It's just cooking a dish, how did it become the main character in a game?

Crab! Not crab!

Nan Xu's words came from the bottom of his heart.

He never believed that the strong had the right to belittle the works of the weak, because the hard work of the weak also deserved respect.

Of course, this is on the premise that the other party does not disrespect him and has indeed put in effort.

He never uses the taste of the dishes as the sole criterion for judging a chef's quality. As long as the dish is made with care and dedication, even if it's made by a ninth-grade chef, he's happy to taste it and give it a positive review.

If a chef is perfunctory and tries to fool a diner, even if the food is actually better, the diner will inevitably go to the chef for an explanation, just like Ningquanju did back then.

But clearly, Ye Weiyao didn't think that way.

"Say what you will, I won!" she said proudly, raising her chin. "You say I'm an unqualified chef? I'd say the weak have no right to judge me!"

Nan Xu wasn't annoyed at all, and said calmly, "Is it something to be proud of for two people to beat one? Besides, you've only just qualified for the cooking competition."

"If you're really confident in yourself, how about we try a two-on-two game? That way, you'll see if I'm qualified to evaluate you."

Ye Weiyao curled the corners of her lips into a provocative smile.

"You and that defeated opponent are going up against me and Shen Lu? Perfect, I couldn't be happier!"

"Didn't you say I waste ingredients and aren't a qualified chef? Fine, this time I won't imitate your dishes; I'll show you my true skills!"

As she spoke, she took a step forward and stared at Nan Xu with an extremely imposing gaze.

"But don't let the huge gap in skill make you cry!"

Nan Xu smiled slightly: "You're not stupid. You know that psychological tactics won't work on me and will only limit your own strength, so you've decided not to play that game."

"However, some subconscious habits aren't so easy to change, you know? Be careful not to let your bad habits hold you back."

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Ye Weiyao rolled her eyes dismissively: "Hmph, trying to influence my mindset with trash talk? You're centuries ahead of time!"

Nan Xu didn't reply, but turned to Liao Hong: "Prefect Liao, you should have heard what I just said. Let the two of us participate in this cooking competition."

Liao Hong gave him a deep look, then nodded and said, "—Alright! If you win, besides the fourth-grade ingredients that were the wager, I can also pay out of my own pocket..."

Here's a reward for you!

However, there was a hint of worry between his brows.

Although Nan Xu was so confident, she must have been sure of herself, but Ye Weiyao obviously did not reveal her full strength.

Furthermore, the two petty thieves worked together closely, while Nan Xu and his chef had not yet worked together, not to mention that the chef had lost a match and suffered a significant blow to his mentality.

Can those two really win?

Nan Xu, however, showed little worry and remained calm: "In that case, let's decide on the rules and topics for the cooking competition."

"How about this? Since it's a cooking competition, let's each give half the questions."

As he spoke, he gestured for them to go first: "Please go first."

Ye Weiyao raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Hmph, you say my crab dish wasn't good enough? Well then, I'll use 'crab' as the theme and make you admit defeat!"

"Crab?"

Nan Xu pondered for a moment, then said, "Then, I'll title my half of the topic 'Non-Crab'."

Upon hearing this, everyone reacted with varying expressions.

"Crab—not a crab?" Liao Yudie exclaimed in surprise. "Is this topic even valid?"

Liao Changfeng pondered for a moment and nodded firmly: "It's possible. Whether it's making a dish that looks like crab from ingredients that aren't crab, or making a dish that doesn't look like crab from crab, it all fits the theme."

"——That's right." Liao Hong slowly said, "However, making crab flavor with non-crab ingredients is obviously more difficult than making crab into a non-crab shape, and it's also easier to get a high score."

"However, cooking crab meat in other ways can easily diminish the crab's natural flavor. Therefore, the key to success lies in creating 'imitation crab dishes.'"

Upon hearing this, Ye Weiyao clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction.

In her view, Nan Xu's choice of this topic was a mockery of her for not bringing out the full flavor of the golden crab.

"Okay, okay, that's the question then. Are there any other rules?"

Nan Xu paced back and forth, slowly saying, "The time limit is one hour, and the ingredients can only be those available in this kitchen. As for the judges—"

He turned his head and looked at Liao Hong and the others.

"Let's have Changfeng, Yudie, and I take on this role," Liao Hong said.

Nan Xu turned to look at Ye Weiyao: "Any more questions?"

"That's it!" Ye Weiyao rubbed her hands together, eager for a good beating.

She waved:

Shen Lu!

The boy in black appeared silently beside Ye Weiyao, his face expressionless.

"Come on, let's cook!" Ye Weiyao patted his shoulder and walked happily towards the place where the ingredients were stored.

Upon hearing the "ding" system notification sound in his mind, Nan Xu slightly curled the corners of his mouth.

Then, he went to the chef's side and said, "Come on, let's get started."

Upon hearing this, the chef immediately straightened his back and nodded gratefully.

If Nan Xu hadn't spoken up for him, he might have really fallen into self-doubt because of Ye Weiyao's words.

Nan Xu did more than just say a few words in his defense; she gave him the courage to continue his duel with Ye Weiyao and her companion.

gas.

However, after his recent defeat, he still didn't believe he could play a decisive role in a duel at this level.

As for Nan Xu, the guest invited by the prefect, although he looked a bit younger, it was clear from his comments and remarks that his culinary skills were definitely superior to his own.

So he simply said, "Master Nan, just tell me, what do you need me to do? I'll be your assistant!"

Upon hearing this, Nan Xu smiled and shook his head: "That won't be necessary—this time, you'll be the head chef, and I'll be your assistant."

Upon hearing this, the chef gaped in disbelief.

Why make your defeated subordinate the head chef?

real or fake?

He couldn't hide his shock and exclaimed, "Master Xiao Nan, are you kidding me? I just lost a match!"

"I'm not joking." Nan Xu's expression turned serious. "As long as you trust me and follow my instructions—"

He glanced at the shelf above his head holding the spice bottles, a hint of confidence flashing in his eyes.

"—This time, we will definitely be the victors!"

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