Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　"That's right, he is Bai Yuan. I personally witnessed him create the 'Radiant Cuisine,' and it was absolutely genuine. He is China's youngest Special Grade Seven-Star Chef!"

　His gaze swept over Bai Yuan, and although he already knew his age, the shock of actually meeting him still struck his heart.

　The other person was about the same age as his great-grandson, and he was surprised that the other person could cook at the same level as him!

　"Truly, heroes emerge from among the young! I never imagined that I would live to see a twenty-year-old become a seven-star chef. It makes me wonder if I'm dreaming."

　Jin Dafu's gaze swept back and forth over Bai Yuan, observing his calm demeanor and the faint smile he gave him. He couldn't help but nod in approval.

　Putting everything else aside, this calm and composed demeanor alone is enough to make people feel that only a truly skilled chef can exude such a unique aura.

　"Senior Jin, you flatter me. I have only achieved some success by chance and I really do not deserve the title of 'hero.' Your achievements and prestige in the culinary world are the role models for us younger generations."

　Bai Yuan spoke very modestly, while also exchanging pleasantries, which made Jin Dafu laugh heartily.

　"I like what you're saying, but I'm not just praising you; I mean it sincerely. Don't be too modest; you have every right to be proud!"

　Jin Dafu admired Bai Yuan's attitude even more.

　He remains humble and modest despite his age and impressive abilities, which is truly admirable.

　Put yourself in his shoes. If he had achieved this much at Bai Yuan's age, he would probably be swaggering around, and no one could sway him!

　After all, a top-tier seven-star chef has already reached the pinnacle of the culinary world, with no rivals except for the extremely rare top-tier eight-star chefs!

　"It's not that I'm being modest, it's just that I feel there's still so much I need to learn."

　I've heard that you have the best expertise in black pork dishes. May I ask you some questions related to black pork cooking?

　Before coming, Bai Yuan had already inquired about the Fujian Culinary Association. Jin Dafu, the president of the association, was extremely skilled in meat dishes, with black pork being his most renowned specialty.

　During this time, he happened to develop an interest in black pigs, which have a more delicate texture and richer flavor compared to regular pork.

　"Black pork dishes? You've come to the right person! Of all the meats in the world, black pork is my favorite!"

　Let me briefly mention a few of its advantages: black pork has evenly distributed fat, firm and elastic meat, and a more tender taste than ordinary pork.

　Furthermore, due to the longer growth cycle of black pigs, their meat accumulates more flavor compounds, resulting in a fragrant aroma and rich, mellow taste after cooking.

　When Bai Yuan asked about the area he was familiar with, Jin Dafu immediately pulled him to sit on a stone bench in the courtyard and personally poured him a cup of hot tea.

　The old man, who had been called Xuanqing, only glanced at the teapot with longing before leaving, as he still had to serve as a judge.

　"Based on the advantages you mentioned, black pork is very suitable for making dishes like meat buns and char siu."

　Bai Yuan pinched his chin, quickly forming culinary ideas in his mind. It seemed that some dishes that highlighted the natural flavor of the meat would be well-suited to black pork.

　"Let's have tea."

　Jin Dafu simply smiled at Bai Yuan's words, placed a teacup filled three-quarters full in front of him, and gestured for him to enter.

　"This is what is known as Wuyi rock tea. The leaf tips are twisted, like a dragonfly's head. The color is dark blue with a brownish-oily sheen. The inner quality is lively, sweet, clear, and fragrant."

　I glanced at the tea leaves in the teapot, then at the Wuyi rock tea in front of me. If I'm not mistaken, the tea being brewed should be Da Hong Pao.

　Because the rock tea brewed with Da Hong Pao has a bright orange-yellow color, a rich and complex aroma, and a floral, fruity, and unique mineral scent.

　"Young Master Bai Yuan also enjoys tea?"

　Jin Dafu looked at Bai Yuan with slight surprise, seemingly not expecting someone so young to know so much about tea, since young people these days don't like tea and prefer Western coffee. However, after remembering that Bai Yuan was a seven-star chef, everything made sense.

　What great chef doesn't like drinking tea?

　"This distinct rocky floral aroma is definitely a top-grade oolong tea; it's hard not to notice it."

