Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 119 Second Round? Wasting Ingredients? This question setter is really wicked! (5K First Update)
"10:30 AM, Area D of the Canton Fair Complex in Guangzhou-Shenzhen District"

As the timer's music played, the preliminary rounds of the "New Chef Competition" came to an end.

According to the final statistics from the competition organizers, all 500 finalists have gathered in Zone D.

Xia Ming looked around but didn't see Gao Yonghao. It seemed that Gao Yonghao hadn't passed through successfully.

"That's normal. He's good at seasoning, and while he's creative, sometimes his ideas are too far-fetched, making it difficult to bring them to fruition."

"But he's still young, he should have more opportunities in the future."

A thought flashed through his mind for a moment, but Xia Ming's expression remained unchanged. Following the instructions of the staff member beside him, he began to queue up according to his ranking.

After queuing up, staff members started pinning a small star onto the armbands of each contestant, beginning with Xia Ming.

From then on, the stars on the armbands became two. After listening to a rather uninspiring speech from the host, the group headed to Area C under the guidance of the staff.

At the entrance of Zone C, all contestants, as required by the production team, placed all their belongings except for their cell phones and knife cases into the lockers corresponding to their rankings.

Xia Ming didn't have much on him to begin with. After putting the water, key, and some loose change he bought from the vending machine in Zone D into the locker, he walked into Zone C.

At this moment, Zone C has been transformed into a large buffet.

On the right-hand side, there are various freshly made fast food meals, while on the other side are chairs for four people per table.

If it weren't for the steel frame structure of the exhibition area overhead, I would have thought I had accidentally wandered into the cafeteria of a prestigious university.

Just then, the contestant heard an announcement over the loudspeaker.

"Lunchtime is from 11:00 to 12:30, during which all dishes are free to enjoy."

"If you'd like drinks or some snacks, you can purchase them from the vending machines. Log in to Green Credit and find the mini-program 'New Chef Competition,' then you can scan the QR code to access the vending machines."

"All items in the vending machine are free. Please enjoy them while avoiding waste."

As the broadcast ended, the contestants, who had finished their morning competition, began lining up to enjoy the buffet.

After looking at the dishes, Xia Ming chose two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, then got a bowl of rice and sat down at the table next to him.

Not long after he sat down, Qian Youdao and Zheng Zeqian also came over with food.

Just as the three were about to start eating, Qiao Ruoning appeared out of nowhere and asked with a smile.

"Can I sit here?"

The three of them exchanged a glance and nodded.

Afterwards, the four of them began to eat their lunch, but after only one bite, Xia Ming's brows furrowed slightly.

"It's a bit salty!"

Hearing Xia Ming's words, Zheng Zeqian nodded in agreement.

"It is indeed a bit salty~"

After hearing this, Qian Youdao and Qiao Ruoning took a bite and agreed.

After realizing that it wasn't just his food that was a bit salty, Xia Ming looked around. It was clear from the expressions of the other contestants that a considerable number of them thought the food was too salty.

But because the live stream was still going on, most people remained silent.

After thinking for a moment, Xia Ming picked up his plate and got up to go to the food serving area.

After hearing Xia Ming's words, the master also expressed his apologies.

"This batch is like this. The kitchen is also closed for the day. You said it yourself, it's a bit salty. Why don't you go to the vending machine over there and get some water? Drinking some water will make you feel better."

Seeing his master's apologetic expression, Xia Ming blinked in confusion, then turned around and returned to his seat without saying anything more.

At that moment, Zheng Zeqian also took some water and snacks from the vending machine next to him and distributed them to the three of them.

"Luckily I arrived early, look at it now, there's already a queue!"

Xia Ming glanced at the line next to him and found that it was indeed the case, so he took the water that Zheng Zeqian handed him and thanked him.

Qiao Ruoning, who was standing to the side, thanked them, drank a few sips of water, ate a few bites of food, and finally put down her chopsticks.

"Ugh, it's not exactly salty, but it's also a bit too salty, especially since I'm eating fish chunks. It gets saltier and saltier the more I eat. I might as well have some snacks instead."

After saying that, she asked Zheng Zeqian if she could have some of the snacks on the table.

