Chapter 328

One Hundred and Thirty-Seven Pages Coffee Showdown (Part Two)

Pouring hot water from a higher spout, it formed an extremely fine yet unbroken stream, accurately dripping into the hollowed-out center of the coffee grounds. The control over the flow rate was also appropriate and gentle. The water level in the metal coffee filter never submerged the coffee grounds, thus preventing what Grandpa Tuohai mentioned as “over-extraction.” As proof, a continuous stream of rich coffee flowed from the bottom of the filter into the pot below.

This highly skilled pour-over method is called “Coin One-Cut Flow,” referring to the advanced technique of letting water (or oil) pass through a coin’s small hole without wetting the coin, similar to the skill of the oil seller.

When the last drop of coffee fell into the pot, I couldn’t help but stand up and applaud, praising this acrobatic feat. Applause followed, but Senior Longkui only smiled modestly, showing little emotion.

“What the heck! Could that newcomer be an apprentice of some famous coffee master?”

Realizing that “Peach Cat” wouldn’t win so easily, Xia Lu started to get anxious. When she left “Kamehameha,” Longkui’s apron still had an “intern” badge, which inevitably led to some disdain.

“How can someone perform such precise operations? Xiao Qing is actually a bio-robot! She has no personality and doesn’t talk much…”

“Hey, don’t just treat people like machines.”

I swung my hand at Xia Lu’s forehead, the impact feeling slightly different from Xiao Lei’s clumsy reaction.

“After all, we’ve worked together before!”

She looked at me with shock, clearly not expecting me to hit her. For a moment, she forgot to retaliate. If it were Xiao Kai, he definitely wouldn’t have done that.

“Even if using a robot, it would be hard to replicate such skills.”

Katie, from “Peach Cat,” explained dejectedly, “The name ‘Coin One-Cut Flow’ comes from a legendary coffee master who disappeared years ago. It’s said they had a terminal illness…”

Enough!

No need to say more! I already know!

This cliché plot would be criticized by the readers!

—”So, was Li Longbai still a barista before falling ill?”—

Despite being telepathic, Cherry Sauce still spoke aloud.

I thought he was an ordinary office worker like Old Dad, but thinking carefully, how could an ordinary office worker support seven children? Before his illness, the Li family likely lived quite comfortably.

Due to Maid Katie’s loss of composure, the atmosphere became awkward, but as the host in pajamas, she had to continue pushing the event forward.

“Cough, cough, the first round time is up… Ah, Katie, do you need a review?”

Maid Katie hurriedly replied, “Y-Yes, of course, I haven’t conceded! Even if the blend beans aren’t good, excellent brewing techniques won’t help.”

Since the contestant said so, the competition had to continue. Grandpa Tuohai returned to the judges’ seats, waiting for the coffee to be served.

“Oh! I can’t wait any longer.”

First to be served was Maid Katie’s coffee.

In just twenty minutes, she made three cups of coffee with different flavors.

“Xia Lu likes sweets, so I prepared brown sugar macchiato; I’m unsure about Miss Lingmeng’s taste, so I chose mocha, which is widely popular. Since Grandpa Tuohai loves coffee, I believe he’d prefer a pure hand-poured coffee.”

It was a pragmatic approach, but Xiao Kai indeed dislikes bitter coffee. In fact, he doesn’t like coffee at all. However, this cup of mocha with its strong chocolate flavor might even earn high praise from him.

“Not bad, Miss Katie! This coffee suits me perfectly! Ten out of ten!”

After drinking one sip, Xia Lu felt reassured about “Peach Cat.”

“Mocha is also delicious.”

I gave an honest evaluation.

“However, the chocolate flavor is a bit overpowering, completely overshadowing the coffee’s original taste. This approach is somewhat cheap, but it’s not against the rules… I’ll give a final judgment after tasting the other cup.”

Katie squinted and smiled bitterly, not refuting, but Xia Lu protested, “Fairness and justice! You’re just nitpicking!”

“I’m telling the truth. The chocolate sauce in this cup exceeds the usual mocha ratio, making it too sweet to taste the coffee.”

Maid Katie blinked her cat eyes and explained, “I did make some adjustments, but I hoped you would enjoy my coffee.”

“Sorry, then I must have misunderstood. Taste-wise, I really like it, but this is a coffee showdown.”

Grandpa Tuohai wiped the coffee off his beard before giving his evaluation: “The coffee is excellent, with a gentle bitterness and well-balanced acidity. Given enough time, you could brew even better coffee. What a pity.”

In other words, while this coffee is good enough as a product, it falls short of showcasing Katie’s personal skill.

“I heard the opponent is just a part-time student, so I lowered my expectations. I underestimated them… I didn’t expect my opponent to be someone I couldn’t defeat even with my best effort.”

She sighed and looked at Senior Longkui, who was serving us coffee.

“Qing Sauce, can you give me a cup too? I’m curious about the taste of that coffee.”

Senior Longkui nodded and brought out the fourth set of utensils, pouring half a cup of mixed coffee for Miss Katie.

Xia Lu added a lot of sugar and milk to her coffee.

