The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 266 Regional Champion?

"Hello, please give me one chicken drumstick... no, two!"

Bai Qi had just extended one index finger when, as if remembering something, she quickly extended her middle finger as well, making a "2" gesture towards Qin Lang.

"No problem," Qin Lang replied, then bent down and got to work.

We'll be able to eat it soon!
Smelling the incredibly tempting aroma of the chicken drumsticks up close, and looking at the chicken drumsticks on the table that hadn't yet been fried, Bai Qi felt her mouth watering.

It was worth waiting in line for so long; she's definitely going to have a great time today!

but…

Bai Qi's gaze returned to Qin Lang, who was busy at his desk.

Who would have thought that the chef who made such delicious food was a young and handsome man…

"what?"

Bai Qi exclaimed in surprise, rubbed her eyes vigorously, and then rubbed them again, her face showing a look of surprise and disbelief.

"You...you are Qin Lang?!"

"It's me." Qin Lang nodded with a smile.

Many of the tourists who were queuing earlier recognized him, and he has gradually gotten used to it.

"Your two servings of chicken drumsticks are ready. Please enjoy."

"Um..." Bai Qi excitedly took the chicken leg, "I'm your fan, can... we take a picture together?"

Qin Lang: “…”

Well, he's gradually gotten used to that.

He flashed a peace sign and greeted another enthusiastic tourist with his signature smile, when playful laughter immediately came from behind Qin Lang.

"Taking photos with fans again?"

Qin Lang turned his head and looked at Zhao Qian, who was smiling behind him, and laughed too.

"The ink on your face has smudged?"

“Yes.” Zhao Qian touched her slightly flushed cheeks. “I washed my face several times this morning and finally got rid of the ink.”

"Next time I run into Lomi, I'll teach her a lesson she won't forget!"

"Let's not talk about this anymore." Zhao Qian waved her hand, not wanting to continue this unpleasant topic. "Give me a chicken leg!"

"I deliberately went hungry this morning, just waiting to eat the delicious food here, and you were the first person I came to find. Aren't you loyal?"

"No problem, I'll let you cut in line." Qin Lang chuckled and started frying chicken legs.

While Qin Lang was cooking, Zhao Qian turned to Cao Dongdong beside her and called out, "Dongdong, bring me some snow-white red bean paste!"

"Alright!" Cao Dongdong replied loudly.

He and Zuo Ge were gritting their teeth, their faces flushed, and whipping the egg whites with all their might, while a long line of people waited in front of their cooking station.

Soon, Qin Lang's fried chicken legs were the first to come out of the fryer. Looking at the golden-brown fried chicken legs, Zhao Qian swallowed hard and reached out to take them.

Just then, the tourist at the very front of the line in front of Qin Lang couldn't help but complain, "Young boss, cutting in line isn't a good idea."

"Sorry, sorry, this was prepared in advance for a friend." Qin Lang turned around and smiled apologetically. "Wait a moment, I'll make yours right away."

As he spoke, he pushed the chicken leg in his hand toward Zhao Qian, but Zhao Qian did not take it.

Qin Lang turned his head in confusion and saw Zhao Qian staring dumbfounded at the tourist who had just spoken, even forgetting to accept the food from Qin Lang. Then, her expression visibly became excited.

"You...you are Zhong..."

"Shh!" The tourist's expression changed, and he quickly made a "shh" gesture. "Keep it down, keep it down." "Okay, okay!" Zhao Qian nodded knowingly, then took the chicken leg from Qin Lang's hand and excitedly handed it to him, "You eat first."

"No need, no need," the tourist waved his hand. "Since it was made for you, you can eat it."

"Alright." Zhao Qian nodded, then glanced at Qin Lang.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and do it!"

Qin Lang: “?”

This is not right.

It's not right at all, not even 100%.

Having known Zhao Qian for so long, this was the first time he had ever seen her act like this; she was just as excited as his fans were when they met him.

No, it might be even more exciting.

Qin Lang couldn't help but look at the tourist standing at the front of the line. He was a handsome middle-aged man, but he had dark circles under his eyes and looked sleepy and somewhat dejected.

Who is this?
With some doubt in his heart, Qin Lang quickly fried the chicken drumsticks, packed them up, and handed them to the other party.

"Your fried chicken leg."

"Thanks, young man~" The middle-aged man chuckled, took the chicken leg, and then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Watching the other person's departing figure, Qin Lang turned to look at Zhao Qian, who was still standing to the side, gazing in admiration at the direction the middle-aged man had gone.

"That person just now...do you know him?"

"Of course I know him!" Zhao Qian exclaimed excitedly. "That's my idol, my one and only god, the regional champion Zhong Lingyun!"

"Regional...champion?" Qin Lang looked puzzled. "Championship in what area? Is it a cooking competition?"

“No, no, no.” Zhao Qian shook her head. “Although cooking competitions can also attract a lot of attention, the competitions that are more widely recognized are duels, which are competitions centered on the battle of food spirits.”

"Like cooking competitions, dueling tournaments are divided into youth events and all-age events, and according to scale, they are divided into state-level and regional-level events."

"Without a doubt, competitions for all age groups are more prestigious than those for youth, and regional competitions are more prestigious than state competitions."

“And Zhong Lingyun was the regional champion of the previous all-ages tournament’s duel competition!” Zhao Qian’s eyes were full of admiration. “Four years ago, after seeing him win the championship, I was determined to pursue the path of a Spirit Chef.”

"My dream is to become a spirit chef like him!"

"So powerful?" Qin Lang exclaimed in amazement. Now he had a clear understanding of the strength of the somewhat dejected middle-aged man from before.

Winning first place in the Food Spirit Battle among all age-group participants means that even if the opponent isn't the strongest in the entire Dongyun region, they are definitely among the top-tier powerhouses.

He never expected that there would be such a powerful spirit chef on the "Leaping Fish" cruise ship. If Zhao Qian hadn't told him, he would never have guessed.

"Zhao Qian, your snow-white red bean paste is ready!"

Cao Dongdong, on the other side, peeked over and looked this way.

"Coming, coming!" Zhao Qian responded, waving to Qin Lang.

"Alright, I won't keep you cooking any longer. I'll be going now."

"If I come across any delicious food, I'll bring it back for you!"

"Thank you so much." Qin Lang snapped out of his reverie, nodded to Zhao Qian, and then turned to look at the diners in front of him.

Regional champion, huh...?

I don't know how many Food Spirits the opponent has, or what their strength level is...

Shaking his head slightly, Qin Lang focused his attention on cooking.

Such competitions are still a long way off for him. Right now, the priority is to entertain every diner at the food expo!
(End of this chapter)