Tahe Permafrost Mining
One of the northern forces controlled by the Black List, its core executives have now been replaced by Black List personnel, officially becoming one of the many organizations under the Black List.
The draw result for Tahe Permafrost Mining was the first day.
The participating contestant was Lou Ming's third disciple, Qian Xue.
As this was Qian Xue Ji's first competition since she began her studies, she was filled with fighting spirit!
She directly set up her stall across from the Watt Hotel, a move brimming with provocation.
As for the head chef of Watt Hotel, he didn't take this little-known small organization seriously at all, dismissing it as a case of people losing their minds.
If two stalls were too close, the difference would be starkly evident. Organizations like Watt Hotel, which were titans in the industry, were usually avoided by ordinary groups.
"Miss Qian Xue, isn't setting up your stall here a bit too conspicuous? It seems to go against Master Lou Ming's original intentions."
"It matters not. Today, I intend to trample the leader of the northern industry underfoot."
Watt Hotel prepared teppanyaki, with a griddle approximately half a meter wide and twenty meters long, capable of searing 320 foie gras portions at once.
These foie gras would be cut into 3-4 pieces, allowing for the preparation of dishes for over a thousand people simultaneously.
As one of Watt Hotel's signature dishes, the Butter Crab Foie Gras was extremely high-end and one of the head chef's most proficient creations.
To compete with Watt Hotel, Qian Xue chose to prepare escargots gratins, a dish with a strong Western traditional style.
The morning bells chimed.
"Six o'clock sharp!"
"Esteemed guests present!"
"The Northern Region and surrounding areas Culinary Skills Exchange Grand Competition officially begins with its first battle!"
"Pick up your score tokens and embark on a quest for deliciousness!"
As the announcer's voice declared, the eight gates of the circular arena's stands were lifted, and a dense crowd of diverse tourists poured out.
Some were high-ranking government officials or royalty, surrounded by security personnel.
Others were struggling gourmet hunters, having spent their life savings in pursuit of a breakthrough.
There were also less-skilled chefs, hoping to learn advanced techniques here in addition to tasting.
Amidst such grandeur, they tried their best to maintain their dignity and composure, but the involuntary movement of their Adam's apples and the sounds of swallowing saliva betrayed them completely.
The crowd surged like a tide, akin to visiting a night market or a lantern festival.
Some teams had a certain fan base, and long queues formed in front of their stalls as soon as the event began, such as Watt Hotel!
And directly opposite Watt Hotel's stall, Qian Xue's fresh cream escargots gratin was freshly prepared.
A couple walked by.
"Honey, look, whose escargots gratin looks so delicious."
The husband scratched his head and said, "Tahe Permafrost Mining, I've never heard of them. They probably won't be very good."
"Hmm~ If they're not good, we'll just use one score token. There's no mandatory rule anyway."
Qian Xue's fresh cream escargots gratin had an excellent presentation, and coupled with the emanating aroma of baking, more and more tourists chose to try it.
Watt Hotel finally noticed this competitor, and an assistant brought the news to the head chef.
Watt Hotel's head chef was named Wolfgang, a middle-aged chef said to be over sixty years old, though his appearance belied his age.
"Preparing escargots gratin... right across from us?"
"Heh, a clown seeking attention. No need to bother."
Wolfgang was confident.
Over two million score tokens were distributed at the venue. Logically, reaching forty thousand points would give one a high probability of advancing to the next round.
However, in less than half an hour, Watt Hotel had already collected seven thousand tokens, a testament to their absolute strength!
"But..."
Wolfgang frowned. "If you have something to say, just say it. What's with the hesitation!"
"From my estimation just now, that stall already has over 4,000 points."
"Four thousand!!"
Wolfgang couldn't believe it.
The constant stream of customers at Watt Hotel was largely due to their fan base.
Many people also came specifically to taste their food, drawn by Watt Hotel's reputation.
And yet, an unknown organization with an unknown chef, such a seemingly useless combination, had amassed so many points!
Most importantly, setting up directly opposite Watt Hotel and choosing escargots gratin was a blatant act of provocation that Wolfgang understood.
"We have enough ingredients to last for another hour. I'll be right back."
"Chef, you..."
Wolfgang changed into a knee-length trench coat and wore a wide-brimmed military hat to conceal his face.
He took ten score tokens from the scoring box.
"I'll see for myself what makes this stall so special!"
Tahe Permafrost Mining's stall was built very simply, with tables and chairs that were clean but otherwise unremarkable.
Wolfgang frowned. The dining atmosphere was extremely important for dishes like foie gras and escargots gratin, and this level of environment was simply too inferior.
As soon as he sat down, an assistant immediately served a plate.
White smoke rose, as if the plate contained dry ice.
"Hmph, ostentatious!"
"Wait, that's actually a cold mist... not dry ice!"
"This... these are frozen escargots gratin?"
Wolfgang's brow furrowed deeply. This dish truly challenged his understanding.
The normal process involved selecting high-quality snails with intact shells and tender meat.
After cleaning, they would be boiled, the snail meat removed and diced.
Garlic, salt, butter, and parsley would be sautéed, then mixed with cream, egg yolks, and potato crumbs before being refilled into the snail shells.
Seasonings often included brandy, scallions, cilantro, cheese, breadcrumbs, and truffles.
Finally, it would be baked again in the oven, forming a Western dish.
But this... was clearly a hot dish!
Wolfgang picked up his knife and fork, scooped out the filling from the snail shell, and put it in his mouth.
"Raw snails... not escargots gratin."
"The ingredients include a lot of ice cream, cherries, and so on..."
"The snail shells are fake, made of ice cream cones and truffles combined with chocolate..."
"The snail meat is fresh and tender, the knife work is excellent, and the selection of ingredients is also decent..."
"Dessert combined with sashimi, yet the flavors are not in the least bit contradictory... Indeed, the snail meat must have been specially treated."
After finishing the entire plate of snails, Wolfgang took out score tokens from his pocket.
He thought for a moment, then placed seven of them on the table.
"Mr. Wolfgang, how did you find my Sweet Sundae House?"
A sudden voice rang out from behind him.
Wolfgang turned around and saw a very young and beautiful girl, wearing a chef's uniform and looking at him with a smile.
"You... know me?"
"The head chef of Watt Hotel. Who in the northern region dares not to know you?"
"You are the head chef here?"
"Of course."
"You are very young, your future is limitless."
The beautiful girl covered her mouth and laughed with a twisted smile, her eyes fixed on Wolfgang as she gritted her teeth and said, "Don't give in so easily. Give me some fun, won't you!"