone behind.
He began to slow down the speed of picking up the noodles, chewing each bite for a longer time, occasionally pausing to catch his breath, rubbing his stomach with his hand, and showing an expression on his face that said, "I can't hold on much longer."
Wen Ranran looked up at him, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
She didn't understand why he had suddenly slowed down.
But she didn't ask; she just held his hand tighter.
The feeling of weakness was slightly stronger.
She was probably trying to transfer energy to him, not take it away, but pass it on.
He could feel a faint warmth coming from her palm.
He shook his head slightly, indicating to her that she shouldn't.
She tilted her head, not quite understanding, but still loosened her grip and withdrew the feeling of being conveyed.
In the 25th minute, the player in position one finally stopped.
There were seven empty spaces in the bowl in front of him, seven bowls of ramen.
He leaned back in his chair, clutching his stomach with both hands, his face flushed red, and he was breathing heavily.
There were also seven bowls in front of Lu Siye.
But he was still eating.
He picked up the first bite of noodles from the eighth bowl, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it.
Then he put down his chopsticks, covered his mouth, and made a face that said, "I was about to vomit but I forced myself to swallow it back."
A burst of applause and cheers erupted from the audience.
"Eight bowls! Contestant number three ate eight bowls!"
"They've overtaken us! They've overtaken us again!"
"This guy also overtook us this morning! Did he specifically push hard in the last five minutes?"
The host walked onto the stage, glanced at the timer, and then at the bowls in front of the two contestants.
"The second round is over! Contestant number one, Kenta Yamada, seven bowls, in 28 minutes and 40 seconds. Contestant number three, Siye Lu, eight bowls, in 29 minutes and 12 seconds. The winner is—Contestant number three, Siye Lu!"
The cheers were even louder than in the morning.
Lu Siye lay on the table, making a gesture that said, "I have used all my strength."
His face was buried in his arms, his shoulders heaving slightly, as if he were panting heavily.
He was indeed a little out of breath, but not because he was full; it was because he was too tired from acting.
Wen Ranran stood next to him, reached out and gently patted his back.
"Brother, you've worked hard."
She said it in a soft, childlike voice.
Lu Siye lifted his head from his arms and glanced at her.
"It's alright," he said.
He sat up, picked up the water glass on the table, and took a sip of water.
My stomach feels so much better than it did this morning.
With Wen Ranran helping him, he didn't need to induce vomiting or force himself to endure it.
Food enters her stomach, is digested, absorbed, and then "drawn away" by her gluttonous sins, becoming her energy.
His stomach always maintained a mild feeling of fullness, neither too full to the point of discomfort nor too hungry to the point of panic.
This feeling is very subtle.
It's like two people sharing a digestive system.
He looked at Wen Ranran, who was standing on tiptoe looking at the little bit of noodle soup left in his bowl, and swallowed.
"Want a drink?"
"Um."
He picked up the bowl and brought it to her lips.
She held the bowl in both hands, took small sips of the noodle soup, licked her lips after finishing, and sighed contentedly.
"It tastes good."
The third round of matches will begin an hour later.
The one-hour break in the middle is for rest.
The athletes can go down to rest, use the restroom, induce vomiting, and replenish fluids.
Most of the contestants went to the restroom.
Lu Siye heard the sound of vomiting coming from the direction of the bathroom, one after another.
He didn't go.
He sat on a chair on the side of the stage, with Wen Ranran sitting next to him, holding his hand.
Feifei appeared out of nowhere, jumped onto his lap, curled up, and started to doze off.
Baozi handed over a bottle of water.
"Are you alright?"
"good."
"Are you really okay? You ate eight bowls of ramen, each bowl must have weighed at least a pound, right? Eight pounds of noodles plus the broth, that's at least ten pounds. Doesn't your stomach hurt?"
Lu Siye looked down at his stomach.
It has indeed swollen a little, but not as dramatically as it did in the morning.
It's roughly the level of being normally full.
"It's alright," he said again.
Baozi looked at him, then at Wen Ranran who was holding his hand, and nodded thoughtfully.
