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

"What's wrong, Gao Yang?"

Lin Xiaoyu noticed Gao Yang's expression and asked, puzzled.

"Normally, white vinegar is used to make squirrel mandarin fish. The sweet and sour sauce made from white vinegar is crystal clear and will not ruin the golden color of the fish. It can also bring out the natural freshness of the fish, remove the fishy smell without overpowering the flavor. When paired with white sugar, it can create a sweet and sour taste that is refreshing and not greasy."

"However, what he was holding was aged vinegar, which looked to be the old aged vinegar from Chang'an City. If it were put in, it would make the sweet and sour sauce turn black and cloudy, not only ruining the appearance of the dish, but also making the sour taste overpower the freshness of the fish and meat, making it bitter and astringent."

Lin Xiaoyu carefully compared the scenes of other chefs making this dish and suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"What does Master Guo mean by this? Isn't he representing Hongyun Hotel? Doesn't he want to win the championship anymore?"

"He just wanted to confirm one thing."

Gao Yang carefully observed the expression on Guo Yun's face, looking very serious, and murmured, "It seems he's discovered something too."

"What did you find?"

Lin Xiaoyu was very puzzled. This guy was usually very mysterious and would only give half the answer when asked something, without explaining, making it seem like a riddle.

As expected, Gao Yang didn't answer directly this time either. He replied mysteriously, "You'll know when the results come out," and then sat down without saying a word.

"Load the cargo!"

Lin Xiaoyu muttered a dissatisfied thought to herself, and then continued watching the game.

By this time, the competition was nearing its end. Those who finished quickly were already plating and garnishing, with green beans and diced carrots arranged around the edge of the plate, and the golden fish body set against the glistening sweet and sour sauce, looking incredibly appetizing.

At the Hongyun Hotel, however, Guo Yun stood in front of the stove, holding the bottle of aged vinegar, hesitant to take a bite.

As a traditional chef, decades of experience and integrity would never allow him to do such a thing.

He understood that if he added the vinegar, his dish would be ruined, and he would be betraying a chef's respect for ingredients.

So, if we don't release it, should we do it normally?

no!

He already guessed that his boss would rig the competition. He had probably already bribed the referee, and no matter what he made, the referee would insist that his version was the best.

He also understood that his squirrel-shaped mandarin fish was definitely the best, so if that was the case, then everything else was meaningless.

A sense of unease enveloped him like a dark cloud, making it difficult for him to even breathe.

In the stands, Zhao Lei became increasingly anxious as he watched Guo Yun continue to reduce the sauce.

He did bribe the referee, but if Guo Yun doesn't serve the dish, then all of this is meaningless. How could the referee possibly judge a dish that hasn't been served as the best?

To win the championship and acquire the alleyway hotel, he paid a far greater price than it appeared on the surface. How could he allow himself to lose?

"Hurry up and add the vinegar to reduce the sauce! What are you waiting for!"

He couldn't hold back and yelled at Guo Yun.

The crowd was startled by the roar and all looked over.

Zhao Lei slammed his hands on the chair in front of him, his face flushed red, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.

Seeing this scene reminded Guo Yun of what his boss had said that morning in the kitchen of the Hongyun Hotel.

A sudden wave of sadness washed over him.

Since he became famous, he has continuously brought business to the Zhao family's Hongyun Hotel. Countless people have traveled thousands of miles to eat here just because of his traditional dishes, which has transformed what was once a small restaurant into what it is today.

However, everything changed after Zhao Lei took office.

A bitter smile appeared on his lips.

Unexpectedly, in the end, he too suffered the fate of being killed when the cunning rabbit died and the hunting dog was cooked.

"Just this once, just this once!"

Guo Yun steeled his resolve, clenched his teeth, and poured the bottle of aged vinegar from Chang'an into the pot.

"Sizzle"

As soon as the vinegar touched the iron pot, its strong sour smell shot straight up and into Guo Yun's nose, making him feel nauseous.

