Every contestant's entrance was met with an introduction from the host, and the audience listened intently, never showing the slightest impatience.
At first, the atmosphere remained relatively normal, but when Mulan and her group of stunning companions made their appearance, the crowd's excitement was immediately stirred.
"The previous champion, the culinary genius Mulan, is here! Ah, every one of her friends is a beauty. Mulan herself is a beauty, and her assistants are beauties as well, not to mention they're all famous stars! Let's give them a warm round of applause!"
The privileges of beauty— even the host, Zhou Da, instinctively gave them a grand introduction.
Cheers! Shouts!
"Let's take a look back at the previous competition, where the culinary genius Mulan narrowly lost…"
Zhou began with praise, then neutrally recounted Mulan's close defeat in the last finals, and the audience expressed their sympathy for her loss.
Once the excitement settled, the contestants continued their appearances.
Aside from seeing Mulan, Zhao Lun also encountered Master Liu, who had once cooked for them, as well as Brian, who had taken a leave just days earlier.
"I didn't expect them to be here competing too."
"Not bad," Zhao Lun remarked, admiring their culinary skills, though surprised they had managed to reach the finals.
"They're no match for Mulan!" Maria, however, judged their cooking by how delicious the food was.
None of the other contestants could create the same sensation as the group of beauties—until one person arrived.
Cheers! Shouts!
"Culinary Genius!"
"Culinary Genius!"
"Culinary Genius!!"
The final arrival set the crowd ablaze. Almost everyone stood up to clap in respect.
He was dressed in a chef's outfit adorned with golden trim, his clothes neat and sharp, and accompanied by three assistants.
They walked in perfect synchrony, each step like that of a moving mountain—imposing and full of grandeur. The atmosphere felt as if the arrival of a high-ranking official was imminent.
With music, it would have felt like the entrance of a boss.
This person had an aura of dominance, exuding an intimidating presence, which made him seem somewhat unlikable.
"Hmph!"
"That's the bad guy!"
"Mulan will definitely defeat him!" Maria muttered, her dislike evident.
Zhao Lun shared her sentiments, his gaze turned cold.
This person wasn't simple, Zhao Lun thought, as some of his background information surfaced in his mind.
The culinary genius from last year, Ma Jikun!
A distant relative of the Ma family, Ma Jikun had a unique talent for cooking. After being trained by the family, he rose to become a top-tier chef.
In the last culinary competition, with the help of his family, he defeated the reigning champion, Mulan, and claimed the title of the new generation's culinary genius.
This was the official version of the story, but those in the know understood there was much more beneath the surface.
The Ma family had begun their rise through shady means and had started laundering their image eleven years ago.
Since Ma Jikun's emergence, he had rarely been seen in direct contact with the Ma family, earning the support of many who were unaware of the truth.
After he won the title of culinary genius, the Ma family opened several restaurants. On the surface, these were branded as Ma Jikun's, but in reality, the Ma family owned a majority stake.
Though the Ma family had cleaned up their public image, their influence hadn't waned, and they had not stopped using questionable methods to further their development.
To continue their efforts at rehabilitation, they had infiltrated Hong Kong's restaurant industry, believing that associating with the title of culinary genius would help their cause.
What method was most trustworthy? The answer was marriage.
Mulan, with her prestigious background and her otherworldly beauty, became a prime target for this alliance. After decades of development, they had grown overly confident, assuming she would accept their proposal. To their surprise, she refused.
A domineering, powerful, and rogue family, no matter how much they concealed their true nature, couldn't change their essence. In the end, they resorted to underhanded tactics in an attempt to force Mulan into submission, but it was all in vain.
Maria, fully aware of Mulan's experience, held deep animosity towards the chef before her, seeing him as the embodiment of her grievances.
Her resentment was so strong that Zhao Lun couldn't help but sense something unusual.
The culinary genius, basking in the admiration of food enthusiasts, suddenly felt as though he had been targeted by some colossal beast, causing a fleeting wave of anxiety to wash over him.
This sensation came swiftly and vanished just as quickly, leaving him wondering if it was merely a figment of his imagination. The three assistants beside him failed to notice his unease.
However, he was no ordinary person. Rather than dismissing the feeling, he unleashed a thunderous roar, releasing the full force of his aura.
Boom! His aura stirred the air around him like ripples across water, expanding rapidly in all directions.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind swept through the venue.
The crowd cheered even louder, encouraged by his powerful display.
While strong personalities could be off-putting, strength displayed by someone with true ability was completely understandable. The new culinary genius's performance was undoubtedly fitting for his status.
The most important contestant always arrives last, and with Ma Jikun's appearance, the stage was set, the competition was about to begin.
This was the final round, and all previous rounds had been qualifiers. To reach this stage, contestants had to pass the elimination matches. Only the true culinary geniuses, or those who had earned such titles, could bypass the qualifiers.
Only two people had earned the right to enter directly.
The kitchen stations were already set up, and once the competition began, the entire venue was filled with tantalizing aromas.
The irresistible scent wafted through the air, and the audience couldn't help but salivate.
All eyes were fixed on the competition.
Rather than indulging in the food like the others, Zhao Lun kept scanning the chefs, taking notes and assessing who might take the title of champion.
Based on his judgment, unless something unexpected happened, the final winner—culinary genius—would likely be one of two: Mulan or the previous champion, Ma Jikun. The others stood no chance.
His criteria for judgment was their strength and culinary skills.
The powerful could make better decisions and exhibit superior techniques. While the other contestants were not lacking, compared to these two, it was like comparing a child to an adult—the outcome was already sealed.
What surprised Zhao Lun was that Ma Jikun was no slouch. Though slightly weaker than Mulan, his culinary skills were not far behind. With the right approach, winning the competition was not beyond his reach.
How could Mulan win? Zhao Lun couldn't help but feel concerned.
The venue fell silent, everyone focused on the competition. Those farther away had binoculars in hand, ensuring no distraction.
A cool breeze blew, carrying the fresh scent of sunlight. It felt refreshing.
"What's going on? Why is it so cool?" Zhao Lun wondered, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
The venue was impeccably designed; it was sweltering outside, yet inside, it felt unaffected.
Zhao Lun, surprised, examined the environment carefully. There were no obvious cooling measures in place.
Recording! Analyzing!
Zhao Lun utilized his digital assistant to record and analyze the surroundings.
Airflow?
"Now I understand!"