60: Unknown dangers, a mysterious grand prize!

The faces of the several leaders of the organizing committee were overcast, their hearts filled with bitterness and helplessness.

Master Shang Shan's prestige in the culinary world was like an insurmountable mountain; the forces behind him were immense, and even a slight misstep could stir up a huge storm.

And that Third-Class Citizen, though his identity was unknown, was also an existence not to be easily provoked.

If that Third-Class Citizen was merely an amateur, with little knowledge of cuisine, the organizing committee might have found a way to muddle through.

But from his concise yet precise answer earlier, it was evident that he possessed extraordinary skill and sensitivity in culinary appreciation.

If they arbitrarily changed the answer and he found out, the Third-Class Citizen would have every means to make them suffer, and they might even face imprisonment.

Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, that Third-Class Citizen could absolutely not be offended.

However, if the correct answer was announced, they would also face many troubles.

One must know that Master Shang Shan was not only a doyen of the Dragon Kingdom's culinary world but also had tens of millions of loyal fans spread across the globe.

The organizing committee dared not imagine how big an earthquake it would cause in the culinary world once they announced that Master Shang Shan's answer was wrong.

Even if the truth was crystal clear, Master Shang Shan's loyal fans would not easily accept this reality.

They would believe it was a meticulously planned conspiracy, a public insult to the Great Master by the organizing committee for some purpose.

At that time, mainstream social media would surely be swept by wave after wave of public opinion storms.

The truth from the organizing committee would inevitably be swallowed by the fans' anger, and any explanation would only seem pale and powerless.

After all, no one would believe that a doyen of the culinary world could answer such a simple question incorrectly, especially when an ordinary audience member answered it correctly.

“Damn it, what should we do now?!”

A leader frowned deeply, anxiously wiping the cold sweat that kept appearing on his forehead, his tone full of helplessness and urgency.

At this moment, the atmosphere on the stage was tense, and the answers for the three dishes had been announced one after another.

Even though the Beautiful Hostess tried her best, using various methods to stall for time.

But what could not be changed was that the moment to reveal the answer to the dish Han Fei had tasted was relentlessly approaching.

Time passed second by second.

Each tick of the clock in the venue seemed to intensify the tense atmosphere in the air.

Just as the atmosphere reached its climax, a middle-aged person in charge, dressed in a dark suit, suddenly had a flash of inspiration and eagerly suggested, “How about this, we just say both of them answered correctly.”

Upon hearing this, everyone present simultaneously focused their gaze on him, the air filled with a mix of doubt and expectation.

“We can say that the dish was specially made, a combination of two dishes, and that the lucky audience member and Master Shang Shan tasted two different dishes, so their answers are both correct.”

As soon as this was said, everyone's brows furrowed even deeper.

Someone whispered doubtfully, “This explanation is too far-fetched, isn't it? If an audience member asks to verify it personally, wouldn't we be exposed?”

Another person echoed, “Yes, if this is exposed, it will be a huge blow to our reputation!”

“Besides, how can suddenly changing the rules convince the audience present?” someone else raised an objection.

“This won't work, that won't work, so why don't you suggest a method?!” the proposing middle-aged person in charge said angrily.

For a time, everyone discussed, but opinions remained divided.

On the stage, the Beautiful Hostess's expression grew increasingly nervous.

She had been trying to stall, but under extreme tension, her speech was a bit stuttering, and she had made several mistakes.

She cast a helpless glance towards the corner where the leaders were, eager to know what she should do next.

As time ticked by, the leader's brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

Finally, he made a decision: “Alright, let's use that method!”

Then he pointed to the middle-aged person in charge who had made the suggestion and commanded, “You go on stage and announce the answer!”

The person in charge, hearing this, subconsciously touched his wig, a bitter and helpless smile on his lips, and slowly nodded in agreement... On the stage.

The lights converged on the chili dish Han Fei had tasted earlier.

The Beautiful Hostess smiled, rambling on and on, but not revealing the answer.

“Seriously, stop dragging it out, hurry up!”

“If you keep this up, I'll complain about you!”

An audience member shouted loudly.

They were already very displeased with the Beautiful Hostess's deliberate delay.

