Winner: Ajiro Nanxu!

"...What did you say?"

Jiang Chengjin doubted his ears.

"Don't believe me? You can ask the other two judges." Jiang Yuqiao shrugged.

Jiang Chengjin looked at Prefect Zhao and Manager Huang in disbelief.

Prefect Zhao nodded without hesitation, and Manager Huang nodded after a moment's hesitation.

"That's right... We all think that Nanxu's dish tastes better."

"This...how is this possible!" Jiang Chengjin's eyes widened. "What is it about my Ruyi Chicken that's inferior to this ordinary tofu soup?"

"Just ordinary tofu soup? No, you're wrong," Prefect Zhao said.

"The Jiang family's Ruyi Chicken is made with luxurious ingredients and exquisite craftsmanship, and it truly deserves the name 'Ruyi' (meaning 'auspicious'). But... compared to the good fortune in business, what the millions of people in Huizhou yearn for more is peace, harmony, and family reunion."

"In terms of 'the flavor of Huizhou'... the concept behind this Zhonghe Soup far surpasses your Ruyi Chicken."

He spoke each word clearly, his voice reaching everyone's ears.

Jiang Chengjin unconsciously clenched his fists, his tone anxious as he said, "Theme? What good is a lofty theme? Shouldn't it be judged by its flavor—"

"As I said, in terms of taste... or rather, in terms of the overall experience we get, his dishes are better than yours," Jiang Yuqiao said calmly.

"What? Impossible, absolutely impossible! He's just a mere ninth-rank official—"

"Nothing is impossible." Jiang Yuqiao looked down at Jiang Chengjin, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes. "Because there is a huge flaw in your dish."

"...What loophole?" Jiang Chengjin's face was grim.

Let me answer you.

Nan Xu's voice rang out. He stepped forward and looked directly at Jiang Chengjin with a calm expression.

"It's simple, your dish... is too strong in flavor and too oily."

"As you said, Ruyi Chicken was originally a dish carried by merchants on their journeys, and it contains a variety of nourishing ingredients. Because of this, it contains a lot of oil and energy, which puts a heavy burden on the palate."

"The judges have already eaten four full dishes, including a stewed water chestnut turtle cooked by Chef Luo, which is also a nourishing dish."

"In that case, the judges will naturally find the whole Ruyi Chicken greasy. Even if they have internal energy to speed up digestion, and can still eat it without being unable to finish it, their appetite will still be affected."

"Didn't you notice that your lucky chicken was barely touched by the judges before being set aside?"

"Wh...what?"

Jiang Chengjin looked to the side and, sure enough, saw that he still had more than half of his Ruyi Chicken left. He was stunned and stood there dumbfounded.

Prefect Zhao nodded: "That's right. Nanxu's 'White Jade and Emerald Harmony Soup' is exactly the opposite. Not only is it not greasy at all, but it also makes you feel light and refreshed because of the addition of Guanyin tofu."

"The cool sensation when you put Guanyin Tofu in your mouth is like a morning breeze in the mountains, which sweeps away the lingering greasiness from the Ruyi Chicken."

His eyes were slightly closed, as if he was still immersed in the aftertaste.

"Every sip of soup feels like a reawakening of the tongue, making you want to drink more and more."

"The original flavor of the Zhonghe Soup, combined with the flavor of Guanyin Tofu, blends perfectly together. Each flavor is intertwined with the other, yet retains its unique character. Savoring these flavors, you'll find yourself finishing the soup before you know it."

Jiang Chengjin broke out in a cold sweat, gritting his teeth as he said:

"No...this is impossible! How could I, a dignified seventh-rank chef, possibly lose to a ninth-rank brat!"

However, facts will not change according to his personal will.

Prefect Zhao cleared his throat and said loudly:

"I hereby declare the winner of this culinary competition to be—"

"—Baiweilou, Nanxu!"

"In this culinary competition, Baiweilou team won two rounds, securing the final victory!"

This unexpected result sparked a discussion among the onlookers:

"What?! That ninth-rank kid actually won?! Is that for real...?"

