Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 182 Urgent Notice: Zheng Zeqian's performance was a major upset; having come this far, they had to give it a try! (Bonus Chapter for 3K Views)

[Urgent Notice Regarding the "New Chef Competition"]

This competition is an important event for young chefs in China, aiming to cultivate the next generation of Chinese chefs. It places great emphasis on technique, comprehensive skills, and overall competence.

We admire the exploratory spirit of young chefs who learn culinary techniques from multiple countries.

However, the "New Chef Competition" itself still hopes that chefs will integrate techniques from multiple countries into the Chinese culinary system; therefore, the current regulations stipulate...

[After the quarterfinals, before teams write their themes and enter the draw box, their submissions must be publicly displayed and certified by our staff.]

[The theme drawing can only proceed after all nine themes have met the criteria.]

[Please do not fill in dishes that are not from your country, dishes made with extremely rare ingredients that are difficult to obtain in a short time, or dishes made with protected ingredients.]

[Well-defined rules are the ladder for chefs to improve. We hope everyone will approach the competition with a fair, just, and transparent attitude.]

Furthermore, this competition garnered significant attention, and many of the top-ranking contestants showcased their exceptional culinary skills.

Therefore, after considering the overall strength, culinary skills, and other comprehensive qualities of previous contestants...

Following an overnight vote, the Chinese Chefs Association has decided to increase the prize money for this year's "New Chef Competition."

The top three spots, previously awarded to "Level 3 Chinese" direct entry, have been changed to "Level 4 Chinese".

Furthermore, the winner of the "New Chef Competition" will skip all previous stages and directly enter the final judging round if they subsequently participate in the "Level 5 Chinese" exam.

Furthermore, the competition for third and fourth place will not rely on existing points, but will be decided in a separate match.

Furthermore, the top 200 participants will receive enhanced benefits; please visit the official website for details.

Netizens were shocked when they saw the notice issued by the Chefs Association overnight.

He could understand the earlier part, since it was absolutely impossible for the rules to remain unchanged after Han Tianyan's actions.

But what happened next was something they never expected.

Although there is only one level difference between "Hua 3" and "Hua 4", the elimination rate is very high and their status is completely different.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this rule was actually added for Xia Ming.

Judging from the competition, Xia Ming must have won the approval of the judges, which led to the rule change.

As for why it wasn't upgraded to "Hua 5 level", it must be because the leap is too large and the internal resistance is too high!
Even if Xia Ming is exceptionally strong.

But for other chefs who have gone through countless trials and tribulations to reach this point, it's still too shocking to expect them to jump directly to "Level 5 Hua".

However, even during this turbulent time, Yin Shengjiang still managed to secure the highest level of benefits for the competition.

The champion of the New Chef Competition can skip the preliminary assessment of "Level 5" and go directly to the final round.

In effect, this meant that Xia Ming was being handed over the "Hua 5th level" in his hands.

As for the quality of the first place winner in the later competitions, Yin Shengjiang is not worried.

After all, the champions of previous "New Chef Competitions" were basically between "Hua Level 4" and "Hua Level 5".

There's no reason why the players would become weaker after the competition was turned into a national event.

Moreover, what is a sure thing for Xia Ming, the "Hua 5 level" title, may not be a sure thing for others.

This rule only helps the champion get through the earlier stages; the final "Hua 5 level" still depends on individual ability.

What if Xia Ming doesn't win this championship?
Netizens aren't even considering this as an option anymore!

In their view, Xia Ming had charged forward with sparks and lightning, and there was virtually no chance that he would fall down at the last moment.

If someone can defeat Xia Ming without resorting to underhanded tactics, then that contestant deserves to win the championship.

In any case, opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared, and netizens can make their own judgments about who is prepared.

Looking back at Han Tianyan, who has become an internet sensation, his memes have been modified in countless ways.

The entire internet was filled with ridicule directed at him.

Some have called it "the biological warfare of the culinary world."
Han Tianyan's behavior can be summarized as a prime example of "a fool's ten years of hard work making foolish mistakes is not as good as a fake smart person's one snap of the fingers."

Although the Chefs Association did not impose any explicit punishment on Han Tianyan, it not only issued him a full reward, but also awarded him the "Hua Level 3" certificate along with "He He" and "Kuang Luwei".

However, Han Tianyan's record of scoring 0 points in the quarterfinals earned him a new reputation in the culinary world.

[Zero-Poop Bro]

It is foreseeable that his future path as a chef will be full of hardships.

I wonder if, many years later, when Han Tianyan recalls this match, he will burst into tears and shout it out.

"If I had another chance, I would never take out that durian or open that can of herring."

"If I had had my chance any earlier, I would have definitely banished that bullshit 'French banquet' nonsense from my head!"

"If I had gone to bed earlier, I would have ignored my friend's call, and none of this would have happened."

Unfortunately, there's no going back. Han Tianyan's feat of single-handedly changing the rules of the "New Chef Competition" will remain on the internet for a very long time to come.
"Wilding Hotel"

The remaining six quarterfinalists all showed expressions of surprise upon seeing the rule change.

Among them, Li Yuan and Zheng Zeqian reacted the most strongly.

The former came to compete for a higher rank, and seeing that the top three could directly advance to "Hua 4th Rank", their fighting spirit was ignited.

Zheng Zeqian was playing games with someone when he received the message.

In the moment of distraction, the opponent secured the first blood.
Just as the female boss was asking Zheng Zeqian what was wrong and whether he was feeling unwell that day...

Contrary to his usual behavior, Zheng Zeqian did not respond with a smile. Instead, after thinking for a while, he sent a message asking the female boss if the order could be cancelled.

The female boss was a regular customer of his, and she was very magnanimous after seeing Zheng Zeqian's message.

