The beginning is only when you become a chef

Chapter 170 The 'magic' of the counterfeit Tan Lang pot (6K)

If the time goes back one hour.

The viewing room of the small venue.

While cooking the last batch of catfish noodles in Cheyenne.

Dong Ye Gang asked the maid to find a craftsman who lived in the mansion, and he immediately embedded the fragment into the body of a Tanlang teapot that had already been cast and was ready for use, without leaving any trace of repair.

In this way, the second counterfeit Tanlang pot appeared in the world.

After the reception, when Dong Yegang asked Xia An to move the Tanlang pot away, he thought he was hallucinating.

After the polite greetings, Burke Shaheen asked tentatively:

"Chef Xia An, you and Mr. Dongye seemed to be having a very good chat? Did you chat until late at night?"

Xia An smiled and said, "Chatting? Well, I guess so. For chefs and diners, food is the most sincere bond of communication."

After saying that, he couldn't help but yawn.

"Sorry... I'm a little tired. I'll excuse myself for now."

He said goodbye to the Turkish chef.

Burke Shaheen stood there, watching Xia An disappear into the corridor of the mansion, surrounded by Kobayashi Ryodan and Akane Kubo Momo, with his eyes flickering.

At the same time, the famous chefs who were acting as "spies" nearby saw that Higashino Tsuyoshi did not seem to hand over the suspected legendary kitchen utensil to Xia An, and that he left with empty hands. They all breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to retreat.

Just when the originally restless and tense atmosphere turned into relaxation.

"Boom——"

At the open passage and gate of the venue, several young and strong male servants worked together to push out a food waste truck.

Even though the garbage was packed and sealed very well, the strong fishy smell still dissipated a little.

"Is it the residue removed after the Snow Catfish is slaughtered?"

“This number is wrong!”

"Why would we need so many fish for the afternoon competition?"

One of the famous chefs who knew Japanese stopped the convoy, asked a few questions in a gibberish manner, and then his face collapsed and he stood there in a daze.

"Chef George, what's going on..."

The celebrity chefs let the convoy leave and surrounded the American group chef who had obviously learned the truth.

That’s right, Hawk George is from the American group, and he is also the youngest special-grade member of the group at only 28 years old.

For those who have been promoted to special grade before the age of 30, it is reasonable to praise them as the rising stars of the culinary world.

He is of American and Japanese descent, with black hair and a face that has the features of a Caucasian, yet retains the delicate softness of an Asian.

George was stunned for a few seconds before he said to everyone in a bitter voice:

"The servant said that these leftovers and garbage were produced after the competition in the afternoon when Mr. Dongye asked Chef Xia An to stay and treat him specially...!"

? ?
The famous chefs all widened their eyes.

"That means... Chef Xia An has been cooking from the evening until this late night?"

“No wonder so much kitchen waste was packed out!”

"Hey, shouldn't the point be that Mr. Dongye is extremely satisfied with Chef Xia An's dishes?!"

"So how many bowls of Baixue Catfish Noodles did Mr. Dongye eat?"

So, when the celebrity chefs returned to their respective groups with the news, even though it was late at night, the mansion was still alarmed and the atmosphere became a little heated.

The area where the American group stayed.

The head of the group, Jacob King, looked solemn. "Everyone heard it, right? According to the information George brought back, although Dong Ye Gang did not directly hand over the item that looked like the legendary kitchen utensil to the chef Xia An, he was obviously favored and appreciated by Dong Ye Gang."

The deputy head, a woman with glamorous makeup, an Indian who was good at using spices, a female cook named Katrina, said coldly:

"Humph, this is obviously news that Dong Ye Gang deliberately did not ban and let his servants spread."

"Otherwise, he could have quietly covered up the kitchen waste and even all the traces. Why did he have to use the servant to tell it?"

The third person in the group is a pale-skinned, sickly-looking man of Mexican descent, who is ranked just below Turkish chef Berk Sahin on the igo world's top chefs list.

This sick Mexican man coughed twice:

"What is known is that... Dong Ye Gang only sent out one 'fake'!"

The leader, Jacob King, narrowed his eyes slightly:

"Is it really just a 'fake'? According to intelligence, the artifact Xia An took away was rebuilt around a fragment of a small Tanlang pot."

“The other so-called authentic piece was just a recast from the base!”

“No one knows how magical they are, but even if there is only a little bit of it, for us chefs who are chasing pure and perfect fantasy ingredients, it is a culinary treasure!”

As he spoke, the desire and greed in Jacob King's tone could no longer be concealed.

