Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 250 An Overlooked Occupational Hazard: Freeloading with Xia Ming? What's going on here? (Second Update)

Are the first group construction workers? They don't look like actors!

They're probably not actors; I could clearly see the calluses on their hands.

[I'd say they weren't all actors, maybe there was some fake among them? After all, some of them were quite chubby and fair-skinned.]

[The person upstairs shouldn't speculate wildly. There's no need to rig a legitimate competition. Those with slightly lighter skin you see are probably plumbers from the mall, or painters with "better protective gear."]

Yes, there are many different types of jobs on construction sites. Don't generalize and create a stereotype about all workers.

These workers all look quite old; they must have been working in their positions for a long time. I could only identify adhesive applicators, waterproofing workers, and painters among them.

How could you tell that?

Of course, different jobs will result in different hand characteristics due to the nature of their work. For example, painters often have dry hands, waterproofing workers may have scratches and cracked skin, and adhesive workers have very noticeable calluses on their hands.

[I can't tell anything else, but there are definitely people inside who specialize in cement transport. Although he tidied himself up and changed his clothes, the grime on his shoes just wouldn't come off.]

I still don't quite understand. Isn't this a national-level professional chef competition? Why choose a group of workers as judges? Can they even control the scoring criteria?

[Yeah, a competition isn't a variety show. Even if it's meant to test simulated business management skills, biased judgments from some judges can lead to inaccurate results!]

I think the Chefs Association probably had a reason for coming up with this step, since they didn't just pick a bunch of unqualified workers from the construction site. From what I've seen so far, the worst workers here are probably the movers.

Regardless of the evaluation criteria, paying workers for lost work time is commendable!

[For workers, wouldn't heavily spicy and oily Sichuan-style dishes be more popular?]

Just as netizens were discussing this...
"Judges' Explanation Panel"

Yin Shengjiang distributed the materials he had to the other judges.

The large screen behind the commentary booth also provided a specific and detailed description of his profession.

Of course, the names were blurred out for privacy reasons, but the age distribution clearly reveals the problem with this table to netizens.

According to the statistics on the side.

A total of 200 workers attended this round, each holding a "100 yuan consumption voucher".

among them
Painters: 35

Waterproofing workers: 25

Adhesive workers: 40

Welders: 30

Rust removal workers: 10

[Porters: 30]

Underground plumbers: 20 people

Carpenters: 10 people

The workers have a minimum of 9 years of service and a maximum of 25 years of service.

There were basically no long-term work stoppages during this period.

Although the other judges knew the competition process beforehand, they did not participate in the scoring, so the most specific information they had was what Yin Shengjiang had just given them.

Upon seeing the table, everyone except Cao Fujun immediately understood.

Tan Zhifeng didn't mince words and spoke directly.

"These workers are all veterans. Because of the nature of their work, they are frequently in contact with decoration materials."

"Painters, for example, need to be in contact with paint for long periods of time. Since the quality of the paint is not determined by the painters themselves, they are easily exposed to harmful substances such as benzene, formaldehyde, and xylene."

"Many people can't stand the smell when they renovate their own homes, let alone painters who are just ordinary people."

"It may not have any effect in the short term, but over time, these smells can cause a decrease in a person's sense of smell, and in the most serious cases, it may lead to the loss of smell."

Cheng Xieyun nodded in agreement.

"That's right, it's common for painters to have olfactory problems, and the older they get, the more frequently they have these problems."

"Because older paints are less consistent in quality."

Ding Yongxing narrowed his eyes and pointed to the roster.

"The porters are exposed to dust every day, which not only blocks their sense of smell but also irritates their throats."

"Furthermore, the work is not easy, and most workers tend to drink excessive amounts of low-quality strong liquor, smoke, and chew betel nuts in order to relax."

"This further burdens their bodies, and some older workers may even lose part of their sense of taste."

Yin Shengjiang nodded as well.

"Yes, the same goes for plumbers. Those who work on underground projects often face high risks, but their wages are correspondingly higher."

"However, the probability of being exposed to foul-smelling toxic gases such as ammonia is greatly increased when one is in a poorly ventilated underground environment for a long time."

