Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Are these people really chefs?”
The other chefs, all dressed in neat chef’s robes, glanced incredulously and disdainfully at Bu Fang and his companions. Every one of them was very serious about such a formal occasion, and they would do everything to show their best side. They would never dress in such an unconventional manner like this.
“You think this is a cosplay competition?! One guy is wearing a Hanfu, the other a denim jacket, and the girl in a jumpsuit… Are you guys here to be funny?”
Many chefs scoffed at the attire of Bu Fang’s team. Chef’s robes were a symbol of their status, and in formal competitions like this, they needed to dress well to compete so that they could be seen as reliable chefs.
The host was a handsome Western man with blond hair and blue eyes. Judging from his exceptionally handsome face, he should be a man of mixed blood. In this era, people of mixed-blood were especially popular. Even in Hua, people with blood mixed between northerners and southerners were very popular as well.
Holding a microphone in his hand, the host stood on the stage explaining the rules of the competition. He spoke fluent Mandarin. When he had finished, a beautiful hostess repeated what he said in perfect English. This was to make sure that everyone understood the rules.
They said a lot of things, but mostly they were introducing the judges.
The judges were divided into two groups. The first group was made up of five main judges, while the second group was a panel of three hundred common people. These common people were not chefs, but business tycoons and people of distinguished status from all over the world. They made an extraordinary panel.
As for the five main judges, their identities were unusual as well. They were all people of great prestige in the food industry, including two women and three men, one of whom was a monk.
The first of the two women was a fat lady. Dressed in expensive jewelry and wearing thick lipstick, she looked like an upstart, but her true identity was a world-class food connoisseur with a notoriously sharp tongue. It was said that dozens of chefs had cried after being scolded by her.
The second woman was very beautiful, and her body was very hot. She had blond hair but a gentle Asian face, and her overall appearance was so perfect and balanced that it was simply a masterpiece of heaven. She was also a food critic, a judge who all major events in the food industry would invite. Her words were sharp, and every time she made a comment or critique, she hit the nail on the head.
As for the three male judges, they were all famous veterans in the food industry, especially the monk. Although he was a monk, he was a very well-known gourmet in Hua. Besides, he was good at cooking vegetarian dishes. Many dignitaries fought for a taste of his craft.
However, even though he was a monk, he was not a vegetarian, and drinking wine was his favorite hobby. Therefore, people called him ‘the master of meat and wine.’
Bu Fang glanced at the judges and slightly curled the corners of his mouth upward. Of the five judges, three were not mere mortals. He found it a bit interesting. Also, many of the three hundred judges exuded faint spiritual energy.
Yu Ge was nonchalant. As a Qi cultivator, he did not care what others think about him. As for Xiao Ai, she was still blushing as she was still immersed in the charm of that beautiful blond boy.
“Well, those are our judges. The World God of Cookery Tournament has invited the world’s most famous judges, so there is no doubt that this will be a strict and cruel event. It will surely go down in history! After all, the winner will get a hundred million dollars! If heaven could give me a chance to start all over again, I would give up my career as a host and become a chef instead!”
The host’s repartee immediately spiced up the atmosphere.
“Now… The theme of the first round of the competition is… noodles! Noodles is a common food around the world, and we hope that chefs from all over the world can bring the best noodles to us!
“The cooking time is one hour. The ingredients are prepared for you. Please, chefs, wield your kitchen knives and ladles to bring us a wonderful competition!”
As the host shouted at the top of his lungs, the atmosphere was completely boiling. The next moment, many stoves began to spew out dazzling flames, while the air rang with the sound of chefs preparing their ingredients.
…
“Noodles? Senior… What kind of noodles are you going to make?”
Yu Ge had great confidence in Bu Fang’s cooking. He had tried Bu Fang’s dragon blood egg-fried rice, and just three spoonfuls of it had completely captured his heart and made him give up fasting.
Xiao Ai was not as confident as he was. From what she had gathered, she knew that Bu Fang was nothing more than an apprentice chef.
In her opinion, the participation of an apprentice chef in a world competition was no different from a joke. Every chef here was a world-class chef, all working in five-star hotels. As an apprentice chef, what ability does Bu Fang have to compete with them?
‘Do you think this is a movie? The story of a mediocre chef who defeats countless famous chefs and then wins the cooking competition? Wake up, young man!’
She really did not have much confidence in Bu Fang. She admitted that he was very strong, but strength and cooking skills were two different things. Even a god might cook dark cuisine that made people vomit, so she did not have any hope for him at all.
She felt that Bu Fang must have some other purpose for participating in this competition, and all she had to do was find out this purpose and inform Chief Luo.
‘Noodles? So the theme is noodles…’ Bu Fang narrowed his eyes. In all his years running restaurants in the other world, he rarely cooked noodles. He had once introduced a Rampage Ramen that had received great popularity. However, he had no intention of cooking that dish in this competition.
He opened the cabinet under the stove. It had a lot of ingredients in it. He saw fine flour, fresh noodles, and even a large packet of… instant noodles.
‘Hmm? Instant noodles?’ The corner of Bu Fang’s mouth twitched a little. ‘Why would the organizer prepare instant noodles?’ He suddenly remembered that he had once cooked instant noodles in the Xiayi Divine Dynasty. That bowl of instant noodles was known as the Soul Demon’s nemesis.
