Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 2 only stipulates that the main materials will not be provided, it does not say that I cannot "take them myself" on site!

"Sorry, contestant of 'Sichuan-Chongqing Ice and Fire Chef,' according to the competition rules, we are currently unable to access your 'Recipe Library.'"

Xia Ming frowned when he saw the assistant director's slightly mocking look.

Indeed, according to the rules of "One Meal to Fame", contestants have two hours to make a dish that will impress the judges. They can bring their own ingredients or choose from the "recipe library" specially created by the program team.

Although the original owner did not go hungry, he still took beef from the "ingredient library" from the perspective of saving costs. Strictly speaking, he could not have taken the main ingredient from the "ingredient library".

"Fairness, or rather, fucking fairness!"

Xia Ming considers himself not an absolute disciple of the Demonic Sect, but he also doesn't like to follow the rules completely!
"When the original owner cooked beef, he only cut such a small piece for the plate, but used the whole piece. He really didn't leave me any room at all!"

Xia Ming glanced at the assistant director in front of him, then looked sideways at the other contestants' tables.

The competition is now in its later stages. Of the original 86 contestants, less than 40 have been eliminated. Even those chefs who have been eliminated have maintained basic manners and kept their tables very clean.

However, some chefs were clearly dissatisfied with the result and left the tables unattended, with some other ingredients still on the table.

The assistant director was slightly taken aback upon seeing this, and his heart tightened.

"This guy isn't planning to use other people's leftover ingredients, is he?!"

At the same time, the live stream camera turned to Xia Ming, who was experiencing an unexpected situation, and the chat began to scroll wildly.

What's with this guy looking at other people's tables? Is he trying to pick up leftovers?

[The fleeting look in his eyes didn't seem like he was scavenging for leftovers; it was more like he wanted to drag two other people down with him!]

Wow, if someone were to overturn someone else's half-cooked pot during a live stream, they'd definitely be a top-tier "water ghost" (a person who intentionally sabotages others' cooking).

Haha, I don't think any gigolo would have the guts!

While the comments were full of jokes, Xia Ming was already plotting how to "borrow" something from others!
"I think the chef on my right has a nice knife, and the woman behind me has a pot that looks specially made. The celery on my right has been sitting for a while, but it's still usable."

Hearing Xia Ming's mutterings, the assistant director's eyes widened.

What does this mean? Are you planning to rob us outright?

Are you a cook or a robber?! You look so respectable, why do you do such inhuman things?!
"Hey 'Sichuan-Chongqing Ice and Fire Chef,' let me tell you, if you disturb the contestants, you'll be immediately eliminated."

Xia Ming glanced back at the assistant director and gave him a warm smile.

"So, as long as they're not currently competing, it's okay?"

The assistant director gasped, thinking to himself that this guy had gone mad.

"Did he cut his hand? Knowing he has no hope of advancing, he's planning to smash up the place! If he really causes a scene, it would be unfair to the other contestants if they either have to rematch or be declared the loser!"

Just as the assistant director was about to call for backup, "Nicholas Tse" happened to wander around to this spot.

After understanding the requirements from both sides, he adopted a slightly serious expression.

"While I understand your feelings, the rules were set from the beginning. You selected beef from the 'Ingredient Library,' so you can't choose other main ingredients, otherwise..."

"It's unfair to the other contestants, right? Fine, then how about this: I won't eat the five pungent vegetables. That should be in accordance with the rules!"

Xia Ming had been waiting for this very sentence. He had seen the loophole in Xie Tingfeng's behavior towards the fat chef a long time ago.

"Nicholas Tse," or rather all the judges, while being strict, maintained a relatively dignified demeanor. Perhaps it's because of the variety show format, but they not only have to consider the food itself, but also their own image in front of the audience.

For Xia Ming, who frequented the Demonic Sect, life and death often depended on details. Making good use of everything around him was the key to why he hadn't been thrown into the Blood Pool in 30 years.

Hearing his words, the assistant director glanced at the live broadcast screen. Xia Ming had already taken up too much screen time from the other contestants. If this continued endlessly, it might backfire.

Anyway, he's just a tool to win over female viewers. Even if we give him some materials, it's only a short time. What can he possibly do?

