Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 253 Starry Sky Lemonade! A Keen Eye: Xia Ming's Cooking Was Reported? (Second Update)
Isn't this the "starry sky lemonade" that went viral a long time ago?

[It looks like it, but upon closer inspection, it's not. I've done that one before, and Xia Ming's is much prettier.]

[Yes, Xia Ming's is very translucent, I love it! Unlike the butterfly pea flower paste I make at home, which has a very dark color and doesn't turn out well even after diluting with water.]

[I don't understand, so I'm asking: why are there two colors, dark blue and light purple?]

[It's simple, just add lemon juice to the butterfly pea flower water and it will turn purple!]

[I knew Xia Ming was fiddling around with something when we were starting to prepare; turns out he'd already finished it ahead of time!]

Actually, there's enough time to make it now, because there are instant jelly powders available; you just need to add them and stir. Aside from the texture being slightly softer, there's not much difference.

[A 3-yuan lemonade, made to taste like a 30-yuan drink—it's hilarious! Other vendors are probably going to be driven crazy by Xia Ming's antics.]

[Indeed, the other young women over there have already started ordering!]

While netizens were discussing the matter, Gu Xiaorui's "starry sky lemonade" hadn't even warmed up yet when she was already being asked questions by the people next to her multiple times.

"Miss, may I ask which drink you ordered?"

"Hey sister, whose house is this?!"

"Wow, only 3 yuan, that's such a great deal!"

"Quick, quick, let's order two drinks first! We don't want them to sell out if too many people order them later."

"There shouldn't be a shortage of stock, right?"

"Are you kidding me? One chef for one menu, they're definitely going to be overwhelmed. Order now!"

Surrounded by people, Gu Xiaorui felt a little awkward holding her lemonade; so many people were asking her questions that she couldn't keep up.

Deng Yu, who was standing to the side, reacted quickly. Realizing that he had asked a lot of questions, he flipped to the first page of the menu in his hand and pointed to the picture of "Crystal Chrysanthemum Cup" marked with 666 yuan.

"Everyone, please stop asking. We'll all give you the same answer."

"This is it, on the first page, the one with the 666 yuan price tag, the one with the 3 yuan one!"

Although Deng Yu did not stand up, his arms were long and he raised them high, so the students behind him could see him clearly.

After deciding on their target, most people said thank you and immediately started ordering.

Almost everyone in the room thought that Xia Ming couldn't supply lemonade to so many people, and that the item would definitely sell out soon.

At that moment, Xia Ming, who was filling lemonade bottles in the kitchen, was not alarmed at all when he heard the continuous announcements behind him.

Just as netizens have said, "Starry Sky Lemonade" does have an outstanding appearance.

But it's actually not complicated to make at all. Anyone can replicate it at home as long as they are willing to buy the materials.

Xia Ming himself saw this approach on a video platform when he was considering learning bartending.

"There are also ingredients in the Nine Provinces that can change color after being boiled, but cultivators rarely use them."

"Most of the time, the Blood Blade Sect uses naturally occurring liquids, such as blood pools."

In fact, Xia Ming felt that the concept of "blood pool" was very suitable for a drink called "Bloody Mary" in the city, but his current cultivation level was not enough to recreate the blood pool.

If possible in the future, he really wouldn't mind giving "Bloody Mary" a flavor that matches its name.

As for whether the supply can keep up, Xia Ming said that these diners are worrying for nothing.

Unlike the "extra-large cup" previously provided to construction workers, the cups provided to university couples are standard medium-sized cups, which are much smaller in size but only require three more steps in the process.

In addition, Xia Ming took out insurance for himself when creating the first version of the menu.

All the dishes on the menu have their pre-prepared components placed at the front.

Therefore, with the decrease in "drinking water orders," he is fully capable of meeting his current needs.

After all, strictly speaking, "two-color yellow croaker jelly" is a purely frozen product.
However, Xia Ming was also aware that while "Starry Sky Lemonade" was delicious, there were some precautions to take.

"Although I think diners should weigh the pros and cons themselves, in order to avoid food-related problems during the competition, there are some things that need to be prevented."

As he spoke, Xia Ming pulled out a long order form from the side and then precisely tore out the [Table 8, Seat 11] from it.

It was labeled as 2 cups of lemonade.

He glanced casually at the big screen, then picked up a medium-sized cup and poured himself a cup of hot water.

He then reprinted the order number, placed it under the hot water, and sent it out via the conveyor belt.

The staff were also a little stunned when they received Xia Ming's order, which was clearly not right.

However, she was only responsible for serving the food and had no obligation to remind anyone, so even if she noticed a problem, she would still carry the hot water to the corresponding table in an orderly manner.

Commentary booth

Seeing that the order number magnified by the AI ​​camera did not match the actual dish, Cao Fujun burst out laughing.

"Are you so busy you've lost your mind? Did you make a mistake with the order?"

Bai Susu glanced at Cao Fujun with a look of concern for an idiot, then silently looked away.

