The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 179 Final Rankings of the Second Round

Zhao Qian was overjoyed to receive this rating. She excitedly returned to the stands and gave high-fives to Qin Lang and the other two, asking, "What number am I now?"

“We’re in third place now,” Cao Dongdong said quickly. “Besides Qin Lang, there was another guy who got 94.25 points just now.”

“Third…” Zhao Qian couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

The number of participants in the second round is 334, and more than 50 people have already taken the stage, reaching one-sixth of the total number of participants.

If things continue in a similar manner...

With that ranking, she still has a good chance of making it into the top sixteen!
Thinking of this, Zhao Qian couldn't help but swing her fist in the air, "It wasn't for nothing that I stayed up all night practicing!"

Qin Lang gave Zhao Qian a thumbs up and said with a smile, "Have a seat."

"The second qualifying round is still quite some time away."

"Mmm!" Zhao Qian smiled and sat down next to Qin Lang.

Not long after, Cao Dongdong suddenly became more urgent, "Qin Lang, look! Du Ziyan has finally come on stage!"

Qin Lang looked up at the stage and saw the familiar bald young man striding onto the stage with an air of arrogance. At the same time, the dishes he had prepared for this occasion were being displayed on the big screen.

It was a dish that was shrouded in thick fog. As the fog gradually dissipated, the dish finally revealed its true appearance to everyone.

On a boat carved from clear ice crystals, square-shaped foods resembling pastries are neatly stacked. Each piece has a surface as white as jade, adorned with colorful patterns, making it look like a work of art.

Judging solely from the presentation and plating, Du Ziyan's dishes had already surpassed all the previous contestants, including Qin Lang, instantly bringing the atmosphere in the room to an unprecedented peak.

Amidst thunderous cheers and applause, Du Ziyan calmly picked up the microphone and said, "A boat full of white jade, please enjoy."

"This guy..." Qin Lang's lips twitched involuntarily, "Would his dishes in the preliminary rounds also be in this style?"

"You're absolutely right." Cao Dongdong nodded.

During the preliminary rounds, he was in the same competition area as Du Ziyan, and he sighed with admiration, "The dishes this guy makes look like they're very difficult to make."

“Yes, carving that ice boat alone will take quite a while.” Qin Lang nodded in deep agreement.

If I'm not mistaken, the initial dense fog was probably created by a refrigerant like dry ice. With both dry ice and ice boats, this dish probably requires a very harsh low-temperature environment to maintain its perfect texture.

However, he really couldn't figure out what those square-shaped foods were.

While Qin Lang was pondering, the judges in the arena had already begun to taste the dish called "White Jade Boat".

Soon, an exclamation rang out from the audience, "What tender tofu!"

"Tofu?" Qin Lang's eyes narrowed slightly.

The ingredients provided for the second round included tofu, but that kind of tofu couldn't possibly create the effect of "a boat full of white jade".

Unless, of course, the tofu was made by Du Ziyan himself, and he used different techniques in the process.

"It melts in your mouth, with a refreshing and amazing taste."

Another judge chimed in, “I tasted at least thirteen different fruit flavors in this small piece of frozen tofu. Their interweaving was harmonious and wonderful. I have never tasted such an interesting delicacy before.”

Through the comments of the judges, Qin Lang gradually pieced together the approximate appearance of this dish.

It's called tofu, but it's probably closer to iced tofu pudding.

Of course, the specific processes are definitely different. To receive such unanimous praise from so many judges, its taste is probably much more delicate than the iced tofu pudding that Qin Lang remembered. This must be Du Ziyan's unique recipe.

The colorful patterns on the surface were probably handwritten little by little using various fruit juices as ink.

Normally, juice is unlikely to produce such an effect, but if it is jam and low temperature, the mark can last for a long time.

Both in terms of presentation and taste, this dish is extremely difficult to prepare. Qin Lang couldn't help but look at Du Ziyan on the stage.

This guy is here to show off his skills, right?
"Du Ziyan's final score is 95.75 points!"

As the host's voice rang out, the audience erupted in thunderous cheers once again.

Qin Lang, who had the highest overall score, quickly changed hands.

"Damn it, we've lost first place." Cao Dongdong looked annoyed.

Qin Lang, who was the person in question, was both amused and exasperated. "You seem even angrier than I am."

Despite being overtaken, he remained objective, stating, "His dish is indeed superior to Guo Bao Rou, so it's normal for it to receive a higher score."

"Gulu!"

Upon hearing this, Danbao showed a displeased expression.

My own spirit chef is clearly the strongest!

"Alright, alright, then we'll have to work even harder when we meet him again." Qin Lang patted Danbao's head and looked at Du Ziyan's departing figure on the stage. "Let's continue watching the competition."

Time passed slowly, and the qualifying rounds continued.

Finally, it was Cao Dongdong's turn to go on stage. His Huangmei Pastry, which he made after Qin Lang's optimization and a night of practice, also received a lot of praise and ultimately achieved a good score of 92.75.

Although he ranked last among Qin Lang and the other two, Cao Dongdong's score was by no means low.

Especially since he came up with the idea for this dish himself.

In the end, all 334 contestants completed their cooking.

Although the final list of advancing players has not yet been officially announced, the players who are closely monitoring the scores of other players already have a general idea of ​​the outcome.

"Liu Lin's final score is 91.25 points!"

As the host's voice rang out again, the final score of the last contestant was revealed.

Zhao Qian, who was sitting next to Qin Lang, breathed a sigh of relief, then jumped up from her seat with a cheer, "I'm number 16!"

Although it was extremely difficult, the final result was good.

"It's over, I'm eliminated." Cao Dongdong sighed, but there wasn't much disappointment on his face.

If it weren't for the theme of "sweet and sour", he probably wouldn't have been able to come up with a dish that fit the theme.

Now, not only have they received positive reviews from the judges, but they've also gotten high scores, so the trip has been worthwhile.

After all, Cao Dongdong knew that even if he made it to the top 16, his severe imbalance in his subjects meant he was destined not to go far.

The small prize money awarded to him for reaching the top 16 was barely anything to him.

Qin Lang reached out and patted Cao Dongdong on the shoulder to comfort him, then looked at the large screen in the center of the room.

"Now, let's see who the top sixteen contestants will be!"

As the host's voice rang out, the rankings of the top sixteen people appeared on the big screen.

In third place is none other than Qin Lang.

Ahead of him, besides Du Ziyan with a total score of 95.75, was a blonde girl with one eye covered.

[Second place, Ellie, 95.00 points]

(End of this chapter)