So the assistant director tried to smooth things over, saying that Xia Ming could enter the "ingredient library," but he couldn't take the "five major meats," which are chicken, duck, fish, meat, eggs, chives, garlic, scallions, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise. Furthermore, he could only take two of these ingredients.

Xia Ming was very satisfied with the result; he hadn't intended to get his hands on these things in the first place.

So, with only 25 minutes left in the game, he entered the "food storage" a second time, and after quickly wandering around, took out two ingredients from it.

"Live scorpions" and "salt"!
When he took out the ingredients, the comments section and the "chefs" and "guests" watching from the second floor went wild!
Because of the competition rules, after the 86 contestants are narrowed down to 16, the contestants will have to compete against well-known chefs. So the chefs are also present. At this moment, the "well-known food critic and chef" "Shuai Xiaojian" turned his head to look at the "Sichuan and Chongqing female chef queen" "Zeng Huaijun" next to him.

"In the Sichuan cuisine system, the way scorpions are handled must be quite complicated!"

Zeng Huaijun nodded.

"Under normal circumstances, in a non-fried state, it needs to be pre-treated with toxins, preferably marinated, but in either case, 20 minutes is not enough."

Just as the two were chatting, the foreign chef standing nearby spoke up.

"Deep-fry? If it's deep-fried, there should be enough time?"

Shuai Xiaojian smiled slightly.

Although fried scorpions are crispy and fragrant, they have a bitter base flavor and an unbalanced taste. This is impossible to avoid without marinating them. Frying scorpions is simply asking for trouble.

While the chefs were discussing, Xia Ming didn't return to his seat. Instead, he turned around and walked over to a chef with a buzz cut.

"congratulations!"

Upon hearing this, the "bald cook" was slightly taken aback. Congratulations my ass! Although he wasn't directly eliminated for making a smoked fried rice dish, he was put on the waiting list. However, the number of selected candidates was visibly decreasing, and being on the waiting list was far from secure.

Just as the "bald cook" was about to retort, thinking that Xia Ming was there to get some screen time, he saw that Xia Ming had already walked up to his charcoal fire.

"Brother, yours's all broken now, can I use it?"

The bald cook raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

"You came here just because you wanted my charcoal?"

"How can you say that? This is called borrowing. You lend me charcoal today, and I will repay you later!"

"Hmph, aren't you scared looking at me?"

The "bald cook" touched his face. Although he was not old, he had a fierce look. In his own kitchen, very few apprentices dared to talk to him.

Xia Ming smiled upon hearing this. With the bald cook's appearance, he would definitely be considered a "breath of fresh air" in the Blood Blade Sect. After all, in the Nine Provinces Continent, a face full of scars is something some people can boast about. The "bald cook" definitely has a kind face!

"If you ask me, you have a very kind face!"

Hearing Xia Ming's words, the "bald cook" smiled and then picked up the stove containing the remaining charcoal and handed it to Xia Ming.

"Okay, then I hope you don't get eliminated, otherwise how will you return my charcoal?"

Xia Ming nodded, grabbed the stove, and ran back, leaving the assistant director watching in a daze.

According to the rules, he shouldn't disturb the contestants who are competing, but the problem is that they finished their competition and were put on hold, which is definitely exploiting a loophole in the rules!
But he was helpless against Xia Ming, which was exactly what Xia Ming had planned from the beginning.

After quickly and simply processing the scorpions, Xia Ming lined them up and threw them onto the charcoal grill.

"Therefore, blindly adhering to rules will inevitably lead to rigidity. The tragic state of my second master back then is still vivid in my mind~"

With a sigh, Xia Ming put aside his other thoughts and quickly turned the scorpion over with his right hand, which was not bandaged. The "Five-Flavor Scorpion" made of leftover charcoal, wild scorpion, and salt was a snack that the Seventh Elder of the Blood Blade Sect often ate.

"It's a pity that I still have my 'Blood Fusion Demon Cultivation Technique'. Roasting it directly like this still leaves some room for control over the scorpion blood and the retention of the final poisonous sensation."

Just as he was reminiscing about the Blood Blade Sect's core technique, "Blood Fusion Demon Cultivation," he suddenly flicked the scorpion's right hand, which inexplicably turned white. The next second, he directly extracted a wisp of transparent, slightly bluish-green blood from the scorpion's body, which was not yet completely dead.

(End of this chapter)