She had no interest in explaining to Cao Fujun.
Cheng Xieyun's eyes showed doubt, but she subconsciously believed that Xia Ming must have his reasons for doing this.

Tong Song, on the other hand, looked thoughtful, as he seemed to remember seeing the recipe for this popular dish somewhere before.

Seeing that no one was refuting him, Cao Fujun felt that he had seized the opportunity.

"The praise is overwhelming, but I don't think so. After all, a person's energy is limited. They were full of energy at the beginning, but now they're starting to feel dizzy and lightheaded."

"The game has only just begun, and his form has already dropped so much. What will he do later? I'm quite worried!"

Although he claimed to be worried, even the viewers in the live stream could tell that Cao Fujun was gloating.

Why is this judge acting like this? What did Xia Ming do to him?

[It's hard to say, but it feels like jealousy. At Xia Ge's rate of promotion, it's hard to say who'll be in the top position in a couple of years.]

[Sending the wrong dish is my own fault. Judge Cao didn't lie; everyone saw the order!]

There must be a reason, otherwise how could they choose this one order from so many to ship? Xia Ge seems to be in pretty good shape!

Wait, I remember the recipe for Starry Sky Lemonade included...

While netizens were discussing whether Xia Ming had made a mistake, the staff had already handed hot water to [Table 8, Seat 11].

Table 8, seat number 11 is a rather thin girl. Her boyfriend is seat number 12, who looks quite average, but you can tell he's quite tall.

Upon seeing the hot water, the girl blinked but before she could speak, the boy spoke first.

"Hey, we don't have any hot water?"

The staff member didn't respond, because her task was simply to place the corresponding dishes on the table.

After placing the form underneath untouched, the staff member turned and left, leaving the boy somewhat bewildered as he picked up the form.

"Weren't these supposed to be two glasses of lemonade? Why did they only bring one glass of hot water at the end? There must be a mistake!"

The boy looked at the order form, then at the hot water, completely baffled.

But the girl next to her blinked, as if she understood something, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on her face.

After thinking for a few moments, the boy determined that the chef must have made a mistake with the order.

"Can't they even tell the difference between a few cups? This chef is no good!"

The slightly angry boy raised his hand, wanting to call a staff member to return the item, but a girl with a ponytail next to him spoke up.

"Stop raising your hand. The chef did nothing wrong. If you want to ask why it's hot water, you should ask your girlfriend!"

The boy was taken aback, seemingly not understanding what the girl with the ponytail meant.

Seeing that he had no common sense at all, the boy next to the girl spoke up.

"Dude, that's pretty careless. Didn't you even notice your girlfriend's period came?"

"???" The tall boy was stunned. He turned to look at his girlfriend and found that she had already looked away, clearly feeling a little guilty.

"Um, I noticed their 'Starry Sky Lemonade' doesn't seem to have any ice cubes in it~ And mine just arrived. It should be fine, right?"

The girl with the ponytail laughed when she heard that.

"Miss, you're really neglecting your health! You should know that the purple and blue colors in those trendy 'starry sky lemonades' sold on the market come from butterfly pea flowers."

"This stuff is said to have an effect on women who are menstruating and pregnant women. Plus, it already contains ice, but the lemon water covers it up so you can't see it."

After hearing what the girl with the ponytail said, the slender girl also showed a very embarrassed smile.

"I didn't expect it to be like this. Actually, as a girl, you understand, right? When I first arrived, I really wanted something cold."

Upon hearing his girlfriend admit it, the tall guy quickly withdrew his hand.

"Honey, you'll hurt yourself doing this. Ugh, I even misunderstood someone."

"How could he know you were coming? Does this chef have mind-reading abilities?"

Hearing what the tall boy said, the girl with the ponytail's boyfriend also laughed.

"It's not that outrageous. Actually, it's quite easy to tell. Since we're both medical students, we can usually make a rough judgment just by looking at the movements."

"Of course, it's not that accurate. We just realized it when your girlfriend got nervous."

College friendships tend to form quickly, and because of this incident, the two boys soon started chatting.

The viewers in the live stream were filled with even greater admiration for Xia Ming.

[This is unbelievable! To be able to see that is utterly absurd.]

[It was already impressive that they could monitor diners' physical condition, but now they can even monitor their menstrual cycles! It's like they've gained extra eyesight!]

[I know this one well, it's Kokushibo from Demon Slayer!]

[The guy upstairs is switching channels~~]

[It feels like Xia Ge is about to sweep everyone aside and crush them all. After all, he can grasp these kinds of details, which other contestants really can't match.]

While netizens were chatting happily, some contestants in the kitchen were starting to feel a little stressed.

The most typical example is Xie Zhijun from kitchen number 17. He is a 40-year-old chef who has been striving for "Level 5 Hua" three times in a row.

But each time, he was eliminated in the final round of the competition due to various unexpected events.