He suppressed the discomfort in his stomach and began to reduce the liquid.

Only then did Guo Yun slowly loosen his clenched teeth, his bitter smile growing stronger, but his eyes were deathly still.

The sauce in the pot had completely changed. What should have been a clear, amber-colored syrup had been stained black and murky by the aged vinegar, sticking to the sides of the pot and emitting a pungent and astringent sour smell.

His hand holding the spatula trembled uncontrollably; every time he stirred the food, it felt like he was slowly torturing the culinary skills he had upheld for decades.

These hands, once wielding knives with divine skill, transformed the most ordinary mandarin fish into a unique delicacy in Yuncheng. With precise control of heat and authentic seasonings, they once drew countless diners to the Hongyun Hotel. But now, they have personally ruined their best dish and destroyed their lifelong reputation.

Zhao Lei, watching from the stands, felt a wave of relief when Guo Yun finally stopped arguing. His anxiety vanished, replaced by a smug, determined smile.

A mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth, as if he could already see Gao Yang losing the bet and obediently handing over the alleyway hotel.

In his view, no matter how bad Guo Yun's cooking was, the judges were all his people, and the champion would still be Hong Yun. Guo Yun was just a tool that he could manipulate at will.

Gao Yang sat at a distance, taking in Zhao Lei's gaze, his expression remaining calm.

He looked at Guo Yun with a hint of sympathy in his eyes. Working for a boss like that, he was really forced to resort to such methods.

"Is Chef Guo's dish still edible?"

Lin Xiaoyu felt a pang of regret as she watched the sauce being poured over the golden, crispy mandarin fish.

This fish died for nothing.

"Will he really serve this dish?"

Lin Xiaoyu felt that this dish was simply unbearable to look at, completely overturning her lifelong perception of this dish.

Gao Yang also had a solemn expression.

"He will. He's trying to give up."

"Give up?"

"Yes, let's wait for the results."

At this point, everyone's squirrel-shaped mandarin fish dishes were all prepared and were carried into the makeshift room one plate at a time, and then carried out one plate at a time.

Everyone waited anxiously, many with sweaty palms, eagerly anticipating the judges' emergence from the small room.

Guo Yun was extremely uneasy. He had already committed a grave offense by making a dish that went against his own heart.

If the outcome is completely different from what he expected, then his competition will be completely ruined, and his son's wedding might also be completely canceled.

He sat in the chair, his hands clasped together, his head buried deep in his chest, praying incessantly.

He didn't know what he should pray for; he just felt very confused.

Finally, the three judges came out of the small room and handed the final results to the host.

The host glanced at it twice, then rang out with an enthusiastic voice.

"Alright, after a fierce competition, the preliminary results are in my hands. This was the preliminary round, and only ten teams will ultimately advance. Now, let's show the scores!"

"Zhang Qingzhao, Changyuan Hotel, Score: 85!"

The audience gasped in surprise.

"I didn't expect the tenth-place score to be so high. The top scorers must be incredibly talented!"

"Yeah, yeah, I really want to know who will come in first place!"

The audience's voices rose and fell, but to Guo Yun's ears they were like mosquitoes and flies, irritating him greatly.

The rankings were read out one after another, and each one made Guo Yun's heart skip a beat.

Finally, we reached the last three.

Guo Yun looked up as if he had a premonition that his name had not yet appeared.

"Third place, Zhou Yuyan, Lianyunfan Hotel, score: 93!"

"Second place, Zhang Qiang, Xizi Hotel, score: 95!"

The audience raised their hands, waiting for the first place to score.

The host, of course, understood this, and deliberately kept the score hanging, delaying the announcement of the score.

The huge stadium fell silent for a moment, as everyone waited for the last spot to be filled.

Time seemed to stand still.

"First place, Guo Yun, Hongyun Hotel, score: 98!"