Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 135: The Stronger the Opponent, the Stronger Fang Xu's Schemes and Qian Youdao's Strategies. (4K Second Update)
Watching some contestants head into topics they didn't want, Xia Ming turned his gaze to the two newly lit two-star doors.

Live fish and fresh crab.

Neither of the two questions seemed like something that could be solved in a short time, but Xia Ming had to make a choice at this moment.

Based on the pattern of closing a door in the previous round, he couldn't be sure whether another door would be closed in the next round after the reset.

It is also impossible to determine whether the closed door is the last remaining door of the 39-point team or one of the doors of the 42-point team.

"If the door at 39 minutes is closed, it means that if I don't go in now, there will be a vacuum of about 10 minutes, along with the two doors that I didn't choose before."

“I was originally racing against others for time, and this kind of vacuum is no different from handing over the advantage to others.”

Xia Ming took a deep breath. The slight changes brought about by the rules had affected his score-boosting plan.

However, he did not believe that this was a rule change made by the competition organizers to restrain him personally, since this was not a variety show, but a national competition.

The person who could only provide this question must have anticipated this situation from the beginning, so they patched the loophole in the question in subsequent optimizations.

As for the bug that caused the previous block, it was most likely intended to provide an opportunity for some sharp and outstanding individuals, which can be considered a part of the rules that were allowed.

Of course, Xia Ming could also gamble on a complete upgrade of all the gates in the next round.

也就是所有门都升1星，最终形成2~3扇两星门，4扇3星门的状态。

However, he felt that the possibility was low.
"Based on the current situation of the game, although I scored 3 times, most people only scored 1 or 2 times."

“I am an exception; they are the normal problem-solving approach. Since the person who set the problem could think of compressing space by closing the door, they would naturally be able to simulate and calculate the number of stars that the contestants might have.”

"If a contestant who actively participates in the competition unfortunately loses both rounds, he will only have 1 or 2 stones left. From a fairness perspective, the question setter should not restrict such competitive contestants, but should instead provide them with a chance to turn the tide."

Xia Ming knew that there was always a difference in benefits between a one-star sect and a two-star sect. Stronger star players, after obtaining a certain number of basic stars, would rarely choose a one-star sect unless they had a twisted sense of humor.

At this point, the one-star gate will become a chance for some unlucky players to turn their luck around. Theoretically, it will prompt players with only one star left to undergo internal elimination.

Therefore, although Xia Ming guessed that the gate might be able to be upgraded, he did not think that the upgrade would occur in the next cycle.

Therefore, his only option to maintain his advantage is to choose between [live fish] and [fresh crab].
At the same time, the group gathered by Han Tianyan had also finished listening to his analysis.

"Therefore, if Xia Ming wants to maintain his advantage, he can only choose one of the two doors he has!"

"Both live fish and fresh crabs can be prepared relatively quickly, but crabs generally take longer to process than fish."

"However, I suspect the questions won't stay this easy. Based on the scenario of the door being closed, this round of questions should be more difficult than the last, with more choices and taking longer."

"In this situation, Xia Ming will have two choices: either enter a door and spend two stars to gamble on his luck, and if he finds that things are not going well, he can directly make a dish that is quick and can guarantee a basic star, thus securing his points and re-entering the competition."

"Or be more aggressive, go in and find that the time spent doesn't match the returns, then just come out and consider the two stars a waste."

"As for everyone else, they can influence his choice. Because there are too many strong opponents in the same arena, his gains will decrease, making it easier for him to choose the latter."

At this point, Han Tianyan pushed up his glasses.

“In this situation, his rhythm has been disrupted by us. If a higher-level gate appears later, our gains will be greater, and we can completely erase his previous advantage of being stuck with the rules.”

"So, if we can actually stop his offensive in this round, we can turn the tide!"

As he spoke, he looked at the crowd in front of him.

Upon seeing these two questions, Zhu Wuneng looked troubled.

“Benefactor Han, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but as you’ve seen, this question is really too difficult for me. I don’t think anyone wants me to go in and send stars to Benefactor Xia Ming.”

Han Tianyan glanced at Zhu Wuneng, his eyes lowering slightly.

He didn't believe this guy's nonsense, but the alliance was voluntary, and in a sense he was just an initiator, not a manager.

If Zhu Wuneng were to be suppressed at this moment, it would easily provoke resentment from others.
Therefore, he acted very politely.

"Understood. In that case, Master Zhu can rest a little longer and look at the remaining test questions. What about the others?"