"Compared to their previous professions, they are more prone to 'olfactory fatigue'."

“I once read a book called ‘The Hundred Flavors of Human Life,’ in which the author gave a rather detailed description of underground workers.”

"Many long-time workers who have been in the industry for seven or eight years can no longer clearly distinguish between fragrant and foul smells. Although their sense of taste is still there, something is always missing when they eat."

After listening to the judges' explanations, the viewers in the live stream understood.

So, selecting workers at the start is all about observation?

I think it's more like a judgment of the diner's state!

I've heard that good chefs can determine a diner's approximate birthplace by their accent and mannerisms, and then prepare dishes accordingly to suit their tastes. I wonder if this is similar to this round of competition.

[Let's stick with the strong-flavored, rustic style of cooking. I remember many older factory workers preferred it!]

[Older people often experience a decline in their sense of taste and prefer stronger flavors. Furthermore, they live in a different era; many of today's refined Western dishes may not be to their liking.]

[A chef's first skill: adaptability and tailoring dishes to the individual]

Just as netizens were engaged in heated discussions...
"Backstage, Control Room"

The director sat down to the side of the screen, giving his seat to an elderly man with half-gray hair wearing a Zhongshan suit.

Next to the old man sat a girl who looked to be around 20 years old and had a slightly aloof demeanor.

The other staff members behind them were also a little curious when they saw this scene, and they whispered among themselves.

"Who is that old man? He even moved our Bi Daoshi aside."

"You don't even recognize him? This is 'Qiao Jie,' Teacher Qiao, one of the 'Permanent Vice Presidents of the Chinese Culinary Association,' in charge of chef education and the development of culinary styles."

"Ah! The vice president?"

"Keep your voice down."

The slight chatter behind them did not disturb the elderly people watching the live stream.

He first looked at the workers heading towards the banquet hall, and after confirming that there were no problems there, he looked at the contestants' kitchen.

Just as he was nodding as he looked around, the girl next to him spoke up.

"Grandpa, if you ask me, it's only natural that the final exam for Hua 5 will test comprehensive abilities."

"But wouldn't it be a bit too casual to let workers on site, from a professional standpoint?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao glanced at her granddaughter and then smiled and spoke.

"Haiqi, do you think this is unnecessary?"

"Well, it's not entirely unnecessary, but it feels a bit too childish."

Upon hearing his granddaughter's words, Qiao Jie smiled.

"Perhaps it's child's play. By the way, Haiqi, do you remember how to write the 'ding' in 'dingsheng'?"

Qiao Haiqi burst out laughing.

"Of course I remember."

After saying that, she waved her hand and gestured a few times to the side.

Qiao nodded and then said a series of Chinese characters, which Qiao Haiqi wrote down one by one. But when she got to the character “齁”, Qiao Haiqi hesitated.

When Qiao Haiqi reached for her phone to turn on the keyboard, Qiao Jie smiled and waved his hand.

"It is common for people to forget how to write characters in today's society."

"Just like the most basic 'diner's judgment' for chefs, which chef who reaches Level 4 in Chinese culinary arts hasn't studied it?"

"But learning something doesn't mean you can use it, and being able to use it doesn't mean you'll remember how to use it."

"Haiqi, the profession of chef requires both talent and hard work. The key factors that determine how far a chef can go often lie in these inconspicuous details."

Qiao Haiqi put down her phone, her eyebrows twitching slightly, before turning her gaze to Xia Ming's split screen marked with number 44.

"Grandpa, there's no need to beat around the bush; I know you like this boy named Xia Ming."

"But it's not that I'm making malicious speculations. I always feel that many of his actions are naturally driven by a certain degree of self-interest."

Qiao Jie smiled and waved his hand, not responding to Qiao Haiqi's words, but instead changing the subject.

Let's see how things develop.

Qiao Haiqi nodded and then turned her gaze to the kitchen where Xia Ming was.

"Gou - Kitchen"

As the countdown ended, Xia Ming looked at the ingredients that had been prepared in advance and smiled slightly.

"To avoid waste, I deliberately only prepared some of the more time-consuming ingredients. As for the others, it's fine to cut and prepare them on the spot."

