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

"this……"

The first to utter that short exclamation was Wang Sheng.

He accidentally broke open the small steamed bun, but it seemed like he heard something snap.

He brought the broken piece of steamed bun close to his eyes and saw that inside, there were layers upon layers, as thin as rice paper, yet clearly distinct and continuous, as if one could count hundreds of layers!

His unusual behavior drew Hu Xi's attention, who also stared wide-eyed, immediately recognizing the classic creation among these steamed buns: "A thousand-layer steamed bun! It's a thousand-layer steamed bun!"

More judges were drawn to the task, and they too began to break open the small steamed buns in their hands.

Yang Song's disdain froze again. His previous remark, "Anyone can make this steamed bun," seemed like a boomerang, delivering an invisible slap to his own face.

He picked up the steamed bun and carefully broke it open. The truth was right in front of him: such a small bun had so many layers, each layer tightly fitted together yet not sticking together.

He was so astonished because he had eaten and understood the thousand-layer steamed buns before. There was a century-old shop in Lucheng that made exquisite thousand-layer steamed buns, which Yang Song often bought to eat, but even they could only make what was claimed to be eighty-one layers.

The steamed bun in my hand was even more ingeniously made than the one from that century-old shop.

"No, the more layers a thousand-layer steamed bun has, the less chewy it becomes, and it's just a pretty face." Yang Song still refused to believe it, put the steamed bun in his mouth, and started chewing.

However, the purest flour, water, and yeast, the simple combination that produces this original flavor, struck his taste buds and perception like a heavy hammer.

This is not a steamed bun that "anyone can make." It is clearly the result of refining the most basic ingredients and techniques to the ultimate level of craftsmanship!

No, this isn't craftsmanship, this is the art of fucking!

He held the remaining half of the steamed bun, speechless for a long time.

The young judge who had called out "Wangzai Little Buns" was now slowly chewing on the buns, savoring them. As he tasted them, his eyes brightened. "So soft yet chewy! What an amazing texture! Even though there's no filling, it's more fragrant and sweeter than if there were."

The other judges also discovered the secret one after another, and exclamations of surprise and admiration rose and fell.

"It's truly a thousand-layer cake! Look at me, tearing it off layer by layer, like turning the pages of a book!"

"How many times do you have to fold it? How many times do you have to roll it out? How steady do you have to be?"

"Try it! The texture... is amazing!"

Song Zhihui was wondering if the selling point of these mini steamed buns was really, as others joked, that their main selling point was cuteness.

Just as she was wondering how to take a picture to show off in front of her friends, she heard the exclamation and tried to bend it with her hands.

Sure enough, when she gently pried it open, the inside was like layers of pages in a book, and she carefully tore off a small piece.

She held the thin sheet up to her eyes, facing the light overhead; the sheet was so thin it was almost transparent.

"My God..." Song Zhihui forgot to take a picture and share it. She put the small slice of steamed bun into her mouth. It didn't have the melt-in-your-mouth feeling she had imagined. But then again, not all food can melt in your mouth.

It has a faint, fresh aroma, like that of new wheat.

"Is that all?" She felt this was not what she expected from the steamed bun. She turned to look at the judges next to her, only to see them chewing it with relish.

Song Zhihui almost forgot that a steamed bun is meant to be eaten; if you peel it apart layer by layer, it's no longer a steamed bun.

She took a small bite and immediately felt the subtle chewiness. The steamed bun required a biting force to break open; as each layer of dough broke apart, the aroma of the wheat seemed to be released. The more she chewed, the more clearly she could feel the subtle fragrance growing richer, providing a lasting sense of satisfaction, and the more she chewed, the more flavorful it became.

She suddenly remembered a song, "If you're willing, peel away my heart layer by layer."

"You will discover, you will be surprised, you will discover my most repressed and deepest secret."

That is, steamed buns taste best when you're actually eating them.

"It's really ingenious." Qi Baiwei took a bite and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, but his expression was somewhat complicated.

He already knew who had done it based on such skill and technique.

"These young people today are truly remarkable," Fu Shandong couldn't help but exclaim. "They are truly masters of seemingly simple things."

Seeing that the tasting session was nearing its end, the host turned on the microphone, cleared his throat, and said, "Distinguished judges, the tasting time is over. Please make a comprehensive judgment based on the color, aroma, taste, and other aspects of the dishes, as well as their relevance to the theme of this round. Cast your vote for your five favorite dishes using the voting devices in your hands. Three minutes left, let's begin."

On either side of the long table, some judges made their selections without hesitation, like Song Zhihui, who nodded repeatedly, "No need to think, shortbread, steamed buns, shrimp dumplings..."

Some people pondered over the names of the pastries, thinking it over and over again before pressing the button.

Yang Song hesitated. He knew that the layered steamed buns were good enough, and even experienced chefs with decades of experience could not make them with the same level of texture and taste, but he felt that he could not get past his mental hurdle.

After selecting the other four, it took him a long time before he pressed a button heavily, his expression complex.

Wang Sheng and Hu Xi were both preliminary contestants and members of the judging panel.

"Brother Xi, which ones do you think are better?"

"Except for that vegetable pancake, I feel that everything is better than what I make." Hu Xi felt that the more delicious the food tasted, the more bitter it tasted inside.

Only by stepping out into the world can you realize that there are always people more capable than you, and that there is always something beyond your understanding.

"Let's vote." Wang Sheng also had a wry smile on his face. "I don't know what Lu Feng is up to."

Three minutes passed quickly.

"Voting is closed!" the host announced. "Now, let's reveal the final results of the semi-finals! Big screen, please display the vote count!"

All the contestants walked out of the kitchen, and everyone's eyes were instantly focused on the huge electronic screen in the center of the venue.

The numbers began to scroll, starting with the lowest number of votes. Each time a number appeared, the host repeated it to make sure everyone could hear it.

"20th place, vegetable pancake, 0 votes."

"Twenty...twentieth place?" A hoarse voice rang out, trembling with disbelief. Gao Mian stared intently at the screen, at the glaring zero votes.

His face turned from red to white, then from white to green, and he muttered, "How is this possible?"

He deliberately saved it for the semi-finals, but his famous vegetable pancakes didn't get a single vote in front of the 100-person professional judging panel.

It would have been better if we hadn't made it to the semifinals.

Regardless of the outcome, those recommended candidates he mocked were probably far superior to him in the eyes of the judges.

A burning sense of shame and immense loss instantly gripped Gao Mian.

He recalled his smugness during the preliminary rounds and his disdain for the contestants in the corners... but reality dealt him the cruelest blow.

Faced with truly demanding professional scrutiny, his work proved surprisingly uncompetitive. He suddenly found himself unable to look up at the gazes of those around him.

No one cared about his thoughts; they just listened to the host announce the scores of one person after another.

"6th place, Spicy Crayfish Noodles, 23 votes."

……

"4th place, Jujube and Yam Cake, 76 votes."

"Third place, Jade Shrimp Dumplings, 76 votes."

"Number 2..."