Uchii Tatsuo's absence proof was established. Nanahara Takeshi then asked a man named Hiradate to guide them and briefly browse the accompanying exhibits from the previous public exhibition. They confirmed that they were relatively ordinary artworks with nothing particularly noteworthy, so they bid farewell to Tibetan Fox Assistant and Gold Wire Glasses Lady.

After leaving the art museum, Kiyomi Ruri looked at Nanahara Takeshi and asked worriedly, "What should we do now?"

Nanahara Takeshi stretched lazily and smiled as if he had nothing to worry about. "Of course, we should go eat. It's already 7 o'clock. Aren't you hungry?"

You... I'm so worried, and you're thinking about food. You really have a big heart...

Kiyomi Ruri couldn't help but complain. She had no appetite at the moment, but Nakano Eri remained calm. The police had been investigating the case for almost three weeks without any leads. It was normal for Nanahara Takeshi to not make any progress in just a few hours.

She adjusted her glasses and made an invitation. "Let's go eat first and consider a new direction for the investigation tomorrow."

Nanahara Takeshi immediately suggested, "There's no need to consider a new direction for the investigation. But I know a restaurant called Phoenix Pavilion. I've heard rumors that it's quite good. I've never had the chance to try it, so why don't we go now? The police station can treat us."

Phoenix Pavilion was a high-end and well-known restaurant in Hirano. A casual meal there would cost over 10,000 yen. Nakano Eri, being a local, naturally knew about it and looked at him speechlessly for a moment before saying, "The meal allowance for field work at the Investigation Headquarters is only 422 yen per person per day."

Is 422 yen meant to be a joke?

Nanahara Takeshi turned around and walked away, sighing, "Then let's go eat at my place. The police station is too stingy. No wonder their efficiency is so low."

Since he refused to work, the investigation for today would end here. Nakano Eri had originally wanted to treat the two high school students to a meal with her own money, but she couldn't accept his outrageous request. She drove him and Kiyomi Ruri back home and declined his offer to stay for dinner, then drove back to the police station.

With no one to cook for them, they could only eat at home. Nanahara Takeshi entered his house, took off his shoes, and headed towards the kitchen. As he walked, he instructed, "Go wash your hands first, wash them thoroughly, and then start cooking. After eating, you can do other things."

"I know, of course I'll wash my hands thoroughly. You don't have to nag..." Kiyomi Ruri thought he was a perfectionist when it came to household chores. She muttered to herself and washed her hands repeatedly, then went to the kitchen to play the role of a little chef.

Nanahara Takeshi was rummaging through his oversized refrigerator. He turned around and saw that she had actually remembered the steps from yesterday. She didn't make any mistakes when taking the rice and was even wearing an apron. He couldn't help but feel satisfied and took out a piece of candy from his pocket, offering it to her with a smile. "You did a good job. Here, have some candy."

Kiyomi Ruri was still a bit puzzled, but she took it anyway. She carefully unwrapped the candy and licked it with her tongue. She said disdainfully, "I'm not an idiot. How could I make a mistake with something so simple? Even if you praise me, I won't be happy."

"Keep up the good work." Nanahara Takeshi was generous and didn't mind his subordinates talking nonsense. He turned back and continued searching in the refrigerator.

Kiyomi Ruri snorted and felt a bit proud. She washed the rice more seriously this time, adding some emotions to it. "Please, Mr. Rice, please become delicious!"

As she added her emotions, she let the candy roll around in her mouth and found that it had a lemon flavor. It was sweet with a hint of sourness, but the sourness was just right, making the sweetness even sweeter. It had a unique taste. She couldn't help but ask, "Where did you buy these candies?"

These candies were quite delicious, and she wanted to buy some to keep at home and have one when she had nothing to do.

"I didn't buy them. I made them myself." Nanahara Takeshi took out a transparent box from the refrigerator. Inside was a large piece of fish meat. The color of the meat appeared silver-white under the energy-saving light. Then, he bent down and pulled out an electric oven and a large iron tray from under the kitchen cabinet, placing them aside to preheat. He casually said.

Kiyomi Ruri was truly shocked and couldn't believe it. "You make your own candy?" How idle is this guy? What does he do at home every night?

