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

Inside the private room.

A group of prominent figures in the food industry were marveling at a dish of vegetarian braised pork made with winter melon.

"I've never tasted anything so delicious in all these years when I've made braised pork with winter melon. Boss Su, your kitchen team is really well-hidden."

"Indeed, being able to cook vegetarian dishes to this level is not just a matter of skill, but also a new level of understanding of ingredients."

"The layers of flavor in this sauce, the perfect balance of salty and sweet, and the lingering hint of rose at the end—it's better than many local Shanghai-style restaurants that serve real meat."

"Boss Su, could you make this dish in bulk? I'm having a private dinner next week, and I happen to have a few vegetarian friends there..."

Su Su stood aside listening, her face full of smiles, but she felt a little ashamed.

This dish was indeed amazing, but it had absolutely nothing to do with her being the owner and head chef.

This was something her master had just developed in the kitchen.

She subconsciously glanced at her master, Li Zhibai, whose expression remained unchanged, but his right hand secretly pressed the buttons on his phone under the table.

ding~~

Su Su's phone vibrated.

She took out her phone, opened WeChat, and secretly glanced at it.

[Sister Su, could you please ask that teacher who mentioned wanting to host a private banquet? What's his budget? Don't accept any invitations with less than 3,000 yuan per person; it's beneath his class!]

Su Su: "........"

Just as the gourmets were still surrounding Su Su, asking her about the details of how the vegetarian braised pork was made, Grandpa Shen Heting finished eating the three pieces of vegetarian meat and put down his chopsticks.

With just this simple action, everyone instantly fell silent, wanting to hear his final evaluation.

"Xiao Su, this old man enjoyed the meal today. I thought you were going to take a conservative approach today, something conventional and nothing to surprise you."

"I didn't expect you to serve me such a delicious dish at the last minute."

"Today's vegetarian braised pork is very well made. It uses very ordinary ingredients but creates braised pork that is so realistic that it can be mistaken for real braised pork. This is where the chef's skills are truly tested."

"The essence of cooking can be summed up in eight words: make the most of ingredients and bring out the best flavors."

"You did it!"

After Shen Heting finished speaking, a round of applause immediately erupted in the private room.

Hearing such high praise from him, Su Su was flattered: "Thank you for your comments, Elder Shen. I will keep them in mind."

The next step is the final part of the tasting event: scoring.

The food critics picked up their pens and began to score and write reviews for each dish.

The evaluation scores came out quickly.

The first seven dishes scored between 8 and 9 points, but the last dish received a perfect score of 10.

The overall average score is over 9 points.

Based on this average score, the Black Pearl's rating at the end of the year is basically secure.

Su Su was extremely excited.

She spent a lot of time and energy adjusting the dishes during this period, and at this moment she finally reaped the rewards.

Although she didn't make the final dish herself, she still passed this test.

Just then, a system notification sounded in Li Zhibai's mind.

Ding!

[The host has been detected to have won over numerous culinary authorities with their independently developed dishes, receiving unanimous praise.]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained 1 Shard of Sharpness.]

[Current number of Edge Shards: 2/3, only one shard is needed to unlock the third Gourmet Heart.]

Li Zhibai was overjoyed; he had obtained the second fragment of the Sharp Edge.

Collect one more to unlock the third Food Heart, then the daily limit will be increased by 10 people, bringing him one step closer to his grand plan of ripping off customers with a lottery system.

Cool!

However, before he could be happy for long, he suddenly realized a problem.

That's not right!

He developed a new divine dish, vegetarian braised pork, which should be considered a testament to his love of food, right?

There should be a reward, right?

But this damn system never mentioned any rewards from beginning to end.

"System, come out!"

[Is there anything I can help you with, host?]

"Have you forgotten something? I previously developed a divine dish. Shouldn't you give me another Heart of Gourmet Food? Where is my Heart of Gourmet Food?"

[Su Hongchen is a variant of the braised pork belly dish, and in the culinary hierarchy, it belongs to the second Gourmet Heart, but is not counted as a separate Gourmet Heart.]

"No way, you call this a variant? The ingredients are completely different. You're not trying to steal my reward on purpose, are you?"

"How is what you're doing any different from those unscrupulous capitalists who call overtime a blessing?!"

【...】

[Host, please be patient. The third Gourmet Heart is the complete node. All rewards will be distributed after you collect all three Edge Fragments and successfully unlock the node.]

"So you mean there's a reward? Give me a hint, what kind of reward is it?"

The host will naturally find out at that time.

"Don't give me that, just tell me now."

There will be no surprise if I tell you now.

"I don't want surprises, I want tangible things! Give me back what's mine!"

The system simply went silent, no matter how much Li Zhibai called out to it in his mind, it no longer responded.

"He's obviously guilty; all he can do is play dead!"

"If the reward isn't generous enough after I collect the third fragment, I'll cook stinky tofu and durian stir-fry in the kitchen every day until you, you stingy system, are driven mad by the smell!"

...........

The tasting event concluded in a harmonious and pleasant atmosphere.

The food critics left one after another, each exchanging a few polite words with Su Su before departing, and some even exchanging business cards.

Su Su provided excellent service, personally escorting each guest to the restaurant entrance.

In the end, only Shen Heting remained.

The old man didn't leave immediately. He waited until everyone had left before turning to Li Zhibai and saying:

"Little Li."

"What are your instructions, Elder Shen?"

"You did a good job with the vegetarian braised pork today."

"So, are you satisfied with your meal?"

Shen Heting nodded and praised, "You are indeed very talented. The most difficult thing about vegetarian dishes that imitate meat is the soul. You have not only found the soul, but also given it spirit. This is no longer a matter of technique, but your understanding of ingredients has reached the threshold of the Tao."

"From now on, cook well and don't waste your talent. You will definitely have a place in the future of China's culinary world."

Hearing this, Li Zhibai felt a little proud.

The fact that a former state banquet chef could give such an evaluation to his junior speaks volumes.

"Grandpa, I'm embarrassed by your praise."

"You're still embarrassed?"

Shen Heting chuckled and said, "When you were walking around the table with the QR code, asking people to add you on WeChat, I didn't see anything embarrassing about it."

Li Zhibai: "..."

"Alright, I'm leaving now. Come visit me sometime; I've hidden away a few cakes of aged Pu'er tea. I'll treat you to some." Shen Heting said.

"Definitely!" Li Zhibai nodded repeatedly, thinking to himself: Drinking tea is good. After drinking tea, we can chat about those rich gourmets you know and trick a few of them into coming to his Shaxian restaurant for dinner.

Shen Heting then exchanged a few more polite words with him and Su Su before leaving.