In the 1970s, it started with contracting out communal dining.

Ma Dayong watched everything unfold before his eyes, feeling as if it were all so unreal.

Why would a renowned chef like Chef Yang be so interested in Chen Wei, a newcomer to the industry?

Chef Yang spent the most time with me just now, and even nodded and praised my work. How come when it came to Chen Wei, he insisted on taking me as his apprentice?

Could it be that he missed some plot point? Did it turn into that moment when he bent down to pick up his pen during math class?

Completely bewildered, Ma Dayong felt a sudden dizziness, his face flushed red, and even the veins on his forehead bulged.

"There's something fishy going on! I'm going to report you! There's definitely something fishy going on!"

Ignoring the fact that they were still at the competition venue, Ma Dayong screamed, instantly attracting the attention of the judges and other participants who all turned to look at him.

There's something fishy going on!

Even if Chen Wei is exceptionally talented, he's just an apprentice who's only been handling a kitchen knife for a month! How could he possibly have culinary skills that would amaze even seasoned chefs with decades of experience?

It's his uncle, Chen Jianguo! It must be him!

Before entering the competition venue, Ma Dayong saw Chen Jianguo personally escorting his nephew to the competition. That guy has a lot of money and power, so he might have made arrangements with the venue in advance!

This isn't a competition at all; it's clearly a scapegoat!

Ma Dayong became even more determined in his idea. As if he had grasped the last straw, his voice grew louder and louder, and he was almost running around the entire venue shouting.

"No! Comrades, this isn't right! That kid! That kid's only been at the factory for a little over half a month, and he'd never even touched a kitchen knife before! If he really had that skill, I, Ma Dayong, would twist my head off and let you guys kick it around like a ball!"

Ma Dayong spoke with great excitement, waving his arms as if he wanted all the contestants around him to look at him.

"I, Ma Dayong, have been learning to cook for two and a half years, and only now have I barely acquired this skill! Even so, I'm a big shot in our restaurant! Everyone, open your eyes and look! Honestly, how could an apprentice who's only been learning for half a month possibly have this skill!"

But after shouting for a long time, he saw that the contestants on the field all closed their eyes as if they had agreed to do so.

As if they hadn't heard him at all, not a single person responded.

Not a single person dared to look up at Ma Dayong.

What's going on here!

Ma Dayong didn't understand!

But the next moment, a stern shout came from the judges' panel above.

"It seems this comrade surnamed Ma has some doubts about the fairness of the competition I'm hosting?" Yang Limin said with a gloomy face, looking sinister. Coupled with his short stature and droopy triangular eyes, he was someone to be wary of.

"Comrade Ma, you probably haven't heard of my name, Yang Limin? I'm a man who values ​​fairness and impartiality above all else, and I despise those who pull strings and use connections! You actually said there's something fishy about this competition? Fine! I'll give you that opportunity to taste Chen Wei's cooking for yourself!"

"Fine, I'll try it. I want to see what kind of magical concoction he's made that can fool all of you!"

Before Chen Wei could react, he saw the impatient Ma Dayong rushing towards him in three quick steps.

Ma Dayong snatched the chopsticks and spoon from Chen Wei's hand, and as if he had never seen food before, he picked up the two dishes in front of him and stuffed them into his mouth like swallowing dates whole.

This series of actions left Chen Wei dumbfounded.

He thought to himself, "Seriously, bro? I didn't say you couldn't eat it!"

But then, the moment Ma Dayong swallowed those two bites of food, his eyes widened in surprise.

What was that flavor? The pork was tender and juicy, the preserved mustard greens were salty and fragrant, the sauce had a sweet aftertaste, and the pig's trotters were incredibly smooth and tender. The trotters melted on the tip of the tongue with just a touch.

Although mixing the two dishes slightly affected the flavor of each dish.

But Ma Dayong still managed to appreciate the exquisite craftsmanship of Chenwei.

This dish...

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

What kind of genius would it take to achieve this in just half a month?

Back when he first entered the kitchen, he hadn't even touched the handle of a cleaver in half a month!

Even so, his former master would praise Ma Dayong to everyone he met, saying he was a natural-born chef!

Ma Dayong immediately lowered his head, his eyes filled with disbelief, and his face turned deathly pale.

His face turned from white to green, then from green to purple, and finally became a naked, bleeding, swollen red.

It looked like he'd been slapped twice in public by someone.

But in reality, Chen Wei's dish felt like a heavy slap to Ma Dayong's face, making him wish he could go back to the moment and cover up the words he was about to say.

Turning around blankly to see the gazes of all the other contestants gathering around him, Ma Dayong felt a chill run through his body.

He felt like he was in the dead of winter during the hottest summer.

Yang Limin, who was sitting at the head of the table, clearly noticed Ma Dayong's shock and gave a cold snort.

"What do you have to say now?!"

"I...I..." Ma Dayong stammered for a long time, unable to utter the words of dissatisfaction that were stuck in his throat.

What's the use of being dissatisfied?

The outcome is already decided. Are we going to have another match and embarrass him again?

Cold sweat poured down Ma Dayong's face and into his collar. He stood there blankly, feeling dizzy and as if he was about to faint.

It would be better if he actually fainted, but the problem is he didn't!

Someone suddenly whispered something.

"Hey, this guy's still not convinced? He doesn't even know what kind of person he is!"

The speaker's voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the silent stadium heard it clearly.

Another contestant immediately followed up.

"What do you mean, buddy? You know this guy surnamed Ma?"

"Of course! I've heard of him! He's no good! I heard he used to work as a kitchen helper at a state-run restaurant in Huizhou, and he got into an argument with a customer and ended up throwing boiling oil all over him!"

"Oh? Is that true? What happened to that person afterwards?"

"What can he do? Second-degree burns! This incident has been all over the place locally. It's only because Huizhou is so far away that you don't know about this guy surnamed Ma! He knelt before that family for three days and three nights, and paid them a lot of money before they let him go! Otherwise, they would have definitely sent him to the police station! But he's still acting impulsively even after he got back!"

These words struck Ma Dayong's heart like a series of heavy hammer blows.

He looked back in disbelief, trying to spot the person who had exposed his past among the dozens of contestants present.

But when he looked around, he saw that everyone in the competition was glaring at him, and for a moment he couldn't tell who the leaker was.