“Huh? There are actually instant noodles here? Are you the organizer’s son? Is this specially prepared for you?”
Xiao Ai also saw the instant noodles, and she was surprised. Instant noodles were a blessing to people who could not cook. She did not expect to see it in a world competition such as this. “This truly is a world competition. The organizers are really well prepared!”
However, she did not think Bu Fang would take the instant noodles out to cook. If he really did that, it would be faster for him to just withdraw from the competition.
Suddenly, Xiao Ai’s eyes widened as she saw Bu Fang take the instant noodles out of the cabinet. He also took out an egg. “You… Are you really going to cook instant noodles?” She looked at him as if he were a fool. ‘He truly is an apprentice chef. How could he choose to cook instant noodles in a major competition? He’s going to lose for sure!’
Bu Fang gave her a sideways glance and said nothing. As for Yu Ge, he was quiet because his heart had been captured by Bu Fang.
With a ripping sound, Bu Fang tore open the packet and took out the instant noodles. Many people heard the sound, and they turned to look at him.
“Where did that idiot come from? He’s cooking instant noodles at the World God of Cookery Tournament?”
Many judges were speechless. They could not believe that someone was cooking instant noodles in an international event such as this. Even the host had taken notice of Bu Fang. After all, it was hard for Bu Fang not to attract attention when he took out a packet of instant noodles among so many famous chefs.
“Ugh… Haha! What a surprise! Someone in the competition is really quite naughty… He’s really going to cook instant noodles! How delicious can his instant noodles be? Let’s wait and see!”
The host was being polite, but many judges were already scoffing. They had decided that when the instant noodles were served before them, they would not try it, and if they did, they would start a live stream of them eating shit!
The five main judges simply ignored Bu Fang. As people of high status, they would never eat instant noodles!
Xiao Ai stared at Bu Fang with wide eyes. She wanted to find out if there was anything special about him. Since he dared to cook instant noodles, he must be very confident in himself. Could he have some secret weapon? But she was soon disappointed.
‘Is cooking instant noodles in the water a secret weapon?’ Xiao Ai twitched the corner of her mouth.
Yu Ge’s confidence in Bu Fang began to waver now. ‘Could it be that the egg-fried rice I tasted is just a very simple dish? And I found it tasty because I’ve been fasting for too long? If not, why is he cooking the instant noodles in the most traditional method?!’
One after another, squares of instant noodles were added to boiling water. Soon, they softened and spread out. Bu Fang added the seasonings before scooping them out. His swift and skillful movements made him look like a veteran in cooking instant noodles!
The other chefs were doing their best to show off their cooking skills. Their noodles were distinctive in their own way. There were sliced noodles, saucy noodles, noodles with bean paste, ramen from Hua, and also spaghetti and handmade noodles from the West.
Plumes of hot steam rose from pots of boiling broth, while the air in the entire twentieth floor was filled with an intoxicating fragrance.
With steady movements, Bu Fang ladled the instant noodles out of the pot and placed them into small bowls. In total, he prepared about a dozen bowls of noodles. As for fried eggs, he only made five.
At this moment, the other chefs had finished cooking, and they brought their noodles over to the judges.
These noodles were the results of their teams’ effort. Even though it was only a bowl of noodles, many things needed to be considered when cooking it. After all, they had many competitors. So, before cooking the noodles, they needed to consider the competitors’ strength, as well as how they were going to present their trump cards…
One by one, bowls of noodles were brought up to the stage. The host was explaining with his glib tongue, while the five main judges and the panel of three hundred judges began to taste the food.
…
“Bu Fang’s secret instant noodles are ready to serve.” After placing the last fried egg in a blue-and-white porcelain bowl, Bu Fang finished his cooking and breathed a sigh of relief.
“I can’t believe it took you so long to cook instant noodles. You’d better don’t bring these instant noodles up there… You’ll just make others laugh at you… Really, this is my advice for you as someone who had a similar experience,” Xiao Ai said, looking at Bu Fang.
Bu Fang twitched the corner of his mouth. “I need you and Yu Ge to help me bring the noodles there,” he said.
Xiao Ai was speechless. ‘You can just make yourself a laughingstock… Why do you have to involve me? Can’t you see that handsome blond boy is watching me? If I go on stage, my reputation will go down in a drain!’ However, she had no other choice, so she just carried the bowls of noodles and, together with Yu Ge, followed after Bu Fang.
The noodles were covered by fried eggs, so no one could see them. Bu Fang brought his instant noodles and walked toward the judges. As he stepped up the stage, the main judges and the panel of three hundred judges all laughed.
“Oh, I’m dying of laughter… I can’t believe someone really brings us instant noodles!”
“I admire the courage of this participant!”
“Instant noodles… If this thing can make him go to the next round, I’ll eat plain rice with garlic for a whole month!”
The panel of three hundred judges roared with laughter, but Bu Fang’s expression remained unchanged. Xiao Ai, on the other hand, bowed her head so low that her chin was almost touching her breasts…
The five main judges looked coldly at Bu Fang—they would not be courteous to a participant who dared to serve them instant noodles. Without even tasting his noodles, they had decided to disqualify him! If they ate even just a spoonful of the instant noodles, they would not consider themselves food judges for the rest of their lives!
