Era: You're asked to cook a home-style dish, but you cook Wellington.

Old Lin stared at the marble made from cod in front of him, his eyes filled with amazement.

He didn't taste it immediately, but instead fiddled with his knife and fork, pressing the fish.

"Yes, it's hard; it feels like marble."

"What kind of black powder are you using?"

He looked up at Gao Yang and asked curiously.

The media reporters were also waiting for Gao Yang's answer, and they all zoomed in with their cameras.

"It's parsley powder after it's been roasted."

He took out a bag of unused powder and a bag of uncrushed parsley.

Old Lin took it and smelled it carefully.

"Hmm, not bad, the aroma is very strong."

"Then what is this green sauce? I just saw that the sauce you were making was white."

Gao Yang smiled and said, "I boiled parsley leaves, rinsed them in ice water, and then mixed them with olive oil. I then blended and filtered the mixture. So, while absorbing the aroma of parsley, it also increases the smoothness of the fish."

"What are these two things, one black and one orange?"

At this moment, Mr. Lin was like a curious student, diligently learning about knowledge he had never explored before.

Gao Yangyue explained that Lin Lao's eyes shone brighter, as if a student had solved the last major problem in the college entrance examination mathematics.

Old Lin admitted that at first he admired the young man, but now he is obsessed with him.

There have been rumors of reforms coming from above lately, and if this kid is used properly, he could be a sharp weapon.

A smile played on his lips as he glanced at Su Wanqing almost imperceptibly.

That little girl from the Su family has such a sharp eye!

Seeing this, Brother Long felt a surge of tension.

"Will their cooking taste better than yours?"

Brother Long nudged Master Ma, who was standing next to him, with his elbow.

Master Ma's forehead was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, but at this critical moment, how could he say that Gao Yang's cooking was delicious?

He gritted his teeth, pondering the matter in his mind.

Finally, steeling himself, he said, "Brother Long, don't be fooled by how Gao Yang cooks like he's conducting an experiment, using countless ingredients. The taste is definitely still better than mine."

"The truly delicious fish must be cooked for a short time to retain its texture. Look at him, he boiled the fish in water for an hour. It's already overcooked and will be as hard as a rock, impossible to chew."

"Look at the seasonings, with shellfish and celery, it will only make the fish lose its original flavor. The judges have tasted cuisines from all over the world, they can't possibly not understand this. In that case, we can just wait to win."

Hearing Master Ma's evaluation, Brother Long's anxiety subsided somewhat.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes, Gao Yang's method will definitely ruin the original flavor of the fish. There is a master fish chef right next to me. What am I afraid of? I'm just scaring myself."

He turned his attention back to Old Man Lin.

Old Lin didn't ask any further questions. He cut off a piece of fish, along with the sauce, and put it in his mouth.

His eyes were tightly closed, and his brows were slightly furrowed, as if his tongue was experiencing a thrilling battle.

The air fell silent instantly; even the clicking of camera shutters stopped. Everyone held their breath, staring at his expression.

At the Grand Hotel, everyone clenched their fists, their eyes fixed on Old Man Lin, not daring to relax for a moment.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

Old Lin suddenly opened his eyes, his previous composure completely gone, and a flush of almost intoxication appeared on his face.

He subconsciously raised his hand to hold onto the edge of the table, and his throat bobbed slightly as he tried his best to suppress the urge to swallow immediately.

"This texture..."

Old Lin's voice was trembling slightly, and he almost dropped the knife and fork in his hands.

"The outer layer is firm, but the inside melts on the tongue like flowing clouds. This level of doneness and the retention of juice can only be achieved by slow cooking at a low temperature."

"You used two kinds of fish roe. With one bite, the juice bursts out and fills your mouth, elevating the freshness of the fish to another level."

"The parsley is the finishing touch, enhancing the overall aroma while using the subtle sweetness of the ingredients to balance the flavors of the fish, mussels, and roe, making the whole dish a harmonious whole."

"Excellent, truly excellent! I must admit, this is a dish that has completely amazed me!"

After finishing the entire plate of cod, Old Lin spoke non-stop, like a machine gun, saying everything in a row.

"My God, did you hear what Old Lin said?"