……

Team Totsuki.

Kobayashi Rindo and Akane Kubo Momo said goodnight to Xia An on the grand staircase.

The two girls stood at the stairs that separated the two groups' accommodation areas and watched Xia An close the door before reluctantly looking away.

Akane Kubo Momo hesitated for a while before saying, "Hey, did you notice the kitchenware that the servant escorted away earlier?"

Xiaolin Longdan said casually:

"Of course I noticed it. Hehe, it was locked in such a special and gorgeous metal box. It seems that Mr. Dongye was very satisfied with Master Xia An's hospitality and gave him a very special gift!"

Akane Kubo Momo's forehead was covered with dark lines:

"Aren't you curious about what it is?"

"Wow, that's too curious. But tomorrow I will go to Master Xia An's room, or hang out near him, and I will know the answer, right?" Kobayashi Ryodan laughed. She is a third-year senior who is about to graduate. Although she is greedy and playful, she is not stupid.

"As long as you can stay by the master's side, you will know!" Xiaolin Longdan emphasized and boasted.

Akane Kubo Momo couldn't help rolling her eyes and went back to the group's main room first to report the situation to Dojima Gin and Saiba Joichiro who were waiting for them.

Dojima Gin clicked his tongue:
"I knew that the boy would definitely win the favor of Mr. Dongye, but despite this, the gains from his reception that night were beyond my imagination..."

"Who could have expected that Mr. Higashino would actually give him a 'fake treasure'!"

Xiaolin Longdan, who had just walked to the door, was confused when he heard this: "Ah, what is a 'fake treasure'?"

Saiba Joichiro said with a smile: "In the concept and interpretation of the gourmet world or the IGO organization, a 'treasure phantasm' is an object that is different from the earthly famous utensils and is one level higher."

"For example, the kitchen utensil that Chef Xia An has been using recently, which is suspected to be a genuine [Broken Army Sword], is considered one of the former 'Seven Star Sword' treasures. It is no longer an ordinary utensil!"

Kobayashi Ryodan and Akane Kubo Momo immediately said they had learned something new.

At this time, in addition to them, the two legendary predecessors, there were three female graduates in the room: Fuyumi Mizuhara, Hinatako Inui, and Enka Kikuchi.

The female graduate's curiosity is different from that of Kobayashi Ryodan.

What they were more concerned about was that Senior Xia An took a long time to entertain the rather mysterious Mr. Dongye.

Qian Hinatazi was shocked and exclaimed: "How much can Mr. Dongye eat?"

Mizuhara Fuyumi: "I have never entertained such a big eater!"

Kikuchi Engo said weakly:

“This is already a super human eater.”

All three female graduates said they came to hospitality with little experience.

What's more, they are Kobayashi Ryodo and Akane Kubo Momo, who are both students at the school.

Then, several people looked at the legendary senior with admiration and inquiry.

"Cough cough..."

Unexpectedly, the seniors were embarrassed.

Dojima Gin turned his head and said, "A guest of this level, to be precise, is one who has developed gourmet cells in his body, and the strength of the cells has reached the level of a pseudo-Lin or even a real Lin. As for me and Shiroichiro..."

Saiba Joichiro was straightforward, spreading his hands and saying nothing:
"We haven't entertained anyone."

Hey?
There were sounds of surprise in the house.

……

dong dong.

There was a knock on the door.

"Please come in."

Xia An was bending over to put away the kitchen utensils.

With a loud bang.

Jing Nina came in, followed by Meng Yulu and Chi Xiaobai.

"Is the reception over?"

"It's done."

"Can you please not be so nonchalant?" Chi Xiaobai stood in front of Xia An, his face twitching.

"Oh?" Xia An looked up and glanced, "Then should I brag?"

"Shouldn't it be?"

Chi Xiaobai said viciously: "You know, Dong Ye Gang is not an ordinary gourmet, he is a fake or real gourmet. To be precise, he is a Lin-level cook and food hunter!"

"And chefs and food hunters at this level are very picky eaters. If you are not a perfect or promising special grade, don't even think about challenging their taste buds and appetites!"

There was silence in the room.

Meng Yulu and Jing Nina were curious about the mysterious metal box.

"Is this the 'fake treasure' that Tono Tsuyoshi gave you?"

"The news spread so quickly?" Xia An was surprised.

"I think the whole mansion knows about it." Meng Yulu walked around the metal box on the floor. "No way, it can't be the one that's in the spotlight of the world, right? Is Dong Yegang so generous?"