"Come on, let me see what kind of people the first group of diners in this round of the competition are~"

As he spoke, he looked up at the large screen beside him. At that moment, as the door was pushed open, a group of construction workers in various uniforms walked into the "banquet hall".

Upon seeing the luxurious decorations around them, most of them looked on with surprise.

Of course, a few people remained relatively calm.

The organizers did not assign fixed seats to everyone, so everyone sat wherever they pleased, just like any other diners.

After a brief commotion of chairs being moved, the group quickly dispersed and sat in small groups around the 12 tables in the banquet hall.

After they were seated, they began to look through the thick menu in front of them.

While watching, he also discussed it with his companion next to him.

"This 'Four Happiness Meatball Hot Pot' looks good, but it's a bit pricey."

“Yours isn’t expensive. I have a Yangzhou fried rice here that costs me 188 yuan. I don’t even have that much in coupons.”

"What do you mean 'your side'? We have the same menu, okay? At most, you just flipped through it faster and turned a couple more pages."

"Let's not talk about the food for now, let's grab some peanuts and a little wine first."

"Haha, Lao Yang, were you drunk yesterday? The foreman already said that we're following the order system here today. If you want your peanuts, go to 'Sister Fang's Stir-fry'!"

"Wait, this banquet hall is so big, aren't you going to serve some appetizers?"

"Did you really think we came here to throw you a banquet? We're just public judges now, so you can order whatever you want to eat."

"I understand there are no cold dishes, but I need to have some water. I can't have to pay for water when I'm thirsty." Knowing that there were cameras, the workers didn't make a lot of noise, but they also didn't whisper to each other. They communicated normally.

But with so many people, it inevitably sounds a bit chaotic.

However, the chefs didn't listen; they just watched, knowing that they were conducting the initial screening.

Because a large portion of the dishes on the 48-page menu exceeded the value of their coupons.

Types like these should definitely be eliminated immediately.

As for the other dishes, they are not cheap either, so most people plan to read through the entire menu before making a decision.
"Gou - Kitchen"

Xia Ming frowned slightly as he watched the group of people flipping through the price list.

Because he had already determined that these people were not actors, but real workers.

Furthermore, based on the few words they uttered, Xia Ming quickly confirmed several pieces of information.

[One: They should have exactly 100 coupons in their hands.]

Second: Judging from their clothing and the way they huddled together while chatting, they probably don't come from the same construction site.

[Third: They are all quite old; the youngest looks close to 30. Of course, it's possible that manual labor causes them to age faster.]

Just as he was summarizing the information, the machine next to him suddenly started beeping.

[Table 3, Seat 7, 1 glass of cooled boiled water.]

[Table 5, Seat 1, 1 cup of hot water.]

[Table 11, seat number 4: 1 glass of cooled boiled water.]

【.】

Looking at the frantically scrolling list beside him, Xia Ming remained calm.

He didn't find supplying water troublesome at all, after all, it was his unique business, and anyone who wanted to compete with him would have to pay 500 yuan out of their own pocket first.

Although it doesn't make a single penny, it at least serves to attract customers.

So, without much hesitation, he began preparing drinking water for the workers.

Just as Xia Ming was making preparations, some impatient workers had already started placing their orders.

This can be further divided into several situations.

The first type is individual orders, which are usually ordered randomly based on personal preference, because the price range set by the contestants present is actually not low.

So 100 yuan for a single dish actually seems a bit low.

Therefore, users who click on a single point here are further divided into two categories.

One type is to order a main dish and then pair it with a side dish that looks relatively expensive; it would be even better if the side dish happened to go well with the main dish.

Another type is to order a main dish and then order all the lower-priced items.

The former focuses on enjoyment, while the latter prioritizes being well-fed.

The second type is the group meal model, where several people order a table full of dishes and then eat together.

The advantage of this is that you can try more flavors.

So at first, Xia Ming's group meals were met with lukewarm reception because the workers had eaten "pig's blood" before, if not every day.

Whether it's pork blood and tofu soup, stir-fried pork blood with Chinese cabbage, or other simple combinations, they've basically covered it all.

