Wolfgang and Chiyuki looked at each other from a distance, both feeling a flicker of tension.
The host's voice boomed.
"Next, the top three of this competition! Let's give them a warm round of applause!"
"Third place, Water Hotel!"
"76,885 votes!"
Applause thundered from the audience. Being in the top three was still great, and Water Hotel's fans were quite enthusiastic.
Chiyuki put on a scornful smile. "I actually considered you an opponent, and you couldn't even get second place. I overestimated you."
Wolfgang's face darkened like charcoal.
He hadn't expected to fail despite Water Hotel's reputation!
But Wolfgang wouldn't admit defeat due to skill. The grilled meat dish prepared today was low difficulty, mostly completed by assistants, with his own involvement being minimal.
"I was too careless and underestimated the opponent."
Wolfgang took a deep breath to calm himself.
"You have real skill to defeat my assistants. Chiyuki, if we meet again, I will face you with my full strength."
"Of course, I hope you can last long enough to meet me."
Wolfgang left his salary card, containing a bet of two million Belis.
Having lost so much money, Wolfgang was already furious and looked at his own assistant chefs with a sense of disappointment.
Chiyuki covered her mouth, but her triumphant laughter was far from ladylike. Da Feng Novel Network
"You lost, you lost. But seeing how pitiful you are, I'll go easy on you next time."
"Hahaha~"
Chiyuki's laughter was incredibly grating.
Wolfgang, with his noble status, had never been mocked like this before.
If the competition weren't over, Wolfgang would have turned and left.
"Second place, Tahe Frozen Soil Mining!"
"Votes, 91,255!"
"Let's give them a round of applause."
Chiyuki blinked slightly. She wasn't first place?
But it didn't matter, as she hadn't used her full strength anyway.
Wolfgang finally found a point to retort and said mercilessly, "Oh, I, a mere third place, am mocked by second place. How ironic, a small difference in rank causes such a disparity. Too strong, too amazing... I'm impressed!"
"Hmph, how boring. To go all out just for the preliminary round? Only people from the Northern Lands would be so foolish!"
In Chiyuki's view, Wolfgang was the top chef in the Northern Lands, and anyone who could defeat both her and Wolfgang must have gone all out.
The host turned a page of his manuscript, his face filled with disbelief. He even turned to exchange a few words with his assistant.
"Ahem... there was a slight hiccup."
"Now, let's announce the first place of this competition."
"First place, Wine and Beauties Chain Inn!"
The host's voice trembled slightly. "Votes..."
"Six hundred fifty-three thousand, three hundred twenty-eight!"
"The total votes are the sum of second place to eleventh place!"
"Let's give our applause to the dark horse of this competition!"
The entire venue erupted in an uproar!
Many people had an impression of Wine and Beauties and had even cast a vote or two there. But no one had expected it to win first place with such an overwhelming advantage!
All the competing contestants were stunned.
It was only then that they realized their intelligence reports contained no useful information about Wine and Beauties!
Chiyuki and Wolfgang stood frozen. Faced with such crushing results, their previous bet seemed childish and ridiculous!
"Hey, if you went all out, could you achieve this kind of result?"
"And you?"
They seemed to be asking each other, and also themselves.
The answer was clear: the chances were slim!
A full six hundred fifty thousand votes, when the total number of votes distributed was only a little over two million, with fifty organizations participating...
This one establishment alone had received a quarter of the votes!
Such a result was rare even in the history of the Northern Land Chef's Feast.
And those who achieved such results usually went on to win the championship!
Only a select few were narrowly defeated, hovering around second or third place.
This meant, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Wine and Beauties would at least secure a top-three spot.
Wolfgang turned and left. Chiyuki, unusually, remained silent, seemingly having lost interest in taunting Wolfgang.
"Miss Chiyuki, Master wishes to see you."
"Understood."
Upon meeting Lou Ming, Chiyuki immediately adopted the demeanor of a young daughter, performing a deep, respectful bow.
"Esteemed Master, you called for me."
"Yes, look at this."
Saying so, Lou Ming gestured to the food on the table.
There was a steamed meat dish, beautifully plated, with slices of meat rolled around various fruits and vegetables, accompanied by a large bowl of thick soup.
A note was also placed on the plate.
"'After Not Being Selected, I Improvise on Chrysanthemums'? Esteemed Master, Chiyuki doesn't understand."
Lou Ming rubbed his forehead and sighed, "I really should have made you read more."
When autumn arrives on the eighth of the ninth month,
After my flowers bloom, all other flowers wither.
The fragrant aura pierces Chang'an,
The entire city is clad in golden armor.
Lou Ming softly recited the poem and said to Chiyuki, "This is a poem that uses an object to express feelings. The meaning is also very clear: as long as I am here, no matter how varied you are, you will all surrender to me!"
Chiyuki's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Indeed, a wonderful poem!"
"Judging by the results, that person has truly achieved it."
Chiyuki looked at the dish and asked, "Is this the dish that achieved the best results today?"
"Yes, I specifically ordered someone to secretly bring one back. You try it."
Chiyuki picked up her chopsticks and began to taste.
"This aroma... it's so familiar, I feel like I've smelled it somewhere before."
"The meat slices are made from fatty belly meat, but they are cut as thin as cicada wings, so there is no greasy feeling."
"The processing method is likely steaming, which requires extremely precise timing!"
"The meat slices are very tender, the steaming time should have been very short... and the seasonings are a bit strong, but paired with the belly meat, the flavor is exceptionally rich."
"These fruits are very fragrant, likely meant to be eaten with the meat to cut through the greasiness..."
Chiyuki's critique was sharp and insightful, and Lou Ming was very pleased.
"Not bad, seeing all this, I'm quite satisfied with your progress speed."
"It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Esteemed Master."
Chiyuki wasn't impolite; she simply enjoyed judging others based on their capabilities.
Only the last bowl of soup remained on the table.
Chiyuki took a sip and frowned, "This soup is full of umami, but on its own, it's a bit too rich."
"Although it makes one feel an urge to drink it all down, it ultimately leaves a greasy aftertaste."
High-end ingredients, like people, must know when to advance and when to retreat.
An overly strong flavor is like that of a nouveau riche, not welcomed by the upper class.
Therefore, when preparing high-end cuisine, one must carefully manage the customer's palate.
Chiyuki said, "Esteemed Master, if I may be so bold, while this dish is exquisite and the craftsmanship is excellent, it absolutely does not deserve this ranking."
Lou Ming sighed, "If you can finish this bowl of soup, you might understand."
"After my flowers bloom, all other flowers wither... all flowers wither!!"