Era: You're asked to cook a home-style dish, but you cook Wellington.

Nangong Ming glanced at his younger brother's smile; it wasn't asking for his opinion, but rather him showing off to everyone.

He boasted that under Nangong Qinglang's tutelage, such a promising talent had emerged. He boasted that the conservatives were more capable than the reformers, and that the methods of the ancestors should not be changed.

He sighed, feeling utterly exhausted. If it weren't for the vow he made years ago to restore the glory of the Nangong family, he would have truly wanted to abandon everything, take his wife and children, and leave for a distant land, so he wouldn't have to face all this turmoil anymore.

Nangong Ming sighed and slowly spoke.

"The lion's head meatballs made by Qu Xiaozi conform to the ancestral recipe and can be said to be excellent."

His brief statement, intended to silence the crowd, was interpreted by Nangong Qinglang as lavish praise on Nangong Qu.

Nangong Qinglang raised his head even higher, as if he were the master of this place, standing at the highest point, looking down on everyone.

As Nangong Qu watched this scene, his anger grew even stronger.

"Gao Yang, did you see that? Even the patriarch is praising me like that. What makes you think you can compare to me?"

"You can still back out now. Leave now, give me a workbench, and we'll call it a day. In a little while, they'll start reducing the sauce, and then you won't be able to leave even if you want to."

Perhaps out of pride, Nangong Qu's voice was extremely loud, showing no regard for others.

Of course, in Gao Yang's view, his remarks were not much different from those about exhaustion.

Gao Yang shook his head. He really couldn't hold it in; the corners of his mouth were harder to suppress than the recoil of an AK.

He took a deep breath, ignoring Nangong Qu, and instead focused more intently on finishing his lion's head.

Gao Yang did not make it according to his memory. Instead, he first looked at Nangong Qu's technique and then made a replica.

He knew all too well that the Nangong family was extremely pedantic, and ordinary victories would not convince them; on the contrary, they would be regarded as mere tricks and gimmicks.

Su Wanqing brought him here mainly to discuss cooperation, so let's let these people experience our true strength.

He subtly exerted force with his right hand, his eyes fixed intently on the stove in front of him.

During the production process, he improved many of the incorrect techniques of Nangong Qu, and now he is in his comfort zone when it comes to controlling the heat.

Inside the cast iron pot, the braising sauce was bubbling away.

His eyes were fixed on the changes in color, and his nose was constantly sniffing to see if the aroma was strong. Every sense was activated to the extreme, as if he were not making a dish, but a scientific experiment that could determine the life or death of tens of thousands of people.

Meanwhile, those conservatives off the field, seeing Gao Yang in this state, assumed he was just too nervous and afraid of losing the match, and they seized every opportunity to mock him.

"Look, look, Gao Yang is so nervous he can't stand it anymore. He's holding a pot handle and acting like a wooden doll."

"Yeah, they actually came to compete with this? Aren't they afraid of losing face?"

"If I had known he was this bad, I wouldn't have needed Nangong Qu; I could have done it myself. It's a pity I don't have the chance now. I'm destined to never be at the control panel."

The voices of the conservative disciples continued to rise, and the situation on the field seemed to be completely one-sided.

Although the reformers hoped that Gao Yang would win, looking at the scene, they also felt that the probability of winning the competition was extremely slim, so they all shut their mouths.

Nangong Hong and Nangong Lian clenched their fists. Having witnessed Gao Yang's methods, they felt a surge of anger for no reason upon seeing this scene.

They understood that Gao Yang was deliberately letting them win, but these people were still acting like they knew everything.

Just kidding. Who is Su Wanqing? Would the chef she brought be bad?

You can figure it out if you use your brain.

It seems that the Nangong family has been in seclusion for too long. Not only have their techniques become outdated, but their thinking ability has also declined significantly, leaving them only able to follow the crowd.

Su Wanqing saw through their thoughts, curled the corners of her lips, and gestured for them to relax.

She could also see that Gao Yang was hiding his true abilities, and she could also see that Gao Yang was preparing to defeat her opponent in her own field using the methods that the opponent was good at.