"The ninth-rank chef at Baiweilou is actually that skilled?"

"Tsk tsk, truly a young hero..."

"If they can beat the Lianjiang family's Ruyi Chicken, how delicious must their White Jade and Emerald Green Harmony Soup be?"

Ignoring the noisy crowd, Nan Xu calmly bowed to Prefect Zhao and stepped off the stage.

"That's great... I knew you could do it!" Luo Qinzhu's voice trembled slightly with excitement.

Nan Xu smiled and clasped his hands in greeting:

"I have fulfilled my mission, Luo, the head chef."

……

Surrounded by the crowd at Baiweilou and showered with praise, Nan Xu took more than twenty minutes to return to Baiweilou.

Of course, this did not include Wang Yi. Ever since hearing the news of Nan Xu's victory, Wang Yi's face had turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Nan Xu politely declined the last chef who tried to celebrate with him, closed the door, and looked thoughtful.

Now, he is 90% certain that there is something wrong with Wang Yi.

If Wang Yi's behavior could initially be explained by his dislike of him, then after he won the victory for Baiweilou, Wang Yi, as a core member of Baiweilou, not only did not change his opinion of him, but did not even show the slightest bit of joy, which is very suspicious.

On the way back, his eyesight, enhanced by the "Long Eyes and Flying Ears Technique," took in Wang Yi's expression.

However... the problem now is that he has no evidence.

Based on personal speculation alone, it would be difficult for him to persuade Luo Qinzhu. Even if he did persuade her, Luo Qinzhu might very well go directly to confront Wang Yi, thus alerting the enemy.

That won't do. Wang Yi must pay the price for his actions.

A hint of sharpness flashed in Nan Xu's eyes as a plan gradually took shape in his mind.

However, he needed to make some preparations before carrying out the plan.

This is not difficult. According to the rules of the Culinary Competition, the ownership of Baiweilou now belongs entirely to Luo Qinzhu, and the Jiang family has no reason to interfere. He has plenty of time to develop.

All that's needed is to subtly remind Luo Qinzhu not to delegate too much power to Wang Yi. Since Wang Yi's prestige has just suffered a major blow, his proposal will almost certainly face little opposition.

Just as Nan Xu was about to sit down cross-legged and practice his internal energy for a while, there was a knock on the door.

"Knock knock knock".

Nan Xu opened the door and was somewhat surprised to see Luo Qinzhu standing outside.

"Chef Luo, what brings you here?"

"Um, Ah Xu... can I call you Ah Xu? When it's just the two of us, you can just call me Qin Zhu or Sister Qin Zhu..." Luo Qin Zhu's cheeks flushed slightly.

"To be honest, I'm a little embarrassed to say that Baiweilou was able to overcome this crisis thanks to you. I don't deserve the title of head chef."

Upon hearing this, Nan Xu couldn't help but chuckle: "Since Sister Qinzhu has said so, then I, this humble chopping board, can only respectfully comply."

Luo Qinzhu's face flushed even more, and she waved her hands wildly: "Stop making fun of me... You're a great benefactor of our Baiwei Restaurant, not some insignificant chopping board!"

After a while, she forced herself to calm down: "Ahem... Besides, you're not a chopping board anymore. With your abilities, it would be a waste to have you doing chopping board work again."

"So, you're now a chef at Baiweilou—and in terms of salary and benefits, you're in the highest tier!"

Nan Xu smiled and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Thank you for your kindness, Chef Luo. I will do my best to live up to your expectations."

"You... I already said you can just call me by my name..." Luo Qinzhu gave Nan Xu a reproachful look.

Nan Xu shook his head, the smile still lingering on his face: "That's different. Since it's the boss who's giving his employees a raise, of course I should thank you as an employee."

"Alright, I can't argue with you." Luo Qinzhu shook her head helplessly. "However, I have something else to give you."

As she spoke, she took out a small blue cloth bag from her bosom.

Inside the cloth bag, several simple and old-fashioned booklets were neatly stacked.