261: "Master Lu is here?!"

Over the weekend, Lu Chuan found that he still couldn't stay idle; his life rhythm remained very busy and fulfilling.

During the day, Lin Wei would bring him precious otherworldly ingredients, which he would then prepare into nutritious meals required by the Special Operations Squad.

As the ingredients delivered varied each time, he also took the opportunity to master the characteristics of different otherworldly ingredients, and in this process, his own culinary skills were further honed.

At night, he would study the "Seven-Colored Exquisite Heart Fried Rice" recipe awarded by the system and constantly monitor the growth of the jade marrow rice in the spiritual energy planting box.

Watching the planting box emit a faint hum and a soft glow, and then thinking about the magical, unknown ingredients growing inside, his heart was filled with intense anticipation.

On Saturday evening, Lu Chuan took a flight to Yangcheng, the provincial capital of Guangdong Province.

He was going to participate in the semi-finals of the National Chef Competition.

Although now, backed by the government, he lacked no resources in any aspect and seemingly no longer needed to strive for competition prize money.

However, in everything one does, there should be a beginning and an end.

Moreover, while he considered his culinary skills to be at the peak of the world, working in isolation was ultimately not advisable; going out more to exchange ideas with other chefs was beneficial for broadening his horizons.

Just like this National Chef Competition, where elite chefs from various provinces gathered, all sorts of ingenious ideas would emerge, and through analogy, his own culinary skills might even improve.

"I can't be late again this time."

Lu Chuan repeatedly looked at the competition schedule notice sent by Chairman Neng Xing, the Association President of the Yinhua City Culinary Association, and muttered to himself.

The lesson from the limited ingredients in the preliminary round was still fresh in his mind; this time, he had to be fully prepared and adapt to the venue in advance...

The venue for the Guangdong Province semi-finals of the National Chef Competition was located in the kitchen area of Yangcheng's largest international exhibition center.

The equipment here was complete, the environment professional, and the air seemed to be filled with a faint, tense atmosphere belonging to a top culinary competition.

On Sunday morning, Lu Chuan arrived at the venue an hour early.

He was wearing simple casual clothes, and after specifically noting the label for the contestant's passage, he proceeded to the check-in point to complete the registration.

However, as soon as he put on his contestant number badge, before he even entered the contestant lounge, he was recognized by a sharp-eyed staff member, and the news immediately flew like it had wings to the judges' lounge.

"What? Lu Chuan is already here?"

Chairman Neng Xing, who had arrived at the lounge early, immediately stood up from the sofa upon hearing this and was about to rush out.

But he suddenly remembered something, glanced at Neng Tong, who was secretly looking over, and instantly understood, saying with a smile:

"Xiao Tong, why are you just standing there? Come with me to meet him!"

His granddaughter, Neng Tong, heard this, and two blushes instantly appeared on her face; her eyes sparkled, and she quickly got up to follow her grandfather's footsteps.

As a result, Chairman Neng Xing had not walked many steps before he ran into a group of people coming towards him.

"Chairman Neng, in such a hurry, where are you off to?"

Dai Xuesong, the Association President of the provincial capital Yangcheng Culinary Association and also the chief judge of these semi-finals, asked curiously.

"Chairman Dai, Lu Chuan, the one who made the stew in the preliminary round last time, is here."

Chairman Neng Xing replied with a smile.

"Little Master Lu is here?!"

Dai Xuesong's eyes suddenly lit up upon hearing this.

"Let's go, let's go! Let's go together! Since we parted after the preliminary round, there are still many culinary insights I'd like to ask Little Master Lu about!"

"Let's go together, let's go together!"

"Wait for me!"

The chairmen-judges from several other cities, who had been thoroughly conquered by Little Master Lu's stew that turned decay into magic at the preliminary round, also echoed enthusiastically, their faces showing the same anticipation and excitement.

Thus, led by Dai Xuesong, seven or eight esteemed old seniors and chairmen from the Guangdong Province catering industry, grandly followed Chairman Neng Xing and his granddaughter, walking quickly towards the entrance of the venue.

This scene was coincidentally witnessed by some contestants who had arrived early and were nervously waiting in the contestant lounge.

"Huh? Why are all the judges out?"

"Looking at the direction... are they going towards the entrance?"

"What happened? Did some important figure arrive?"

"It doesn't look like it; Chairman Dai, Chairman Neng, their expressions... why do they look a bit eager, and also a bit excited?"

The contestants whispered among themselves, their gaze following the judges' backs, their hearts starting to pound as they wondered what important person had arrived that could make the entire judging panel turn out to greet him.

"It's probably the general chairman of some culinary association, or someone like the chief consultant of 'A Bite of China'?" one contestant guessed.

"It must be; otherwise, why would Chairman Dai and the others be so excited?"

Everyone found this guess very reasonable, and their mood became even more nervous and expectant; they all tidied their chef uniforms, hoping to leave a good impression on this "important figure."

However, not long after, they saw the judges return.

But the sight before them made all the contestants instantly widen their eyes, their jaws nearly dropping to the floor.

They saw that the person the judges were surrounding was not some white-haired culinary grandmaster at all, but a very young and handsome young man.

The young man stood tall, his face calm, and affixed to his body... was precisely the contestant number badge for this competition.

What made them even more incredulous was that the highly respected Chairman Dai Xuesong was walking beside the young man, slightly turned to him, his face bearing a very genial, even somewhat reverent and fawning smile, as he enthusiastically said something to the young man.

The other chairmen were also gathered around, their eyes eager, nodding in agreement from time to time, the atmosphere unbelievably harmonious; their attitude was not at all like treating a contestant, but more like welcoming a culinary grandmaster.