Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 247: The Chef's Hall Reception Competition – A 12-hour battle of chefs is about to begin. (First Update)
"Judge Bai, what is the 'unsaturated steaming method'? I don't know what it is."

Xia Ming turned his head to look at Qiao Ruoning, only to see that Qiao Ruoning took out her tablet and quickly searched for some information.

Just a few seconds later, after the data was retrieved, Qiao Ruoning turned to look at Xia Ming.

"The 'unsaturated steaming method' is a theory that was proposed by senior Xia Yitian."

"The principle should be based on altitude, which allows for the treatment of ingredients at an unsaturated temperature by steaming them in water that is not boiling."

"This technique has been demonstrated in plains terrain, but live streaming was not as popular back then as it is now, so its core has always been a secret."

Upon hearing this, Xia Ming immediately thought of the "Shumai Partner" he had just made.

"No wonder they gave me a perfect score; so that's what happened!"

As Xia Ming pondered, he glanced at Bai Susu.

Previously, I was too far away from the judges' panel to see Bai Susu's full appearance, but now she looks like a mature and sophisticated woman.

Her long, brownish-yellow hair was paired with a pair of light-colored black-rimmed glasses. Beneath the glasses were narrow, almond-shaped eyes, a high nose bridge, and a small black mole peeking out from the gap between her right eyebrow and the upper frame of her glasses.

Her skin texture looks like that of a woman in her early 30s, but she is actually almost 45 years old.

Below the collar was a black turtleneck undershirt, and the jacket was a gray-toned formal suit.

His overall demeanor is more like that of a lawyer than a chef.
Xia Ming glanced at her and noticed a faint ring mark on her slightly raised left hand.
So he had a rough estimate in his mind.

"Judge Bai, just as my agent said, Xia Yitian's 'unsaturated steaming method' is a technique that hasn't left behind any core skills. So where am I supposed to learn it?"

"If you're asking about the method I used to make the shumai, then I can tell you that it was just a matter of poking a few holes in the lid of the steamer. Of course, I told the staff when I came out, and they said I didn't need to pay compensation."

"As for your mention of the 'unsaturated steaming method,' it's probably just a misunderstanding due to the similar principle."

When Xia Ming said it was a misunderstanding, a stubborn glint flashed in Bai Susu's eyes.

"How could it be a misunderstanding? You share the surname Xia, and he shares the surname Xia too, so you must be his son! The premise of the same principle is that you have to know the principle!"

“Your culinary skills couldn’t have come from a stone out of thin air! I know he deliberately avoided us because of what happened back then, but no one blames him, and the matter has long been cleared up.”

"Come on, tell your sister where he is! I won't let you down!"

Xia Ming's expression turned cold upon hearing this. He realized that sometimes it was impossible to communicate with a woman who was driven entirely by emotions.

"According to Judge Bai, since your surname is Bai and Bai Heng's surname is also Bai, does that mean she's your daughter?"

"Sorry, I really don't know Xia Yitian. My father's name is Xia Minhui. You can look it up yourself if you don't believe me."

After saying that, Xia Ming shook his head and was about to leave with Qiao Ruoning.

Just as he turned around, Bai Susu's slightly indifferent voice came from behind him.

"Are you trying to lie to me too? I hate being lied to the most!"

"If you don't tell me where Xia Yitian is, do you believe I'll give you a zero in tomorrow's competition!"

Upon hearing this, Xia Ming stopped in his tracks, which was about to leave.

Then he turned to look at Bai Susu, whose eyes held a hint of resentment.

"0 points? Haha, can I take that Judge Bai was threatening me from outside the stage?"

With a slight smile playing on his lips, Xia Ming stood in front of Bai Susu.

Sunlight streamed down from behind Xia Ming, whose shadow completely obscured Bai Susu, as Xia Ming was a head taller than her.

Like a demon lord descended to earth, he looked down on Bai Susu with disdain.

"Although I don't know the regulations of the Chefs Association, if you really want to do it, you can give it a try."

"Let's see, who will be the one who makes a fool of themselves then?"

Xia Ming's sudden change in demeanor was so rapid that Bai Susu, who felt overwhelmed, felt intensely uncomfortable.

Just as she was about to retaliate, Xia Ming quickly turned around and, under Qiao Ruoning's slightly worried gaze, led her away into the distance.

Bai Susu looked at Xia Ming's back, her face showing a conflicted, confused, and even slightly infatuated expression.

"Although their faces don't look alike, their aura is just as domineering as Yitian's."

"That disdain for all living beings hidden in their eyes is practically identical to what they were made of."

Bai Susu brought her right hand to her mouth and bit it, her face flushing an unnatural red, as if she had thought of something unhealthy.

"Xia Ming? He really has nothing to do with Yi Tian???"

"But how can people's temperaments be so similar? Impossible, he's definitely lying to me."

A mix of confusion and unspoken feelings washed over Bai Susu, causing her body to feel slightly warm and even aroused in certain areas.
Of course, when she said she would give him a score of 0, it was just to scare Xia Ming.

