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

Xie Yushan felt that her ability to distinguish good food was not quite up to par, but the queue not far away told her that this place could not be too bad.

It smelled wonderful, a very pure aroma of steamed buns. Even though she had already tried so many and was no longer as full as she had been when she came in, she still couldn't help but drool.

"Meat...meat buns?" Xie Yushan stepped forward to take a look, but was momentarily conflicted.

"Aren't meat buns too ordinary?" she muttered. "Qian insists he can run faster and he'll go buy them. How am I supposed to choose when I have to decide?"

She fell into deep thought. To be honest, when she used to eat breakfast, even at a steamed bun stall, she usually wouldn't choose a meat bun.

The meat buns she ate were either greasy and oily, dry and tough, or even had a foul smell. She heard that some vendors even used lymph node meat!

"But this is a competition venue, the ingredients can't be that bad." She then thought that the aroma was indeed almost unfair. She quickly took a picture and sent it to the group chat.

"Paper-Wrapped Chicken King (Group Owner): Numbers matter! Take it! Hesitation means defeat!"

"Liu Genghong's girl: But this is pure carbs!"

"Only prone: You've probably been eating carbs the whole way, haven't you? You're getting stuck on this last bit, wait for me!"

She was still waiting for Guo Bingqian to arrive. The atmosphere in the entire venue suddenly changed with Cao Jianjia's advancement, as if the relaxation had been sucked out of the vacuum, leaving only an invisible sense of urgency.

Many stall owners quickened their pace. By this time, most stalls had stopped offering samples, as the number of customers waiting in front of them had already proven their quality.

"Congratulations to contestant number 23..."

"Congratulations to contestant number 41..."

The advancement indicator lights resembled clusters of beacon fires, one lighting up every two or three minutes.

Within ten minutes, several contestants had advanced.

"Almost there, almost there." Gao Mian, who was making pancakes, tried his best to speed up his movements. These pancakes were not in a good position at all, but fortunately, half a pancake counted as one serving.

Although he had the advantage of being placed at the front door, he fell behind because of his slow pancake-making speed.

He might not remember the numbers of the other contestants, but how could he not remember contestant number 100, the so-called genius girl?

He'd already let this young woman take the lead, and his initial arrogance had turned into a cold sweat. If he were eliminated at this stage, he'd lose all face.

Another contestant from Xingcheng, Hu Xi, didn't dare to stop his hands for a moment. Even though time was already very tight, he couldn't help but look up at the indicator lights on the platform frequently.

He quickly calculated in his mind that the number of diners in front of him, plus the existing votes, probably still wouldn't be enough for 200 votes.

This plunged him into despair. His initial confidence in his creativity and taste was gradually replaced by anxiety as the videos were played out repeatedly.

Lu Feng faced the same predicament as Gao Mian; the long queue in front of his stall was already quite long.

However, what was limiting his vote growth at this moment was not the lack of interest, but the speed at which the steamed buns were being made.

His three-tiered steamer can only steam twelve items per tier, and it takes ten minutes to steam one batch.

Three steamers of meat buns were served, and three more were brought out – he was practically working non-stop. But when it came to the initial tastings, people only gave a tiny bit at a time. His meat buns were still juicy, so they could only give half a bun to try at a time, which was a huge loss for him.

"I made a mistake." Having never participated in a competition before, he realized his mistake in choosing this one. This competition was not just about skill, but also speed. His competition time was not two hours, but rather the countdown began one hour after the start of the competition.

At this moment, Lu Feng missed the three-tiered steamer that could steam hundreds of buns at a time when he used to set up his stall.

At this moment, Xie Yushan felt an overwhelming longing for the innocent version of herself she had been before entering the venue. She had become decadent, plagued by anxieties and uncertainties. Even with delicious food placed before her, she had learned to hesitate.

Guo Bingqian finally met up with her, bringing pan-fried buns and rice noodle rolls. The two of them were having their final internal struggle.

Should you choose the more popular meat bun, or the equally popular pumpkin pancake next to it, which exudes a sweet aroma, has an adorable shape, and an enticing color?

"Forget it, don't worry about it." Guo Bingqian, a seasoned member who joined the group a week in advance, said, "We'll each queue up for one person. Even if the other one is a little less desirable, we won't regret it."

Xie Yushan nodded. "Okay, let's split up."

A few minutes later, the group of six, who were known as "If you don't lose weight in October, you'll be fat and die in winter," finally gathered together, which should be described as a victorious reunion.

A whopping 18 delicious pastries! Sugar shortbread, pan-fried buns, crystal rice noodle rolls, pumpkin cakes... can be divided into 36 small portions, so everyone can enjoy 6 kinds of food. That's the power of teamwork.

The steamed buns and pumpkin pancakes smelled delicious, but they paled in comparison to all the other delicious food. In the end, they were shared equally by Xie Yushan and Guo Bingqian.

Xie Yushan took a bite of the pumpkin cake first: "Hmm, it's delicious, but it doesn't seem to be as good as a flaky pastry."

"..." Guo Bingqian said, "If they were as delicious as shortbread, you wouldn't have been agonizing over which one to choose for so long."

He took a bite of the pumpkin pancake and said, "It tastes just like I did when I was a kid. The outer layer is fried to a nice crisp, and the pumpkin filling is very sweet, but it's a little oily."

Then he carefully broke the bun open to avoid spilling the soup, handed one half to Xie Yushan, and took a bite of the other half.

The broth bursts in your mouth instantly... fresh, fragrant, and satisfying.

The taste, which should have brought him joy, left him with a slight sense of regret.

"How is it?" Xie Yushan asked.

"You'll know once you try it." He looked at Xie Yushan, who was eagerly awaiting his evaluation, with a complicated expression.

Xie Yushan took a bite. Three seconds later, her eyes widened. Then she chewed for a while and fell silent, before finally saying, "What a rip-off! Pumpkin pancakes only look good; compared to steamed buns, they're nothing."

Guo Bingqian also sighed, "Not having the ability to discern is not a complete loss. I've been eating such delicious meat buns for over twenty years, and this is the first time I've ever tasted one like this."

Unfortunately, they had no more tickets, but even if they had, it would be too late.

The announcements rang out incessantly, and the indicator lights on the central platform were illuminated one by one at a steady frequency.

"Congratulations to contestant number 7 for receiving 200 votes and successfully advancing!" Gao Mian put down the shovel that was about to spark, looking exhausted, but his eyes couldn't hide his excitement.

"I finally made it."

"Congratulations to contestant number 98! You've received 200 votes and successfully advanced!"

Another announcement rang out. Gao Mian knew that yet another contestant had been recommended to advance.

The recommended players were numbered 91 to 100. Of the 10 recommended players, more than half managed to win, and even then, it was a situation that occurred in a relatively obscure corner.

At that moment, the sense of superiority he had derived from his seniority was shattered. This made him realize that he had indeed underestimated these people.

Diners never care about your age, your qualifications, or your lineage. In the world of pastries, and indeed in the entire culinary world, there is ultimately only one truth: deliciousness reigns supreme.

His heart was awe-inspiring.

Number 98, from Lufeng, was the 19th to advance, a close call.

In the distance, Hu Xi glanced at the lit-up 98, pursed her lips, lowered her head, and silently began to pack up her tools.

Wang Sheng stared intently at the number, lost in thought.

Suddenly, he took a step and walked straight towards Lu Feng.