As the most grand feast in the northern region, it would be a deeply embarrassing situation for a competition if it couldn't even gather enough participants.
Within Mo City alone, there were no less than a hundred organizations, large and small.
The organizers of the feast selected over a dozen of the larger organizations and granted them participation slots.
They didn't expect any spectacular performances from them; their real purpose was merely to fill the numbers.
Mo Du's head ached: "Where on earth can I find a participating chef at such short notice?"
Hiring a high-class chef was extremely expensive, with annual expenses running into millions of Bailey. "Wine and Beauty" was already running on fumes, and they simply couldn't afford it.
The previous chefs, unable to make ends meet, had all run off.
"Perhaps using salt essence as bait... could lure one or two to make do."
"Since we intend to acquire Wine and Beauty, participating in this competition to boost our reputation is also a good thing."
...
Three days later, at the central arena in Mo City, the Northern Culinary Feast officially commenced!
This arena boasted a century of history, having undergone multiple expansions over time, with a maximum capacity for 200,000 live spectators.
Competitions of this caliber attracted global attention, with nobles and leaders from numerous countries arriving to observe. Countless newspaper reporters flocked to the scene, scrambling for first-hand information.
"All participating teams, please come over here for a photograph!"
There were a total of 300 participating teams, representing the prominent powers of the northern region.
A long queue formed inside the venue.
For the people of the Great Glacier, having their photograph taken was an entirely novel experience.
They were instructed to stand up straight, a stiff smile plastered on their faces.
Two staff members were present. One, clad in a wooden box covered with leather, continuously recited the rules.
"When I say 'ready,' everyone start smiling. Remember, no blinking, no matter what happens!"
The other held a peculiar, pieced-together mirror, somewhat resembling the rhombus-shaped fill lights found in photo studios.
"Smile... 3... 2... 1..."
*Bang!*
A massive fireball erupted from the center of the assembled mirror, its concentrated light shining upon the crowd.
"Holy crap!"
"What the heck was that!"
"You scared me to death."
Zhang Wei was also startled; it was all rather sudden.
This mirror was likely for fill light. The light sensitivity of such primitive cameras should be quite low.
Electric lights hadn't been invented yet, so the method of fill light was... gunpowder!
At this point, the staff were already replacing the powder charge for the spotlight, while another was ushering the next team forward.
"You can go now, the photograph is done. We'll send you a copy once the picture is developed."
Zhang Wei, out of curiosity, asked, "Will our photo be black and white or colored?"
The staff member let out a chuckle: "Colored photos? You think it's an oil painting? Hahaha..."
Tang Zhihun quickly beckoned Zhang Wei back, fearing the country bumpkin might say something even stranger.
Zhang Wei sighed inwardly, marveling at the rapid advancement of technology in this world. He wondered how long it would take to reach the level of Blue Star.
In the original manga, the technological level of Gourmet Food Captures surpassed that of Blue Star.
When confronting the Four Beasts, humanity had produced a mammoth war chariot, one hundred meters long and weighing a hundred thousand tons.
Satellite warships could carry laser cannons, and fighter jets were equipped with missiles developed to combat large beasts.
Most importantly, these weapons were mass-produced. If all of humanity's weapons were deployed simultaneously, they could destroy an area of 10 million square kilometers.
That's equivalent to 27 Japans!
By the end of the manga, they had even developed spacecraft capable of interstellar travel.
Currently, however, even firearms were the most primitive lead-pellet muzzle-loaders powered by black powder.
"It seems there's a time gap of about 200-300 years."
"However, in Gourmet Food Captures, technological development isn't the main focus. To reach the level depicted in the manga, it might take even 400 years or more."
"This means my transmigration period is at least four hundred years before the main storyline."
Thinking this, Zhang Wei felt a slight sense of relief.
During that era, this planet had been subjected to multiple devastating blows.
Various planet-destroying powerhouses had clashed on this small sphere, and even a stray ripple could obliterate the entire human realm.
His current strength wasn't even enough to be a nameless extra.
However, if there were 400 years or more of development time, Zhang Wei wouldn't need to worry.
"But speaking of the Four Beasts..."
In the original work, there was a species with no other hobby than eating humans.
Every few centuries, they would devour more than half of humanity, leaving a portion of survivors to continue breeding, only to be consumed again when they woke.
Based on the timing, it seemed quite possible for Zhang Wei to encounter them.
Ordinary Four Beasts had a capture level of 130, capable of easily destroying all of humanity's military forces.
They possessed the ability to move mountains and fill seas, and even nuclear bombs were useless against them.
Most critically, these Four Beasts also had the ability to merge, and even the protagonist group could only defeat them by cheating and using energy balls.
"At the very least... I need to reach this level in the shortest possible time to ensure my own safety."
...
The opening ceremony continued.
The host's booming voice ensured everyone in the entire venue could hear him clearly.
With 300 teams entering simultaneously, the atmosphere in the arena reached its zenith.
The most cheered-for were established powerhouses like the Vot Hotel, Shuiyun Tian, and Wangyue Zhai. Large organizations like Da Mo Shu Ge also had a considerable number of loyal fans.
The worst off were organizations like the Century Collection Association, whom almost no one recognized.
Among the crowd, Zhang Wei was surprised to discover the banner of "Wine and Beauty." He hadn't expected Mo Du to secure a participation slot.
The host began to announce the competition rules.
"The first round is a group stage lasting six days!"
"All participating contestants will be divided into six groups and will take turns performing over six days."
"During this time, contestants will set up stalls within the venue, and all audience members are free to roam and sample the delicacies from each establishment."
"Each audience member will be given ten small balls, representing points."
"The 128 teams with the highest total points will advance to the next round!"
This round was a massive screening process, distributing power to various dignitaries and influential figures.
The status of those who could afford to attend the live viewing was evident.
The exorbitant prices for their tickets, costing thousands or even tens of thousands of Bailey, were justified by this segment.
What was a mere few thousand or tens of thousands of Bailey compared to the opportunity to taste the cuisine of three hundred top chefs from the northern region?
A portion of these ticket revenues would be returned to the participating contestants based on their point totals.
This was to prevent contestants from being unable to afford ingredients and falling into bankruptcy.
The order of appearance in the group stage would be determined by a fair drawing.