The Black List temporary base.
The whip cracked with a rhythmic sound, and drops of blood trickled down along the tip of the shoes.
The one being punished, suspended and tortured, was none other than the recently arrogant Gang Ze Xiao Quan.
The ordeal was witnessed by all, and Master Lou Ming's expression showed no mercy.
The Vice Director handed over a document: "My subordinates have compiled all of your disciple's actions this afternoon. There should be no omissions."
Lou Ming flipped through the document and couldn't help but let out a scoff.
"Announced grandly to the reporters that he would definitely win?"
"Betting with the defeated chef, an arm replacement plus crawling through the crotch?"
"Teasing a female chef and making a 'one-night stand' promise?"
"According to calculations, he contributed at least a dozen headlines this afternoon?"
Lou Ming clicked his tongue and said, "I remember I said this mission required discretion and to avoid trouble... Can you tell me what you were doing this afternoon?"
"Speak!"
"What were you doing!!"
Lou Ming snatched the whip and lashed it fiercely at Xiao Quan.
The force gathered, and the whip marks were deep enough to see the bone.
"Don't you know how much the gang, from top to bottom, sacrificed for this operation? Now, because of you, it's almost all in vain!"
"If you hadn't started learning from me at the age of five, I would really suspect you were a spy sent by some faction!"
Whip after whip, the Vice Director, sensing the danger, immediately stepped forward to restrain Lou Ming.
"Master, no!"
"If you keep hitting him, Mr. Xiao Quan will really die."
"We can't leave him for this grand event! Master, think twice!"
Lou Ming flicked the whip away and sat down indignantly.
"Feed him some nutrient solution and medicine. I want him to tell me himself."
After all, he was his first disciple. Lou Ming couldn't pretend not to care.
However, having done such absurd things today, Lou Ming had to give everyone an explanation.
After a while.
A weak voice came through.
"Respected Master..."
Lou Ming took a sip of tea, his tone indifferent, "If you weren't my disciple, today's events would have been enough to kill you three times over. Give me a reason, why?"
"Respected Master, how long have I been learning from you?"
"A long time, hasn't it."
"I started learning from you at four years old, and I'm now forty-four... a full forty years! How have I performed these forty years?"
"Diligent and eager to learn. Not bad."
"For this 'not bad,' how much have I paid?"
Xiao Quan chuckled sadly, "When others played with bamboo swords and wooden horses, I was practicing swordsmanship. When others were enjoying romantic moments, I was still practicing swordsmanship! When others were indulging in debauchery, I was also practicing swordsmanship!"
"These forty years, I have had nothing but my sword!"
"Respected Master, can you understand me!"
Lou Ming's anger flared, "So what if it's forty years? Do you know how many people would beg for the fortune of studying with me! And what does this have to do with your absurd actions!"
"I felt that I was alive!"
"What?"
"For these forty years of learning from you, I didn't have much joy or sorrow! I just didn't know the meaning of being alive, and I couldn't feel any happiness!"
"Until today!"
"The fawning of reporters, the cheers of the audience, the fear of my opponents..."
"Can you imagine that feeling? They feared me, resented me, were afraid of me! But they couldn't do anything. When I saw those expressions, I felt... I was truly alive!"
Xiao Quan spoke with increasing madness, his wounds bleeding anew.
It was as if he wanted to release all the pressure he had endured for forty years in an instant!
"Rebellious disciple!"
"Truly a rebellious disciple!"
Lou Ming roared and was about to strike Xiao Quan with his palm.
With Xiao Quan's current weakened state, this palm strike would surely send him to the afterlife.
The Vice Director leaped forward to block the blow, shielding Xiao Quan behind him.
"Master, please calm your anger. It's not too late to punish Mr. Xiao Quan after the competition!"
Lou Ming panted for a moment.
"You better win the championship, or I won't have a disciple who can crawl through crotches!"
"Thank... Respected Master! I will not disappoint you."
...
As expected, Xiao Quan's incident graced the major newspapers the next day.
Besides the "Soul of Soup," quite a few chefs were implicated.
Zhang Wei, unaware of the details, took it as a publicity stunt, as it was the fastest way to gain fame.
"I didn't expect such vulgar publicity stunts to exist in this world."
"What's the difference between this and news of female celebrities cheating or rich second-generation heirs being unfaithful?"
Mo Du arrived at the lounge: "Brother, it's our turn to appear."
"Okay."
The second day.
Fourth Competition Zone.
Topic: Fillings and Flour
Each zone had four contestants, and only the one with the best score would qualify for the next round.
Wine and Beauty: Zhang Wei
Tahe Frozen Earth Mining: Qian Xue
Drunken Spring Branch's Beautiful Chef: Jiao Niang
Italian Flavor Restaurant: Paolo Jones
"Everyone has half an hour to prepare ingredients. Free ingredients are also provided on-site, though their quality is not high."
Bringing their own ingredients was also a way to test an organization's overall capability.
Zhang Wei naturally had no worries. He casually walked into an empty corner, and with a wave of his hand, the required ingredients piled up into a small mountain.
On the field, the four stood in their respective corners.
Paolo Jones of the Italian Flavor Restaurant smiled, "Everyone, I'm very sorry, but I'll take the win in this round! The theme suits me, it's just luck."
Drunken Golden Branch was a well-known pleasure house in Mo City.
Its head chef had mastered the art of playing with hormones to the extreme.
Whether it was her figure, her voice, or her face, she could most arouse men's desires.
Jiao Niang chuckled flirtatiously, "I've tasted Mr. Paolo Jones's pizzas, so even if Jiao Niang wins, it would only be by chance."
"Not at all, not at all. Who in Mo City doesn't know of Drunken Golden Branch's 'beauty chef'? Jiao Niang's skills are absolutely extraordinary!"
The two were clearly acquainted, and their meeting was filled with commercial flattery.
Zhang Wei ignored everyone, leaning against a chair and flipping through a picture book to pass the time.
"Disgusting!"
Qian Xue suddenly spoke, "An aging woman and a greasy old man, with no talent, can only rely on bragging to satisfy their psychological needs, is that it?"
"Little girl, who are you calling an aging woman?"
Jiao Niang's face changed drastically. As a woman from a pleasure house, age was the most sensitive topic!
Qian Xue pouted, "An auntie in her forties with no self-awareness. If you hadn't awakened your cells, your wrinkles could trap mosquitoes."
"You little slut, I'll tear your mouth apart!"
"Jiao Niang, calm down! This is a competition!"
Paolo Jones quickly intervened, fearing disqualification due to a verbal dispute would be too costly.
Qian Xue said unceremoniously, "You think making a pizza is enough to win? You're so naive for your age. And you," she addressed Zhang Wei, "not saying a word, you're probably plotting some wicked scheme."
The last sentence was clearly directed at Zhang Wei.
Zhang Wei remained unfazed and smiled, "Little girl, your tongue is quite venomous. Are you and that Xiao Quan fellow siblings?"
An unintentional joke made Qian Xue panic.
"What are you talking about! Don't try to connect me with him! What siblings, I don't know him at all." Dafeng Novel Network
Seeing Qian Xue's attempt to conceal something, Zhang Wei wondered, "Did I guess right?"