Chapter 26: IGO — The International Gourmet Organization!
IGO.
Xia Yu stared at the gleaming silver letters engraved on the surface of the metal case. He ran his fingers across them, a strange feeling creeping into his chest.
The lock wasn't even engaged.
Click.
He opened the lid.
Inside were two booklets and a single bank card. The top booklet was thin, with a black metal cover—and stamped with the unmistakable IGO emblem.
"…What is this?"
He picked it up, puzzled, and flipped it open.
His jaw nearly hit the floor.
There was only one page inside. At the top was his portrait, and underneath, printed neatly in Japanese and English:
Xia Yu, Chinese nationality, long-term resident of Japan, 16 years old. Specializes in Chinese cuisine.Certified One-Star Chef—Issued by the IGO International Gourmet Organization
At the bottom was a scribbled signature—Kanbara Masato. And beside it, two official red seals: one from the IGO Neon Department, and the other bearing Kanbara's personal seal.
IGO… IGO… why does that sound so familiar?
And then it hit him.
Captive of Food. The manga. In that world, the IGO—International Gourmet Organization—was a superpowered culinary authority that governed global gastronomy. It had more influence than the United Nations and claimed over 360 member nations.
Of course, this wasn't the manga world. Reality was different. Xia Yu had never even heard of IGO until now.
Which meant…
This IGO must be a much more subdued version of its fictional counterpart. A powerful organization, yes—but one still restrained by national governments.
"IGO?" Xia Yu said aloud, trying to mask his surprise with a neutral tone. "International Gourmet Organization?"
"Correct."
Kanbara Masato leaned casually against the counter. "You're now an IGO-certified international one-star chef. That qualifies you to be officially informed of our existence."
He continued calmly, as if unveiling some ancient secret.
"Our IGO separated from the United Nations shortly after World War II. We're a completely independent organization with our own bureaus: Propaganda, Affairs, Legal, Finance, Development, Defense…"
He ticked them off with his fingers. "That's the headquarters. The Neon branch is more modest—only Defense, Legal, and Management."
Kanbara then pointed to the second booklet in the case.
"That one's your restaurant certificate."
Xia Yu picked it up. The leather cover was heavier and more refined. Inside was another portrait of himself, along with his personal information—and details about the restaurant.
"You're now the legal operator of Xia's Restaurant," Kanbara said. "With Mr. Xia Qing away, the restaurant has been temporarily downgraded to a 'One-Star Restaurant'—in line with your chef level."
"One star?" Xia Yu raised an eyebrow. "How many levels are there?"
"Nine," Kanbara replied. "Above that are the elite restaurants directly administered by IGO."
"And the point of this star rating is…?"
"Simple. With our certificate, you don't need to worry about government licenses. If your restaurant runs into issues—say, food safety or fire code violations—just present your IGO credentials. The matter gets handed over to our internal bureaus. The government won't interfere."
Kanbara smiled.
"Your grandfather has already taken care of everything."
He then stood up and extended a gloved hand. "Give me your phone."
"…Huh?"
Xia Yu blinked in confusion but handed over the device. Kanbara opened his own phone and initiated a Bluetooth transfer.
Moments later, a new mobile app appeared on Xia Yu's home screen.
"IGO Online."
Kanbara handed it back. "Your username is your real name. Password is your Neon resident registration number."
Xia Yu nodded and headed upstairs. He found his registration card—essentially his Japanese household ID—and typed in the credentials.
"Welcome to IGO Online."
A pleasant female voice spoke in standard Neon-accented Japanese.
On the home screen, a GPS indicator showed his location: Tokyo, Japan.
Below that was a clean, professional-looking dashboard with several menu sections:
[Food Market]
[Food Wars]
[New Ingredients & Recipe Development]
[Community Forum]
Xia Yu's eyes locked onto the first option.
"Food market!"
It was exactly what he needed—sourcing ingredients.
He tapped it eagerly and found himself in what looked like a high-end version of a food delivery app. Hundreds of supplier listings covered the whole country—from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south.
He browsed through a listing named Tokyo Seafood and found a familiar interface: supplier descriptions, star ratings, and user reviews.
One review caught his eye:
"As always, excellent quality. Thank you, Mrs. Senmori, for your strict quality checks. At Kirinoya, we use your seafood to create Japanese dishes our customers adore."
The reviewer used an anonymous ID, but their profile picture showed a refined, poised female avatar.
…Kirinoya?
Xia Yu stared at the name. It rang a bell.
Then he squinted at the profile and smacked his forehead.
Hyugako Inui!
The Queen of the Mist herself—a top-tier Japanese cuisine specialist and a graduate of Totsuki Academy. More importantly, she was once the 2nd Seat of the Elite Ten.
Beneath her anonymous ID were five small stars.
Five-star chef…?
Xia Yu's heart skipped a beat.
Even the 2nd Seat of Totsuki's top ten is only a five-star chef in IGO?
His curiosity flared. He forgot all about ingredients and dove straight into stalking famous names in the reviews section.
Kojiro Shinomiya — 6-star chef
Fuyumi Mizuhara — 5-star chef
Yuya Mujichi — 4-star chef
Takumi Aldini — 4-star chef
He even found a review by Isshiki Satoshi, a current member of the 69th Elite Ten.
Three stars.
But Xia Yu suspected that was just Isshiki hiding his full strength, as usual. His actual level was likely higher.
There was no trace of the older legends like Dojima Gin, Saiba Joichiro, or Nakiri Senzaemon. They were either low-key or had no reason to use IGO's app.
Still, Xia Yu was quietly stunned.
IGO's star ratings offered a tangible measure of culinary power—one not tied to academic titles or school reputations.
He glanced back at his own newly issued badge.
One star… huh?
A long road lay ahead.