"I heard it, I heard it! Old Lin said Gao Yang's work amazed him!"

The people at the Grand Hotel hugged each other, their faces beaming with joy.

Even Su Wanqing quietly relaxed her clenched fists and silently exhaled.

"you're good."

He nodded to Gao Yang.

The media reporters in the audience went completely wild. They had thought that with Mr. Lin praising Master Ma, the Golden Dragon Hotel had already secured the victory.

Unexpectedly, Gao Yang managed to turn things around in just over an hour.

"Mr. Gao Yang, would you please allow us an exclusive interview later?"

"Mr. Gao Yang, may I ask how you came up with this dish?"

"Mr. Gao Yang..."

……

If it weren't for the bodyguards stopping the reporters with their eyes gleaming, the entire stage would probably have been surrounded by microphones of all sizes.

Gao Yang was also taken aback, not expecting the reporters to react so strongly. He patiently answered their questions one by one.

On the other side, Brother Long and Master Ma were stunned and stood there dumbfounded after hearing Old Lin's evaluation.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible! Who can cook fish better than me? I have my secret seasoning!"

Master Ma covered his head and remained in a daze for a long time. He roared at the sky in disbelief and rushed over in one stride.

"I don't believe it! Let me try it! Let me try it!"

He acted as if he were insane, grabbing Gao Yang's shoulders tightly and shaking him violently.

Qian Liu made a move instantly, delivering an elbow strike that sent Master Ma flying back several meters.

Gao Yang knew in his heart that dealing with such an arrogant person would not give up until he saw the coffin.

He turned around and cut two more portions of fish.

One copy was handed to Su Wanqing, and the other to Master Ma.

Master Ma looked at the fish meat, which resembled a work of art, and without hesitation, swallowed it all in one gulp.

"I'd like to see what you're capable of."

"boom!"

The umami flavor exploded in Master Ma's mouth, and for a moment, he even forgot to chew.

Everyone turned to look.

Master Ma stood motionless, his eyes glazed over, holding a plate in his hands.

"Master Ma, Master Ma?"

The next second, Master Ma's body trembled, his steps faltered, and he staggered backward until he bumped into the table and barely stopped.

Looking at the plate in his hand, he had eaten all the fish, leaving only some green sauce.

He suddenly shed two lines of hot tears.

"I've been specializing in fish for two or three decades, and I thought I was invincible. But I never expected that there would be mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people."

Brother Long's expression changed drastically in an instant.

He rushed forward and grabbed Master Ma's arm.

"What's going on? Didn't you tell me it was a sure win? What's wrong with you?"

Falling from heaven to hell can happen in the blink of an eye.

His face was ashen, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets as he stared intently at the distraught Master Ma, his voice distorted.

"Say something! Didn't you say that after cooking it for so long, the meat was as tough as a rock?"

Master Ma dejectedly raised his head, barely meeting Brother Long's gaze, and slowly shook his head.

"We lost."

Those four short words were like a thunderbolt from the blue.

Brother Long released Master Ma's arm, and for a moment felt his vision go black.

Old Lin's voice also rang out at the right time.

"I hereby declare the Grand Court Hotel the winner of this competition!"

A cheer erupted from the audience, followed by thunderous applause.

Su Wanqing also put down her knife and fork and looked up at the azure sky.

The plate of cod in front of her was devoured without her even noticing.

"Did he win? He's really good."

She said this slowly to herself.

At this moment, Brother Long also remembered something.

"Mr. Lin, I remember that the star rating is not only based on the food, but also on the hotel's facilities and so on."

Brother Long grasped at Lin Lao's trouser leg as if it were his last straw.

Old Lin snorted coldly.

"Don't you know what you've done?"

"Take this competition for example. The dishes you served didn't contain any secret seasonings at all; they contained large amounts of food additives!"

Old Lin's voice boomed like a thunderclap among the media reporters.

"What?!"

Just then, many reporters' pagers started beeping.

Everyone looked down, and after seeing what was written on it, they immediately looked up, their eyes filled with disbelief.

The kitchen of the Golden Dragon Hotel was inspected.

"A large quantity of prohibited additives have been seized!"