Zheng Zeqian waved his hand.

"We're getting freebies from the competition organizers, so why be polite? Eat whatever you want!"

Hearing this, Qiao Ruoning felt relieved and started eating some snacks.

Xia Ming was in a slightly better situation than Qiao Ruoning because he didn't take any fish. He put down his chopsticks after eating until he was about 60% full.

To drink less water in case he needed to use the restroom during the match, he grabbed a jar of dried plums, opened it, took two bites, used the sour and salty taste to mask the other flavors in his mouth, rinsed his mouth a few times, spat it out, and then drank a little more water.

After finishing all this, Xia Ming was about to find a corner to rest, but the staff approached him.

"Xia Ming, would you please come with me to the other side for the interview?"

Hearing the staff member's words, the other three nodded. They hadn't received any messages from the production team, which meant that the number of people to be interviewed this time probably wouldn't be too large.

Xia Ming greeted the three of them and then followed the staff to the special interview room at the back.

When he went inside, he found that there were already two people sitting there.

Zhu Wuneng, dressed in a cultivation robe, was easy to recognize, and Xia Ming also knew that the bespectacled man next to him was Han Tianyan.

After everyone greeted each other, Xia Ming sat down to the side and noticed that Han Tianyan's gaze, hidden behind his black-rimmed glasses, remained fixed on him, as if trying to see through him.

Of course, Xia Ming was also observing Han Tianyan.

From the outside, Han Tianyan is no different from an ordinary boy, but he looks about 60% like "the famous Golden Spatula player, part-time chess player, and Internet abstract master 'Ke Jie'".

Overall, he gives off a rather steady and thoughtful impression.

In Han Tianyan's eyes, Xia Ming's hands did not show any signs of being a seasoned chef. However, he had also heard that some people are born with a slow stratum corneum metabolism, so even if they practice a lot, they will not have obvious calluses.

Furthermore, some female chefs take special care to protect their hands and slow down the aging process. Judging whether someone is a chef solely based on the calluses on their hands is not entirely accurate.

Aside from this characteristic, Han Tianyan could only tell that Xia Ming was good-looking.

“No, he occasionally rubs his nose with his fingers while sitting. It’s not just that his nose is itchy. It’s more likely that his nose is more sensitive than the average person’s.”

When he thought of the word "sensitive," Han Tianyan lowered his eyes slightly, as if he was thinking about something.

Just as the two were analyzing each other, the door was pushed open again, and Li Yuan and He He walked in.

Once the five people were all present, the staff let the reporters who were interviewing them in.

Then, the other four people sat down to the side, and starting with He He, the five of them would take turns being interviewed.

"Next to the control room, inside the judges' lounge"

Tan Zhifeng smiled as he watched Xia Ming and the others being interviewed.

He knew that with Xia Ming's abilities, he would definitely be able to stand out in the "New Chef Competition".

Just as he was laughing, You Zhangwen, who was sitting next to him, spoke up.

"Old Tan, I heard that Xia Ming participated in the variety show you used to be in charge of, right?"

Tan Zhifeng nodded after hearing this.

"Yes, he is a very talented, no, I should say he is already a very skilled chef."

"What he lacks now is some experience in formal competitions and some fame."

“I tried to recruit him, but he refused. Now it seems that he is more suited to the competition.”

Just then, a young man who looked to be under thirty years old walked in through the door.

Compared to others, he had light brown hair and balanced facial features, making him the kind of handsome guy you'd find on campus.

Tan Zhifeng turned around and looked at him after hearing the voice, then raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Wei Yan, why did you change your hair color?!"

Wei Yan blinked, picked up a chair, sat down, pointed to his head, and asked a question in return.

"Isn't it handsome? Everyone's dyeing their hair this way now, it looks good~"

Tan Zhifeng shook his head.

"I don't think so."

Wei Yan was stunned for a moment, then looked at You Zhangwen beside him.

"Brother You, what do you think?" You Zhangwen shook his head.

"I also feel it doesn't suit you very well. Let's switch back to your previous chestnut brown color!"

"No, my girlfriend said that guy looks too much like a jerk. Let's go with this one! This one is a little better."