I hesitated for a moment, deciding to drink it straight like Grandpa Tuohai…

The rich coffee entered my mouth, first tasting bitter, but the bitterness wasn’t unpleasant. It led to a peculiar sourness, like citrus or fruit acid, making the initial bitterness more tolerable. Soon after, a delightful sweet aftertaste emerged…

The layers were quite rich. Mixed coffee was a continuous series of punches, even for my picky palate, there was no defense.

Thud—

Drinking the coffee, Miss Katie knelt down, her posture showing her defeat.

“I concede. Compared to this cup of coffee, mine is just rough sugar water!”

She surrendered.

“As a barista, I still have a gap with Qing Sauce… Who exactly are you?”

Using polite language to address a younger (on the surface) woman.

Senior Longkui hesitated and answered expressionlessly, “I’m just a part-time student.”

“Bullshit!”

————

[ROUND 2]

————

The pajama maid sighed, “Currently, ‘Kamehameha’ has taken the lead. Although regrettable, as a neutral host, I cannot show disappointment. Sigh…”

Xiao Lei complained, “You just said it!”

“…But we will not lose in the next showdown!”

This host is too biased!

The coffee utensils used in the first round were taken away by Balance Food Company employees. Instead, two tables of kitchenware and ingredients were brought in. Due to the hasty preparation, only induction cookers could be used, limiting the variety of dishes.

“Talking about maid cafes! The signature dish must be… Three words! Can anyone guess?”

The pajama maid pointed the microphone at the crowd.

“Fried Rice Omelette!”

Otaku fans answered in unison, leaving no other answer.

“That’s right! Fried rice omelette is the soul of maid cuisine! A maid’s excellence is determined by whether she can make a perfect fried rice omelette!”

To liven up the atmosphere, the maid began improvising.

Most maid cafes sell pre-made fried rice omelettes, where the maids only add tomato sauce for writing.

However, “Kamehameha” stands out by allowing customers to choose specific maids to make their fried rice omelette. While the taste may not be guaranteed, each maid’s work carries a personal touch—like Xia Lu, whose fried rice omelette could send customers to the hospital for a stomach wash.

“Both sides need to make fried rice omelettes for three judges! Only the ingredients provided on-site can be used, with a time limit of twenty minutes! To save time, only one fried rice omelette needs to be made. Please decide which maids will participate!”

“Peach Cat” sent out the maid with strong presence, wearing a spacesuit-like maid outfit. The round, opaque mask hid her face, while the bulky spacesuit was decorated with a light skirt and Katyusha, making her look like a digger operating Fran朵露, creating a stark contrast that hurt my eyes.

“Xia Lu, how heavy is that outfit?”

She rolled her eyes but answered, “It’s a modified space maid outfit made from performance clothes, around forty pounds?”

Lin Ziyè’s preferences are really weird. Even in space, why does she want a maid?

I pursed my lips and looked elsewhere, unsure who “Kamehameha” would send. Based on Xiao Kai’s previous guess, Xiao Lei’s cooking skills are limited. Now, only the hope lies with the passerby glasses maid.

…Unexpectedly, Shopkeeper Shen Yang stood up.

“Huh?”

Under everyone’s surprised gaze, he took out Katyusha from his pocket and put it on his bald head, clashing with his black Chinese short jacket.

He removed his frog-shaped glasses and stretched his muscles.

“This point will be taken by this old man!”

Could this immortal turtle actually participate in the match himself?

The pajama maid snapped out of her shock and urgently said, “…Wait, wait!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Old man, today is a maid showdown between the two shops.”

The shopkeeper pointed at the flashy Katyusha on his head and asked, “Can’t this old man be a maid?”

“No, no, not just because you wear a head accessory you become a maid! First, your gender is wrong!”

“Men can’t be maids? That’s gender discrimination!”

“Ahh, this…”

The pajama maid, at a loss, looked to her boss for help.

Lin Ziyè shook his head helplessly.

“It doesn’t matter. Even if Old Man Shen Yang participates personally, we won’t lose this round.”

Shopkeeper Shen Yang picked up a knife and twirled it around his finger dangerously (please do not imitate), then boasted, “Back when I was in the foreign legion, I was the head of the kitchen staff! I’ll take this point!”

Didn’t you say you were a demolitions expert before?

How come now you’re a cook?

What exactly did you do in the foreign legion?

The pajama maid looked at the space maid.

“Apolo, do you need to change out of the costume to compete?”

The spacesuit was very cumbersome. The maid known as Apolo lifted the frying pan and then removed the gloves, revealing her clean, slender hands.

The pajama maid asked again, “Is it okay not to take off the spacesuit?”

Apolo nodded, her quiet personality resembling Senior Longkui.

“Huh? Planning to compete in heavy gear with this old man? Don’t blame me if you lose!”

Facing Shopkeeper Shen Yang’s provocation, Apolo ignored him.

With both sides ready, the pajama maid weakly held the microphone and announced, “It is now one fifty-seven PM. The second round will be between ‘Peach Cat’s’ space maid Apolo and ‘Kamehameha’s’ shopkeeper Yuwen Shen Yang!”

“It’s a maid!”

Supporting the slipping Katyusha on his bald head, Shopkeeper Shen Yang reiterated, “This old man is a maid now.”