She didn't ask for the refund, and even advised him not to overwork himself, before going to find another companion.

Zheng Zeqian, who had quit the game, stood in front of the computer for a long time before finally going downstairs and buying a pack of cigarettes from the hotel's vending machine.

Then one person smoked half a pack on the balcony.
As he tossed away the remaining half-pack of cigarettes, his entire demeanor subtly changed. The competition officially began the next day.

By the time the quarterfinals were reached, the outcome of the match was no longer in doubt.

Players who were meant to perform well started early on, and those who made it into the top 8 but weren't very well-known were unlikely to become dark horses.

After yesterday's competition, everyone behaved much better.

So today's match was basically uneventful.

Xia Ming won first place.

Bai Heng easily defeated his opponent, becoming the second player to advance to the semifinals.

After a fierce battle, "Li Yuan" was unfortunately defeated by "Qian Youdao" and missed out on his dream of becoming a "Level 4 Chinese Scholar".

Zheng Zeqian still seemed as lazy as ever. After defeating his opponent, he returned to Qian Youdao's side and sprawled out.

But everyone knew that tomorrow, only the four of them would be left.

The final four are Xia Ming, Bai Heng, Zheng Zeqian, and Qian Youdao.

Three of them were acquaintances, so everyone was quite casual about the lottery.

Aside from Xia Ming being the clear number one, everyone else seems to be on the same level right now, and Zheng Zeqian is even slightly weaker.

The final four matchups are
Zheng Zeqian vs. Qian Youdao

Xia Ming vs. Bai Heng

In the eyes of netizens, the contest between "Zheng Zeqian" and "Qian Youdao" is basically a done deal, with Qian Youdao set to win.

As for Xia Ming, there's no need to say anything. People watch Xia Ming's matches now just to see what tricks his opponents can pull off.

But now it seems that no one has pulled off a bigger stunt than Han Tianyan.

Bai Heng is naturally not Han Tianyan; she makes a living through her cooking skills.

Therefore, on the second day, she adhered to the rules to the fullest extent throughout her duel with Xia Ming.

Despite the exam questions not being to her advantage, she still unleashed her full potential and achieved a high score of 95.1.

Unfortunately, Xia Ming was still too strong. Despite the extremely demanding exam questions, he still managed to score 98.9 points.

The online community gave this performance very high praise.

According to some bloggers, Bai Heng would have been the undisputed champion in previous years; Xia Ming was simply too outstanding.

I've heard some players whispering that Xia Ming's individual skill level has likely broken through to "Hua Level 6" and is approaching "Hua Level 7".

Is this really that outrageous? Keep in mind that Sui Wubai was only a "Level 7" graduate!

[Teacher Sui is an exception. He followed his mentor's tradition, accumulating knowledge and experience before making a breakthrough. In the years following his mentor's passing, he devoted considerable effort to his mentor, which somewhat slowed down his professional progress.]

[It's alright, as long as Sui Wubai continues like this, becoming a culinary master is only a matter of time. As for Xia Ming, if he truly possesses "Hua Level 7" strength, the culinary world will definitely be shaken.]

[It's already caused quite a stir, you know. We only heard they were stuck in a hotel, but you have no idea how many wealthy people are waving their cash, trying to buy Xia Ming out of a meal!]

[He's famous now, Xia Ming is truly famous. If he can win the championship, he could very well become the youngest "Level 5" chef in China after the chef system reform.]

Just as netizens were still lamenting Xia Ming's fate and feeling sorry for Bai Heng,

The match between "Zheng Zeqian" and "Qian Youdao" took an unexpected turn.

Qian Youdao drew the "fish" theme, which he was best at, but he was outmatched by Zheng Zeqian on this topic.

This was the most difficult battle Qian Youdao had ever faced since Xia Ming ignited his fighting spirit.

Zheng Zeqian displayed a completely different level of skill than before. He outperformed Qian Youdao in every aspect, including controlling the heat, knife skills, and seasoning.

As the last, almost flawless "Steamed Fish with Phoenix Fat" was served, Qian Youdao's exciting journey was abruptly interrupted by Zheng Zeqian.

Seeing that his final score was 4 points lower than Zheng Zeqian's, Qian Youdao was also a little incredulous.

"Wait, buddy, what are you doing? I've never seen you this tough before!"

Zheng Zeqian was silent for a moment, then said casually.

"If you're too strong, you'll get banned in smaller tournaments. If you're not allowed to participate, you'll lose money."

Qian Youdao was speechless for a moment.

"So what's the point of you being so aggressive now? Are you targeting me?!"

Zheng Zeqian shook his head.

"No, the rules for the 'New Chef Competition' have changed. If I win, I can directly qualify for 'Huawei 4th Grade'."

Qian Youdao blinked, somewhat confused.

"What's the difference between these two? Is it really necessary to work so hard?"

Zheng Zeqian looked at the empty lounge.

"Because you can start a class just because you have a 'Level 4 Chinese' certificate, and once you start a class, you can collect tuition fees."

The man who never worries about money, Qian Youdao, was completely dumbfounded by this statement.

"No, you're only at the 'Level 4' in China, you can't possibly charge that much!"

"I can still earn quite a bit, because I came from the 'New Chef Competition' and am guaranteed at least second place. Besides, I'm young."

Qian Youdao smiled inexplicably, then pointed at Xia Ming beside him.

"According to you, it would be even more awesome if you won the championship. Come on, let's flip Xia Ming's car, and you might be able to get a 'Hua 5' in two months!"

Zheng Zeqian glanced at Xia Ming beside him and sighed softly.

"I can't beat him, he's too strong. But... we've come this far, shouldn't we at least give it a try!"

(End of this chapter)