Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

"I'll issue the Golden Chopstick Token to guarantee Lee Cheol-sung's direct advancement to the next round!"

Old Master Sun immediately took out the Golden Chopsticks Token.

It would be such a pity if Li Zhesheng were eliminated in this round.

Given Li Zhesheng's strength, securing a top-three finish in the competition is absolutely no problem.

When Mr. Jin shouted that, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief.

"I knew Lee Cheol-sung couldn't be eliminated..."

"Li Zhesheng comes from a family of imperial chefs, how could he be eliminated so quickly?"

"Fortunately, there was the Golden Chopsticks Token, otherwise, it would have been a real pity for Li Zhesheng."

"..."

The host also breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Old Master Sun take out the golden chopsticks token.

He was about to make the announcement when he heard Li Zhesheng speak up:

"Thank you, Elder Sun. However, I know that my cooking skills are lacking and my skills are insufficient. Even if I advance to the next round, it will be useless. I might as well leave the food competition and go back to hone my culinary skills."

???

Everyone present was stunned. They simply couldn't believe that Li Zhesheng had actually refused! He had refused!

The Golden Chopsticks Token was something other contestants wouldn't even dare to dream of, yet Lee Cheol-sung actually refused it?

There was a moment of silence on the field.

Even Shen Qing looked at Li Zhesheng with some surprise.

Mr. Sun on stage was deeply shocked: "You...you're sure??"

"I'm sure."

"Your family is..."

"My skills are not good enough. Thank you for your kindness, Elder Sun. I will remember your help and will also tell my family."

Even as he said this, Li Zhesheng's expression remained arrogant.

Before he participated in the food competition, his family made a lot of noise for him and even visited Old Master Sun, hoping to make him famous throughout the world.

Moreover, for him, participating in the food competition was precisely to compete for the top spot.

But unfortunately, he ran into Shen Qing today, and he lost fair and square.

With Shen Qing around, he definitely won't win first place.

Although the first and second place are only one place apart, they are actually very far apart.

People will only ever remember the first place; they don't care who the second place is.

Rather than blending into the crowd, it's better to leave now.

Let's start again in ten years.

The host was stunned for a long time, and after observing the expressions on the other end of the line, he finally realized that there was no turning back.

So they could only announce loudly, "Due to some errors that occurred earlier, we are now re-announcing the results of Li Zhesheng and Shen Qing in the second round."

"Li Zhesheng scores 9.6, Shen Qing scores 10!"

"According to the competition rules, Shen Qing won two rounds in a row and directly advanced to the fourth stage."

"Old Sun took out the Golden Chopsticks Token, but Li Zhesheng refused it. Li Zheyuan was eliminated in this round, and Old Sun's Golden Chopsticks Token became invalid."

The host's voice reached everyone's ears.

The audience was stunned:

"Goodness, Lee Cheol-sung really refused!!"

"I thought things might turn around, but I didn't expect Lee Cheol-sung to really be eliminated!!"

"As expected of someone from a family of imperial chefs, they have real backbone, even refusing the Golden Chopsticks Token."

"Even though Lee Cheol-sung was eliminated, I inexplicably feel more fond of him. Why is that?"

"..."

The audience members present were amazed, regretful, and admiring.

Clearly, Lee Cheol-sung's refusal of the golden chopsticks edict earned him the admiration and praise of many.

The competition was to continue, and the host continued to announce the rules for the third round.

The third round is seasoning, which is very simple. It involves seasoning the tofu strips that have just been cooked, and the one who tastes the best wins.

However, Shen Qing has already advanced, so the third round has nothing to do with her.

Seeing the excited expressions on the faces of Situ Liang, Madam Yan, and others below the stage, Shen Qing smiled and quickly seasoned the tofu on the plate.

Add a pinch of salt and a tiny bit of sugar to a small bowl.

Then he took out a small bottle of white soy sauce, mirin, and a little MSG from his pocket, provided by the system.

The sauce was then prepared; it was an extremely pale and translucent amber color.

Then, Shen Qing picked up the sauce and poured it over the shredded tofu.

The juice slowly seeped down along the texture of the tofu strips.

After doing all this, Shen Qing took a few pairs of chopsticks, carried the plate of shredded tofu, and went straight to Situ Liang, Madam Yan, and the others.

"Would you like to try some of the mixed tofu strips?"

Madam Yan was overjoyed; sure enough, following Madam Shen meant enjoying delicious food.

She quickly took the chopsticks and stuffed the shredded tofu directly into her mouth.

"It smells so good! It's so tender!!" Madam Yan's eyes lit up. She had never known that tofu could taste so good.

Situ Liang and Guo Tiancheng also picked up their chopsticks and started eating. The two of them were so engrossed in the delicious food that they didn't want to say a word.

Mr. Qingci and Mr. Fang Shanren, who were on the judging panel, saw this from afar and immediately started drooling; they were so hungry for the food.

They exchanged a glance, then quietly slipped off the judges' platform, their secret revelry palpable.

He ran straight up to Shen Qing, wanting a share of the pie.

"Um...can I have a taste?" a slightly hesitant voice asked.

Shen Qing turned her head and saw that it was Li Zhesheng.

"We didn't compete in this round of seasoning, but I'd like to try it..." Lee Cheol-sung said somewhat awkwardly.

Shen Qing said generously, "It's alright, you can try it."

The plate of shredded tofu was pushed directly in front of Li Zhesheng.

The plain white porcelain plate was provided by the competition organizers. The tofu strips lay peacefully in the plate, each one so thin that a needle could be threaded through it, each one intact, with a very faint and even sheen on the surface.

The sauce is a light amber color, without any oil droplets or excess impurities.

Looking at the plate of shredded tofu, Li Zhesheng felt increasingly inferior to Shen Qing.

The knife skills and the control of the heat are both inferior.

As for the seasoning...

He picked up a piece of shredded tofu with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

The first thing that touches the tip of your tongue is the warmth and smoothness of the tofu strips themselves. They are tender from beginning to end, and with a gentle touch, the tofu strips melt away, like snowflakes falling into your warm palm.

At this moment, a faint salty taste emerges, extremely subtle and transparent, without masking the natural fragrance of the tofu.

Next came an extremely subtle sweetness, which was completely integrated into the aroma of the tofu, complementing each other perfectly. If Li Zhesheng hadn't dealt with food every day, he probably wouldn't have been able to distinguish this sweetness.

Finally, there's a freshness that rises from the back of the tongue, an extreme freshness.

Salty, sweet, and savory flavors intertwine seamlessly, creating an endless sense of wonder.

After swallowing the first bite, Li Zhesheng couldn't help but try to identify the seasonings used in the dish of shredded tofu.

Salt, sugar, and...

He couldn't tell the difference.

"Besides salt and sugar, what other seasonings did you use?" Lee Cheol-sung asked, looking puzzled.