This box is obviously a carefully customized product, and the star carvings on the surface are quite consistent with the meaning of the legendary kitchen utensils.

Xia An shook his head: "Of course not, it is the second one, recast from a palm-sized fragment. Dong Ye Gang has another one in his hand, and that is the focus of competition among international chefs!"

Meng Yulu's tone was meaningful: "But it is still a replica of the Tanlang pot, so it has some magical properties."

Xia An simply didn't hide it. He opened the door in public, took out a bronze pot, and placed it on the glass coffee table in the room.

As everyone looked at it carefully.

Xia An, the chef god panel appeared.

……

[Noble Phantasm: Tan Lang Pot (Fake)]

[Grade: Blue]

[Supernatural (minor): Put the ingredients in, there is a certain probability that they will be processed automatically, but there is also a high probability that the processing will fail.]

[Note: This is a counterfeit artifact made by inlaying fragments of the genuine Tanlang pot. It only has a few magical properties of the original.]

……

The information is quite concise, with only one affix.

But this suffix was unique to Xia An. "Hiss... miraculous? The 'mild' marked at the end obviously refers to the intensity and level of the miraculous effect."

His eyes paused on the small word "Minor", and more detailed information unfolded.

Weak, slight, weak, medium, strong, great.

"Apparently Faint is a green affix, and Slight is a blue affix."

"Weakness means purple?"

"Then medium, powerful, and great are pseudo-gold, gold, and dark gold?"

Xia An was certain that the other replica of the Tanlang pot in Dongye Gang's hand, which was restored from the base of the original, was most likely of purple grade and had a [weak] degree of magical power.

He put away his thoughts and looked around at Chi Xiaobai and Meng Yulu, who also had curiosity in their eyes.

"Try to test its specific magical properties?"

"Yes!" Meng Yulu nodded.

"Hurry up..." Chi Xiaobai said, and found that Xia An and Meng Yulu were looking at him at the same time.

"what?"

Chi Xiaobai sensed a hint of the smell of slaughtering pigs.

Meng Yulu's lips curled up slightly: "Ordinary ingredients can't measure anything. As for the magical ones, they correspond to fantasy ingredients. Even low-level bronze and silver ingredients can't measure anything."

"so…"

Chi Xiaobai jumped up and down: "So you want me to be the scapegoat? Provide you with golden fantasy ingredients for testing?"

It is obvious that this famous Chinese genius is not from a wealthy family.

However, being in Neon, his identity as the provincial director of the Shenzhou Late Night Cuisine Association had no privileges at all. After all, the Shenzhou Late Night Cuisine Association had been completely localized and separated from the outside world.

"I'll pay for it."

As soon as Jing Nina opened her mouth, the rich woman's arrogance was clearly revealed.

"How many gold ranks do you want?" Just at this moment.

dong dong.

Someone knocked on the door and said:
"Chef Xia An, I'm here to deliver three fresh ingredients. Please check them promptly."

It was the voice of the head maid next to Higashino Tsuyoshi.

Xia An said in surprise: "Ms. Kumiko, please come in, the door is not closed."

So, the icy maid Kumiko and two servants came and went like the wind, delivered the three boxes of fresh ingredients, gave a few instructions, and quickly disappeared from everyone's sight.

"Tuna pork meat."

"The meat of a money shark."

"Hey, the third item is actually alive? Potatoes, carrots, onions, and chicken!"

Chi Xiaobai opened the boxes of ingredients one by one and sighed, "Mr. Dongye, he is too rich."

Xia An nodded in agreement.

Damn, he hadn’t even touched the three ingredients, let alone cooked them.

Kyonina said with a sigh:

"This Mr. Dongye is a wonderful person. He not only gave you a fake treasure, but also gave you some gold-grade ingredients for testing."

Meng Yulu narrowed her eyes thoughtfully:

"It seems that the rumors about Higashino Tsuyoshi in the food industry are not groundless."

There was a pause.

She looked at Xia An and explained, "It is rumored that Dong Yegang is in the food industry, and has a safe zone with abundant resources behind him, so there is an endless supply of all kinds of delicacies."

Xia An:?
Safe place?
"Let's not discuss this for now. Since others have even provided the consumables, let's test the power of this fake treasure first."

Xia An has no objection.

"Is this how it is done?" He first grabbed about a pound of tuna pork meat.

What is quite strange is that this piece of meat is not the red pork that people know.

The color and texture are more like seafood and fish, crystal clear, with wisps of frozen fresh mist, and the smell escaping is so fresh that it's scary.

