Chapter 516 Absolutely Brilliant
"It'll kill us?"
Hearing this, Lavinia and her companions were shocked, instinctively glancing at the dish as Harold lifted the cover.
"James, what nonsense are you spouting?" one woman exclaimed.
"Harold is world-renowned for both his medical knowledge and culinary skills. How could his food kill anyone?"
"This is malicious slander," another added. "You could be sued for defamation."
"Listing ingredients like that—you really think you're some kind of medical genius?"
"Apologize right now, or we'll have you thrown out."
The elegantly dressed women glared at James with indignation. What place did he think this was? How dare he make such outrageous accusations?
If Harold became angry and the restaurant blacklisted them, they'd become the laughingstock of Sovereign City.
"Always so full of yourself," Lavinia said coldly. "I'm glad I didn't let you treat me. You'd probably kill a healthy person."
Hestia tugged at James's sleeve, her hand trembling. "James, please apologize to Harold."
Harold had turned around and was staring intently at James.
"Apologize?" James calmly met Harold's gaze with a smile. "Ask Harold if he can afford my apology."
"How could Harold not afford your apology?" Lavinia's face turned frosty. "You've spouted nonsense and accused his dish of being lethal. If you don't give Harold a satisfactory explanation, we won't let this go."
"Nonsense, is it?" James smiled faintly. "Harold, this dish is black truffle caviar with champagne jelly, correct?"
Harold's eyelid twitched. "Correct."
James stepped forward. "Were any of the ingredients and proportions I mentioned wrong?"
Harold's gaze softened. "No. You not only identified every ingredient but precisely named their proportions."
As he spoke, he lifted the cover, revealing the black truffle caviar with champagne jelly.
"Ah—" Harold's confirmation left Lavinia and her friends utterly shocked.
Identifying the dish wasn't remarkable, and detecting some ingredients would be acceptable, but stating the exact proportions? They couldn't believe it.
Such a person could replicate any drug or cosmetic on the market—James would only need to smell something once to reproduce it.
Hestia's eyes brightened with newfound admiration.
"Young man, you have some skill," Harold said with a long sigh. "However, you still need to apologize to me."
"Is that so?" James remained unperturbed.
"I admit your sense of smell is extraordinary—I sincerely admire that," Harold said, hands clasped behind his back. "But you have still slandered me. This dish was prepared according to traditional recipes. I personally supervised everything. How could it possibly kill someone?"
He continued, "I tasted nearly half a bowl myself half an hour ago. If it were lethal, I'd be dead by now."
His voice resonated powerfully. "You owe me an explanation."
James smiled. "So you're certain there's nothing wrong with this dish?"
"Of course there's nothing wrong with it," Lavinia interjected. "We have no grudge against Harold. Why would he harm us for no reason?"
Hestia hesitated. "James, perhaps you should apologize."
"Harold," James replied, "perhaps you should reconsider—is there really no problem with this dish?"
"Stop being mysterious," Harold said proudly. "This dish is perfectly fine. I've verified all the ingredients myself. There's no risk of toxic interactions."
"So you understand the principles of ingredient interactions?" James smiled. "White truffle, foie gras, lobster paste, cognac, vanilla seeds, saffron, balsamic vinegar, Spanish olive oil—these ingredients won't create toxic reactions by themselves."
"But," he continued, "they will create a series of synergistic reactions. What happens when white truffle interacts with saffron? What occurs when lobster paste meets olive oil? What's produced when vanilla seeds combine with foie gras?"
James fired these questions rapidly. "And what happens when all these reaction products mix with Sichuan peppercorn?"
Harold narrowed his eyes, mentally calculating before responding, "They do create various compounds, but ultimately, they're harmless. I ate half a bowl myself—that's proof enough."
"What if we add alcohol?" James pressed.
Harold calculated again, his expression gradually changing. "The compounds produced, when catalyzed by Sichuan peppercorn and combined with alcohol... would create a substance similar to an antibiotic with antibacterial properties."
James fixed his gaze on Harold. "Simply put, it becomes a cephalosporin-like compound."
"Alcohol? What alcohol?" Lavinia scoffed. "Even if there were alcohol, it would only benefit the body, not harm it. You're just being dramatic."
"The champagne," Harold suddenly exclaimed, his expression changing dramatically as he picked up the bottle from the table.
The dish wouldn't react dangerously with other alcohols, but combined with champagne, its properties would completely transform.
"I was careless," Harold said, his arrogance instantly vanishing as he bowed to James. "I apologize. As long as this restaurant remains open, you'll dine here for free, for life."
His tone carried profound gratitude. If James hadn't discovered this issue, the restaurant might have faced a catastrophic incident with astronomical losses.
The women were once again astonished. They never imagined the unassuming James would convince Harold, forcing him to publicly apologize. And now the restaurant had offered James a lifetime of free meals.
Even Hestia was surprised that James truly possessed such remarkable abilities.
"Acknowledging mistakes—commendable," James said with a smile. He took a piece of paper, wrote a few words, and handed it to Harold.
"I've modified your recipe by changing one ingredient. This substitution will prevent any dangerous interactions while making your dish taste even better. Consider it my payment for your lifetime offer."
With that, James waved to Hestia and promptly left the castle.
Harold looked down at the note and saw James had replaced saffron with goji berries. He paused, then slapped his thigh.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! This is true mastery!"
A simple substitution had eliminated the risk while enhancing the flavor profile.
Hearing Harold's praise, Lavinia felt a tremor in her heart. She suddenly realized that refusing James's medical treatment might have been an extremely unwise decision.
James paid no attention to what others thought as he left with a takeout package.
Just as he stepped outside, he sensed a murderous aura.
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