Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Lia remained silent for a moment before recounting her past. She had been raised by Lillian when she was young, and Lillian treated her like a mentor and mother.

As for why one child can take care of another, it's mainly because Westerners develop faster.

Despite being only a few years older, Lillian still looks like an adult, and due to her precocious nature, taking care of a child is no problem for her.

"My mentor? I really didn't expect that. In that case, I should thank her properly for bringing such a wonderful Leah to me."

After hearing Liya's explanation, Bai Yuan finally understood the relationship between the two.

I originally thought the two were just cousins, but I never expected that they would also have the kindness of raising and educating each other. In that case, the kindness is immense.

He must give him a proper thank you when he has the chance, and also see if he can bring him into the world of dark cuisine, since the dark cuisine world needs geniuses and strong individuals the most.

"In that case, I'll introduce you to her after the competition."

Lia didn't think much of it and eagerly agreed, saying that since Bai Yuan was so curious about her cousin, she would introduce her to him.

"Okay, I'll wait until then and you can introduce me. You'll be the first one to go on stage today, and it's the most important match. Are you nervous?"

Upon hearing Liya's words, Bai Yuan nodded slightly in agreement, then asked the question in an inquiring tone, wanting to know her current state.

It is no exaggeration to say that the first game was the most important game.

The reason is simple: morale.

Aside from a few teams that want to use the "Tian Ji horse racing" strategy, most teams put their strongest member in first, aiming to gain the upper hand from the start.

"It's impossible to say I wasn't nervous at all. Although this isn't my first time on a stage of this caliber, I'm far from being completely unfazed."

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's question, Lia answered without hesitation, taking into account her own state; at that moment, she was indeed so nervous that her muscles were trembling.

It wasn't because she lacked skill, but because this was her first time representing the Dark Cuisine World in a team competition; in the past, it had always been an individual competition.

"Feeling nervous is a good thing. At least you value your opponent and will give it your all in the game. That way, whether you win or lose, you won't have any regrets."

Seeing Lia's clean and clear smile, Bai Yuan's originally restless heart calmed down, so he took the initiative to comfort her and looked towards the outside of the contestant passage.

As Lillian finished speaking, a commotion erupted in the audience, but fortunately, staff members who were maintaining order stepped forward and quickly calmed the situation down.

"That's what I think too."

As long as you give it your all, you won't have any regrets even if you lose.

"Of course I will win, not just this match, but every single one after this one. After all, I was trained by Boss Bai!"

Hearing the judges' call to come on stage, Lia looked at Bai Yuan and began to speak.

When she said this, her eyes were calm and unwavering, and her words were extremely firm, as if she were stating some kind of truth.

"I believe in you, or rather, I believe in everyone."

The conversation between the two attracted the attention of Erina Nakiri and the others, but since Shirabuchi was talking to Lia, they did not respond.

After noticing this scene, Bai Yuan naturally couldn't pretend not to see it. After all, not only Lia, but the others were also key players in this competition.

Only by working together and focusing everyone's efforts in one direction can we win the game.

"Great!"

"Go up on stage, for Teacher Bai Yuan, and for yourselves, and win the match!"

"I will win no matter who my opponent is!"

"I wonder what the theme will be..."

As Bai Yuan finished speaking, the girls who had been focusing their attention on him began to speak up, their faces showing the same high fighting spirit as Lia.

Eleven figures, with Bai Yuan at the core, emerged from the contestant passage and stepped firmly into the arena where light converged.

A youthful and sharp aura, like a drawn sword, instantly cuts through the tension and anticipation in the air.

Almost simultaneously, the lights in the opposite contestant tunnel came on.

As the host, Mr. Lin, loudly introduced the team, another group calmly stepped out.

He was accompanied by a middle-aged man with a calm face but deep, ancient eyes. He wore a faded linen jacket and loose trousers, and simple cloth shoes.

He was followed by ten young people, seven men and three women, all dressed simply and comfortably in gray and brown tones, without any unnecessary decorations.

Their demeanor was devoid of any arrogance, displaying only a calm and grounded composure, which contrasted sharply with the vigorous and outward-looking spirit of Bai Yuan's team.

The two teams stood still, one like a blazing fire, the other like calm, fertile earth. This stark contrast sparked a flurry of discussion among the audience.

"Both players are in position. We'll discuss the details during the match."

The host's voice echoed through the stadium once again, attempting to ease the almost frozen atmosphere of competition: "Now, please shake hands with each other, and promise that friendship comes first and competition second."

Upon hearing the host's words, Bai Yuan took the first step forward, a polite yet confident smile on his face, and extended his hand to the team leader.

The middle-aged man returned the smile, extending his hand to shake his. His movements were neither fast nor slow, and his gaze held a gentle yet scrutinizing quality befitting an elder.

"Please give me more advice."

Bai Yuan said.

"Each each other."

The middle-aged man responded, his voice calm and firm.

Following that, the players from both sides exchanged greetings.

