Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 98 The Winds Change, the Most Difficult New Chef Competition in History! (3K First Update)
"So, the 'Crispy Fried Bean Curd' is filled with chopped bee pupae?"

"Is the filling of the 'Dou Dan Steamed Dumplings' made of a small amount of chicken mixed with silkworm pupa meat?"

"Is the 'steamed egg with bean caterpillar' actually made with 'sand worms' that are supposedly 'water centipedes'?"

Zhu Yijie was completely distorted, her mind filled with images of insects. After a long while, she muttered to herself as if her soul had been ripped out.

"What other insects did I eat, Brother Xia?"

Xia Ming pointed to the coconuts beside him and slowly began to speak.

"The 'Coconut Soybean Mushroom Stewed Egg White' contains bamboo worms."

boom!
Zhu Yijie felt as if she had been thoroughly defeated.

Despite being terrified of insects, she ended up tasting five different kinds of insects in one meal: bamboo worms, bean caterpillars, bee pupae, sand worms, and silkworm pupae.

At that moment, he felt that the program should not be called "The Taste of Life in Ningxia" but "The Taste of Life in Yunnan".
She truly never imagined that she would have the privilege of tasting such an "authentic" insect feast in the Soviet area.
Just as she entered a state of despair with lifeless eyes, Chen Guangshan laughed beside her.

"Haha, well done."

"By utilizing the slight milky flavor of bamboo worms, blending them with coconut milk and regular milk, the slight insect-like smell of the worms is masked, giving the dessert a deeper flavor."

"The last time I saw this trick was with an overseas chef who used black ants soaked in honey to make bread filling. It really amazed me at the time."

"Tingfeng's bean butter is also very well made. It has a strong aroma and is very appetizing."

"Let's go back to 'bee pupae.' These are probably the edible insects that most closely resemble the aroma of bean weevils when fried. Although the meat isn't as plump as bean weevils, it has a subtle sweetness."

"You must have used a mold for this 'Fried Bean Curd'. If you didn't, it would be absolutely amazing as a meatball."

"I'm not very familiar with sandworms, so I won't comment too much. I can only say that they go very well with steamed eggs. They have a texture similar to mantis shrimp, but the inside smells like seafood. I just don't know how much they cost. If it's reasonable, I'd like to get some and sell them in the store."

"Silkworm pupae are eaten a bit more in the East Third District, but this is my first time eating the shelled version. The meat inside is quite soft and has a rich, creamy flavor. I don't know what it's made of, but it's really easy to eat without feeling guilty at all~"

At this point, Jia Bing, who was standing to the side, suddenly slapped his thigh.

"I knew it! It looked so familiar! It's a silkworm pupa!"

"I often eat this at barbecue restaurants, it's so delicious!"

Seeing this, Xie Tingfeng and Xia Ming also laughed.

Zhu Yijie, who was standing nearby, also calmed down after being comforted by her older sister Zhu Yiqing.
Actually, before she knew these were insects, she had a very good impression of the meal.

After all, some of the dishes really suited her taste, especially the steamed dumplings; she felt like she could eat them again.
I'm too full to eat anymore, but I can take it to go!

Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Nicholas Tse started chatting casually.

According to Nicholas Tse, the four women, Bing Qing Yu Jie, returned to Ningqu this time to participate in a performance. The bar they were in before was actually where they were rehearsing.

"All industries in this world are the same. First, you need passion, then you need to think and persevere to go further on the road."

"Chef Chen has also worked on the matter of bean weevil for many years, which is why he can make accurate judgments among so many options."

Afterwards, Jia Bing also described the confusion and problems he encountered while learning acting.

Xia Ming also chatted for a few minutes, but there weren't many scenes of him practicing cooking in his memories. After he adapted the events of the Nine Provinces Continent to the city, the netizens in front of the screen sighed repeatedly.

Wow, that's strict! No wonder they have such skills at such a young age. After hearing this, I'm not envious at all anymore.

"To master a skill, one must grind an iron rod into a needle. Even a genius cannot learn it instantly; one must diligently study and practice."

[Those who can do it instantly are either reincarnated or transmigrated, or they didn't drink the Meng Po soup and didn't completely forget their past lives~]

You know what, sometimes when I see those little musical prodigies on Douyin (TikTok), it's like they haven't completely forgotten their music—it's just outrageous!

[These are all personas, bro. If you believe this, you're doomed for life. Just watch Feng Ge and Xia Ming more; they're so real. Skill doesn't lie!]

[Why don't you, Xia, start a restaurant review program? I think it would be really interesting!]

As everyone happily finished their meal, it became late at night.

Jia Bing had filming to do the next day and had to fly back to the set. Master Chen also had to open his shop the next day, so the two said goodbye and left first.

As for Xia Ming, Xie Tingfeng arranged for him to fly tomorrow morning, so he can stay tonight to watch the performance of Bing Qing Yu Jie and the other two.

Back at the familiar bar, Xia Ming found fans of the "Induction Band" already waiting at the entrance.

It turns out this is the venue for their small livehouse performance. According to online ticket sales, a total of 184 tickets have been sold.

Seeing the staff setting up chairs in the bar, Nicholas Tse sighed.