Fortunately, at this moment, the leader finally gave her instructions, telling her to reveal the answer.

The Beautiful Hostess felt both relieved and a bit uneasy, announcing somewhat stammeringly, “Ne... Next, what will be revealed is the chili delicacy personally tasted by Master Shang Shan!”

Below the stage, thunderous applause surged like a tide.

Accompanied by the applause, a middle-aged man in a sharp suit, with a forced smile, slowly walked onto the stage.

Upon reaching the stage, he came to the Beautiful Hostess's side and slowly unfolded the silk scarf in his hand that had the answer written on it: “Next, I will announce the answer to everyone!”

After speaking, he coughed twice, trying to calm his nervousness, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.

“This chili delicacy is named ‘Ink Tiger Plays with Spicy Rain,’ and the chilies used are facing heaven chili, bird's eye chili, and ink sea chili.”

After the middle-aged person in charge finished speaking while looking at the silk scarf, the venue was silent.

They were all waiting for the proportion answers that followed.

Although most people believed that Master Shang Shan's judgment would not be wrong, everything remained uncertain until the final answer was revealed.

Feeling the thousands of eyes watching him in the venue, the middle-aged person in charge couldn't help but feel his throat dry, swallowing a mouthful of saliva, and continued in a slightly hoarse voice:

“The specific proportions are, 40% facing heaven chili, 30% and 35% bird's eye chili, and 30% and 25% ink sea chili.”

After his answer, the entire venue seemed to have been muted, even the air solidified, leaving only silence echoing in every corner.

Even Han Fei, who was racking his brain, thinking about how to expose Master Shang Shan's true nature, experienced a momentary blank in his thoughts at this moment.

When he heard Master Shang Shan's answer earlier, he thought he had said it wrong.

Now it seemed that was not the case.

Feeling the gaze of everyone filled with doubt, the middle-aged person in charge seemed to feel the heavy burden on his shoulders.

He took a deep breath, trying to force a gentle smile onto his face, and said in a calm yet powerful voice, “I know everyone is confused about this answer, please listen to my explanation.”

Holding the microphone, he walked to the chili delicacy in front of Master Shang Shan, gently extended his hand, and elegantly made a gesture inviting exploration.

“This dish is a little surprise specially prepared by our organizing committee; it is a combination of two different proportions of ‘Ink Tiger Plays with Spicy Rain’.”

“Therefore, this dish has two answers: one is what Master Shang Shan said, and the other is what this lucky audience member answered.”

As soon as this was said, a murmur of sudden understanding immediately interwove throughout the venue.

Immediately following, thunderous applause surged like a tide, carrying surprise and admiration.

Although this broke convention, it undoubtedly brought an unexpected pleasure to everyone present.

Below the stage.

Several solemn-faced leaders, witnessing this scene, finally relaxed their furrowed brows and exchanged a relieved glance.

This situation, which could have escalated into a crisis, had now been cleverly resolved, and a storm seemed to have passed without major incident.

However, just as everyone was about to breathe a sigh of relief, an unexpected change occurred.

Master Shang Shan suddenly stood up and snatched the microphone from the hand of the middle-aged person in charge.

He smiled and said in a very calm tone, “Organizing committee members, there's no need to cover for me. I know my previous answer was wrong.”

As soon as these words were uttered, the scene instantly fell into an indescribable stillness, as if the entire world held its breath, waiting for Master Shang Shan's next words.

Master Shang Shan seemed not to notice the frozen atmosphere, continuing to speak into the microphone, “To be honest, before tasting this delicacy, I accidentally ingested some foreign matter, which caused my taste buds to become abnormally dull to spiciness, leading to that erroneous assessment.”

These frank words plunged everyone present into deep shock once again.

Subsequently, Master Shang Shan, disregarding everyone's reactions, gently handed the microphone to the middle-aged person in charge who stood beside him, frozen in time with a shocked expression.

The person in charge's hands trembled so much when he took the microphone that he almost dropped it.

“I apologize, I suddenly feel unwell, and I fear I cannot continue to participate in the competition.”

Master Shang Shan's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable resolve.