When Lia shook hands with a female team member with braided hair, black-rimmed glasses, and bright eyes, she could clearly feel the thin calluses on the other's palm from years of cooking, as well as the restrained yet solid strength that was no less than her own.

The air was thick with not just polite greetings, but also a silent declaration of war and a test.

After the handshake ceremony, the two teams separated and headed to their respective designated preparation areas to rest, which were also prime viewing spots for the match.

At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on the arena, waiting for the host to announce the first duel that would ignite the battle.

"The first match, as usual, is a 1v1 duel. Now, please have both players enter the arena!"

The host's voice was like a starting gun, instantly drawing the attention of the entire audience to the competition, filling them with anticipation for the contestants to take the stage.

The spotlight slashed down like a sharp sword, illuminating the polished stainless steel countertop until it shone brightly. The various kitchen utensils neatly arranged on the countertop gleamed with a cold light, like soldiers waiting to be inspected.

Standing next to Bai Yuan, Liya strode forward after hearing the host Mr. Lin's words, her face radiating an unparalleled aura.

On the other side, a girl with a ponytail walked out from the line at the mosque. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the same girl who had just shaken hands with Leah.

Are you the strongest person in this academy?

Standing on the field, looking at the girl who was a head taller than her, Lia's expression was subtle. Without any preamble, she asked directly.

"That's right, my name is Samulan, and I'm the number one strongest student in the school. You should be too, right? I could feel your strength when we shook hands just now."

The girl with braided hair looked at Lia, her voice filled with joy. Only a genius like her was qualified to be her rival.

"I wouldn't call myself the strongest, but I'd say I'm the second strongest in the team."

Lia waved her hand and did not agree, because in terms of raw strength, Alice Nakiri was stronger than her, and she would lose more often than she would win in a duel between the two.

"Are you planning to use the strategy of Tian Ji's horse racing?"

Hearing Lia's explanation, Samulan was slightly puzzled, and then asked what she had guessed: the other party wanted to use the strategy of Tian Ji's horse racing to defeat them.

"Not really, I think I can win."

Samulan's words caused Lia to fall silent for a moment before she spoke her mind.

Facing the top student from a culinary academy, even one with great fame, didn't put her under much pressure, since she herself had also scored 99 points.

Although she wasn't as dazzling as Alice Nakiri, she was still the absolute champion of this school exchange competition, basically having no rivals other than Alice.

And this guy in front of her said all this—was he looking down on her?!

Thinking of this, Leah's expression turned cold.

"You are indeed a very strong opponent, but I don't think you can defeat me. It's a pity that I can only deal with you, the second strongest opponent, in the first round."

Samulan remained indifferent to this.

She's long past the age of impulsiveness. Asking so many questions is just to gather information about her opponent. After all, she spent the whole day in the kitchen yesterday and doesn't know anything about her opponent.

He was the top student in this year's session at the mosque.

She is undoubtedly hardworking.

An hour before the cooking competition began, she was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for everyone.

She has no entertainment or life; she spends 18 out of 24 hours a day in the kitchen researching cooking. She is a true culinary fanatic.

This is also the main reason why she became the head of the monastery despite not being particularly talented; she was simply too diligent. However, this excessive diligence was also a problem.

She didn't bother to learn about their opponents, and the teacher, in order to train their ability to perform under pressure, didn't share any information with them.

Therefore, Samulan was completely in the dark at this moment and could only judge the level of her opponent through verbal probing before the match.

Unfortunately, this method was not very effective.

But it doesn't matter. Samulan is confident in her own strength and doesn't think this petite girl can defeat her. Otherwise, wouldn't her seclusion have been in vain?

"The final outcome will be determined by the judges. Even if you make boastful statements before the competition, you won't get any extra points."

Lia didn't take Samulan's boastful words to heart. Everyone likes to say something encouraging before a competition, and she couldn't possibly take it personally.

"It seems both teams are very enthusiastic, so I won't waste any more of your time. Please look at the big screen; we will now randomly select the competition theme!"

Seeing that the atmosphere between Lia and Samulan was right, the host no longer hesitated and picked up the microphone to take control of the scene.

As he finished speaking, the large screen in the sky began to change, displaying a variety of culinary themes that dazzled the viewers.

Fortunately, this process did not last too long.

The image on the big screen gradually slowed down and finally stopped at the words "Ox Tail". Next to it was the two-hour time limit for the match, and exceeding the time limit would result in an immediate loss.

Compared to the lenient qualifiers, the official competitions are significantly more rigorous.

"It's actually a cow's tail."

"One of the most famous halal dishes is braised oxtail, which is also Sister Samulan's specialty. It seems like she's in the bag for the first round!"

"Yes, after winning the first game, we only need to win two more to advance!"

Upon seeing the theme on the big screen, the boys and girls in the preparation area of ​​the mosque started chattering excitedly.

There is no other reason.

Oxtail is an ingredient that is rarely cooked in other cuisines.