Wei Yan rejected their suggestion and then looked at the large screen next to him.

"In this screen, the one sitting on the far right is Xia Ming, the one you told me about, Brother Tan, right?"

"I watched his video clips, he's a really impressive young man. I heard he scored 98.3 points in this game, he's truly a force to be reckoned with!"

Although Wei Yan appeared to be expressing emotion, there was not a trace of fear in his eyes.

Then he smoothed his hair and continued speaking.

"The next round is about to begin. Compared to the simple questions in the previous round of auditions, this round is just the beginning of the 'New Chef Showdown'."

"In previous years, they only selected the top 200 for the second round of interviews, but this year there were too many applicants, so they only made it to 500."

"But it's alright, about 300 people are packing up to go home soon."

"After all, with questions created by both 'Sui Wubai' and 'Luo Shurong,' this second round of the semi-finals isn't as simple as the questions themselves seem!"

At this point, he glanced at Xia Ming on the screen again.

Hopefully, he can perform just as well in the next round.

Inside the interview room

The female reporter asked Xia Ming with a smile.

"Simple eggs and rice can be used to make such a dish with a human touch, it's really amazing."

"To my knowledge, very few people combine poetry and cooking so closely."

"Have you always been good at this style, or did you specifically push yourself to a higher level for this interview?"

Xia Ming smiled slightly when he heard the reporter's words.

"There's no such thing as a breakthrough or not, it's just that this method is more convenient and that's how we handled it."

After hearing Xia Ming's words, the female reporter was probably also impressed by Versailles.

After a long pause, he continued asking questions.

"The next match is about to begin. Are you confident that you can achieve such a good result again?"

Xia Ming raised an eyebrow after hearing the question.

"Of course, it's less about confidence and more about certainty."

Seeing Xia Ming's "humility" in the live stream, netizens laughed.

This guy is even more arrogant than last round! But he's performed exceptionally well in both rounds, so he certainly has the right to be arrogant.

No, that's a bit too much; it's causing physical discomfort.

[You're already feeling physically unwell? Your physical health must be really weak! They have the skills, so what's wrong with showing off a little!]

[The way of a chef: humility is a joke! With his skills, he should be arrogant! His participation in this competition feels like a waste of his talents.]

I participated in this competition a couple of years ago. Don't be fooled by the high number of eliminations before the semi-finals; if this guy named Xia Ming can keep going like this from the very beginning, then he'll truly be amazing.

Putting aside the support and doubts from viewers in the live stream, Xia Ming returned to Area C with the others after the interview.

By now, everyone had finished eating, and most people had found a spot to rest in order to ensure they had enough energy for the next game.

Xia Ming looked around but didn't see Qian Youdao and the others, so he found a corner and closed his eyes to rest.

As time passed, at 12:30, a long ringing bell startled the players who were resting in Zone C.

"Please gather in an orderly manner at the entrance of Zone C. The second round of selection will begin this afternoon."

As instructed by the staff, the contestants lined up and began heading to Zone D.

Xia Ming discovered that, just like before, they had to go through the competition team's inspection, and this time the search was even more thorough than last time.

Even unfinished water wasn't allowed in, let alone snacks.

Xia Ming raised an eyebrow as he watched the piles of mineral water bottles next to the checkpoint.

"Is the inspection this strict? Besides cell phones and knife cases, they won't let us bring anything else, not even toilet paper."

He felt that this rigorous search was slightly unusual.
After about half an hour, all 500 contestants finally passed the check and entered Zone D.

At this moment, they discovered that the place was completely different from where they had been waiting. The platform in the middle had been removed, and a few green plants had been placed around it. More than twenty large cargo trucks were parked in front, and many staff members were standing next to the trucks.

Then, a fence surrounded the center of the area, with 500 stoves erected on it. The middle was still blocked by the transparent glass that appeared in the previous round, but this time it was a little more solid, sealing off all four sides and leaving only the top open for ventilation.

Xia Ming carefully examined the 500 stoves and found that they were marked with rankings. Judging by the order in which they appeared, the earlier the number, the smaller it was.