After a moment's hesitation, He He spoke first.

"I'm going to eat crabs."

After weighing the pros and cons, Bai Heng also chose the crab.

Qian Youdao unsurprisingly chose fish, and Shuai Qixing also chose fish.

After hesitating for a moment, Fang Xu looked up at Han Tianyan.

"Since it's a joint attack, we can't put all our eggs in one basket. It's best to have an equal number of people on both sides. You choose first, and I'll take care of the rest."

Han Tianyan glanced at Fang Xu and nodded.

"Then I'll go get the crabs! You can handle the fish!"

Fang Xu nodded, and so the seven-person alliance was formed. Excluding Zhu Wuneng, the other six were divided into two groups, each choosing their corresponding sect.

At the same time, Xia Ming also determined his goal, and then, just before the deadline, he clicked to register.

As the registration deadline was announced on the big screen, the number of people at both doors was tallied.

[Live fish: 32 people]

[Fresh Crab: 28 people]

Looking at the number of people, Xia Ming smiled.
"There aren't too many fools. Many players who were originally just slacking off realized that there might be a problem with the rules, so they chose to enter the beginner's room first to protect themselves, in order to ensure that they could be promoted in the next round."

"That's good, it indirectly increases the number of stars awarded per round~"

With a slight brow furrow, Xia Ming stepped into the [Gate of Live Fish]. Although there were more stars now, he wondered how the AI ​​would distribute the rewards.

Whether he should fight or retreat, he'd have to wait and see what the stars tell him.

Seeing Xia Ming walk into the fish gate, Qian Youdao became more and more excited!

"Let's go. I lost the first move last time when we were making fish. This time, I want to see if Xia Ming can keep winning!"

Seeing Qian Youdao's burning fighting spirit, Fang Xu and Shuai Qixing felt slightly uncomfortable. They exchanged a glance and then struck up a conversation.

"This guy's acting like he's on steroids."

"He really seems like a different person."

After the two nodded, Fang Xu raised an eyebrow and suddenly spoke.

"Let's look at the questions first. If it's the same question, we'll each rely on our own abilities. If it's a multiple-choice question, then tell me what dish you want to make, and I'll try to tailor it to Xia Ming."

"Don't worry, I'll ask Qian Youdao too."

Shuai Qixing raised an eyebrow after hearing this. That's right, he actually knew Fang Xu before the competition and knew that Fang Xu was a strategic person with no major weaknesses in any aspect.

Although they weren't exactly best friends, they were definitely friends. Since he wanted to target Qian Youdao without changing his own cooking style, that was fine with him. "Okay, I'll come find you after I go in and confirm the questions."

While they were discussing, Xia Ming had already entered the competition arena. The whiteboard was still familiar, but there were many things around him that were not there before.

It's clear that the exam questions have been upgraded.

[Contestants have 40 minutes to prepare a fish-themed dish. There are no restrictions on the style or flavor.]

There were still five judges, but Xia Ming paused after looking at the score sheet next to him.

[There were 32 participants in this round, with a total of 64 stars.]

1th Place: 22 stars

2th Place: 10 stars

3th Place: 8 stars

4th Place: 6 stars

5th Place: 4 stars

[Rankings 6th-10th: 2 star]

[Rankings 11th-14th: 1 star]

[Ranked 16th and below: 0 stars]

Stars are tallied after each match.

Upon seeing the 22 bright beads on it, Xia Ming's brows furrowed instantly.

"The number of participants in this round is similar to that of the 'Shredded Pork with Green Peppers' round at the beginning, but the first place in that round only had 7 stars, while here it has become 22 stars."

"It's obvious that the ratio has increased. Under this ratio, the first place is now 12 stars ahead of the second place. This gap can already make up for the losses from rushing to different events."

"Correspondingly, the elimination rate also becomes higher within the same round!"

Xia Ming wasn't sure if this was the format the AI ​​was initially given, or if someone had actually changed it later.

But he now understands one thing very clearly: if the competition continues to reward stars in this way, then winning first place in a single match will be more important than attending multiple matches.

After all, no matter how fast you do it, some questions will still take 10 minutes or so. With two sessions and waiting time, it will take at least half an hour.

Now, suppose someone wins first place in a room with a very high number of participants.

That would very likely erase his advantages.
"I knew it wouldn't be that simple. A comprehensive competition won't leave too many obvious bugs. Looking at it this way, although I may be leading by more than ten stars now, if I can't guarantee that I'll get first place frequently, there's a small chance that I'll be caught up."

