I've been possessed by a culinary genius, and I've turned Shaxian snacks into a rip-off!

Inside the private room.

All seven dishes had been served, and everyone was chatting idly with their teacups in hand.

Originally, the tasting event should have moved on to the final scoring stage at this point. Overall, everyone was quite satisfied with Su Su's new menu for this season. The appetizers were refreshing and the main courses were also of a high standard. However, since everyone present was a seasoned gourmet who had tasted all kinds of food, while they were satisfied, they felt that something was missing and the dishes were a bit too conservative.

They could understand this; the tasting event was related to the grading of the Black Pearl at the end of the year, so it was normal for Su Su to be a little conservative.

Everyone was discussing the comments, but only Old Master Shen Heting was still thinking about Li Zhibai's hasty departure earlier.

With his keen eye, he could tell that the kid was itching to try it and was most likely going to the kitchen to work on that vegetarian braised pork dish.

I just don't know if he can actually make it.

Just as everyone finished chatting and was about to leave after giving their scores,

Su Su walked in carrying a tray, followed by waiters who each carried a covered bowl. They filed in one after another and placed the dishes in front of each guest.

"Please wait a moment, teachers. We have another special dish for you to try today."

Everyone was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.

There were only seven dishes on the menu, so how did an eighth one suddenly appear?

"Boss Su, you've been holding back!" Food columnist Mr. Chen laughed. "I knew it! With Boss Su's expertise and taste, he must have some amazing secrets up his sleeve."

"Then let's see what Boss Su's final dish is."

Su Su immediately signaled the waiters to open the lids of the bowls in front of each guest in turn.

As soon as the lid was lifted, a rich aroma of soy sauce mixed with the scent of meat wafted out. Inside, three pieces of braised pork belly, each a glistening reddish-brown, were placed, with a small mound of rice soaked in the sauce on the side. It looked very appealing.

Those present were all gourmets, each with an incredibly sensitive nose. Just smelling the aroma made many of them raise their eyebrows.

The aroma of this braised pork is just perfect!

When Grandpa Shen Heting saw that the bowl contained braised pork, he was quite surprised.

He had only shared a few ideas with the kid, and the kid went off to do the experiment and actually succeeded.

It's efficient enough.

Shen Heting picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork, and examined it carefully.

The color is a beautiful reddish-brown, with the sauce clinging to the surface of the meat. The oil has a very natural sheen, and the marbling between the lean and fat is clearly visible. Even the translucent gelatinous layer on the skin is rendered with remarkable realism.

If he hadn't known the answer beforehand, he would never have doubted that it was a real piece of braised pork.

I just don't know how it tastes. The most likely way to fail with imitation meat dishes is not in their appearance, but in their texture and taste.

While the gourmets were still observing the appearance of the braised pork in the bowl, Li Zhibai returned to his seat and sat down.

Lin Qingyuan, who was sitting diagonally opposite him, glanced at him, feeling a little puzzled.

Where did Li Heizi go just now? He's acting all mysterious.

She didn't think too much about it, and her eyes were once again drawn to the braised pork in front of her.

It has to be said that the meat looked really good, more appetizing than many of the local Shanghainese restaurants she had eaten at.

Just as she was about to pick up her chopsticks and start eating, she suddenly noticed a small, newly printed piece of paper on the side of the bowl. She picked it up and scanned it; it had two lines of text and a QR code printed on it.

[Su Hongchen Special Offer: 199 RMB/piece, 3 pieces for a total of 597 RMB. Scan the QR code to pay; no credit allowed!]

[Note: This dish is provided by Shaxian Snacks.]

Lin Qingyuan: "......."

Lin Qingyuan looked up at Li Zhibai sitting opposite her.

The guy was looking at her with a bright smile, as if to say: How about that? Didn't expect that, did you? Surprised? Unexpected?

Lin Qingyuan immediately gritted her teeth, making a grinding sound.

Li Zhibai! Li Heizi!

And you say you don't hold grudges!

Could someone kindly include a payment QR code when tasting the food?

Lin Qingyuan is likely to become the first person in Jiangcheng's culinary scene to pay for her own food at a tasting event.

Lin Qingyuan gritted her teeth, took out her phone, turned on the camera, and scanned the QR code. Just as she was about to pay, she hesitated.

Reason told her she couldn't pay; if she did, she would fall into Li Heizi's trap.

But if she didn't pay, she would feel uneasy, as if she owed this guy something.