This means that Xia Ming's competition stove is at the very front of all the stoves, which is the closest position to the cargo truck.

Afterwards, following the instructions of the staff, the 500 people went to their respective stoves.

The first thing Xia Ming did after entering the stove was to check what was inside.

At first glance, the arrangement of items on the stove in this round is extremely similar to the previous round, with ordinary bowls and chopsticks underneath and some corresponding tools on top.

However, upon closer inspection, Xia Ming discovered that there were hooks attached to the glass on both sides, and some extra kitchen utensils were attached to the hooks.

There is a strainer and a soup spoon.
After quickly checking the kitchen utensils, Xia Ming looked at the oil on the side.

The oil was the same size as before, and the brand hadn't changed either. Xia Ming checked it and found that the cap was intact and hadn't been opened.

Next to the oil is a row of condiments, made of small stainless steel cans commonly found in hotels. Each can is equipped with a small spoon, but the spoons do not fit snugly against the lid, leaving noticeable holes and gaps.

The labels on the jar, from left to right, read "Salt," "MSG," "Chicken Essence," "Pepper," and "Chili Powder." The lid was closed at the moment.

Looking at the five seasonings on the table, Xia Ming sniffed the air and his gaze sharpened slightly.

"Something's wrong!"

As he spoke, he reached out and opened the salt jar. As the lid opened, his eyebrows shot up sharply.

Then, he quickly opened the other four jars as well, and when he saw what was inside, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Who came up with this question? It's a total trap!"

Just as he finished speaking, an announcement came over the loudspeaker in the stadium.

"Congratulations to all the contestants who have made it into the top 500 of our 'New Chef Competition'."

"The next round is our 'second round of selection,' and the question for this round is: 'Food Losses in Fresh Food Supermarkets.'"

As the broadcast ended, Xia Ming heard the sound of the cargo doors on the back of the trucks being opened. Looking up, he saw that all the trucks were loaded with a large amount of food.

Vegetables, fruits, fresh produce, meats—a wide variety of options.

However, Xia Ming also noticed that most of the ingredients did not look very good at first glance.

He frowned, and a blood-red light flashed in his left eye. With the expansion of his blood-red pupil, he could clearly see the "life force" floating in the cartloads of ingredients, which was about to be completely exhausted.

Even among the seafood ingredients, there were many that had lost their color.

"What is this? This shouldn't be called wear and tear; some of these things are probably beyond repair!"

Especially crabs. Crabs experience simultaneous deterioration of all their tissues, which means that if a crab kicks its legs, the meat inside will most likely be difficult to eat.

This is what people commonly refer to as "crabs rot internally before dying," but this is not actually accurate. It also depends on the specific species. Some crabs can still be eaten even if they have just kicked their legs, but the taste will be greatly reduced.

But if it were that kind of ingredient, Xia Ming wouldn't be sighing like this. The seafood in the truck in front of him, to put it nicely, was "sound asleep," but to put it bluntly, "very few of them could even breathe."
The other sections were slightly better than the seafood section, but only slightly, because Xia Ming had already seen obvious black spots and rottenness in the vegetables.
Just as he was observing, the broadcast also announced the subsequent assessment content.

Simply put, the contestants need to find the usable ingredients among all the available ingredients in the competition area.

Collect them and make a dish that is enough for at least 16 people to taste. The finished dish will be sent to a four-way conveyor belt and quickly shown to 160 judges who have not eaten lunch. If no 16 people press "want to eat", the dish will be eliminated.

If more than 16 people click "want to eat", then the dish will enter the "tasting stage".

The first 16 people who clicked "want to eat" were then selected by the judges to taste the dishes and score them.

On the big screen, the faces of 160 judges were displayed in detail. Xia Ming saw that they were labeled with the eight major cuisines, with 20 judges for each cuisine.

The judges' faces lingered on the screen for about half a minute, and Xia Ming found two familiar faces among them.

"Isn't this the Cantonese cuisine judge from my previous round? Are there any Sichuan cuisine judges?"

"Wait a minute. What do you mean by 'didn't eat lunch'? They clearly knew I did. The person who set this question has a rather dirty mind~"

(End of this chapter)