Xia Ming narrowed his eyes slightly. He disliked probability, whether it was dice or options.
He initially gained an advantage by taking advantage of the fast pace of the competition, but due to some subtle changes in the competition format, he realized that in the eyes of the question setters, this round was more focused on ability than probability.

"22 stars in 40 minutes means that roughly 1 star is earned every 2 minutes, which is not a low return."

He had initially considered quitting when he saw the time limit, but now that he saw the number of stars, he suddenly thought it was quite appealing.
Of course, if you're not careful and end up getting second place, then getting 10 stars in 30-40 minutes would be a bit of a rip-off.

He had actually noticed Han Tianyan's earlier actions; after all, as the number of people decreased, those who clung together would become more obvious.

However, he didn't care, because to reach the top, one must be an enemy of all the contestants. In Xia Ming's view, this round of assessment was likely to use the advantages of other contestants to hone the skills of the all-round warrior.

In this situation, anyone could be the opponent.

Just then, Xia Ming saw Qian Youdao leaning towards him, looking energetic.

"It's great to be in the same arena as Brother Xia. Last time when we were forging knives, my fish balls were a step behind your soup-filled yellow croaker."

"This time, let's fight again!"

Looking at Qian Youdao, who exuded a somewhat domineering aura, Xia Ming recalled the description in the information Qiao Ruoning had given him.

[A natural-born competitive player who rises to the challenge]

Thinking of this, he smiled and nodded.

Of course, he didn't really care much in his heart, but he glanced at Fang Xu, who was standing next to him, a few more times because he didn't know him very well.

After assessing the situation on the field, Xia Ming, who had no intention of quitting, quickly glanced at the ingredients next to him.

Unlike the fish tanks used in previous competitions, the fish, whether saltwater or freshwater, were now placed in boxes filled with crushed ice.

There were quite a few of various kinds of fish, and judging by their freshness, some were clearly just caught.

It seems the organizers took into account the tight time constraints of the competition and thus saved the contestants the step of catching fish.

His blood-red eyes activated instantly, and Xia Ming discovered that the fish was fresher than he had expected.

"Based on 32 contestants, there's no need to fight for selection this round; we can just choose from among them according to our cooking needs."

Upon seeing the fish, Xia Ming also noticed that the venue offered a wider variety of vegetables, fruits, and mountain delicacies, clearly intended to complement the fish.

Seeing the restrictions on ingredients lifted, some contestants' eyes lit up instantly. This meant that this round of the competition offered greater freedom, but also placed higher demands on the dishes.

Once everyone had arrived, an announcement was made that they could begin selecting their ingredients.

Xia Ming didn't make the first move to snatch the fish this time. Anyway, there were enough fish, and they were fresh enough. It would be more targeted to determine the themes of other contestants first.

Excluding some ordinary contestants, Xia Ming focused on Qian Youdao, Shuai Qixing, Fang Xu, and the unexpected addition Ma Lei.

Qian Youdao seemed particularly clear about this topic, and picked up "bighead carp (silver carp)" without much hesitation.

Shuai Qixing hesitated for a moment, and finally chose grass carp over bighead carp.

Then, as he passed Fang Xu, he quietly said, "Fish noodles."

Although the sound was very soft, judging from the movement of his lips, Xia Ming felt that he must have heard correctly.

Then Fang Xu went to find Qian Youdao, who whispered something to him before finding a stove to start processing the food.

Although he didn't know what Qian Youdao had said, Fang Xu thought about it and took a grass carp.

As for Ma Lei, he took all the materials in one go. Xia Ming glanced at them and basically determined that he was going to make grilled fish.

After gathering the information, Xia Ming pondered for a moment, then silently walked to the food selection area and picked up a sea bass.

Then, he specifically chose a position where he could see the movements of Qian Youdao, Shuai Qixing, and Fang Xu, and then smoothly sliced ​​the fish meat while watching Qian Youdao's actions.

He quickly finished processing the fish, then took the fish fillets from both sides and fried them in a pan until they were slightly golden brown, without adding any ginger slices.

Instead, they simply poured in water and started stewing.
Then, at this moment, he took out ginger, cloud ear fungus, shiitake mushrooms, vermicelli, and loofah. After seeing him start shredding the loofah, Xia Ming also judged that Qian Youdao was making a famous Cantonese dish.
Fish Soup

(End of this chapter)