Nanahara Takeshi went to the sink to wash his hands and said while washing, "Life can be simple, but it shouldn't be plain. Normally, you should find something interesting to do."

But your interests are really strange. Kiyomi Ruri complained in her heart, but she thought it was a good thing. She could mooch off his candy at home and earn a little extra. After all, the hourly wage of 100 yen was really hateful. Being able to make up for it a little was better than nothing.

Soon, she finished cooking the rice and set the timer like Nanahara Takeshi did with boiling eggs. However, Nanahara Takeshi was much faster and had already rolled up his sleeves. He had already prepped the fish, sliced it, drained the water, sprinkled seasoning, coated it with flour, and set it aside. He was currently cutting celery and would probably need to slice some potatoes later. He looked like a professional and experienced top chef.

The main reason was his aura. When he held the knife and stood in front of the cutting board, he exuded a sense of dominance that made everyone around him feel repelled. He had an extraordinary confidence. Kiyomi Ruri couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. She thought that those Michelin-starred chefs on TV cooking shows didn't have the same strong aura as him.

After a moment of awe, she curiously asked, "Are we having cod fish today?"

Nanahara Takeshi focused on the ingredients and said lightly, "It would be a waste to let you eat it. This isn't cod fish, it's silver cod fish."

Kiyomi Ruri was stunned for a moment, then carefully looked at the fish meat and found that it really looked like silver. She couldn't help but ask, "Isn't silver cod fish the same as cod fish?""No, it's not related to cod, it's just that the slices look so similar that it got this strange name in Japan. From a cooking perspective, it's much better than cod. This fish lives in the clean deep sea layers between 500 and 2000 meters, with a fat content more than 20 times that of Pacific cod. It's more suitable for pan-frying, and when eaten, it has a stronger aroma, more tender and elastic texture, closer to the taste of garlic cloves, unlike ordinary cod, which becomes crumbly when pan-fried."

As Nanahara Takeshi spoke, he began to cut potatoes and instructed Kiyomi Ruri, "Take the electric grill out and continue preheating it. Be careful not to break my stove. I'll be ready soon."

Kiyomi Ruri obediently went to do as instructed. As soon as she carefully set up the stove, Nanahara Takeshi was indeed ready, bringing over several seasonings and arranging them on the side. He then instructed her to carry the plate of ingredients.

In just ten minutes, a meal was prepared. Kiyomi Ruri sat next to Nanahara Takeshi, on one side of the small square table, looking at the flat iron plate on the stove and the slightly distorted air above it. She curiously asked, "It looks a bit like teppanyaki. Are we going to eat fish with teppanyaki?"

Nanahara Takeshi tested the temperature above the iron plate, drizzled a little olive oil, poured a piece of butter on it, and added some soy sauce and lemon juice. He stirred it with a small iron spatula and sighed, "Yes, but it's a pity to eat it this way. I wanted to try Spanish ham and silver cod rolls, but I was busy with other things last night and didn't prepare early enough, so I have to make do with this."

The iron plate was very hot, and the butter's aroma had already spread. Kiyomi Ruri suddenly felt hungry, secretly swallowing her saliva and trying to remain calm, "I think it's already very good. It doesn't seem like a compromise. At least it looks fun."

Nanahara Takeshi placed the fish slices coated with a thin layer of flour on the iron plate, which immediately made a sizzling sound. The black fish skin on one side of the fish curled up slightly, and he only waited a moment before turning the fish slices over, reminding her, "Remember, just pan-fry it lightly until the edges are golden. This way, it will be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. You can also eat it while grilling. Don't make a mistake when you grill it later."

Kiyomi Ruri looked at the fish and smelled the milky aroma, nodding obediently. She was already eager to taste it - even though no milk was added, the fish released oil when grilled, and it smelled a bit milky.

"You can eat now." Nanahara Takeshi put down the small spatula, turned off the stove, picked up his chopsticks, and handed her a small plate. "You have a heavier taste, so if you find it bland, you can dip it in a little sauce, but don't dip too much, or it will ruin the essence of this dish."

"Thank you. I'll start eating now." Kiyomi Ruri took the small plate, restrained herself, and picked up a tender piece of fish. She blew on it gently and carefully put it in her mouth. After a slight chew, she understood the meaning of "garlic clove meat."