"Alright, you two are definitely a good combination."
Xiaoman walked over, holding a small jacket in her hand.
It's light pink, new, and the label is still on.
"Ranran," Xiaoman squatted down and held the coat in front of her, "I bought you a coat, do you want to wear it? It's getting cold, you'll catch a cold if you go barefoot."
Wen Ranran glanced at the coat in Xiaoman's hand, then at Lu Siye.
Lu Siye nodded.
Wen Ranran released his hand and took the coat.
She looked at the color of the coat, touched the fabric, and then put it on.
The size is just right. Xiaoman probably bought it by guesswork, but it actually fits her quite well.
The pink coat made her face look even whiter and smaller, but her complexion was much better than yesterday.
It is no longer that morbid paleness, but a natural, healthy white.
"nice."
Xiaoman said in a soft voice.
Wen Ranran looked down at her new coat, then looked up at Xiaoman.
"Thank you, sister."
she says.
Xiaoman paused for a moment, then smiled.
She was laughing happily, her eyes curving into crescent shapes.
The third round of the competition was dumplings.
The filling is pork and cabbage; when you bite into it, the broth bursts out, it's so fresh and sweet.
Lu Siye's performance this time was even more convincing.
He deliberately slowed down from the beginning, making himself look like he had "exhausted his stomach in the first two rounds and was just barely holding on in this round."
He ate slowly, chewed for a long time, and stopped from time to time to rub his stomach. His facial expression gradually escalated from "a little full" to "very full" to "about to die".
Seeing his appearance, the other contestants probably thought they had a chance and ate like crazy.
The guy in the fourth group, Kenta Yamada, performed really well this round.
He probably felt that he was overtaken in the last two rounds because of the last moment, so he had to widen the gap from the very beginning in this round.
He was incredibly fast, eating dumplings one after another.
Lu Siye watched his speed and silently calculated it in his mind.
Then he adjusted his pace, always maintaining a gap of two or three dumplings less than Uncle Yamada.
Not too many, not too few.
It gives people the illusion that "if I put in a little more effort, I can surpass him".
When Uncle Yamada ate forty-five, he ate forty-three.
When Uncle Yamada ate fifty, he ate forty-eight.
When Uncle Yamada ate fifty-five, he ate fifty-three.
In the last five minutes, Uncle Yamada's speed noticeably slowed down.
He had to gasp for breath after eating each dumpling, and the expression on his face was no longer one of "being full," but one of "pain."
His hands were trembling, and his forehead was covered in sweat, but he kept going.
Lu Siye glanced at him.
Then he slowed down, making a gesture that said, "I'm almost done for too."
The last three minutes.
Uncle Yamada ate sixty of them.
He picked up the sixty-first dumpling, took a bite, chewed a few times, and then stopped.
He lay on the table, panting heavily, his hand covering his mouth as if he was desperately trying not to vomit.
There were fifty-nine empty seats in front of Lu Siye.
He picked up the sixtieth dumpling, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it.
Then he picked up the sixty-first one, took a bite, chewed it twice, then stopped, covered his mouth, and made a "I really can't swallow it" expression.
He put the half-eaten dumpling back on the plate.
Time is up.
The host walked onto the stage and glanced at the plate.
"The third round of the competition is over! Contestant number one, Kenta Yamada, sixty. Contestant number three, Tsuyoshi Riku, sixty."
"Wait! Contestant number three has a half-eaten dumpling on his plate, so it only counts as half. Therefore, his final score is 59.5."
A sound of regret rose from the audience.
"So close!"
"What a pity! Just half another one and they would have won!"
"Contestant number three won the first two rounds, but lost this round because of half a dumpling."
The host raised the microphone: "The winner of the third round is contestant number one, Kenta Yamada!"
Uncle Yamada jumped up from his chair, raised his hands above his head, and looked surprised and delighted, as if he had won the lottery.
He ran to the center of the stage, bowed to the audience, and then bowed to Lu Siye.
"You're too kind! You're too kind!"