With that, his gaze lightly swept over Han Fei, and a meaningful, eerie smile formed at the corner of his mouth.

That smile seemed to hide a thousand words, making it unfathomable.

Immediately, without waiting for anyone to react, he turned and gracefully departed, leaving behind thousands of gazes filled with bewilderment and incomprehension.

A sudden chill surged through Han Fei's heart, as if cold fingers slowly traced his spine, sweat involuntarily seeped from his skin, and every hair stood on end.

“What exactly does he mean by this?”

“Did he intentionally answer incorrectly? Is the reason because of me?”

Han Fei frowned deeply, his heart full of confusion and suspicion, completely unable to understand Master Shang Shan's intention.

At this moment, the venue was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; all the commotion seemed to have been paused.

However, this momentary tranquility was quickly broken.

Faint whispers began to spread, like weak embers, rapidly igniting throughout the crowd, growing more and more intense.

Some people even eagerly recorded this series of dramatic changes and spread them online, causing an uproar on the internet.

Seeing that the venue was gradually showing signs of losing control, several people in charge from the organizing committee rushed onto the stage.

They solemnly promised to present every audience member with a carefully prepared small gift, which temporarily calmed everyone's emotions and gradually brought the uncontrolled scene back to order.

Once the venue returned to its previous order, the Beautiful Hostess took back the microphone, came to Han Fei's side, and said, “Congratulations, sir, you answered correctly the answer that even the Great Master did not answer correctly!”

She paused, scanned the venue, and after ensuring everyone's attention was firmly captured, she announced in a high-pitched and excited voice:

“Following the ancient tradition of our God of Cookery Competition, we will now unveil the legendary, unseen, mysterious grand prize for you!”

This sudden good news instantly ignited the enthusiasm of the entire venue.

The audience members showed expressions of shock, excitement, and endless curiosity, whispering to each other, their eyes sparkling with intense desire and anticipation for the mysterious grand prize.

One must know that the God of Cookery Competition had been held in Tianhe City for over a hundred sessions, and each session would set up a mysterious grand prize to attract the audience.

But this grand prize was like a mirage, enticing yet out of reach, and no one had won it in a hundred sessions.

Now, finally, someone could unveil its mysterious veil.

The anticipation and excitement in the hearts of everyone present were naturally self-evident.

Everyone's hearts were tightly gripped, ready to witness this historic moment.

But amidst this jubilation, Han Fei's face was as dark as ink, without a trace of joy.

Master Shang Shan's meaningful smile before his departure lingered in his heart like an unshakeable shadow, causing him an inexplicable unease and wariness.

“Does he know I discovered his secret and is preparing to act against me?”

“What should I do? Tell Hei Tong? Ask her to take me away from here?”

Just as he was deep in thought, an organizing committee staff member in formal attire slowly walked onto the stage, carefully holding a beautifully decorated, intricately carved plate.

On the plate, a vibrant red silk scarf covered a seemingly square, treasure chest-shaped object, appearing exceptionally mysterious and solemn.

“This, then, is the mysterious grand prize that has been passed down through generations of the God of Cookery Competition, containing endless glory and miracles!”

“Today, it has finally found its destined owner.”

The Beautiful Hostess's voice rang out again, gentle yet powerful.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please give your most enthusiastic applause to welcome this moment!”

Then she was the first to applaud, setting the atmosphere for the entire venue.

The audience below responded enthusiastically, and thunderous applause instantly filled every corner.

“Now, please allow our esteemed winner to personally unveil this mysterious grand prize, and let us collectively witness this historic moment!”

Under everyone's gaze, the plate carrying the mysterious grand prize was steadily brought before Han Fei.

His consciousness returned from anxiety to reality.

Looking at the red cloth right in front of him, Han Fei subconsciously reached out and gently lifted the red silk scarf.

At this moment, time seemed to freeze, and everyone held their breath in anticipation.

The red scarf slipped away, revealing an unexpected item.

A uniquely shaped black iron box, resembling a chef's hat, its surface shimmering with a faint, ancient luster.

The moment everyone present saw this box, they immediately gasped in surprise.

Han Fei also widened his eyes, “A Level Seven treasure chest, a kung fu cuisine treasure chest?!”