This time was no exception. After finally making it into the top 48, they were once again at a disadvantage in this inexplicable "Chef's Hall Reception Tournament".

His pricing strategy was exactly the same as Xia Ming's, covering all price ranges, but no one ordered his dishes.

He even spent 500 fixed points to modify the menu, but this effort yielded little result.

He just couldn't understand why Xia Ming could win the favor of so many diners with just a glass of lemonade.

"I'm really fed up. Can't these young people show some respect for the elderly? I just want to advance to the next level, is that so hard?"

Seeing Xia Ming's "Starry Sky Lemonade" become a hit again, he was so envious that he developed a few more wrinkles on his forehead.

"Damn it. Ugh. Is there really no way for me to get over this?"

As Xie Zhijun watched as cups of "Starry Sky Lemonade" were served to college students, he felt that fate was about to abandon him once again.

"What can I do? I can't exactly change the menu next time and make 'starry sky lemonade' with 'butterfly pea flower,' can I? I can't keep following in other people's footsteps!"

Feeling helpless, he suddenly slumped onto the stove in the back kitchen. But the moment his head touched the stove, the cold sensation instantly opened up his mind.

"No, no"

"Haha, young people just don't know the rules! Didn't they realize they made such a big mistake?"

Xie Zhijun suddenly sprang up from backstage and walked over to Xiaodou in a few steps.

"Xiaodou, please open the competition's reporting interface for me."

"I want to report Xia Ming."

"Judges' Explanation Room"

Cao Fujun, who had just finished performing a clown act, had an extremely gloomy expression. He never expected that Xia Ming could be so meticulous.

"Is that human being?"

"Damn it. This is incredibly embarrassing."

The other judges, seeing Cao Fujun remain silent, could only laugh inwardly.

Especially Bai Susu, among the judges, the one she disliked the most was Cao Fujun, who was old, incompetent, and loved to pretend.

Just as the atmosphere was getting a little awkward, there was a knock on the door of the commentary room, and a staff member entered the room and handed a document to Yin Shengjiang.

Yin Shengjiang originally thought that the information he received was for the next round of diners, and was wondering why it had been received in advance.

But after reading the document, his expression froze instantly.

His expression was noticed by Tan Zhifeng, who was standing next to him. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, he saw Yin Shengjiang cough and then stand up from his seat.

"Viewers in the live stream, there's been a sudden situation. The entire judging panel needs to visit Xia Ming's kitchen."

Upon hearing this, not only were the viewers in the live stream stunned, but the other judges were also dumbfounded.

Visit?

I've never heard of this part.

Just as everyone was wondering, Yin Shengjiang explained the reason.

"The competition organizers received accusations against Xia Ming from several chefs, who all stated that the 'Butterfly Pea Flower,' a key ingredient in 'Starry Sky Lemonade,' was not included in the latest edition of China's 'New Food Ingredients List.'"

"This means that this ingredient does not currently comply with national regulations and is an ingredient outside the scope of regulations. It may be inappropriate to use it rashly, so we need to determine whether this ingredient has been used."

"If it is discovered that someone has used this method, their score for this round may be cancelled. If it causes adverse consequences, they may be directly disqualified according to the rules."

Upon hearing this news, Cao Fujun, who was standing to the side, could hardly contain his excitement and wished he could appear in the kitchen the next second.

Bai Susu, on the contrary, showed an extremely conflicted expression, and after hesitating for a long time, she spoke.

"Shouldn't we check the surveillance footage first? Besides, there's AI present. Is it really necessary to go to the scene?"

Similar to the "inappropriate" in Yin Shengjiang's words, Bai Susu's words seem to be stating the facts, but upon closer listening, they seem to have a different meaning.

Upon hearing Bai Susu's words, Yin Shengjiang's lips twitched slightly.

Of course he knew there was surveillance and playback.
But a problem arose. After reviewing the playback, the staff discovered that Xia Ming was in a blind spot of the surveillance cameras when he was making "Starry Sky Jelly".

It is impossible to accurately determine what ingredients Xia Ming used. What's more troublesome is that Xia Ming's purchase records clearly include "butterfly pea flower".

In this situation, the backstage staff had a very high probability of identifying the problem, which is why they quickly contacted the judging panel.

After all, the culinary association's official competitions emphasize fairness and safety.

If non-standard ingredients are indeed used, even if such ingredients just happen to fall into a blind spot of the review process, they must still be judged according to the rules.

Yin Shengjiang personally thought highly of Xia Ming, but this was a matter of principle.

In his view, "giving everyone a fair chance" is his guiding principle.

"We have reviewed the surveillance footage, but we cannot make a judgment at the moment. Don't worry, we will broadcast the entire process live and share the results with our viewers."

After saying that, Yin Shengjiang gestured for everyone to go out with him to "Xia Ming's Kitchen No. 44".

Watching the departing figures, Cao Fujun, who was walking at the back, curled up a twisted smile.

"Serves you right for being so cocky! Now you've stepped into a hole!"

(End of this chapter)