"No rush, just wait for the results."

Nangong Ming glanced at Su Wanqing without showing any emotion, secretly cursing in his heart.

From the moment this woman entered the Nangong family home, she maintained a detached expression, as if she were indifferent to everything.

This clearly shows he was confident and in control, like an emperor in complete control.

My poor, silly younger brother is still smug about it, just because I praised him.

With such a person, how could the Nangong family not perish?

Nangong Ming shook his head and continued to look at the arena, hoping that the competition would end quickly and teach everyone a lesson so that they would understand that there are always people more capable than themselves.

As the sun gradually climbed to its zenith, its warm rays bathed the open space in the inner courtyard, and the aroma of lion's head meatballs filled the air, making everyone present swallow hard.

Nangong Qu's braised lion's head meatballs were the first to be completed.

He carried a white porcelain plate and walked up to Nangong Ming with his head held high.

Please provide your comments.

Everyone turned to look.

On the white porcelain plate, the lion's head lay quietly on a base of green vegetables, the dark red broth completely covering it, making it look glossy and shiny, reflecting an extraordinary luster under the sun.

Wisps of heat rose from the lion's head, making it clear at a glance that it was no ordinary item.

"Look, Nangong Qu's cooking skills have improved again."

"Yes, when I competed with him last month, he didn't bring out any dishes like this. He must have been hiding his true abilities then, but now he's showing them all."

"I think Gao Yang's dish is not even worth comparing. With this level of completion, any other dish would pale in comparison."

Discussions surged like a tide, and Nangong Ming listened to them with a satisfied smile, his lips almost reaching his ears.

He put so much effort into making this dish just for this moment, this feeling, and he was determined to enjoy it.

Nangong Ming's eyes sharpened.

"Young Qu has improved again."

His voice was neither warm nor cold.

After watching the entire performance, Nangong Ming could naturally see many shortcomings in Nangong Qu, but at least the final product presented was not a major problem.

He picked up a kitchen knife and applied pressure gently.

The moment the knife touched the lion's head, there was a slight resistance. The crispy outer shell, formed from frying, was soaked with broth and exuded a wonderful aroma; the inside was as soft as cotton, with an even color, clearly indicating that it was cooked perfectly.

"Not bad, not bad. Your lion's head meatballs have a rich, savory sauce flavor. It's clear you've put a lot of effort into perfecting them."

Nangong Qinglang picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.

The aroma of the lion's head meatballs instantly fills your mouth, and the juices flow from the meat, accompanied by the unique flavor of braising, making the whole dish even more delicious.

The unique texture of six parts lean and four parts fat makes your mouth feel oily and juicy, bursting with flavor with every bite, leaving you completely satisfied.

"Very good, I didn't misjudge you."

Nangong Qinglang's eyes lit up immediately, and he praised Nangong Qu's lion's head meatballs repeatedly.

"Patriarch, look at Qu's strength. Among the younger generation, there are probably very few who can beat him."

Nangong Ming also took a bite and nodded.

"Yes, Qu's skills are probably on par with some masters. This lion's head meatball is perfectly made."

Hearing the patriarch praise him so highly, Nangong Qu was practically strutting up, and his gaze toward Gao Yang held a hint of disdain.

He looked at his brothers and sisters supporting him from the sidelines, his eyes filled with pride.

The future of the Nangong family belongs to him alone.

He looked at Su Wanqing, and his mind went blank.

"Boss Su, you've tasted my cooking now, and it seems the chef you brought isn't as good as me."

"Oh, really?"

Su Wanqing wore a playful smile.

"Why are you so sure? Why don't you try Gao Yang's cooking later?"

"Let's see if he's more capable, or if you're better."

Overwhelmed by victory, Nangong Qu failed to notice the mockery in Su Wanqing's words and arrogantly declared, "Of course it's me."

Su Wanqing burst out laughing when she saw Nangong Qu's expression.

"He's here, so why don't you try it first?"

Everyone looked over and saw Gao Yang also dragging the same porcelain plate over.

Gao Yang gently put down the porcelain plate, his expression cold and stern.

"Braised lion's head meatballs, please enjoy."