Lu Siye leaned back in his chair, a regretful expression on his face, but he was thinking to himself.
perfect.
Two wins and one loss in three rounds of competition.
First place overall.
It's not a complete victory, so it won't attract too much attention.
But he still came in first place overall, so the prize money and rewards were still his.
The host began tallying the total scores.
Five rounds of competition in the lower weight class.
Three rounds in the morning and two rounds in the afternoon.
The player with the highest total score based on their ranking in each round wins.
"In the lower weight class, the overall ranking is third, with Ichiro Tanaka and 8 points. Second place is Kenta Yamada with 12 points."
"First place—"
The host deliberately dragged out his words.
"Lu Siye, 14 points!"
The audience erupted in the loudest applause and cheers of the day.
"Congratulations to Lu Siye, the champion of the lightweight division!"
Lu Siye stood up and walked to the center of the stage.
Wen Ranran took his hand and followed him over.
Feifei climbed onto his shoulder again at some point and squatted there.
The host handed over a large envelope containing the prize money.
Then they handed over a gold card with the words "Sachiko Pork Cutlet Rice - All-You-Can-Eat Free for One Year" printed on it, and the restaurant's stamp was on the back.
"Congratulations! Mr. Lu, do you have any acceptance speech?"
Lu Siye took the envelope and card, glanced at them, and then said into the microphone, "The pork chop rice is indeed quite good."
The audience burst into laughter.
After the awards ceremony, Lu Siye stepped off the stage.
The boss was already waiting downstairs, his face beaming with a wide smile, and several wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes.
"That's amazing! That's amazing!"
The boss held Lu Siye's hand and shook it up and down several times.
"Did you know that just because of today's match, our store's exposure increased tenfold! Tenfold!"
"Three food suppliers have already approached me, and another restaurant franchisee wants to partner with us to open a branch."
"Congratulations," Lu Siye said.
"Same to you!" The owner patted him on the shoulder with a smile. "Your free pass is ready. Come anytime and eat as much as you want!"
Baozi peeked over from the side, glanced at the gold card in Lu Siye's hand, and clicked his tongue twice.
"Unlimited free food for a year, Brother Lu, you won't have to worry about food and drink anymore."
Xiaoman stood to the side, looking at the card with a somewhat subtle expression.
She hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"Um...actually..."
Baozi and Lu Siye both looked at her at the same time.
"Actually, this pork chop restaurant," Xiaoman's voice trailed off, "is my family's property."
silence.
Baozi opened its mouth wide.
Lu Siye's expression didn't change much, but the hand holding the card paused slightly.
"Xiaoman, what did you say?" Baozi reacted first, her voice rising an octave, "Is this your shop?"
"Hmm..." Xiaoman nodded, blushing. "It was opened by a distant relative of my mother's. My mother invested some money when the shop was opened, so she... owns a small share."
"How much is 'a little bit'?"
"About... sixty percent?"
steamed stuffed bun:"……"
Lu Siye looked down at the gold card in his hand, then at Xiaoman.
Why didn't you say so before?
Xiaoman's face turned even redder.
"I forgot... When you mentioned participating in the competition, I thought I'd say something, but you didn't ask, so I... forgot..."
Baozi slapped himself on the forehead, making a "smack" sound.
"My God, Xiaoman, you really are something! Your shop? You actually sent Brother Lu to a competitive eating contest to win free pork chop rice? Couldn't you just have told him to eat as much as he wanted?"
"I forgot..."
Xiaoman's voice carried a hint of grievance.
Lu Siye looked at the gold card in his hand and remained silent for three seconds.
Then he put the card in his pocket.
"It's okay," he said. "At least I still feel a little sense of accomplishment."
Baozi looked at him, and the corner of her mouth twitched.
"What kind of sense of accomplishment?"
"A free pork cutlet rice bowl earned through one's own efforts tastes different from a free pork cutlet rice bowl given as charity."
Xiaoman looked up and glanced at him.
Her face was still red, but her eyes were shining.
Baozi scratched his head, thought about it, and realized that it did make sense.