　Bai Yuan smiled and shook his head, then picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip of the tea.

　The environment shapes the people, and tea, in a way, reflects the local environment.

　"The taste is rich and mellow, with a strong aftertaste and a long finish, as if you can feel the weight of the rocks of Wuyi Mountain and the spirit of nature."

　As he savored the delicate flavor on his tongue, Bai Yuan's brows relaxed, and an expression of enjoyment appeared on his face.

　"This tea was picked in the first batch this April, and it's the best quality among the batches. Only three and a half pounds were produced, and I shamelessly asked for six pounds."

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's assessment, Jin Dafu laughed heartily, feeling quite pleased with himself. He then picked up his teacup and took a sip.

　"Speaking of which, what did you come to Fujian for? It couldn't just be to participate in a youth chef competition, that kind of competition doesn't mean much to you, right?"

　After putting down his teacup, Jin Dafu's expression suddenly turned serious, and he inquired about Bai Yuan's purpose in coming here.

　“I brought my students here. They’ve always lived in small towns and haven’t seen any really good chefs. This is a good opportunity to put some pressure on them.”

　Faced with questions that sounded like accusations, Bai Yuan was not annoyed. Instead, he simply explained why he had come, saying there was nothing to hide.

　"A student? I heard that you went to Totsuki Academy in Japan during your time away from China. No wonder there are several Japanese contestants in this competition."

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, and considering his year-long disappearance and the rumors circulating among the upper-level chefs, Jin Dafu suddenly realized what was going on.

　"That's right, mainly my..."

　My fiancée is still there, so I need to go take care of her. I don't feel comfortable leaving her alone in Totsuki.

　"Fiancée? A 'raising-up' type? Are young people these days planning to get married so early...?"

　Upon learning Bai Yuan's purpose, Jin Dafu breathed a sigh of relief. The sudden appearance of a young powerhouse of equal strength in his territory had truly put him under immense pressure!

　As long as the other party doesn't come to cause trouble, he can do whatever he wants. He's too old to handle any more trouble.

　Unfortunately, his apprentice was in a car accident years ago and could not be saved. The talented chef died an untimely death, and his grand-apprentice had not yet grown up.

　Otherwise, he would have retired long ago, instead of clinging to the position of chairman and doing thankless tasks every day.

　"If you're just participating in a competition, then Fujian welcomes you and hopes you can achieve good results."

　"Don't worry, my apprentices are no pushovers."

　"My grand-disciple will also be participating in this competition, so we'll have to have a good showdown then."

　Thinking of his grand-disciple, the person who would succeed him in the future, a smile appeared on Jin Dafu's face.

　"There will definitely be this opportunity!"

　Bai Yuan smiled as well, raised his teacup, took a sip, and savored the flavor. He had great confidence in Nakiri Alice's abilities.

　The current Alice Nakiri can even stand up to a 3-star chef!

　This Fujian Youth Chef Competition is the perfect opportunity for her to transform!

　Chapter 236 News of Yukihira Soma, Special Competition Mechanism

　It was almost evening when we left Jin Dafu's courtyard.

　Bai Yuan walked towards the venue of the Youth Chef Competition and saw young chefs with dejected expressions coming out of the venue.

　Clearly, these guys are all losers.

　"The little ones? How are they?"

　Looking at Alice Nakiri and the others, who stood tall and proud, their demeanor clearly different from those around them, Bai Yuan already knew the answer even without asking. His smile was the triumphant song of a victor.

　"Very smoothly, the third-place team in Group A has passed."

　As Lia's voice rang out, Bai Yuan looked over and saw her with a bright smile, hopping towards him like a lively little rabbit.

　"First place in Group C, you can praise me now!"

　Before she could make her next move, Alice Nakiri jumped into Bai Yuan's arms, wrapped her arms around his waist, and said coquettishly.

　"Great job, that's really amazing."

　Faced with the girl's coquettishness, Bai Yuan smiled and patted her head, speaking in a doting tone, something the two of them often did in the past.

　Whenever Alice Nakiri performs exceptionally well in cooking, he would coax her in a tone that sounded like he was talking to a child, and Alice would always smile happily.

　At the same time, Tadokoro Megumi and the others also gathered around, talking all at once about the course of the competition, and finally announcing their own results.

