Food: Randomly set up stalls, even the little guy is drooling.

Since it's a competition, there needs to be a referee.

As Master Xie's formal apprentice, Wang Shun quickly invited three master chefs from the shop.

The news of hiring three masters spread like wildfire.

Once everything in the kitchen was ready, nearly twenty people had gathered in the small room.

The three masters sat in the middle, with Lu Feng and Wang Shun each having a long table on either side.

"The internal competition has very simple rules," announced Chef Liu, who was sitting in the middle. "Each of us has one hour to make 10 meat buns and 10 vegetable buns. The three of us will each have one vote, and the one with two or more votes wins. Let's begin."

Wang Shun immediately got to work. As expected of a disciple personally trained by Master Xie, his movements were skillful. He scooped out the flour, added water, and kneaded the dough in one smooth motion.

Master Liu couldn't help but nod in approval upon seeing this. He was actually a little confused as to why Wang Shun insisted on competing with this new apprentice.

Sitting to Liu's left, Master Wang chuckled, "Master Jie Badan's own skills are undoubtedly superb, second only to Master Jie Lu. But his ability to train apprentices..."

Mr. Li, who was sitting on the right, also said, "Isn't this a thorn in his side? He never took on any apprentices in the first half of his life, and he's only taken on two in the last two years. That's how he manages to make a living selling steamed buns in this small town."

Master Liu nodded in agreement. "So, Master Xie's claim of 'graduating from the apprenticeship' doesn't really count. Wang Shun already had the skills of a junior pastry chef. The reason he's delaying graduating is that he wants to learn from Master Xie Lu for a little longer."

Master Wang glanced to the side and saw that Jie Badan had walked over at some point. "Silence."

The three chefs immediately sat up straight. Despite the teasing, Chef Jie was still the star chef of the shop.

Master Liu stood up and offered his seat, "Master Xie, you've arrived. Please take a seat."

Jie Badan shook his head. "A master cannot be a referee. Don't I understand this basic rule?"

"Hey! It's just family joking around." Seeing Ba Dan's serious expression, Master Liu had no choice but to sit back down.

Jie Badan also sat in a side position.

Only then did the group focus their attention on the arena.

Lu Feng's movements were obviously a little slower, but if you watched closely, you would find that he controlled the strength of his hands very well, and the dough was only a little slower to form than Wang Shun's.

Master Wang clicked his tongue in amazement, "Wow, Master Xie's apprentice is really quite skilled."

They are all pastry chefs who have been immersed in this craft for a long time, and you can tell at a glance whether their basic skills are good or not.

The dough was rested and then pressed again; both of their movements and steps were in the same Xie style, and they looked almost identical.

Prepare the filling, wrap the filling, and place it in a steamer.

The steamer is then placed back on the stove and steamed over high heat.

The kitchen was filled with steam, and only the whispers of the crowd remained.

One of the apprentices looked on with admiration, saying, "Wang Shun's movements are still faster; we can't match his speed."

"I wish I were Master Xie's apprentice too."

In the eyes of these apprentices, Wang Shun's victory was a sure thing. As for why they had to have this match, it was probably because Ah Feng had somehow offended Wang Shun.

However, the expressions of the masters became serious. The layman sees the spectacle, but the expert sees the details.

The apprentices were still at the most basic level and couldn't see through the two men's true intentions; they only felt that Wang Shunsheng was in the bag.

The three masters figured out that Lu Feng's basic skills were frighteningly solid, not at all like someone who had just learned.

But Lu Feng had only been at the steamed bun shop for about half a month, and when he first arrived, he didn't even know how to knead dough.

"This, how is this possible?" Master Wang murmured involuntarily, "Such amazing talent at such a young age."

"Given time, he can indeed grow to an astonishing level." Master Li shook his head. "After all, he's only been learning for a short time. Young people are still too impulsive."

Both Master Liu and Master Wang nodded in agreement. As things stand, Wang Shun is the more reliable option.

Wang Shun had been ahead for a while, and when the time came, he opened the lid.

White steam rose, and the aroma filled the air.

The apprentices took a deep breath, and one of them remarked, "This aroma is almost identical to that of our masters."

"In just one year, he's already reached the skill level of a junior pastry chef! That's terrifying!"

There are no more than ten master pastry chefs in the entire world.

All three chefs are senior pastry chefs, and they would be pillars of any shop in the world.

Four small steamers were placed in front of them and Master Xie, each containing a meat bun and a vegetable bun.

Wang Shun's steamed buns are made to an extremely high standard, round and plump, with even pleats.

"Good, good, good. If we make it seriously, it's already comparable to the second-grade steamed buns we usually sell."

The Xie family's steamed buns were also graded, with the most expensive first-class buns supplied to high-ranking officials and nobles, and the lowest third-class buns also highly sought after by wealthy families. As for the ones that apprentices used for practice, they were considered low-class and could only be sold from stalls set up outside the shop.

This second-class steamed bun is already quite high a rating, considering that not every chef can make a first-class bun.

The chefs savored the buns carefully, and Chef Li praised them again, saying, "When you break these buns open, the juice is plentiful and just right. The meat filling is firm but not dense, and it melts in your mouth with one bite. Very good, very good! It seems to have captured a bit of Chef Jie Lu's essence."

The three masters exchanged glances and understood that Wang Shun had already won.

By the time they finished tasting Wang Shun's buns, Lu Feng's buns had just come out of the pot.

Unlike other food samples, steamed buns are filling.

To truly appreciate the flavor, you need to eat at least a third of the bun to experience all the different parts and make a judgment. Therefore, eating it first offers a significant advantage.

This is also the reason why the three masters made their initial judgment. In their opinion, even if Lu Feng's version was just as good as Wang Shun's, Wang Shun's first performance already meant he had won.

Even Master Xie, after tasting it, could only shake his head, "Ah Feng's learning time is still too short."

When Lu Feng's steamed buns were placed in front of them, he said, "Gentlemen, no matter what the outcome, why don't you try mine first?"

The three masters exchanged a smile, and after thinking for a moment, they realized that Master Jie was still there, so they couldn't refuse.

Master Li picked up a meat bun and casually broke it open.

But the next moment, his eyes widened in surprise. "This!"

The steamed bun in his hand was a work of art. It didn't have much juice, and its color was a clear, light golden color. The meat filling was loose but cohesive, indicating that the deliciousness had been locked into the filling.

Master Li quickly took a bite, then turned to look at the other two masters beside him, and they both saw the shock in each other's eyes.

Master Xie also took a bite, then stood up abruptly, muttering, "How is this possible?!"

Before even eating the other vegetable bun, Master Liu said in a deep voice, "Vote."

Seeing their reactions, Wang Shun sensed something was wrong, but still insisted, "Gentlemen, the vegetable buns haven't arrived yet..."