168: I really want to try what it tastes like.

“Hey, I gotta say, the ingredients the organizers prepared are actually pretty good, huh? This cucumber is juicy, sweet, and quite delicious!”

Lu Chuan chewed on half a cucumber, full of praise.

The hotel breakfast wasn’t filling at all, so after finishing their work, they naturally had to fill their stomachs first.

“Mmm-hmm, chew chew chew, delicious delicious!”

He Jingrui, with his cheeks bulging, mumbled a response while scanning the iron rack for edible raw ingredients.

Just then, a mocking voice sounded from behind him.

“Oh, are you two having a buffet here?”

As Lu Chuan turned to look, the person continued:

“You’re probably aware you’re about to be eliminated, so you’re thinking of eating a bit more so you don’t come here for nothing today, huh? How truly ‘ambitious’ of you~”

Lu Chuan frowned, looking at the speaker.

The man was around twenty-five, short, with a somewhat shifty appearance. His sharp, mean face was exactly like a Weasel stealing a chicken, and just one look filled one with revulsion.

Lu Chuan was about to speak when He Jingrui, belatedly, turned around and then let out a gasp.

“Holy moly! Weasel has become a spirit!”

Hearing this, Lu Chuan couldn’t help but burst out laughing, intentionally and 'accidentally' spraying a mouthful of cucumber bits all over Weasel’s face.

“You… you, you…”

Weasel’s expression froze; his previously mocking face now looked especially comical.

He trembled, his hands covered in cucumber bits, not knowing whether to wipe them off or not.

But then his eyes darted around, and he was about to use this as an excuse to make a scene.

He Jingrui, however, had already walked up to him and, without a word, simply looked down at him.

His tall, sturdy figure looked like a city wall, completely blocking out the overhead light and casting a shadow that enveloped Weasel entirely.

Weasel looked up and met He Jingrui’s gaze, immediately feeling as if he had been targeted by a wild beast, an intense pressure instantly engulfing him.

He couldn’t help but his pupils contract, his heart began to pound wildly, and he stumbled back a few steps, falling onto the ground.

When he came to his senses, he had already fled in a panic, completely forgetting why he had come here.

Zheng Xingyao, sitting in the audience, saw this scene, and his expression twisted even more.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, and he couldn’t help but pull out his phone and furiously send messages, cursing Weasel to hell and back.

“Damn it, you scum! Useless! Trash! I sent you to stir up trouble, and instead, you got scared senseless! You’re fired, you coward, you dog, f*** you!”

The curses grew fiercer and fiercer, directly attacking eighteen generations of women in the other party’s family tree.

Meanwhile, Weasel, who had already run to the other side, finally regained his composure.

The panic on his face vanished, replaced by an expression of disbelief.

“I actually got scared like that…”

Thinking this, the suppressed anger and frustration burned fiercely again, and he immediately wanted to turn back and reclaim his dignity.

However, when he turned around and his gaze fell on He Jingrui, his heart inexplicably trembled. He couldn't help but recall that oppressive gaze, and his legs instinctively weakened, nearly making him fall to the ground again.

Just then, his phone buzzed.

He was stunned for a moment before taking out his phone to look, almost getting a nosebleed. He quickly dialed a number.

The voice prompt indicated the call couldn't be connected; clearly, Zheng Xingyao had blocked him.

The suppressed anger and frustration immediately found a new outlet.

“You bastard! You piece of shit! Fine, fine, fine, if you dare to be so ruthless, then don’t blame me!”

Weasel gnashed his teeth, his phone creaking in his grip, his eyes incredibly sinister… On the judges’ panel, the Association Chairmen were evaluating the contestants’ works, but one by one, they seemed somewhat distracted, constantly glancing at a dish not far away.

It was a winter melon tureen covered by a glass lid. The tureen itself was a crisp, tender green, adorned with carved dragons and phoenixes, two dragons playing with a pearl, and lifelike green leaves and fresh flowers. It looked exceptionally grand, yet every detail exuded exquisite beauty.

Placed alongside the works of other contestants, at first glance, it stood out like a phoenix among common chickens, remarkably eye-catching.

All the Association Chairmen knew it was Lu Chuan's work.

I really want to taste what it’s like… Damn it, why do we have to taste the dishes in the order the contestants arrived? Can’t the judges choose the order freely? Just the container for the soup is so stunning, what level of deliciousness is hidden inside? It was like cat claws scratching at their hearts, making the Association Chairmen extremely uncomfortable with the itch.

Under the strong desire to taste Lu Chuan’s work immediately, the task of evaluating the other contestants’ works became somewhat painful.

It truly tasted like chewing wax, extremely uncomfortable.

But they couldn’t not taste them; after all, they were judges, and this was their job.

Thus, the scene unfolded as it did.

In the eyes of the contestants below the stage, each Association President received a serving bowl from the etiquette lady, numbly put a little into his mouth, then quickly pushed the rest away, not even wanting to look at it again.

Then, the Association Chairmen exchanged glances and collectively raised their scoring paddles.

Most scores were four, followed by five, and some six. Only when it came to their own contestant would individual Association Chairmen make an exception, giving a few extra points.

After quickly scoring, the Association Chairmen rushed to score the next dish.

They were like workers on an assembly line, with expressions of perfunctoriness, numbness, and impatience.

The contestants who received low scores, though puzzled, also knew that it wasn't surprising for their skill level to get these scores.

But those contestants who were particularly confident in their abilities were very dissatisfied.

In their opinion, not only were the scores too low, but the attitude of the Association Chairmen also made them feel they had received unfair treatment.

However, they ultimately dared not say anything to their faces, only cursing under their breath.

Soon, under the Association Chairmen’s rushed scoring, the last dish was finally placed on the table.