Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 26 Don't rush, have some water, sit down and rest for a while, there's still plenty of time.
Xia Ming didn't lower his voice when he said this, so that the entire arena could hear it clearly.

The live streamers were the first to react.

【Seriously, is this how you play it? You're just spouting nonsense without thinking!】

[Chen Xiaodong's team has Chef Huang, Chef Yang, and Chef Jin. What do they have here? Do they even open their mouths?]

[How dare he! He claims he can fight anything, what's wrong with him, is this guy hallucinating he's a "Level 6 Chinese"?]

That's not "Chinese Level 6", that's "International Level 8", or "International Level 8" for short.

The viewers in the live stream were arguing fiercely, and the contestants below were also discussing it animatedly.

The most obvious example is Yang Yanbin, who joined Chen Xiaodong's team.

"Xiaodong, it seems we've been looked down upon!"

Jin Hongnan, who was standing to the side, chimed in.

"Has he gone mad? He's willing to do anything for fame?"

Even Huang Qiyun, who is usually good-tempered, got a little angry.

"Young people nowadays often have unrealistic ambitions. The more you learn in the culinary profession, the more you will understand that there is always something beyond your reach and someone more capable than you."

Chen Xiaodong, however, smiled and smoothed things over.

"Don't be so angry. Anyone can talk. In the end, we'll have to see who's the real deal on the field."

"That makes sense. Xiaodong is the most composed."

Huang Qiyun nodded as he looked at the extremely young Chen Xiaodong. At his age, he was calm and composed in his work, truly deserving of the title of the youngest "Black Pearl" head chef.

On the other hand, after finishing his speech, Xia Ming didn't care about the surrounding gazes, but looked into the eyes of the graduate students at the banquet.

So, your decision is~

The graduate student at the banquet stared at Xia Ming, and she sensed a deep-seated arrogance in Xia Ming's eyes.

The Sichuan-Chongqing Ice and Fire Chef didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with saying such things, even though the opposing team was composed entirely of chefs at the "Hua Level 4" or above.

Seeing the slight upturn of Xia Ming's lips, and glancing at Xiao Hua beside him, the graduate student finally reached out his hand.

"I hope you can really do it. If there are any problems with your decisions, I don't mind replacing you as captain at any time."

Seeing the outstretched hand in front of him, Xia Ming reached out and shook it.

"Don't worry, you won't have a chance."

A black horse that saw this scene chuckled softly and then walked over to Xiaohua's group.

Xiao Hua welcomed the arrival of a dark horse. Although she was a little disappointed that she didn't get the "Banquet Graduate Student" card, she was very satisfied with the current lineup.

Just as the graduate student from the banquet followed Xia Ming back to the yellow platform, the broadcast from the competition venue sounded again.

After the initial grouping process, everyone should have found trustworthy partners. Here, I will give the final statistics on the grouping results, starting with the Ocean Team.

[Team Sea - Chef Fang "Captain": Shuai Xiaojian. "Team Members": Shao Denong, Wang Qingrui, Lin Chao.]

[Team Sea - Captain: Xiaohua. Team Members: Chemistry Department Fantasy Chef, Fish Fairy, and a Dark Horse.]

Next up is Team Riku.

[Team Lu - Chef Fang: "Captain": Chen Xiaodong. "Team Members": Huang Qiyun, Yang Yanbin, Jin Hongnan.]

[Team Lu - Contestant "Captain": Sichuan-Chongqing Ice and Fire Chef. "Team Members": Banquet Graduate Student, Bald Cook.]

[Finally, it's Team Sky]

[Team Sky - Chef Fang: "Captain": Zeng Huaijun. "Team Members": Dong Jiaqi, Li Zhian.]

[Team Sky - Team Leader: Xia Yuxingye. Team Members: Ai Pin Cai Cai Ying, Luo Luo Heng Heng Ji, Chun Qing Xiao La Jiao]

Now that everyone has chosen their teams, please have the six team captains move to the lounge, where we will draw the order of appearance.