“I was luckier than them before, I had a higher starting point, but it wasn’t all that great, a bunch of messy things were piling up at once.”

"I think if you want to become famous, you have to do it early. If you don't work hard when you're young, you'll have fewer opportunities when you get older."

Xia Ming always felt that Nicholas Tse's words were referring to both the "Induction Band" and him.

Now he could see that Xie Tingfeng was indeed a decent person, but he certainly wouldn't waste his time on unimportant people.

He probably thinks he has potential and wants to win me over in advance.

Xia Ming wasn't opposed to this. Although he didn't like signing contracts of servitude, he would humbly listen to advice from seniors. He had also asked everyone about some things in the industry during a meal earlier.

It has been discovered that there are some celebrities in the variety show industry who are not signed with a company.

In the Nine Provinces Continent, such a person would be called a rogue cultivator.

In terms of resources, independent cultivators are certainly inferior to those of sects, and their cultivation progress is also affected by many things. However, there have been extremely powerful independent cultivators in the history of the Nine Provinces Continent.

When a rogue cultivator rises to prominence, he often has more say than cultivators bound by sects.

Aside from a few disciples (who are his body-snatchers), he has virtually no other weaknesses, except for having fewer teammates.

After all, it's not comprehensive enough to be considered a proper independent cultivator.
If your cultivation level is unmatched among those of the same level, then a rogue cultivator is a highly sought-after commodity in the eyes of all the major sects.

The same applies to cities. As long as you have popularity and support, even if your team only has 3 people, you can still get resources.

Of course, there are two paths here: relying on oneself or relying on a powerful figure.

Relying on an individual is easy to understand, but relying on a powerful figure usually means being a front man.
Of course, there are exceptions. If you have a benefactor, you can set up a studio even if you are alone.

However, human relationships are often very valuable. In Xia Ming's eyes, apart from the "master chef," there is no such thing as absolute impartiality.

In this situation, it's crucial to choose someone with a "good person card" that's frequently used and whose character is somewhat reliable for mutual benefit.

At this moment, Xie Tingfeng is a very good stepping stone in Xia Ming's eyes.

He has good connections in the industry, and he's well-liked among chefs who all give him face.

He also happened to show goodwill.
After thinking for a moment, Xia Ming asked the question without any live streaming or filming.

"Brother Feng, if I want to work solo in the variety show industry, what do I need to do?"

Hearing Xia Ming's words, Xie Tingfeng turned his head and glanced at him.

"Want to go solo? The road ahead will be tough!"

Xia Ming smiled slightly.

"It's okay, no matter how difficult it is, I can get through it. Besides, I'm a person who knows how to be grateful."

"Brother Feng, you helped me today, I'll repay you later!"

Nicholas Tse recalled the bald cook from the "One Meal to Fame" competition and nodded in agreement.

"Alright, kid, let me analyze your current situation."

As he spoke, Xie Tingfeng pulled over a chair and sat down next to Xia Ming.

"Right now that you're starting from scratch, the first thing you need to do is increase your visibility."

"To survive in this industry, both 'fame' and 'public appeal' are indispensable. I just checked the live stream data, and quite a few netizens are still interested in you, so you've barely passed the public appeal test."

"But you also know that 'One Meal to Fame' didn't actually make you famous, so now you either need to find a way to let people know that you are the 'Sichuan-Chongqing Ice and Fire Chef,' and one way to do that is to appear on some popular variety shows."

"Although 'The Taste of Life' has good ratings, it is, after all, a slow-paced lifestyle variety show. People would prefer to see established celebrities living like ordinary people on this show."

"You can see that I brought the 'Sensing Band' here to boost their profile. If a company were willing to promote you, they would naturally find a senior artist to mentor you, but right now you don't actually have any resources."

At this point, Tse Ting-fung shrugged.

"The first pot of gold is often the hardest to earn, and initial resources are often the hardest to acquire."

"But now, you do have a very good path to take."

Xia Ming raised an eyebrow.

"Appreciate further details."

Nicholas Tse smiled and looked at the stage, then looked at the "Sensing Band" on the stage and said word by word.

"Due to some historical reasons, the profession of 'chef' has received a lot of attention in recent years; you can think of it as a kind of alternative 'athlete.'"

"Since they are athletes, there must be rankings. My information is that this year's [New Chef Competition] will be broadcast live in its entirety, and local TV stations will broadcast it live during prime time."

"If you can win first place in this competition, you'll experience the same explosive popularity as an athlete who wins a 'gold medal.'"

"Even if you don't get first place, if you get into the top ten, you will still get a special interview, and then your achievements in 'One Meal to Fame' will be known to the world."

"Only then will people truly equate you with the 'Sichuan-Chongqing Ice and Fire Chef'."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Xia Ming and said each word slowly and deliberately.

"Of course, as the first edition of the reform, this year's [New Chef Competition] is unprecedented in terms of scale, competition system, and rewards."

"Geniuses from all walks of life have honed their skills for decades, so naturally they wouldn't give up such an opportunity to make a name for themselves."

"This is about to be the most challenging edition of the [New Chef Competition] since its inception, Xia Ming."

Are you confident you can win the championship?

(End of this chapter)