Chapter 312: Chapter 196: The Magic Circle Explodes! A Well-Deserved Champion! A Big Surprise in the Rewards! [Seeking Monthly Ticket]_2
Lu Lu nudged Zhu Yong and asked, "What’s the principle behind this? You’re a chef at Fishing Platform; you should know, right?"
Zhu Yong replied with a bitter smile, "If I knew, I wouldn’t have jumped ship to work at Boss Lin’s place... You all keep saying Boss Lin is crossing into other fields; well, now he really has crossed into the circle of magicians."
He opened his cell phone to check. Someone had already turned the live stream video into a GIF.
Below, comments from netizens poured in.
Liang Mountain’s Drought: "No way! Oh my god, how did he do that?"
Spring Breeze Cannot Blow You: "Wow! I’m so jealous of those who saw it live; it must have been heartbreakingly beautiful."
Among the Fields of Reeds: "I knew I should’ve bought a scalped ticket to get in and see it."
Great Mahayana Stage cultivator: "Thanks for the invite. I was there live and watched the whole thing. The moment Boss Lin snapped his fingers, my heart forgot to beat."
Lin Daiyu Pulling Willows: "Does anyone know the principle behind it?"
Human High-Quality Garbage: "I asked a friend who performs magic. He can’t do this yet and asked me to help inquire which great magician Boss Lin studied under."
I’ll be a dog if I stay up late: "LOL, several magicians have spoken out online, seriously analyzing the steps."
What Bad Intentions Could a Little Kitty Have: "Boss Lin’s image as the King of Crossover is now firmly established."
...
「At the competition venue.」
After watching the entire flower bloom, Liu Zhengyu even forgot this was a competition. Luckily, a nearby judge nudged him, and only then did he realize it was time for the judges to enter the tasting area. No matter how beautiful or spectacular a dish is, if it tastes bad, all the effort is for naught.
He stood up and said, "I never expected to witness such a wonderful performance at a culinary competition. I doubt I’ll ever forget the scene of that flower blooming. Thank you, Lin Xu, for giving me a new perspective on cooking."
Before this dish, who could have imagined that cuisine could be so eye-catching?
Lin Xu said with a smile, "I’m sorry for delaying the competition; I hope the judges don’t mind."
Liu Zhengyu checked the time and said, "There was no delay; we’re right at the cutoff time. Alright, everyone, please compose yourselves. Let’s begin the critique."
As the judges rose and walked down from the judges’ panel, the audience members also composed themselves somewhat and began discussing the principles behind the dish.
Was it a physical or chemical reaction? Why could a snap of the fingers control the flower’s bloom?
So magical!
Shen Baobao had finished crying and wiped her face clean. She looked bashfully at Chen Yan, who was on the verge of tears, and said, "Sorry, I was too excited..."
After speaking, she took the tissue in her hand and wiped Chen Yan’s shoulder. Seeing her cousin still looking upset, she said, "Come on, don’t be mad, Yan Bao. How about this? For your eighteenth birthday this year, I’ll ask Xu Bao to make this dish for you again, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yan immediately turned her left shoulder towards her. "Why don’t you get this shoulder too, then you can book next year’s birthday as well."
Shen Baobao: "..."
You mean you still won’t have found someone to spend your birthday with by next year?
Just then, Chen Meijuan, who was in the back row, said to Chen Yan, "Xiao Yan, change your clothes later. Give me your dress, and I’ll wash it for you."
My daughter-in-law got someone’s dress dirty. As her mother-in-law, it’s only right for me to wash it clean for her, isn’t it?
Chen Yan quickly said, "No, no, it’s quite alright. We have a housekeeper at home. How could I possibly let an elder do laundry?"
「On stage.」
The judges gathered around the table and started tasting the four dishes.
First up was Zhuang Yizhou’s Wensi Tofu. As a soup, it naturally had a disadvantage compared to more substantial dishes. However, the craftsmanship was undeniable: the tofu was cut as fine as hair, and the soup was full of rich ingredients.
When tasted, the texture was smooth but not greasy. The chicken broth was fresh and delicate, and the shredded tofu, ham strips, and other ingredients were perfectly balanced. The skill involved was truly impeccable.
While the judges were tasting, Lin Xu and the other three contestants also held small bowls, sampling Zhuang Yizhou’s Wensi Tofu.
Indeed, Wensi Tofu wasn’t as time-consuming as the other three dishes; only the cutting was somewhat laborious. However, for those who had reached the finals, preparing a dish like Wensi Tofu, which primarily requires straight knife cuts, was second nature. It wasn’t considered particularly difficult. Therefore, Zhuang Yizhou had made some extra. He even considered letting Lin Xu’s family try some later.
Yes, it’s always good to build relationships in advance; it would make working at Lin Ji smoother.
Lin Xu tasted it and commented, "This soup is truly excellent. No wonder it’s served at state banquets."
The person who invented this dish was an absolute genius. To cut tofu so finely, blanch it in chicken broth, and then return it to the broth to make soup... whoever came up with this must have had a lot of time on their hands to go to such lengths!
The judges finished tasting the Wensi Tofu and began on the Nine-Turned Intestines.
Guo Xinghai brought over a bowl from his station, covered with a plate. Removing the plate, he revealed several segments of richly colored Nine-Turned Intestines.
"I had a few pieces left over after plating. Everyone, please try some."
Huo Yifan and Zhuang Yizhou’s eyes lit up simultaneously, surprised that someone would have extra food hidden away at a cooking competition.
Lin Xu said, "We did the same thing in the last competition—tasted a bit of what was left after plating."
With that, he picked up his chopsticks, selected a piece of Nine-Turned Intestines, and popped it into his mouth.
The oily richness instantly awakened his taste buds. Then, a symphony of five flavors—sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty—began to spread throughout his mouth.