Under the same circumstances, it does seem a bit strange to order Xia Ming's set meal after finally having a nice meal.

After all, you can't spend all the money and you can't take it with you when you die.
So Xia Ming basically became a water dispenser, letting anyone who needed water come over and order some.

However, there has been no progress on the "Pig Blood Curd Set Meal" and "Seafood Rice".

As for the higher-end dishes, Xia Ming's pricing exceeded the limits of these diners, so it's normal that no one ordered them.

As time passed, most stores made some profit, but Xia Ming remained at the bottom.
Viewers in the live stream quickly noticed this phenomenon.

Xia Ming is so busy! The water supply is endless, but he just can't get any orders.

[I feel there's a problem with the business strategy. Even in other regular restaurants, you can't keep providing water all the time. Isn't that just like doing charity?]

[Don't these workers feel bad about ordering food from other people's restaurants and drinking water from Xia Ming's house?]

I don't think there's anything wrong with it. After all, you're the only place providing water for the whole event. I can't go thirsty if I don't drink from your place. Besides, you set this rule on the menu, so you have to be able to play along.

[I feel so sorry for Xia Ge. He's been taken advantage of all along, unable to rest, and also unable to prepare other ingredients.]

【You thought you were so great just because you can cook? Well, you're no better than a useless person running a restaurant.】

[Is the person upstairs an idiot? Xia Ming isn't the only one who hasn't closed a deal. Why don't you call the others useless?]

[I don't care what you guys do. You guys are always praising Xia Ming to the skies, and you won't even let others speak the truth.]

[I've already reported it, brothers, let's report it together!]

Netizens noticed a problem with Xia Ming's strategy, and the seven judges on the panel naturally noticed it as well.

However, this kind of thing is actually not easy to comment on.

From Tan Zhifeng's perspective, Xia Ming's choices were not actually wrong.

"The prices of 40 yuan and 24 yuan take into account students and white-collar workers. Choosing staple food cannot be said to be wrong."

"It can only be said that the mismatch with the target users has led to the current situation of being busy but having no orders."

Cao Fujun, who was standing to the side, just smiled when he heard this.

"If the positioning is wrong, you can just say so directly. There's no need to cover it up, is there?"

"In my opinion, supplying water is essentially a thankless task. You know, the worst thing people can do is want everything."

"You want to be low-end but also high-end? Why does Xia Ming always have to get all the good things?"

Upon hearing his words, Ding Yongxing subtly moved a little further away.

Because he knew that Cao Fujun was deliberately arguing with Tan Zhifeng at that moment.

In his opinion, Xia Ming's approach wasn't too wrong; it was just that the first wave happened to encounter workers.

If these workers were replaced by a group of college students who only had 50 yuan each, the outcome would often be different.

If I had to point out a problem with Xia Ming's choice, it would definitely be this one.

It might just be that there are no restrictions on the water supply.
“Other chefs can rest and prepare ingredients when they don’t have any orders, but Xia Ming can’t rest for a moment and he doesn’t earn any money.”

"If the number of free cups had been set from the beginning, things might have been different."

This point of view differs from Ding Yongxing's.

Xia Ming, who had been handling water in the kitchen, showed no sign of impatience.
In his view, it's perfectly normal for these people to happen to be treated to a nice meal and order some dishes they've never seen before.

In other words, they don't have much credit available, so they can only choose from the lower end of the credit limit.

If you can get a mid-range meal, then this meal is actually a great deal.

"After all, so many Level 4 chefs are priced between 100 and 200. In other parts of the city, those prices would be at least three times higher."

The viewers in the live stream were quite impressed to see Xia Ming still able to laugh.

Xia Ge is still keeping a calm mindset; it's only 100 yuan per person. We'll catch up later.

Yes, there are six rounds in total, and this is only the first round. There isn't actually that much of a difference yet.

Other shops are just watching the excitement; the unit prices are too low, so they don't actually make much profit.

[Hilarious! They're actually competitors, and Xia Ge is just watching from the sidelines!]

[Kang Xincheng and Zheng Zeqian are the same; the former has no dishes under 160 yuan, while the latter only has egg fried rice under 100 yuan.]