She hadn't understood the term earlier and wondered what kind of strange thing garlic clove-like meat was. But now that the fish was in her mouth, she found that the texture was slightly chewy, not like ordinary fish that crumbles with a bite. It had a great texture, and she stopped thinking about garlic clove meat, instead being captivated by the slightly milky aroma of the fish's fat, unable to extricate herself.

The texture was really good, unlike any fish she had eaten before. She didn't know if this fish was rare or if his cooking skills were really strong.

This guy should open a restaurant. The dishes he made in ten minutes were a hundred times better than what her mother made after a day in the kitchen. She should send her mother here to learn. Now that she thought about it, what kind of hell had she been living in before? So this is what normal people's food is like, eating is actually an enjoyment!

As she thought and sighed in her heart, she reached out with her chopsticks, preparing to take a big bite and enjoy the happiness. Nanahara Takeshi immediately reminded her, "Pick the middle part, eat the middle part of the fish." The edge of the fish slice was connected to a layer of black fish skin. As he spoke, he turned the fish slice over with a small spatula, dividing it and indicating that she should eat the center part of the fish slice, leaving the edges to him.

Kiyomi Ruri felt a little embarrassed, thinking that although he was a perfectionist and had a bad temper, often making people angry, sometimes he was really considerate and exceptionally gentlemanly.

She directly picked up the fish with the skin, whispering, "It's okay, I'm not delicate. It's the same wherever I eat. You don't have to take care of me too much."

Nanahara Takeshi hurriedly blocked her with the small spatula, sincerely saying, "As a chef, I'm happy if you can enjoy the food. I must eat the part with the fish skin."

You, this guy...

Kiyomi Ruri saw his determined attitude and didn't want to argue with him. She changed her choice to the fish without skin, her face turning slightly red, "Thank you."

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"You're welcome, eat quickly." Nanahara Takeshi used the small spatula to scrape the part with fish skin, which was rich in fat essence, to his side, gently saying, "Eat more, fish is good for your brain."

Kiyomi Ruri's face turned even redder, probably because the grill was too hot. She felt warm both inside and out, her voice getting even smaller, "Okay, I know. You... you eat quickly too."

She ate the middle part of the fish slice, and Nanahara Takeshi ate the outer circle. Soon, the egg timer started ringing. She quickly got up to serve two bowls of rice, and when she came back and tasted it, the texture was still so good. In addition, Nanahara Takeshi used the remaining heat of the iron plate to pour sauce on some broken fish pieces and added vegetables, which could be eaten with rice, making the taste even better.Hmm, the celery is a bit undercooked, but it's refreshing; the potato slices are soft and tender after being roasted, soaked in sauce and perfect with rice, and there's even a fish-flavored taste.

Delicious, it's really so good!

A whole iron plate of silver cod fillets was devoured by the two of them, leaving nothing behind. In the end, only the oily residue remained on the iron plate. Kiyomi Ruri even ate three bowls of rice, accidentally getting some sauce on the corner of her mouth. She felt even more comfortable than the last time she ate, secretly rubbing her belly in embarrassment.

Nanahara Takeshi also enjoyed the meal. Eating with someone else was much better than eating alone, and the food seemed to taste even better. He instructed Kiyomi Ruri to brew another pot of fragrant tea, which somewhat helped to cleanse their palates. After getting up to leave, he left the mess for her to deal with.

As Kiyomi Ruri was acting as his assistant on the surface, and she had just eaten his food, she felt warmth in her heart and worked hard. Wearing a large apron, she cleaned the table and kitchen, washed the dishes, dusted the house, and polished the shoes. After a busy session, she decided to bring a work uniform next time - Nanahara Takeshi's apron was too big for her, and it was a bit cumbersome.

After she finished her hard work, she knelt down in the living room and drank a cup of warm fragrant tea, wiped her sweat, and hummed comfortably twice. She thought she should also bring a headscarf, and maybe even leave some towels, hand soap, hair bands, and hairpins at his place. Then she looked around and realized that Nanahara Takeshi had disappeared since finishing his meal, and she hadn't seen him since.

Hmm, how strange, where did this guy go?