Seeing Meng Yulu and Chi Xiaobai nod, Xia An, who was operating for the first time, felt a little nervous.

Legend has it that the kitchenware...well, it's just a knockoff, but it's definitely not a fake.

Bang!

Lift the lid of the pot and throw a piece of cold meat in.

Close the lid.

Xia An took a small step back and, along with everyone else in the room, stared at the bronze objects gleaming in the light.

Two or three seconds passed.

The pot-shaped object suddenly made a buzzing sound.

The sound stopped and disappeared after just a dozen seconds.

“You can open it and take a look.”

Meng Yulu pursed her lips, and a hint of nervousness inevitably revealed in her almond-shaped eyes.

She and Chi Xiaobai had come into contact with authentic legendary kitchen utensils enshrined in the Forbidden City, but they were national treasures that had been brought back and had not been opened and used privately.

But it is different now. If a fake treasure that has become a private property inherits 10% or 20% of the original's magical power, it is equivalent to getting a glimpse of the original's appearance.

Xia An opened the lid upon hearing the sound.

A pungent smell emanated.

"Failed?" Xia An paused in surprise.

Kyonina turned around and brought over the trash can.

Xia An picked up the pot and poured out the contents.

slam-la-

The meat, which had been cut into fine pieces, was surrounded by black mist.

The originally crystal clear flesh became ugly, as if it had been exposed to the air and gnawed by microorganisms for several days.

The smell of stinky seafood made everyone cover their mouths and noses.

Xia An checked the log of the Kitchen God panel.

……

[The processing of the treasure 'Tanlang Pot' (fake) failed! ]

[You have obtained a failed semi-finished product (a piece of rotten tuna and pork meat)]

……

Failed semi-finished products don’t need to be so detailed. Just throw them in the trash. Who would recycle them?

Xia An complained silently, and checked the inside of the pot in front of everyone.

He found that the pot was very clean, and all the smells were poured out with the failed products, without any trace of residue left.

Moreover, when you shine the flashlight from your cell phone into the pot, the inside of the pot appears to be as smooth as new, without any signs of use.

"No need to clean?"

Xia An still asked out of concern.

"This is the treasure." Chi Xiaobai shrugged. "Of course, only the replica of the legendary kitchen utensils can be so 'magical'. Other treasures need to be cleaned more or less!"

"Then... come again!"

"This time it's the meat of the money shark."

Repeat the steps, open the pot, put in the ingredients, and close the lid.

After a few seconds.

Xia An had a blank expression on his face as he poured out a large lump of smelly failed product.

"No, I'll get the kettle to rinse it."

After saying that, Xia An walked to the bathroom. After a moment he returned and hung the bronze pot upside down, but not a drop of water fell.

"It's done in seconds?" Chi Xiaobai exclaimed in amazement, picking up the [Potato, Carrot, Onion and Chicken] in his hand, "Come on, let's start the third test right away!"

At first glance, the only living ingredient is just a big rooster.

But if you look carefully.

The rooster's comb looks like three upright carrots, with small potatoes and small onions hanging under its jaw.

More typically, the feathers on the rooster's rump are emerald green, giving off a strong vegetable aroma rather than the fishy smell of live poultry.

Even the rich woman Jing Nina felt mixed emotions:

"A living [Potato, Carrot, Onion and Chicken] like this is enough to support a top-notch chef to complete a competition or food battle competition of the same level."

Meng Yulu nodded: "Yes, hunting level 18 golden ingredients, definitely of top quality, a rare thing that top chefs have to properly preserve and raise."

"From this, I am even more certain that the rumor surrounding Higashino Tsuyoshi is that he... must be in control of some unknown safe zone or resource point in the food industry!"

Buzz!
At this moment, the imitation Tanlang pot with a whole rooster stuffed in it suddenly vibrated violently.

This movement lasted for seven or eight seconds as everyone watched nervously.

finally.

When the pot becomes quiet.

Different text messages popped up on Xia An's retina.

……

[The treasure 'Tanlang Pot' (fake) was successfully processed! 】

[You have obtained a perfect semi-finished product (delicious potatoes, carrots, onions, chicken and raw meat)]

……

[Ingredients: "Delicious potatoes, carrots, onions, chicken and raw meat" (99.5%)]

[Grade: Gold (18 Hunting Level)]

[Processing score: 99.5]

[The fantasy chicken, which combines the delicious flavors of potatoes, carrots and onions, has been processed and purified by the Tanlang Pot (fake), and has become the "perfect thing" in the eyes of chefs]

[Write a new recipe specifically for the ingredients, or integrate them into classic recipes with high compatibility, and you can get the ultimate delicacy with a fusion degree/utilization rate close to 99.5% or even higher]

……

Li Liyuan's score!
Xia An studied in a daze for a long time.

