The grand opening of Elements was supposed to be a lavish affair. While they did not habitually invite the press, their first night was always quite glamorous, with several celebrities making an appearance.

At least, that was the case when the other branches opened.

Unfortunately, the bad publicity surrounding Akira on MR Circle had spread. It was obvious that someone was fanning the flames. It was unclear who the culprit was, but Akira did not investigate this matter. If she spent time on each hater, she would never get a night off.

In any case, she did not mind the negative publicity too much. As long as she had power and ability, she did not think she needed to shout from rooftops or beg people to like her.

When evening came, the first group of guests to arrive were naturally from the Yamazaki family. They were worried about Akira, so they showed up early to cheer her up. Akira met them at the door to welcome them.

The group of the usual suspects looked at Akira in her cute chef's uniform, and they were drowned in moe. Akira was wearing a long white jacket, black trousers and a classic toque. It was nothing unusual, but they felt she looked like she was a character from a cooking manga.

They forgot about their intentions to tell her to relax, and they would support her no matter what. Instead, they took out their phones and started taking pictures of her. Sayaka was already thinking about creating a scrapbook.

"Thank you for coming," Akira said with twitching lips.

"Akira, make a chef's pose," Nanase said as she tried to get a better angle.

'What is a chef's pose?' Akira wondered.

The twins set themselves beside Akira, and one of them took a selfie of the three of them.

"Say cheese!" They said together.

Akira did not say anything as she looked at her father, who was also covertly taking a photo while trying not to look too obvious. The only people who were not participating in the madness was Uncle Isami and Cousin Kensei.

After the group was satisfied, Akira led them to the topmost floor and showed them to the best room in the pagoda. She did not stay with them for long because she was the chef for the night. She went to the kitchen directly.

There was no need to wait for anyone else.

Elements did not take reservations on grand opening night. The staff served those who showed up. Of course, management reserved the right of entry. If someone did not please their eye, they would not serve them.

Akira did not have other special guests coming apart from her family. Seiji would probably arrive with Hina after they left the hospital. As for Kazuo and Chiharu, she did not send a special invitation to them. If they wanted to come, she would not turn them away.

After about half an hour, while Akira was cooking for her family, a loud noise came from the entrance area. This disturbance arose from a group of young masters and misses, who were coming to have a little fun at the grand opening of the ill-reputed restaurant.

Akira did not leave the kitchen. As long as Benji was there, things would be fine.

At the reception area, a beautiful woman decked in tasteful designer clothes and fine jewellery looked at the establishment with arrogance. Her entourage waited for her assessment as they stood behind her with a look of superiority.

"Bring me to your finest private room." The woman ordered Benji.

Benji looked at the rowdy crowd and knew they were up to no good. Even though the opening was not as grand as it usually was, he would never welcome people who were there to ruin the ambience.

"We have no available space. Please return on another day." Benji said.

The two girls flanking the beautiful woman stepped forward aggressively and looked ready to beat up Benji.

"Do you know who you are talking to? This is Izumiya Mio. She is not only from one of the five great families, she is also an influential force in the entertainment industry. Are you sure you want to offend her?" One girl asked.

Izumiya Mio waited to see Benji crumble in horror as soon as he realised her identity. However, he maintained his calm and easy face as if he was unaffected by the information. The disregard made her angry.

She would definitely destroy this restaurant.

"And don't act like the restaurant is full. We do not see many vehicles outside, and this place is as quiet as a graveyard. Who are you trying to fool? We only need one online post to make sure this place disappears from Mountain Ridge forever." The other girl added.

The young ladies and gentlemen behind them created a loud clamour, insulting Elements and calling it a trash place. With the mob mentality and the authority of Mio, they did not feel like they had anything to fear.

Benji did not change his stance. "We cannot accommodate you tonight. Please return on another day."

"Are you sure this is your final choice? You won't regret your words?" Mio asked as she took out her phone.

"I do not regret anything," Benji replied.

Mio gritted her teeth as she took a cute but sad selfie and then crafted an SNS post on the spot: I wanted to treat my friends for a meal at Elements, but I was chased away like a dog. Could it be I look too shabby?

She posted it online directly. As a successful actress, she had a lot of fans, and she knew how to keep them hooked. Her image did not allow her to say anything bad about Elements outright. But she knew this message was enough to rile up her loyal fans.

She did not care about the mess she created online as she exited the platform. She only needed to see the results of the joint getting destroyed. She had heard there were branches, so she hoped her fans would cause enough of a mess to eliminate the whole business directly.

"What is happening here?" A male voice spoke from behind the group.

The crowd turned to look at the speaker. The man was tall and handsome, and beside him was a beautiful woman. The young masters and misses, who were about to scold the person, realised the identity of the man and parted to allow him to pass.

Mio also turned to look at the newcomer. Her sour face immediately changed into a sweet smile as she looked at the man she had chased unsuccessfully for a year.

"Brother Seiji! What are you doing here?" Mio's voice lost its arrogance and became gentle like water.