"Fine, whatever makes you happy."
The boss peeked out from behind, holding several tickets in his hand.
"Oh right, I almost forgot, this is an extra reward provided by the competition sponsor—a few hot spring vouchers." He handed over the vouchers. "Snow Mountain Hot Springs, valid for seven days. It's just right for the number of you. You can go and relax."
Lu Siye took the ticket and glanced at it.
The ticket is light blue, with the outline of a snow-capped mountain printed on it, and at the foot of the mountain is a steaming hot spring.
The ticket reads "Baigaku Sesan Hot Spring VIP Exclusive Voucher" in gold lettering, while the back contains instructions for use and the expiration date.
"A hot spring in the snow-capped mountains?" Baozi leaned closer for a look, her eyes lighting up immediately. "Is that the one on the mountain in the distance?"
He pointed out the window.
In the distance, a snow-capped mountain stands on the horizon.
The mountaintop is covered with snow that never melts, gleaming silvery-white in the sunlight.
Below the mountainside are vast stretches of coniferous forests, deep green, which contrast sharply with the white snow-capped peaks.
This snow-capped mountain can be seen from anywhere in Shirakawa-cho.
"That's it," the owner said. "The hot springs over there are very famous; the water quality is exceptionally good, and your skin will feel smooth after soaking in them."
"A ticket usually costs over 20,000 yuan, but this one was provided by the competition sponsor, so it's like an extra bonus."
"Over twenty thousand?" Baozi gasped. "Then these tickets must be worth over a hundred thousand in total?"
"That's why it's VIP," the owner chuckled. "You guys are lucky; you just happened to catch the food festival. These kinds of tickets are usually hard to get."
Lu Siye looked at the tickets in his hand.
Five.
He, Wen Ranran, Baozi, Xiaoman, and Feifei, that makes exactly five.
Whether Feifei can enter the hot spring is a question, but she has enough tickets.
"Snow Mountain Hot Springs..." Xiaoman said softly, her gaze fixed on the snow-capped mountain in the distance. "I've heard that the hot springs there have therapeutic effects and are very helpful for recovery."
She glanced at Lu Siye.
What wasn't said was that you've been overexerting yourself lately and need to recover properly.
Lu Siye put the tickets into his pocket.
"Then let's go," he said.
Wen Ranran held his hand and looked up at him.
"Brother, what's a hot spring?"
"It's a large hot water pool where you can soak in it."
"Like taking a bath?"
"Almost. But it's more comfortable than taking a bath."
"Can you soak those fish too?"
Lu Siye glanced at Feifei on his shoulder.
Feifei tilted its head and wagged its tail.
"Yes," he said. "We have the tickets."
Feifei happily spun around on his shoulder, its tail swishing loudly.
Baozi stretched and loosened his shoulders.
"Okay, let's go relax then."
"My back is killing me from sitting in the car so much these past few days, so a hot spring soak will help relieve it."
Xiaoman nodded, a faint smile on her lips.
The owner added, "There's a shuttle bus that picks you up from the hot springs, one in the morning and one in the afternoon every day."
"You can go to the parking lot on the east side of the square tomorrow morning. There is a shuttle bus from the hot spring hotel that will take you directly to the foot of the mountain."
"It's about a two-hour drive."
"Two hours?" Baozi frowned. "It seems pretty close."
"Looking at a mountain makes you feel like you're running yourself ragged," the boss chuckled. "It looks close, but it's actually quite far in reality."
"However, the scenery along the way is quite nice; you can treat it as sightseeing."
Lu Siye nodded.
The sun began to set.
Sunlight shone down from the snow-capped mountain, turning the entire mountain a golden-red color.
The snow on the mountaintop reflected the light of the setting sun, like a huge gem set in the sky.
Wen Ranran stood beside him, looking up at the snow-capped mountain.
"So beautiful," she said.
"Hmm," Lu Siye said.
Baozi and Xiaoman stood behind them.
Baozi was on the phone, probably reporting the situation to Yi Songjin.