164: bet

As Lu Chuan arrived right on time, and the audience engaged in boisterous interactions, this lively scene left most of the competing contestants dumbfounded.

Observing the audience's reaction, many realized that a major player seemed to have entered this competition.

These contestants, hailing from all corners of the country, had mostly arrived in Yinhua City only the previous night.

And Lu Chuan had only become a rising internet celebrity in Yinhua City in the past two days, so it was perfectly normal for them not to have heard of him.

Therefore, without understanding their competitor, they inevitably felt a sense of nervousness, occasionally touching their carefully selected ingredients to soothe their agitated hearts.

However, there were also contestants determined to win who felt no apprehension; instead, they thought Lu Chuan's long delay was probably just to attract attention, so there was no need to pay him too much mind.

These contestants, who were particularly confident in their own abilities, one by one closed their eyes to rest, ensuring their condition would be optimal during the competition.

Just then, the host, microphone in his right hand, raised his left arm and chopped it down, announcing loudly with an impassioned tone:

“I declare the preliminary round of the 8th National Chef Competition — Yinhua City Sub-venue, officially open!”

As the host announced the start of the competition, all the contestants immediately withdrew their attention from Lu Chuan and fully immersed themselves in preparing their dishes.

In just a moment, the sound of chopping vegetables, along with the sizzling of flames and the clanging of spatulas, filled the arena.

Whether it was an illusion or not, as all the spectators watched the contestants enthusiastically cooking, they felt as if the temperature inside the venue had suddenly risen, causing them to tug at their collars and wipe away beads of sweat.

Just then, Lin Kai, sitting in the audience, suddenly realized something and pointed at Lu Chuan, who was still standing motionless, asking Hua Hanyao beside him.

“Why isn't the Little Boss moving yet? If he doesn't prepare a dish within the allotted time, he'll be eliminated!”

Hua Hanyao was also a bit confused, but out of trust in the Little Boss, she still forced an explanation:

“That's because the Little Boss believes he will definitely win. Faced with contestants whose skills are far inferior to his, out of a strong person's humility, he decided to go easy a bit to avoid discouraging others!”

Lin Kai listened, a look of realization appearing on his face, then he said with an expression of admiration:

“So that's it! That's our beloved Little Boss!”

Just then, a long-haired man nearby let out a snicker.

Hearing this highly sarcastic laugh, Lin Kai immediately looked over with an annoyed expression.

The long-haired man seemingly casually tugged at his tie, revealing a gilded Michelin star emblem on his chest, showcasing his identity as a three-Michelin-star chef.

However, this gesture was like winking at a blind man; the two of them didn't recognize him at all.

Lin Kai looked at the other party's showy demeanor and couldn't help but directly retort.

“We're talking, and you're over there snickering sarcastically? By your expression, do you have some different 'insight'?”

He deliberately emphasized the words “insight,” making his sarcasm very obvious.

This made the long-haired man's smile freeze, but then he shook his head dismissively and said:

“Since you want to hear my 'insight,' it's no harm to tell you.”

“Generally, cooking competitions will set a theme, for example, if the theme is 'noodles,' then contestants need to cook noodle-related dishes, which is naturally not very friendly to contestants who specialize in other areas.”

“However, this preliminary round has no specific theme, giving contestants free rein. While it seems like the requirements are lowered, in reality, the difficulty has invisibly increased by several levels.”

“Every chef has their signature dish. This competition uses this method to subtly tell contestants that if they don't want to be eliminated in the preliminary round, they must use their best skills for a real, intense showdown.”

“The organizing committee's intention in setting it up this way is actually very simple. As a chef, if you can't even win with your signature dish, there's no need to continue. It's better to stop at the preliminary round, take some time to reflect, and not waste everyone's time.”

Lin Kai looked as if he couldn't be bothered to listen, dug his ears, blew on his fingernails, then glanced sideways at the other party and said:

“Signature dish? What's so hard about that for the Little Boss? Since he started his stall, which dish hasn't he conquered us foodies with?”

When the long-haired man heard Lin Kai say this, his mouth first twisted, then he showed a mocking smile, just about to say something.

However, Hua Hanyao beside him understood his meaning, and a look of solemnity involuntarily appeared on her face.

“By your meaning, this competition is actually not simple. The contest between contestants is not only in knife skills and heat control, but has even started a fierce battle from the ingredient preparation stage?”

