Chapter 243: Chapter 172: So beautiful that one can hardly bear to tuck in! What, another cooking competition? [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_2
He felt very comfortable. His mood inexplicably brightened.
After finishing the chicken slices, he scooped up some crystal-clear broth and brought it to his mouth. The flavor that burst forth with the first sip almost made him cry out. The sensation was too wonderful. Visually, it looked like simple warm water. But the rich, fresh flavor that followed was as satisfying as devouring a whole chicken and then some pork knuckle, leaving him feeling utterly refreshed and content. The taste was exquisite. It was fresh, aromatic, and rich, all in one, with just the right amount of saltiness. It was as if the soup itself had been elevated to a higher plane.
"How is it, Junior Brother?"
"The chicken slices are delicious, and the soup is savory. It’s truly wonderful... I’ll have to secretly practice this dish later and give my girlfriend a surprise."
Hmm, this is to prevent shocking everyone when I make it in the future. Lin Xu was already laying the groundwork.
After complimenting his Senior Brother, he turned to Qin Wei, who was slowly eating chicken slices beside him, and asked, "Master Qin, how does it taste?"
"Good... delicious!"
After speaking, Qin Wei looked at Lin Xu and asked softly, "You... really know how to make... this dish?"
When he wasn’t nervous, his speech was much smoother.
Lin Xu nodded gently. "I’ve figured out the method, but I still need practice."
A trace of envy flashed across Qin Wei’s face.
Just as Lin Xu was about to chat with him a bit more, a boisterous voice suddenly called out from the kitchen entrance, "Chef Xie, hurry up and treat me to a meal! There’s great news!"
The sound had barely faded when Assistant Bai from the Dining Department hurried into the kitchen.
"I was just helping Director Liao organize some files when someone from Yanjing City TV station... Eh? Chef Qiu? What are you doing here too?"
Seeing Qiu Zhenhua was also there, a look of surprise flashed across Assistant Bai’s lean face. He then turned to leave, "Ah, well, I think I left the kettle on. I’ll drop by later, you all carry on... Heavens, what dish is this? Are you making bonsai arrangements here?"
He had been about to leave, but the sight of the Qingshui Furong on the workbench stopped him in his tracks. It couldn’t be helped; the dish’s presentation was truly exceptional. Even though a few petals were missing, it was still a cut above ordinary dishes.
"May I... try it?"
Assistant Bai picked up a nearby pair of chopsticks, about to try it, when Qiu Zhenhua stopped him, "Spill it. What’s the good news? You saw me and swallowed your words. Do you still want to eat the Crab Soup Dumplings from our Building Six in the future?"
Xie Baomin joined in teasingly, "We’re going to make Crab Soup Dumplings in Building Two as well. You can come eat with us."
Qiu Zhenhua raised an eyebrow and looked at Xie Baomin, "Old Xie, it’s one thing to sell them secretly, but to shout about it right in front of me, aren’t you afraid I’ll fall out with you?"
"I’m just joking, Little Bai. What’s going on? Spit it out. Otherwise, our Chef Qiu here will be guessing all night. He’s so petty, you couldn’t even fit a thread of Wensi Tofu into his mind."
"You..."
Assistant Bai didn’t keep them in suspense any longer and said honestly, "Here’s the thing. Just now, Zhen Wensheng from the Yanjing City Travel Channel came to see Director Liao. He’s planning a culinary competition, inviting young chefs from ten foreign-related hotels to participate."
After speaking, he picked up a petal and, using a small saucer, began to eat.
Nearby, Lin Xu and Xie Baomin looked at each other.
A cooking competition? Fishing Platform just had one a few days ago. Why are they planning another one so soon? Are they trying to ride the coattails of the last one’s popularity?
Qiu Zhenhua said to Xie Baomin, "This is aimed at your Junior Brother, isn’t it? He’s famous, skilled, and good-looking. With a little promotion, he could become really popular. Besides, with a title like Fishing Platform champion, if any other hotel managed to beat him, they’d boast about it to the heavens."
No one present was a fool. They all understood these kinds of tactics.
Fishing Platform held its own inter-building cooking competitions every year. These had become increasingly formal, but they never involved outside hotels, precisely for this reason. Winning wouldn’t be much to brag about, but a loss would be exaggerated endlessly. Rather than serve as a stepping stone for others, it was better to keep to themselves.
Xie Baomin looked at Assistant Bai and asked curiously, "What’s Director Liao’s attitude?"
"He’s quite interested. The higher-ups are always pushing for Fishing Platform to attract more guests from the general public, and a cooking competition is such a great promotional opportunity. Director Liao naturally doesn’t want to miss it... This dish is really delicious! How come I’ve never seen it before?"
Qiu Zhenhua said with a smile, "Your Level isn’t high enough, so you wouldn’t have seen it. But you should have heard its name: Qingshui Furong."
"Heavens! So this is Qingshui Furong? I’ve seen it mentioned in so many documents! I never imagined it would look this stunning. No wonder those foreigners would eat it for days on end!"
Meanwhile, Xie Baomin walked over to Lin Xu and asked quietly, "Junior Brother, if you don’t want to get involved in this fuss, I can help you turn it down."
Lin Xu gave a wry smile.
He naturally didn’t want to get involved in such a commotion. But would the system let him miss an opportunity to be in the spotlight?
As expected, just as this thought crossed his mind, a system notification sounded in his head:
"Yanjing City Foreign-Related Hotels’ Cooking Competition is about to begin! Triggering chain mission: [Conqueror]. Starting from the elimination rounds, for every round the Host wins as champion, corresponding rewards will be given. The further you progress in the competition, the richer the rewards. Winning the overall championship will also grant an additional surprise grand prize!"
Just as I thought... I haven’t even entered the competition yet, and here it comes.