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

Wang Sheng stood in front of Lu Feng.

"Congratulations," Wang Sheng said. "You must have heard what Hu Xi and I said on purpose before. I hope you don't take it to heart."

He tried to make his tone sound more sincere, "Master was right about me."

Lu Feng watched him quietly. In his view, Wang Sheng's face showed a hint of relief, as if he had found a dignified way to make amends for his previous disdain.

But he was not moved by this self-righteous sincerity.

He had long been accustomed to this world. As a newcomer to the workforce, he thought he was indispensable, working overtime late into the night and giving it his all. He thought that working a few less overtime shifts wouldn't matter, after all, he had become a key member of the company.

No matter how hard I tried, I was just a dispensable tool for the company. The boss wouldn't show any sympathy because he had a sick grandmother; he only cared about the data on the reports and the output value of his employees.

The Earth can keep turning no matter who is gone, but human joys and sorrows are not the same for everyone.

The boss even tried to force Lu Feng to resign voluntarily, which is why he couldn't even get N+1.

He heard Wang Sheng's earlier taunts, but that was all.

In the past, he might have been angry, but now it doesn't stir much emotion within him. His grandmother's medical expenses, his master's wish, and the system's tasks are all more tangible goals.

"I can tell you, you don't need to think too much about it," Lu Feng said. "I didn't take it to heart. I'm only grateful that Master Xie Zong was willing to give me a recommendation opportunity."

I saw through his heart, and the retreating figures of others. He didn't care about me; he only cared about the honor of Xingcheng's pastry industry.

Wang Sheng was somewhat taken aback by these lukewarm words. He thought Lu Feng would respond with sarcasm, but he didn't; his sincerity felt like a punch landing on cotton.

Wang Sheng's prepared follow-up was rendered useless. He had originally wanted to say that she was the only one from Xingcheng to make it to the finals, hoping to bring glory to Xingcheng's pastry circle, and to say a few high-sounding words.

Wang Sheng opened his mouth, but didn't say anything more. He watched Lu Feng turn around and follow the staff to the lounge.

As Lu Feng walked, his mind was far from at peace.

The nineteenth.

This data clearly shows that among the twenty finalists in the preliminary round, he was at a disadvantage. Although he hadn't tasted the other contestants' dishes, the diners' choices spoke volumes.

He and Wang Sheng were so similar. Wang Sheng was basking in the glory of inheriting the legacy of Biranju and feeling smug.

And what about myself? Haven't I also completed one so-called difficult, but actually dangerous, task after another under the protection of the system?

S-rank cuisine is a level that many chefs in the otherworld of gourmet food can never reach in their lifetime, but it is only the starting threshold for a master pastry chef.

In this world, the pastries made with the system's ingredients are nothing short of amazing for ordinary people. But once he loses these, won't he be reduced to his original state?

Using ordinary flour and pork, what he made would probably be so bad that even the system wouldn't approve of it; it might barely qualify as an A-grade.

He was telling Wang Sheng the truth; he had no right to look down on others.

Cao Jianjia, how old is this girl? She crushed me, who relied on the system's proficiency, with her own strength.

Stepping into the players' lounge, the atmosphere was completely different from the hustle and bustle outside. Everyone was sitting there with their eyes closed, resting, and not many people knew each other.

Once everyone was present, the host walked to the front, clapped his hands, and said, "Congratulations to the twenty contestants who have successfully advanced. Thank you for your hard work! Please take a short break."

"In one hour, at exactly 11:00 AM, we will continue the semi-final competition!"

All the contestants' eyes were focused on it.

The host opened the cue card in his hand and clearly read out, "The rules for the semi-finals are as follows."

"First, the remaining eighty contestants who did not advance will join our twenty specially invited judges to form a 100-member judging panel!"

"Secondly, each contestant who advances to the next round must prepare one hundred small portions of their dish within two hours for the judging panel to taste and vote on."

Third, the top ten contestants with the most votes will advance to tonight's final competition!

Before the words were even finished, a murmur of gasps filled the lounge. Peer review! This meant the reviewers themselves were experts. Their eyes would be more discerning, and their standards more stringent.

Lu Feng's heart sank when he heard this rule.

Oh no, I was too eager to show off in front of Wang Sheng. I didn't expect him to become one of the judges too.

It was clearly my fault for treating him so coldly! He meant well! Is it too late for me to go back and kneel down to accept Wang Sheng's apology?

The host continued, "Considering that the judges in the second round are all acquaintances, to avoid favoritism affecting fairness, this round will be a blind selection."

"All entries will be prepared, numbered, and submitted uniformly in the kitchen. Before voting, the judges will not know which entry corresponds to which contestant. Voting is based entirely on the quality of the entries themselves."

The host paused, his gaze falling on Lu Feng. "So, the contestant wearing the Ultraman mask, you can take it off now. Anyway, no one can see who you are."

Suddenly, several pairs of eyes instinctively turned to Lu Feng.

"Wearing a mask. Are you talking about me? Do I want to wear it? But it's a system rule, I can't help it. Even if no one's around, I have to wear it." Lu Feng could only reply, "There shouldn't be a rule saying I can't wear a mask, right?"

The host paused for a moment, then gave an understanding smile and said no more, instead beginning to introduce other precautions.

Lu Feng breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Blind trial, huh? Then it's alright. He had just stood up, ready to go back and accept Wang Sheng's apology, but hearing this, he sat back down with relief. Now that he thinks about it, Wang Sheng's two-faced approach before and after the fact wasn't necessarily right.

"This time, in addition to the eighty contestants and judges, there are twenty special invited judges, including heavyweights such as Fu Shanyao, vice president of the National Chefs Association and president of the Pastry Chefs Branch, and Qi Baiwei, executive director of the National Food Association and president of the Lucheng Branch..." The host introduced the special invited judges one by one.

In addition to the ten industry experts, Yang Song, a professional reviewer from the Meizhong platform, was also fortunate enough to be selected.

"What? You're a judge?" Yang Song's companion couldn't help but exclaim, "What incredible luck did you have to get picked?"

The so-called professional reviewers on the Meizhong platform are ultimately amateurs; there are hundreds of them in just one city. It's like randomly drawing Yang Song—even harder than drawing an SSR card; it's truly a one-shot kill.

"What? You're a judge?" Xie Yushan and the others stared blankly at their group leader, Song Zhihui, also known as the guy with the online name "Paper-Wrapped Chicken King," hardly believing their eyes.

"Keep it low-key, keep it low-key," Song Zhihui chuckled. "Luck is also a part of ability."

"Group owner, aren't you going to lose weight?" Guo Bingqian leaned closer and said, "How about this, I'll go for you, so you can avoid the suffering of carbs."

The others joined in the fun, saying, "How can we let the group leader go through such suffering? Let us go instead! How can you experience the joy of dieting without going through carb hell!"

"Get out of here! If I don't go to hell, who will?" Song Zhihui said with a benevolent expression. "You all go lose weight first. I'll definitely join you tomorrow!"

As the clock struck eleven, every contestant was ready in the kitchen.

Lu Feng took a deep breath and looked at the light screen in front of him, finally feeling a little more confident.