The night was already deep.
The organizers had set up multiple bonfires around the venue for illumination.
Occasional cries of vendors selling refreshments, dried fruits, and seeds could be heard from the audience, replenishing their energy.
To be honest, watching a food competition made one hungry quickly, but having no appetite for anything was truly torture.
Wolfgang, a decent fellow, shared the remaining Ice Heart Turtle Marrow Cake with the audience present, and the contestants were also fortunate enough to receive one.
Yun Shang Zhen Jun walked over from nearby, his plate holding two pieces of cake.
"I brought your share. Why don't we enjoy it together?"
"One moment."
Zhang Wei entered the work area, skillfully heating oil in a pan. Within a dozen seconds, a wave of aroma filled the air.
The speed was truly remarkable; in three to five minutes, he had prepared five or six small dishes, all complete in color, aroma, and taste.
"Don't be picky, these are just leftover scraps."
"Preparing five dishes simultaneously, this ability to multitask is truly astonishing."
"A trivial skill."
As the two were conversing, a voice called out.
"I have a few pots of good wine here, may I join you?"
"And me, you still need a staple, right?"
Zhang Wei looked up and saw Wolfgang, who had just finished his competition, and Jun Qing from Wangyue Zhai.
Wolfgang looked exhausted, yet his uncontainable cheerful excitement was evident.
Zhang Wei looked at Jun Qing approaching, feeling a sense of familiarity...
"Jun Qing... your dish was the Overlord Tree Ham, wasn't it?"
Jun Qing was not surprised and chuckled, "Your insight is indeed impressive."
"It's nothing... Come, let's have a drink together!"
The four sat together, finding a moment of peace amidst the strenuous competition.
Yun Shang Zhen Jun was the oldest among them. Despite his still dashing demeanor, he was older than old man Jun.
Wolfgang, middle-aged and approaching fifty, could be considered from the uncle generation.
Zhang Wei and Jun Qing belonged to the ranks of young talents, though beneath Zhang Wei's youthful facade lay another soul.
Yun Shang Zhen Jun said, "Speaking of which, the three of us are old establishments in the North, only this gentleman... Right, I never asked for your name."
"Zhang Wei."
"Only Lord Zhang Wei is appearing in the North for the first time, it must be quite unfamiliar."
Jun Qing remarked, "It's rare to see the old man from Shuiyun Tian pay so much attention to a younger generation. Mr. Zhang has great potential."
Zhang Wei smiled without a word, simply refilling his wine glass.
The staple Jun Qing brought was delicious, likely meant to be eaten with the Overlord Tree Ham.
Ham rice...
It was rarely seen at banquets.
Picking up the Ice Heart Ghost Marrow Cake, Zhang Wei savored it carefully.
"Good."
Still a simple evaluation.
Wolfgang downed an entire cup in one go, collapsing like a beached fish, "I'm done with my part, the rest depends on your performance... This time, it has completely drained me."
"Don't you want the championship?"
"The championship is a matter of fate."
Speaking of the championship, Wolfgang perked up a little, "Can you reveal a bit about your creations?"
Zhang Wei hummed softly, then said, "My dish is a soup paired with fried meatballs. The cooking techniques are ones I've recently mastered, so I'm not entirely confident... but it should be slightly better than your Ice Heart Turtle Marrow Cake."
Jun Qing also generously stated, "The Overlord Tree Ham I used has a capture level of 55. Although it's challenging to cook, it's within my capabilities... It should be significantly better than your Ice Heart Turtle Marrow Cake."
Yun Shang Zhen Jun chuckled lightly, "Sandworm, you know it... Hmm, better than yours."
"Damn it!"
"Everyone is trying to one-up me!"
"I'll see how each of you is better than me!"
"If you mess up later, don't blame me for mocking you."
Wolfgang rolled his eyes and made an internationally recognized gesture towards everyone!
As the four were chatting merrily, a gong sounded in the distance.
"Bamboo Dragonfly International completed, tasting begins!"
The announcer's voice echoed from afar.
"Bamboo Dragonfly International... I've never heard of it."
Among the four, Yun Shang Zhen Jun valued information greatly.
He immediately explained to everyone, "Bamboo Dragonfly International... is an extremely poorly managed air express company with no decent chefs... much like the 'Wine and Beauty' event before."
"However, the contestants in this grand event are extremely powerful. In the preliminaries, I was in the same group as one, and their score even surpassed mine! Speaking of which, this grand event has seen many extremely strong chefs who were previously unknown..."
After speaking, the three of them glanced at Zhang Wei.
Zhang Wei shrugged helplessly, "I'm really not familiar with them."
Speaking of which, Zhang Wei suddenly thought of Qian Xue, and his master.
Including Xiao Quan, these were all highly skilled chefs, and that mysterious organization, the Black List... it should be closely related to what they were discussing.
"Have you heard of the Black List?"
The Black List!
Upon hearing this, the three showed varied expressions.
Wolfgang said, "Why bring that up? I thought it was a shadowy organization that disappeared a long time ago. I only saw mentions of it in some biographies. It's said to have had very outstanding talents."
"No! It's still here!"
Jun Qing's face turned serious, "My partner is a mercenary, and somewhat involved in the underworld. He once told me about the Black List."
Wolfgang asked with interest, "Partner? That doesn't sound like the proud you."
"Just returning a favor."
"Tell us more about the Black List," Zhang Wei urged.
"The Black List is a powerful organization with complex roots. Many years ago, it retreated into more hidden corners, secretly manipulating the situation of the underworld! It's rumored that the organization continuously produces talents, with individuals of extremely high caliber among both chefs and food hunters."
Yun Shang Zhen Jun queried, "Why bring up this reclusive organization so suddenly?"
"Hmm... if I'm not mistaken, the Black List has infiltrated this competition, and those unidentified top chefs are very likely members of the Black List."
The three shot up from their seats, clearly startled by Zhang Wei's words.
"What evidence do you have for that?"
"Qian Xue, whom I defeated earlier, was a member of the Black List."
"Why would she tell you?"
"She kidnapped me, and assuming she had the upper hand, I extracted the information. It has some credibility."
Yun Shang Zhen Jun's mind raced, his thoughts moving rapidly.
If what Zhang Wei said was true, then the plan had gained several more variables!
The Cloud Country had long schemed for the North, having paid a considerable price. There could be no unforeseen accidents!
Jun Qing, clearly concerned for the North, declared, "No, I must tell my grandfather about this!"
Wolfgang, standing nearby, shook his head and placed a hand on Jun Qing's shoulder, stopping him.
"You focus on the competition, I'll handle this!"
"This..."
"Don't worry, I'll handle it better than you. Besides, this competition is the highest platform for Northern chefs; withdrawing midway would be a regret."