Hearing this, the long-haired man looked at Hua Hanyao with some surprise, thought for a moment, then nodded and said:

“Since it's a signature dish, it means the chef understands every aspect of this dish. Not just knife skills and heat control, but even the ingredients are carefully selected, striving for perfection in every aspect.”

He paused, then pointed to the iron rack in the corner, specially used to hold competition ingredients, and continued:

“But the ingredients provided by the organizing committee are limited after all. Every contestant wants the best ingredients, how can that be possible? So, from the ingredient preparation stage, contestants have already started to fight, doing their best to snatch the finest ingredients.”

Hua Hanyao followed the direction of the long-haired man's finger, looked at that row of iron racks, and the crushed remnants of some ingredients on the ground around the racks, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

Then, she heard the long-haired man's unfinished words.

“Moreover, in this scramble, out of a certain dark psychology, some contestants will even deliberately 'accidentally' destroy ingredients they don't need, thereby creating obstacles for potential competitors.”

Upon hearing this, Hua Hanyao's firm trust in the Little Boss, which had been unwavering, now inevitably showed a hint of wavering.

A clever housewife cannot cook without rice; this is a well-known truth.

Even if the Little Boss's skill was excellent, facing the dilemma of incomplete ingredients, could he truly break through?

Just then, Lin Kai interjected, his tone filled with an unquestionable firmness.

“That's the Little Boss! Let alone incomplete ingredients, even if there was truly nothing, he would definitely be able to find ingredients on the spot and figure out a way to create delicious food that would amaze everyone!”

Hearing this, Hua Hanyao's eyes widened slightly, and she couldn't help but look at Lin Kai, only to find him smiling, his eyes sparkling as if with starlight, much like his expression that night when he ate the delicious beggar's chicken.

Her previously hesitant heart trembled slightly. After a moment of silence, a relaxed smile also appeared on her face.

She immediately turned to the long-haired man, carefully considered her words, and then spoke:

“What you said is very right, very reasonable, and I strongly agree.”

The long-haired man listened, his face involuntarily lifted, and he glanced at Lin Kai disdainfully, the mockery in his eyes very obvious, as if to say:

See, even your girlfriend agrees with me. Only you are still like a fool, immersed in your own world, hehe.

However, the next moment, Hua Hanyao patted Lin Kai's hand, then looked at the long-haired man and said expressionlessly:

“It's just that the object of my agreement is a chef like you who only relies on ingredients. If you leave those excellent ingredients, you will be useless.”

Faced with Hua Hanyao's direct attack, the long-haired man's smile froze, his expression fell, and he was about to retort.

However, Hua Hanyao didn't give him a chance to speak, continuing rapidly:

“But the Little Boss, he is different from ordinary chefs like you, just like what my boyfriend said!”

“He is the Little Boss whom all foodies admire! Even if he doesn't have ready-made ingredients, he will definitely be able to find ingredients on the spot and create delicious food that will amaze everyone!”

Hearing this, the long-haired man's expression had completely darkened, his lips trembling with anger, unable to say a word for a long time. Finally, he snorted coldly, pointed at Lu Chuan, who was deep in thought in the arena, and said:

“Since you two have so much confidence in him, then let's make a bet! If he can pass the preliminary round relying on those shoddy ingredients, I will bow my head in defeat and apologize to you. And vice versa, how about it?”

Seeing the long-haired man say this, Hua Hanyao pursed her lips, exchanged glances with Lin Kai, saw Lin Kai's eagerness, and then proactively raised the stakes.

“Playing like this is no fun. How about we add some more chips! Here's the deal: my boyfriend and I bet that the Little Boss's work will win 'Best in Show.' If we lose, we will publicly kneel and kowtow to apologize to you! But if you lose, you only need to publicly shout 'Little Boss is my daddy' three times, how about that?”

The long-haired man finished listening, couldn't help but gasp, but then let out a series of cold laughs.

“Hmph hmph hmph, interesting, I agree! I hope you two don't back out later!”

Hua Hanyao and Lin Kai nodded in unison, saying in one voice:

“We certainly won't, and we hope you uphold the bet too!”

The long-haired man snorted, no longer speaking to the two, and instead turned his head to look at Lu Chuan, who had begun selecting ingredients in the arena, a disdainful expression on his face.