After all, she wasn't a judge in the next round, so there was no question of scoring.
After turning away, Xia Ming had already made up countless stories in his mind about his cheap father and Bai Susu.

Judging from their appearance, the two of them must have had quite a bit of entanglement.
"Of course not necessarily. Bai Susu seems a bit mentally unstable. I don't know if her thinking is the same as that of a normal person."

Xia Ming always felt that Bai Susu's personality was a bit twisted. Although it wasn't to the point of being "yandere," she was definitely obsessive.

"Sometimes it's purely bad, but sometimes it can be exploited." "Qiao Ruoning, help me look up Bai Susu's personal information, the more detailed the better—her measurements, hobbies, past experiences, nothing should be overlooked."

Qiao Ruoning was slightly taken aback upon hearing Xia Ming's words.

"Xia Ming, don't let her appearance fool you, she's old enough to be your mother."

"Besides, she's divorced. Even if she doesn't have children, and even if you like the mature, sophisticated type, you can look at other women."

Xia Ming was speechless upon hearing this.

"What are you thinking? I'm just taking a look at her cooking preferences!"

"That's good, that's good~"

Qiao Ruoning grinned, revealing her little tiger teeth, then stopped talking and contacted "Qianqian" to get the information.

Meanwhile, Jing Ran, who had been eliminated, understood the reason for his defeat in the previous round after his mind returned to normal.

Under the shade of a tree, she stared intently at Xia Ming, who was gradually leaving, with eyes full of resentment.

"Damn it, Xia Ming, you deserve to die!!! You deserve to die!!! You deserve to die!!!"

Being a "famous chef" yet failing the "Level 5 Chinese" exam is utterly disgraceful.

Jing Ran felt that his reputation was about to be ruined. You know, for a chef at his stage, nothing is worse than a ruined reputation.

Thinking that all his efforts over the years were about to be destroyed by Xia Ming, he finally made a bold decision.

He's going to challenge "Fuko Igarashi"

"Igarashi Fuuko has been retired from the entertainment industry for many years, so her skills must have become rusty. I still have a good chance!"

"If I succeed in this challenge, I can be promoted to 'Head Chef of the Main Family,' and then I can reclaim everything I've lost!"

"Just you wait, Xia Ming. Wait until I become the 'Master Chef of the Main Family,' then I'll come back and properly 'thank' you!!!"

Xia Ming, who had no idea that Jing Ran was about to do something reckless, returned to the hotel with Qiao Ruoning to rest.

That evening, he received "The Chef's Hall" as well as "Bai Susu's Personal Information" and "Xia Yitian's Complete Personal Information".

After seeing what Bai Susu's ex-husband looked like, he finally realized that this woman definitely had a problem.

"They've even pulled off a whole 'Wanwan resembles Qing' thing... what on earth did this cheapskate father do before?!"

There should be a limit to flirting, especially this kind of thing!

Although Bai Susu's personality changed in this way, which is partly related to her ex-husband, judging from the information, she was already very willful when she was young.

"Is it just a pure infatuation with the white moonlight in my memory? Fine, if there's a reason to use it later, it can be used as a breakthrough."

As for "Xia Yitian's complete personal information," that's even more explosive.
If this were an anime, it would be a pure harem anime.
Of course, this has nothing to do with Xia Ming's match tomorrow, so let's talk about it when the time comes.
"The next day, in the chef's hall."

The gilded walls and the simple yet solemn decorations, along with the green plants in the ceramic pots on both sides, make the road look exceptionally luxurious.

The 48 contestants, along with the host, arrived at the antique door lock. The key was successfully inserted into the hole, and the door was slowly pushed open.

Before your eyes lies a solemn hall that resembles a stage, with the lights from the top floor casting an orange veil over the room.

Standing next to Xia Ming, Zheng Zeqian unconsciously shook his head.

"So elegant, so incredibly elegant!"

Xia Ming nodded silently.

Compared to the modern minimalist decor, every inch here exudes a sense of luxury.

Just as everyone stood still, the large screen behind the host on the stage lit up instantly!

[Final Round of the "Hua 5 Level" Selection - Chef's Hall Reception Competition]

[Competition Rules: The 48 contestants will have 3 hours to prepare and, using the provided budget, create an individual menu in the kitchen.]

[The design template can be generated using AI. A maximum of six dishes can be listed with prices, with no price limit.]

After participants select their individual menus, the organizers will help print them out, and then distribute them uniformly in the reception area behind them.

Once preparations are complete, you will be available for 12 hours of service.

There are a total of 6 groups of people, each group holding a different amount of currency.

[Initially, you won't know the exact amount of currency in each group, but we can provide an average of "450 yuan".]

[It is known that there are 6 waves of people, each with 200 people, for a total of 1200 people. After the last diner finishes their meal, the system will calculate the revenue of the 48 chefs.]

The top 24 performers in terms of earnings have advanced to Level 5.

Upon seeing the rules behind them, all the contestants showed surprise.

"What?! A single chef serving customers for 12 consecutive hours??? 3 hours of preparation time??? Are you kidding me?"

(End of this chapter)