　Erina Nakiri, second in Group B.

　Liu Yu, fourth in Group B.

　Kawanoka, Group D First Place

　Megumi Tadokoro, fourth in Group D.

　Almost all the participants passed the selection rounds, except...

　"It's okay, just try harder next time."

　Seeing Hisako Shinto looking dejected and barely speaking since then, Shirabuchi gently patted her shoulder to cheer her up.

　She ranked fifth in Division C, just one place away from qualifying for the main competition. This was something Alice Nakiri secretly told Bai Yuan when she picked her up.

　In addition, he received another piece of information.

　Soma Yukihira has also come to Fujian.

　Although the reason is unknown, he not only participated in the competition, but also achieved a commendable fourth place in the C division under the pressure of so many talented chefs.

　With a mixed fried shrimp dish combining different fruit flavors, the contestant ultimately won high praise from the judges and successfully advanced to the main competition.

　"Did Yukihira come here on his own? With his skills, he should be able to qualify..."

　There was a strange sense of surprise, yet it also made sense. That kid's improvisational skills were impressive; this youth chef competition was going to be quite interesting.

　Bai Yuan pinched his chin and murmured.

　Soma Yukihira is a genius who relies entirely on his performance in the moment. He may only be at the level of a first-class chef in normal times, but he can often make a special-grade dish in official competitions.

　This is related to his upbringing. From childhood to adulthood, he had been competing in cooking with Joichiro Yukihira, and the subject matter was always chosen randomly, which greatly enhanced his creativity.

　"Let's go back first, it's getting late. Do you all know the questions for the competition?"

　They glanced at the dwindling crowd around them, and the sky had completely darkened. Because they were wearing masks and standing together, they attracted a lot of attention.

　"It hasn't been given yet..."

　"I don't know, I don't even know who my opponent is."

　"The Young Chef Competition uses a live draw to determine the theme of the competition, and participants must choose the theme they are assigned and can only use the ingredients provided by the organizers."

　besides..."

　Just then, Kawashiro's voice rang out.

　Before coming, she carefully read the official website. The main competition of the Fujian Youth Chef Competition uses a live draw, and the ingredients are placed on a shared cooking table for the contestants to choose from.

　Each player can choose up to ten ingredients, and can anchor three of them. After the ingredients selection is complete, the opponent can choose from the other player's selections.

　I took three items from the ingredients for my own use.

　This is to increase the difficulty for both contestants, and also to test the chefs' ability to adapt to changing circumstances. These are all things that must be experienced to become a top-tier chef.

　If the Totsuki Culinary Competition is at the level of elementary school, then the Young Chef Competition jumps directly to the level of university, demanding extremely high personal qualities from the chefs.

　"I see. That's quite interesting. It's a challenge for you guys. Shine brightly on the field!"

　After listening to Kawanoka's explanation, Bai Yuan nodded slightly, then looked at the others and said the following words.

　"Absolutely! No matter who the opponent is, we will fight with all our might to win!"

　Liu Yu, who had been silent all along, spoke up, her face full of seriousness.

　Her advancement this time was somewhat lucky; the fifth-place contestant had the same score as her, receiving ratings of 7, 9, and 7, for a total of 23 points.

　She received scores of 8, 7, and 8, totaling 23 points. However, because two judges gave her higher scores (2:1), she advanced to the main competition.

　"That's right, no matter who we face next, we won't lose!"

　Lia raised her arm high, her face radiating confidence and arrogance. She had absolute confidence in her abilities; she was sure she could at least crack the top three!

　"The official competition will be held in three days, which means we have three days to prepare. Let's go back and start special training! At least we can familiarize ourselves with the competition process."

　"I agree, then let's be rivals..."

　The girls chattered away, and Bai Yuan watched from the sidelines without interfering too much, after all, this was their competition.

　·

　·

　"Yukihira, I failed, seventh place..."

　There really are always people better than you. I thought that even if I didn't advance, the gap between me and the person in front of me wouldn't be too big, but the reality was quite the opposite.

　Soma Yukihira and Takumi Aldini walked together along the path to the hotel, the setting sun casting long shadows on them.

　"Based on what you just said, you encountered a topic that you are least good at, so it's understandable that you didn't do well and your final score wasn't high."