Morning, 9 o'clock.
The venue: Hong Kong's Food City.
The event: The 11th Annual Chef King Competition.
This competition is co-hosted by local black and white organizations, with the event's order maintained by officials, while behind the scenes, various personnel contribute to the smooth running of the event.
The judges are mostly renowned culinary experts, food critics, and distinguished guests from all over the world.
To ensure fairness, the guests are allowed to oversee the judges, ensuring their impartiality.
The contestants are elite chefs from across the globe, accompanied by their assistants.
The scene is adorned with fluttering colorful flags, vibrant flowers, and decorations filling every corner.
Golden, gilded qilin statues, red silk drapery, and crimson carpets complete the setting.
At the edges of the red carpet, receptionists in elegant attire greet the arriving guests with grace.
The atmosphere is filled with joy.
Thump! Thump, thump!
The sound of drums and gongs fills the air as a golden lion, moving with elegant steps, strides down the red carpet.
The lion ascends the staircase, draws back the curtain, revealing the competition arena and the contestants, along with the stage and the host.
This event is uniquely lively, characteristic of Chinese celebrations.
Clap clap! The applause is spontaneous, and it continues for over a minute, so fervent and loud that hands turn red from clapping.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome!"
A young, poised host in white attire steps onto the stage.
Clap clap! Whistles follow.
"I'm your host, Zhou Fa! Welcome to the biennial Chef King Competition!"
The applause erupts once again.
Zhou Fa, a celebrated foodie, actor, doctor, and wealthy businessman, is a legendary figure in Hong Kong.
He is a natural-born host, loved for his culinary expertise and charm, making him extremely popular.
As a rising star in the hosting world, Zhou Fa has excelled in his field, becoming the youngest host to helm Hong Kong's Food Championship. His widespread popularity soon led to his hosting a variety of food shows, cementing his success.
Zhou Fa's voice is powerful and magnetic, a true pleasure to listen to. His voice has recently gained a growing fanbase.
When it comes to food, he's highly professional. He delivers his lines without a script, injecting humor into his words, and with his compelling voice, he can captivate anyone present.
Moreover, Zhou Fa's appearance is radiant, with a sun-kissed smile and gleaming white teeth that have attracted many female admirers. His charismatic performance has even won the admiration of many men.
A truly magnetic figure!
Whether he is charming or not, Zhao Lun doesn't care. What he knows is that this host is far from ordinary. There's a powerful aura about him, a familiar feeling—like the aura of a food practitioner he saw earlier. This man is someone to be reckoned with.
What reassures Zhao Lun is that this individual radiates warmth, his power calm and serene, like undisturbed water.
The host raises the atmosphere and then invites the president of the event, Zhu Jing, to give a speech.
The president is a rotund, bald man with a large belly, whose speech is excessively long and tedious. The guests below seem to be losing patience, but he remains oblivious to the discomfort, continuing his lengthy address with gusto.
The crowd's faces darken, cursing inwardly, thinking, Is this man done yet?
If not for maintaining decorum, many would have thrown shoes at him by now.
Seeing the familiar scene, Zhao Lun is speechless. The crux of it all boils down to a single line: Let everyone showcase their skills and fight for top honors.
Why do some people insist on dragging on with endless, tedious speeches?
Zhao Lun's primary reason for attending is to cheer for Mulan, with the secondary purpose of sampling the food here.
Because of Mulan, Zhao Lun, Maria, and others are seated at a prime location near the competition stage. The podium is close, and listening to President Zhu's tiresome speech is pure torture, especially after Zhou Fa's dynamic hosting.
Zhao Lun scoffs, his gaze distant, his mind elsewhere, ignoring the irrelevant words.
The long and agonizing speech finally ends, and a sigh of relief sweeps through the room. The applause that follows is no less than Zhou Fa's, but the mood is starkly different—one is genuine, while the other seems to be a dismissive send-off.
"Finally, it's over."
Maria, who had been playing a game, puts down her device and joins the applause.
Zhou Fa returns to the stage and moves the event forward. He introduces the contestants, reciting their details effortlessly without looking at any notes.
Zhao Lun, however, judges the contestants based on the energy they exude, sensing their true strength.
At that moment, Zhao Lun feels a powerful, familiar aura drawing nearer.
"Brother! Look!"
"That's Mulan, Nicole, Angela, and Monica!"
"They're coming onstage!"
Maria, excited to see Mulan and her team, pulls Zhao Lun and excitedly shakes her little fist, clearly exhilarated.
As Maria calls out, Zhao Lun looks, and sure enough, it is Mulan and her team!
At that moment, the four women—Mulan leading, with Angela, Nicole, and Monica following—radiate an unmistakable aura. Especially Mulan, who has recently reached the stage of food Qi cultivation, exuding an energy that she cannot fully contain. Leading the trio, she walks like the brightest star, instantly becoming the center of attention.
Clap clap! The applause grows even louder, with some people even cupping their hands to whistle in excitement.
The four women remain unaffected by the cheers, their steps resolute as they make their way to the competition stage.
Some in the crowd recognize Mulan as the reigning Chef King from the previous competition, and they also identify her three companions, who are currently famous and beloved actresses.
The atmosphere intensifies. At this moment, the most beautiful people in the room are undoubtedly the four women, with Mulan taking the spotlight. Her aura and presence overshadow even the glamorous actresses Nicole, Angela, and Monica.
"How impressive!"
Maria, sensing the energy of the group, is completely awestruck.
"Yes, they are amazing!"
"They're waving at us! Didn't you notice? Look at Monica's fingers!"
"Could they be saying, 'We see you, are you well?'"
For a moment, Zhao Lun is caught up in the excitement and shares his thoughts with Maria.
Nicole and her team had practiced sign language, and as they walked in, they had used it to greet the crowd. Zhao Lun, naturally, kept an eye on their hands.
"I didn't notice," Maria shakes her head.
"Don't worry, look closely again, are they greeting us?"
"Oh, I see it now!" Maria exclaims.