So, this 99.5% processing score, if you meet the right recipe, you will definitely be able to have a 99.5% fusion/utilization rate of specific fantasy ingredients, right?
Chi Xiaobai and Jing Nina lent a hand and poured the big chicken out of the pot and put it on a plate.

The big cock became smooth and naked.

The feathers and internal organs are all removed and disappear.

Only the big white chicken body was left, shining in the light.

"That's right, it's a perfect, pure breath!" Meng Yulu said in an uneasy tone after just two glances.

Xia An looked over when he heard the voice: "What do you mean? Can you tell with your eyes?"

Meng Yulu shook her head:
"Pure and spotless fantasy ingredients. Once you make them yourself, you will never forget them. You can tell at a glance whether the ingredients have reached the standard of 'answer' or 'perfection'."

Xia An's mouth twitched slightly.

Well, you guys rely on experience, right? Fortunately, I have a chef panel.

99.5% is not 100%.

But look at Meng Yulu's powerful tone as an old senior.

seem…

Can this tiny value of 0.5% be ignored?

Jing Nina's eyes were fixed, unable to move her gaze away, she murmured in a trance:
“Perfect ingredients mean purity.”

"It means that the devil's will hidden in the 'gourmet cells' has been completely dispelled!"

"Only the purest ingredients are left... If you cook them into dishes like this and eat them for a long time, the 'gourmet cells' that are gradually accumulated and awakened in your body will be absolutely controlled and there will be no backlash side effects!"

Chi Xiaobai looked at Xia An with complicated eyes:

"What are you waiting for?"

Xia An: ? ?

Chi Xiaobai said angrily: "Hurry up and take this big chicken to research a new recipe, or modify an old classic, and then you will immediately get your first 'answer' level recipe in your life!"

Xia An was speechless: "Old Chi, there is only one big chicken, and I didn't handle it myself, but got it from the fake Tanlang pot."

"You saw the ridiculous probability just now. It only succeeded once in three attempts."

"Let's assume the success rate is 33.3%. If I throw three big chickens in, I can get a perfect ingredient if I'm lucky."

"Well, this is... equivalent to three in one. I'm not rich, so I can't afford this kind of consumption."

Hearing this, Chi Xiaobai's excited expression quickly turned into the calmness of a sage.

He stepped forward and patted Xia An on the shoulder: "You are good, you are calmer than me. You are not congested and your big head is controlled by your small head."

"In comparison, I feel like the first time I come into contact with perfect, pure ingredients!"

Meng Yulu chuckled and gave him an undisguised mocking glance:
"I think your position in the top ten of igo world-class chefs should be given to Xia An. You don't have the aura of a senior at all!"

Chi Xiaobai rolled his eyes but did not refute.

Meng Yulu turned her gaze to Xia An, her almond eyes full of brilliance and affirmation:

"You're not bad. You're so calm when you first see perfect, pure ingredients. This is what many chefs dream of."

She pursed her lips.

He motioned Xia An to look at Jing Nina to confirm that what she said was true.

Jing Nina stood beside the coffee table in a trance.

Obviously, this is what Meng Yulu sees as the "younger generation", seeing perfect, pure ingredients for the first time.

"Hey, Jing Nina's family is prominent, and the remaining branch of the Phoenix Eight Immortals has grown into a behemoth in North America. She should have seen many perfect ingredients processed by the predecessors, right?"

Meng Yulu smiled at Xia An's doubts:
"Liu Shimeng, Wen Chaoqing, Lu Zuguang, Tang Jinghan and others are the same. They are not of the special grade yet, so elders should not show them perfect and pure ingredients. It will only harm them and force them to grow faster."

"But now is the right time for this group of talented people to take a look at the unique scenery on the top of the special mountain."

After a while.

After seeing the magic of the replica legendary kitchen utensils, the group left with great satisfaction.

It was already four o'clock in the morning when Xia An came out of the bathroom after taking a shower. He was ready to have a good sleep for the day and restore his energy.

But just as he locked the perfectly semi-finished chicken into the safe food box, multiple messages popped up on his WeChat.

[Meng Yulu: Regarding that perfect semi-finished product, I suggest you sell it at the 'igo market'. This way you can get a generous amount of points in return, and you will have your first pot of gold after reaching the special level.]

(End of this chapter)