The Wealthy Chef Keeps a Low Profile

Time flew faster than the heat of a wok, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day of the competition.

Liu Yang arrived at the shop early in the morning, standing in front of the "Closed Today" sign for a long while, his pen hovering over the paper for a good length of time.

He almost wrote something like, "The boss has gone to win 5 million and will be back tomorrow with the prize money to continue serving you all," which would have been asking for trouble.

"Forget it," he chuckled, shaking his head, "If I wrote that, people would probably think I'm crazy."

Standing in the kitchen, he took a deep breath, repeatedly checking the status of the system.

The newly upgraded Master-level system hummed in his mind, all data showing perfect conditions:

"System Status: Full

Level: Master

Special Skill 'Taste Resonance': Activated

Ingredient Improvement: Normal

Heat Control: Perfect

Creative Inspiration: On Standby"

He also checked the cocktail-making skill he had "crossed over" to copy; although it was still at the beginner level, it didn't matter if it wasn't used in this competition.

The main focus was on this newly upgraded system to show its prowess in the competition.

"Let's see..." He brought up the newly acquired privileges in his mind, like a gamer checking his equipment,

"Taste Resonance, Emotional Soothing, Culinary Memory... If used well, the judges' tears might be saltier than their soup."

The system interface flickered before his eyes, each function showing normal status, ready to create a culinary storm at the competition site.

This feeling was even more serious than checking the status of his luxury car in his previous life.

It was just unknown whether the judges today could withstand the baptism of his "dark cuisine."

Especially Hu Jing, it would be interesting to see her expression when she saw her "nonsense" turned into Michelin-level cuisine.

Unlike his participation in gambling in his previous life, this time he had a winning card.

"Master! The taxi is here!" Xiao Li panted as he ran in, but froze at the door—

The kitchen was neatly arranged with various pots, bowls, and utensils, as well as bottles of seasonings, but there was no sign of the master's competition supplies. The master stood there with empty hands, looking as relaxed as if he was about to go for a walk.

"Ma... Master," Xiao Li stammered, "Where are your things? The seasonings, ingredients, cookware... Aren't you supposed to be participating in a competition?"

Liu Yang turned around, his face wearing a smile more mysterious than his "Wasabi Ice Cream": "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Xiao Li looked bewildered, his mind already imagining various disaster scenarios: other contestants were probably carrying professional cookware, holding secret seasonings, and dragging specially selected ingredients into the venue, as if they were going to war.

Xiao Yuanshan, for example, had been preparing for several days, even weighing his seasonings to the gram to bring along.

But what about their master?

This relaxed attitude was like going to the market for a leisurely stroll, not even bringing a spoon for measuring salt.

Was this going to the national top chef competition, or just going downstairs to buy breakfast?

"Let's go!" Seeing Xiao Li's almost tearful expression, Liu Yang couldn't help but laugh and pat his shoulder,

"The competition venue has everything." He also winked mysteriously at him, "Besides..."

The phrase "With the system in hand, I own the world" almost slipped out, but he managed to stop himself in time.

If Xiao Li knew he was relying on the system to cheat, the kid would probably call the police on the spot, saying that his boss had been brainwashed by some cult.

In the blink of an eye, a taxi was driving steadily towards the city center.

Xiao Li sat in the back seat, feeling anxious, watching his boss doze off as soon as he got in the car, his snoring as steady as the rhythm when he was usually cooking.

Wasn't he taking the five million seriously at all?

He thought to himself, well, it's good to come and see the world with the boss, to learn a lesson on "how to turn a Michelin-level competition into a street-side snack shop."

Forty minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of the "Longtai State Guesthouse."

This, the most top-tier guesthouse in China, has become the holy land of the culinary world today. Just the majestic entrance was enough to make one's legs weak.

The main gate of Longtai State Guesthouse was solemn and dignified. The classical Chinese archway towered into the clouds, with marble pillars carved with dragons and phoenixes, gleaming with a solemn luster in the morning light.

On both sides, the white marble lions stood guard majestically, as if witnessing today's grand culinary event.

The broad marble steps led up to the imposing main building, with a red carpet running from the center of the steps into the lobby.

The building complex was nestled among the lush ancient pines, with the picturesque garden scenery of winding streams and pavilions partially hidden and partially revealed, and the surrounding artificial lake shimmering with ripples.

In front of the lobby, a large electronic display screen had been specially set up today, scrolling the words "National Top Chef Competition."

The etiquette ladies were already lined up, dressed in cheongsams, guiding the way for the chefs from all directions.

Xiao Li stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at the magnificent building complex, his legs feeling weak.

This place had hosted countless heads of state and was usually not open to the public. Today, however, it has become the holy land of the culinary world because of this competition.

The parking lot was already a sea of luxury cars—BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, as far as the eye could see.

The chefs got out of their cars, all dressed in white chef's coats, carrying, holding, or shouldering items as if they were going to war.

Some were hugging expensive custom cookware, some were carefully protecting precious ingredients, and others were followed by two or three assistants, carrying so many bags as if they wanted to move the entire kitchen.

As the taxi slowly pulled into the parking lot and the driver announced their arrival, the boss woke up at this moment, stretched, and got out of the car as leisurely as if he were going to a market.

Xiao Li's legs trembled at the sight of this.

Their boss, on the other hand, walked among the "fully armed" chefs with empty hands, standing out like a tourist on a sightseeing trip. Their taxi was like an alien among the luxury cars.

When the car door opened, the looks they received were more dazzling than the crystal chandeliers of the state guesthouse.

"Hey, where does this nouveau riche come from?" A fat man wearing an expensive chef's hat sneered,

"Not even a decent car, and he dares to participate in the competition?"

"Wait, isn't this the shop that does dark cuisine?" Someone recognized Liu Yang, "He dared to come to the competition?"

The gossiping voices rose and fell:

"With this empty-handed attitude, is he here for sightseeing?"

"Not even a spice box, is he going to perform magic on the spot?"

"I think he's here to freeload, I heard they're providing boxed lunches at noon."

"Humph, he dares to come!" A fat chef with a gold watch disdainfully threw his set of imported knives into his assistant's arms, as if afraid of being contaminated by this "shabby duo."

Several chefs turned their heads away directly, not even willing to spare a glance, as if looking one more time would be a desecration to their expensive chef's coats.

Xiao Li's face turned bright red. If there was a crack in the ground at that moment, he could have (drilled down to the core of the earth).

He (sneaked a peek at the other contestants' carefully prepared ingredients and tools), wishing he could turn around and run—this was not coming to participate in a competition, it was coming to be on display for "how to turn oneself into a laughingstock."

But Liu Yang seemed not to hear the ridicule around him, stretching leisurely with a posture that was as provocative as could be. He also took his time to straighten the collar of his chef's coat, as if preparing for a fashion show.

"Let's go!" He patted Xiao Li's shoulder, which was about to become autistic, his face wearing confidence brighter than all the gilded cookware around,

"Let them see what real 'dark cuisine' is!"

The system in his mind was silently running, probably looking forward to how this "cheating player" would teach these arrogant guys a lesson and make them submit completely.

The banquet hall of Longtai State Guesthouse had been transformed into a competition venue, with two to three hundred stoves neatly arranged. Each workstation was equipped with the most top-tier cooking utensils.

Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, the floor was covered with thick carpets, and the walls were adorned with imposing banners reading "National Top Chef Competition."