Honestly, if I had the chance, I wouldn't eat fried rice unless it was so delicious it would bring tears to my eyes! Otherwise, I'd definitely be rushing to eat anything I hadn't tried before!

If you ask me, it's more worthwhile to eat with friends. Look at that table over there, everyone knows each other. Each person contributes a dish, and when they're all together, it really feels like a banquet.

This looks so delicious!

In a full hour, Xia Ming closed three deals.

All three orders were placed because people didn't have enough money to buy staple food, so they combined the orders and put it on Xia Ming's account.

After all, a spot on the menu is really precious; nobody would choose to put a bowl of rice on it.
The "Chicken Shredded Cold Noodles" for 7 yuan, the "Milk-Flavored Steamed Buns" for 12 yuan, Zheng Zeqian's Egg Fried Rice, and Xia Ming's Set Meal are all dishes with staple food under 30 yuan.

Xia Ming initially tried to make some adaptive modifications to make the dishes more suitable for the tastes of the customers.

Later, it was discovered that the workers who took the order genuinely enjoyed their meal and thought Xia Ming's cooking was delicious.
However, he wouldn't recommend it to other workers; as for the aroma, it had already been mixed with the other people's dishes.
In fact, even if Xia Ming's "pig's blood curd" were twice as fragrant, it would still be difficult to attract customers to banquet halls.

Because of occupational diseases, the workers all have some degree of olfactory problems.
After netizens compiled statistics, they found that the workers' favorite dishes were "fish soup hot pot" and "Italian seafood hot pot". The former costs 89 yuan and can be used to pay for a bowl of cold noodles.

The latter costs 99 yuan and is mainly used for eating with companions.

Both come with a serving of rice.
Since extra money cannot be transferred between customers, we ordered the seafood hot pot for 99 yuan, which was basically the end of our budget.

But as they ate, those who had ordered the "fish soup hot pot" and "cold chicken noodles" gradually realized something was wrong.

Since 89 + 7 = 96, it means they still have 4 yuan left after ordering.

If they had paid for this themselves, they would have kept the 4 yuan for themselves, but since it was the organizers who paid for it.

With the mindset of leaving as little as possible, they opened the menu and searched everywhere.

After searching for a long time, I found that there was only one restaurant in the entire city that served dishes under 5 yuan that required payment.

Xia Ming's Lemonade.

It's understandable, since offering extremely low-priced dishes and collecting small change is a way to make money, even if it has some merit.

However, it will also affect the chef's speed of serving food.

Unless you're willing to spend one of those precious six spots to label it as a cheap "pickled vegetable," you're basically not competitive.

Even if you set a price, and 60% of the people in each wave order the 1 yuan plate of pickled vegetables, the revenue would only be 120 yuan.

Even at 2 yuan a plate, the turnover would double.
In the eyes of many chefs, this is nothing more than the profit that a mid-priced dish can bring.

Although the cost may be higher, many people realize that after seeing the fixed points, they may not actually be able to use them all.

As a result, many people started ordering lemonade for Xia Ming in order to reach the minimum order amount.

Xia Ming's lemonade, though inexpensive, has a very refreshing taste, making it perfect for cleansing the palate.

Seeing that those who ordered a la carte drinks had lemonade, the rest of the people followed suit and started ordering.

Then, Xia Ming went from being a supplier of plain water to a supplier of lemonade.

Over time, he, who was originally at the bottom, has moved up quite a few places.

Xia Ming remained silent on the matter.
Because he knew in his heart that this wave of customers actually had little impact on the overall situation.

Their biggest role is probably to generate positive reviews with relatively little revenue, helping certain chefs climb into the top ten recommended screens.

Just when everyone thought the highly praised dish would be the "Italian seafood hot pot", the final increase in the number of red hearts on the chart far exceeded everyone's expectations.

Xia Ming, who seemed to have worked for nothing and only received a small amount of lemonade money at the end, was far ahead in the positive review and recommendation section.
Did they take first place with an overwhelming advantage?
Netizens were somewhat confused.

What's going on here?

(End of this chapter)