Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 147 Under the dazzling golden light, the "Glassy Chrysanthemum Cup" breathes on its own. (3K Second Update)
[Here we are, brothers! The daily Xia Ming work lunch segment, a must-try!]

[What the hell is this work lunch? What time is it?! Is this breakfast or lunch?]

Why can't we eat breakfast and lunch together?

[Yeah, there's no rule saying contestants can't grab a free meal while competing, but even the food he casually grilled looks delicious!]

"That's right. Just look at Xia Ming's skill level. Even if his dish falls apart when it's served, the judges will still give it a high score, since the technical difficulty is so much lower."

[Damn it, I'm actually starting to think "Pagoda Meat" isn't that difficult after all. Looks like I've been eating too much refined food and I've gotten arrogant!]

While netizens were expressing their amazement, Xia Ming had already eaten half of the grilled meat on his plate.

At that moment, the clear soup in front of him also changed.
Upon closer inspection, it can be seen that the cartilage, which was originally white inside, has now become somewhat transparent.

Seeing the cartilage begin to change, Xia Ming nodded and continued to control the heat.

As time went by, the transparent state of the contents of the pot became increasingly apparent.

Meanwhile, Zhu Wuneng on the opposite side had already reached the final stage.

The slices of meat in his hand were completely stacked up, looking just like a freshly made luncheon meat can.

Looking at the thickness of the canned food slices, everyone in the players' lounge squinted.

"Zhu Wuneng is not bad either; he's already sliced ​​the meat very thinly!"

"The key is that there are so many! With so many, they should be able to form a very large pagoda in the end!"

"I don't think so. See those two huge clumps of dried plum vegetables in that enormous plate over there? It looks like he's just trying to pile them up!"

"No, without a mold, it's impossible to do that!"

Just as everyone was wondering how Zhu Wuneng would solve the mold problem, Zhu Wuneng simply took out a rod-shaped object from the toolbox.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a Zen staff commonly found in ordinary temples.

What's different is that this staff is rather small, and it looks rather mismatched and comical in Zhu Wuneng's hands.

But Zhu Wuneng didn't mind at all. He picked up the strange Zen staff and used it to prop up the pork belly next to him at an angle.

Then, he used this as a starting point and began to circle around the gloved hand.

Just as netizens were wondering what he was doing, he let out a "ha!" and placed the tip of the pork belly on the preserved mustard greens next to him. Then, with his staff like a conductor's baton, he rotated it a few times and the pagoda tip stood firmly in place.

The force he used was so skillful that it briefly drew the attention of the judges.

Tan Zhifeng raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at the staff-like tool.

"This is also Buddhism?!"

Yin Shengjiang was speechless for a moment; he had never seen anything like this before.
However, putting aside the staff itself, this step actually uses the basic inertia of mechanics, which is somewhat similar to how my grandmother used to spread the yarn with her knees or have someone else help her spread it when she was sorting out a ball of yarn.

Next, grab the end of the yarn and wrap it around a few times. Then pull it, and the yarn end will naturally clump together due to the force of the yarn. Use this as a base point to continue wrapping the yarn.

Sui Wubai had seen similar techniques before from a pastry chef.

"Zhu Wuneng's move most likely involved taking advantage of the natural stickiness of the pork belly slices, giving them a point, then using skillful force to press down on the first few layers, and then slowly surrounding the tower from other directions."

"Although it's ingenious, it's not too difficult to actually do. However, the technique is quite interesting. Using it this way when there are no molds can indeed enhance the appearance of the dish. And once you've mastered it, whether it's wide noodles or pork belly doesn't really matter that much."

"The last time I saw this technique was at Grandpa He Sheng's place. I remember he was making 'rolled pastries,' which required shaping the pastries into a bun-like shape before cooking, and he used this method."

Sui Wubai nodded as he spoke. Regardless of whether Zhu Wuneng was a real monk or a fake monk, it was already quite remarkable that he could use some unique skills at his age.

As for qualifications, identity, and any other shady dealings, the kitchen association will investigate these matters thoroughly. It's not like they'll just ignore it after issuing the reward.

"Inside the competition venue"

With a starting point, Zhu Wuneng was noticeably quicker. He tidied up a corner next to the stove and then moved the plates over.

Then, like a monk chanting sutras around a worshipper, he circled the pile of dried plums in front of him again and again.

As he spun around more and more, the pagoda-shaped meat on the side actually began to take shape.

But unlike the usual square "pagoda meat" that everyone sees, his pagoda meat is more rounded. Rather than resembling a pagoda, it looks more like a round, large bamboo shoot.

The viewers in the live stream burst out laughing upon seeing this.

【Wait, this pagoda of yours isn't imported from overseas, is it? It's so round and uneven.】

The monks in this temple are incredibly greedy; they've eaten their fill, their bellies are practically round and full.

[Oh no, my roommate says it looks like a clown hat! And you know what, with that color, it really does have that vibe.]

If it were any sharper, I would really think it was a bamboo shoot!

Just as everyone was puzzled, they saw that Zhu Wuneng had already rolled up a tower. Then he looked around, raised his hand, and made a cross with his fingers in front of the round bamboo shoot in front of him.