As the broadcast ended, Xia Ming and the other team leaders exchanged glances, and then they silently walked towards the rest room.

Inside, there were three tables, each with a deck of cards in the center.

According to the rules written on the side, two people assigned to the same theme sat opposite each other, and the winner of the draw was determined by the value of the cards drawn. Xia Ming actually felt that this step was unnecessary, but since the production team had made this rule, everyone just went through the motions.

In the end, Xia Ming, Xiao Hua, and Zeng Huaijun drew relatively high numbers, so the three of them drew lots from the blind selection box to determine their order of appearance.

Because Zeng Huaijun was the head chef, he politely let Xiaohua and Xiaming draw first. Xiaohua wanted to draw first, but Xiaming refused. The two stared at each other for a long time before finally deciding to draw together.

With the two white balls being pulled out of the box and opened, the order of the duel was finally determined.

Xia Ming was the first to draw ball number "1", followed by Zeng Huaijun who did not draw a ball, and finally Xiao Hua who drew ball number "3".

Xiao Hua was clearly very satisfied with this order of appearance, because appearing later meant having more opportunities to observe the judges, while the number 1 position was purely cannon fodder.

Seeing this result, Xiaohua smiled and looked at Xia Ming.

"It seems Lady Luck isn't on your side."

Xia Ming chuckled.

"Really? I think position 1 is a very good position, and I'm very satisfied with the result."

Xiao Hua smiled and nodded, seemingly not agreeing with Xia Ming's words, but simply mocking his stubbornness.

Xia Ming shrugged and then walked out of the lounge. According to the program's rules, he now had 15 minutes to confirm the dishes with his team members and get the ingredients.

The competition will start promptly in 15 minutes. If you do not have all the materials by then, you will waste time during the competition.

Inside the arena, the bald cook and the graduate student in charge of the banquet didn't react much after Xia Ming drew ball number 1.

Since they chose to join Xia Ming's team, they naturally acknowledged and were willing to accept the results of the draw.

The bald cook glanced at the countdown on the big screen and spoke quickly.

"Let's talk about the dishes now. I think, for land-based dishes, it should be beef."

Just as the bald cook was about to express his thoughts, Xia Ming reached out and interrupted him.

"No rush, let's put the choice of dish aside for now. I'd like to ask for your opinions on the topic."

The bald cook was taken aback.

"What are your thoughts on the topic? You mentioned land, sea, and air? I think for land, it's more about showcasing the flavor of the meat, if we can perfectly present the taste to..."

Hearing the bald cook's words, Xia Ming sighed.

"Alright, I know what you're thinking. You don't need to say anything more. You're a graduate student, so what are you thinking?"

The graduate student at the banquet glanced at Xia Ming.

"I think there is more than one question in this round. The theme of ingredients is the most basic framework. In addition to that, the judges' tastes are also something to be considered."

Xia Ming nodded.

"Go on~"

"Well, I think there are three issues we are facing now: first, the selection of ingredients and regional acceptance; second, how to balance the portion size, quantity, and timing of food; and third, how to balance the flavor conflicts between regions. I think these are the three points."

After listening to what the graduate student at the banquet said, Xia Ming nodded.

"That's right, you've pointed out the problems we face, but it's not comprehensive enough."

The graduate student at the banquet was taken aback.

"Is there anything else I haven't noticed?"

Xia Ming made a "shh" gesture.

"That's a secret, you wouldn't want us later generations to benefit, would you?"

Looking at the mysterious Xia Ming, the graduate student at the banquet blinked, and then did not continue to ask about the topic.

"Since you have an idea, feel free to say it. If there are no problems, I will fully cooperate."

Xia Ming nodded, then turned his gaze to Chen Xiaodong and the others who were having a heated discussion across from him, and chuckled.

"Don't rush, have some water, sit down and rest for a while, there's still plenty of time."

(End of this chapter)