I'd rather not eat it at all.

However, when she saw the other guests who had been invited to the tasting start eating, she suddenly felt that it would be inappropriate not to eat, and that others would definitely think she was impolite.

They were caught in a dilemma.

I can't just show this QR code to everyone, that would be like publicly slapping my best friend Su Su in the face. After all, this is her shop, and I can't just flip the table like that.

She also felt that Su Su probably didn't know that Li Heizi had secretly slipped her a note.

never mind!

Consider it a lesson learned!

After some struggle, she finally paid and joined the new group of people who had been ripped off by Li Heizi.

Lin Qingyuan crumpled the note into a ball and threw it into the trash can under the table before picking up her chopsticks and taking out a piece of braised pork.

Before eating, she repeatedly told herself that no matter how it tasted, she had to act like it was just average and absolutely could not show any surprise or amazement. She absolutely could not let Li Heizi look down on her.

However, after just one bite, she almost couldn't hold back and nearly screamed.

The soft, smooth texture and rich, savory flavor exploded in her mouth, as if countless tiny hooks were simultaneously catching every taste bud on her tongue.

Then, the freshness of the mushrooms and the lingering aroma of the roses surged up layer by layer, creating a very strong sense of depth.

In that instant, she felt like an ice cube being thrown into hot water, melting away little by little from the outside in.

good to eat!

It's so delicious!!!

She finally understood.

Now I finally understand why those guys in the group are all acting like they've been drugged, cursing Li Heizi while still going to Shaxian every day without fail.

Now I finally understand why Su Su was willing to become an apprentice of a Shaxian snack shop owner.

I finally understand why Yang Chongwu, who had already left his job to start his own business, suddenly became like a completely different person after eating at Shaxian Restaurant.

It's truly an absolute delicacy!

Lin Qingyuan barely managed to control her emotions and maintain her aloof and indifferent mature woman's face with her immense willpower.

Don't lose your composure!

Absolutely must not lose composure!

Especially in front of Li Heizi, she absolutely could not let him see that she had been won over by his cooking.

After controlling her expression, Lin Qingyuan silently ate the remaining two pieces of meat and the clump of rice inside, leaving nothing behind. She even used a spoon to scrape the remaining sauce from the bottom of the bowl, leaving nothing behind.

After finishing her meal, she put down her chopsticks, elegantly wiped her mouth with a tissue, and remained calm and composed.

This scene made the surrounding food connoisseurs secretly admire him. As expected of a senior executive of a large company, President Lin could remain calm in the face of such delicious food, unlike them, who had completely lost their composure and were praising the braised pork.

"This braised pork is delicious, with a rich, savory sauce that's fatty but not greasy."

"Indeed, the meat is tender and the sauce has reduced beautifully. Boss Su has really kept this dish a secret."

"......."

The only regret is that it seems to be missing something.

It's not that it's not tasty, but braised pork is a bit too home-style and lacks a bit of creativity.

It wasn't until after Old Master Shen Heting finished eating the first piece of meat that he spoke up and commented:

"Great, that's wonderful!"

"This vegetarian braised pork with winter melon is truly amazing, capturing both its appearance and flavor, and is incredibly delicious!"

Everyone was stunned by these words.

Vegetarian?

impossible?

This meat, in terms of appearance, taste, and even texture, is clearly braised pork!

The only difference was that it tasted slightly lighter than the braised pork they had eaten before. They originally thought that some special ingredients or seasonings were used, just like the rose fragrance in it. They all guessed that rose fermented bean curd was used.

Now, Mr. Shen actually claims it's purely vegetarian, made with winter melon.

"Is this really vegetarian?"

"Boss Su, is this really vegetarian braised pork?"

Su Su nodded, giving an affirmative answer.

"Old Shen is right. This new dish is called Vegetarian Red Dust, and it is indeed a pure vegetarian braised pork made with winter melon as the main ingredient."

The people in the private room instantly erupted in excitement.

"I'll go!"

"Boss Su, this dish of yours is such a wonderful surprise!"

"This braised pork is so realistic in every aspect, from its shape and color to its aroma and taste, that I could really tell the difference just now."

"That's incredible!"

"..."

Lin Qingyuan sat there, her expression dazed as she listened to the discussion.

She looked down at the bowl in front of her again, which was as clean as if a dog had licked it, and felt it was unbelievable.

No, is this fake braised pork?

So she just spent 597 yuan and only ate three pieces of winter melon?