Just as everyone was wondering what he was praying for, he suddenly raised his hand and slowly lowered it from the top of the pagoda downwards.

The knot he initially tied with his scepter was pressed inwards, and the shape of the entire tower began to gradually become shorter.

But somehow, some mechanism was activated, and the originally round tower gradually turned into a square shape!
Seeing this, the judges were also a little confused, as it did not conform to basic principles of mechanics!
But Xia Ming, who was cooking soup across from him, saw through his trick. "This guy's fancy tricks are actually just a few long chopsticks hidden in the preserved vegetables at the beginning."

"Use rubber bands or ropes to secure the chopsticks to the pork belly at the initially set point. Then pour in the preserved mustard greens, and the pork pieces will gradually melt. At this point, press down from above, and the chopsticks inside will support the pork belly!"

"From the outside, the pork belly looks exceptionally neat; it was indeed a makeshift solution I could come up with on the spot when I didn't have a mold."

After saying that, he saw Zhu Wuneng insert his finger into the recessed part at the top of the pagoda, explore inside, and then slowly pull out a chopstick through the rope.

Then he pulled out the other chopsticks one after another.

At this moment, due to the pressure, the gaps around the pork belly have been filled with preserved mustard greens. Although the long chopsticks that provided support have been removed, the pork belly still maintains its basic shape.

Seeing this, Han Tianyan, who was in the players' lounge, pushed up his glasses.

"This Zhu Wuneng is no ordinary person. If he hadn't met Xia Ming, he might have gone much further."

Shuai Qixing, who was standing to the side, snorted.

"It's nothing special, just a dish of 'Pagoda Meat,' nothing to brag about."

Han Tianyan glanced at him silently, then moved his rating from "arrogant" to "idiot," and laughed inwardly.

"He doesn't really think that Zhu Wuneng did this just for the sake of looking good!"

After saying that, Zhu Wuneng stuffed something into the groove above, and finally placed the "tower top" that he had fried with meat earlier on top, covering the groove.

He then used the same method to make the other side.

Looking at the two relatively neat piles of "twin pagodas" in front of him, he took the largest steamer from the side and carefully placed it inside.

Just as steam was rising continuously from his steamer, Xia Ming was also finishing up his cooking.

By spinning all the items in his hands together, Xia Ming managed to press the "complete" button a little earlier than Zhu Wuneng.

As the lights flashed, the host reappeared and, after confirming the name of the dish with Xia Ming, announced it.

[New Chef Competition, 64 to 32, Day 1, Group 1 contestants]

【XC1Z0291444—Xia Ming, cooking complete.】

[Cooking name: Glaze Juzhan]

After the announcement, Xia Ming carried his dish to the judges' table.

After nodding to the judges, he quietly placed the dish in front of them.

As the judges savored the rich aroma of the pork soup, which was also sweet and refreshing, they all turned their attention to the bowl.

At first glance, all the judges were captivated by the beauty of this dish.

The AI ​​camera naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity, and directly gave Xia Ming a magnified close-up of the still scene of his cooking.

The viewers in the live stream immediately noticed that the soup, under the light, reflected a shimmering, golden sheen.

It was as if the sun had been contained in a bowl no bigger than a hand; as the light flickered, many netizens instinctively closed their eyes.

When they opened their eyes again, the soup in the bowl had returned to normal. Many netizens rubbed their eyes, wondering if they had just imagined it.

"No, guys, I think I just saw a sun in this bowl!"

[I didn't see the sun, but I saw golden light scattered across the sky. It startled me; I thought it was some kind of entrance effect for a big shot entering the live stream.]

[Just kidding, this is the official live stream room. It's been specially tested, there's absolutely no way any special effects could appear.]

[Oh my god! As an adult, I actually saw a legendary glowing dish through the screen!]

Shouldn't we shout "Special!" right?

[I just took a screenshot, and there is definitely a golden glow, but it seems to be a lighting issue. Still, it's really beautiful!]

Stop talking, look closely at the bowl, it looks even prettier now!

The judges present also saw the golden light, just like the netizens, except that theirs lasted even shorter, disappearing in less than 3 seconds.

Once the golden light disappeared, the full appearance of the "Crystal Chrysanthemum Cup" was finally revealed.

In Yin Shengjiang's eyes, beneath the golden tea-colored broth, a translucent chrysanthemum blooms in the water. Compared to the pure white of the "chrysanthemum tofu," this chrysanthemum appears even more translucent.

If it weren't for the faint white background still visible, Yin Shengjiang would probably have thought that this wasn't made of cartilage, but rather a combination of shark fins.

What's even more amazing is that the chrysanthemum in the bowl is not static. Although the soup looks completely calm, it is still swaying underneath, as if it really has a life of its own.

Sui Wubai, standing to the side, was even more shocked by the chrysanthemum's breathing-like movement. His honest expression vanished, replaced by intense curiosity in his eyes.

"Interesting. The broth has stabilized, but the translucent petals are swaying slightly?"

"This is actually a dish that floats on its own. How is that even possible?"

(End of this chapter)