The most crucial thing about cooking Boiled Large Shrimp is the control over the heat. A difference of even one degree in water temperature, higher or lower, can affect the outcome, so precise control is essential.

As for the other contestants, some were chopping pork belly, planning to cook Braised Pork Belly using a pressure cooker. Others were dicing chicken for Spicy Chicken, while some were preparing a carp to make Sweet and Sour Carp.

Half an hour wasn't particularly short, but it wasn't long either. A slight lapse in attention could mean running out of time. So, they had to race against the clock, unable to afford wasting a single second.

They couldn't afford to waste a single moment.

At the judges' table, the judges watched the contestants work while chatting softly among themselves.

"I heard that the contestant from Building Two isn't a chef there," one said.

"Yes, like Guo Xinghai, he's a hired consultant; it seems he runs a small diner outside," another added.

"A small diner chef could best a chef from the Fishing Platform? I don't believe it!"

"His mentor is Gao Peisheng, the former head chef at the Fishing Platform. You all know Gao Peisheng, right? His other disciple, Xie Baomin, is the current Executive Head Chef at Building Two."

"If that's the case, then it wouldn't be surprising if this contestant won the championship."

"What's this contestant's name?"

"His name is Lin Xu. He also makes food tutorials during his free time, and he's gained some fame online."

Popular online? Upon hearing this, Geng Lishan looked up the name on his phone. Soon, his search for 'Lin Xu' yielded plenty of results.

The online information about Lin Xu was very detailed: he is the owner of Lin Ji's Food, the owner of the internet-famous cat, Dundun, and he has a very beautiful girlfriend.

Lin Ji's Food? Geng Lishan searched the name again. When he saw the pictures of takeout boxes shared by netizens, he was completely stunned.

Isn't this the Lin Ji's Food that my granddaughter tricked me into writing the store name for? That owner often had my granddaughter bring him Chicken Feet, calling it something like a 'calligraphy fee.' I never expected to meet him here.

Looking at Lin Xu busy at the stove, Geng Lishan felt quite emotional.

Some people, though unrelated, shamelessly try to curry favor for their own benefit, while others, who clearly could have used their connections, never breathe a word about them. No wonder Lele said she came ahead with a friend. She must have come with Lin Xu, right? He surely knew from the start that I, Lele's grandfather, was the main judge. Yet, during our previous interactions, he never brought it up and even seemed to avoid such topics. He's as proud as I am!

For a moment, Geng Lishan felt as if he had found a kindred spirit.

He had always thought that his granddaughter getting him to write the name 'Lin Ji's Food' was at the store owner's instigation. That was why he never gave her the original calligraphy, despite her asking for it several times. But now it seems... I've really misjudged him, suspecting a noble man with my own petty heart! Such a proud person, how could he ask my granddaughter to do such a thing? When I get back, I'll give the original piece of calligraphy to this young Boss Lin... No! I'll write a new one myself, personally deliver it as a gift, and apologize for my previous misunderstanding! A proud man like myself shouldn't let such a misunderstanding stand!

For a moment, Geng Lishan felt a surge of scholarly pride. If it weren't for being at the competition site, surrounded by media and vloggers live-streaming, he might have gone down to greet Lin Xu right then and there.

Let's focus on the competition first. We can talk after it ends!

「Time swiftly passed.」

"Time's up!"

With the scorer's command, the ten contestants finished preparing their dishes.

A long table covered with a white tablecloth was set up in front of the judges' panel.

The staff arranged the ten completed dishes on the table one by one.

"Wow! It smells so good!"

"The presentation is also very exquisite."

"Every dish looks so tempting."

"Is there any rice? I really want to have a hearty meal with it."

In the audience, everyone was craning their necks toward the table, sniffing the drifting aroma.

The Steamed Sea Bass was intact, topped with hair-thin shreds of scallion and ginger, looking exquisite and tempting.

The bright red Boiled Large Shrimp were arranged in a circle on the plate, with a dipping sauce specially prepared by Guo Xinghai in the center.

The glossy Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs were coated in a thick sauce, the ribs stacked neatly, one on top of another—a sight that would delight any perfectionist.

As for the other contestants' dishes—the Sweet and Sour Carp shaped like a fish leaping over the dragon gate, neatly stacked squares of Braised Pork Belly, and the Spicy Chicken, a platter brimming with bright red chilies—all also looked extremely appealing.

"My mouth is watering helplessly, practically drooling!"

"The presentation alone is making me drool uncontrollably!"

"If I could eat that, I'd devour the plate too!"

"Can I have the sauce from that Braised Pork Belly? I want to mix it with rice, WAAAH..."

"Me too! I love eating it mixed with rice!"

"AAAHHH! All ten of these dishes are my favorites! Did they read my mind before they started cooking?"

"Isn't there a possibility that you're just a foodie who isn't picky?"

In the live-stream room, as the ten dishes were sequentially brought to the table and Wu Kexin circled the table, capturing close-ups with her handheld gimbal, all the fans were practically drooling. They all expressed their eagerness to try the food.

At the judges' seats, after the close-ups were taken, Geng Lishan and the others stood up to taste and score.

As Lin Xu stood by the stove, waiting for the judges' comments, Wei Qian suddenly approached and handed him a small bowl. Taking it, Lin Xu saw it contained less than half a small bowl of richly fragrant Braised Pork Ribs.

These ribs were cut into small segments, slightly over an inch long, all straight-cut ribs. After being cooked, the meat had contracted towards the middle, exposing the ends of the bones.

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