Time flowed slowly.
Lou Ming had over a hundred assistants, each an exceptional talent. This lineup alone for assistant chefs surpassed any organization in the North.
Yet, even with this, Lou Ming was as busy as a spinning top.
Zhang Wei was entirely different. His dozen or so assistants were likely only involved in carrying tasks, appearing exceptionally idle compared to the bustling atmosphere around them. He was a veritable salted fish.
Whispers inevitably rippled through the audience.
"What's going on with this 'Wine and Beauty'? They seem so listless."
"Could it be that their dish failed, and they're just killing time? Knowing they're destined for elimination, they've given up and are slacking off."
"That's possible. After all, they're a small organization; how many good chefs can they have?"
"Unlikely. I've been observing this team for a long time; 'Wine and Beauty's' strength is by no means simple!"
...
Meanwhile, the Century Collection Association members had already packed their belongings and were rushing to leave the venue.
As they reached the entrance, they were stopped by a group of people resembling security guards.
"Excuse me, where are you going?"
"Ah, we have urgent matters; we need to leave now."
The head of security stepped forward and bowed deeply. "My sincerest apologies, but early departure is not permitted at this grand event!"
Xi Feng roared, "I've participated in the Northern Chefs' Grand Feast many times before; how can there be such a rule! Hurry and let us pass. If you delay me, you cannot bear the consequences!"
"We apologize, but it is our duty. Please return for now. Less than an hour remains until the competition ends, and you are expected to be able to leave within two hours."
"No, we must leave now!"
"Please do not make things difficult for us."
As he spoke, the number of security personnel rapidly increased. The leading officer said sternly, "Are you truly intending to disrupt the order of the Northern Chefs' Grand Feast? Please do not act rashly!"
Xi Feng pondered for a long time and could only reluctantly give up.
The Northern Chefs' Grand Feast was about to transform into a united organization and lead the northern political power. Clashing with them would be incredibly unwise!
After Xi Feng and his group departed, the security personnel exchanged glances and revealed eerie smiles.
Inside the security room at this moment, a faint scent of blood could be detected.
A four-armed monstrous being sat in the chief seat, legs crossed, listening to a subordinate's report.
"A dozen or so individuals tried to leave just now; they have been sent back."
"Very good. How is the security situation?"
"We are infiltrating. It is estimated that about thirty percent have been replaced by our people."
"What about the main force?"
"They are rushing here at full speed, about three hundred kilometers away, less than an hour's journey."
The four-armed monster stood up, gazing at the clouds in the sky. It bared its mouth, revealing sharp teeth.
It let out a sinister laugh, "Everything… is perfect!"
...
On the competition grounds, the hourglass was halfway depleted.
"Aren't you going to make a move yet?"
After a busy half-day, Lou Ming put down his tools, seemingly preparing to finish up.
Seeing Zhang Wei, who was half-reclining, he couldn't help but speak, "Let me see a little of your skill as well."
Zhang Wei opened his eyes and turned to look at Lou Ming in the distance.
"Don't you understand?"
"Understand what?"
"I've been very busy! Monitoring hundreds of pots simultaneously is mentally taxing!"
Lou Ming was stunned.
Monitoring hundreds of pots simultaneously?
You've been lying in a rocking chair, not moving for half an hour; how could you possibly be monitoring?
But Lou Ming knew that Zhang Wei was definitely not someone who spoke nonsense! If he said this, there had to be a reason.
Seeing Lou Ming deep in thought, Zhang Wei chuckled.
"Don't understand?"
"Not at all."
"Oh."
Lou Ming raised an eyebrow and directly inquired, "Aren't you going to explain?"
"No need. I think it's more fun to let you languish in ignorance until you die of frustration."
*Puff*
Lou Ming was so angered by Zhang Wei that he directly spat out a mouthful of blood!
The blood stained his chest.
Zhang Wei was startled on the spot!
"Holy crap, you have too much of a temper! I was just joking, is it that serious?"
To be angered to the point of spitting blood was certainly a unique talent.
Lou Ming's chest ached faintly, and the vast aura within him began to slow.
"Damn it, the effect of the Youthful Konjac... is starting to fade! My remaining potential can only sustain me for a day?"
The Youthful Konjac burned the user's remaining life force. If the user had little lifespan left, there wouldn't be much fuel...
Lou Ming, clearly nearing the end of his rope, had even less time after consuming the Youthful Konjac.
However, there was still a considerable amount of time from the weakening of his aura to his complete demise, so there was no need to worry.
Zhang Wei decided not to tease Lou Ming any further and directly revealed the answer: "It's the smell."
"Smell?"
"That's impossible!"
Lou Ming's eyes widened, showing disbelief!
"There are hundreds of pots in front of you; how can you discern the scents when they are all mixed together?"
Lou Ming, having been active for a century, had never encountered such an ability.
Many factors determined the aroma of a dish: heat control, seasoning, main ingredients, moisture, ripeness...
Distinguishing the stage and nature of a dish through smell was a basic skill for a chef, but when the number of dishes increased, the difficulty escalated exponentially.
These basic attributes would become jumbled and difficult to differentiate. Even Lou Ming himself could only distinguish the scents within ten dishes, yet Zhang Wei had hundreds of clay pots before him!
"Can you really do that?"
"Why would I lie to you?"
Lou Ming burst into laughter, his eyes sharpening!
"Excellent, this makes things interesting!"
No longer paying attention to Lou Ming, Zhang Wei closed his eyes again.
When vision was cut off, all the sensory computations of his CPU focused on his sense of smell.
The world seemed to acquire color, with hundreds of points emitting light of various hues, gradually converging in one place.
The aromas... were merging!
These basic elements formed a portrait of flavor. In this specific world, these aromas were like peerless beauties.
And each pot was a fundamental element. Changing any one of them could subtly alter the beauty's visage...
Whether it was beauty or deliciousness, they were always interconnected, producing a mechanistic pleasure.
And under Zhang Wei's olfactory perception, the portrait of flavors had been rendered to its extreme!
"It's time!"
Zhang Wei began to move!
Fast!
Extremely fast!
Zhang Wei's body weaved between the preparation tables, creating afterimages!
"Such swift movements; his cellular awakening level must be at least Level Thirty!"
"This Zhang Wei actually possesses such strength!"
"Look at his drawing speed; in one second... sixty to one hundred and twenty times, it's too fast, I can't count!"
High-level chefs all possessed a certain cellular level.
Their enhanced physical attributes were not used for combat but to allow them to complete dishes more effectively, especially the extremely difficult ones!
For example, one would not even dream of handling Wolfgang's several-thousand-ton barbecue grill without Level Fifteen cells.
But what the crowd didn't know was that Zhang Wei's physical evolution was entirely perception-driven!